Fall Colors

Youtube link

Somebody in Ely has a great sense of humor!

Thanks Aaron

700+ billion

I guess the US Senaters (including Obama and McCain) thought that 700 billion dollars  was just not enough to get the bill through- so they beefed  it up-(or porked it up)

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? 

And how much more will congress tack on today? Are we talking a trillion- ($1,000,000,000,000)  

Are we are being porked...

Fall Has Arrived-First Frost-First Fall Fire

I woke up to our  thermometer-saying that it had reached freezing- its 30 degrees. This year it has been a long late summer in Bemidji-Nancys flowers are doing well and there is still tomatoes in the garden-So after today-that all changes. When its gets colder some things get better-and one of the things I really like is a fall campfire-So this weekend will be our first "after the frost" fire. 

Frugality

Gary mentioned in his last post that it would be interesting to list some of our ways of saving money. Dale & I have three areas that we target: food; energy; entertainment.

Because I am not willing to sacrifice taste and good quality food, I choose to cook at home. I am convinced that restaurants don't have our best interests in mind when they throw entrees together. I think about fat content; shortcuts; bugs, etc...& I want to cook at home. Even though I work 36-40 hours per week, I consider myself a scratch cook and feel that we save money there. I do go to the farmer's market and a meat market and turn my head occasionally when prices are too high and justify it with, well, we aren't eating out much anymore!

Energy is another area that we are trying to cut back on using. Normally this time of the year we are using our (propane) gas which we filled in July ($1000), but we've decided to have a small wood fire instead & save our propane for the days when the temps are closer to zero. So far that is working.

Last winter the "aha" light came on in my head when I decided that I no longer needed to run my clothes dryer constantly. I dry clothes for about 15 minutes (to get the wrinkles out) and then hang them on hangers to dry. I checked our electric bill for two months in a row & the saving was approximately $30 a month! And, the clothes came out nicer! I do continue to dry towels, underwear and sheets, however.

Entertainment is another item we refuse to give up, so we have gotten smarter. Remember those days when we played games/cards/puzzles? That was really fun! We don't go to too many movies, but when the temps get colder, we rent or wait for them to come out on TV. We aren't willing to give up cable this time of the year because that is about $10 per week that comes out of our entertainment budget. We love baseball, hockey, outdoor, food channel, etc.

I guess it is all about choices and the quality of life we choose to live. As we approach retirement I realize that the financial choices that we have made as a couple have been pretty "sound" ones. For that, I am happy. We would be in a world of hurt otherwise.

The Market

Gary asked in a comment to an earlier post about any market insight I may have with what's going down on Wall Street today. Even though I work in the financial services industry, I don't have a lot of day to day dealings with the market and stock trading. But I am following the current crap that's rolling downhill right now with a lot of interest. One of the best summaries of what is happening that I have read actually comes from our company's CFO, Ted Truscott. I'm not enough of a corporate drone to have warm fuzzy feelings about all of our management and their actions, but Ted is one guy who usually can do no wrong in my eyes. I think he's a smart guy and knows the markets well. Here's a brief excerpt from his latest market update from September 23, prior to the $700b package failing to get through congress and the market going down nearly 800 points (highest single day point loss, but not even in the top 10 of highest percentage losses):

As young commercial bankers, we learned a lot of lessons about credit from demanding, and not particularly polite, bosses. It was boot camp, and I am afraid that a whole generation of today's bankers are about to go back to boot camp themselves. We learned that borrowing short and lending/investing long was an eventual recipe for disaster at any corporation, and particularly banks. We also learned the “C's” of credit, which included character, capacity and collateral.

A borrower had to be of sound character or perhaps a loan might not be repaid. The capacity to repay, including the ability of an individual to remain employed or a company to generate free cash had to be present; otherwise the loan was too risky. Finally, there was collateral. A home could secure a mortgage, a plant could secure a long-term loan and receivables could secure a short-term loan. The collateral had to be substantive because falling prices could render the collateral worth less than its stated value.

The last 25 years, particularly the last five, have seen all the rules of credit cast aside. Our nation has feasted on credit in order to live beyond our means and to create higher investment returns than could be sustained. Character has mattered all too little, capacity has been imagined rather than real, and collateral (particularly homes that secure mortgages) has fallen deeply in value.

