The Osage Orange tree is in the pasture  and  has  many many Hedge Balls.   I have put them all over the basement , garage, storage area's.     I have been told that they will help to deter insects, spiders, critters !!    So   we will see what happens,   I have them in the family room and still  have  box elder bugs ,but   not nearly as many as last year. 

    This  is only a  " few" of the hedge balls , I have already given many away , have them in the house, and Nikole is taking  2  bags for her mom, and family.  Guess I will pick more up and bring to house or storage shed.   

While in the garden yesterday,  I checked the  pepper plant , and this is what I found !    And there are several more small green peppers growing.    I will have to cover the plant the next few nights as it is to get to freezing or close.   Not that I will be able to save the plant but I think I will try.      Only a  few more tomatoes left,   there  are 2 pumpkin vines that are green, and a few carrots left to dig.  Then my first garden is done.     But I have  learned  a  few things , and have decided what I might want to plant next year.   I would guess this will be an ever changing project.  More pepper plants next year, and beets. 

Mars and I were out to harvest a  " few" more tomatoes  yesterday and on the way back to house  look what we found !    A  huge  shelf mushroom.   It is about 12 in. across.  The base of it appears to be coming right out of the tree.  I will keep an eye on it and see how big it will get.    One of the wonders of fall. 

Finally  I have my pallet shelf.  I took boards  from one of the pallets, cleaned them and this past weekend,  Jeff helped me or rather  I helped him to nail and glue together.   I have it in the 1/2 bath, and have put antique items on it.  Old shaving mug, straight razors, brushes, a  mustache coffee mug that was Grandpa  Jacob Jungwirths.   The straight razors ,shaving mug and brushes were my dads.      Just fun to have these things  out to look at. 

Now  the next several weekends I will need to get busy and get the garden cleaned off and ready for winter, and get the flower beds ready for winter.    We have picked up walnuts and taken to the " walnut man", and we have more  ready to take again. 

 Margaret Ann and I went " junking",  and there was an arrangement similar to this  for   $$.   So  I got my grandpa's old wood box out , scrubbed it and  arranged the candle and flowers in it.  My plan is to change the flowers etc. with the seasons.  

I cut Sedum and snow ball flowers  and put in vase,  I did this on Sat. and now on Thur. they still look great.  Hope they last  a long time. 

It is now Oct. , the summer is gone, we are finding other places to walk, and this is one of them. The High Tressel Bridge in Madrid.  This is on one of our night walks,  the bridge goes over the Des Moines River and is for walking or bike riding.    Very cool at night as the pretty blue lights come on at dark.