Mosaic Monday #54: October Odds & Ends

Is it too late to write about October?  I still have a mountain of material from our trip to Europe, but some odds and ends from last month are calling to me.  So, take a clue from the turkey - slow down, get a cup or glass of your favorite beverage, and read on!

We began the month in Missoula for Homecoming festivities at the University of Montana.  We are not alumni, but we miss the sentiment of hometown football games, especially the marching band.  For four years back in Ohio, we never missed a game.  We had quite a merry group of band parents, and relished supporting #1 Son in the drum line.  Spousal Unit and I both needed a "marching band fix", and were prepared to drive 2.5 hours to get it!

Coincidentally, downtown Missoula has a farmer's market on Saturdays, and we strolled among the vendors prior to attending the Homecoming Parade.

The University marching band led off the parade, followed by your customary floats, horses, Shriners driving miniature cars, dance troupes and politicians angling for your vote.

I admired the creativity of the "stage" float, with actors performing skits the entire parade route, and the "dueling" pianos.

Units were still rolling past with no end in sight, but it was time to make our way to the stadium, a 15-minute walk.  With our tummies rumbling, it was convenient that we would pass through the market once again - who could resist a waffle sandwich?

My blogging buddy Kit of A Montana Life is a stalwart UM fan, and she advised being in our seats for the pre-game show, which includes Monte (the team mascot) and the band entering the stadium.  She was spot on!  It was a special treat to see the skydivers land so expertly smack in the middle of the field.

We were glad to have our waterproof coats and a waterproof blanket as the weather alternated between light rain and blue skies.  UM's fortunes waxed and waned with the rain, but they ultimately dominated Idaho State 59-20.  We enjoyed the night life in Missoula that evening, and after attending Mass, returned home through the rolling hills the next day.

Band spells out G-R-I-Z

Harvested seeds in my "bucket"

At that point, only six days remained until our departure to Europe.  I focused heavily on my to-do list, which included planting flower and grass seed.  We had some native grass seed left from last fall, but it was not enough to cover the bare patches that required re-seeding.  I resorted to harvesting grass seed from our yard - it's not a physically demanding task, but it is tedious and I was repeatedly amazed at how quickly I spread what had taken me an hour to collect.  I didn't keep track, but I invested many hours in this process over those six days.

In my October 6 post, I wrote about some challenges with my tree skirt.  Before our trip, I created a new pattern and went to Hobby Lobby to purchase new burlap colors.  This allowed me to cut all the strips so they would be ready and waiting for my return.  I am going to cheat a little and give you some current pictures of the skirt in progress - I am thrilled with how it looks so far!

Three weeks is a long time to be away from friends, so visiting with my dear neighbor friend was a priority before our journey.  We kayaked on a misty morning, and later in the day she brought us some fresh cinnamon rolls, just ideal with afternoon coffee.  We walked the frosty hills, and that is when I snapped the picture of the turkey crossing sign, which stands to one side of a track through her property.  "What is this doing here?" I asked.  "Well, remember that this track used to be the county road before they developed the current route.  So, this sign was installed by the county to warn drivers about a frequent turkey crossing, and it was never taken down."  Oh.  Wouldn't you love to have your own turkey sign?

On one of my other walkabouts, I passed this snake on the road just outside our driveway.  With a sunny day, it was obviously trying to capture the last of the fall warmth.  Normally a snake like this will slither away on your approach, but it did not move, even when I crouched down to take a close-up.  I spoke to it, telling it to find a different sunbed or risk getting squished.  Maybe I should have been more proactive, because when I returned later, I found a snake that would not be slithering any more.  Sad.

To wrap my oddities post on a more cheerful note, I was tickled a few weeks ago that LeeAnna of Not Afraid of Color posted a moose in my honor.  Since then, I keep seeing flamingoes EVERYWHERE.  LeeAnna, this mosaic is for you.

Left - aren't these just ADORABLE slippers?

I always endeavor to close a post in a nice, neat way - this comic fell into my lap, bringing us full circle from turkey to flamingo!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

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