I'm here, I'm here!!

Okay, I know it's been too long since I've blogged when two friends, on the same day, want to know if I'm okay because I haven't done a blog post for, oops, over a week. 

I'm good! I've just been insanely busy. On the bright side, my honey processing is done, except for one bucket (about 45 lbs) that is going to become creamed honey once my friend Pierre shows me how to do that. My grand total of honey this year? 820 pounds!!! I added it all up yesterday. Astounding. I have already unloaded 300 lbs of the stuff!

This morning it was darn cold, -8C or 17F. So of course Gordon and I chose this morning to start our program of running in the early morning, instead of weekday evenings. We bought a bunch of cold-weather running gear on the weekend, just in time!

We left the house a bit after 7 am for a 5K run and although I was afraid it would be torture, it was in fact completely awesome. We are both hooked. It's a beautiful time of day with the sun rising over farmers' fields. There was frost on everything this morning, so it all sparkled. We both had a light breakfast before we left. I was worried I'd be hungry, or feel sick, or be comatose but instead I felt great, and because of proper clothing and layering, I was very comfortable. And by 8:30, Gordon was showered and off to work. Now he doesn't have to worry about rushing home from work to make sure we get our run in before it's too late. I'm sold! Plus we have a 5K race this Saturday morning, so it's good practice running early.

Now, some ducks...

The duck with the grey back on the right is mama Karène, who had seven ducklings this summer. The two ducks with her are her daughters! Two of the seven "babies" have gone to live with my friend Pierre and his wife Kathy, as well as the ten chicks Emma hatched out this summer. Pierre and Kathy are spoiling their birds more than we do ours, so I'm pretty sure there will be a revolt here soon!

Karène and an as-yet-unnamed daughter.

We've had a really warm fall (up until today!) so the hayfields and grass are very green, even though there are no leaves left on the trees, and the corn and native grasslands are all brown... 

I do love this time of year!

It is not normal to find dandelions blooming and bugs flying around here so late in October...

I took lots of photos of this one. A hover fly maybe?

And in the woodlot, a sugar maple has self-seeded and is pushing up at the edge of all the white pine and white spruce trees...

Meanwhile, inside the house, Emily is not being helpful...

"I'm not in your way, am I?"

All is well in kitty-land. Louise has fit in very well, although she loves to hog my office chair, so I am left sitting on the very edge of it, like I am now!

And if you're in the area, Gordon's having an open house at his law firm in Lancaster next week and all are welcome. Refreshments will be served! Our friend Ronna is making a cake! And our friend Dave did this hilarious adaption of a Peanuts cartoon for Gordon....

Someone pointed out that the price would be more like 5,000,000 cents. HAHAHAHA! Lawyer humour!