Recycled Halloween-

I saw this somewhere on the internet. NOT Pinterest, I don't go there. The idea was to make votive holders or whatever they are called for Halloween. Many of them were elaborate. I wanted simple. Then, I found this one. (I don't have a link. I'm not even sure it HAD a link. I may have adapted what I found and gone from there!)

Recycling for Halloween

Easy Glass Votives

This is a simple idea you can use for any reason. You find a pattern you want (bat) and trace it out on painter's tape. 

 After it is cut out, affix to the glass jar. Make sure the bottom is the top!!!!! UNLESS you use real candles.

 I asked to have the jars painted black. Alas, there wasn't any black spray paint. The two different jars are two different colors....

 CAREFULLY peel off the painter's tape (you can't see very well this step. But, the jars are sans tape and the orange one has a tealight in it). Put battery operated tea lights under each glass and let them shine! These particular lights flicker. They also have lights which change color. Go wild!

 This isn't a good photo-You can't even SEE the light shining inside. But, it looks pretty cool in real life. AND they are still recyclable. Next year, I will do bats again and maybe cats and have the jars match in color and size.

The very best part of these? The rain and wind won't put out the candles!

Pumpkin without Spice!

As mentioned in the FB album and on my blessing blog, this was a pretty good year for Steve's punkins. We managed to get rid of most of them. Last year, they were wasted. I was very glad that didn't happen this fall. I hate tossing away a harvest. 

  We haven't carved pumpkins in a couple of years, so it was good to dust off the tools and creativity.

 Jon, as usual, opted for a bigger knife to use on his pumpkin of choice. (think this is one a friend found in his yard and passed on to Jon-who proceeded to clean it up and make like new.)

 He decided to try for sharp teeth this year. He was reminded how certain shapes are more difficult than others! (he used a smaller knife for the teeth)

 I chose a pattern off the internet. I started out firmly convinced I was going to make a ladybug, which is why I went online to see how to do it. I ended up thinking of Toni and Tony and went Disney.

 I found a simple cat pattern that Steve carved on his second pumpkin. He always comes up with fun creations and doesn't often use patterns. It turned out the very best!

 Things to remember when carving pumpkins. 1-they are messy. 2-they are VERY messy and the different stages of growth help create mess. The orange ones were less slimy and had better seeds. The green ones were kind of in the gicky stage. 3-the thicker the shell, the harder it is to make intricate designs. Which is why I glued shiny dots to the cat's face instead of trying to find a really long thin nail to poke holes with. (the nail I used for a couple of the whisker holes kind of 'broke' the pumpkin. Not kind of, it did break!)

 The one below turned out pretty cute, though! (this was mine!)

The seeds I will dry to send to mom for the birds. Every time I cook them for human consumption, only about a cup are eaten. The rest sit around for months til they get tossed. So, the birds will get them this year! 

 I wanted to make a ribbon pumpkin. Breast cancer is such a huge part of my world. Unfortunately, I didn't go online to see how to do this one! I should have. I'll know better next year! The shape was easy. Carving it was not.

 So, I used quilting pins and paint. (I was going to use paint anyway, but it sort of was more necessary than I thought it would be!)

 It used to be all dark inside

when growing on the vine,

but now it has a toothy smile

and face that's full of shine.

  Aileen Fisher- Pumpkin Head

An Amazing End

There are so many stories from this last week of my journey north. It is so difficult to pin just one or two down to tell. So, this is a collage of incidents captured for you to enjoy.

This youngster lit the candles during the opening of the service at the Kenai church. I wanted to take her photo and so we went up after and 'staged' a lighting. She and her sisters are such a JOY! 

 We were able to have these angels come and chain saw the downed trees. It still amazes me the young man on the left isn't  toddler anymore!

 The angels also took down a very dead tree. I think Tim just likes using his chain saw! I put a lot of it away, split some of it, and the rest is under a tarp. Nancy came back with the wood stove door Tim fixed for mom. It took us a bit, but we prevailed and were able to get it attached. Mom used it on Friday.

 The young man, Steve, also had this idea for the tires. I must admit, it was rather brilliant. As Steve said, if the first snow is as tall as these and the plow guy manages to hit them, we'll have more trouble than just knocked over tires!

 This woman is a storyteller from the south. She still has a great Louisiana accent. Even after living in Alaska for..well, mom fished with Nikki when I was a teen! Some of the things they did would curl  your toes. BUT, they got their fish!

