Autumn Days - November 2006

After our holiday, the kids went back to school and Chris went to Afghanistan for two weeks. Maryn and I didn't quite know what to do with ourselves. Unpacking wasn't going to cut it....too mundane when there are markets to be explored, bakeries to find, etc. We took advantage of the (waning) sunlight and decided to play on the swings. Our landlord pulled his now-grown daughter's swingset out of his barn and Chris gave it new life with a new coat of paint and new swings. Maryn loves it.

The days have gotten noticeably shorter and greyer. Not my kind of weather, but I'm trying to embrace this new experience. I have to say the moisture (humidity without the steam!) in the air is great for one's complexion!

We still have a good crop of mosquitoes...when DO they leave??!! Our landlord is currently harvesting the wheat, potatoes and sugar beet fields around our house. He stores all in the three large barns on our (his) property. Days after the potatoes were harvested, we were overrun by potato beetles...they can climb anything it seems. We have to be careful when walking out the back door, or one will drop off the door frame...ick. Shortly after that, I found a displaced little mouse looking very scared in our entryway. He was still as...well, a mouse and the dog was acting very confused. I quickly placed a Tupperware container over the mouse, and put a wine bottle on the container to keep him in place. Lucky for me, our landlord, Peter, was outside. I asked him to come in and take the mouse to a better home. We are all happy now, knowing the mouse is running free in one of the fields behind the house....or is he??? Something is scurrying around above our dining room.



Let's try to take a picture of ourselves!!

























































OOPS...too close!