Yep, that's the consensus around here.  The weather has finally begun to get colder, and we've had two frosts now, not big ones, but definitely frosts.  Only broccoli and cabbage leaves remain green in the garden.  Yesterday, I boiled 3 acorn squash in a big pot until I could put a knife into them, then cooled them down, cut in half, removed seeds and pulled them away from their shells.  You get almost all the meat that way.  I think I prefer the roasted squash, however.  The extra squash I put into little tubs and froze.  I also got the water barrel almost emptied by gravity flow around cedar trees and hydrangea bushes, and it can now be tipped over and put aside for the winter.  I'll hide the sump pump inside the barrel. 

The brown hen has resumed laying eggs again, perhaps just in time to give the black hen a rest, though she is still pumping them out.  Both hens are fat, the black one especially.   She went through a molt awhile back, losing her pretty tail feathers, but they have all grown back in again.  They are still enjoying their little night light in their house.  I need to start assembling the styrofoam sheets around their house.  I will use a washer and screw the correctly cut sheets into place.  That will leave a 1/2 inch gap between box and styrofoam for air to get in, because there are boards on the outside of the house to screw to.

Had my septic tank pumped out the other day - $125.00.  I have it done every two years, even though the law says it's every 3 years, mandatory.  I am now using my reserved property tax money to get through the rest of this month.  I think I can make it up next month, though...

My son has finally gotten hired by a company that installs Direct TV in your house.  I don't know anything about it, since he has just now been hired.  He will have to buy a ladder, that's all I know. 

My daughter's Multiple Sclerosis gets much worse every month, as the moon is waxing.  She was in absolute agony Thursday night; it is very scary, as she keeps blacking out.  But as soon as the moon reaches its fullness, the pain begins to subside gradually.  Even though the moon seems to be still just as full to us, people like her can really feel it.  I wonder if other MS sufferers also have this problem. 

And I'm finally getting well.  October has been a terrible month for sickness in the family. Yet, I've managed to do everything that needed to be done, even driving to visit my brother.  All bills have been paid, even though I'm broke; there's nothing left in the garden except potatoes (still); chickens will soon be cozy for the winter.  The boys (son and son-in-law) showed up and they got the roll-top desk loaded up and taken into son-in-law's den, and it looks beautiful there.  He loves it.  Fireplace is ready to be converted back to wood heat; squirrel has been shagged out; rugs shampooed.  Today, I'm going to make chicken and wild rice soup, do some laundry and yes! dust furniture.  Might even get to write on my novel, finish chap. 12. 

I have been writing on my novel, and I'm now on Chapter 12.  The story is taking over my life, or at least my thoughts, but so far, that hasn't seemed like a bad thing....

I have also been taking it easy, not going anywhere, and not doing any heavy housework.  And that means that I've recovered from my latest bout with a chest cold.  So, I've had flu twice and a chest cold that felt like it was trying to become pneumonia or pleurisy, maybe.  But just taking it easy, keeping warm and rested, is the best. 

So I really have nothing to blog about.

It turns out that the squirrel was not gone, just resting. 

I can only say that for awhile there, it was like Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation, where the squirrel jumps out of the Christmas tree.....only with 3 dogs.  Eventually, I blocked the dogs off so they couldn't get into the same room where the squirrel was hiding.

So, when the squirrel began to try to chew his way from one room to another, I used my leaf rake to poke at him, and began to talk very gently, telling him that he shouldn't go that way, that I would leave the window open for him, and that we wanted him to live long and prosper - outdoors.  I told him/her that we liked squirrels, thought they were very smart and pretty.  Then I backed off, and to my amazement, the squirrel came out of hiding, jumped onto the curtain rod and looked at me intensely.  Like it could actually understand my intentions, if not my words.  But then it leaped into the bathtub, where it zipped around for awhile, then dove into hiding again. 

