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 Today it finally is starting to feel like fall...more leaves have been falling off the trees, there is a crisp in the air, the local scarecrows are out around town, and today we had a good bunch of rain. It's been a few weeks since I've published a puzzle here on the blog, but it seems as the rain inspired me today. Please enjoy! Made by Katja Brinck with the free cross word maker from Amuse Labs

 I've been watching the 2205 World Athletics Championships from Tokyo (track and field) - and have gotten caught up in all the competition, which is why my normal blog puzzle is a couple days delayed. All of the athletes are incredible - but I especially enjoyed the women's marathon, which had an amazing finish, especially for the bronze medalist who didn't at first realize she came in third; and then watching the pole vault men's final was unbelievably exciting - and ended up inspiring this puzzle. Hope you enjoy! Built by Katja Brinck using PuzzleMe's online cross word builder

For those who are sad about the NYT mini going behind a paywall, never fear there are lots of other crossword options out there for you - including this multi-mini-fest for your solving pleasure. Thank you to my husband Matt for being my test solver!  And for even more puzzles, don't forget to check out  https://dailycrosswordlinks.com/ ! Constructed by Katja Brinck using the free crossword puzzle generator from Amuse Labs

 I recently returned from my first in-person Lollapuzzoola crossword tournament in New York City - this was Lollapuzzoola 18 - "We put the zoo in Lollapuz zoo la!"  It was an amazing time connecting with fellow crossword enthusiasts, solving clever and tricky and wonderful puzzles, and getting to see some thrilling competition in the finals. And if you didn't get a chance to go, I highly recommend getting the puzzles to solve at home - you can get them here .  While Lollapuzzoola features a few different divisions for competing - express, local, or pairs - there was a new division this year, spun out of a bit from the Fill Me In podcast. The "Pears" division featured competitors Owen Bergstein and Harry Wieand competing and dressed up as pears. This silly bit has inspired my latest blog puzzle - solve with a friend or solo, and enjoy! Made by Katja Brinck with the online cross word creator from Amuse Labs

 Last week we had a family vacation out to the Mendocino Coast, and one of my favorite things was time spent with my niece Liesel constructing a crossword puzzle! I had such a blast teaching her about the art of crossword construction - it was so fun working with her to pick out words for filling the grid and discussing different ideas for clues. I interviewed her about the experience...our crossword puzzle is below - please enjoy! Tell me about yourself My name is Liesel Mullerheim - I am 10 years old, going into 5th grade. I live in Tampa Florida with my mom, dad, and pets - my cat Nate and my fish - I have about 19 of them! My favorite subject in school is math; after school I love doing gymnastics, jujitsu, and piano. And I especially love cats🐱🐱🐱 What do you like about crosswords? I love making them with my aunt Katja and it's so fun to make the clues - the whole process is so fun!! 😁😁 Tell us about your trip to California - what was your favorite thing? It was lots of fu...

 We have a big family trip scheduled soon out to the Mendocino Coast...and it feels like summer vacation is finally here. The best part is my 10-year-old niece will be visiting - and while she's here, we're planning to construct a crossword puzzle together! She is already a budding crossword solver, so I'm excited to see if she also gets the constructing bug. Midi-size puzzles are the rage lately, so please enjoy this midi from me - with my niece's name (slightly) hidden in the puzzle...look for our collaboration in a couple weeks! Constructed by using the free crossword creator from Amuse Labs