Weakend

This past week has proved to be eventful in spite of being quite uneventful. Since my last post, a bunch of little incidents popped up. A real big deal was that I went to downtown Fennimore (Lincoln Street) and got my haircut by Ed, the town barber. Ed's is a typical small town barber shop, complete with the rotating red and white stripped pole outside. The kind of place Norman Rockwell would paint. Folks drop in for quick trims or just to grab a cup of coffee from the eternal boiling pot in the rear of the shop and to shoot the breeze. You can learn about crops, cattle, hunting, fishing, golf and pretty much anything else that's going on in the area. The real significance of my haircut is, as usual, JoAnne seldom notices that I have been clipped so Sally (Summer) and I play a little game trying to guess how long it will take for Jo to notice. Normally we start dropping clues until she catches on. This time Sally tipped her off on Thursday. The fun part is that I can make up any date and she'll believe it. I can say November 22nd and she'll say, "really?".
Another nonevent was, that for the first week in months, I didn't have to fire up the old snowblower even once. But Thursday morning, moments after leaving for work, Jo summoned me to our deck. Seems that she wanted to show me some of the fancy frost work that the freezing fog had performed on our neighbor's pine tree. As soon as I had enough daylight I climbed out my upstairs "Computer Lab" window and got off a few shots of the pine ala mode. (see related story below about PInE ala mode)

Couldn't do better with a spray can

The weather rose to almost lukewarm (actually went above freezing on Thursday). But, to remind us that it's January and we're in Wisconsin it dove to below zero Friday night.
Eagle watching has been spotty this week mostly due to Eagle Days in Saulk City/Prairie du Sac last weekend and Eagle Days in Cassville this weekend. Our poor feathered friends are so busy packing and unpacking, making reservations for choice branches and sorting out invitations for personal appearances that they hardly have time to stop to gnaw on a dead carcass or scoop up a frozen carp. As much as I would like to take part in the festivities in Cassville this weekend, the subteen temperatures are going to keep me in warmer places.
One of those warmer places will probably be Menards where Jo and I will be seriously diving into our kitchen project (code named "Kitchen Project"). We've decided (agreed) on a counter top and paint color that will coexist with our red mixer, tea kettle, toaster and garbage can. Now it's just down to dollars and sense. I'm sure there will be an ongoing tale documenting the complete "KP". But, for now, we're still speaking to each other.
Here's the real highlight of the week. Friday (yesterday) was (drum roll) National Pie Day! I celebrated by cooking up a red raspberry delight. Actually Sara Lee prepared it, I just baked it. We lack things like Bakers Square and Marie Caulder so rather than messing up our soon to be really messed up kitchen with shortening, flour, sugar and berries I took the easy way out by taking to frozen route. I'm sure little Sally whipped up a double crusted creation for her and Uncas (and Sammy) to enjoy. But she's young, energetic and lives in a climate where any extra heat is as welcome as an extra scoop of ice cream on your pie. On the sad side, sort of concerning pie. Last week my beloved Chicago Cubs traded one of my favorite players, Felix Pie (pronounced P A). Hated to see him go but I guess he just wasn't destined to become part of the "Upper Crust" of the team and would end up "Filling In" for the next couple of years. Bye, Bye American Pie!

Pie, at Sally and Uncas' home

Pie, at my home

Pie, at home plate

One more "event" of the week. A 2009 project, other than "KP", is to reconnect with old friends. This week, due to Sally and Jo's last weekend photo sorting extravaganza, we reconnected with a family who were our neighbors and friends back in our Michigan lives. We have, electronically hooked up with the Cahills, Pat, Sue, Bill and Katie. Bill and Katie are the same ages as Derek and Summer respectively. Pat and Sue are just kids themselves (probably around Jo's age). It's great to be back in contact with them again. I look forward to finding as many old friends as possible this year so if you're hiding anyone out there, it's time too give them up. There may be a large reward for information leading to the opening of communications with long lost acquaintances.

Old pic of "the kids" the Cahills Billy and Kate in the rear,
Sally (Summer) and Derek in front

Pat Cahill memorialized as a staunch supporter
of a local athletic powerhouse
(he hasn't changed a bit over the years)

Well, it's off to "KP".
See ya next week.