Late October Ruminations and Cognitations

As you can see, the deer block we put out in September has been found by the resident deer population! A few days ago, we were surprised to count five deer in our backyard at one time. A momma deer and her two youngsters regularly visit. The shade back there hampers good picture-taking conditions. But I was able to capture this image of a nibble-in-progress. It’s been quite a treat for us to glance up from the kitchen table and routinely see these beautiful creatures.

My home office chair is broken. It is now permanently stuck in the fully raised position, which is way too tall for my short stature. It had started to gently creep down during use the past couple of weeks. It’s quite a disconcerting feeling, to know that one is shrinking down, a couple of millimeters at a time. It’s been a very comfortable chair until this latest mishap. Though it’s only a year and a half old, it looks like I need to go buy another one. Fiddlesticks.

We went shopping to Kohl’s last week to pick up some more rolls of vacuum sealing bags. Their Christmas decorations are up. Already! There ought to be a law against that sort of thing.

We recently bought a big supply of dried cranberries, blueberries, and cherries, hence the need for the vacuum sealing bags. Our merchant of choice is Traverse Bay Fruit Company. We just call them up and order 10 pound boxes of each. (It’s much more economical than grocery store prices.) Dried berries are a welcomed addition to our granola and oatmeal. It’s also good to have the fruit on hand for holiday baking.

We made a day trip over to Fall Creek Falls State Park this past Thursday. The colors were a bit past their peak, but we still had a lovely time. I hadn’t been there in over 35 years!

Earlier in the month, we visited Fort Loudoun State Park for the very first time. We didn’t even know this little gem of a park existed until recently, and it’s located less than 40 miles from us. We timed our visit for a “garrison weekend,” so that we could see living history re-enactors. Though it was a rainy day, we had a great visit. We plan to go back again for their 18th century Christmas celebration!

It’s the 75th anniversary of Tennessee State Parks. We both like to collect embroidered patches from our travel destinations, and their commemorative patch has now been added to the stockpile.

Every time I look out to the back yard, the leaves are fluttering down like rain. So far, the weekly mowing crew has been mulching them up. But the mowing service season is going to quit soon. We might have to break down and buy a blower. But we’d prefer that a good gust of wind take care of it all!

We got our Halloween candy handy for next week. I confess that we’re not big fans of the holiday. I’ve never understood the whole notion of dressing up in costumes and begging for candy from strangers. And now folks have big Halloween parties and decorations all over their yard. Call me a spoilsport, but I just don’t see the appeal.

Speaking of food, our cottage now smells like bacon! Isn’t it the most irresistible aroma? Perhaps some enterprising soul should invent a fragrance line that features the scent. Mister Jim has made up a big batch of coleslaw chicken salad for dinner tonight. Yum!

We have overcast skies today and a cool front has settled in. I think my sandals won’t be worn anymore this year. And flannel sheets are probably coming out of the linen closet and going on the bed tomorrow!

Two tasks on our to-do list for this month are checked off as completed.  First, we got our yearly flu shots.  Second, we voted early.  Though it was the middle of the week, there was a long line.  And twice as many machines than usual were in use.  The busy crowd was a good sign!

I hope all is well with you in your corner of the world.