Thursday, we went to Helene's Hilltop Orchard in lovely Merrill, WI and picked a bushel of apples. They were darn expensive! Johnny Appleseed apparently didn't make it up this far, because there aren't as many orchards to choose from. We also bought 1/2 gallon of cider, just for old times sake. It was darn expensive, too, but it sure tastes good. We canned on Saturday, ending up with 26 pints of applesauce and 12 quarts of apple pie filling. Remember the days when the whole table would be covered with filled bottles? We really don't need to can like that anymore. But the homemade stuff is so tasty compared to store bought. And we have a lead on cheaper apples for next year.

I came across this interesting little tidbit of news today from the New York Times:

September 18, 2007
James O. Rigney Jr., Who Wrote as Robert Jordan, Dies at 58
By MARGALIT FOX
James Oliver Rigney Jr., a prolific author who under the pseudonym Robert Jordan wrote the “Wheel of Time” series, a best-selling multivolume fantasy saga, died on Sunday in Charleston, S.C. He was 58 and lived in Charleston.
The cause was amyloidosis, a blood disease, his assistant, Maria Simons, said.
Published by Tor Books, the “Wheel of Time” series comprises 11 volumes, among them “The Eye of the World” (1990), “The Dragon Reborn” (1991), “The Shadow Rising” (1992), “Winter’s Heart” (2000) and “Knife of Dreams” (2005). There is also a prequel, “New Spring,” published in 2004.
Known for its epic sweep, intricate plotting and large cast of complex characters, the series centers on Rand al’Thor, a humble messianic figure who must stave off the forces of evil that threaten to overtake the faraway land in which he lives. Along the way, there are perils and portents, fair maidens, fantastical deeds and the like.
In an essay in The New York Times Book Review in 1996, Edward Rothstein wrote, “Even a reader with literary pretensions can be swept up in Mr. Jordan’s narrative of magic, prophecy and battle.”
The “Wheel of Time” books have often been compared to the work of J. R. R. Tolkien in terms of their ability to exert a magnetic hold on readers. Translated into more than 20 languages, the books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, according to Mr. Rigney’s publisher.
Mr. Rigney was also known for helping continue the “Conan the Barbarian” series. (The character was created in the 1930s by the pulp writer Robert E. Howard and has been kept alive by various writers since Mr. Howard’s death in 1936.) Mr. Rigney’s contributions to the series, also written as Robert Jordan and published by Tor, include “Conan the Invincible” (1982), “Conan the Triumphant” (1983) and “Conan the Victorious” (1985).
James Oliver Rigney Jr. was born in Charleston on Oct. 17, 1948. He served as an Army helicopter gunner in Vietnam, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star, among other honors. He received a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Citadel in 1974, and afterward worked as a nuclear engineer in Charleston before beginning a full-time writing career in the late 1970s.
Mr. Rigney is survived by his wife, the former Harriet Popham McDougal; a son, William Popham McDougal of Housatonic, Mass.; and a brother, Reynolds W. Rigney of New Orleans.
His other books include three historical novels written under the pseudonym Reagan O’Neal and published by Forge: “The Fallon Blood (1980), “The Fallon Pride” (1981) and “The Fallon Legacy” (1982).

Despite my unswerving determination to never read a Robert Jordan book, I do have to say he seems to have been an intelligent, talented person. Apparently, he was also a very rich person. Now the big question: Has anyone in this family read all 11 volumes of the "Wheel of Time" series?

It is darn cold here! Last night it got down to about 30 degrees. Yesterday, the high didn't even break 50 degrees. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Who wants to live somewhere where the first killing frost is the second week of September?

I believe that the long-range weather forecast is for a warmer than usual winter, but you couldn't tell it by this weather. The many squirrels in our yard have been very busy and are getting pretty fat. The deer have been visiting us once or twice a day lately, too, eating the acorns and other goodies from the yard.

The upside is that it's pretty good weather for sleeping. Rene and Janet are running in a 4 mile trail run today, so it's better to be cool than hot. I guess there are some pluses.

Another Scoresby Missionary

Well, Joanna has now entered the MTC. We've had an emotional couple of days around here as we got her ready and said good-bye. For those who may not know, our family consists of two groups--those who cry over anything and those who cry over nothing. Joanna belongs to the crying group, so it's been hard. I think that once she gets settled in the MTC, and then in Florida and is busy, things will be easier for her. I certainly hope so.

It's been hard for me, too. I've gotten used to having her around. This morning, Rene left at 5 am and Janet left at 5:45, so now I'm alone with two kitties all day. My mom told me that when I went on my mission, she called my Dad up at work and said, "I don't want her to go for away for 18 months." I suppose it's a pretty universal feeling.

But Joanna will be a great missionary. She has a knack for listening to other people and feeling what they're feeling, etc. She has the wonderful examples of Joseph, Ben and Emily, who were great missionaries, to follow. When she was set apart, the stake president told her that she will be a "bright star" in the Florida Tallahassee Mission.

Joanna is also lucky to have Emily, Preston and Sarah, who picked her up at the airport, entertained her last night, and took her to the MTC today. I remember when I went on my mission. My parents could not afford to take me to Utah. So I flew out by myself, stopping in Rapid City on the way to be set apart. Two office elders from the mission met me there at the airport, took me to meet the mission president and be set apart, and took me back. (There was no stake in South Dakota then--the mission president was the ecclesiastical leader.) When I arrived in Utah, I was met by Aunt Iris. The next day, she took me to the temple. The next day, I entered the mission home in Salt Lake.

Anyway, Emily said that the MTC mission president told the families and the missionaries that saying goodbye is kind of like taking off a band-aid--it's best to just do it quickly. So, we'll look forward to hearing all about Joanna's new experiences, which we'll post on her blog.

Cahokia

On our way to Memphis to visit Ben and Shannon, we stopped on the eastern edge of St. Louis to visit Cahokia. Cahokia is the largest Indian mound group in the US. It is the oldest "city" in the US. We have been to many Indian mounds and I have to say that this is very, very impressive. The big mound actually had log stairs and was very much like the pictures of Mayan temples in Guatemala, etc. Around the center of the city, they built a log "stockade" which enclosed about 400 acres. It appears to be very much like the breastwork of timbers talked about in the Book of Mormon. A little ways down the road was Woodhenge, a calendar type device made out of poles. Although this city was at it's prime about 1000 AD, it is a very strong reminder of the great cities in the Book of Mormon. We're very glad that we stopped there. Besides, it was the perfect time for a rest stop!

Since Joanna has been home, she has been helping me with some projects I've wanted to get done for awhile. We have done corn for the freezer and also picked some raspberries and canned them. There is still painting to do, but time is getting short and I don't know if we'll get that done. Anyway, here's a photo of Joanna doing corn? Does it bring back any memories?