Yeah!

Yeah! 

We turned the clocks back Saturday night!  

Sunday morning happily jumping out of bed, seeing trees illuminated in frosty morning haze.  

Out the back door, the chickens were already up and talking. 

Tossed their feeder in the pen, fresh water and down to the park!  

After working as an Cleveland Lakefront Park Ranger for 3 years of my early life, I tend to stay away from any and all parks in the summer.  From Memorial Day to Labor the parks are packed with people slathered in lotions and creams rolling in hot sand, the swimming area has an iridescent sheen of oil similar to the Gulf of Mexico disaster,  screaming kids with something cold and/or sticky lodged in any and all orifices to keep them from screaming or killing their BFF's, blaring boom boxes, grills going galore, dog poop galore, and one particular portly gentleman who graces us in a speedo, mirrored sunglasses and color coordinated flip flops, he is everywhere!  There is trash everywhere. Toss in the jet skies and power boats.  Yes, let's all commune with nature and embrace the great outdoors! 

I am outta here!

After working state parks for 3 summers I have little hope for mankind.

Finally it's November!  

Due to funding issues the parks have less patrols and more area to patrol but the gates open at dawn on Sunday mornings. 

By November, I am allowed to return to the park without experiencing a major meltdown.

Butch opted to keep the sheets warm leaving me to explore alone. 

Yet the remains of summer linger.

This is why I love the park during the off season.  

Look at those cottonwoods!  And do you see anyone? 

  There is just something about standing on a beach in November as fierce winds from the north, slap you awake.  It is the raw power of wind, water and sand and it is exhilarating!  

Better than yoga zumba! 

The beach is a good mile long and I walked the abandoned park noticing the wildlife had started to move back in.  I wondered if they see what I see on these walks.  

As I locked my car in the abandoned parking lot,

 I noticed a lone deer was running through the parking lot screaming; 

"It's All Mine!"  

Hmmmm,  only one deer, odd.  

Oh yeah we killed most of them last fall. 

Hired sharp shooters "culled" the deer herd. 

Everybody's happy!  Home owners can keep their shrubs, the park is no longer polluted with deer, drivers can go back to driving 60 mph to entrance of the park without the fear of hitting bambi standing at the entrance.  Route 90 looked like a blood bath in the fall, not anymore!  

IT'S A PARK, my inside voice said....... 

Hey, can we get some tax money to form RED?  

Right to Educate Deer?  

Gosh if we can just keep them in line maybe we won't need those pesky sharp shooters.

The loan deer.

I guess we have plumbing and piped city water?  

Should the loan deer's grill get out of hand I guess they can pump water from the lake?

Maybe it's for the dogs?  

What am I missing here? 

  I counted 6 park visitors; two bird watchers, two walkers and two dog walkers, only one was not on a cell phone, ME!  Was there a bird alert?  

Then I saw this woman talking loudly and walking a mile a minute...... 

but then she was probably calling about all the closed bathrooms.

C'mon lady, they left poop bags on the pole in front of the bathroom just for you! 

Yuk-a!  

Oh no it's yucca :)  

and appropriately placed next to the closed potties.

 and this is when I just started laughing.........

No Diving, No Problem! 

I bet there is sticky kid at the bottom.  

and nothing screams get in that skimpy bathing suit like this sign.....

bet the Speedo guy wore out his flip flops getting to this store....

and sign after sign telling me where to park, what I can do in the park, what I can't do in the park, 

instead of picking off the deer, how about some of these signs? 

As I drove out of the park a large blaring sign stated DON'T FEED THE GEESE.  

Yup, there was one goose motoring in a puddle, bet he's on the sign committee. 

I retreated home....... frost still on the roof but alas an open potty and hot coffee.

The chard is looking a bit frozen but should be perky by noon.

And the studio is looking like a working studio again.

A good week of burnishing pots for a final horsehair firing next week.

Thank you Betsy!!!  

And for all those I owe emails too....... I promise I will answer this week!