Meet Our new fish

So after setting up the aquarium, watching a lot of Youtube videos on aquariums, and reading all sorts of sites and forums, I decided to ditch goldfish and move to freshwater community fish.  I started this for Baylor but I have become a bit addicted to it all.  I totally want a bigger aquarium already.  I will give myself one year with this one and it I can keep it up, I am moving up!  I started out last weekend with one upside down cat fish we named Spud, after the scarecrow on Bob the Builder. I went to the That Fish Place and asked about a catfish that does not need several more to be happy and that is what the guy recommended.  Since we only have a 20 gallon tank, I cannot overstock it.

 Here he is swimming in the bag before we let him go.  After I let him go, we did not see him again because I soon found out they are nocturnal.  He guy did not tell me that! He hides in the log all day and I assume he swims around at night! 

Baylor had to show him to Lofty. 

Then because we never see Spud, I bought seven neon tetras on my way home from work instead of when Baylor was with me.  They are all here but are overlapping a bit. Baylor named them all Spud also. At least that keeps it easy to remember.  They are getting used to the new place and swimming around the tank a lot more.  I want to get two more fish that will a bit bigger and that will have to be enough for this tank. 

Baylor was in a cleaning mood and was washing off the aquarium.  That is my little man.  He also vacuumed all the carpets with the dirt devil and was washing down whatever he could.

My parents were here for three days to watch Baylor while Lori had to work through the week.  They had a really good time with him and enjoyed his cleaning spells! 

He is currently sitting on the couch dipping lettuce in Ranch dressing. Sometimes he is a weird kid! 

Octoberfest

My friend Steph's sister Ann and brother in law Rick held their second Octoberfest and we were invited this year.  Unfortunately it was raining. And cold.  But we went anyway.  We were greeted by Rick raising the German flag.  His mom is from Germany and so is Ann and Steph's.

 Heidi 's family escaped from East Germany when Heidi was about 3 or 4. She remembers the guard telling her father that he will let them pass but if they get caught, he will have to shoot them. The family made it through and now all the sisters live in the US. There here and one in Oregon. 

Heidi and her granddaughter Robin.

Heidi's sisters Krista and Deena.

Many people dressed for the occasion.

Baylor was leading the chair dancing with Nana Heidi, Uncle Joe and Uncle Larry, Heidi's gay friends.

There was a lot of dancing going on to the polka music.

Rick and his father and a friend.

Ann

Nana Heidi and her oldest granddaughter Chelsea.

The Mom's Mary and Heidi

It was a long day for Baylor but he did well with everything.  We ate lots of awesome food, brotchen from Germany, brats, salads, and lots of dessert.  It was a really nice party with a lot of fun people who did not let the rain stop the fun.  Hopefully next year it will be nicer weather. 

Road Trip and Applesauce

Saturday Baylor and I went to get our apples at Hollabaugh in Adams County.  We started at the gas station for a fill up, coffee and doughnut.  A child strapped in a car seat and a sprinkle doughnut is just asking for trouble but I was game.  It did not come out too bad in the end, nothing a wipe could not fix. 

The place was packed and it was not until I was talking to a friend who mentioned Apple Festival that I figured out why.  Usually when we go there are four or five cars in the lot.  This day the lot was full!! 

Baylor remembered the corn bin from last year and brought his own digger too.  He spent about 40 minutes playing in the bin, just not all in a row.  If it were not for varmits, I would seriously entertain the thought of getting a corn bin too.  It is more fun than sand I think. 

Good thing there is a corn bin at the farm show too. 

We also spent a lot of time watching the fork lift move apple crates.  I would love to have one of their apple crates by the way!  Baylor is all boy when it comes to machinery.  But then he puts on his chap stick and tell me now he is a girl!   He even wants to be Wendy for Halloween if we ask him if he wants to be Bob the Builder. 

I had him stand next to these last year and will have to dig out the photos for comparison. 

We checked out the bees, and since it was 55 degrees they were not moving too much.

We also checked out the bumble bees.  It was the first time I ever saw them being kept.  The are excellent pollinators as well and are good to have on an apple farm. 

Finally we got around to picking out some apples.  The bins were loaded and we had our choice of varieties.  Since we are making sauce I picked Gala and Jonagold. For the apple pie filling I picked Rome and Granny Smith. 

Trying to get Baylor to look at the camera when there is a fork lift running is a challenge.

And sometimes you get one of these faces which are almost as much fun as a smile! 

Fall flowers!!  I don't really like mums but I do like their colors. 

My thoughts exactly. 

This was our booty. I actually gave away half the apples in the clear bag before I took the photo so we had more. Hollabaughs was also giving away yams and I picked up 5 and one weighs over 2 lbs, but he fell on to the floor while we were driving and I did not pick him up for the photo.  The plastic bag was full of Honey Crisp seconds for $10.00!  I could not pass that up.  One bag is for applesauce and the other is for apple pie filling.  Why do I do these things to myself? I don't have time for all that work! 

But after we got back from Oktoberfest, another post, I started my first batch with the Honey Crisp.  Peel, core and slice. 

Cook in some cider until soft.

Put through the food mill.

And when the assistant hears the food mill and comes to help, move over so he can. 

Put in jars, seal, process and cool!

Pretty cool huh?  I made three batches of Honey Crisp and sometime this week will have to do the other bags of apples.  Does anyone see Christmas gifts like I do? 

For Loralou

Sorry I only have a photo of the vanilla one. 

Do Not Eat Raw Cupcake Batter

What has the world come to when someone feels the need to put a disclaimer on the box of cupcake mix?  And have they ever made cupcake batter and not eaten any of it?  I am not sure I could be friends with them because how much fun is it to eat the batter any way?  I am not usually a box mix kind of girl but sometimes things catch my eye when strategically placed in the aisles at the local grocery store.  Cupcakes with creamy filling from a box sounds delicious and easy. 

And they were.  Mix the batter, and please don't eat any, fill the bottoms of the papers, squirt in some of the filling stuff that comes in a pouch, top off with the remaining batter, and bake. 

There are two to choose from, vanilla with chocolate filling and chocolate with creamy white filling. 

I made both so we could try them out.  I took them to work because we cannot have 24 cupcakes laying around the house!  They were gone before lunch and that is a sign of a good thing.  I don't feel like I have had a food success if there are leftovers to take home.   

A New Home for some fish

I set up the aquarium with the stuff we bought at That Fish Place and the plant from the pond.  I put the snails in too but took them out the next day after they destroyed the plants. 

On our last trip to WalMart, I found the Easter Island head.  It was a de ja vou moment because the night before I was watching Ancient Aliens and they were at Easter Island.  I was thinking I want one of those heads for the fish tank.  And the next day, a voile'!   I think I like the looks of the stone better in the tank but I like the head too.  Maybe next time I change the water, I will find a place for them both.  And maybe a longer bubble wand.  I feel like that fish in Finding Nemo, "Bubbles!!"

I am letting the tank settle and cycle to get the good bacteria built up.  I think we will take him to get some fish for his birthday in November. 

And if you have never watched Ancient Aliens and don't have any other particular beliefs, you should totally watch it.  It makes the whole idea of them very compelling!