November days and falling leaves

Last Sunday we welcomed November and the end of Daylight Savings Time, and more Fall-like weather came along with the changes.

November 1st is my parent's wedding anniversary,  and this day marked one year since we all gathered to bury my dad's ashes.  I suspected that the day may be difficult for my mom, so I decided to invite her to join me for lunch and a walk.  

Sidnee was in town for the week, too, so I invited her and Brezlyn to join us.  We had a nice time at lunch and then headed to DeVries Nature Conservancy for a walk along the Shiawassee River.  It was a beautiful Fall day.

After our walk, the girls and I headed home where Mandible was waiting for us.  Since he had patiently waited while we were gone, I was happy to be able to get him out for a nice solo walk around the neighborhood before dinner.

On Monday, Mandible had a meet and greet scheduled for late afternoon, so after feeding everyone lunch, we threw him an ice cream party.

Then I took a late lunch to take him to the shelter for his meeting. Things went well, and we made plans to meet again over lunch on Wednesday to send him home with his new family.

Then after work, we got out for a walk around the neighborhood.

The trees around the neighborhood were pretty and the weather was nice, and we all enjoyed this walk.  With the time change, the sun set while we were on our walk, and we arrived home while it was getting dark.  We definitely aren't used to these early sunsets yet.

Tuesday was election day, and I would be working the election in the afternoon.  I worked as usual until noon, then took the dogs for a quick drive and got them out for a short walk around Everett Park.  It was a gorgeous, unseasonably warm day.

Then we hurried home for a quick lunch and potty break for the dogs before I had to head out for my election work.  

It was a busy day, and time went quickly.  It was so busy that I didn't get my normal dinner break, which meant no walk for the dogs and a late dinner.  

When I finally got home, I knew, despite the darkness, I had to take the dogs for a walk.  So off we went for a walk in the dark.  It was a lovely evening with temperatures still in the upper 60s and it felt good to move after a long day of sitting.  The dogs had dinner when we got home, went out for their evening potty break, and then we headed to bed.  

Wednesday I took an early lunch to take Mandible to the shelter to meet his new family.  They are a really nice couple with cattle dog experience, and they were excited to have him join their family.  I also learned that he had been an owner surrender and that his name had previously been Sonny, and his new family decided to keep that as his name.  I think it fits him perfectly. 

When I got home, I worked for a few more hours, then the girls and I got into the car to make the drive to Farmington Hills for the night.  I had to be in the Dearborn area for work early on Thursday morning, and the girls would be spending the day at Canine College, so staying close by made the most sense for us.

After we were settled into our room, it was time to head out for a walk.  There were some sprinkles, but overall it was a nice evening for a walk.

I had no desire to drive anywhere, so we walked in the area near the hotel.  While it may not have been the most scenic walk, we still enjoyed being outside and the pretty colors we saw along the way.

When we got back to the hotel, I ordered a pizza for dinner, fed the girls their dinner, and then settled in for a quiet night.  

We were up early Thursday so that we could eat breakfast and get ready for the day.  I left the hotel by 7:30am, dropped the girls off for their day of daycare, and then headed to Gleaner's Food Bank  for our morning of volunteering for the Amerprise Day of Service.  It was a great way to start the day, make a difference, and spend some time with my team. 

 

After we were done, we made the short drive to Dearborn for lunch and our afternoon team meeting.  Our meeting finished after 5pm, and then I made the drive to Canine College to pick up the girls.  I grabbed a quick dinner and fed the girls their dinner in the car, and then we made the drive home in the rain.  It had been a long, exhausting day, and I headed to bed shortly after getting home.

With all of my extra work travel lately, I planned to leave work early on Friday.  Somehow, the day was busier than I expected, and despite the fact that I started my day early and only took a quick lunch, I was busy at work until after 4pm.  I finally decided to close my laptop and walk away.  I immediately got the girls into the car so we could get out for our Friday evening walk.  As we pulled out of the driveway,  I took a quick picture.  The leaves are falling fast now.

We arrived at Fenner Nature Center shortly after 4:30pm for our Friday evening walk. I was surprised to see these little flowers still in bloom.

We started our walk in the grassland prairie.  It was 46 degrees with a light breeze.

Next we headed into the woods along the Tamarack Trail.  While we were walking, I spotted the buck that we often see when walking here in the Fall.  He was closer than usual, and he stood watching us as we watched him.  He is a beautiful boy, and I was finally able to determine that he is a six-point.  I loved watching him.

While most of the trees have lost their leaves, there are still a few colorful pops here and there.  Even the oak trees are losing their leaves now.

The girls thoroughly enjoyed all of the smells and I was happy to just let them sniff.

I have really enjoyed watching as the colors changed this year on our weekly walks here. It's been a wonderful way to start our weekends this Fall.

