A Reminder As The Day Draweth Nigh...

...get out and vote!  

Like our friend in the pic, we stood in line...

...and voted early this year...took about 50 minutes.

Every time one of the DSA gang opens their mouth...

...something putrid spews out, like "It's not communism, it's common sense!"

This is because they're terminally stupid and have the same intellectual grasp of history as a stink bug.

Anyone who thinks <communism> is common sense...

...should not be allowed to handle anything sharper than a crayon and should never be anywhere near actual governance.

Don't underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Do your duty and Vote on Tuesday, November 3rd.

Our future depends on it.

While we've lived here I've bemoaned the lack of color in our trees during Autumn.

We have a plethora of massive oaks...

...whose leaves typically go from green to brown to down sometime in late November.

But this year we've been pleasantly surprised...

...at how much more fall color we're seeing around the ol' homestead.

Ok, it's not the brilliant reds and oranges of maples but compared to prior years we're really quite pleased.

Over the last few years we've trimmed / cut down a few trees in an effort to create some breathing room; and this fall we've enjoyed much more sunshine than usual.

Whatever the cause, it's been lovely having some autumnal splendor gracing the grounds.

Enough beating 'round yon bushes - time for the All Hallows E'en pictorial, 2026:

your hosts: the mistress of the manor...

...and Gramp n. stein

now ladies and gents, Brace your selves for the not so terrifying, anything but spine tingling, definitely not world famous walk of fear™ !

starring marilyn as you've never seen her, and big frank pretty much the same as always

enter if you dare!

ok, so you dared, big deal.  hey, isn't she supposed to be handing out treats?

you've made it through the tunnel of terror!  what horrors await?

I mEAN BESIDES THE SMILING JACK-O-LANTERNS.

OK, OK, SO WE MAY HAVE OVERSTATED THAT WHOLE FEAR/TERROR/HORROR THING.  REMEMBER, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 10 YEAR OLD KIDS HERE.

IN ANY EVENT IT'S A PLEASANT STROLL PAST A FEW PROPS...

...ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE...

...including the creature from the black lagoon...

...UNTIL YOU ARRIVE AT THE BIG PAYOFF.  UM, SHE'LL BE BACK IN A SEC.

IN THE MEANTIME YOU CAN LISTEN TO THESE GUYS BLOWING THEIR HORNS

And that was pretty much it...had decent weather and a typical turnout with 84 trick or treaters and their parents.

All the kids got some candy, a few party favors and the good news of Jesus Christ in a gospel tract.

The unexpected hit of the night?

These guys...5" tall 3D printed skeletons with fully articulated joints.

We even had one father return and sheepishly ask if we had any more of the skeletons...one of his kids got one, and the other one didn't.

Hooda thunk it?

That’s All Hallows...

...done and dusted for another year.

In the "too bad, so sad" department, I may have played my last two rounds of hickory golf for the year...

at the nasty little par 3 course I frequent only after my regular course closes

...depends on if it rains tomorrow.

If it does, at least I went out with a couple of 6-3 wins.

I tried to play using my featheries, but gave up halfway through the 3rd hole on my first round.

It's just "poofball", like hitting a beanbag instead of a golf ball.

If anyone ever masters the art of making featheries like the originals - which were solid enough to go 140 to 160 yards - then I'll be all in.

As it stands right now, I've given up on them.

Switched to my regular golf balls and soldiered on.

Hoping I have one last round waiting for me tomorrow.

Why delay the inevitable?  Let's 23 Skidoo so we can get on with life:

Larry spotted the real tree creature on Halloween night near his cottage

my bull riding grandson traded in his spurs for an eye patch and the life of a pirate with his beautiful wife

obama's been making jokes on the campaign trail about the trump white house resembling the cheesecake factory.  apparently he forgot about his own prez library.

while sitting outside we heard our resident tree frog loudly chirping...

...and finally spotted him tucked away on a ledge above us

strange goings on up around larry's cottage

 

Don't forget it's time change weekend...

...so set those clocks back an hour.

O Joy - it will get dark before 6 o'clock now.

But take heart, sojourner:

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the strength of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

    - Psalm 27:1

later, mcm fans...

