January. Pfft.

The blog was awfully quiet in January.  After the business of the holidays we all just wanted to withdraw from civilization and hibernate a bit.  The boys and I did keep busy with school, and Steve with work, but in our down time we retreated to our own corners and spent time in worthwhile pursuits of our own choosing.

Steve and I parked ourselves in front of the television and began watching Downton Abbey together.  We blew through the first two seasons and became quite addicted.  I wish I had just one of Mary's beautiful art nouveau gowns, along with a fancy-schmancy event to wear it to, of course!  Steve's favorite charcater is Carson and mine is the Dowager Countess.  She snarks with such class!  And for the record, I don't trust that Bates.  I think he did it.

Is that a shiv, Bates? Hmmm...

 

 

Ben, having saved up a jar or so of change over the last few years, treated himself to a new guitar in January.  A Les Paul standard.  It is quite lovely and causes much rocking out.

  
 
And finally, Will and Charlie, when not engaged in Minecraft, can be found sledding in the yard. 

 

Notice the half buried sled in the left of the photo.  It snowed again today. Tomorrow's forecast promises a freezing wintry drizzle mix.  We are all a bit sick of winter by now.  Oh well, back to hibernating!

Let The Holidays Begin!

Hand Turkeys

Charlie-age 8

 Gingerbread Men

Let the Holidays begin!

How Excited Am I ??

Out of ten?  

Eleven.

Orchards

What is fall without a trip or two to an apple orchard?  We have a local favorite that is good for easy hiking, petting a few goats, and tasting a fresh-picked apple or two.  This is where we go when it is just too nice to sit inside and read or do math.  It is our escape into the sunshine when we know our remaining days without snow are so very limited.  

It is small and never busy during the weekday afternoons.  On a recent visit we pick-nicked and enjoyed some baked-on-site apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies for dessert.

Through some Internet searching I also found a new little orchard this year which is a bit longer to drive to, but not so long as to prevent it from being a spur-of-the moment trip.  It is family owned and the people were really quite nice and friendly.  We invited another family along with us for an enjoyable afternoon.

They gave us tastings of apples and un-pasteurized cider that they press on-site (soooooooooooooooooooooo yummy!!!).  

They encouraged us to hike through the orchard and eat an apple or two or three on the way (some orchards are just the opposite and frown on tasting, especially when there are 7 children in tow!), and to explore the nature trail as well.  

There is a sort of rock playground too, which the boys and their friends climbed upon and ran on without breaking any bones.  Whew.

We're a bit sad we found it so late in the season as we'd love to visit again this year, but I'm not sure it will happen. There are still some aspects of the orchard which we didn't get a chance to explore, like their gallery.  We'll just have that much more to look forward to next year! 

Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey-stuff.

It's bigger on the inside.

Soon

Last year, at the beginning of June, I was just about to make a post about how I was only a month away from seeing my fave band U2.  Then Bono suddenly needed emergency back surgery and I was sad, sad, sad.  The show, along with a handful of others on the 360 tour was canceled.  Thankfully German engineering put Bono's back back in joint and the tour dates were rescheduled.  

For the following year.

A whole year I had to wait!  I thought it would never come, but somehow the time flew by and here we are.  In another four days FOUR DAYS I'll be inside the stadium trying to take it all in and make it last...

Soon

Signs Of Spring

Once the last bits of ice and snow have finally melted from the roadways, Steve and I take to our bikes for leisurely country rides several times a week.  It gives us a chance to talk to each other uninterrupted and the scenery is great for stress release.  I have been taking my camera along on rides to document some of the sights we see on our little treks, as there certainly is always something to see!  There is definitely a theme running through these photos from some of our May rides...

May 18, 2011-Mrs. Trumpeter Swan on Her Nest

May 19, 2011- Make Way for Goslings

May 21, 2011-Mama and Baby Highland Cattle, grazing

May 21, 2011- Hello Little Sweetie!

June 1, 2011-Remember Mrs. Trumpeter Swan on her nest? Here she is again with her babies!

June 1, 2011-Good Job Mrs. Swan!

