• Tuesday-What'sUP November 5 - 01:58 am

If you haven't already done so, it's about time you rake up the leaves that have accumulated on the ground here UP North. It's a big job, but it also can be a fun job, so include the kids and let them enjoy the leaf piles as you go. Today's first shot from W.R. Maki reminds me of the picture with the older farm couple, holding the shovel and rake, only Sam and Will are both holding rakes and they each have big smiles on their faces. Looks like they're proud of their accomplishment, standing behind the pile of leaves they amassed.

Then Brita Haapala snapped a photo of a happy looking bunch of kids as they pose atop the pile of leaves. I wonder if they jumped in the pile after the picture was taken and then had to re-rake the leaves?

And finally, Greta Jones captured a photo of a smiling young lady, sitting in the middle of her leaf pile. Those leaves look like a coppery, flowing dress surrounding her. Fun photos showing that even the job of raking leaves can make you smile!

Remember all the times as a child raking the leaves into a pile and jumping in them. :0)) To even run through them with your dog. Lots of fun.

Having lots of fun in the leaves was great! Was a gorgeous day yesterday. Needed no heat in the house last night either! Now that is amazing for the month of November! Hope today is lovely also.

Fun pictures. And that first picture reminds me of the very same old couple. I can't remember the commercial they were on though.

Gorgeous day for election day. Get out and vote. If you have weather like we do, there is really no excuse. It's supposed to be in the 70's here again today. I'm loving this.

The painting you're referring to is called American Gothic by Grant Wood. Check it out here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gothic
No excuse for not voting today...it's going to be in the 70s. You can vote and then lay out in the sun. Plus, state employees get the day off so we can't say we couldn't find the time.

Well Cindy and Deb, I wont be voting today. I was smart this year and got an absentee ballot. Since I am over sixty five I am eligible. Can't wait to hear Precious complain about the length of the voting lines. Grandson Tim is here since the school is used for voting they sent the kids home for the day. He is enjoying his day off. Eating Cheerios and watching Sponge Bob.

It is a very rainy morning in this part of Idaho.
Vote Vote Vote. Mr. Deb has already left to work at the poling place he has been assigned. Happy Day everybody. Enjoy Mikie!

Admit it Mikie, YOUR the one eating the cheerios and watching SpongeBob; little Timmy is probably sound asleep!! ;-)

We are fortunate in the fact we can early vote, so I already did my civic duty a couple weeks ago and avoided the loooooooong lines. Your lucky Cindy; we get 2 hours of admin time off to vote but not the entire day.

Oh, and the Fall pics are great too....

I just finished voting here in Lansing. It took about an hour. I've never waited in line as long as I did this year. Thank goodness the weather is good for all the people who will be standing outside today.

My vote is in, also. I waited in line just under an hour. I was there right at 7am and the line wasn't too bad. And get this "My Job" has called me back to work!! After two business days of not having me they said they can't do the job without me. They laid off 9 people and I am the only one they called back. I did take a 10% pay cut, but it beats unemployment checks!

I have hung my ceramic leaf windchime and put up my turkey windsock so I am ready for the fall. The cold snap this past week here in Florida has been welcomed by the return of a lot of northern birds.

I want to thank every one for your kind emails on hearing I was out of work. The good news is I don't have to return until tomorrow. So I have election day off too.:)

Way to go Theresa! It's good to be irreplacable!

...and irreplaceable...

It's a beautiful election day in Mishawaka, IN. I have already voted and did not have to wait in line. It is supposed to be 74 degrees here today. I'll take this weather until March 15th.

I got my morning chores done. It looks like it will be for the third day in a row another gorgeous Fall day with plenty of sunshine and a temperature of over seventy degrees Leaf's from the sycamore tree's are falling out back, mostly tall pines near by.

Afew more cups of coffee and off to go vote which is just less then a mile away. Of all the places in my life where I went to vote, I absolutely love this little place. I should have been there by now this will be the latest time of day I ever voted.

Theresa, that is so wonderful to hear! Makes you feel good inside out. Being dedicated doing a great job prevails in the end result. By laying off 9 you should get a 10% raise not cut.

Off to vote I go, after a potty break from the coffee incase there is a long line. I know TMI eh?

Edit: Well I am back. That took all of 10 min. My friend the Cop was hiding in his secert spot with radar on so I stopped to chat with him too for awhile.Now will sit back in the easy chair and watch the results in hope things will go my way.

The leaves are a metaphor for election ads. They slowy appear in all thier glory, untill they seem to be everywhere. Then, suddenly, when you just can't bear the thought of them, you wake up one day and they are gone.

I used to have to rake up oak leaves and acorns. On average, there were about 80 bags worth on the lawn. For a not to outdoorsy teenage boy, I hated it. Always loved the smell of burning leaves though.

Happy election day. Brought to you by Veterans everywhere!

The kids had their leaf fun a couple weeks ago. I am doing my voting after work since I have a dental appt for lunch. Taylor is going with me so he can learn about it. They registered to vote at school and he is voting today, he is appalled I have no idea who to vote for since he is in 3rd grade and knows what he wants. I do know for the local stuff so thats set!

Hi
My employer is letting us come in late, take a long hiatus during the day or leave early in order to vote. Given my polling place is around 30 miles away, I am taking the leave early option. (I once lived closer to work but, unlike Theresa, my former employer didn't have second thoughts about laying people off. Ironically enough, the architect of the layoffs was himself fired...and went on to do similar damage at another company).

Well, all of this is pretty far from kids & leaves. I'm sure my mom would love to have a bunch of them come & help her with her leaves.

Cool fall pictures! Congratulations, Theresa on being called back to work! That has to be a really good feeling, for sure! :-)

Richard:
Personally, I vastly prefer the leaves...

Congratulations on your call-back Theresa. They know a good worker when they let you go! Now everyone...the secret to raking leaves is to put off raking until a good hardy windy day. Then all the leaves go to the neighbors! (I refused to think of the neighbors' coming here!) It really works well in the country when they all fly to the recently picked cornfields! Not problem hey?! :o>)

I voted a few weeks ago. When you vote from "abroad" you get to
do the absentee ballot thing. I'm looking forward to the day that I
can vote on U.S. soil, preferably in the UP. We're ready with our
bagels and chili (which we do for the Super Bowl) for a long evening
of following the returns.

Mikie: Here it's 60 years old for absentee ballot. Syl & I dropped off ours at our little old country Township Hall Monday PM then it was off to the Dr. for tests, EKG, etc. Seems I have a bad case of what Charlie had (has?) Hope he feels better then I do! Strep can affect ones heart which seems to be happening in my case.

With all the new homes plus the big trailer park at the corner of this Twp. (where Dave H. once lived!), on election days our little town hall parking lot is full and the hall is often packed with people

Feeling much better, Russ. Off the antibiotics, though my voice hasn't totally recovered.

Yes, Russ I enjoyed voting at that little place. But here now where I am at even smaller! I belive only 290 some vote there. Get well soon, Ginger Brandy works well for that.