August 24 through August 27, 2012

On Wednesday, as I also did on the previous Saturday, I flew (pretty much directly) over the cabin...well maybe not specifically the cabin but certainly over the Wisconsin River. If only I could have parachuted down. Okay, well not really; but that's how close I think I was! Funny thing is that exactly when the pilot said we were 180 miles from landing - with an ETA of 30 minutes to Midway - I knew exactly where we were!!!

* So, since I was unable to get off the plane, mid-air, Carlo and I drove up together Friday morning. Much safer than jumping from the plane! We got a slighter later start than we originally discussed but it all worked out to our advantage...we got news of a grain carrier accident near our exit so we planned a different route, just in case the clean up would be longer than noted. Timing worked well for lunch because we stopped at the Pine Cone and had a tasty lunch. We didn't forget some goodies to go this time! Here's one brownie, one mini creme puff and one cinnamon roll - these things are gigantic!

We stopped in at Gander Mountain then headed to Kwik Stop for a couple of supplies - milk, cream, ice, bread, hot dogs, buns and gas. Yes, Carlo, I know it's Kwik Trip! I'm not really sure the exact time we pulled up at O'Wich but it was around 2:15. We unloaded the truck and walked into an 80 degree cabin, a sprung mouse trap with gray mouse hair debris stuck to the floor and very stuffy air...could be dead mouse odor! The front porch had mouse or maybe squirrel droppings along the wall and a sticky trap that was pretty far from where I placed it. Also left for us was a pile of some animal crap on the front mat...nothing says "Welcome" like a pile of crap! Bastards!!!
We snacked on some of our bakery buys and watched TV. I cooked up some eggs for egg salad and looked forward to ending my day...hoping the noises I was hearing were falling leaves and not a group of busy mice!

 *Saturday morning got off to a relaxing start - sunshine, 65 degrees, birds chirping and a delicious cup of coffee. Carlo started a fire in the stove to prime the unit - maybe not a good time since we're expecting mid 90 temperatures - hopefully the fire dies out soon.

 

At 9:30 am, there was no where to go to cool down. It was 80 outside and 82 inside with the embers burning bright. Who starts a fire when it is so warm???? Oh, I know!!! ;)

At 12:15 we headed out to the Taste of Portage. We went in 2010 and enjoyed it, so we thought we'd try it again. Carlo got a slice of pizza from Tolley's, a local bowling alley and a pulled pork sandwich from Po' Boys BBQ and Catering. I had the Prime Rib Sandwich from the Hitching Post and loved it. We listened to a band called the Midwesterners, which were actually very good considering they play classical country. Before our field trip ended we tried some nachos and couldn't leave until we had the ever popular fair dessert of a funnel cake. They even had a place for brats - not sure if they were advertising a place for unruly children or sandwiches! I know, I know...unruly children!!!

 

It was a fun, breezy, people watching afternoon - like Walmart on beer! When we left we decided to take a shortcut back to the truck. As we were walking, Carlo walked off the end of the sidewalk and took a dive - it was around the same moment I was pointing to a speed boat for him to look at...I'm sorry he fell and very happy he got up so quick. Luckily he walked away with only a little road rash but sadly lost his pocket knife. What a crappy way to end a fun afternoon.

 

We ended up missing the fireworks due to time rather than location. It was already dark by 8:00 but they weren't starting until 9:00 and it had already been a long day for us. Carlo said he heard the fireworks for about a half an hour - I am only a little disappointed to have missed them!

*We were up about 5:30 on Sunday but slept through the rain. Even though there isn't even a hint of sunlight, the light misting rain is another morning in the country favorite of mine. Along with coffee, of course!

We left for our yesterdays errands shortly after 8:00. We tried to stop for breakfast at the Log Cabin Restaurant before going to Menards but they were packed. So we hit Menards and picked up seed for both the grass and the birds, a couple of fire wood racks and some weed spray...'spend big money at Menards!' We headed back to the Log Cabin Restaurant and waited about 20 minutes for a table. It wasn't the best this time around, but it wasn't the worst either. From there we decided to go to Walmart; primarily because it was raining and there wasn't much else to do. I picked up a foot massage machine and a peach pie - Saturday was National Peach Pie Day - obviously in name only because we couldn't find a peach pie until today! When we got back, Carlo threw out the grass seed while I took my foot massage machine out for a test drive - one of use enjoyed our chore! (P.S. mine really wasn't a chore - ha ha!)

