Fall in Fast Forward

The word for this fall is full. Full of outdoor adventures, including the ones I've recently documented. Full of getting to know more and more about the companion who has shared these adventures with me, and of beginning to figure out how to navigate life as a side-by-side journey after so many years of the familiar solo one.

It's been full in all sorts of other ways, too. I didn't have a single weekend at home from the end of August until the last weekend in October, between work trips, fun trips, and a whole string of conferences. So here's a jam-packed post with the rest of the highlights. Get ready for a whirlwind summary!

September included a trip south to Adrian, Michigan. We met up with my mom's side of the family for a send-off gathering for cousin Joe prior to his deployment. Here's the whole crew, squinty-eyed on a sunny morning.The following weekend, Nick and I packed up our camping gear and headed for Lake City and a few days of music and community at the Earthwork Harvest Gathering.

The next weekend was our Pictured Rocks adventure. One evening the following week I had my first solo evening with Maggie. When Sarah and Michael got back from their night out, here's the sight that greeted them. All's well that ends well!
This was only the beginning of a baby-themed week. The next weekend, I traveled back to Washington DC for meetings at NWF headquarters. I arrived in time for a Sunday afternoon visit to Takoma Park to hang out with some Carleton friends: Sarah, Jamie, two-year-old Abigail, and brand-new Nathaniel, as well as equally-new Rosie and her parents Jon and Dorigen. Although I have no photos to show for it, you can see all those little ones right here.

Then, on my last evening in Reston, I took a post-work walk to my old neighborhood, following the familiar path through the woods, past the community garden, and along the lake, gathering sassafras leaves and remembering the rhythm of life here. Back at Northgate Square, I met up with Anne and Scott for dinner and was charmed by their 8-month-old Nate. Here's the cheerful fellow all decked out in handknits: the hat I made for him last year, paired with a sweater from another fan.

I was back home for two days and then off to the University of Michigan's Biological Station in Pellston for the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) conference. Despite a head cold courtesy of American Airlines, my 8 am Eco-Schools session went well and left me with the rest of a beautiful fall day to enjoy on Brown Bridge pond.

The next weekend was entirely given over to another conference - Great Lakes Bioneers here in Traverse City. This conference was my introduction to TC as a confluence of interesting people and interesting ideas way back in 2004, and I've been wading in a bit deeper each year since I made this my home - as a volunteer in 2008, a workshop presenter in 2009, and this year as a member of the planning committee. As always, it was a weekend of inspiring talks, uplifting music, hands-on projects, and spontaneous connections, and it was rewarding to be part of the backstage crew making it happen this time around.

Then, as if that weren't enough conferences, the very next weekend found me in the Twin Cities for the Green Schools National Conference. Lucky for me, Minneapolis is another of my old stomping grounds and a place I'm always happy to visit. I stayed with more Carleton friends: Jess and Joe, recently returned to Minneapolis after seven years in Boston. It was terrific to catch up with them (thanks again, you two!) and we even managed to fit in a trip to the Birchwood Cafe with Marin the first evening, a pot of tea with Max and Cindy the second, and Ethiopian food at the Blue Nile with David and dessert in front of Marin and David's fireplace the third. Then a huge windstorm blasted into town and my flight home was canceled, so I had an extra day in Minnesota. What to do? After settling in at Jess and Joe's place for a day of work, I ventured out for an afternoon walk along the Mississippi in the wild weather and then, by happy chance, a last-minute meet-up with yet another friend. Over dinner, Sarah and I reflected on how we've changed in the ten years since our time as student naturalists together at Wolf Ridge - and how we haven't; then we finished the night with hot cocoa and an intense round of Scrabble.

Halloween weekend, home at last, was lovely all around. First thing on Saturday morning, Nick and I stocked up at the final downtown farmer's market of the year. We hauled our stores of apples, squash, pumpkins, and other produce home by bike, stopping for breakfast omelets on the way home. Saturday afternoon found us busy assembling costumes for a party that night, and on Sunday we made a pot of pumpkin chili and passed out candy to all the little ghosts and goblins mobbing the streets.

Perhaps you noticed the giant cabbage in the bike trailer above? Here it is again, with my head for scale.I made it into my first-ever batch of sauerkraut.
This year I also grew my inaugural crop of daikon radishes. I was pretty thrilled when I pulled the first one from the ground.
Maisie was impressed, too.
There are lots more where that one came from for a whole winter's supply. And - speaking of winter produce - check out this fabulous coldframe!
It's Nick's handiwork all around, from finding the discarded window on the side of the road to constructing the frame for it out of leftover lumber from my garage.The arugula, parsley, and rosemary inside are green and happy indeed. I'll be happy, too, come the depths of winter when green is hard to come by.And as we head into winter proper, Stone Soup continues. In November, there were six people...and five dogs! A new record. For an added challenge, this time around we made alphabet soup. Lee brought leeks. I contributed kale and, with help from Maisie, pumpkin muffins. Nick utilized his last name to add cabbage and cheddar cheese. Michael and Powell brought Meadowlark farm's purple potatoes. The Birch Point contingent arrived with side dishes: Ben with brown rice and brussels sprouts, Michelle with mesclun greens and merlot. Such fun! And I didn't manage to get everyone into the same photo frame, but this gives you an idea of the crowd, complete with canine representation.