In The Neighborhood & Eventful Afternoon

 Rafters in Menard's Parking Lot

Just posting a few pics I took while running errands in Rice Lake - and on the way home.  

And by the way, the other day we had quite an eventful afternoon. Some construction workers pulled up into our driveway and asked if we'd lost a toddler. Seems that there was a toddler walking along the highway just a quarter of a mile from our house. We hopped into our pickup and drove down the road. There was a little guy, all alone, wandering down the road, just above the trout stream. We called the sheriff, looked around to see if there was a car down in the creek or anyone else nearby. Then we took him back to our house. 

As you come out the west drive of the Walmart parking lot:

A friendly reminder from the farmer across the street

I think this dairy barn has been abandoned for a while.

He didn't talk, except for 'dog,' which he said when Jazzie came to the door, barking. I gave him some water and cut up a hot dog in small pieces for him to eat in case he was hungry. Kids always like hot dogs? I put a pool of ketchup on his plate and a few chips. We sat at the kitchen counter. Eventually the sheriff's deputy showed up (As Mr. Cranberry always says, 'When seconds count, the police are just minutes away!')  Actually, it wasn't much of a wait, and he was a very nice deputy. He asked us a bunch of questions, asked if the child could stay with us a  while (of course!) and then was going to go door to door down the highway and see if he could find who this child belonged to.

Crossing the Red Cedar River

Pilings from the old bridge

In the meantime, little boy X ate a few pieces of hot dog, but preferred the ketchup, eating it with a spoon. He kept an eye on Jazzie and Misty, who by now were both at his feet. He must have dogs at his house, because he wasn't afraid of them.

In a very short time, the deputy was back. He came into the house and asked the little boy if his name was '_'.  The little guy just had a pleasant look on his face the whole time. Not scared, not bothered. Enjoying the ketchup.  The deputy told us that he had found the frantic mom hunting for her little boy.

The reunion was very tearful for everyone. It was impossible not to empathize with that mom who melted into tears and sobs when she saw her little boy, only 23 months, who had simply wandered away from home while she was taking the groceries out of the car and putting them away.

It happened just that fast. He had walked a half mile on a main highway and was found just above a 3' deep creek.

The story had a happy reunion ending, but could have had such a different outcome.  We praise God for keeping that little guy safe.

And all the time, little guy X just kept that pleasant look on his face. It was so cute! He had no idea of the distress he had caused his mother.

I'm glad to see that Reptile and Tina

are still getting along.

***

Check out my handcrafted, vegan soaps!

Buy any 5 or more, Get 1 FREE

Two of my Christmas Soaps:
'Cranberry Tea'
'Christmas Forest'

...and more! Check out all my handcrafted soaps at

HomemadeSoapNSuch

and at

Our ETSY Shop 

Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters

In The Neighborhood - The Neighbor's Auction

The perfect place to park those orange tractors

If you happen to have read last Monday's blog post, you'll know that Mr. Cranberry attended a neighborhood auction last weekend. I dropped him off there and came home, knowing how long auctions can go. But before I left, I got a few cellphone pics of the things that caught my eye. First of all, those cute little Allis Chalmers tractors against the sumac. If I had bid on the tractors, I would have insisted that they include the sumac in the deal.

I don't know how many of the auction items had been stored in this shed, but it must have a loft in it, so I suppose it was a good storage barn. I loved the pretty Virginia creeper beside the door. I wonder if the building was a granary at one time. Anyway, I took a photo of the fence and then went home, leaving Mr. Cranberry to check out the tractors.

Part way through the auction, I got a phone call from Mr. C., telling me to come look at a wood box he thought I might like. I did, and I really liked it, but I wasn't willing to pay what my neighbor was willing to pay for it, so she took it home. However, that little table (above) caught my eye. I thought it might be nice to use on the front porch, and then when the weather gets cold, to have it at the end of a sofa in the living room. It's in good shape, no gouges, but does need to be refinished. I was wishing Suzan from SimplyVintageous were here, giving me advice. I got the cute little table for $17.00  Then I went home. (Mr. C. stayed. The machinery is always the last to be auctioned off. They get rid of all the small stuff first.)

$2.50, with case, mint condition

I had looked at an antique Royal typewriter while I was there, and asked Mr. C. to keep an eye on it. I gave him a price. When a friend of ours was bidding on it, he dropped out. And it's just as well, for I don't know what I would have done with it after spending real money on it.

BUT, when Mr. Cranberry returned from the auction, he was carrying a hard case and opened it up. There was a different Royal typewriter, not the antique, but cute and in mint condition. He got it for $2.50.  That's a price I can live with. I've put copy paper in it and tried out the ribbon. It's a bit faint, but I bet I'll be able to purchase ribbon for it somewhere. And when I typed, I realized how lazy my fingers have become, using a laptop every day. Wow. Those typewriters kept your fingers in good shape!

