The Simple DudeA Simple Dude in a Complex World

Today’s post is a visual one… along with some random thoughts from me.

Minnesota, like much of the country, is a very pretty place in the fall.  Everywhere you look you see colors representing the season.  Golden yellows, burnt oranges and bright reds.  My backyard is no different.

Alright, enough is enough. Drop the leaves already.

That tree is one of the last ones in my yard to still have most of its leaves.  What it’s holding out for I do not know.  I have raked a bunch of leaves from the other trees, and yet this one just refuses to drop for me.  Maybe it’s waiting until it snows.

When I see red, yellow and orange leaves in trees while walking through a park or in a neighbors yard I stop and admire nature’s beauty.  But when I see them on trees in my own yard?  I curse at them, knowing I’ll soon be out there raking them – one of my least favorite things to do in life.

Another thing that happens this time of year is people decorating their yards with Halloween stuff.  Ghosts, goblins, pumpkins and all that happy crap.  There is a a house in our neighborhood that goes all out:

Ooooo… spoooooky!!!

It’s really hard to capture what they do in a lousy night time photo, they have a lot going on that I didn’t get in this picture and they have also added a lot since this picture.  They have added a half dozen giant lighted inflatables, skeletons, black cats and a big blow up tree with a face on it.  That one scared me a little.  But my favorite part is a tombstone in the middle of the yard.  On it reads:

“Here lies the last dog who pooped in our yard.”

Awesome.

A few weeks ago the lady friend and I went out to dinner at a restaurant called Baker’s Square.  For those who don’t have them in your area, it’s similar to a Perkins or Denny’s except they specialize in pie.  VERY GOOD pie.  Going to a place like this for dinner is not a big deal normally, but there is something about it I would never admit to my friends… we went on a Saturday night.  At 5:30pm.  Then went straight home after.

We were BY FAR the youngest people there.  Ugh…  So this is what it’s like being 40 huh?

Oh, and the reason we went there?  We had a coupon.  Ha!  But we also went there because I absolutely has to try this:

Did they put bacon on a pie? Oh hell yes they did!

It’s called the Salty Hog and it’s “Amaze-Balls” as the kids would say.  It’s basically a french silk / chocolate cake flavored pie with roasted almonds and salted caramel.  Oh, and the best part?  It has FREAKIN’ BACON on top!

I think it was a limited time kind of thing, but I am holding my palms to the sky praying to the good Lord above that this thing comes back.  If you get a chance, you have to try it.

SD