Corn Update: Week 10

Great news at the corn field yesterday: they've mowed!

It was awesome walking around the corn without having to watch our feet for beds of thistle and other prickly weeds. Owen ran around, got up close to the corn, and enjoyed our holiday visit to our corn field.

The stalks are the same height as before, but we noticed the kernels we saw exposed looked very dry. Despite the 90 degree temps, fall really is settling in, and it's easy to see the field is getting itself ready for harvest next month.

We had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. It was a very busy time. I went to Iowa City with my dad on Saturday for the fun-filled Iowa football home opener. We returned to Normal just in time to greet our friend Laura and her daughter Annabelle, who were making a Midwest tour through Michigan and Indiana, and would stay with us overnight before returning to the Twin Cities on Sunday.

Owen and Annabelle, you may remember, enjoyed a wonderful weekend together last July in Iowa City. It did take them a little longer than expected to get into their groove with each other, but they ended up having some fun at the sand box, reading books, and taking a walk up to our fire station.

Maya, meanwhile, just sat back and took it all in.

With the pool closing after Labor Day, we made two trips to the water slides. It was really busy, as the temperatures were high and, like us, people were enjoying their last hurrah at the outdoor pool, but we had a great time. We also went to the Labor Day parade in downtown Bloomington. Owen took in lots and lots of candy from the pipe fitters, IBEW brothers, and various politicians and candidates. We also saw some fire trucks and other big machines. It was fun.

Yesterday was also fun because the local paper selected me to their 20 Under 40, an annual election of 20 people under the age of 40 who are doing great things through their work and volunteering in the community. Their individual profile of me was in the paper yesterday, including pictures of all four of us. It was pretty neat.