Books I Read In October

Only seven books read this month, maybe a couple trips to the hospital (one unplanned, one planned) interrupted my reading schedule?

Life's a Beach by Claire Cook is a book I don't even know why I picked up - possibly because all my other choices were larger and I wanted a smaller bedside book for nighttime reading.

Echo Park is the next in Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series that I'm reading my way through.

The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny is # 17 in her Chief Inspector Gamache series. These books are always good and I'm always waiting for the next one to come out.

Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly is #3 in her Lilac Girls series, though the first of her books I've read. I picked it up because the subject matter was The Civil War. 

The Overlook and Nine Dragons are the next two books in Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series.

Ocean Prey is the latest (#31) in John Sandford's Lucas Davenport series. This one crosses over with one of his other characters, Virgil Flowers. This is another series where I'm always waiting for the next book.

Perhaps November will be a busier reading month. I still have two and a half books left over from the last trip to the library and they are due Friday. Somehow I don't think I'll have them read by then.

Scary Halloween Stories

 

By now your Jack O' Lanterns have all been carved, or painted, and set on the front steps. Depending upon whether your town trick or treats on Beggar's Night or Halloween night, your kiddies are in their costumes and all ready to go trick or treating. Or if the kids are grown and gone, you're waiting to hand out treats.

At least the weather is cooperating this year and it looks like both nights are going to be pleasant for the little ones and adults alike. 

I've shared my Halloween memories in serveral blog posts over the years, but I haven't written about my memory of hearing my first Halloween story. I had to have been in third grade or beyond because Mrs. Kimball was my teacher. She had a practice of reading aloud to her students each Friday afternoon and once in awhile on other special occasions - like a holiday.

Was I aware of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow before she read it to us? Possibly, but with her ability to read a story that pulled you right into it, I never forgot the story after hearing her read it to us.

I don't remember what book she read from, but she always read the title and the name of the author.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.

Ichabod Crane was the lanky, superstitious school teacher who had his heart set on winning the hand of Katrina Van Tassel. But she was also being wooed by the local town troublemaker Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt. 

To me the scariest part of the story was when Ichabod started crossing the bridge and realized the Headless Horseman was behind him. Legend was that if he made it to the end of the bridge before the Headless Horseman caught him, he would be safe. 

I don't remember that hearing the story caused me any worries or nightmares, though I might have paused before crossing the bridge on the way home from school. I understood that it was a legendary tale written by one of our country's best known essayists and short story writers. 

It was a classic gothic story perfect for Halloween.

How Appropriate - October is National Physical Therapy Month

 

I didn't realize until a couple days ago that October is National Physical Therapy Month. How appropriate since today marks my first full week of physical therapy for my total hip replacement.

I had my first session one week ago today and have had three sessions this week. My therapist says I am doing great and I feel that I am doing very well. As my ortho doc said: "A hip is much easier than a knee replacement."

Surgery was on the 19th and I went home the next day.

Even though I have a 'fancy' walker I bought at a garage sale several years ago, I again borrowed a regular walker from the Eagles Club. 

Today was the first day I took the 'Porsche' to therapy. I'm glad I did! My therapist had me walking all over the hospital corridors. Much easier with the four wheel model.

Yesterday morning I exchanged the walker for a grocery cart and shopped my way through Hy-Vee. It really felt good to be out doing something as mundane as grocery shopping. 

My picture taking has suffered a bit due to the surgery and its aftermath.

Clouds dancing down the sun was shot the night before surgery. (Monday night.) 

The nearing full moon of October was taken the morning of surgery - about a half hour before we had to be at the surgical center.

It was very foggy Friday morning, the 22nd. just before leaving for my first physical therapy session.

Coming home from PT Tuesday, the 26th, Bud drove me past Summit Lake where I got a photo of all the water going over the spillway.

We had 3.25" of rain on Sunday, the 24th and another 2.45" Wednesday through Thursday this week. 

Closer to home, I took this photo of the neighbor's tree Wednesday morning.

And this picture of my miniature yellow rose this morning. It is just blooming its little heart out. 

There are still several buds on it. I hope a freeze holds off for awhile.

I thought it was interesting that one of the old blooms has turned pink. 

I'm hoping for continued improvement with my new hip and some of those lovely late fall days in November so I can get back out on some trails, enjoying the outdoors and nature before winter really sets in.