 

 We visited down the road for a bit and watched some TV when we got back. The rain let up but the humidity set in which was a deciding factor of staying in with the A/C on. John Wayne and Clint Eastwood made for an entertaining late afternoon and early evening. They always offer up some great times!
 

*Monday morning started (for me) about 5:30. Sadly, this is the day we need to head home. It cooled off quite a bit - down to 64. Perfect temperature for a cup of coffee, listening to the cranes, morning birds and other sounds of nature that if it were dark out, would scare the living bejesus out of me! But there's nothing I enjoy more than sitting at the table of the screened in porch...this is my relaxation!

As I finished packing up, Carlo suggested that when we're not here there may be flying mice and that I may want to put the hot dog buns in the freezer, the fridge or the fire stove - I guess I won't leave it where the cheese lands!

 

We found out today was National Banana Day and it was suggested to celebrate with a piece of Banana Cream Pie...we actually did that yesterday - I guess we were ahead of the times. Who comes up with these "National" days anyway????

Next weeks hopes and dreams - also known as goals or projects with plans and ideas:



- Put together both fire wood racks
- Move all fire wood to soon to be put together fire wood racks
- Straighten up the back deck
- Maybe...maybe buy a grill - or maybe not
- Entertain the neighbors - or maybe not

Happy - upcoming - Labor Day! (Labor means work, right?!)

July 14 through July 19, 2012

July 14, 2012
It's 7:00 am and not only was Karen's car tucked away in the garage, but we were on the road looking forward to a week of solitude. We drove through to the farm stand and couldn't believe that a three-and-a-half hour trip went by so fast. We then shopped at Pierce's for our week of supplies and pulled into our nirvana at 11:30 am. By noon, everything was unloaded, unpacked and stowed away.
    
I added a kettle to the wood burner for humidity (comes the winter)...now that's a stove calling the kettle black - or would that be a kettle calling the stove black?
 
Carlo drove up separately since he can only stay the weekend. Sadly, the forecast will put us close to 100 degrees...again! With this news, I'm sure we won't get much done during this trip either. We grilled hot dogs once Carlo arrived and then celebrated National Ice Cream Month for dessert. We had some great conversations and laughed a lot while we endured the heat. We had dinner around 9:00 pm and had fabulous steaks, potatoes and corn. I love to grill!

July 15, 2012
Having an air conditioner is such a comfort. I am so glad we brought this one. We sat outside on and off throughout the day - coming in to cool off. We noticed a deluge of ants...not your normal picnic ants but a tough as armor hard to kill pack of ants. They are gigantic and they have a crusty shell; hence armored ant.

Carlo sprinkled ant powder to keep them away and out of the cabin but some did manage to sneak through. I wish they would find their way to the bug light...Zap! We made a 6-layered Seven Layer Taco Dip for lunch. I forgot the black olives, hence a layer short! This was much more tasty that the layer Christmas Tree shaped Taco Dip from the holiday season and much cheaper!
 
We cleaned a bunch of fruit and the savages picked at or totally removed the rinds that were placed out by the tree! The neighbors stopped by for an outdoor visit where we misted with the hose to cool off. We were exhausted from doing nothing! We napped, cooled off and had the best grilled pork chops ever. Karen brined and I grilled - they were truly the best I have ever had...Delicious! We were all tucked away by 10:00 pm.

July 16, 2012
Karen and I sat outside while Carlo went to Wal-mart. I am excited over the 4-slice toaster he picked up and we broke it in for muffins and bagels.

 
Karen was the first to "review" the new shower head and could only tell us that she "didn't touch it" and that her "right arm pit lacked attention" due to the placement of it, yet she gave it 5 stars!

