Cool Outdoor Fun

We took the boat out today for a little fall fishing expedition. It seemed cool and inviting outdoors while we were driving out to the lake. Once we got out on the water it felt pretty cold. We were each bundled in layers, but the overcast, cloudy day, cool temps and wind combined to make it pretty chilly. Later as we were hauling the boat out of the water the sun broke through the clouds and it warmed up considerably. This rainbow trout is what I caught while standing on the dock while the boat was being tied down and readied to head out. You can see by the tape measure it is approx. 18"-19" in length. That's a nice catch!

The other two fish pictured here next to my rainbow trout were caught while we were out on the lake. We had a few other fish that were too small and were thrown back. We might not have kept these two smaller ones, but they didn't look like they would survive if thrown back. These are all good eating fish, but we were really hoping to catch more of the large mouth bass we caught last time we fished this lake. The only bass we caught were tiny ones. They were thrown back to grow bigger for next year.

This may have been our last trip to the lake for this year. We're waiting to see what the weather looks like next weekend. We may make one more fishing trip if it's nice. Hunting season's upon us so the call of the wide open fields means the end of fishing and the start of something different. All that walking when pheasant season opens is good exercise. I may just tag along this year for the benefit of all that walking.

I love this fall weather we are experiencing here on the northern plains. We pulled the window air conditioners out of the windows for winter storage some time ago. There were a few warmer days that required running a fan, but now it feels like cool air conditioning again. Plus, an extra bonus, it's natural air that helps to save on energy costs and better to air out the house. The leaves are turning color more, but most are hanging onto their branches yet. We pulled the last of the vegetables from the garden and need to pull up, till under or cut back the plant growth around the yard. Some of that yardwork has already been done, but still plenty to do before the snow comes. It looks like it's time to winterize now.

Cool Ride

My dh and I took some time out yesterday to get outdoors for another motorcycle ride. It's decidedly crisp outdoors now - fall weather is definitely here. I love this time of year. We are starting to see leaves turn yellow, feeling that cool nip in the air and Papa's Pumpkin Patch is open for business!

We decided to take a look at the progress on the new Liberty Memorial Bridge that is now open. The older bridge right along side the new is already being dismantled. There is still lots of work to be done there.

There is a webcam set up to show progress on the bridge. We did not show up in any of the photos from yesterday's date. It's a great bird's eye view of the bridge. If you're interested, there is more info on the bridge.

Looking north, further up river, the bridge for the train to cross the river is visible in the distance. The girders you see here from the old bridge will be gone soon.

The tall white concrete elements that make up the west side plaza area are visible in this photo. Take a look at the plans on-line that show what these pillars are supposed to look like when everything is finished.

We went on to take a spin around the strip in Mandan and Raging Rivers Waterpark. It was a nice quiet afternoon. I dressed in layers to ward of the chill in the air, especially on the back of a bike. This may very well end up being one of the last rides for the season as it was pretty cool. Being in the direct sun wasn't so bad, but shady areas were a good deal cooler.

We rode along river road and down the lane to Papa's Pumpkin Patch. We'll take another trip out to the pumpkin patch later. One can't really handle a purchase of pumpkins on the back of a bike, after all.

Later in the afternoon we attended a picnic at Sertoma Park put on by fellow employees where I work. There were games to be played, great food and conversation. It ended up being a very pleasant day.

Yum!

I made home made pizza last weekend. With just the two of us here at home now it lasted several days. Yummy! Home style is always best. This one was just a simple hamburger pizza with tomatoes and green peppers. I used three cheeses to top it off. Excellent.

I haven't written much on my blog lately. This is mainly due to the fact that I went back to work and just have not taken the time to sit down to collect my thoughts on anything blog-worthy. I have been working on re-learning stuff I knew from six months ago. It's surprising how many little things you let slip right out of mind without even thinking about it. Now that I've been there a few weeks it seems to be flowing a bit easier. We'll see how I keep up with the pace since I've taken on more responsibilities than I had before with a slightly different position. It's the same company I've been working at these past six years. I have to say it's been fun getting to see many of the previous customers and all the employees after my summer sabatical.

I need to head off to bed soon, so won't stay up to blog for now. More to come tomorrow night . . . Good Night!