Monday afternoon I see my ortho surgeon for my post op check up. We'll see what he thinks about any late fall hikes.

October Outings 1) For Family, 2) For Nature

 

Granddaughter Deise and her significant other, Zach, were in Winterset for the Covered Bridges Festival the weekend of the 9th and 10th, so we drove up to see them.

I hadn't seen Zachary since I met him at Kathryn & Travis' wedding two and a half years ago.

I'm not sure, but it may be that long since I've seen Deise. They live near Davenport.

It isn't that my 'birthday present' granddaughter has gotten taller, it's that I continue to shrink.

We did our obligatory 'sticking our tongues out' photo, but I'm not sharing it this time. 😜

It was just a short visit, but very nice to see the kids and my son and daughter-in-law. (As well as their recently renovated and newly sided house.)

Deise is a Dental Hygienist now and Zachary is a police officer.

The nature outing last Tuesday was to Lake Anita State Park in Cass County. I can't even remember the last time I was there. I think, as with many of the state and county parks, there have been many improvements.

I said that even though the weather was perfect, it was a 'fowl' (not foul) day.

There were two wild turkeys on the park ranger's lawn when we drove in, but this pod of pelicans was the first that I took photos of. Many photos - I was so happy to see them.

Next were the three swans wa-ay across the lake. Even with my zoom lens I didn't get a good shot of them. 

Then they flew away. Darn.

More fowl. Seagulls don't quite measure up to swans and pelicans, but I still enjoy seeing them. They aren't as numerous around here as on the coasts or great lakes so they are kind of special.

A bit of bright blue caught my eye - some chicory still blooming near the water.

For as long as I've had my current camera, I was not aware of its macro setting until a few days after this outing. If I had known I might have gotten the dew sparkling on these grasses which is what I was trying for in this photo. Even looking at it close up the droplets hardly show. 😞

We were so excited when a heron flew up into this tree and we saw that another one was already there. I have never seen two together before. They are always alone in water and hardly ever in trees.

It wasn't until I got home and transferred my pictures to the computer that I realized there was another heron in the lower left.  Was this a pair and their little one?

I had seen photos online of all the different colors of water lilies and lotus blossoms at Lake Anita so I was on the lookout for them. Unfortunately we were too late for the mass blossomings.

But this photo of the pads still reminds me of a Claude Monet painting of water lilies. 

This picture is from the opposite of the lake from the first one of the pelicans and not only catches a couple of them in flight but also the color and extent of the big bluestem on the hillside.

And we found the swans. They were in a backwater of the lake foraging and feeding.

I have no idea what that swan on the left had just pulled up from the bottom. I assume there was something in there that it found appetizing. 

Crocodile amidst the lily pads?

Tail sticking out, head turned to its left. 

Or maybe it's just an old stump.

This limb sticking out of the water was so far out that at first it just looked like black dots. Zooming in showed these four Cormorants. 

More evidence of a fowl day. 

The last time I saw comorants was four years ago when there were two on Lake McKinley October 16, 2017.

Continuing with the fowl theme - Turkey Buzzards soaring in the blue October sky.

So in total: tukeys, pelicans, swans, herons, cormorants, seagulls, ravens and a couple of small birds too far away to identify.

 

On the road out we also saw a couple of deer that were too quick for my camera.

The trees didn't have much color yet, just a bit of yellow here.

The paved path at the bottom of the photo is the hiking/biking trail that runs through the park.

There was the sumac with most of its leaves turned a burgundy; pretty against the blue of the water and the green algae.

The brightest tree was this maple.

Followed by this small ornamental tree which looks like it is red because of all the tiny red berries covering it. 

I have no idea what kind of tree it is.

But the morning was a huge 'out in nature' success.

We are referring to it as my pre-surgery outing. (One week before hip replacement.)

One last photo because my youngest wanted an updated picture with his mom when we were there the 9th.

He's been losing weight and it shows. I'm happy for him and proud of his success so far. 

I think we only have one grandson and one great-grandson that we haven't seen yet post-covid isolation. 

And, of course our west coast daughter and husband and east coast son and significant other. Hopefully in 2022. Maybe by then things really will be back to normal. 

Zinnias - Orange, Pink or Red

 I haven't posted one of Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies for awhile. This is a good time to share the one for Zinnias because I've enjoyed them so much this year.

Z for Zinnias, pink or red; 

See them in the flower bed,

Copper, orange, all aglow, 

Making such a stately show.

