This is Fall?

Temperatures soared into the 80's here in Chicago this weekend, kind of shocking considering the calendar says October! The one benefit is we were able to drive the convertible out to our friend's house to watch the Boilermakers lose to the Buckeyes on Saturday.

Vince was happy though, as the warm weather encouraged us to take a long walk on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday was a bit interesting. Those of you that have visited us know that we leave near the Lathrop Homes CHA housing projects. This has not been an issue in the 5+ years we've lived here but it was not good when we walked through on Saturday. There were multiple people out on the street completely DRUNK (or worse) at 9 a.m. and they were checking us over as though we were fresh meat ripe for the picking. Frankly, it was a bit disturbing. I hope that this economic downturn doesn't lead to an upturn in crime in the area, but it might just be time to purchase a baseball bat to keep in the house.


On a brighter note, the warm weather gave us the chance to winterize the deck in decent weather. We took down the tent cover and placed the table and chairs under a tarp for the winter. :-( Guess the only "al fresco" dining we'll be doing will be at tailgates!

Oh Deer

It has been quite some time since we posted, it has been a busy summer for us. Vince and I are spending a lot of time in Michigan City at the condo of late due to work, and as summer draws to a close here in northwest Indiana the deer start to venture out in the dusk hours to feed.

The last two nights when we have been out for our long walk we have run across deer and Vincent just doesn't know what to do. He generally stands, sniffs the air, whines, and pacing back and forth waiting for the deer to come over and play! He has not yet run at the deer like he did last year, but I figure it's only a matter of time before he does.

Fun Summer So Far

Summer is going by quickly!! We have been busy with this, that and the other this summer. Here are a few pictures of our recent escapades. Last night we were at the Sox game (27th row behind home plate - thanks to Joel and especially to his mom for those tickets!!). The weather was decidely different from last Monday's Cubs game/tornado event. Unfortunately I didn't capture any pictures of the swirling rain, but suffice to say that it was an fun and slightly disconcerting experience.

Last weekend was Retro on Roscoe - lots of food and bands. We had a great time there and ran into lots of friends too! I didn't capture too many pictures as our large group was separated most of the night due to the crowds, but don't think that stopped us from having fun!

Who's a Big Boy?

Been a while since we posted, life has been crazy for us lately. We'll get a full update done this weekend, since it's the first time we'll be home toghether since May! I wanted to post big Vincent news though, he's now staying out in the condo in Michigan City all on his own. No more "going to bed" when Eric goes to work! We're on day 3 and so far no destruction of property!

New Garden Terrace

I thought I would show off our handiwork. Eric decided this was the year we were getting rid of our old vegetable garden setup - which consisited of a menagerie of pots sitting on red paver stones on top of wooden pallets. We were a little late to the game as we did not get back from our Med cruise until early June, but we weren't tooooo late to catch up a little. So we have a couple nice tomatoes, a cucumber, and many of varieties of peppers. The best part is all containers are self watering, so I don't have to worry about them every day! Now we're really ready to commence our normal summer rooftop gatherings.

I L-O-V-E Puppy Camp

Whenever we are not home, Vincent goes to his home away from home, or as we like to call it "Puppy Camp." He stays in a house that has a large room for the big dogs to play and sleep in - no cages. They don't have any webcams, but we are CONVINCED that Vince doesn't sleep the entire time. He sleeps for two days straight whenever he comes home from camp. Here are a few pictures of him trying soooooo hard to stay awake.

Going

Going

Gone!

Vince's Message for Rescue Pooches!

I received a link to a shelter that is closing in Marion, IN. Any of these dogs not adopted will have to be put down and Vince wants to help!

If you are planning on getting a dog, will you please think about adopting!

http://picsbycindy.com/marion_grant_dogs.htm

As everyone knows, Vinny is a rescue pooch and he would love to see some of his fellow rescue dogs find a good home.