Our first weekend back in Wisconsin.  It was a rude awakening coming back home after the wonderful Florida weather.  Wisconsin is still cold and wet!  We took our good friends in Florida Al and Viv out to lunch before we left, and they dropped us at the airport the next day.  There was plenty of ice and snow back here in Wisconsin while we were gone, and Chris and I have worked on trying to clean up the walk and driveway.  Chris got the walk clear of ice for the neighbors to come over last night.  We try to invite everyone over after Christmas and though we had a small group we had a very nice evening with good friends.  Today spent a little more time trying to clear some snow back in the driveway with my new toy.  I have worked it hard already, and it has saved my back a lot of pain!   My snowblower blew through a gear before Christmas, and we ordered some new parts today.   Last years snows took their toll.  So hopefully the parts come in before the next snows!  It sounds like not much snow the next week,  but we will get classic January tempertures,  possibly not above zero by late next week.

And when we came back from Milwaukee on Tuesday night we heard some whining from Chris’s car.  The 4 wheel is not disengaging properly, and the fix is expensive.  So we may have found Chris a new (used) car this morning.  We will think about it a day and decide on Monday.  So something to get excited about!

So everyone stay warm!  I put some additional pictures on the album page.  Our thoughts today also with old friends Phil and Judy Ortiz as Phil seems to keep coming up with bursts of energy, and our prayers stay with them.

Nearing the end of the year, and we are having a Marvelous time in Boynton Beach.  The weather here is ideal.  Close to 80 during the day, light breezes, upper 60’s at night.  My cold is getting much better!   Chris MJ and I spent some time at the pool today just soaking up sunshine.    We have kept to very unscheduled days and relaxed.  Sunday after church we went out to sports bar for lunch on the intercoastal.  So we were outside watching the boaters and watching the Packers play.  A few bloody mary’s, lunch, and a few dollars later we had a win.  Glad the Pack did not muff this one.  And the local team, the Dolphins came through in the late game.  So we won’t watch Brett in any playoffs.

Life is good for us.  We were sorry to hear of the passing of Rock ‘n roll Ed Dixon.  And each day I think of Phil who hung on through Christmas and say another prayer for his ragged ass and find some solace in the fact he has spent most of the last 2 years doing the things he wanted to do. 

So Chris and MJ are off to a movie for Mother/Daughter bonding.  I am on the porch with a good glass of wine, and shortly a good cigar.  And I will raise a glass to friends and family past and present, and hope that 2009 brings a Happy and Healthy year to all. 

Ok,  this White Christmas stuff is going to extremes.    Last night I spent extra time out just trying to decide where to move the snow to!  The road and driveway are already getting narrower, and I can’t get it higher with the plow.  And my snowblower gear box went out when I was trying to dig into some piles.  After I was so proud I rebuilt it a year ago.  So it made it through last winter and part of this one.  I’ll pull it apart again and take a look,  AFTER the holidays.  So it is snowing now and I’ll clean the driveway one more time this afternoon before we leave for Milwaukee.

Then down by Mom this evening to make supper and open a few gifts. And tonight our annual St Sebastian midnight mass (at 10).  Tomorrow to brother and sister in law for a relaxing Christmas.  Then Friday afternoon Chris MJ and I head out to Florida.  I seem to look forward to those trips more and more.  Could it be because it will be below zero again here tonight?   MJ will stay a few days and get home for New Years Eve.  Chris and I will be down until January 6th.   Probably one of the longest trips we have ever done.   I just hope to lie out in some warm sunshine and soak it up.

To all we wish a very Merry Christmas.  May Santa fill your stockings and may the Lord continue to bless you.   He has given us much to be thankful for, including good friends and family.

Another nice day in South Florida.  Partly sunny, but in the 70’s already.   Very little humidity.   It has not been bright sun any day but has still been a nice break from Wisconsin.   I hate the thought of arriving home in below zero weather tomorrow night.  But it looks like there is some warmer weather there now that may settle down some of the snow piles.   We have had a chance to spend time with an old friend and just relax.  And I have had some walks on the beach.  Life is good.

We hope all are well and warm.

Chris and I traveled to Holland Michigan for Thanksgiving.  As is our ‘new’ tradition we met Mary Jane and John, Skip and Claire and Denise, and this year Craig flew in to spend some time with us.  We have been visitiing Southwest Michigan and enjoying it, and this year went back to the Holland Michigan area.  For a change of pace we found a house for rent online that we tried.  I was a little tentative (is the house really there?) but with some checking we booked it and it turned out great.   While other houses in the area that rent for vacationer’s are on the big Lake or in a small town, this was in a residential area a little out of Holland, but offered 5 bedrooms which fit us well.  And the house was beautifully decorated and worked out well..

So this Thanksgiving we did not have to find a restaurant that was open. Claire had made the turkey and we brought the rest of the meal to make, and had a full kitchen to work with.  Hotel rooms don’t offer a lot of cooking capabilities!  So well we spent a lot of time walking the town we also spent a lot of time at the house together and ate at the house as well as out on the town.  And it just so happens that one of the best regional breweries in the midwest, New Holland,  has a brew pub in town that we had a chance to visit!

So we hope you had a great Thanksgiving.   There are some pictures of us on the albums page.   Now back to work tomorrow, and possibly some shoveling in the morning for all of us.  But Chris and I look forward to our first trip of the season to Florida on the evening of the Dec. 10th.  Our good times and blessings are tempered tonight by our prayers for our old friends Phil and Judy Ortiz,  as Phil’s cancer has given them some significant challenges this weekend.  And we pray for Phil to pull through again.

