November 2019 Blustery and Busy

November was such a busy month!  The weather was really cold for most of the month---9 degrees is a bit chilly even for Wisconsin, in early November!  Mark and Hilde spent a lot of time in the swamp and the sugar bush, working out trails, refreshing hunting stands and then building a couple more stands in preparation for deer season.  Since the water was high and the terrain tangled from the logging tops and the wind storms, it took effort and concentration to get anywhere, but they enjoyed their time in the wet woods.

Hilde has turned into a ‘crafting machine’ as one friend put it.  She has completed knitting four sweaters for grandchildren, sewed together four other projects for them and got most of a quilt finished during the month.  During the same period, she got the final fruits and veggies preserved, enjoying the last of the zucchini, late applesauce batches and pumpkin goodies.  

 

Mark worked diligently to get the house and property ready for winter, cutting the raspberry canes, putting up snow fence and  rabbit fence, removing hanging tree limbs and getting the tractor chains on the Minnie.  He has been putting considerable time in on the one case out in Minnesota, while struggling to get his laptop to resync with the scanner/printer.  Those tech issues surely can consume time!  He also helped the neighbor replace the steps and handrail on his deck---paying forward some of the help Henkels received when they moved out to Rudolph.

The highlight of the month was deer season, since Jim, Kayme and all three kids were here.  Jim and Mark enjoy hunting together and all the time in the woods.  Although a nice 6 pointer got away, they are optimistic about the return of deer. For several years there were simply no deer,, but the numbers are up now.  While the men were out hunting, Hilde and Kayme enjoyed time with the each other and the kids.  It is hard to believe that Rhiannon is almost 9!  Legos were the main for all three kids this trip, but Rowan enjoyed working on a plastic canvas project and did all but the finishing work on it, a turkey.  It was a real joy to have them all here.

 

John and Evie report that Rosemary is settling in (3 months old now!) and Hazel adjusting to the new day care group since she is two.  Hilde’s mother has recovered completely from her surgery last month and is adjusting well to the smaller apartment to which she shifted this month.  The Bormann side of the family expanded as Hilde’s youngest niece had her first daughter, named Scarlett.  Mark found out that one of his cousins has moved back to Wisconsin so a get together is going to be planned.

The winter varieties of birds have been very active at the feeders---watching the small birds tweak tail feathers and swoop to startle the larger birds off is fascinating.  There are lots of woodpeckers, cardinals and nuthatches around to brighten the landscape. 

Thanksgiving was pretty quiet, as Mark and Hilde observed it with church, a feast for the two of them and time to really count up their blessings.  Sometimes those quiet times are really precious, especially before the busy end of the year with holidays, and special observances.

Silly and Sweet:  Caleb, Rowan and Rhiannon