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| Mark working on the flooring |
November was nutty, rushed and cold, with a surprise
ending for all that. Like much of the
country, Wisconsin saw cold and snow start much earlier than has been usual,
with several days of nasty roads, gloomy skies and howling winds. Some of it was quite beautiful for January,
but came in November. For once, Mark and
Hilde had gotten things more or less in order outside, including getting the
tractor chains on before the first time to plow the driveway.
Mark worked long hours during the month in
preparation for a two-week trial starting December 1 in North Carolina. Getting evidence and files ready for
out-of-state trails gets kind of complicated.
Hilde pushed hard to finish canning applesauce , jelly, jam and mustard,
preparing fruitcake early and then a pared down menu of Christmas goodies, all
while dealing with extra meetings and a tour about spray irrigation of waste
and a particularly trying set of performance evaluations. Plans were for Mark’s partner and assistant
to drive down with boxes of documents and technical gear, while Mark and Hilde
were to fly out of O’Hare right after Thanksgiving. Exactly one week from departure, everything
canceled as the plaintiff withdrew from the case. The notifications, cancelations and changes
in plans were complicated. The lawsuit
is likely to be refiled, and the trial only delayed, but Hilde is hoping for it
NOT to be scheduled for December again.
She is very happy to be home for the Advent season and not in a hotel in
Hendersonville!
Deer season was cold and varied from raw and foggy to
very cold. Paul and Loren came up to
share opening day with Mark, which was very good. With snow and a shell of ice over the swamp,
the walking there is very challenging, but they all got good work-outs, if no
deer. Mark skipped Sunday hunting (cold
rain!) , but did go out on the following Saturday, when the weather included freezing
mist and fog…no luck in either woods.
Some years are like that, but the main hunting land is now said to have
three wolves hunting there---and the forester still has not done the cutting
which would open portions of the land up for better browse. Despite in lack of success hunting, the
Packers’ four-game winning streak has our mood
upbeat.
Thanksgiving this year was very special for the
Henkels. We all gathered at John and
Evie’s for their first holiday in the new house, with delicious food and heart-warming fun with the
girls. Mark and John carefully repaired
the tiles in the sunroom, Rhiannon was
enchanted with the toy doctor kit which she had just gotten, Rowan played with
Grandma and Aunt Evie and we all were able to worship together Wednesday
evening. The Henkel clan is growing, and
Jim and Kayme came down that day directly from their visit for sonogram of the new, healthy-looking boy who will arrive
in spring. We have much to give thanks
for.
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| Plenty of November Snow |
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| Ready to Feast |
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| Cooperative clean up |