Taking A Day Off

It was just too nice of a day today to stay inside and do school stuff, so at lunchtime we headed up to a small, quiet, no bells-and-whistles orchard not far from our house.  We have been strolling the short trail at Pleasant Valley Orchard every year around this time as a wonderful spontaneous get-away.  It usually winds up being our go-to spot on those unbelievable early October days that once in a while appear like a final spark of warm summer-like weather.  Today we ate apples, bought cookies and turn-overs and just enjoyed each other's company.  

Which is really all we need.

The Shirt

If you go back and browse posts from July, you will find that anytime there is a picture of Charlie, he is wearing this shirt:

It is his MarioKart shirt, and he loves it so bad!  I can assure you that on the days he does not appear in a post, he is still wearing that shirt.  He has a drawer full of cute shirts with puppies on them, or shirts with nature themes, even a star wars shirt, but this is hands down his favorite.  He has worn it every. day. this. month.  Sometimes he sleeps in it. Honestly, I don't remember if I have even washed it in July.  I know I tried once and people, he cried.  This will be one of those "keeper" outfits along with the "coming home" outfit and his baptismal suit. It's that special.  (To both of us.)

U2 No Line On The Horizon

Next year U2 will come. Next Year....

Intersnake Park

Last night we headed up to Interstate Park (for the second time in a day, BTW) for the annual Cub Scout family pic-nic.  Every year, the park invites us up and puts on a fun teaching program that often includes active games, audience participation and, one year, an excruciatingly hot hike to the highest point in the park, Eagle Peak.


This year we were treated to some time with naturalist Barb, who brought her snake Copper.

Copper is a Western Fox snake.  Fox snakes are constrictors, and Copper sure loved winding himself around Barb's arm and hand as she talked. 

We have 21 different kinds of snakes in Wisconsin, with only two of them being venomous, the timber rattlesnake, and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. Neither of those are in my area though. Whew.  After her informative talk, Barb let the kids (and adults)  have a chance to hold or touch the snake.  Very few adults wanted anything to do with it, and only some of the kiddos were brave.  It is funny how afeard so many of us are of snakes.  Even my kids took a pass on getting too close to Copper.  Charlie did manage to put out one finger to touch him though.

Copper is right now preparing to shed his skin so he was less active than usual, and his eyes were a milky white color, which is normal for this phase.  Barb talked a bit about how snakes go about shedding their skins and passed around a large skin for the kids to experience.  William had a little more courage with that!

I had a chance to hold Copper as well, but of course I don't have a picture.  There was one Cub Scout Dad who took a pic with his phone as he commented on how he was glad I was the den leader and not him. Not a snake guy, I guess!  Maybe I'll see if he'll send me the photo so I can post it.  The snake was very calm, and was all coiled up in a knot in my hand.  I think he was quite cute!


After the snake presentation, we went for a quick hike into the nearby woods to listen to the baby Great Blue Herons. There is a rather large rookery in the south woods of the park every year and the baby GBH's make such a prehistoric creature racket!  Soaring above the trees you can catch glimpses of the parents busily flying back and forth from the nearby lake and river with food to regurgitate for their demanding young.  Here you can see three nests in the upper branches, in the middle of the photo. (click the pic to get a clearer view)

Here Charlie gives the international sign for " I am a boy with a stick.  Watch out." 

Speaking of "Watch Out", if you look closely, you'll see that the plants behind Charlie have a bit of a "whitewash" look.  That is Baby Heron Poop (scientific term). At the end of the nesting season, the park uses these whitewash markers to get a count of how many nests were in the rookery that year.   The herons will also vomit over the sides of the nests if they feel in any way threatened.  We were taking our chances hiking below those nests, for sure!

After the hike, it was time for the obligatory grilling of the hot dogs, accompanied by climbing of nearby boulders and subsequent skinned knees and stinging nettle incidents.  A fun time was had by all!  And it was so great that our event landed on the one day this week that had no rain in the forecast! Beautiful!

Waiting Patiently

(Insert enthusiastic post about attending upcoming U2 concert here.)

*Sigh* Get well soon, Bono.

The Return Of The Sunday Morning Bike Ride

With temperatures finally reaching into the 70s, Steve and I are back to taking our Sunday morning, post-breakfast bike rides!! This morning was so gorgeous that really, were it not for the rather tasty pot of coffee waiting at home, we might have just kept right on riding. For fun, I grabbed my camera this morning and snapped a couple of country lane shots.

Scottish Highland Cattle, wading.

