Such a lot going on up and down the gravel this week.  Uncle Ken came for a
short visit, so there was lots of visiting back and forth and eating together.  We
all traveled up to the Big City for Uncle Bill's funeral on Thursday.  It was
such a hard day.  Cousin Sandy is so tired.  She has borne a great deal these
past many years.

Then we came home to prepare quickly for Fernnook Deer Camp.  Bill and Stacey
brought down her parent's camper and set it up in the back yard.  We kept the kids
inside with us.  The first night, even with an electric heater, the inside of the camper
was in the forties.  Under their electric blanket, Bill and Stacey managed, but their
faces were cold.  The second night was warmer outside and they said the camper was
cozy.

Bill went out in Fernnook hunting on Saturday morning, came in to warm up after
several hours, and went back out again.  He shot his deer mid-day and then he and
Stacey (honor badge to Stacey for being the Pioneer Woman of Fernnook) worked
it up.

Hattie also bagged a nick buck, which her hunting buddy, Ryan, put in the freezer
for us.  Below is an old picture of Hattie gearing up for deer season.

Meanwhile the corral is finished, and the two cows to be fed out are securely
penned up in the barn yard lot.  Finally!

At Fernnook Lodge, Mike and Deb are furiously working on laying tile, and more
tile, and more tile.  They are planning on having a big Thanksgiving Day at the
Lodge, even though it is not yet ready for them to move in.  Their kids and grandkids
will start arriving a week from today.

Last Saturday Tandy and I took a flying trip to Pacific to attend Judy Martin's
(my sister's mother-in-law) 80th birthday party.  Judy's daughter surprised her
with a special recipe book that all the attendees contributed to.  It is something
I will treasure, and one reason for that is because Tandy put in two handwritten
recipes.  One is for popcorn and the other for a recipe she made up and that has
no title.  They are so sweet.

Becky and I were a little emotional because we were remembering being with mom
at Judy's 70th birthday party.  It was a small luncheon and mom and I had gone to
St. Louis to attend the funeral of her Aunt Mary.  Becky met us at the funeral and
invited us to the luncheon.  We had such a lovely time together that day, and it was
just weeks after that that we found out mom's cancer had reappeared.  We miss her so.
Her own birthday is in just two days.

On a totally different note, I have been readying The Fascinating Insect World
by J. Henri Fabre.  It has incredible observations by Fabre of various, you know,
insects.  I like insects, mostly, but I do not like the Praying Mantis.  I always
felt that they were very creepy critters, and Fabre has proved my point.  A Lady
Mantis will slowly devour her male Mantis paramour...even, as Fabre says, as
they are in the act.  The male will not loosen its grip on the female until
she has devoured (slowly) his head, neck, and chest.  I know that it is interesting
information like this that keeps my gentle readers happy.