It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

(Raising two sons on PBS kids' shows has permanently warped my mind)

Clear sky, light wind, falling leaves.  I'll have to think up some yard work to avoid to make the morning complete . . .

Rites of Autumn

(Not nearly as much fun as Rites of Spring)

Just finished inspecting our chimney and cleaning the stovepipe in case we decide to run our woodstove this winter.  With oil prices dropping, we may or may not*.  Also had a long chat with Neighbor about the code requirements for such installations, as he has both a pellet stove and a stick wood stove in planning.  I'm a poor reference on such things, as our own stove installation violates several provisions.  But I installed it myself, and know how to run it . . . code provisions are designed to be idiot-proof, and we all know how that works out in practice.

*For those of you without personal experience, wood heat tends toward messy and requires a lot more attention than more modern forms.  I can be lazy with the best of them, if  it doesn't cost too much.

Cheering thought

Hey, the Dow Jones isn't down today.

(Yeah, Wall Street is closed.  Take your joy where you can find it.)

Church and State, and Governor Palin

It gets fuzzy.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20081011/D93ODOHG0.html

Windy

Just back from a walk (1 1/2 - 2 miles) bombarded with leaves, maple seeds, and white pine needles.  Delightful day, if you aren't raking the lawn . . .