 Had to say goodbye to daddy before I left Kenai-

 The end of summer toes. The air was cold and the foliage is mostly brown and sparse. It was warm in the sunshine, but the glow had a definite wintertime bite in it.

I got to visit another story teller, Frank. He was fortunate. By the time I was visiting for the second time, my camera had decided to stop working (I got it started again later that afternoon!). I took these pictures at their house, the first time I visited, and wished I could sit at his feet and let his words waft thru me. Amazing teller of tales. 

That Friday night, Mum and I ate dinner at the Elk's Lodge. It was so good for mom to get out and see people. I am sure she is going to look forward to more of the same this winter. She was also honored at the 4-H awards dinner. They gave an award for the most inspirational record book in Mum's name. Pretty awesome stuff!!! 

 These hands have learned to do a GREAT many things they'd never done before. I'm a sheltered gal. I emptied mom's lawnmower of gas for the season and was very proud of my fortunate fingers and hands.

 There was ice on the lake and frost on the kayak paddle  the other night when I went out around 1am. The full moon was caught in the cold water with iced edges. It was incredible! However, it got breezy after that and I decided to stay on land. You can see ice in this photo, too. The ground was frozen and it was time to put the craft away until spring.

 I opted to go to the ocean water. (by the by, there are spots on the photos because I had my camera in my kangaroo pocket of my shirt while helping haul wood and when putting the tires on end. The camera fell out, lens first. I'm working on getting it cleaned, but it is not as efficient as I'd hoped!) to say goodbye. It was cold and the tide was coming in. I wasn't going to get anymore rocks, but I did anyway. Three more!

 Before I was picked  up by Mike (he now knows where mom lives and will help others find it), I snapped a couple of  fast (not too clear) photos of the two of us. I wasn't able to get any with Janet. We didn't communicate well and missed each other on Saturday night.

 Sunday, my plane left Anchorage. I cried. I always cry when I leave home. Thankfully, the plane was dark and by the time I took this picture, I realised we were NOT turning around, and was mostly ok. I'll be back, though-I have to.

 Cool display in the N part of the Alaska Air concourse at SeaTac. Ships in bottles. They made me smile!

Jon's Busy Weekend

Having technology is a wonderful thing! Not being there for deer season this year or anything else so far, Jon sent photos of  "Hiking with Guns for 6 Days". (the sign I just found online--I rather liked it!)

The email Jon sent the photos in had the subject of  'Deer Mom.' The accompanying sentence was succinct and to the point. 

Hi mom, here are pictures of my deer,dad, cooked rabbit, and an elk shed I just found today. (Monday)

He was home, ready to enjoy one of those ridiculous frozen pizzas he insists on eating, when he got a call to practice cutting up cars. Rachelle posted these on FB and said I could take them. (Big thank you hug to Rachelle!!!) I didn't get the video, but it is on FB and I was tagged in it. And since Jon does not do social media, he has to have me tag along. (oooooh, pun!)  

I am very proud of you, Jonathan! If I can get a zucchini, I'll bake a chocolate zuch cake next week. And probably cookies (are there any chocolate chips in the cupboard?).....and a dinner that is not frozen pizza!

Temperature is dropping!!!!

It is getting COLD out there!!!! I wish I had a transporter to trade my shorts for sweatshirts. Apparently, it is even too cold to get the paper to the paper box! 

 Frosted golden leaves- they looked better in the sunshine! All glittery and decorated with crystals.

 I had emptied the hose once, but it appears I managed to forget the last time. I had left it hooked up cuz mom wanted to wash the windows. After letting it thaw, Debbie was able to disconnect the thing and I put it away for the winter. Hooray for wonderful angel friends!

 Somehow these were a lot more fun in 'Real Genius'......

 Went out after dinner to dip a paddle in the lake again. I had to break thru a skin of ice on the edge! There was even ice in the kayak! I came back to shore before it was able to melt.

 Stunning sky tonight, I probably should have looked for a sunset--but I enjoyed the lake. It is always different. I can see why Thoreau enjoyed his pond so much. An amazing ecosystem of ever changing worlds.

 Quite possibly the last lake selfie. I did a face plant coming out of the shop where we keep the life jacket. I was very glad I didn't trip getting out of the kayak!!! (I am not sure what I tripped over. More than likely, it was my feet.)

 If you look at this reflection closely, you can see a 'D' and what might be some other letters. The 'close up' I took didn't come out very well.

I think it reads 'Doo'...whatever that might mean!