Fall weather

Saturday, Oct. 19. 
Yesterday (Friday) was cold and rainy and dreary. Temperatures got down to 32 degrees in OKC overnight.  But today is supposed to be bright and sunny, with temperatures reaching 65 degrees.  It's  a good day to get outside and work in the yard.  This coming week should bring us nice days and cool nights.  I will start bringing plants inside for the winter.  The trees are not yet turning colors, and I have a feeling it's going to be a couple of weeks before that change starts. I have friends coming to visit next week, but I think the gardens and trees are still going to be green so they will not get to see the beautiful color of our fall season. Oh well.  At least we should get to hike and enjoy the outdoors while they are here.

Andy is making banana bread while I keep up on my blog.  I am distressed about the story in the news about the Boy Scout leaders toppling a rock in a Utah national park, vandalizing a protected place, and then lying about it. I'm not bothered by the fact that the story has gone viral, but by the fact that some idiots not only did something stupid but then put it out there for everyone to see, AND THEN lied about it!  Who do they think they are fooling with their lie that they did it as a "safety" precaution.  Anyone who sees the video can see that they are taking great joy in their prank, regardless of what they say was (supposedly) on their mind.  They are bad examples of parenting, of leadership, of society not taking responsibility for their own actions.  I hope this story serves as a lesson of what NOT to do. Of course, there are and always will be people who don't know how to think or act.  I don't why I am especially bothered by this story when there is so much other ugliness going on in the world. Writing about it at least lets me get it off my chest.

The Watonga Cheese & Wine Festival is over and we are recuperating slowly.  There is lots of follow-up work to be done next week. The good news is that it was a successful festival. We had visitors from OKC and suburbs in addition to the local residents and from nearby communities.  The wine & cheese addition was an overwhelming success.  The musical entertainment and ZUMBA demonstration drew crowds, and I for one enjoyed all of it.  We surveyed the vendors after the festival and they were all (except one) happy with the crowds and their sales.  Andy and Mary had lots of help, but they and the Chamber Board can always use more volunteers.  This year's success gives them something to build on next year. 

Drew came to visit over the weekend and helped Andy clean up after the Festival.  We tried not to make him work too much during his short visit!  He went to church with us on Sunday, and we grilled steaks and zucchini from our garden, and drank wine and sat in front of the fireplace on the back patio in the chill of Sunday evening.  We missed Jenna, who had to stay back in Texas to attend a workshop, but we know she'll come the next time Drew drives up.  All in all, last weekend was very pleasant. 

Then we attended the City Council meeting on Tuesday, and I have lots to write about on the watonganews blog.  Just the facts, ma'am!  Well, maybe with a little commentary.  Someone has to do it!  We have a new editor at the Watonga Republican and he is doing a good job of reporting what he sees. I've been getting a lot of comments on the blog and the facebook page for Watonga News blog, supportive of reading about things going on in Watonga that they don't get in the newspaper. I try to write about the good and the not-so-good, even though some would prefer that only the "good" stuff is made public.  That's not real world and I believe it is important that the public get as much information we they can get, not just the kudos and halos.  As our new editor said, and I believe, a well-informed public is necessary for a democracy.  Thomas Jefferson said: "Ignorance and sound self-government could not exist together: the one destroyed the other. A despotic government could restrain its citizens and deprive the people of their liberties only while they were ignorant.

I'm stepping off of my soapbox for now.  /Linda