Getting Back To Basics in October 2011

October has rolled in and we’ve kicked off the fall season with all of Jacqui’s favorites (Football, Tailgating, Octoberfest, etc).  We killed two birds (not litterally) by taking in the Arkansas vs. Auburn game over at Razorback Stadium but stopped first at a tailgate party with some people Jacqui knows, for the mandatory “Calling Of The Hogs” (see my low res. video below or click the link here)  

Had a few adult beverages, some great grilling, and a few games of baggo. They call-em about 10 times in the stadium, and after a while your arms get tired, and your voice is horse. Arkansas won, and we had a blast. 

 It was a great game and we had a blast.

Jacqui celebrated Octoberfest in Chicago at Andrea’s bday party, and from what I understand, it’s probably best that I don’t have photos, as they might be used in their DJ’s slip and fall lawsuit.  While Jacqui was out of town, I let Jack get into as much trouble as he wanted (climbing on rocks, playing in the mud, eating like a hog and running around outside like a nut).

Bonnie came down for a visit so we took the opportunity to bring Jack out to get some pumpkins. 

Jack wanted to smash the gigantic ones, but settled for picking our own like a good field hand.

 Here, Jacqui models the appropriate footwear for walking in a muddy pumpkin patch and going on a hay wagon ride.

We put Jack on this chemical barrel ride before we realized the tractor was going to pull him about half a mile down the dirt road and around the field.By the time he got back he was sobbing like he thought he was never coming back.

They did a good job on the hay ride.  They had set up scary scenes in the corn field, creek bed, and down in all the hollows ("hollers?").

We went on a couple of great hikes and the foliage has been good. I’m hoping we’ll have another shot at camping out in the tent before the season is over. 

 Maybe we'll take the tent out over Veteran’s Day weekend at Mt. Neebo.We should come back with some good video from that one if past history is any indication.

I thought I’d throw in this photo of Jack in the street it's hard to put it in context.  Usually at half-time during Razorback away games our neighbors go out into the street to toss a football around.  These guys just graduated last year, (you may recall that one of them asked me how old my “grandson” was).  Anyway, Jack was invited to throw the ball around with them, and you would have thought it was Christmas, Easter and Fourth of July all-in-one (if you click and zoom on the photo you can see the wierd look of ultimate joy on his face). But, when half-time was over, and they headed inside to watch the game, he tried to follow them inside hoping for an invite.  When the door shut behind them, he was crushed.  Very difficult to watch that.  He wouldn’t even let me console him.  He hung his head low and started walking down the street (like a runaway) and told me not to follow him.

We had a few Halloween events for Jack to attend in his Shark costume (he says “a shark is eating me”).  The daycare had a thing that I brought him to on Friday, while Jacqui was out of town.  And, on Saturday, the neighborhood association had the street closed off for a party (pony rides, keg, piñata), but it was the day Jacqui got back from a work trip to MI, so a late start resulted in not too much time spent there. 

 

We did go to a party that Jacqui's boss held that night, out in the hills where she lives (ghoulies, whole hog, haunted tree house, hay ride). On Monday we were spurned by the neighbor moms who held a party three doors down from us, and when they took their kids around to trick-or-treat, they didn’t even stop here (haven’t figured that out yet).  Maybe they found out we’re Catholics.  We’ll keep a look-out for them burning a cross on our front lawn.

Sailing season runs through November into the first week of December, and we’re in contention to win the fall series and to repeat last year’s first place finish in total points for the year.  Maybe I’ll try to get some video of the next few races and will post a link.

Well that’s about it.  Hope you liked the photos, and we’ll hope to catch you up on our View Of Life In The South next month.