Autumn, Arson, and Sunflower Stalks

Wednesday, October 14, 2009. I'm back. My family (minus #1 daughter, who couldn't get away) spent the weekend in northern Illinois. We buried the last half of my parents' cremains there. That's not a typo: They were cremated, their ashes comingled, and the cremated remains ("cremains") put in two urns. September was quite a month for this family. (More in my personal blog, October 12, October 5, September 30, 2009.)


My family and I were in Chicago on Monday. October 12, 2009.


It's good to be home. October 14, 2009.

The front page headline of this week's Sauk Centre Herald says that the house fire on South Birch Street a month ago (Monday, September 14) was probably arson. The article says there's a $2,500 reward for any information provided that leads to a conviction. The paper has a phone number for the Sauk Centre Police Department the State Fire Marshal's Office and the arson hotline (1-800-723-2020). Those phone numbers are on the Herald's Web article, too.

I drove around the north side today, to look around. There are fewer leaves on the trees, and more on the grass, than I saw last week. No surprises there.


Sunflower stalks, fallen leaves, and a garden waiting for next spring. October 14, 2009.


Pumpkins out for Halloween and/or Thanksgiving. October 14, 2009.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. Just about everybody in Sauk Centre does a pretty good job of keeping their yards mowed. A few households go a few - quite a few, in some cases - steps further, and decorate.


One of the more decorated front yards in Sauk Centre October 14, 2009.

I like that. My household isn't one of them: But I'm glad that there are people who take the trouble to make their front yards into a display.