Soggy September 2019

Very high wild grapes

Wet, very wet—the only way to describe the month of September.  Wisconsin is on the way to the wettest year ever, and Mark and Hilde were grateful to be high on their hill in Rudolph.  In between all the rains, the late harvest kept them busy:  lots and lots of tomatoes, a wonderful crop of cauliflower and late cucumbers, plus the fall raspberries. 

Many days Mark was out gathering some of the above while Hilde was stewing, juicing, saucing and freezing all of it.  The yield is gratifying after a tough growing season, mid-season neglect and lots of pests.  The late cauliflower was magnificent and plentiful.

 

Hilde and her mom

Family visits started and ended the month.  Early in September, Mark and Hilde rejoiced as John and Evie’s second daughter, Rosemary, was baptized, and Uncle Jim managed to come down for the occasion.  Then it was back to their normal schedule including the start of a new taekwondo session with 14 new white belts and fall work.

There were times eked out for friends this month.  Hilde met her county board friend Donna for lunch and then the craft friends all got together for a lunch before Melodie headed south for the winter.  It is surely true that “old” friends are “gold” friends!

September wrapped up with Mark and Hilde heading down to Waukesha County.  They were able to have a longer visit with Hilde’s mother, who is doing well since the cataract surgery.  They shared some special times with Jim, Kayme and the grandkids—supper out at Culvers, a relaxed Saturday morning and then a trip to a local pumpkin patch.  This was a high-end amusement area, with a corn maze (we got rather turned around there), bouncing pillows, various tossing games, tractor pulls and even pig races.  The kids had a ball.

The timing for the visit centered around Hilde’s 50^th high school reunion—Arrowhead Class of 1969.  It was really fun and interesting to see folks for the first time in many years.  At first, they are not very recognizable, but then a tilt of the head, a particular laugh, a way of walking, and it all comes back.  Some of Hilde’s classmates from the tiny Richmond School were there—3 out of 5!  Even as an observing spouse, Mark found it fun and interesting.  Hilde was so glad to get together with Marilyn, Donna and others there.

Hilde, Greg McKerrow, Dennis Evinrude

At the very end of September, Wisconsin weather turned whimsical—lots of rain and coolth and then for the 30^th, record heat with Rudolph hitting 85 degrees.  The break in wet and gloom allowed Hilde and Mark to zoom around doing outside chores, including caulking leaks in shed roofs and getting almost all the lawn cut, as they used both mowers, and broke out the shorts for one more day.  The colors are slow in showing this year, but the fall asters and bees were certainly happy.