Happy Halloween

Our Jack-o-Lanterns

Happy Halloween to everyone!  It's been a fantastic season of celebrating.  We read so many Halloween library books, dug up information on Halloween lore and traditions, carved pumpkins, drank cider, ate a little chocolate, and wore out V's costume.  (Definitely got our $3 worth.)

Preparing to carve pumpkins in the basement craft area

I decided to be different with a yellow carving pumpkin

Power tools.

Ben carves away

Pooped after trick-or-treating!

Though we had a Happy Halloween weekend of trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving I've been thinking more about our friends and family on the east coast who've hopefully braved the storm of Hurricane Sandy.  Still hoping to hear from a few people, but it sounds like most of them are safe.  Something I realized this week as everyone was posting online about his or her weather-related safety status was how many bloggers I follow that I never knew their locations.  Apparently many of them live on the east coast, especially near NYC.  Makes me realize how this virtual world we spend so much time in can still leave us so unaware and slightly disconnected.

We've had some stellar waves at the lakefront here and lots of wind, of course, but no real grounds for complaints.  We did manage to get outside for a hike on Sunday.  I can't believe that in the last decade plus that I've lived in Milwaukee that I never experienced the beauty of Grant Park in South Milwaukee.  There are some gorgeous trails that suddenly lead one to a peaceful beach at Lake Michigan (which seems like it'd be much cleaner than our main beach near downtown.)  We agreed that the park would be a great place to return for seasonal hikes; certainly good for viewing spring ephemerals in a few more months (or several more months as it may be.)   

Reflections of the sky in the stream through
Grant Park's Seven Bridges Trail

I can't believe it took me this long to find
this beautiful place!

A little color amidst the drab brown

One of the beautiful bridges in Grant Park

Nothing much to report here other than getting excited about the indoor winter farmers' markets (Milwaukee County and St. Ann's Center) starting in our area this weekend.  Be sure to check them out if you're available as well as the West Allis Farmers Market which runs through the week of Thanksgiving.

Cooking up the remains of our garden and still enjoying lots of flavorful salad greens from our raised beds.  Green tomatoes are being cellared until they turn.

Tomatoes gradually ripening on the cellar rack.