I was also glad that the girls cooperated for a couple of pictures before we left.  It's getting harder to convince Peaches to stay still foe pictures most of the time, so any pictures I can get of her beautiful face make me happy. 

I was so excited when Saturday arrived.  We had an entire weekend with no plans, and I was ready for it.  We slept in and had a slow start to our morning.  It was exactly what we needed.

After lunch, I took the dogs out for a walk.  It was another gray Fall day with temperatures in the mid-40s.

We started with a 1.5 mile walk on the Lansing River Trail at Maguire Park.  We haven't walked this section of the trail in a long time, and it was a nice change.

Then we drove to Hawk Island Park to continue our walk along the River Trail.

We walked the River Trail to Scott Woods, and then we headed onto the trail through the woods. 

Finally we circled back onto the trail in Hawk Island Park to finish our walk.  

We finished our day having walked 3.6 miles.  I was pretty happy with that.  This is definitely the best weather for Peaches.  

I ran a couple of errands on the way home, and we took a slight detour to drive downtown to see the newly arrived State Christmas tree in front of the Capitol building.  I can't believe the holiday season is almost here.

We ended our day watching the Michigan vs Michigan State football game.

Since we had a fairly quiet Saturday, I used our Sunday to get some things done around the house.  I had plenty of work to do and I was happy to get quite a lot done. 

After a productive morning, we watched the first half of the Lions game and then got out for a walk at Hawk Island Park. 

It was a beautiful sunny day which made for a pretty walk through the woods.  

We finsihed our walk and headed home in time to watch the end of the Lions game. Then I took advantage of the lovely weather to mow the lawn and mulch all of the leaves that have fallen.  The girls spent time out in the yard while I mowed.  

I did some meal prep and cooked dinner, fed the girls, and then we all sat down for a relaxing evening.  It was the perfect end to our weekend. I can't believe Mina actually got onto the love seat next to Peaches. 

The weather has turned to the cooler, rainy,  gray days I expect in the Fall, and soon Thanksgiving will be here.  Most of the leaves have fallen, and the days are growing shorter.  It's time for life to slow down a bit as we move toward Winter.  I'm looking forward to resting a bit more and quite evenings at home.  I just cant believe how fast this year has gone.

The Golden Hour

The golden hour is the brief time before sunset when the sun is low in the horizon and the world is bathed in a soft, warm glow.  While it normally refers to a specific time of day, I think it is a perfect analogy for the period of time during the fall season when we're past peak color and nearing the end of our fall color season.  

For Mid-Michigan, this generally occurs near the end of October when the world is covered in yellows and golds, as the oaks begin to change to their golds, maroons, and browns, and we are about to enter the long dark days of November, December, and January.  We have definitely entered this period over the last week as October and Daylight Savings time come to an end.

This week started before sunsrise on Monday.  I dropped the girls off at Canine College in the dark, and then made the drive to the airport for my flight to Dallas.  The security lines  were longer than normal, and I made it to my gate while we were boarding, shortly after sunrise.

It was a smooth flight to Dallas and a short Uber ride to the Gaylord Hotel where I'd be spending the next few days working a conference.  I checked into the hotel, then checked in fot the conference, ate lunch, and got to work.  Sessions and a marketplace kept me busy until just after 7pm, and I headed back to my room exhausted.  I ordered room service and watched The Voice, and I was in bed by 9:15pm.  After I long, exhausting day, I was happy that I got a great night's rest before an even longer Tuesday. 

On Tuesday, once again, I was up before sunrise to start my work day.

The resort is pretty and peaceful in the early hours of the morning.  

I was lucky and didn't get assigned to work the final breakout session of the day, so I was done with work just over an hour earlier than the official pre-dinner free time.  

I was thankful for the extra time because it allowed me to get out for a walk and some fresh air.

It was 83 degrees, so I was happily able to wear shortsfor my walk.  I was happy about that.

I enjoyed views of Grapevine Lake along the Grapevine Trail.

And I saw some very Texan sights along the way.

When I got back to the hotel, I ran into one of our advisors who was heading out to the pool, so I walked out to the pool too.

There were several advisors at the pool, so I stuck my feet in and stayed a bit to chat.  Then I headed back to my room to clean-up and relax before it was back to work for the evening event. 

I was excited to take advantage of the opportunity to get my picture and a team picture with this Texas Longhorn.  What a cool experience!

There were also stations for making your own BBQ rub and to get a specially embroidered bandana.  I was excited to get a bandana for Fiona and some BBQ rub for myself. 

The second night of these conferences are always a bit longer as people stay out later to socialize and have some fun, but I knew i had an early morning, so I made sure to get back to my room by 11pm and I was sound asleep shortly after; another long exhausting day complete 

I was up again before the sun, for a quick bit of work for an early bird session, then I grabbed breakfast, and headed back to my room to get all of my stuff to bring back down to the luggage storage while we finished our final morning of the conference.

