Back to the Grind

Leo, in Los Angeles, ready to watch the game on TV

After a fantastic Duck win over Stanfurd - and another huge tailgate party, we returned home Sunday morning to a cold house, stacks of mail, our election ballots and our property tax bill.

November!

Oregon is a 100% vote-by-mail state. For years now, we receive our ballots in the mail several weeks before an election and they must be received (not postmarked) by election day. A few days prior to the deadline, several drive-through drop-off locations pop-up for convenience, which we had to use for the first time. This year, Oregonians are voting if food labels should declare if the item was produced with genetically modified organisms.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

So now we begin our annual round of doctor and dentist appointments, car tune-ups and office organization before we flock south for another winter in paradise.

DON'T FORGET YOUR MAMMOGRAM!

And what a mess we found in our field from last week's wind storm. Branches flew off trees and blew a hundred of feet into the middle of our field. So happy I was not here to witness that storm. I still remember the Columbus Day Storm, and I was only in second grade when it blew into Salem, Oregon. Wind storms blow. (I'm so funny.)

DON'T FORGET TO LAUGH!

Fall arrived to Oregon while we were away. The trees have turned and the leaves are falling.

Some of our 20-year-old landscaping had become quite a bit over-grown. I like the "natural" look in landscaping, but our house was getting to the point of resembling Sleeping Beauty's castle after 100 years. While we were on this RV trip, we hired our landscaper to remove a few massive plants and replant with smaller shrubs. Probably will have to hire him again in twenty years to do the same thing?

And the gardener thought we needed a little color, so planted this pretty maple.

DON'T FORGET TO RAKE THE LEAVES!

You didn't think I was only going to post a photo of Leo, did you?

Lucy is already ten weeks old! Smiling all the time - especially at her Big Brother.

DON'T FORGET TO CALL YOUR BUBBE!

That's it from around here! Hope you are all enjoying a pretty fall and are getting ready to hit the road south in your RV as well.

Until my next update, I remain, your busy correspondent.