It's THIS time of year.

It's a darn good thing that fall is so beautiful, because it takes the harvest-leaves and autumn-blue skies to keep your spirits looking up.  Today I spent a little time looking – well – down.  This is what I saw.

Disclaimer:  These are not my actual photographs.  As the people usually committing these offenses typically have weapons on the premises I didn't feel I could risk the lives of my boys to snap photos of their homes.  I instead borrowed pics from google images.

The first image (left) is of the clever mechanism I saw on the way to preschool today.  These clever men have to hide from tiny ducks in order to blow them out of the water.  I hardly doubt with a rig like this that they are shooting ducks as a means of feeding their families throughout the winter.  Seriously dude?  You think you're so tough because you can trick a duck?  Grrr.  This time of year can really light a fire in my vegetarian britches.

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While this may be a presidential election year for the rest of the country, in Minnesota, this is a "wear your sexuality/radical beliefs on the personal lives of your neighbors election year."  I mean honestly, there's actually going to be an item on our voting ballet to BAN gay marriage?  What?  We are bringing out masses of people, trying to better our nation, and...oh yeah...stop people from loving one another? 

This clever a-hole turned a Vote NO sign into a Vote YES sign.  Wow, really swayed my vote.  It's one thing to not vote on the issue, or vote yes based on your deep religious convictions (ok, still creepy) but it's another entirely to put a sign in your yard saying, "You're gay and don't have the right to marry your loved one.  We 'straight people' have done such an impressive job with a 60% divorce rate."  Maybe there's something better we should be devoting our boulevards to like world peace or trying to pull our schools out of an all-time low international ranking.

I think I'll focus on the leaves for the remainder of fall.  At least in November the marriage signs will be removed.  I'm guessing however that next fall there will be something else just as ridiculous on the ballot.  As for the duck hunters, I assume they'll be out in full force again next year as well to prove that they are indeed smarter than the winged creatures.