Lightning Tree

Now that the leaves are down, this is what the tree struck by lightning about 50 feet away from me looks like. Split from crest to root.

Football

Zach loves his football. He likes me to kick it so he can go get it. I'm not saying that we are playing fetch, that wouldn't be right. He always indicates what direction I should kick it in, and he goes "Yay!" when it lands. Sometimes he likes me to kick it up on the roof and watch it bounce off.

Fall Colors

This fall just keeps on giving.

Here's some scenes from mid-November, usually weeks after some hard frost has stripped all the trees bare.

The Bradford Pears keep changing to a deeper red and into some deep purples. The Oaks and Maples are just about as red as I ever remember seeing them.

While these photos are sort of a fly-by desperate attempt to just document the colors, some are not very clear. I did get one really interesting shot of a driveway that had a bright red burning bush. The bush was chopped off, and I noticed that there was a little golf cart back in the driveway when I looked at the picture. The leaves on the driveway were blurred to the point that they look like they are flowing on the surface of a stream.

Pudding Therapy

Zach wasn't feeling good and wasn't interested in eating much. I discovered that his interest in eating things is inversely proportional to the neatness of the food. In other words, if it's messy, he's all for it. Pudding seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

You're a Good Climber

That's what I say to Zach several times a week. Whether it's stairs or his tree house/fort, he's always been eager to climb up things.

I climbed an old deer stand ladder to get a better picture of him up in his fort, and he wanted to climb the ladder, too.

He figured it out really fast. He's a good climber.

Before the Storm

If Zach looks a little "off" in this picture, please keep in mind that he was throwing up violently about 10 minutes later.

That was a fun day. We were out of diapers and cat food, so I had no choice but to go to the store first thing in the morning. He threw up all over himself and me before leaving the house. I thought that was going to be it and rushed out to get the errands done and get home.

He threw up all over himself while sitting in his car seat as we were pulling into the store parking lot. I took him in and cleaned him off in the bathroom, but I wish I had a couple of towels and a change of clothes.

Poor little Zachy. He was sick for 3 days, throwing up and not wanting to play. He's a little better now.

Shuffle Bored

We went to the Peanut for lunch after Zach's first haircut and Zach was definitely not bored with the Shuffleboard.

He did learn that wiping the special sliding powder off, while fun, makes the pucks stop moving.

First Barber Shop Haircut

We went to John's Barber Shop in downtown Lee's Summit for Zach's first barber shop haircut. He cried and clutched two little cars, and wouldn't sit still, but the sucker at the end made it all worthwhile.

Trick or Treat

Finally! After much anticipation, we took Zach up to Uncle Warren & Aunt Barb's house for some Trick or Treating! Cousin Cole was a banana. Dole Cole, I say.

He had a great deal of fun, but insisted on balanced treats. By that I mean that he had to have one in both hands. He's cute enough to get away with it right now.

The third place we went, they opened the door and he walked right in. He started to go up their stairs and it looked like he wanted to play with their dog. Fortunately, cute goes a long way to making up for little social mishaps.

Blacktop Driveway

It's not a new driveway. It's a patched and resurfaced driveway. Hiring a contractor to do this: expensive. Doing it yourself: priceless.

Day Care Costume Party

They had a special party for the kids at day care. I think the Cute Meter's needle broke right through the gage.

Ride 'em Elmo & Ducky

Zach has always loved bouncing up and down on his little horse, but now, he's bringing his friends.

I know this is really adorable, but you have to realize that Elmo was sickened by the bouncy ride and yakked up something that looked like cotton candy right after the picture was taken.

Flintstone's Halloween

They had a costume day at Zach's day care. We didn't want to have him wear his Superman suit, since it was pretty thin and probably wouldn't survive a day of playing at day care.

Andrea created a little Flintstone's vest from an old tea towel and a magic marker. He really liked it and it looked very stone age.

Muffin Man

Zach has had a little scooter since last Christmas. I think Uncle Steve gave it to him (Andrea knows, I'll ask her). For the first couple of months, the scooter sat in the living room and Zach would go over and sit on it and press one of two buttons on under the steering wheel. You either got "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Muffin Man", sung by a woman that sounded truly whacked out on drugs. Zach loved it.

Suddenly, with the little Muffin Man scooter out on the driveway, he figured out how to push himself around. By the end, he was even giving himself a push and coasting downhill. He's had that little car for several months and all he's done up to now is sit on it and push the muffin man music button. Way to go, Zachy!

Colors over the Heart Pond

Here's another in the series of the Heart Pond, this time with some reflected colors.

Hedgeapples and Wind Spinners

These are a few of the things that Zach likes on a warm fall day.

Oh deer!

I picked up a little limb in the front yard and held it over my head because it looked like a deer's antlers. This is Zach trying to copy that smooth move.

Compost Toad Haven

We were getting ready for the onslaught of leaves, starballs, and locust pods that we could see coming soon. There were two compost heaps, the one on the left was older and more broken down. I needed a clear spot to drag this year's haul of leaves, so I broke up the older and smaller pile and shoveled it one scoop at a time into a wheelbarrow, pushed it 20 feet, and dumped it in the younger and larger pile.

The unexpected side benefit of the operation was that I discovered that it was akin to toad mining. I kept unearthing them in all sizes, and immediately scooped them up for transfer. They are surprisingly nimble, and once captured, surprisingly strong. There is something a little disconcerting about there strong little claws trying to push their little bodies out of my cupped hands. The size ranged from thumb sized to almost fist sized. They are obviously diggers, and the compost heap must be full of beetles, cockroaches, and other insects. This must be the perfect combination meal tray and soft winter hibernation lodge. The next day, I took Zach over to show him some of the toads, but they not anywhere near the surface. I assume they had spent the last day digging down to make a cozy summer compost cave to hibernate in.

Leaf Pile Delight

Zach loves playing in leaf piles. I even put him in the piles I was loading on tarps and dragging down to the compost heap. He sat very still while the leaves slowly covered him up.