Halloween Jack-o-lanterns

Twas the Friday before Halloween
And it was off to a carving party
Arriving with pumpkin and tools oh so keen
Right at 6:30 - no one dared to be tardy.

First on the agenda was dinner
Of chili, salad and bread
Everyone declared it a winner
For it wasn't long 'til everyone was fed.

The ladies then chose their carving pal
And all were quite pleased at their luck
Choosing the right design was the job of the gal
And her guy got to deal with the pumpkin muck

Twasn't long til the lantern designs took shape
The carving was unique and quite fine
Some pieces secured with pins and even scotch tape
But all finished and displayed in a line.

Twas now time for the last judging
Our pumpkin not first place, did it seem
The decisions were final, with no budging
But our witch did win for best Halloween theme.

Sheri and Drew's Babies

On October 3rd, my neice Sheri and her husband Drew, gave birth to their first children, twins, in Vancouver. A real miracle considering that the twins are Sheri's first babies and she is 43 years old! Everyone is fine. The twins were almost full term. Declan, the boy, weighed in at 5 pounds 11 ozs and McKala, the little girl at 6 pounds even. Aren't they just the cutest??

I will post a better picture when I get one from Sheri.

Camping In Algonquin

Recently we spent a week in Algonquin Park at Mew Lake with some of the camping group. We had a great time despite some rain and cold nights.
Each day Bob and I would take Chloe for a good walk. On one of the days we went to the Mizzy trail with the hope of seeing some moose.

Here is a sample of the views from the trail where we have at least heard moose in the past. This year nothing to report.

On the way along the trail we came upon a grouse standing in the middle of the trail. It is hard to make out in the picture below.

We had campfires most nights and one night, Chloe decided that she really didn't want to lie on the cold ground and clearly let it be known that she wanted up on my lap. I told her to NOT get used to being a lap dog because believe me, she is clearly too heavy for that!