King Of Birds

13 YEARS AND COUNTING!

Us celebrating Halloween with not one trick or treater became a teenager this year! Neil even bought candy, and put out flashing lights and fog machines, that sort of thing. It is not just us, no on , it seems , in Mendon proper gets any - there just are not enough houses, and the ones that are here are far apart .

( when did Halloween Snickers get SO tiny ? )

MOVIE DAY

Yeah, I don't even know where to start on this one, other than Neil and I both really liked it. It is very much not for everyone, my first reaction on the way out of the theater was " what the heck did we just see " . It just shreds all of entertainment - movies and Broadway - while at the same time totally not taking itself serious, at all - to the point of self parody and deprecation. Nothing is what it seems - other than Broadway , capital B - it , it seems, is eternal. I said it was as if David Lynch had done a high school production of All About Eve....

Many leaps of faith and willing suspensions have to be taken, but really - just sit back and " let the art flow over you" . So happy that this one got made.

Koch-mania

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dinner

Slow cooked OLD SCHOOL proper beef stew / boeuf bourguignon.

Except this is a boeuf pinot noir - which is what I had on hand, and it was so much better than a heavy burgundy . I really should have done a tick tock for this, and will sometime, maybe I have before -

It is not hard at all, just takes a little bit of time - and the results are so tasty 

with this ring ....

On the last full day at Pompanuck this year - I lost my wedding ring. 

That afternoon we were all cooking something - it's generally " use up leftover day ", an I think I was picking some left over grilled chicken for chicken salad and took my ring off to avoid mess. There was a lot of activity in the kitchen that day . The night wore on.... 

I did not realize until the morning that it was gone . Now there is close to zero garbage at Pompanuck - so the ring had to be someplace. The Roundhouse where everyone gathers is a large place, but with lots of help we looked all over ,to no avail . I even ventured out into the most creepy , and way bug filled compost bins - no shiny gold band. A mystery for sure.....

Fast forward to this past Saturday night. The phone rings and it is Dahn's dad David - who FOUND MY WEDDING RING - wrapped up in a brisket that he had cooked at Pompanuck . We did not eat all he cooked  - we never do - and he wrapped it up to have later on. I guess somehow it got into the bowl with the cooked meat, fell into the gravy something, and spent a few months in his freezer. 

And now back on my hand . Funny how things work out.

WORLD CHAMPIONS

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants for winning the 2014 World Series in seven exciting games. I can't remember when I have watched a Series so closely - and Neil and I both enjoyed it. We were simi rooting for the underdog KC Royals, just because SF has won two times in the last 4 years, but very happy for all the Giants fans tonight.

Daily Koda

with Smithwicks , the doggie bff.

PUMPKIN PALOOZA

Carved a whole bunch of Jack o Lantern tonight...

 Ate some pizza and drank some wine - 

a good night.

THE POLL

and not just " the polls " like it has been 

this is :

THE POLL

The poll to end all polls, the grand pooh bah of polls, the poll to get the horror of the one time savour of college football the BCS poll out of every one's mind. This is THE POLL. 

HERE are the folks that are making up this poll, minus Archie Manning, who dropped out, cause his new knee or hip, I forget, was acting up - he needs to be replaced with Vince Dooley. They are going to meet and release every week, so here it is, at long last , now and forever :

I will find out which traditional bowl will host which game, 1-4 / 2/3 and then the two winners.

Nothing but anti SEC animus floating around all points outside of Dixie - and I'm sure tonight got all of Michigan and points west up in arms, but the folks are smart. This bracket here all but grantees the inclusion of non SEC teams , other than one come January. Auburn plays Ole Miss THIS weekend, meaning bye bye to one of them, 1 has 4 Thanksgiving weekend, if these stay the same..... that frees up two non SEC spots for :

5)  OREGON

6)  ALABAMA

7)  TCU

8)  MICHIGAN STATE

9)  KANSAS STATE

10) NOTRE DAME

11) GEORGIA

ELEVEN! GOSH, WAS VERY MUCH HOPING FOR BETTER THAN THAT - BUT LIKE EVERYONE WAS SAYING ON LINE TONIGHT, WE " WIN OUT" AND WE ARE IN THAT TOP 4

WILL DIG A LITTLE DEEPER IN THIS LATER ON....

HEAT WAVE

 We did top the record for all time warmest day for October 28th. The only time I checked today it was 79º - could have gone higher. It's not that it was just warm - there was the oddest warm breeze blowing - actual warm air - just strange. The rain came early in the evening and the temps dropped like a stone - snow in three days.

 I would say its our last day of swimming for the year, but he has been known many times to bust through the ice to get into his little pool.

A most enjoyable walk.

OK Go - I Won't Let You Down

Yes, this has gone crazy super viral, but in case you did miss it. Make sure you watch it all the way to the end.

