Amy and Mary's adventure

 I met the most wonderful young ladies at the Leland Farm Market today. 

They were land bound today because of the high winds.

Check out their blog for all of the details.

http://lakemichiganinadugout.blogspot.com/p/expedition.html

Birthday S'mores

Michael and I took an overnight mini vacation to our family cabin.

We were celebrating our birthdays (mine was on Wednesday and Michael's was on Friday), 

since we were working way too much to celebrate on our real birthdays.

Michael decided to make a mini fire and roast marshmallows and make s'mores!

They were so good!

Nothing like a fire roasted marshmallow and chocolate on a graham cracker.

 

Add a beautiful sunset over the lake and gorgeous weather,

and we had a great evening.

I found an interesting fact about s'mores. 

 "While the origin of the dessert is unclear, the first recorded version of the recipe can be found in the publication "Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts" of 1927. The recipe is credited to Loretta Scott Crew, who reportedly made them by the campfire for the Scouts. It is unknown whether the Girl Scouts were the first to make s'mores, but there appears to be no earlier claim to this snack. Although it is unknown when the name was shortened, recipes for "Some Mores" are in various Girl Scout publications until at least 1973.

I knew I liked my name for a reason!

Catastrophic Crop Failure

We have a Honey Crisp apple tree.

The tree is about seven years old and has produced three apples so far.

Two years ago, we had one Honey Crisp apple on our Honey Crisp apple tree.
We picked it too soon and it was not sweet enough.

Last year, I blogged about our success with the perfect picking day.
It was the best apple!

This year, we had a catastrophic crop failure.
The winds last week tossed our lone apple off the apple tree.
Michael found it on the ground when he was mowing.
As you can see by the image,
the apple is not ready yet.



We were so looking forward to our lone apple picking party.

Our other apple tree gave us fifteen apples last year and they tasted great.
This year, the heat wave in March caused it to bloom.
The frost a few weeks later damaged all of the blossoms,
so that tree is empty this year.

We are appleless this year!

Now we have to wait until next year.

Salad Bar

 This was what our flower pot looked like in June. It had lots of pretty flowers in it.

This is what our flower pot looked like last month.

Our neighborhood deer decided that they liked the flowers for their midnight salad bar snack.

 

This is what our flower pot looked like last week.

Just when the flowers were growing and getting pretty again, 

they were eaten to the base again.

 I am not sure how, but this flower escaped.

At least we have one pretty flower in the pot.

 At the same time as the first flower pot massacre,

they devoured the sunflowers, too.

Yesterday, while I was at the farmers market, 

I was sad to see the beautiful sunflowers at the market 

that we do not have at our house.

 

I had to photograph them, just so I could remember how pretty they could have been

in our garden this year.

 

Next year, there will be a solution.

I am not sure what it is,

but there will be a solution.

At least I can enjoy the sunflowers at the market

and my zinnias that the deer do not like.

Welcome Old Mission General Store

Welcome Old Mission General Store to our line of stores that carry Creekside Grains mixes.

 

We have been a fan of the store for over twelve years.

 

Every time we visit, we find something new, 

even though it may be an antique!

 

An antique refrigerator/ice box just arrived last week

and it is huge!

If you are in the neighborhood of Old Mission Peninsula,

situated between East and West Grand Traverse Bay,

or on your way to Old Mission Lighthouse,

stop by Old Mission General Store and say hi to Jim and Marcy!

 

http://www.oldmissiongeneralstore.com

 

Goat Stampede

 This is our second annual trip to the Northwestern Fair to eat junk food and watch the Goat Stampede. 

If you have never been to a goat stampede 

(they call it a goat run, but we call it a stampede), 

you have missed an adventure!

 So, what is a goat stampede?

Every evening at 8:00 PM, 

the goat owners take their goats out of their pens where the goats have been all day. 

The goats need to be exercised, so 

the goats and their owners go to the arena.

On the count of three, all goats and kids (people kids) start running to the other end of the arena.

 

Some goats run full speed ahead, while some need to be pushed and prodded to move.

 This very nice goat had made his first run and was preparing for the second run.

 This chubby goat did not want to run.

He was more interested in escaping under the fence, 

which he succeeded twice.

A fun time was had by all!

French Toast and Sugar Cookies

I got to spend Sunday with my mother at our family cabin.

I made her french toast for breakfast.

I noticed something in her hand that was not french toast. 

It was a sugar cookie that Michael had baked for her.

 I have never had sugar cookies with my french toast before,

so I was a bit surprised at her breakfast choice.

 Mom loves Michael's sugar cookies so much that she only asks for them when we visit her.

Michael makes so many other interesting flavors, but Mom still wants the sugar cookies.

She always adds that she will not share, 

but, 

after one day of enjoying the two dozen or so cookies, 

she will break down and share!

I had fun visiting with Mom and (don't tell!) stealing her sugar cookies when she was not looking

(except for breakfast - french toast and sugar cookies are not my breakfast of choice)!