Saturday morning coffee post

I saw one leaf fall a couple days ago.  Then yesterday, a lot more.  It's still hot here, but cooling down.  Today it's grey and raining.

We went to the state fair twice this week.  We haven't been there since before Libby was born.  It's kind of far, over an hour's drive from Oregon City.  Mae doesn't like long car rides, but she did like the fair.  The kids were tall enough to do some more of the kiddie rides, and they were so brave.  Mae even did a big Indiana Jones-style climbing attraction, and after several times she could even climb a vertical rope wall all by herself.

I noticed, to my surprise, that no one had entered Oregon Grape jam in the fair.  Hm.

Mike bought a home security system and we had it installed this week.  We've wanted one since we moved to this house.  Some people nod their heads in agreement, and others just look at us and say, "why??"  Our house is almost invisible, at the bottom of a hill.  Some people look at that as built-in security, and others see it as built-in danger.  It just depends on how you look at it.  But our home has 2 levels and 4 proper entrances and a lot more improper entrances and we can't watch them all at the same time, and our biggest treasure is our 2 little girls and we want to know they are safe.

And we can't get a dog.  I went to the allergist to see if I could possibly start getting dog allergy shots now, in anticipation of getting a dog someday.  And the doctor said no.  Because he said on a scale of 1 to 4, my allergic reaction is a 9.  His exact words.  So he said no, he wouldn't recommend that we get a dog.

We'll get some other animals, I think.  I mean, we want farm animals, whatever the city will allow, but that means we have to find farm-sitters for when we want to go away.

Our acre is a disaster to look at right now.  What was once a well-manicured plant museum is now a complete hot mess.  While trimming trees, I learned that our chestnut tree is poisonous.  How lucky that I figured this out before I roasted a batch of chestnuts and tried to eat them.  Though from what I hear, the chestnuts are so bitter that no one could possibly eat one.  Whatever.  The point is, last year I spoke for that tree, but I'm not anymore!  A huge poisonous chestnut tree that shades our house and drops millions of huge leaves is no longer welcome.

Mae is awake, signing off now.