A lovely Indian Summers day

The tree in our side yard took a big hit from the last couple of nights wind and rain - almost all of its leaves now gone. We are holding on to these last wonderful warm sunny days of fall like for all we are worth - they are coming to an end soon. A soggy if not slushy Halloween is in our future . Not that it matters here in Mendon - as well documented here, never not one trick or treater, but sad for the little kiddies.

But the giant trees in our front yard are keeping theirs for a big longer, I did my first raking of the season today, then decided that just mowing is easier,

Daily Koda

This has to be the latest we have ever had things still in bloom in Neil's gardens this late in the season. Gift horses and all.

Koda eats spaghetti

Into each life .....

We have had such a beautiful fall, almost ridiculously so. Full weeks of warm fall sun , this is pretty late for a first use of the S word. First real hard freeze as well . Very Upstate NY, mid 70's and mid 20's a couple of days apart.....

THE POLLS : WEEK 10

Keeping things all fluid again this week, with that solid block of SEC teams breaking up, just a tiny bit - hopefully to be replaced by the non active this week UGA BULLDAWGS! We are going with the COACHES POLL this go round, sticking with our policy of going with who ever ranks us higher ( stuck at 9 in the AP )

1. MISSISSIPPI STATE 7-0
2. Florida State 7-0
3. ALABAMA 7-1
4. AUBURN 6-1
5. Michigan State 7-1
6. Oregon 6-1
7. Notre Dame 6-1
8. GEORGIA 6-1
9. OLE MISS 6-1
10. TCU 6-1
11. Kansas State 6-1
12. Baylor 6-1
13. Ohio State 6-1
14. Arizona State 6-1
15. Arizona 6-1
16. Nebraska 6-1
17. LSU 7-2
18. Utah 6-1
19. East Carolina 6-1
20. Oklahoma 5-2
21. Clemson 6-2
22. West Virginia 6-2
23. Marshall 8-0
24. Duke 6-1
25. UCLA 6-2

OK, so half the top 10 are SEC Schools - but now only three of the top five. ( life being hard at the top )

The clock rang midnight for little Ole Miss - only the most die hard rebel fan was not on pins and needles about going into LSU's Death Valley at night with the Tigers' back up against the wall - a three loss season this early would have been a catastrophe for LSU. Playing Auburn this coming week could really wear them down. It is a 7 pm game in Oxford

Leaving only the top ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs as the lone Cinderella team in the magnolia state. I did not think there were all that impressive at all against Kentucky this weekend, so that Alabama game three weeks from now could be a ugly one for the cowbellers.

Florida State is a dreaded Thursday game this week , against Louisville - fingers crossed there.

UGA's annual South Georgia home game - does anyone still call it the cocktail party?  Lots and lots of sad jort wearers this go round, so beating us would a) make them all just a bit happier and b) save their coaches job.You can never ever rule out the Gators in Jacksonville.

The play off selection committee meets this TUESDAY - their top 4 will not be this top four for sure - most of the college football world is all a bit pissy that the SEC is sucking up all the oxygen in the room - so I am betting the suits try and spread some love - with Auburn being the red headed step child.... but it is still somewhat early.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HILLARY !

ODD

A really big storm is hitting Mendon right now - didn't know this one was coming. Just odd to have a big thunder boomer this time of year.... damn Obama!

FOOTBALL

UGA had its annual pre Jacksonville weekend off - leaving me at just loose ends all day long!  I even took a nap, something that I don't ever do . Then comes 7 pm and 4 games all at the same time - when it rains it pours. I half watched #1 Mississippi State beat ( not impressively ) a dapper Kentucky.

  

We mostly watched 

 LSU beat the Cinderella Ole Miss

switching back and forth between 

 Alabama ( the return of Lane Kiffen ) at Tennessee

  & 

what turned out to be the best game of the night

Auburn beating South Carolina

with a little bit of 

Clempson beating our neighbor Syracuse

Rice beating North Texas

and the funniest game of all

University of Delaware at William and Mary

( I have a thing for TINY football )

Back to reality in seven with the worlds largest outdoor cocktail party!

Daily Koda

Into the Woods Featurette - The Story (2014)

Before going to Bellview, the guy with ebola went bowling in Brooklyn, to bad that his name is not Bob.

EBOLA IN NYC.

It happened a little bit late this evening, so we will report on the blind panic in the morning.

Dinner

HAPPY DIWALI!

 Cauliflower and Lentil Curry

Prayers to Lakshmi

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A MILD WINTER

It's science.

It's a beautiful day

After a couple of cool windy/rainy days we woke up this morning to this! 

 Hoping that this is not like a no hitter in baseball and we are not supposed to talk about  it or anything, this has been the longest out right fall that I think I can remember up here in almost Canada. Just a nice slow grade into cooler and cooler with no shocks of early feet of snow or bone chilling chill. Just a sort of nice mellow walk down that path,

 You can tell that we are post peak leaf season for sure by our go to tree, but it was pretty stormy the last couple of days.

The trail is just a  thick carpet of browns and golds.

