November 30, 2007

We left Friday morning at our usual 9:00 departure time! Carlo has to work tonight after being off 18 days - ergh! I needed to get home to my bed and sleep this cold away. Tylenol, Zicam, Shower Soothers - this is a rough one! I slept almost all the way home!

Until next time - two weeks to be exact! And next time we might be tackling something off our To-Do list!

November 29, 2007

Thursday was much of the same ~ rest...rest...rest!

Carlo cleaned out the fridge and freezer and put the medely of food together for the wildlife. He also fed the birds (we have lots of bird feeders!), the squirrels and the deer. Several beautiful birds visited the feeder - Woodpeckers, blue birds and some dressed with red too. They were quick and hard to capture in a photo. But there is one on the feeder - sort of getting ready for flight!

Later in the evening, we went to Tamarack Pizza. Carlo insisted on paying the night before at La Tolteca (even though I lost the bet), but tonight I paid up! We had another delicious meal here.

During the night, we had a dusting of snow. I was very excited to be there to see the first snowfall. It makes everything look fresh and clean.

November 28, 2007

Okay, so on the way to O'Wich we make a bet about the road. I think it's not done ~ Carlo thinks it is. Dinner is riding on this bet. Much to my surprise - it was done! A little disappointed in the finished product, but done none the less anything is better than the holes and ruts we had to deal with in the past. So - looks like La Tolteca is my treat later on!

We had nothing planned for this trip which was a good thing since I am so sick. I should've stayed home but I just love going to O'Wich and what difference does it make...sick at home or sick at our home away from home?

Upon our arrival we found we now have a digital meter for our electric. Can't get a land line for the phone, but we can get digital on electricity ~ Whatever! We settled in and warmed up with hot chocolate and Baileys. Yummy!

We swapped out the ugly green recliner for Dad's brown one. It looks much better and there is a lot more space to walk around the furniture. We offered the green recliner to our neighbors who asked if we had a sofa sleeper instead since they didn't need a recliner - "Uh, no - I have a recliner - take it or if your don't want it, we're gonna burn it!" They showed up about an hour later!

I covered three pillows with the same fabric as the valances and we bought a clear plastic table cover and got rid of the ugly green printed one. Now you can see just how beautiful the cedar table is and it's protected. Carlo was very happy the satellite worked - and yes I must admit, I was too. With being sick I was able to snuggle up on the couch and watch General Hospital between my naps.

When I woke up we went to Walgreens for several cold remedies and then to La Tolteca. Once we got back I ended up sleeping for the next 12 + hours. Maybe it was the hot chocolate and Baileys or the Strawberry Margarita or the cold meds - or a combination of all of them, but I slept like a log. I don't usually have a problem sleeping anyway but this time I slept through until morning!

November 6, 2007

We don't do much on the day we leave to head back to reality ~ so, with O'Wich all buttoned up we headed home.





ADIOS WISCONSIN AND WELCOME TO ILLINOIS




Do you know that the Wisconsin/Illinois state line is 1/2 way between here and there? Of all the times we've made this trip, this was the first time ISP was there to welcome us! Trooper Kenton gave me a welcome to Illinois gift of a neon pink envelope (he actually charged me $75 for it!) He even invited me to a get-together to celebrate all the pink envelopes he had been giving out. There's a $30 charge for admission to the event and a $40 upcharge to move the gathering closer to my house! Fun times! Can't wait!

Trooper: 83.3333 in a 65
Me: I think the odometer is off - maybe 72
Trooper: Airplane overhead

Trip home from O'Wich - 3 hours AND 25 minutes

Stopped by ISP - 25 minutes, $75, pink envelope

Can this be written off - Priceless!

We did make it home safely and look forward to going back, although next time it might take a bit longer!

November 5, 2007

Today we had three down bursts of rain, snow and sleet - then sun. The predicted snow never arrived and I was quite disappointed. We cleaned up inside and out and got the cabin ready for winter. Oh, and Carlo worked on the satellite. You'd think with the 40 mph winds we were getting that the leaves would be gone - nope, not yet and the satellite work has been retired until our next visit!

We ran to get feed for the deer, birds and squirrels. Funny, they all eat different stuff!

Our neighbor Paul stopped in to discuss paving the road. See what I mean - hot topic of conversation. Hopefully the next time we go up to O'Wich the road will be paved, graveled or cindered.

Carlo ran to Do-It-Best while I got dinner ready. He was picking up some items needed to hang the light fixture. Although the trip was meant to be R & R, I am very excited the light is up. It looks great and certainly lights up the table area - without us using the floor lamp!

(before on left/after on right/close up below)

November 4, 2007

Carlo started the day by working on the satellite. Doesn't seem that enough leaves have fallen yet to get a clear signal....hmpffff!

We met up with the Spelunkers as we passed their hotel, yes on purpose, to take them to our favorite Portage eatery - La Tolteca!

From lunch, we headed to Cave of the Mounds. It was an hour ride and the scenery was beautiful with the clear sky and all of the farms.

This is the Spelunker vehicle behind us! Hi Val!!! Hi John!!!

It's always 50 degrees in the cave - year round. I want to live there!

We toured the cave and learned or maybe we were reminded about stalagtites (tights down) and stalagmites (might one day touch the ceiling). I made up the part about the tights down - hee hee! The tour lasted about an hour and afterward we purchased a geode, cracked it ourselves and intend to set in into the wall when we stone our fireplace. During our tour we didn't see any bats nor did we have the need to crawl or light our own way.

Afterward we took some photos of breaking the rules, good friends and the beautiful scenery.

I posed by a horse (neighhhh). Carlo and I are on a stump which is over the cave we were in. Hey Carlo...aren't you tall enough!

We parted ways with the Spelunkers. They headed home to Riverfield and we headed back to O'Wich. It was still light enough for us to get a few more photos.

Without the GPS, finding Cave of the Mounds would've been, well, you know....like a needle ~

Caving - although toured and with little adventure, unless you count the numerous flights of stairs in the cave - was fun and interesting. It was great to spend time with Val and John.

We got back and went to WalMart and then got dinner. It certainly was time to call it a day!

November 3, 2007

We arrived at O'Wich around 1:00 in the afternoon. Once again, we hauled a full load. We took a cabinet for storage to use in the kitchen and the light fixutre for over the table along with our usual items; our bags - and yes - I packed light and got it all into one! (Let's not mention I have a lot of stuff at the cabin already!!!) We also took the satellite stuff - of course - a small cooler and the chainsaw. You never know when a tree will cross your path! This trip was for R & R. We settled in and then covered the couch - looks awesome - thank you Jackie! Next time we are bringing up a brown recliner. It will match perfectly.

We spruced up a bit. Can't stop the mosquitoes, flies and moths from dying all over the place and can't get them to stick to the bug strip. There are a couple of teeny tiny bugs stuck, but not the once that annoy the heck out of me. Don't be fooled, the bugs on this strip are painted on in an effort to attract the live ones...time for a new artist! After we get the heat going, the dormant bugs come to life and I spend a lot of time with the swatter, a towel and slipper in an attempt to swat them along (or in other terms, kill them!)

Our neighbor, Rick (Lake in Hills) Pilot - this isn't really his name, Rick is, but not the rest - dropped by to discuss paving the road. This has become quite a topic of conversation amongst us neighbors. I think someone might mess this up - and it won't be us!

Our friends, Val and John Spelunker arrived about 4:00 in the afternnon. We ate, drank and played games until about midnight.

We have a lot of fun when we're with them.

F.Y.I. 750 m/L divided by 4 does not equal enough to drunk dial - Sorry Kevin. Sorry Wayne!