Playing Tourist

After setting up our display booth today for the IGES wholesale gift show in

Sevierville, Tennessee, we enjoyed beautiful weather and beautiful views

as we played tourist for a few hours.

For the next four days, we will give out hundreds of samples of

Root Beer Cookies, Dark Chocolate Cabernet Cake, Bourbon Brownies

and lots of Cracker Uppers!

Time for Apple Crisp

Our lollipop experiment worked.

We covered our trees with tarps and plastic before a heavy frost in early spring.

Our trees were saved.

We have such a bumper crop that the tops of the trees are tipping over!

Everywhere we look, we see apples!
It's apple crisp time!

Homemade Tomato Soup and Cracker Uppers

This time of year, we have an overabundance of tomatoes. Michael has canned them, I have frozen them, we devoured them in salads and bacon/lettuce/tomato sandwiches and we still have so many left.
My friend Bobbie from Bobette's Beads gave us this tomato soup recipe to use up more tomatoes. It is soooo goood! We want to freeze the leftover soup, but so far, there have been no leftovers left!
8 Tomatoes
1 Onion, chopped
Salt/Pepper
Heavy Cream or Half and Half

Cut tomatoes in half and put on roasting pan.
Drizzle olive oil on top of the tomatoes.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 60 minutes or until soft and browned.
Saute onions.
When both are done, put in sauce pan and add 1/4 cup water and 1 cup heavy cream or half and half. Add more or less cream to taste and salt and pepper to taste.
Use blender to combine.
Serve with Cracker Uppers and enjoy! My favorite Cracker Upper with tomato soup is Cheddar Dill.

Starting Line

This is the starting line for the little motor that could.

Michael beat the old record by more then 3 mph.

They have to make two runs to make the record.

The two way average was 66.433 mph.

If you think that 66 mph not that fast,
they are racing at 4200 feet above sea level in 98 degree temps.
Michael wore his twenty pounds of leather suit for over six hours in those 98 degree temps.

So far, only 19 records have been broken this week,
which makes Michael's run even more special.

He got the record!

He did it! He does not know the mph yet (tech has the numbers), but he made the record. 

There were other motorcycles in his class, and they could try again to beat his record, but he has it now!
This came after tech said he could not wear his helmet or the boots that he brought - 

rule change a few years ago that he was not aware of.

Since there is not a boot or helmet store for 120 miles, it was a frustrating day yesterday.
His friends stepped up and loaned him a pair of boots (a bit small and tight, but worth the pain)

and a helmet. He made the run and is so happy with the results.
 I am so proud and he is so relieved!

Sunrise View

 Michael's view of the sunrise from the Boat Ramp.

The Boat Ramp is the starting point to get to the race course.

This is where he greets and guides the attendees and visitors.

This faces west as the sunrise peeks onto the mountains.

Now if we can just keep him from getting sunburned.

The sunblock was not strong enough today and he already burned the back of his neck.

A different hat will help solve that problem tomorrow.

He is There

Michael made it to Bonneville yesterday afternoon.

Today was check in day and assignment day for volunteers.

Michael is a volunteer at the front gate.

He checked in hundreds of attendees and visitors from all over the world.

Several of them wanted to take pictures of his motorcycle that was in the back of his van.

He could not get them to understand that this was just one little motorcycle.

The steamliners (they go over 400 mph) are already in the pits.

I would have loved to see their reactions when they see the big guys!

Windmill and SR-71A "Blackbird"

Michael had an early morning visit to the Danish Windmill,

then took a break from driving on I-80 today
to visit the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska.

He is in front of the SR-71A "Blackbird."
He loved this museum.

www.https://sacmuseum.org
I saw the original museum 25 years ago when it was still at the Offutt air Force Base.

It was interesting then and I am sure that it is so much better now.
Tomorrow evening, Michael will arrive at Wendover

and start preparing for his record run at Bonneville this weekend.

On the Road Again

The van is packed, the motorcycle is race ready,

and Michael will leave at daylight for his three day trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats.

I will update when I hear from Michael.

Prayers for Michael would be appreciated.

Countdown to Bonneville

Countdown to Bonneville.

On Monday, August 22, Michael will be on his way to the Bonneville Salt Flats

to try for his second motorcycle land speed record.

His first land speed record was in 2010.

Last year, it rained so much at the Salt Flats

that they had to cancel the event just a few weeks prior.

If you want to know what this is all about,

watch "The World's Fastest Indian," starring Anthony Hopkins.

It is the fictionalized true story about Burt Munro.

After Michael and I watched the movie, he decided to try for a record

and the rest is history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Munro

Root Beer Cookies debut in Korea

This photograph came from one of Michael's clients from Frankfort. 

She said, "I took these cookies all the way to Korea and shared them with my friends and students.

My mom even sent out a second box so I could share them some more.

They are the best."

We told her to add the frosting next time and double the root beer flavor! 

We are so excited to be shared around the world!

Lollipop Trees

 Last night, we had a heavy frost. 

Our apple trees were in full blossom

and we did not want to lose the fruit,

so we put shower caps over the trees.

They looked like huge lollipops.

Let's see if it worked!

Apple Blossom Time

 It is apple blossom time. They are so pretty and so fragrant.

We just have to find a way to keep them warm tomorrow night,

when the frost (yes, frost) arrives!

Spring is here!

 It is springtime at Creekside!

Too bad this is not scratch and sniff.

The hyacinths have such a beautiful scent!

No Spring Here

 This is the view from our deck.

 These images were taken during Sunday's blizzard.

 This is the same location, taken today in the sunlight.

 

Sometimes, it is hard to come to work, when I would rather enjoy this view.

The only problem is that it is April, not February!

I should be enjoying the flowers, not the snow lined creek!

April Fool

 We were fooled on April 1.

We thought it was spring.

It was not.

 It is still winter.

I am enjoying the beauty, but it is not spring!

Lots and Lots of Snow

A snowy day yesterday gave us a beautiful day today!

Two Wild and Crazy Guys

We have had twelve turkeys hang out on our property for the winter.

Three more males have joined the flock and are showing off for the girls.

They are entertaining!

Chickadee House

While I was working on an order, I looked out the window

and saw two chickadees checking out the birdhouse. 

They each stuck their heads inside, looked around, then flew off.
If they are last year's parents, they must be checking to see if it needs spring cleaning.

If they are new parents, they will be really surprised when the roof leaks!
Michael was going to repair the roof on this poor little birdhouse,

 but he did not expect to do it during the middle of winter!

Biscuits and Beef Roast

I walked into the house to start the wood stove for the evening
and was overwhelmed by the wonderful aroma of the beef roast that Michael
had put in the oven earlier today. 

I was not hungry until I walked into the house.  

Michael also used the last of our carrots from our garden.

The Northwoods Lumberjack Biscuits completed the best dinner on a cold winter's night.

Happy Crabs

We know who the best cookie maker is. 

My attempt at cookie decorating failed miserably. 

Michael got it on the first try. 

Now we know who is the best cookie decorator!

More Snow

 

There is so much snow and the wind blew hard enough that the snow is inside the chickadee birdhouse.
Good thing no birdie lives there now. 

The snow on the trees look like lace. 

God is so creative that he can make excessive amounts of snow look so beautiful.