Little bundle of Adorable!

I'm just loving my new little Hershey!  How can you not fall in love with such an adorable little face?  Awe....

My new little one!

This is my new little squirt, Hershey!  He was born on my parent's farm late this June, where I first discovered him in the paneling of a wall in the barn.  He's unique in color; a solid chocolate brown.

This was him a few weeks ago.  He had a cold, and still needed shots, so I was unable to take him home until he had gotten better.

And here he is now!  My sister brought him up from the farm for me Sunday night.... he's nearly doubled in size!

I love the color of his eyes!  And he's so fun!  Tic will have to adjust to him though... he's not very fond of his little brother yet.  :)

Favorite Author

Today I pre-ordered Augusten Burroughs newest soon to be released book, "Better Not Cry" on Amazon!   Along with it, "Sellevision", the last one of his books that I don't have.  Here, a photo of Forty Heros rose with one of Augusten's book, "Dry", a great novel that I would highly recommend to anyone!

A walk in the Park

I took a nice pleasant stroll in the park, along West River Parkway last night (Close to Minnehaha Falls area). I happened to have my cell phone along with me, and was able to capture a few snapshots of spots along the way. 

By the Lock & Dam area; nice fall colors beginning to appear!

The Pedestrian trail was recently repaved and updated. Just a shot of the new retaining wall along the path.

Newly planted wildflowers and an updated retaining wall along the trail.

A bit of a hike up a big hill leads to a flat open area, perfect for a picnic.  This big oak stands right in the center of the open area.  I thought I'd try a unique shot of it, in infared (negative) format.

Off the paved path, I followed a natural trail that led out to the Mississippi River side.  Nice views of the bridge and riverbank.

The moon was full and peering out amongst the autumn stricken trees along the riverbank.  It was a great place to stop and rest, while enjoying the scenery at the same time.

Welcome Autumn!

I found some older photographs that I had taken of autumn in the past.  A great time for color!

Fall color along Minnehaha Falls

Canoes at Wild River State Park

Rhus's fall color

Dark day

A dark, grey day ...but still pretty in its own way.

A grouping of Miscanthus

Nice contrast

sunset

There was a spectacular sunset down in southwest Minnesota Sunday night.  Though purposely taken underexposed, these two photos still show the beauty of it.

Family History

Today my aunts, uncles, mom, grandpa, and family all revisited the farm where my grandpa grew up.  I had never been there, so it was a new experience for me.  It was nice listening to stories told by my family of past memories held at this peaceful section of land.

An overview of the farm from the top of the barn.  The old hog shed is still the original that stood on the property when my grandpa was living here as a child.

The barn that was built later by my grandpa's family; now has been renovated inside and given a new look.  While the house my grandpa lived in had no running water, the barn did.  This is where my grandpa and his family would go to shower, collect well water, etc.

The inside of the barn loft; the owners of it now have refinished it.  Just recently they held a wedding dance here, with DJ and all included.

Where this grape vineyard now grows, was once where the house where my grandpa grew up once stood.  The original house no longer exists.

The outhouse that once stood next to the house; complete with half moon and all!

A creek runs through the backyard grove area on the farm; here my aunts and uncles would swim & fish in the summer, sled down hills in the winter when they would come over to visit.  A view of the barn in the background.

My family in front of the barn, along with the owners today.  The wife, whose name has slipped my memory, is actually a first cousin to my grandpa, and her husband, Jay, grew up and went to school with my grandpa.

My family:  from left to right- my aunt Marlys, me, my uncle Herman, nephew Sebastian, my mom, my aunt Donna, my grandpa, my cousin Andrew, and the owners of the farm now.

Harvest time

The Sudan grass field at work has been harvested.... a nice morning scene, just after the rain.