Shhh. Confession time. Steve and I both talk to all the farm animals we see on our rides. Nothing too deep, or crazy. Just "Hi Cow" or "Horse, over here! It's me! How are you?" Well, OK. Maybe that is crazy. But if we don't talk to them, who will?

Some more Scottish Highland we spoke with. "YooHoo-Baby Cow! Hi Baby Cow!"

Then I snapped a picture of this elusive animal- The Bespectacled Husband, shown below in his preferred habitat.

On our way home, we stopped to chat with our old rooster, George Michael. He is still quite beautiful, but was ready to defend his ladies from the two weirdos on bikes trying to ask them some personal questions. Whatever, George Michael.

Good times. Good Times. Love the Sunday morning Bike Rides!

They Might Be Scientists

Ben is studying Chemistry this year in science with a fun program called The Elements by Ellen McHenry. Today, however, we are taking a little sidetrack....




They Might Be Giants has released a new CD called Here Comes Science and we are enjoying the catchy tune Meet the Elements as a nice little lesson today. Gotta love those Giants!

Like Seeing An Old Friend Again

Click photo to see Elvis in 3-D (where Available)

You are all so sad that you did not go see this show.

Really, really fun. The years have been kind to Elvis-he looked and sounded fantastic and played a 90 minute set full of just what everyone wanted to hear. We had row 7 center seating but abandoned that 5 minutes in, when everyone looked like they were planning to stay sitting throughout the whole thing (who sits through Pump It Up? Hello?). Oddly, most people did sit and tap their toes the whole time. The rest of us moved it up to the stage and danced and sang like teenage fools. Elvis kept telling people "Come on, get up here" but damn if those 50-somethings didn't just keep sitting. Then again, Steve Nieve did park himself at the keyboards in a lazy-boy the whole night, so maybe what do I know? Also sad, many spots remained empty in the reserved seating area, and here again, Elvis encouraged general admission fans to "come on in and enjoy the music". I'm not sure if there were any takers, or if security would even let them in. From any perspective, however, it was a gorgeous evening for an outdoor show and here in no particular order is what we were treated to...

Pump it Up
Everyday I Write the Book
Radio Radio
Radio Sweetheart (with a Van Morrison 'Jackie Wilson Said' twist)
Blame it on Cain
Man Out of Time
Complicated Shadows
Clubland
Uncomplicated
Accidents Will Happen
The Beat
Chelsea
Monkey to Man
Sulphur To Sugarcane
Watching The Detectives
Alison/Tracks of My Tears/Tears of A Clown/Suspicious Minds
And last but not least, the show closer...
Peace Love and Understanding


If pressed to pick favorites, I'd have to say Watching the Detectives, Sulphur, and Peace Love and Understanding. That's if pressed, mind you, because it was all stinkin' good. What was missing? If there was a 3rd encore I would have loved to hear Clowntime is Over. Or just for kicks, Let Him Dangle. OK, and Hank Williams' Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)

The end of the show was just a little sad for me because, well, it was over. I always am left wanting more of a good thing and when the music is like an old friend, it is hard to say good-night at the close of the set. I'll take the optimistic high-road though, and look forward to the next time I can partake of a live Costello show.

Sulphur To Sugarcane

Guess What We're doing right about now?

Win A Date With Elvis

Ah, yes. I remember 1984 like it was yesterday....

This song is from the album (yes, album.) Goodbye Cruel World. When I asked Elvis to sign my copy of it, he looked at me dead in the eye and said "So, you're the one who bought it!" It was the soundtrack of my life.....good times....

My Simple Confession....

When I hear this song I feel compelled to dance like the Attractions. Every. Single. Time.

It's really a shame, but I'm sure Elvis and the boys just do not do the wobbly-leg, ankle-turning jittery-dance nowadays. What I wouldn't give to see it just once more though. And Randy, if you're reading this, I'm convinced that Elvis was your doppelganger in 1980. Uncanny! Handsome devil.

I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down

P.S. For those sick and tired of Elvis Costello video Posts....the concert is only a couple days away, so take heart. I will resume posting about chickens and gardening soon thereafter. Then you'll be sorry. Pfft.

Clubland

I'll be dancing and singing along extra loud for my friends who can't be there....

Every Woman Wants To Be His Pal...

A prolific poet and funny to boot. Elvis hosts Letterman.