We had a prowler in the back yard.   Earlier in the week this fellow showed up along the fence line between the trailers.   He was there the day the guys came to abandon our well, and they did not want to get out of their truck!   Our neighbor Judy could see them from her house and had a good laugh.   This was one of her prank on us!   This was Darrell’s rug from one of the bears he shot.  But there dog had taken a disliking to it.  It previously had pee’d on it.  and they cleaned it and put a spray on to keep the dog away, but it must have worn off.  Because the dog went after it again.  Darrell says it is ruined, so Judy decided to have some fun with it.

Snow covering when we woke up this morning.   It melted off early morning, and we had snow and rain all morning.  Cold and damp!!  It finally stopped in the afternoon and the sun came out for a few minutes.  But then more clouds and some more rain.  And very windy tonight.

I managed to get our trailer tucked beside for the garage for the winter.  And pulled out the hitch from the truck, so I have a spacious truck bed again.   And a few small projects.  So tonight we have a fire going and relaxing to end the evening.   Tomorrow I plan a ride to Fort McCoy to do some scouting.  I did not get a permit to hunt there last year, but this year we are all back in.  And Lou, retired Army,  got us rooms back on the fort again.  We have not been on the fort since 9/11, so it will be a short ride to hunting opening morning.   That is only 2 weeks away.

And as soon as hunting is done comes Thanksgiving, and we will be going to Southwest Michigan again.  Back near Holland, we have enjoyed that town in the past.  So we are looking forward to that.

Take care, stay warm.

Almost Halloween, which means almost November!   It has been pretty cool but at least here at the lake we have not had a hard frost yet.  But I did see snowflakes yesterday.  And I am sure more of that to come,  but let’s hope to get some mild days in betweeen.

It has been somewhat dreary so we could use more sunny days also.   Or maybe it’s just life once in awhile.   Chris is home, which I am happy for.   Her brother in law is doing better.   Marie has brought him home.  He is doing very well from the broken hip, but the fall and hospitalization seemed to speed up the dementia he has experienced.   So a very hard time for Marie, but she is hanging in there and John has improved since he is home.

And we had a friend from my stock club diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago, and he passed away Saturday at the age of 71.  And another friend from the club was diagnosed with bone cancer last week at 64, and the outlook is not good.  So don’t spend too much time worrying about the market and the 401K and take some time to live for today.

We will see good friends this Saturday at the ST Pius auction in Milwaukee.  That is always fun.   And last weekend I went out with an old friend in Milwaukee and went to DeMarrinis for pizza in my old Bay View neighborhood.  The place has not changed in 30 years except they have some new good beers on tap.  The pizza was still very good.   And we stopped at a new bar called the Sugar Maple on Lincoln ave.  that has 60 micro beers on tap.  No Miller or Bud here.  A great beer selection from around the country, a lot of the beers I have tried to taste in bottles – and on tap!   Not enough time and not enough capacity!

So November just around the corner.  The clocks change this coming weekend.  And starting to think about deer hunting and Thanksgiving travels.

So Enjoy!

The cooler weather has definitely settled into Wisconsin.  Although we had a great weekend last week.  Sunny and very warm.  Noel and Jo Ann came up and helped me pull out the pontoon boat and both docks.  And we winterized the trailers and did a few projects.  A productive beautiful weekend,  other than the asian beetles and box elder bugs.  But we worked through them!  But much cooler this week and in the 30’s the last few nights.   So tonight may be the last of the flowers and gardens.  Then still need to till up the gardens and work in some mulch.

Chris is in New Mexico.  Her brother in law John fell and broke his hip.  He is having a rough rehabilitation and Chris is spending some time with her sister and seeing John each day.  He is planned to come home next week.   It looks like their weather at least is better than ours!

So I hope everyone has had a chance to enjoy some fall color.  It looks like we are past the peak here.   We did get 9 face cords of Oak delivered so those are stacked and ready for use.  The fireplace is going tonight!

We are spending 12 days at High Cliff State Park south of Appleton.  On the ‘other’side of Lake Winnebago.   We have done this a few years with Noel and Jo Ann and enjoy it very much.   It is a short drive for me to come to work, so I am sleeping in these days.   And each night we have a campfire and relax.   It is just Chris who has to get up and get dressed and drive to work now!  She goes home most days to keep up with her workload and there is no Wi-fi at High Cliff yet!    And the weather is close to record setting for this time of September, so life is good.   After this weekend it will be time to winterize the trailers so we are making the most of it.   Last weekend we toured a winery and took some side trips.   And we try to spend some money at some of the small town eateries in the area.  We find the local supper clubs have good value and serve great food.  And other nights we put something on the grill and enjoy a few cocktails.

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. It sure was a beautiful summer weekend. Maybe Fall will hold off for awhile. I won’t put too much weight on to that thought! We had MJ and John join us for the weekend along with Noel and Jo Ann. Other good friends spent some time with us, Andy and Sandy McClaine on Saturday and John and Debbie Ebel on Sunday. We were very relaxed and it is always too bad the weekend is coming to the end.

We did get in a lot of boat riding, and some fishing. And of course good food and beers. And with the good weather the flower and vegetable gardens are doing well. A little dry but some lake water helps that out. The fresh tomato’s , peppers, zucchini and spices make it my favorite time to cook.  Some pictures added on the albums page.

Now unfortunately we do have to start thinking of fall and winter. We will be camping late in the month of September and October weekends can be busy, so we may need to put the boats away soon. We will see how the weather goes the next couple of weeks.

So keep enjoying the good life!