While we sat outside, the birds were out of control. I never noticed so many birds on the deck at one time and was worried the Tippie Hendron and Alfred Hitchcock were going to arrive at any moment! Carlo cut some of the higher grass and mashed down the stone with the tractor.
We drove down to the river to check out the sandbars. Karen rode in the back of the Tahoe and I was worried she was going to fall out. The river is the lowest it has ever been in the almost 6 years we've been here. Our beautiful tree is still holding on, so don't adjust your viewing angle, it really is leaning over the river.

It was 104 degrees and the air was stifling. We had BLT's for lunch and at 3:00 pm.


Karen and I went to the resale shop before picking Betty up at the repair garage. Once we got her tucked safely into her house, we got back and rested until 6:00 pm when I helped Carlo clean out the shed. We were out there for 2 hours and we cleared out more mouse pissed things that we could count, not to mention getting a little repulsed from the stench of all the dead mice. Ever since the flood, we have had more mice...tomorrow there will be an extra order of mouse bait (aka poison) thrown around - look out critters, "I'ma gonna kill ya!" At least the shed now looks "pre-flood" awesome!
 
We grilled burgers and didn't get a chance to eat until 9:00 pm and they were worth the wait! Karen put together a little to-go package for the critters with the left overs! We were done with our day by 10:30 pm, exhausted and sick of the heat.


P.S. Heard tomorrow will be hotter...seriously?????

July 17, 2012
Woke to a heat advisory with temps expected to be as high as 105 degrees...egads! I helped Carlo load up all the garbage since today is the overload day at my house. He'll be happy to get the bags of trash out of the Tahoe since the trash is from the shed - stinky! Bad timing on driving the Tahoe over the Silverado.

He hit the road about 9:15 am and Karen and I toasted bagels and muffins for breakfast...in the new toaster! We rested up most of the morning since we had to pick Betty up at 4:00 pm to pick up her truck - we were also heading out to Do It Best, Tractor Supply and the Fire Department. The FD was closed so we replaced that stop with a trip to Fashion Bug, where my luck was better than I expected. Our celebration of National Ice Cream Month continued when we made Root Beer Floats or maybe you call them Brown Cows. We enjoyed some very loud thunder and some light sprinkles that came through allowing the temps to drop down to 80 degrees by 8:00 pm. It was another late dinner and then I sprayed the deck with some ant killer that I bought - I wanted these armored ants to die! Sadly, I was overcome by the fumes and felt I was dying. Once I stopped choking from the fumes all that there was to do was wait for the storms to roll in.

July 18, 2012
Seems like it's a sleep-in sort of Wednesday...we got up late and after breakfast a nap was in order. We chatted up the late morning and early afternoon until we both dozed off - again! When we got up we ate oven baked pretzels, ice cream (it's still National Ice Cream Month!) and candy and decided we should eat something more substantial for dinner - so we made breakfast! Scramble eggs, sausage, potatoes and toast. Yet another yummy meal. We watched a little TV and then watched the tremendous storm that finally arrived.

July 19, 2012
Almost all the mouse bait I threw out yesterday is gone. I will re-bait before we leave so those little buggers have a chance to feed their families, stay away and then die. I unearthed a lone sapling from the side of the cabin that looked silly coming out of the stone and finally took down the stakes and wire that were protecting the others.
 
We had coffee and I decorated the porch - which may end up falling down since I am not sure if this meant for an outside application.

This was all done by 8:30 am. A far more productive day than yesterday. After showering we went for a burn permit and cigarettes. We picked up corn to take home, made another run to Fashion Bug and Tractor Supply and were eating corn and grilled cheese sandwiches by 12:30 pm. After lunch we prepped our dinner for our company - grilled chicken and salad!


 
Betty arrived around 5:00 pm and we ate shortly thereafter. There's this crazy frog that, every time I go to use the grill, leaps out and scares me! And yes, I did scream!
 
Betty stayed until it was almost dark and Karen and I then continued to enjoy the "chilly" 64 degree evening! We are leaving in the morning after having a terrific week of relaxation!