October Changes

Me and Jack, with his handfull of cars

Here's me with our grandson Jack...



Hard to believe it's already October. Most of the leaves have fallen, and the surrounding hills and fields are rusty and golden. The past few days have been warm, so we went outside without jackets yesterday afternoon, to play and stack firewood.

Jon splitting firewood from fallen trees

The biggest change in our lives since I wrote last is that Jon has changed jobs. After 7 years at MJ Electric, he's now working for Dairyland Power, out of LaCrosse. He still belongs to the same electrical union and left MJ on good terms; they told him he can return someday, if he wants.

We're hoping, though, that he can make a go of this new job. He'll still be on the road, but with Dairyland he'll only be gone three nights a week instead of five (sometimes six!). They pay for his hotels and meals while he's away, and the commute is shorter (two hours one way, instead of four). The insurance and other benefits are similar to what he had, though pay is less. So it's a mixed bag, but better in the sense that Jon will have more time to be with me and the kids and participate in our lives here in Colfax.

Jon hauled two loads of logs from our woods

There's a gap of about one month for us between his last paycheck from MJ and his first paycheck from Dairyland. But over the years Jon has become resourceful finding ways to make money, and I've become good at making the money stretch. So we'll do fine. I'm glad we have a freezer full of venison and all those shelves of garden preserves :).

Well, Michael finished his football season without any injuries, and now basketball is starting for both older kids. We have parent-teacher conferences this week, so we're expecting / hoping for some good reports...

Emma learning to shoot

I know it looks like Emma's shooting toward the chicken coop in this photo, but let me reassure the chicken lovers out there: she's not. This is a picture of Jon looking on while Emma shoots at a target set up against a hill in our backyard.

Emma passed hunter safety last week, so is thinking about going deer hunting with Jon this year. We're not pushing it one way or the other; it's totally up to her. Jon just wanted her to know how to handle a gun safely, and it turns out she's not a bad shot. Michael was interested in hunting this year, too, but the hunter's safety class conflicted with football and he preferred to do that.

Ariah and Emma with Little Dude and Macy

Another recent development is that we moved our horse Macy to a different neighbor's home. Jessie and Kevin have two kids the same ages as Michael and Emma, and live about two miles from us (less, if you cut through the woods). They have seven horses of their own, including this miniature horse named "Little Dude."

Leila in her cowboy boots

We'd felt bad that Macy wasn't by any other horses at our neighbor Johnne's farm, though she did have a couple of cows for company. With this new arrangement Macy will be able to socialize with other horses and also get handled and ridden more than she did previously. Jessie and Kevin are experienced horse people; even their kids ride and show horses in 4-H. I've been walking with Jessie as her work schedule allows and am hoping to learn more about horses by watching her when I'm over at their house. I really like horses but don't have a lot of practical knowledge. At least I'm not afraid of them anymore, like I was for awhile!

Leila on Macy in our yard this summer

I'm skipping ahead, though. Getting Macy over to her new location was not easy. She would NOT get onto a horse trailer. Jon tried coaxing (then pulling and pushing) her into a trailer, but she would not be budged. He ended up having to walk her over to the neighbor's (with Emma along for the ride).

Jack likes Grandpa's trailer

Jessie thought it would be a good idea to keep Macy separate from the other horses for awhile, so they could smell her and get used to her. Apparently horses, like chickens, have a "pecking order", and until the order is established there is kicking and biting. We didn't want poor Macy to get beat up; when we first got her she was at the "bottom" of the herd and full of bite marks.

Kids raking up a leaf pile to jump in

One of Jessie's horses, Molly, was immediately friendly toward Macy, and after about three days Jessie tried them in a pen together. They got along fine for another three days before getting into it... with poor Molly on the receiving end of Macy's aggression. So the horses are separated again. Jessie will try mixing horses again when the time is right.

Jack and Iggy playing with a car while Teddy looks on

Well, that's it for today, folks. Hope everyone is well and ready for a happy Halloween when it comes. Take care!