How's that for calling a spade a spade? You can read the full market update here, or if you've got the time and find this stuff to be interesting you can read all four market updates Ted has issued since June. The links are below:
June 12
July 15
September 8
September 15
September 23

The closing line of the final article is better advice than I can give:
"At the end of the day, we continue to encourage investors to stay invested, be disciplined and resist the urge to let emotions drive their decisions — even during difficult times like these."

Is it time to tighten up?

Who really knows what is going to happen with the future-

As for me I hate paying for the high heat costs, high transportation costs, high grocery etc-
I am trying to figure out how  spend less certain things- or to be more "frugal". Dale and Lois saved about $50 by repairing and old wheelbarrow. 

 One thing we do is we have decided not to go into town on the weekends. We do our shopping after work and that saves us a few ways-we save the money on gas for the extra trip- and we tend not to buy as much unneeded stuff when we shop,-because we just want to get home. But the big bonus is that we gained some extra time on the weekend by not needing to go shopping.

Another way we are saving some-is by weather striping and filling in/repairing some of the holes around the house-I was surprised how many openings there were in the house.

I am trying to do more work from the office as opposed to driving all over the state-when gas was relatively cheap-its wasn't an issue-today-if I drive more than 100-150 miles in a day-that becomes an expensive day-

I am also trying to work from home at least once in a while-As a salesman I can do that from time to time...I'm not sure about how productive I am but I do know the house gets a bit cleaner and the pets are happier and I still take care of my customers.

Let us know some of the things you are doing to cut your expenses.

  

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy birthday Carol! Hope you have a great one!

End of Summer Activities

This was a very busy weekend for this Lamon family-We had our nephews Joe and Dylan over from Friday to Sunday afternoon-

We started out with a rainy Friday evening-so we just had supper and played some cards(Phase 10) and watched/snoozed through the debate and since we were all tired out we were done by 11.

Saturday started out by eating the cold leftover pizza for breakfast, mowing the grass (mulched the pine needles), introduced the boys to golf, tossed the football around, roasted hot dogs, had a campfire, watched a scary movie with popcorn-

Sunday, we made a big breakfast together, played a bunch of games of HORSE and PIG (Basketball), more golfing around the yard, ladder ball and of course we went into the hot tub three times over the weekend-

Luckily-its Monday morning and I get to rest by going back to work!

He saved $49.99

Fall Beauties

This is a rose plant that Dale bought for me V-day, 2006, & when Spring arrived, I stuck it outside because I didn't want it to die. Last summer not a blossom was to be found...but this summer it has been absolutely bountiful (25-30 continuous blooms) and beautiful.

We are completely enjoying the colors of autumn and it seems gradual because we haven't had a killing frost yet and that is good.

Happy fall.

What in the world?

OK I realize that the financial markets have been a little, how you say, wacky, for the last couple of weeks.  But the most surprising thing I've read came today:

 

UNITED NATIONS - Michael Douglas had to field questions Wednesday about the financial turmoil shaking world markets from reporters recalling his role in the 1987 film "Wall Street."

The actor sought to focus on the subject of Wednesday's news conference — urging the United States and eight other holdout nations to ratify a nuclear test ban treaty.

Douglas won an Academy Award for portraying the rapacious banker Gordon Gekko, who popularized the phrase "greed is good" in the movie.

After world leaders here condemned the "boundless greed" of world markets, Douglas was asked to compare nuclear Armageddon with the "financial Armageddon on Wall Street."

But the likening to Gekko did not end there, with a reporter asking: "Are you saying Gordon that greed is not good?"

"I'm not saying that," Douglas replied. "And my name is not Gordon. He's a character I played 20 years ago."

Douglas, who married actress Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2000, has won two Oscars — as a producer for 1975's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and as best actor for his role in "Wall Street."

Perhaps they should track down Charlie Sheen and get his opinion.  It's been a while since I've seen Wall Street, but his character seemed more level-headed than Michael Douglas'.  This is a sign that the American media has really jumped the shark. 

Bauman Family Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Every fall is marked by our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. Going early is the key to a great selection of pumpkins to choose from. We tried a new farm this year (just outside of Kimball). Fairhaven Farms, they feature a corn maze (with an Arthur scavenger hunt), you pick pumpkins, raspberries and apples and a beautiful flower garden. Enjoy some pics~

A bad day at fishing...

A bad day at fishing is better than a day a good day at work...(Its Friday)...My neighbor and I skipped work today to enjoy some of the lasts days of summer...All said-7 Walleye and 3 Northerns...

