Mixed Bag Monday (aka Motley Monday) - November 4, 2024

 Well, here is it November.  

Tomorrow's election day in the US.  Oregon is all mail-in, or drop off in the ballot boxes, which is what my family and I do.  I don't trust the mail!  There's a ballot box outside the library we can use, but we usually drive by the election office downtown to leave it at the drive-up box.  There's always a long line of cars.  

There was a good turnout of trick-or-treaters on Halloween.   There are streetlights and sidewalks, and my house is on the same street, just one block up, as the elementary school, so lots of kids around.  I lost count, but I would estimate around 50 based on what I had left.  No much!  I gave out Rice Krispie treats, gummy bears (not both to everyone, mostly one or the other, and the following as well), and some tiny erasers, stickers, and themed pencils.  The pencils are always a big hit.  Often a group of teens come and a few don't want candy, but will take a pencil.  A lot of the little one would get the candy and run off before I offered the other items.  And I forgot the bubble gum, which is too bad, as it's the sour version of Double Bubble and smells terrible, so I don't want the leftovers!  

 

All the Halloween decorations are down, and, all but the wet ones waiting to dry, are packed away.   It's too soon in my opinion to bring out Christmas.  It takes time to do it though, so after Thanksgiving might be getting late.  When do you put out holiday decorations?  

Here's a mixed bag of things that have been happening around here.

The creeping winter savory is blooming.

There have been a few days below freezing.  The Turkish sage leaves always look pretty, I like the scalloped edges of ice, and how the crystals look like stars in the left hand photo.

A few New Dawn roses still trying their hardest. 

Tiny mushrooms popping up in the grass. 

And a big 'ol fatty too!   It hasn't "opened" yet, so I'll be watching it in the coming days.  I would NEVER eat foraged mushrooms, even if I knew they were safe.  I would NEVER eat store bought mushrooms because I hate mushrooms, and think they taste like dirt!  One mushroom bit ruins an entire plate of food for me. Plus, they look like pieces of slug.  Sorry!  🤣

The tiny wild strawberries are still putting out flowers and fruit.  

Mickey doesn't approve of these cold, dark mornings!  Here he is burying his nose in "our blankie."  After I do cat chores, and go out with Mickey, we come in and cuddle under it while I have coffee and play my daily phone games!

Mickey still has some lingering trauma from his former life.  At times he is unsure it's okay to come back inside.  

I've been rolling some of the cedar logs into the front carport.  The rain made them quite pretty.  There are some that are much too large to move.  Someone will have to take a chainsaw to them. That "someone" is not me or my family!  It's whoever wants them... free.  I just need to get the offer online.  Procrastination.

Tomorrow's Tuesday Treasures will be artwork, so if that's your thing, come back!