We're A Week Away...

...from the big event...and preparations are underway:

fresh off an extended tour in the arboreal nether regions and here for an exclusive one week engagement at the Castle Frankenstein, put those claws together for the Tree Creature

the St. James Infirmary duo return to blow their horns sans lungs.
hey, no one said it had to make sense; think of it as an all hallows e'en miracle.

the Walk Of Fear™ is coming into focus

after an early season contract dispute - trifles about who gets top billing, him or Mr. Bolts - we finally came to terms with Big Frank (neither of them can read, so we told them they both do)

It's probably worth noting the creative process is not an exact science...

each treat bag is meticulously quality checked, thoroughly tested and meets all standards set by the FDA.  we guarantee it!¹ 

...and can be messy.

Just remember it's the end result that matters.

In other words, no judging!

And those "Bueno" candy bars are aptly named...they are dee-lish.

¹ not a guarantee

Weatherwise, we're wrapping up the best week of this year's fall season: morning temps in the 40's, 60's in the afternoon, and wall to wall sunshine all week long.

Naturally Karen corralled me into doing various and sundry outside tasks, about which I could not legitimately complain...would've been a crime to be indoors...

don't let the smug smile fool you...he's crying on the inside since he just found out he's been replaced by <Claude>

...sitting in front of a computer screen.

Besides the usual outdoor maintenance stuff, I also snuck in a couple of rounds of hickory golf.

The first was a 6-3 win, but there was a surprise waiting for me on Friday.

They informed me at check in "my course" was closing.

They kindly kept it open since I'd made my tee time a week ago -

"The course is all yours today," she smiled.

- but after that it would be done and dusted for another year.

Feeling a touch of melancholy, I walked a little slower than usual and made every effort to truly enjoy this unexpectedly final stroll through the countryside on these links.

Lingered over each shot, studied the beautiful greens and drank in the glorious autumn colors in the trees.

However, if I was hoping my sudden descent into maudlin sentimentality would spawn something mystical on the links -

The music swells in the background as I miraculously par every hole from 1 to 8 and then - yes!  a birdie on 9 for my first ever sub par round!

- sorry; nothing doin'.

Fact is, I didn't score very well.

my birdie putt on #4 that I foozled into a bogey

All square after 6, but booted a 3 foot putt on 7 to go down 1.

With only 8 and 9 left to play, I had to take them both for the win.

Happily/surprisingly, I did just that.

Sank a 5 foot putt for bogey on 8, then parred 9 on the way out for an unimpressive (but very satisfying) 5-4 win.

I did stop as I was making the trek from the 9th green back to the clubhouse...

...and cast a longing glance at the Vale Of Everlasting Sorrows.

But weep not for yours truly; there's at least 1 more week of decent weather in the forecast, so I'm switching to the nasty little par 3 I (in)frequent:

Look at all that sand and water...put them altogether and you could have a decent lakeside beach.

I plan to switch to my featheries...

...and hit around/alongside the water, playing them as par 4's and 5's.

More to come.

I know you're tingling¹ with excitement for what comes next, so let's 23 Skidoo:

from the Larry files and his cottage up north:

a little color in the trees

a beautiful lakeside vista

ditto

gotta love moonlight on the water

meanwhile, back at the ranch:

while sitting out here one day...

...these guys floated by...

...reminding me to eat mor chikin'

loki on the lookout

¹ if you're still tingling even after reveling in 23 Skidoo you might need to contact a neurologist

It's just a little more than a week until the election, and as much as I'd rather just shut up and vote, conscience constrains me.

If we give D's power again, that gravestone list of evils is what we'll get in return.

Gone are the days when the two major parties had shared goals for the good of the country, differing only on the correct policies to achieve them.

Today's D's are all in on socialism, which every historian will tell you is the gateway drug to communism.

And if socialism/communism is so wonderful, why is no one clamoring to get into Cuba?

Why are they fleeing oppressive socialist regimes, desperate to live in America?

D's have no plans on how to improve your life; only to resist Trump, seize power and imprison their enemies.

Vote like your freedom depends on the outcome because it most assuredly does.

² When the righteous are in power, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

    - Proverbs 29

later, mcm fans...