"Brrrrrrr" is coming !

I've battened down the hatches around here for winter.  At least my part of the hatches.  Think I'm done in the yard.  Finished the big lily transplant project!  TA-DA!  Wendell made a bottle tree for me at the corner of the old garden (which is no more).  And I saved one row as sort of a lily flower bed.  Dug and divided and dug and divided some more (lilies) and hopefully next summer they'll be lookin' good.  I know I like the bottle tree part of this new "bed" at least. 

Wendell carved the best jack-o-lantern this year ... had to share.  I trust everyone enjoyed a spooky Halloween.  I had one friend tell me that even though it was cold and rainy, they had over 180 kids at their door!  Wow!

Boooo!

Had some ladies of the church over for lunch recently and here's the lovely flowers they brought.  Just had to share with you.  We had such a good day!  I made wild rice soup and we had wrap sandwiches.  And my chocolate mint cake for dessert.  We planned the fall harvest dinner and talked about future plans for the "kitchen committee".  It happened to be a great day, weather wise, and it was nice to be able to look out at the beautiful leaves in sunshine as we were eating!  [Now it is just gloomy and rainy again.  I understand why some people get depressed in the fall ...]

It's really been a pretty quiet time around here for both of us lately.  We're getting ready for winter.  I spent one day just putting yard decor in the garden shed, emptying my potting bench, etc.  (Of course I had to sweep and clean out the shed before I could do that ... sigh!).  We put up the bird feeder and I guess we need to clean up the bird bath soon and turn it upside down.  Inside I've had time to hook on the Guild's raffle rug and weave another rug on the loom.  Also getting lots of pieces cut and prepared to take with me this winter to Texas; I'm going to take the Featherweight and try to finish a quilt top.  Working on a penny rug style tabletop mat, too. 

Couple weeks ago we went to Ferdinand to a corn shredding and here's some pictures from that day.  It was moved from a field on the outskirts of town into town (because of the wet ground) but it still was an interesting event.  While we were in town we visited an antique mall, and I took a quick run through the gift shop at the monastery.  I love southern Indiana in the fall!  Just the drive was worth the trip.  Here's some pix from the Ferdinand corn shredding ...

The steam engine in action!  They're just starting to throw bundles of wheat into the thrasher.  (Wagon of firewood in the foreground.)

Corn shocker.

Wendell's watching the corn sheller operated by one horse power.

The fellow obscured by the steam had this small sorghum operation going.  The squeezer is on the right; ran by a tractor with the belt.  That's the cane on the ground in front.  He's cooking the juice squeezed from the cane in the shallow pan.  His firewood for the cooker is behind him (and the photographer).  Then his wife was selling the finished product in the tent at left.  He had quite an audience.

Thrashing the wheat.

This is a belt-driven rock crusher.  Wendell said he'd never seen one in action before.

I just loved all the wheels on this shredder.  There's just something beautiful about it.

Well, that's my life recently.  Have a blessed November.   And remember, God is good.  All the time.