I, their fairy, say Good-bye, 

For the last of all am I.

Now the Alphabet is said, 

All the way from A to Z.

Here they were about six weeks ago. The pink ones were the first to bloom and were/are probably my favorites.

But then the orange ones started blooming and grew taller than the pink ones.

They coordinated quite well with the Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia) nearby.

On the other side of the orange ones were a few of these - fire-engine red!

The bees liked them as much, or more than I.

I am saving seed for next year, keeping the different colors separated. I'll decide next spring whether to plant them separately or let the colors mix.

This has to be my favorite photo of this year's Zinnias, though, because I finally got a picture of a Monarch Butterfly on them. Kind of like the wings on the Zinnia Flower Fairy, don't you think?

There are frost warnings for SW Iowa for tonight. Whether it frosts here or not, it won't be long before we do get a killing frost/freeze and it will be goodbye flowers until next year.

You can be sure there will be Zinnias again - all aglow, making a stately show. 😊💖

When You Say Nothing At All

 

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart

Without saying a word, you can light up the dark

Try as I may, I can never explain

What I hear when you don't say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me whenever I fall

You say it best, when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud

But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd

Try as they may they could never define

What's been said between your heart and mine

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me whenever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all

(When You Say Nothing At All written by Don Schlitz and Paul L. Overstreet)

From the very beginning, you said you loved me because, not in spite of, my independence and that's never changed.

But when I've really needed you, your help, your strength, your caring, your trust, you've always been there for me.

And though we still say "I love you" several times a day, often you do say it best when you say nothing at all.

Thank you for being there for me, this week and always. 💕

The River Road

Over the years I've made a few stabs at writing poetry. There are very few that I felt were successful. I love poetry so much, why can't I write it? In all the sorting and tossing I've been doing, I found this attempt from thirty three years ago - October, 1988. I remember that day though I'd forgotten all the details and that I had put them down in a poetic attempt. 

 

The River Road

For sixteen days and nights of glory

The 24th Olympics stole you away

TV and VCR grinding, recording, intoning

You sat like a cat waiting for a mouse

Hypnotized, mesmerized, while I 

Drifted, alone, around the house

Finally, blessedly, the games were over

All the gold, silver, and bronze won, or forfeited

You blinked, remembered me, gestered to atone

Autumn skies were sunny - the color of

"October's bright blue weather"

It didn't matter what we did

As long as we did it together

The road out of the city took us quickly

To the colorful countryside

You didn't know our destination

Content to just relax and ride

The map in my mind was one of memory

And fragments of a story about a ghost town

Chance and curiosity and luck

Led us to the river road

We followed it for miles stopping

To take photos and exchange smiles

We talked and kissed and gathered weeds

We drove and laughed and got lost

Then found our way back to the ghost town

We'd already driven through

     Lost in the trees along the river

     Lost to the dreams of years gone by

     Lost to the passing whims of fate 

     Platted to be a metropolis

     Nothing now but old buildings and memories

      ..........  Fraser ......

I saw my dream store there, roof sagging

Windows broken and boarded; weed choked

I asked you if we could buy it

I would fix it up and sell antiques

You would fish in the river

We drove home in the Autumn twilight

Dreaming dreams and planning plans

Two middle aged lovers looking forward

To growing old together

The Olympics forgotten, folded into the record books

-- for another four years

Yes, the Summer Olympics were held in fall in 1988, from September 17 to October 2. It was the first time South Korea hosted them.

My poem affirms that I did take photos that day, but where they are now?? Most likely in another box yet to be found.

Fraser, Iowa is located along the Des Moines River while the river photo I used above is one I took in June of the Cedar River. Fraser was founded in 1893 as a coal mining town and named for two brothers, investors in the Boone Valley Coal and Railway Company.

I found this photo of Fraser, showing some of the miners' homes, in the Boone County Historical website.

I can tell from the marks I made on the first three lines of my 'poem' that I was attempting to keep track of meter, rhyming, breaks, accented and unaccented syllables - the whole enchilada - but that didn't last long. Maybe I meant to get the ideas down and then go back and work on shaping it into a 'real' poem. That is something I could still do, I suppose, but I think I'd rather spend that time looking for those photos I took that day.

I still remember what the building looked like - the one of my dream antique shop. 

And this is how we looked in October, 1988.

"Two middle aged lovers, looking forward

to growing old together."