Get Ready!

'Tis the season for spectacular morning skies.

 When I went out on the back porch to grab some early shots I discovered that a few morning glories were hanging on, in spite of the fact that half of the leaves have turned black because of the cold.

 The grass is still lush, and the horses are loving it.

 By the time I got back in the house there was a natural spotlight on our potholders.

Can't beat sunshine.

 Met Mary down at the market a little before noon.  We did some shopping before we started knocking on doors.  How sweet, that my friend Tina was there wearing our campaign t-shirt.

 I've never seen a Great Dane quite this huge.  He weighs 150 pounds and is a real beauty.

 A perfect day for walking dogs.

 A service group was giving out free hot dogs and drinks.  After indulging we left to do our thing.

May I say, that running for public office requires a large amount of time.  Almost every single day we are out knocking on doors to make sure the residents know who we are and what we stand for.

On top of that, there are meetings, coffees, planning sessions, working on pieces for the local papers, preparing for a forum to be held by the government students at the high school, attending local functions, gathering information and much more.  Time is starting to fly.  What's unique about this election....for the past 150 years there has been one party rule with only a handful of candidates from the opposition.  Mary, Annie and I are part of that opposite party and think it's about time for a two party government.  The people we are running against are not used to being challenged, so it's a whole new ballgame for them.  Things are really starting to ramp up.

Almost everytime we go out, we meet someone or a family that stands out for some reason.

Yesterday it was the people with the beautiful pond full of fish.  At first they were leery of the two women entering their property and wondered if we were part of a religious group.  We said "no" and the man said "then you must be politicians!"  We ended up having a great conversation and I was able to take some fantastic photos.  Fortunately Mary and I are both comfortable talking to people we have never met and we are learning so much more about the residents of our town.  From now on, we are going to wear our campaign t-shirts so they know what is going on as soon as they see us!

Two of our conversations were very special today.

The first, was at an old farmhouse.  The owner was very polite and articulate...knew a lot about our town and village...but, he said he was a conservative and would probably not be voting for us.  We ended up in a great conversation...his wife joined us and I recognized her.  Even got a tour of the house.  Loved this area in particular.  Whether they vote for us or not, the stop was well worth it and Mary and I were very happy to meet them.  At least they know what we are about.

 We were invited into another house by a very supportive woman and ended up with another tour.

My camera was in the car, so I missed that one.  The point is, there are residents out there who are ready for a change and want to share their concerns with us.  Exactly what we are looking for.

I have been saying that I am going to make butternut squash/apple soup for days and today turned into that day.

1. olive oil and butter in a stock pot with 2 large onions and a carrot.

2.  took me forever to peel and cut up the squash, it was so huge 

(froze two bags in addition to this).

2.  peeled and cubed 4 apples and added that to the squash 

3.  added two cups of chicken stock and brought it to a boil.

4.  simmered (covered) for 30+ minutes or until squash and apples were soft.

5.  put everything through the food processor

6.  added 1 cup of cider, salt and pepper and heated through

 In the meantime, I made an apple/carrot/grape/peanut salad

and went out to do evening chores.

 The sun was setting by the time I got the girls tucked in.

 Dinner was delish.

Plenty of soup left for another meal.  Will take some to Jenny tomorrow.

Night all.