The Last Sunny Week of October

This past week has been so gorgeous and I didn't want to miss being outside because well, you know, winter is cold and it's no fun to be out in for long!  So here are a few fun things I did just to take advantage of those days!

Fed Ducks  My friend lives on the river and I went to visit her this week.  We enjoyed what might be the last few beautiful and warm days of autumn by going out and sitting on her deck on the river.  We fed the ducks. They came flying in from every direction to see what food we had to offer.  Apparently, they love dog food!  Who knew?  To show their appreciation for the good meal, they tucked their beaks in their wings and dozed on the deck as we conversed.  It was so cute!  I wish I had thought to take a picture but Diana forwarded this one to my phone!

Went To Temple  Each month I try to get to my local LDS temple.  I go by myself and use the time to meditate and reflect while I do work for my ancestors.  I love going to the temple because it provides me with respite from my cares for awhile!  I come away with better perspective and greater strength to face the challenges I face.  We all have challenges and this is my way to go forward with faith!

Played Disc Golf 3 days - To take advantage of the beautiful weather, I played disc golf with my husband twice and once with Jo, my 16-year-old.  On the 3rd day on hole 17, I had an amaaazing drive.  This gave me the confidence that I'm not just static in my progress at disc golf, although most times it seems that way!

Ate Coldstone Cake - We have so many birthdays in October both in my family and my husband's family.  In honor of those who had birthdays I ordered a Coldstone Creamery Cake over the phone.  It cost $21.75.  I really thought it would be bigger but it was about the size of a quarter.  We nonetheless enjoyed what there was of it and I made brownies to supplement any lack of cake that we had.

Learned how to take a panoramic picture
My dog Evee and I go for walks on a beautiful trail and I can never really capture how gorgeous the view is.  But today I found the Panorama View on my phone and took my first ever panoramic shot.  I'm sure there will be more.  It was taken in the afternoon as the sun was going down behind the other mountains at my back, thus the shadow!  On our walks, I actually go down into the gully and walk the trails seen in the shadow, and hiking back up when I'm done!  I still can't adequately capture the gorgeous view.  But at least it's more of the idea!

Went To JCW's - Our current favorite place to go eat is Zupa's Cafe.  They make great soups, salads and panini sandwiches.  We decided to mix it up a bit and we took Jo, my 16 year old to JCW's, a hamburger place after we played disc golf.  I've had their garden burger on Sourdough and I really liked it, and Jo has had their milkshakes, which he says are good.  So Greg, myself and Jo each ordered a combo.  We were delighted that they had some great options--instead of fries, I got a Texas Chili soup.  Greg got fries and Joseph got soup.  We each then got a burger and a shake.  Greg and I both got the mini shake, which was good, because they are thick and rich!  Jo got the large and it was massive!  The food was really good and I ended up not eating my chili and saving it for the next day.  All told we spent $37.50, which is definitely more expensive than Zupa's.  But hey, it was worth it because the shakes were to die for!  The hamburgers were pretty good too!

And of course Halloween is tomorrow.  We're ready to rock and roll, handing out goodies to any who come to the door.  Of course, we'll be eating the extras!