Here's Grandpa and Grandma on October 28th celebrating Grandma's birthday. Happy Birthday to you!
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Saturday, October 30, 2010 - Granny sent me some pictures yesterday afternoon while I was outside picking up sticks for a couple of hours. This one is so great and they look so happy that I wanted to put it in here.

They both look so good. (translation: They both look pretty well preserved for old people!) haha.

I know how to translate because it's been said to me for years. You look good. Meaning that I'm not crawling around on the floor drooling and babbling... so yeah, I guess I would look good all things considered well, except for the babbling part because we all know how I love to go off on tangents - duh....

Back on track alert!! I noticed that the vertical blinds are drawn in this photo. Very NICE background, Diane!!!! Can't believe we haven't thought of that before. Oh yeah, I know why...

Because the new patio enclosure hadn't been installed until yesterday (the 29th). It's awesome. I'll put that picture on Andrew and Jarrett's blogger blog. They always loved Grandma and Grandpa's patio. As we all have. okay, see ya later, djb

You can see some of the reddish orange colored trees in the distance... not so great this year.
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Wednesday, October 27, 2010 - They're finally talking about the baby tornado and microburst that dropped by to say hi not too far from the high school. Yeah, I don't understand why none of the stories are mentioning that fact. Oh well, whatever.

Here's the relevant part of the story that was in the paper this morning:

October 27, 2010 - The strongest winds blew Tuesday morning, as unusually low barometric readings brought sustained wind speeds of 20 to 30 mph, gusting at more than 60 mph throughout the region, said Amy Seeley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. About 6:45 a.m., the storm produced a tornado, which touched down between Meredith Road and Francis Road, north of Route 38.

Gilbert Sebenste, a meteorologist with Northern Illinois University, reported to the National Weather Service that an investigation revealed damage consistent with a low-intensity tornado along a three-quarter mile stretch of land from west of Francis Road north and east to Beith Road, near Freeland Road, in Virgil Township, northwest of Elburn. The tornado damaged a home and buildings on three farmsteads, the National Weather Service said.

No injuries were reported.

The storm also produced a microburst that broke utility poles and downed trees and power lines on Keslinger Road at Francis Road. That damage resulted in police closing Keslinger Road between Route 47 and Francis Road from the morning into the midday hours Tuesday, said Lt. Pat Gengler, a spokesman for the Kane County Sheriff’s Office. The winds intensified what would have been only mild showers into severe storms overnight, said Seeley, as just 0.3 inches of rain fell overnight, as measured in St. Charles.

The winds also knocked power out to some areas of Elburn, Geneva and other communities in the early morning hours, police said.

-from Kane County Chronicle website

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After reading this story and then going back to their online paper, they've deleted the part about the microburst near Francis Road and Keslinger. That is very strange to me. This whole thing is weird.

okie dokie. see ya later, djb

Here's some of the limbs that fell from the elm tree next to the driveway. They're really bigger than they look in this picture.
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - Earlier this afternoon, I went outside to see if anything fell from the trees in the front yard and there were all these limbs out there under the elm tree.

All of sudden, a big gust of wind came up and I decided that standing under that tree was NOT a good idea. So I got out of there fast........ later, djb

Boo! The weather people are trying to scare us with their doomsday forecast - the sky is falling - the sky is falling!!
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - Happy Birthday Aunt Liz!

It's just before 8 a.m. and there's no wind to speak of out there at all from the Great Lakes Cyclone. I love how the weather people over-hype everything. No, I mean, I REALLY DO love it. Scare me. scare me.

The only thing I see as I look out the computer room window is more leaves to mulch/mow that have been blown out of the trees. And maybe a few small branches here and there.

Although after I said that (or actually wrote it), I noticed that the leaves that were green a few days ago have changed color overnight. That's kind of weird... maybe I should take a picture of that. Good idea.

See ya later if I don't get blown away. haha bye, djb

Here's the stem from Andrew's pumpkin. Discarded and tossed away. It was a nice little pumpkin... and obviously quite delicious!
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Saturday, October 23, 2010 - Once again, I wish Uncle Al a Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday to him. lalalalalala

It's supposed to be fairly warm in Illinois today (close to 70)... I guess the warm weather brought the rain along for the ride. We have had some very strange weather this year. Actually, it's strange because it's been so NICE. that's funny.