Eli Mattson From Duluth

Will he be the next winner? He is very good!

Obama Quote

"if you think those lobbyists are working day and night for John McCain just to put themselves out of business, well then I've got a bridge to sell you up in Alaska."

Smokin....

I have always wanted to have a smoker-So last weekend I went to Wally World and bought this little smoker ($28). It's a little charcoal and wood burning unit.-

So far we have tried a a rack of pork ribs (wonderful)-

Salmon-and a Pork Butt Roast for pulled pork sandwiches.

So last night we had a feast (no veggies)-Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Salmon and Hopesy...of course that makes a great day for enjoying a brew too.

Beet-leaf holopchi

Don't make this if you are thinking about calories...Mmmm....This should be on Lois Cooks its so good!

Apple Trees

We have been wanting to plant apple trees for some time-We would put them on the south side of our garden-So today I went and purchased two apple trees-

My neighbor, Hugh Krause, saw the trees and asked what kind of fruit trees they were...I answered "apple trees..." He responded "deer candy!"

So that go me thinking...so I went to the Internet and googled about protecting apple trees from deer-and found this story-it is a great idea (and story) and I will be trying the new method this fall...(Dale G-Did your fences work?)

Thanks to Joy Lamb for this story. Here is a link with more details... http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/lamb39.html

A huge brown beast stared at me as I drove through our apple orchard toward the house. I parked, walked quickly into the house, and said to my husband, "Tom's bull is munching on our apple trees."
He shot past me out the door, yelling, "Call Tom and tell him to get over here now!"
The next half hour was spent running this way and that. We chased south and withdrew to the north. We herded south and blocked on the east and west. Finally the bull, several cows, and one fat sheep were escorted out of our orchard and into their own pasture. During this process, the bull nonchalantly stepped over a three-foot fence and trampled my garden. Later, while discussing the event with Tom, we decided that we were glad that most of our vegetables, flowers, and shrubbery had been spared. The apple trees were left standing with only minor damage to the foliage and fruit.
This incident was only one of many animal-related problems we had faced since we had become backwoods homeowners. Deer stripped new growth off young fruit trees, cats used vegetable plots for litter boxes, and visiting dogs dashed through flower and vegetable gardens, trampling as they went. Even our own dog loved to dig in planted areas rather than the natural wooded areas. We were frustrated. My husband built fences higher and higher around the orchards. This was useless, as deer can jump amazingly high. I planted shrubs, flowers, and vegetables, only to have them torn up by dogs. The cats loved the freshly worked soil, and rabbits nibbled at what was left. And this was not the first time we had been invaded by bovine beasts. What were we to do?
At first we tried fences. We fenced groups of trees, we fenced islands of flower gardens around the house, and we fenced vegetable plots. We created a botanical zoo with plant cages all over our property. The fences kept the dogs out but did not faze the cats, cows, and rabbits that wandered through. The deer were not even slowed down by the fences, no matter how high we made them. The fences were unsightly and very inconvenient when we were caring for the plants and trees. We became vigilant plant guards, but decided we did not want to dedicate our lives to this pursuit, especially our lives between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Fencing is laid in two sections around a fruit tree. The tree can be watered, fertilized, sprayed and harvested with the wire in place.
We thought through the problem and came up with a solution. We immediately put into action our "Protect Trees and Plants from Four-Legs Plan," and very soon we knew we had a plan that worked.
We had used livestock fencing attached to wood and metal stakes for fences. We removed the stakes, cut the wire fencing into workable sizes, and just laid it on the ground in the areas we wanted to protect. Once an animal puts a foot on the wire, it backs up. We were and still are amazed at how well this works.
Our dog will not enter the areas covered with wire, so no more uprooted and trampled plants. No more holes dug under trees. The cats find better areas to scratch, and best of all, the deer keep away from our trees. It is so nice not to have all the new growth eaten off the trees. We have not had a visit from a bull, cow, or sheep since we laid the wire, but we think it will work for them, too. We have found bear spoor in the areas furthest from the house, but our trees and their fruit have remained undamaged. I still see rabbits in the clover surrounding the apple trees and in the native undergrowth, but there have been no holes dug around the wire-protected trees. We have not detected any damage to the fruit trees or the gardens caused by rabbits.

I will keep you updated on the apple trees...

That didn't take long...

It amazes me how some industries can turn on a dime and big business and government turns like a battleship!