BUT!

Some of us are holding on to that summer feeling as long as we can.

Glorious and Free

I spent the morning watching the CBC and the horrible shootings in Ottawa, and after the initial shock wore off and it appeared that is was not as wide spread as first thought, just a sadness came over me. We , the US, Canada - NATO, who ever could if they wanted take over all of the middle east - just go full British Empire. But that could not stop something like today - nothing could. One lone gunman - one probably crazy Canadian shuts down a great deal of his county and puts freaking NORAD on high alert. In a system set up to defend against global nuclear war the lone wolf gunman slips through.
And now happy open Canada gets to bring in the metal detectors and concrete barriers - with no end in sight , ever.

 The young solider who was killed was 24 yo Nathan Cirillo  of Hamilton, Ontario, just right over the border from Buffalo. This photo was taken right before the shooting this morning. His regiment was on honorary duty there at their war memorial - just like at our tome of the unknown.
The nameless forgotten shooter was killed in the main hall of the Canadian Parliament.

Know Your Apples

From Martha, I can't embed so just follow the link

How to select the perfect apple.

dinner

This morning, this was Pumpkin/coconut curry - but somehow as the day wore on, it became fried chicken. The house will smell like fried food for a week - but gosh it was yummy.

Keep your seats ladies and gentlemen : The BUCKEYES are coming !

These guys just win halftime. Make sure to watch their drum major as well....

That's me in the spotlight.

 From NPR "October 21, 2014by BOB BOILEN • Oh my god, they look so young! It was 1981 when this little Athens, Ga. based band started making a splash. Over the years that followed they made waves. This small trailer for a larger documentary about R.E.M. is a beautiful peak at innocence, youth, the '80s and MTV. The music television network (it used to be that) and R.E.M. grew up together. Much of what that band did was documented on MTV, including its break up in 2011.

The documentary, R.E.M. By MTV, airs in November on MTV and VH1. It'll also be included in the six-DVD set REMTV, out on Nov. 24. Also in the set: award highlights, TV appearances, live performances and plenty of tidbits and highlights from the vaults including both of the band's MTV Unplugged sessions from 1991 and 2001, live concerts from the other Athens, 99 performances spanning three discs and much more. Take a look at this, then imagine your favorite young band and the documentary that could get made 33 years from now."

Take it down a notch ....

Vegetable of the Day

Pointed cabbage

Pointed, hispi, hearted or sweetheart cabbage as it is sometimes known is a type of green cabbage with green leaves and a pointed head. The leaves are more open than those of a green cabbage and they have a softer texture and sweeter taste. When buying pointed cabbage look for crisp, bright looking leaves and avoid any that are wilting, yellowing or have discoloured patches or holes.

How to Use

Pointed cabbage is usually eaten cooked. It can be added to stir-fries or served with butter and black pepper as a side dish. It makes a tasty accompaniment to hearty stews and casseroles as well as grilled chops or steaks.

How to Prepare

Remove any damaged outer leaves and cut the cabbage in half and then into quarters, cut off the hard core from each quarter at an angle. Slice and wash thoroughly.

How to Cook

Cabbage can be steamed, boiled or stir-fried, it is easy to overcook cabbage and spoil its texture and flavour so just cook until tender. To steam cabbage, place in a steamer and cook for 5-10 minutes until tender but still crisp. To boil, bring a pan of water to the boil, add the prepared cabbage and cook for 5 8 minutes until tender but still crisp. To stir-fry cabbage, heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add the cabbage and stir fry for 4-5 minutes or until tender but still crisp.

How to Store

refrigerated after purchase.

GOOD BYE TOMATOES !

It was late in getting here, but 2014 turned out to be a great run.

Adios Mi Amigos!

Until next Summer.

 Not really even all that many pumpkins left, more than this, but I just really liked this shot with the leaves and mute colors.

and another view of my favorite October shot from this afternoon.

A blaze of Autumn color over a few 200 year old graves!

HELLO !

AT LAST

We saw BOOK OF MORMON LAST NIGHT!

The darling of the 2011 Tonys has NEVER been on TKTS, so we had never seen it. The road show has been in Rochester before  - and it was always a " lets go see it! " , but we always forgot. Lucky for us this time, someone wrote Neil an email saying that they had just been and BOOM, Neil had us tickets. Surprisingly good ones... way down and smack in the middle.

Is it possible for a show to live up to three years of big time hype, and in some cases , if not most, the answer is no - but not in this one. It is a wonderful show, smart , funny and that rarest of rare these days SINGABLE! Yes, you can walk out of the theater humming a song from this show.

It is everything you have heard - all sacred cows end up on the grill. But , in the end it comes full circle and is a very sweet , warm - very affirming show! 

Many of the cast members have been in the Broadway run - really, it was first rate and most enjoyable.

It was the last night for the Rochester run - this is where Moroni will travel to Syracuse and beyond.

Then we bought some soup.

City Pumpkins at Night