Time for some more coffee. see ya later, djb

Andrew's pumpkin is almost gone. It must've been very tasty! I noticed the critter didn't eat the stem. haha
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You can see Andrew's name in this picture...and also the devastation caused by hungry critters running amok at the cemetery!
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010 - You can tell by the way the grass looks in this picture that we haven't had any rain in a quite a while. Recently, I heard that this is the driest October in 35 years or 100 years....something like that.

It's totally been a hoot to see that the critters are enjoying the little pumpkins that someone left at Andrew and Jarrett's grave. I've never seen anything like it before.

As I was driving out of the cemetery today, I was trying to see if any other pumpkins had been devoured but since driving is a full a time job, I wasn't able to see any others that had been munched on.

Gotta go. see ya later, djb

On my birthday (that would be September 30th), I tried to find this card that Andrew made but I couldn't locate it...


...then I remembered that I put it on here last year, so I was able to find it. And once again, it made me LAUGH!
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Monday, October 11, 2010 - It's another fake holiday today. You know it's a manufactured holiday because the Stock Market is OPEN.

The bond market is closed. I suppose, because that's related to the government -- which is also closed. And whenever the government is closed, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Do I sound like a crabby American public? Or a crabby voter?

If I were on Social Security, I might be crabby. Instead of giving billions of dollars to greedy banks and bankers, the old people (of which group I will soon join) get zilch, zero, nada COLA increase! Not a smart move. Elections are coming up soon and we tend to vote early and often -- especially in this state!

Not that we have very good choices here in Illinois - because we don't!! It's actually a choice between worse and worser in most of the races. Manipulate and brainwash the masses to believe every negative piece of propaganda about your opponent. It's way beyond annoying...it's downright intrusive.

Do any of these individuals who are acting like whores (Webster's definition: those who seek that which is immoral, idolatrous, etc.) realize that one of these days, they will be held accountable for their greed and their lies? Or maybe they see themselves as above the law?

It's discouraging to say the least. I'm pretty much an Independent voter -- always have been. Last time we voted for governor, I voted for Judy Baar Topinka (R) because she was a woman and played the accordian and primarily because she was NOT Rod Blagojevich (D).

Some people just vote their party affiliation without doing any research but I look at the person behind the label. Mostly, career politicians are all the same: they've found a cushy job with excellent retirement benefits -- courtesy of you and me!

Have a great Columbus Day. We're once again having nice weather, with sun, warmth and a hefty sprinkling of BUGS. bye, djb

This is a picture of the front yard I took a few years ago. It wasn't quite that bad today but there were leaves out there.
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Sunday, 10-10-10 - Today, I spent many, many hours outside mulch, mowing the leaves. After I did the front yard and the side yard and part of the back yard, I realized that it wasn't very windy, so I lit the burn pile.

Well, first I had to drag the hose back there -- just in case! Then, get some paper to start the fire but before that, I had to get the long lighter to light the paper that starts the fire that burns the leaves and the branches that live in the house that Jack built. hahaa

The fire is almost out. I'll have to put water on it so it's really out and doesn't bother people at night while they're sleeping. That's really rude. There are several burn pile related stories in our neighborhood... kind of funny but you'd actually have to BE here and know the perps involved to "get it."

Better go check on that fire. See ya later,djb

This is FROST on the roof of our neighbor's shed. This morning, I heard them say on the radio that it was 32 degrees in Aurora.
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Monday, October 4, 2010 - Okay, so I heard 32 in Aurora and in the next breath, he said that it was 30 degrees in Rochelle. Brrr. The official reading for Aurora is actually at the airport which is located in Sugar Grove....not too far away from us.

It was actually only 39 degrees at our house. Not cold enough to freeze anything -- except my toes. haha

I guess I'd better start looking for my winter socks!!! brrrr, djb

Me on my birthday at Rosita's. I have no idea why my BIG mouth is open so wide!!!
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Sunday, October 3, 2010 - I just realized that I still had that silly message about my website not working on here. Last week was a whirlwind of activity. After my birthday, I was still whirling. Now, things have calmed down a little bit.

The only nice thing about winter coming is that I don't have to worry about when to cut the grass and what to do with this tree or that bush or that flower or check the chlorine in the pool. It's all cold and covered with snow.

Winter is totally underrated. No yard work at all. Of course, there's the COLD, brutal weather. But, we're used to it. I'll be cold from now until next year. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Better go get ready to watch the Chicago Bears. Go Bears! djb