Halloween Brand Fruits

Halloween Brand Fruit Box

Check out the Jack-O-Lantern and witch on this fruit label, which we just noticed on a box we bought this summer when we were actually after the fruit jars inside.  Cool!

Dixon the Undead

The Old Dixon, now running again

Tracks of the Dixon

Left for dead, in the shelter of an old barn, lost, abandoned, given up and alone, this old Dixon Zeeter found its way to my garage, where, with the tenacity of Dr. Frankenstein, yours truly brought it back to life.  And here I was thinking I would just be robbing the engine off the even-older Dixon and giving this one a transplant.  How right for Halloween!

Happy Halloween Message from Walter

Having Walter's video on my blog just got too annoying.  If you'd like to see it, the video is still available here. 

Prepping for Halloween

Halloween Cookie Diversity

It's scary enough that elections are upon us and we're handing our selection of leaders to those who would be swayed by frightening proclamations from both sides of the aisles.  While some were either watching a World Series game (Giants 9, Rangers 0) or listening to local candidates make their final pitches, a few of us were gathered together for that fall ritual of decorating cookies.  We'll have to trust the Madville Times or the Daily Leader to find out what faces appeared at the forum and what came out of them. 

Blown into Winter?

First snow arrives in Madison.

We've got to thank our weather gods for holding off for so long, but the past few days have been a reminder that winter is at our doorstep, what with the wind howling non-stop for several days, bringing the temps down dramatically.  This morning, crappy as both the wife and I are both feeling, we have to face the prospect of going out into the wind AND a bit of snow.  Crud.

Suddenly, In Mid-Semester, The Mind Goes Mid

Yes, it's a beauty.  What about yellow?  

Mid-engined that is.  I'm dreaming of a Porsche 914.  Something tells me it's the right thing to do.

Her Birthday Party

The wife likes to party with other folks, especially those who appreciate a good piece of cake.  These two fit the bill, patiently awaiting their chunk of the love-rocket cake, ice-cream, and raspberry topping.  Yum!

Party girls waiting for a piece of D-cake.  

Her Birthday

The wife and yours truly at the SDSU homecoming game.

Every year the wife has a birthday and we try to make it special.  Going to the SDSU football game on Saturday wasn't the key to that, but perhaps today will be better!

Happy Birthday!

Michael Mina Turns to Nelson for Plates

Michael Mina is a super-duper chef who owns or operates restaurants from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, and when he wanted a cool new look for a new SF eatery, he turned to brother Jered and his pottery skills.  He's the fellow on the right in the video below.  Way to go, Jered.


MICHAEL MINA SF: Plateware from Michael Mina on Vimeo.

62% Say Yes

A recent article in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader points out that 62% support the smoking ban that's on the ballot in November.  I suspect that even more would support the raspberries that somehow are still ripening on an abandoned farm west of Lake Herman.

They look even better in a bowl on our kitchen counter, don't they?

Two Cool Videos

I enjoyed these two videos today.  If you like dogs, be sure to check out the one below.  Live music (even if it's recorded) still rocks.

Monday Night Pie Conference

Monday night (I think it was . . . ) we had a little group over, where we enjoyed some great 4-H beef, some butternut squash, fresh from the summer's bounty, and this awesome pie that the lovely wife baked with her own two hands.  Participants were impressed with not only the taste of the pie, but also the LOOK!  RIP, pie.

The Dumb Man

Here's a cool rendering of a Sherwood Anderson piece using Second Life figures to animate the characters.
The Dumb Man - Sherwood Anderson from Lainy Voom on Vimeo.

Gathering Sunshine, Producing Sawdust

Mr. Ryan and is sawdusting equipment.

On a bright, sunshiny day in South Dakota in October, with a light tinge of fall in the air, but not too much, it's a great day to head out to where there's good ash available.  Turn some of into sawdust, some into twigs, and take the rest home for firewood.  It's like sunshine in a log.

Terry Ryan and I headed west in our wood-haulers and loaded them down with our winter's warmth.

Now back to schoolwork.

I'm Trying Out Twine

My colleage DW mentioned an electronic storytelling tool, Twine, that allows for building simple interactive stories, poems, or whatever, using their easy-to use software.  I'm trying it out.

Nate at the Coffeehouse--Mochavino's

My colleague and new faculty member, who is making waves at DSU as a friendly, well-informed guy, as well as an accomplished musician, is playing this Thursday night at Mochavino's on Egan Avenue in Madison.  Check him out!  

Casey's Longest Journey

Younger son Casey made the long journey Monday from Minneapolis to Madison as a passenger, then the journey back from Madison to Minneapolis as a driver.  How fitting, Columbus Day, to be discovering the Minnesota landscape, piloting his own craft, fearful, perhaps, of falling off the edge into darkness.  His steed--the sword, the dirk, the dagger, the rapier, the cutlass, the blade.  Or, in French, Le Sabre!  It's a 1991, a bit the worse for wear, but via a good DSU student, he's now the proud(?) owner of this, his 4th automobile.  And he's only 20!  

But he survived his longest trip yet on his own, 260 miles or so through the wilds of Dakota and Minnesota territory.  

My Dirty Laundry

Here's a photo of a young man browsing my showing at the Brick House Bash given by the Madison Area Arts Council last Friday night.  They were having a show of "Dirty Laundry," a collection of drafts, sketches, odds and ends illustrating the artistic process.  I gave them some copies of pages out of my notebooks, along with poem drafts and comments.  And rejection and acceptance letters on publication attempts.

All You Need to Know About the TCM Weekend (my version)

• The wife and I (taking Walter with us) went to Minneapolis on Saturday morning and stayed with my daughter and her guy.
• We enjoyed the TCM expo and picked up my packet.  
• We managed a trip to Trader Joe's in St. Paul.
• We loaded up on pasta at Buca di Beppo’s with DW, JW, KW, April, Chester, Casey, and his girl Christine.  We were joined by a couple, friends of Chester and April. 
• We went to the stage version of Louise Erdrich’s book “The Master Butcher’s Singing Club” at The Guthrie with April, Chester, Casey, and his girl Christine. 
• We survived a night of industrial-strength snoring from is, externally, at least, a fairly small dog.  
• I ran the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday morning, finishing in 3:45:22, on a beautiful day for running.  Number 1726, if you're interested in splits, times, or photos.  I was impressed with the cool stats they offer up now.  For example, I moved up in the pack from being in 3078th place after 3 miles to 2029th place at the end.  
• April, Chester, and the wife drove around town, cheering me on at various spots along the way.
• DW, JW, and KW also picked a spot near their home and cheered (posting this pic of me enroute).  
• We enjoyed some well-deserved lunch at the Highland Grill in Minneapolis.  
• We drove back, stopping at Jim’s Apple Orchard near Belle Plaines on 169, where we picked up some kickin’ root beer and some apples.
• We checked out the closed bridge south of Belle Plaines, just because you can never be too sure about those “Road Closed to Thru Traffic” signs.
• We drove back through Belle Plaines to get on a road with good bridges.
• We recovered slowly over the week (and weekend).