A nice fall rain

Columns

I don’t mind a fall rain, minus wind gusts, but I didn’t tell my husband that fact. Farmers who are in the midst of harvest do not like rain stopping their fieldwork.

This video is from early years of being a farmer and a farmer’s wife.

Today rain and wind even stopped my yardwork. I picked up a book and read instead of working outside. Of course, the yardwork is still out there. But at least I have an excuse for putting up my feet and reading.

Tomorrow I’ll see where the 35 MPH wind gusts took my leaves. Maybe the fields will gather them before I have to deal with the tree debris. I can always hope.

Copyright © 2020 by Susan Manzke, all rights reserved

A library that checks out skulls, furs, and mounted fish

animals, art, nature

This 2017 video starts with a library in Anchorage Alaska where you can really check out bones, mounted animals, and other preserved bits and pieces from wildlife.

I can see a teacher checking out native animals to display for his/her students, bringing nature into the classroom.

I can also see writers checking out the same conserved beasts and setting one up in his/her office as inspiration.

In this short video, you’ll see a snowy owl. I imagine that J K Rowling could have had that sitting in her office as she wrote about Hedwig.

I know libraries are more than books. Years ago, I checked out artwork to put on my walls before I filled my walls with my paintings and family photos. I have been in a library that offers patrons large cooking pots and tools for canning. They also had games and jigsaw puzzles to check out, too.

If I lived close to that Anchorage, Alaska library, I know I would be checking out interesting animal artifacts. If not for inspiration, I’d love having them around just to look and wonder at.

Copyright © 2020 by Susan Manzke, all rights reserved

A Terrible-two toddler

Family, fun

In 1981 our third child turned into a terrible-two. This quick change always comes as a surprise to parents.

Lucky for us, Russell did finally exit the terrible phase only have the next child, Rachel, take over this age of madness.

Copyright © 2020 by Susan Manzke, all rights reserved

Falling leaves

animals, Weather, Wisconsin

I looked out the window and saw a blizzard of leaves falling to the ground from the basswood tree.

Of course, when I brought out my camera, the leaves only trickled down.

In this short video you can hear the southerly wind blowing and cats circling my feet begging for food.

After taking this short video, I waited to see if another blizzard of leaves would flow. It didn’t so I went inside to start putting together food for all my critters–cats don’t talk with their mouths full.

Copyright © 2020 by Susan Manzke, all rights reserved

EZ-DUZ-IT can opener review

review, technology

I’ve been waiting for America’s Test Kitchen on PBS to review can openers. I finally saw a review the other day and instantly bought their winner an EZ-DUZ-IT can opener for myself.

I’ve been using an old electric opener and fighting it every day when I opened cat food. It was always hard to place the can in the proper position, usually taking me 3 or 4 tries before it would actually turn and cut the can.

Since I have arthritis in my hands I need a bit of help opening cans with a manual model. In the past, I tried one that cut the side of the can, but that didn’t last long before the cutting blade wore out.

Here’s a video of the first can I opened with my new opener. Sorry, I said mixer at the end instead of an opener, but I didn’t want to do a retake and open a can I didn’t need. I figure you’d get the message.

The large handle for the crank made it easy to turn.

I will now use this opener from now on.

Thanks, America’s Test Kitchen for trying out a bunch of openers for me. This one cost around $12 on Amazon. I’m counting on it to hold up for years to come.

Copyright © 2020 by Susan Manzke, all rights reserved