The evening came on, and fortunately, it was warm and breezy.  The window was open about 4 inches and the lights got turned off and everyone went to sleep.  I got up one time during the night to go to the bathroom, and heard a low growl by the window, on the inside.  Do squirrels growl?  It was enough to have me go to a different bathroom.  But when I woke in the morning, he was truly gone.  We knocked about with a coat hanger on various places and he is gone.  What a relief. 

That's once in 23 years that a squirrel has come down the chimney and I hope it never happens again.  My daughter was teasing me that the squirrel was probably sleeping with me in bed all night.   

I think the squirrel may be gone; I have the sense that he is no longer in the house.  He disdained all our nice efforts to have him go by normal exits though; preferring to chew his way out of the back of my closet and onto the stairway that goes upstairs.  From there, he left by an open doorway though.  He could as easily have jumped out the bedroom window.  At least all the doors and windows are now closed.  Now I can fix the hole in the back of my closet.  Geesh!

I remembered that I saw a few round cabbage heads that I planted late in the season in the garden, just poking seeds into the ground here and there.  So I went out there and harvested a couple of these small cabbages just now.  So crisp, that they split apart when stuck with a knife.  I cut them up into a large pot, then decided to make

                        Cabbage and Polska Kielbasa

Put 1 medium (or two small) cabbages, cut up, into a large pot.  Add 2 or 3 carrots, peeled and chopped, 1/2 of a medium onion, chopped, 1 or 2 stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped, 2 big potatoes, peeled and chopped, 8 cups of water, 1/2 tsp. fennel seed, and 1 polska kielbasa sausage, cut into chunks.  A little salt, pepper, 4 chicken boullion cubes, 2 tblspns. butter, and let this cook until all veggies are tender.  Scoop out one cup of broth; when cooled, stir it into 1/2 cup of flour, and return to pot, stir well.  Fresh parsley, if you have it. 

I am constantly being amazed that the garden continues to give me veggies, even though I keep saying it's over.  It's not over until Jack Frost sings.  And so far, that hasn't happened yet.  I still have broccoverde, broccoli, 1 or two more cabbages, and I haven't even looked for eggplants or peppers.  And still haven't dug the potatoes.  I think I'm afraid of hurting my back again with the potato digging.  The onions are regrowing, though the flowers have really given up now.  Even the marigolds.  Every day still, I am able to give my chickens green things from the garden.  It has truly been an amazing growing year.  We've had so much rain lately, for which I and everyone else, are very grateful.  Perhaps the lakes will begin to recover.   

While typing away on my novel at the computer, I kept hearing quite a ruckus going on in the vicinity of the fireplace, and I thought maybe a mouse was trapped inside, somehow.  I decided to have mercy and opened the fireplace door.  Out jumped a gray squirrel, who must have fallen down the chimney, and even the dogs headed out the door as the rampaging, frightened squirrel leaped around in the house, knocking over many, many things, and going from room to room.  We have opened all the doors and one window that has no screen on it.  Good thing it is warm out, reasonably.  The squirrel has hidden now, in my bedroom, but the window is wide open and it is breezy in there.  I am hoping that he feels the breeze from wide open spaces and gets the heck out of here.  It is impossible to live in a house with a squirrel in it!  It can't be done!  He is capable of knocking over and breaking almost everything!  I only hope more birds and animals don't get in while we're waiting.  I can hear him now, fidgeting around in my bedroom.  Please, please leave! 

Went to town yesterday, got chiropractic adjustment, I am almost completely realigned now.  Then I went to the new Kohl's store that opened recently.  I had bought a t-shirt for my son's fiancee who recently became a police officer.  It said on it "It's all fun and games until the cops arrive!"  When I bought it, it was funny?  I guess?  But after the shootings in Crandon, it is just awful.  Kohl's agreed with me and took back the shirt, no problem.  They had also pulled all the cop t-shirts right off the shelves, so that's good. 

I am, or was, related by marriage to one of the shooting victims, who had been the deputy sheriff's girlfriend before they broke up.  So she was my ex-husband's great niece or something.  My children's 3rd or 4th cousin, perhaps.  Their grandfathers were brothers, I think.  Still....we are all saddened and horrified by what happened.  Nobody can understand it. 