Before I knew it, it was time to catch an Uber back to the airport to head home.  Security moved quickly and I had time to change into comfortable clothes, eat some lunch, and relax a bit before boarding the plane for home.

We landed at 5:10pm, and by the time I was off the plane and back at my car it was 5:40.  Traffic was slow moving, and I needed to stop for gas on the way to pick up the girls.  I made it to Canine College and had the girls by 6:30, picked up some carryout for dinner, and started my drive home.  We finally made it home around 7:45 after another long day.  I unpacked and sat down to watch a little TV before heading to bed early.  It was good to be home!

I had an appointment first thing Thursday morning, and I couldn't believe how much the colors had changed in the few days I had been gone.  I think the difference was even more noticeable after having spent 3 days in a very dull Texas.  Being there definitely made me thankful to live in such an amazingly beautiful place.  

After work on Thursday, the girls and I headed to Fenner Nature Center for our walk.  It was such a beautiful evening to be outside and we made the most of it.

We started our walk in the short grass prairie, which Peaches loves.

The colors were beautiful and the deer were active. 

Then we walked along the River Trail to enjoy all of the maples in shades of yellow and gold.

Then, when the trail reached Evergreen Cemetery,  we took a walk around the cemetery to enjoy all of the beautiful trees there.

These trees were extra spectacular with the sunshine glowing on them.

Finally, we were back on the River Trail heading toward the car.

And we made it back in time to see the sunset light up the cotton candy sky.  It had been such a beautiful walk and I took so many pictures.   I just couldn't stop myself!

I was excited to have the day off on Friday and to have the chance to get a little extra sleep and have a slow start to our morning.  But I had lots to get done, so we couldn't waste too much time.

We started with an oil change in the car and a stop to fill up the gas tank.  Then we drove out to visit my cousin's roadside farm stand to get some end of season fresh veggies.  Next, we started our drive towad Felzke Farms to get a pumpkin to carve and some delicious donuts on their final day of the season.  Along the way, we found this cute roadside pumpkin stand with pumpkins being sold for only 50 cents each, and an adorable spot for a photo op, which I had to take advantage of, of course!

After securing my donuts, I promised the girls we'd stop at Padgett Park dog park.  We haven't been there much this year, and a mid-day trip is always the best kind because there are fewer people.

Peaches had a good time exploring and sniffing, and Mina got in a good round of fetch. It was the perfect visit.

Next, we drove across town for a grocery stop at Aldi before heading home.

I unpacked the car and put away the groceries and put Mina in the house.  Then Peaches and I made the drive to the shelter to pick up our new foster, Mandible.

I had an appointment to get my tires rotated, so while that was getting done, I took Peaches and Manny for a walk.  It's the best way to kill the time  waiting.

After the car was finished, we went home to introduce Manny to Mina.  Introductions went well, so we all got into the car for a visit to Preuss and a walk around Old Town before it got dark

It had been an extremely busy but productive day off, and we were ready for dinner and a quiet evening at home.

After another good night of rest, we were ready for a good Saturday. 

There was a Halloween event at the Jackson Farmer's Market, so I dressed the dogs in their costumes and headed out for some fun.

The coolest thing about the Jackson Farmer's Market is that it is held on the grounds of a former prison-the first state prison in Michigan.

We walked around to explore the grounds and the old walls before making a couple of purchases at a couple of the booths.  I was most excited about the final tomatoes of the season.

After our visit, we stopped for lunch at Schlenker's. 

I've been wanting to try the burgers here since I first heard of this place.

It was a beautiful day, so I sat out on the patioto eat with the dogs.  Of course everyone got a small taste.

Then we drove home to watch the football game and carve my pumpkin. 

I did some cleaning and laundry while the dogs napped.

After the football game, I wanted to take the dogs for a walk before the Halloween evening fun started.

I decided a quick trip to Fenner would be perfect. 

It was another beautiful day in the woods and we all enjoyed the fresh air.

And I once again took way too many pictures of all of the beautiful color around us.

We got home just in time for my final Halloween prep.  I got the girls out for our customary Halloween day photo in the front yard. Then I fed everyone dinner, and started my own dinner.

We had a handful of kids early, and I was happy to be able to sit outside until just after sunset.  It was such a beautiful evening.  Eventually, I came inside and Manny joined me while I handed out candy.  He was an excellent little helper and a very good boy.

We ended the evening with 16 trick-or-treaters.  That's one of the smallest numbers we've had in a number of years.  But overall, I'd say it was still a good night.

Peaches put herself to bed still in costume around 7, Mina snuggled into her cozy cave for most of the evening, and Manny made himself comfy next to me on the couch for the evening once the door was closed for the night.

Fiona also had a great Halloween evening dressed as a Fairy Penguin.  I'm so happy that Nicol sent me these pictures.   

October and our spooky season now come to an end as we transition to November, the end of Daylight Savings Time, and the season of giving thanks.