By the way, the auction started at 10:30 and was winding down about 4 PM. Auctions are serious business in our neck of the woods.

***

I realize that my grandkids won't remember a time that they didn't use computer keyboards. 

Question: Did you ever type on a manual typewriter? What are some of the major differences that you can think of, between using a manual typewriter and using the computer keyboard?  I have a few things in mind, but I want to wait and see if anyone else mentions them.

***

Early morning frustration. Blogger won't let me access any of my GFC blogger friends (My dashboard suddenly says I have none- wow, isn't that sad!) and Feedly won't show me anything more recent than 8 hours old. What's going on in blogland today??!

***

Natural, Handcrafted Vegan Soaps

'Cranberry Tea'

'Cinnamon Stick'

...and more! Check out all my handcrafted soaps at

HomemadeSoapNSuch

and at

Our ETSY Shop 

Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties: Inspiration Monday and THE BARN COLLECTIVE and  Amaze Me Monday and  Mosaic Monday and  Artsy Corner Thursday and Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday-
 

Across the Street

 Looking toward the corn field across the road

It was October 26, 5:15 PM when the glow of the fields caught my eye and I had to snap these photos. The soybeans have been harvested in the foreground field, and the corn field across the road has been combined. There's such a beautiful golden yellow in those corn fields.  (In this photo, because of the hills, you are unable to see the road that runs between the two fields, ours and Neighbor Bill's.)  I love the burgundy oaks, rusty maples, golden birch, and deep green pines!

By the way, if this were a jigsaw puzzle, I'd do the burgundy oak first - or maybe those birch. :-) Just letting you edge people know.

 Neighbor Bill's Barn and Hay bales

I know that in the photo the barn looks like it's tipping. That's because the old barn IS tipping. It is sad, because before long that barn will go the way of all old, empty-of-cattle, unheated Wisconsin barns. I'm enjoying it as much as I can now, and getting lots of photos.

See all that lacy stuff on the bales and climbing up the side of the corn crib? Isn't it gorgeous in the fall, all golden like that. But trust me, the stuff is the nasty wild cucumber that climbs on everything and strangles it. It loves gardens and raspberry canes, and just about everything else.

Wild Cucumber in the Late Afternoon Sunshine

It's hard for me to let go of this time of year. It's my very favorite. But as our daylight hours dwindle and the temperature drops, November in all its typical dreariness will be settling in. It's the shadowlands we endure before December brings snow, brighter (albeit shorter) days, and the family home for Christmas!

And now, before we get that snow, I need to get my raspberry canes cut back and the chicken wire fence put around the raspberry patch! Two years ago that patch yielded 13 gallons of berries. This year, because I neglected to put the fence around it last fall, we got ZERO berries. The deer and bunnies had eaten all the canes during the long winter, leaving little 4" stubs. 

Oh well, I guess it's not so bad to take turns.

Our Happy Raspberry Patch

This is how it will look in December.

Because next year it's my turn to get those berries!

So why is it I'm starting to feel guilty about those poor deer and bunnies?!!

...and more!

Check out all my soaps at

Soap'n'Such

Walking the Dogs

There's nothing like going for a walk with my dog. Actually, Kevin snapped this just as Bridger and I were walking up the drive toward our house. As you can see, it's a foggy day, and that's why I'm wearing the bright white lab coat over my jacket. The thought was, that if I wore just my black jacket, I would blend in too easily with the black pavement. It did occur to me that with my white lab coat someone might simply mistake me for another big snowbank, but I wasn't sure what else to do to be safe. Maybe if I had one of those bright orange 'Slow Moving Vehicle' signs, I could duct tape that to my back.

It is wonderful to be outdoors again after hibernating for most of January and February. It's not a pretty time of year, cuz this is when the snow looks its dirtiest and all the bones and junk the dogs drag onto the yard, not to mention the 'land mines' they've deposited during the cold winter, reappear for the world to see. Definitely a sloppy time of year. Still, all we need is for the snow to melt and to get a few drying days. Then I can rake the yard and things just get better and better from there.

Unlike using the treadmill or a stationary bike (what I call 'artificial exercise,') walking on the road is also so invigorating for me. I love the smell of the cool, fresh, damp air. I love looking at the neighbors' fields, the craggy oaks, and the creek that runs through our land. Yesterday I saw two eagles out in a field, snacking on a deer carcass. I even love the beauty of some of the old, rundown buildings. I'm not sure why I think they're beautiful, but I know I'll be sad when they finally collapse and then disappear from the landscape.

And, of course, Bridger and Misty just love getting their walks in. It's one thing to have the entire backyard and snowy alfalfa field to play in, but when they're on lead they get to go down onto the road, which is ever so much more exciting!

Maybe if I stick with this new walking routine, I won't be getting so many e-mails whose subject line is 'Get Rid of Belly Fat.' What??!! Who are these people??? and why are they peeking into my windows???