Hi, everyone!
Last time, I wrote about taking my pride to fall festivals. This time, they’ve learned about fall chores!
On the first Saturday in October, Grandma took me back to the Fairport Farmers Market to get our winter supply of butternut squash. We found some nice ones from the same farm where we get our Christmas trees! Then I made friends with some Brussels sprouts on their stems. There were flowers that looked a little like me and lots of ripe tomatoes! Grandma had told the pride they couldn’t come with us because she couldn’t handle three lions and heavy vegetables at the same time. James’ lion and Katy’s lion approved of what we bought when we got it home.
That was the last weekend for kayaking, too! The water level in the bay is so low that not even a kayak can make it into the south recreation area or Clark Creek. It looks like the beavers are taking advantage of the shallow water to start another dam on Clark Creek!
After the weekend, Grandma got started on fall soup making. She used one of our butternut squashes and some Bosc pears to make curried squash and pear soup. Then she used part of our cauliflower to make cauliflower cheese soup, too! Most of the soup went into the freezer for our stollen party at Christmas time. Some of our friends who really love Grandma’s curried squash soup stopped by to pick up their annual supply. The end of that week, we finally got a little more rain. Because of sunrise, we got the rainbow before the rain, not afterwards!
This week, because of Indigenous Peoples holiday, Uncle Steven’s family could come to the bay on Sunday afternoon and stay over till Monday. Sunday afternoon was sunny and not too windy — just right for taking out the marine railway and dock sections. I showed the pride how that gets done! This year, James was tall enough and strong enough to help out. Grandma said having the first third generation helper made her proud of her pride!
Thomas was just back from a Scout camping overnight that had been cold and rainy, so he bundled up on the sofa. Before bedtime, there was a spirited game of bananagrams in the upstairs hallway!
By Monday morning, it was wet and drippy again! When Grandma cleaned the kayaks for winter storage on Sunday afternoon, she put them on the porch to stay dry. After waffle breakfast on Monday, Uncle Steven took down the indoor table so the kayaks could come in. My pride made sure they were nice and dry first!
Most of our trees at the bay and in Fairport still have green leaves, but it won’t be long before leaf raking time! I can’t wait for my pride to see the big leaf piles and the town pickup crew!
Love,
Lion-san
Brussel’s sprouts are so beautiful as they grow on a long stem. Many years ago we camped with our kids in a park in CA adjacent to a field where Brussel’s sprouts were growing. Now I understand that the best Brussel’s Sprouts are those that have been left in the field until they’ve been touched by frost. When I was doing more cooking I used to buy Brussel’s sprouts on the stem after frost.
Want are Bananagrms? I’ve never heard of that game. I suppose it is a game.