Spot Stealing Snake

Jean and I went on an adventure to reel in some fish. It began by us rappelling down this cliff:

 

Rappelling is actually kinda fun.  It was a bit tricky though, since we brought with the essentials: 2 rods, a backpack, and a sour apple Slurpee.

When arriving safely at the bottom of the ravine, we had to build a bridge to cross through a clay/mud pit. 

We made it across the pit and had a snake welcome us on the other side!  YIKES!

We shared a halfway non-slippery spot with the snake and fished.  Mainly because it happened to be a prime location right under a dam, of course!  :)

Although I did consider sleeping down there, as opposed to climbing back up, I was awake when this pic was taken:

We had plenty of excitement, but didn't actually land any fish.  The snake didn't land any either while we were there.  :)

Get Off My Back

This time of year, some of the creeks around here are full of trout and salmon.

 

Troy's friend, Sammy, joined us on a little creek fishing.

The kids and I have had a bunch of close calls, but have yet to actually land one from the creek this season.

For the most part, the creek water is clear and the fish are easy to spot.  That alone, keeps us coming back for more.  Eh, maybe next time.  :)

The countryside has been spectacular lately!  This is a picture of thick fog beginning to cover the field at dusk:

 

I recently enjoyed almost an hour of pretty scenery on the way home from North Liberty.

In other news, the new baby is beginning to make herself at home.

DustBall is such a good mother, (even though he's a guy).

Most male cats are NOT good with newborn kittens.

Hey SNOWBALL-- GET OFF MY BACK!

DustBall is one very laid back kitty.

Not to mention, extremely tolerable of the kitten and the kids.

Besides, both kitties share a common pastime-- napping.

I went to this hidden gem the other day in hopes to be delighted by more salmon and trout:

Although it is a possibility for those types of fish to hide out in that pond, I didn't see anyone doing so yet.  Maybe during this week of rain in the forecast, they will arrive. 

Bring em on! 

Coulter's Farm

Sunday afternoon we went over to Coulter's Farm.

The kids get a thrill out of this old bus:

We've been visiting Coulter's Farm for years.  They are very festive.

Gladys likes the character boards.

 

Speaking of which, I came across this pic of Grandma Miller and Mary Carter (maybe) in a bikini! 

 

What would Grandma say if she were alive today?  I'd be willing to bet she would tell Gladdie to put some warm pants on.  Lol.



Gladys is Grandma Miller's name sake.

Usually, we ride out to the pumpkin patch on the wagon and pick pumpkins.  We are waiting to do that on another day when Glenn can join us.

A black Halloween Tree:

Silly Gladys:

Troy bought himself a Glow in the Dark Rat with his own money.

 

It's nice to back home, but I do miss the warmer weather Pendleton still has.

 

The brisk fall weather didn't hinder our fun in the least.

Troy was eager to get back home to show SnowBall his new rat.

They had a starring contest and the rat won.  :)

SnowBall

The new baby-- SnowBall!

The poor baby was freezing cold and covered in fleas when Troy's friends rescued her. 

She had a bath and got all squeaky clean and warm.  Then met Sophie, who was very excited to greet her.

I think she is around 10 days old, as she is so tiny and very wobbly on her feet.

I'm not sure, but I have a feeling momma cat was trying to move her kitties and got startled by the neighbors dog.  Thus, abandoning her baby in their yard.

 

We went out to search for momma cat and the others, but didn't have any luck in finding them.

17 year old DustBall doesn't seem to mind the new baby.  Introductions are best done on his own terms though.  He was a very good Mother to a stray kitten, about 7 years ago.
 

In other news, Gladys has been busy decorating. She bought a Halloween village kit with her own money, most of which, she earned from the lemonade stand.

She's a happy girl!

We walked around the Pumpkin Festival Sunday afternoon.

Troy won pops for us.

The kids and I, at the same time, said-- "There's SnowBall!"!  About the little kitten with her eye's closed in the middle of the pic.  Rest assured, the lady working the booth informed me these creations are all made of synthetic fur.

My part polar bear child, Gladys, was the only one riding rides... and wearing shorts, that nut.

She had a good time.

Meanwhile, Troy kept the beat and busted out dancing to the music.

Normally he draws a crowd, but the place was virtually empty, except for the workers.  No matter, Troy was getting down with the beat.

We patronized the church food booth and shared some dessert perogies.

Then went right home to the new baby, SnowBall.

On the rare occasion no one is holding her, she sleeps in a box with a heating pad set to low, and blankets.

Her appetite is good, but the only thing she can eat right now is milk.  I feed her kitten formula from a tiny syringe. 

When she sleeps, she actually sucks on her own toes; it's the cutest thing.  :)