The squirrel has not left yet.  I don't know what the problem is with him.  I certainly don't want him to become too comfortable.  Should I try to shoo him out?  It didn't work at first, when we tried it right away.  It will get cold in here if he doesn't leave soon.  I don't know what to do now.  I can't relax with a squirrel around. 

I called  my daughter and asked her to explain to me again how this darn shampooer works; she told me, I tried again, and this time I got it done!  Almost!  There is only a faint whiff of the beastly smell.  One more time with the shampoo, and it will be gone, I just know it.  Also did another rug in the living room, and it too, looks a lot better.  Then I rearranged furniture, and now we are completely ready to convert the gas fireplace back to wood heat.  We have some firewood, but not enough to get through the winter.  That will be done next, I guess.

John returned from his marathon.  There were 800 people at the starting line, not the 2,000 who registered.  John did well, until his knee began to hurt, about 1/3 of the way through.  The next 1/3 of the race he did with a lot of pain in his right knee, and the last 1/3 he did in excruciating agony, but he did it in 5 hours, 44 minutes.  This was his second marathon, 26 miles, and I am trying to convince him that twice is enough. 

A lady who is a professional trainer watched him run, and saw right away, that when his right foot comes down, it splays outward, and what he needs is to correct that.  That's what is causing the pain in the knee.  So he needs better running shoes with a lift in one side, so his knee will strike properly on his leg.  He is resting today.  I fed him smoked pork chops and roasted fingerling potatoes when he got home.  And lots of beer to rehydrate, of course.

But I feel like resting today, too, after my shampooing, furniture moving marathon yesterday.  I could dust.  That wouldn't be very strenuous.  And I have very many squashes, pumpkins and melons looking at me.  I could carve the Jack-o-Lantern today.  The temp in here remains at 63 degrees, which means the slab is partially heated and keeping the place warmer already.    

Yikes!  The more I scrub this rug, the more it stinks!  I have borrowed my daughter's rug shampooer, and maybe I'm not doing it right, but I will have another go at it today.  I will drench the rug, if I have to.  After that, if it still smells, it is going outside for the winter.  I just can't stand it any longer. 

It is cold now, and yesterday morning, it was but 55 deg. in here, so I turned on the floor heat.  It is 60 deg. in here this morning, but it's a sunny day, so maybe it will warm up the house, too.  It takes a couple of days for the cement slab to heat up.  Even 60 deg. is better than 55 though. 

I've returned from visiting my brother in Waupaca.  We went out to eat at Chef Chou's again, and to my surprise, there is no Sweet and Sour Garlic Pork on the menu.  So I just had the S&S Pork.  It was tasty, but my bro ordered the Orange Chicken, which was fabulous.  I stayed overnight.  Something kept biting me all night.  In the morning, I was able to see that the creature was one of those Asian Ladybugs.  Their bite is every bit as nasty as a spider bite.  But I'm home now, and the doggies were all glad to see me.  I brought my bro some eggs and strawberry freezer jam.

Now, even the brown hen has begun to lay eggs again.  So if they are both laying again, I'll have enough to give my kids, as well.

My sister's procedure to zap the muscles in her heart that were causing arhythmia, tachycardia, etc. has turned out well, and she is at home now, resting and already relieved that she doesn't have rapid heartbeat to worry about any more.  She has a slight fever though, which comes on every afternoon, and will have that checked out on Monday.   

And John is away now, running a 26 mile marathon near Ashland.  There are over 2,000 people in the various categories, running this one.  He said an extra long goodbye to his dog, Arnie, who trains with him, in case he has a heart attack or something.  I yelled at him "you better come back!"  Maybe I will start nagging at him to quit these races.  It seems to me that the original marathon man, who did the initial run from Thermopoli to Athens(?) dropped dead after delivering his message.  But he has a lot of fun too, and it is good to get his training exercise.   

Well, it's been back and forth, but I suspect this may be the last time we have really warm weather for this year.  It turned cold again last evening, the wind sprang up, didn't rain for once, and this morning, it is quite brisk outside.  Skies are gray and troubled. 

