2025, October 13-19

This week Mike had the chance to go back to Springville for a few days to celebrate Landon's birthday. 

Mike woke up to snow on Monday morning. It didn't stick, but it was a reminder that fall is fleeting here in Montana. For the last week, Mike has had allergy symptoms (itchy eyes, congestion) while at his apartment and at his office. They only seemed to get worse over the weekend, and he's trying to figure out the cause because he didn't have symptoms until he got back from Simi. 

Mike had the chance to go back down to Springville to celebrate Landon's 18th birthday. The kid's 18 already? What the heck?! He drove down on Tuesday, and Hallie, the kids, and Jocie picked him up from the SLC Airport. They went to the grand opening of the new Mozz Artisan Pizza downtown.  

Jocie is quite the artist! She only had 4 colors!

After pizza, we went to the home of the Out of the Blue sculpture on 900 S 1100 E. Mike has wanted to go there ever since it became a pilgrimage site for The Church of the Sacred Whale of Ninth-and-Ninth after the Whale brought the blessed massive snow season of 2022-23. All hail the whale! 

Hallie owns froggy pajamas, which reminded Mike that she and he could wear costumes to the No Kings protest in Provo on Saturday. 

Hallie got some love from her Starbucks friends. 

Fergus is always happy to have Mike around. Mike is always happy to sneak new pics of his favorite kitty. 

We got some precipitation on Thursday, with snow dusting the mountains and highlighting the brilliant leaves on the changing trees. 

While Mike and Hallie were shopping at Smith's, one of Hallie's Starbucks customers let the people there know that the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile had shown up in the parking lot.

Of course, we had to get pics and swag! 

We have seen the 1952 Wienermobile many times at the Henry Ford Museum, and we got a picture of a more modern one in December 2009 when we visited family in California. We also happened to catch a glimpse of one on the freeway when Eliza went to the Utah State Gymnastics finals in May 2018. This one looks a lot like that one.  

Hallie's brother got her a Starbucks tumbler from a US state. Guess which one?

On Friday, we celebrated Landon's 18th birthday a little early while we had Mike here. After going to Golden Corral (Landon said we finished before he was done), we came back home to open presents. Maybe he'll even get a cake and balloons next week! 

New Minky Couture blanket. 

He finally got his coveted motorcycle. 

And Dunder Mifflin boxers!

Mike and Eliza got prepped for the protest. Ribbit. 

Eliza originally planned to wear an inflatable costume, but then she found Hallie's old Raggedy Ann one instead. 

Saturday afternoon, the two of them went to the Provo Government Center and stood up to express our love for America and our opposition to the authoritarianism of the current presidential administration. 

A ladybug landed on Mike's glasses, and we coaxed it over to Eliza before it flew off again. We took the bug's arrival as a fortunate sign. 

Far more people came out than at any of the other protests we've been to. Mike was proud of how many people of good will chose to stand up and show their disagreement with the current president. 

We're grateful for those who helped ensure that the proceedings went peacefully.

"Fight the Empire!"

Later, Eliza helped Hallie fix her hair before Hallie went out. This is the before shot. Eliza put so much product in Hallie's hair that Hallie had to wash her hair before going out.

Hallie and friends from Starbucks went out to celebrate the upcoming wedding of one of her coworkers. Hallie will be officiating at the wedding next week. 

Eliza has taken to sitting under the stars out front. She took this picture of Ferg, who came to sit on her, calling him her "personal fur heater."

All too soon, Mike had to head back up to Missoula. He drove up through mostly fine weather, only hitting a couple of bouts of weather on the way up. It's almost getting routine. Almost. After getting to his apartment and unpacking, he went on campus, catching a couple members of the local herd en route. At present, his eyes burn a little bit, but he's still not sure what's the cause. 

Hallie and Brooklyn enjoyed what will be one of our last Gatherings before we have to close up for the winter.

 

2025, October 6-12

Back to a relative return to routine. 

Hallie had the opportunity to work at a different Starbucks this week. Fun change of scenery. On Friday she was back at Springville enjoying seeing all of her regulars and working with her favorite barista.

Who doesn't love pictures of Fergus? Hallie noted that she would usually share pics like these with Sue and is sad that she's no longer with us to appreciate them. Now Alie can get them instead. 

The picture of Fergus below is different because it is Landon's friend petting Fergus in a place Fergus doesn't usually let people pet him.

We received this lovely bouquet of paper flowers as a memorial to Mike's mom. 

Mike caught the pumpkin stuck on the top of Main Hall sometime during the week. This is a three-decade's-old tradition. No one seems to know how it first happened or who keeps it going, but people have their suspicions. 

Both Eliza and Kai enjoy the feel of the wind in their hair as they go on rides. Heading to school this way must be soothing for Eliza especially.

Eliza caught this brilliant sunset from Leslie's barn. She's a cowgirl through and through. As she laid in the loft, she said she could hear bats and that laying on the hay is very comfortable.

Shortly after the pictures at the barn were taken, Hallie and Bryce's family met up with Eliza at the barn. We got to spend a few minutes together before they headed back to Hallie's parents to get ready to go back home to California the next day. Unfortunately, we did not get pictures.

UM went all out with its pep rally on Friday night with the marching band, rousing speeches, and fireworks out on the Oval before the carillon bells chimed in celebration. Mike didn't get in with the crowd but had lots of fun listening and watching nonetheless. 

One of his heraldry friends made him and other moderators of the Discord Heraldry Server into Poland Balls (remember those?). 

On the day of the big football game against Cal Poly, Mike walked over to the Lodge to get a bite to eat and watch the game. Not many people were there, but he was glad to have a place to watch the Grizzlies make a second half come-from-behind victory. He got there by way of the Hello Walk, a tradition that students and others have at homecoming of using chalk paint to say hello in a variety of ways and languages. 

Later, he walked around campus and took a picture of Main Hall lit up in victory. See the giant pumpkin still stuck to the spire? It'll eventually rot and fall off by sometime in the spring. 

Fergus has had some issues tied with old age, such as not as easily getting into chairs like he used to as a wee kitten. He still can make it up to cuddle up with his people during a thunderstorm. Earlier in the evening, Eliza had gotten caught out in a hailstorm. 

On Sunday, Mike went to campus as he usually does to read and walk and otherwise enjoy the scenery. Fall leaves are really starting to show, and the wildflower gardens are about ready to be done.

Someone posted a memorial for Jane Goodall, the primatologist and all around good human who passed on October 1. Earlier in the week, Mike had shared a short video with her famous last words from a Netflix show that released last week. Worth a watch.  

These leaves will peak sometime next week, and then *poof!* they'll be gone.