I recommend carving out some time with family & friends every late October to bring pumpkins to life. Who knew these orange orbs had so much personality hiding inside?

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend a frightening $13.1 billion on Halloween this year. That’s an average of $114 per person. And we wonder why we feel pinched! Oh well, people need a Breakaway from their routine and persona. I mean, who doesn’t love pretending you’re someone else for an evening? Even these lowly pumpkins agree…!…

Boo! I mean YAY! Photos can’t really capture the magnitude of this display. I mean, for example, dozens of life-size, wooden caskets surround the entire yard—which is 99% full of realistic, ghoulish stuff. Crazy? Maybe. But I applaud all efforts to create and connect.

When in Sioux City recently to visit ailing parents, my mom told me to drive past this house. So I did. And was so stunned (and a little spooked) that I hit the brakes and stopped. In the middle of the street. Yes, I have a soft spot for twisted-ness. But really, when someone has such passion and drive for something so unique, that’s inspirational.

Note to self and all selves: Don’t be afraid…Get off your phones and make something!

Roundabout, I have learned (usually) to keep some controversial opinions to myself. But truth be told, the MN State Fair doesn’t tickle my thrill bone the way it does most denizens. It is because I didn’t grow up in this state? My leg is full of metal, and I can’t walk and stand all day? I shun deep-fried you-name-it by the pound? Crowds scare me unless it’s for, say, Bruce Springsteen?

A: All the above. Still, when I DO go—and if I bring the good, big camera—the event may be the most photogenic day of the year. No wonder I seem to dig into the archives for a FotoFriday shot almost annually. Which reminds me…

I better go next year. I need some fresh shots. Meantime, I hope this young lady got a good nap.

I’ve written about (and then forgotten about) Slab City before—along with neighboring East Jesus, Salvation Mountain, The Salton Sea, and other freaky places near Palm Springs I visited in 2017. Yet when this picture came along today, the memories bubbled up fresh as a cold Coke. I’d say more, but the picture is worth 10,000 words, and I don’t have time to write that much today.

If global warming is a hoax, are the wildfires also?

Those crazy Canadians are sending us their wildfire smoke again. But it can make for colorful skies. This here sundown over the boathouse is from last Sunday evening—with no edits or filters!

How are sundogs made? Magic!

I just spent a week in Portland for my daughter’s college graduation, staying in a favorite old inn on nearby Lake Oswego. Now, usually when I’m in that area, the weather makes sure I’m wet, cold, and missing Minnesota. Not this time! Summer was in full bloom, even in the skies. The elements in the atmosphere applauded with this celestial magic!

A goat’s head. Crabhouse menu. Beaded sunshine. They all came home with me from far away, and make my house a beloved museum of memories.

My property is packed with mementos from travels worldwide. Big tip: Select small souvenirs (art, okay?), as they are easier to schlep in your luggage, and you can fit MORE of them in your home. My sauna is lined with small, exotic masks. Carved human forms in indigenous garb stand atop the bookshelves. Painted scenes from Grenada to Stockholm line the sun porch walls.

One problem (and another Big Tip): Sometimes, the memory blurs about what came from where—and some (especially carved masks) can look rather alike. So…Go ahead and write a short Sharpie provenance on the back. As the years go by, that’ll kick that memory in!

As a friend once said, “Moments make memories.” So do these many precious keepsakes.