I'll be visiting with my daughter today, and tomorrow I'm going to drive to see my brother.  I'm getting my oil changed today and they usually do a checkup on other things too while they're at it.  I can't get over how well my daughter is doing, battling her MS.  She has her bad days, but she is so determined to win against it. 

Got a lot of housecleaning done yesterday; I'm finally able to say that I'm getting caught up on all the housework that didn't get done while I was sick all last week.  I've been working on clipping dog fur from the nether regions of Pepper, and she is beginning to look trimmed and ready to put on new fur for the winter.  Also, clipped and trimmed her brisket fur.  She's good to go.  Now to tackle Daphne, the other furry one.  I've got a start, but need to get serious, especially on the back end. 

And now, I'm pronouncing myself officially well again.  Got up early this morning to begin the behemoth task of cleaning up this house.  Things get ugly when the maid doesn't show up for a week.  I've been working for one hour, the dishes are done, the garbage carried out, recyclables out, the critters have all been fed, I've been pilled and fed, and now I can begin the day.  The sun has come up and it promises to be a very beautiful and strangely warm day.  Very humid out there too, from all the rain we've been having.

The Packers are playing tonight in Lambeau Field, and some storm clouds are approaching - hope they don't get hit with a downpour in the game.  I am hoping they have a "best year ever" experience this year.   

Since I was semi-well yesterday, I went to town and paid bills/got groceries.  I only went to Walmart, since I needed dogfood, so got all my groceries there, too.  Also bought another phone - my Uniden has been acting like it's got a failing battery lately.  My new phone is a V-tech, just $20.00, is plugged in and charged up.  So far, so good.  I might just get a new battery pack for the Uniden.

Strange dreams last night that the Chinese have already taken over this country, that we are already their slaves.  I think this is due to the shopping trip yesterday, seeing hundreds of cars parked at Walmart, and going by the brand new Kohl's Dept. Store, and their parking lot is filled also.  They've only been open for 3 days.  The Walmart logo ringing in my ears - something about live better, shop here.  I suspect everything these days.  Maybe it's because I've been so sick, I've been thinking about death a lot lately.  Wonder if they own our a**es already.

My sister called me and told me about her tachycardia.  It was getting so bad, that she is going in on Monday to have a muscle in her heart zapped so it won't cause her heart to beat so rapidly anymore.  They will have to thread a lot of things up various veins into her heart to do this.  Sounds very scary, but she has no choice.  I'm praying it all works out well for her.

A footnote about fake eggs and chickens - they have adopted the dark grey egg also, have pushed it into their laying nest, and have resumed laying eggs alongside the other two rock eggs.  Very good, e-g-g-c-e-l-l-e-n-t.  Every day, I pull up lettuces, spinach, and mustard plants from the garden and put those whole into the cage.  They are gone in minutes.  What will I do in winter, when there are no greens forthcoming from the garden?  Will I have to purchase bags of salad greens?  Can I go around behind stores and get throw-away greens from their produce people?  I don't want to do that.  It's enough already that I have to go shopping.   

I am finally up on my feet again, at least for minutes at a time, still shaky, but most of the aches and pains have gone.  Started on the 1st and I think it's the 5th now?  It was all I could do to get up to feed the dogs and chickens, pissing and moaning all the time.  I still have some head pain to cope with.  What a way to lose weight!

I have noticed the wonderful glow of autumn outside, in spite of being sick.  The very air is golden, the weather is warm and it's been raining off and on, every day.  Our land up here in the north was so parched, that the large Rainbow Flowage reservoir that begins the Wisconsin River had dried to a mere trickle.  It looked shocking to see the picture in the paper.  I hope this rain continues and continues.  I think we got about 4" of rain in the past month.

The leaves are in full color now, perhaps a bit past their prime.  What a golden, glorious time of year.  Except for my bout with flu, I'm very happy.   Dogs are happy, chickens ditto, what can I say?  Need to beef up my strength and get busy doing things again.