The time is getting shorter!
The nights are getting darker!
The leaves are falling turning the trees into grotesque shapes.
The wind seems to call to the shadows to come dance in the mist.
The house is filled with Molly running the stairs, crawling into the windows,
and standing guard over all!!
On October 10th I attended an event at the Lapeer, Michigan Public Library. It featured award winning mystery author Doug Allyn who resides here in Montrose , Michigan. Mr. Allyn has written eight novels and over 80 novelettes and short stories. His first publication ‘Final Rites’, in 1985 won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He has won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Short Story Mystery, two Derringer Awards for Novellas, the International Crime Readers’ Award, and the Ellery Queen Readers’ Award.
I first became acquainted with his work through the Ellery Queen and the Alfred Hitchcock mystery magazines but had never read any of his novels. The attraction for me was being able to place myself in some of the locations he writes about because I live in this area. At this event I was able to speak briefly with Mr. Allyn and purchase his latest novel, ‘The Burning Of Rachel Hayes’. This story features his character, David Westbrook, a small town veterinarian who is starting over in a northern Michigan community. The reason for starting over and the trouble he faces makes the novel as spellbinding as Mr. Allyn many short stories.
During the evening Mr. Allyn described his early life, his military duty, and how he finally began writing as a career. He discussed his time spent with the writer’s club in Clio, Michigan and how they helped him develop his technique. He urged the members of the gathering to join a writer’s club if they had aspirations to write. Mr. Allyn discussed the business end of a writing career such as getting an agent and different ways of getting published. He took questions throughout the evening also.
Before the evening ended I had decided that I would pick up two more of his novels. To my delight ‘All Creatures Dark And Dangerous’ is a collection of short stories that had been published previously in the Ellery Queen magazine so I can revisit some of them and read the ones I have missed. The third novel was ‘A Dance In Deep Water’ featuring his character ‘Michelle Mitchell’. Once these are read I will start my search to find the other five novels.
My post for yesterday was ready to go but it needed a photo adjustment . So in messing around I lost the whole thing. I have spent the last 24 hours beating myself up over it. I am still a novice in this process and I try hard to learn a little each day, but when I screw up it really stresses me out.
So tomorrow I will attempt to bring you my piece on Doug Allyn, and also the next hint! Good night!!
In the five years we have lived here we have watched these beauties turn ugly. They have dead branches that have cracked and fallen off. We made a decision that before weather and age brought them down on the dome they would have to go.
The first picture shows the height of the trees. They are somewhere between 60 and 70 feet. The second picture shows the growth at the base. Each tree looks to have multiple trunks. They are group close together in a grove type setting. The third picture show their height in proporation to the dome.
These trees have been the home of three different size woodpeckers. They have provided a shady front yard and a windbreak from the northern winds. So an estimate was obtained, financial arrangements were made, and the trees will be gone by the end of the month.
We have a row of old elms that run beside the road in front of the house on the county right-of-way. Someone came out and inspected them and said they were o. k. They are about 100 plus feet from the dome, which is on a hill, so there is no danger there. We are all ready planning to replace some of the trees with pines.
Such are the joys of home ownership.
When the firebush turns red it says winter is near. Time to move the swing into the storage area. Question: How do two decrepit old people move it?
Lifting is out of the question for both of us. So we pulled old moving pads out of the basement to cover the truck fenders to carry the frame to the lower patio under the deck.
We tipped the frame back and drove the truck under it. You can see it worked.
Momma, posing for the camera.
The seat was carried on the tractor cart.
(Click any pic to embiggen!)
Largest Snowstorms:
Boston: 16.9” Dec. 5 – 6
Syracuse: 19.6” Dec. 14 – 15
N.Y.C.: 14” Dec. 5 – 6
Portland, OR: 7”
“The Great Blizzard of ‘93” – 5” in Florida panhandle, a record.
First Snow:
Boston: Oct. 23
Freeport Maine: Oct. 19
Pittsburgh: Oct. 23
Columbus, Ohio: Nov. 13
Chicago: Nov. 8
St.Louis: Nov. 14
Lowest Temperature:
Mt. Washington, NH: -45
Minneapolis: -24
Burlington, VT: -20
Portland, ME and Denver: -11
Jacksonville, FL: 23!
My home in Otisville, MI: -11
There, that should get you ready for winter.
(Thanks to LL Bean catalog)
Okay I sat through both the Vice Presidential and the 2nd Presidential debate . Both were a bit more lively than the first. It was interesting that both sides failed to follow the rules. Two events that were most noticeable to me were as follows. Senator Edwards when he mentioned Kerry’s name twice after the moderator had said that neither debater should use his running mate’s name on that particular question. Then in the last debate when President Bush interrupted the moderator to make his point. Also was the reasoning behind the President calling Kerry his opponent rather than by name to keep the Senator ‘somewhat anonymous’ in the public’s mind? Or are the rules of debating that you can’t mention names!
Enough politics—Have you reached for that old black sweater yet when you are sitting around posting or viewing the tube? Well my hubby found an interesting bit in the L.L. Bean catalogue that had me scrambling for something to keep on hand for the days to come. He will be posting something on it soon.
The dinner time action around here the last week has included several recipes from ‘The Complete Step-By-Step Diabetic Cookbook’ published by Oxmoor House and from the internet. The meals included baked sole with dijon mustard sauce, pork chops with apples, mushroom and sausage frittata all of which were revised to trim down the salt content. I must confess I have not cook many of these combinations before so I had no idea what the outcome would be. But we are still alive and they tasted pretty good so I will continue my quest into the unknown a little longer.
What is wrong with me? I have been all over Jenkinsonline comforting, correcting, and commenting but I can’t find my niche here! This week was somewhat traumatic with a friend in tears, my daughter-in-law losing her job, my one son just getting better after pneumonia, and the other one getting sick. I sit here overwhelmed with thoughts of how can I help and knowing that there isn’t much I can do.
I seem to be able to think of answers for other people’s questions but I don’t have the strength any longer to help them carry things through. I feel like sitting and wringing my hands like a light headed old woman maybe even drooling a bit to prove I getting next to useless. I reach back to try to remember the struggles that I faced but all that comes to mind is how I always made it through. How I accomplished it I can’t remember but I did and my friend and my children will too.
It is late and my mind just left the room for the night so take care my friends and we will visit again.
OK holiday fans this is hint # two in our Quiz of the month!
