Day 364: Delightful Items on a Delightful Walk

August 21, 2021August 22, 2021 ~ Dona ~ 1 Comment

I awoke refreshed today, despite my watch telling me my sleep was worse than yesterdays (although still “good”) so after coffee I took a walk around my neighborhood. Many years ago I determined that if I walk the perimeter of our neighborhood (except for a couple busy streets) I’ll have walked a mile. It doesn’t seem like much, but I am terribly out of shape.

I did the perimeter today and snapped some photos of delightful things along the way. (which is probably why my watch didn’t consider it exercise!).

I saw some fruit that I’d seen before but I didn’t know what it was. The crows were gobbling them up. Turns out it’s a non-native (Kousa) dogwood. A few houses later I discovered Brickhenge! On the next street was a sign in the grass which read “The Poo Fairy doesn’t live here. Please scoop your dog’s poop! Thank you.” Then, on the same lawn was a tree made from a metal pipe, wire and fairy lights. I need to visit it at night sometime. A few doors down I saw some Japanese Maple leaves and whirligigs (seeds) in the sun. The photo does not do it justice until you really zoom in. While not new to me, I saw that the chimney without a house now has some scaffolding. As I walked on another street I noticed something orange in a tree branch. At first I thought it might be a group of early autumn-colored leaves, then I was disappointed that it was a balloon, but finally noticed it was a ball. Finally, across and down the street from my house was a huge mushroom whose cap was the size of a dinner plate.

Day 349: A Farmers’ Market, an Old Growth Forest, a Touristy Town, and a Fish Fry

August 6, 2021August 18, 2021 ~ Dona ~ 1 Comment

A day full of delights!

Brandon wanted to go to the Minocqua Farmers’ Market so we did. I bought some delightful jelly and jam (including thimble berry and gooseberry) and some vegetables for a salad I was planning on making. Rupert and Chum posed with a large cabbage.

Later that afternoon, while down a rabbit hole of websites about trees I wondered if we were near an old grown forest so searched for it. I found one about 90 minutes away (at first I thought it was less than an hour, but I didn’t have the right location). Dean had free time so we drove to Cathedral Pines/Woods, part of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. This 40-acre grove has trees that are nearly 300 years old. It was highly delightful! Rupert and Chum were quite impressed!

On the way back from the old growth forest we stopped in Wabeno, a delightfully touristy town where we toured the Wabeno Logging Museum, visited a schoolhouse and walked along a small river.

That night we had fish-fry at the Hazlehurst Pub. The fish was delightful, but being at the pub, in my opinion, was asking to catch Covid. Brother had no interest in sitting outside.

Day 324: The Pontoon and No Internet

July 12, 2021July 22, 2021 ~ Dona ~ 1 Comment

After a rough start, today became delightful. Dean figured out how to get the pontoon he rented to the dock of our property (not an easy task with no Internet or GPS). I drove him to the gas-station-convenience-store-boat-rental-place-that-had-internet (hereafter called the marina) and watched while he learned to drive the pontoon. Then I drove back to the cabin and waited for him to show up at the dock. It took a while but he eventually arrived.

Once I knew for sure that I would not have access to the Internet for the whole week, I took it in stride and decided to devote my free time to reading. I’d loaded a few books on my Kindle and brought a few physical books. I chose to read Hoover the Talking Seal by Jeremy Burgoyne first because I’d bought it during the first part of the pandemic and knew Jeremy was wondering why I had not let him know I’d finished it.

Later that afternoon I went on a pontoon ride with Dean. It was relaxing. This was shaping up to be a relaxing, Internetless week full of reading!

I also explored the yard of our Airbnb and disturbed a snake that I found out later was probably a copperhead.

Day 316: The Day After

July 4, 2021July 7, 2021 ~ Dona ~ 1 Comment

Today was delightful because 1) some of Andrew and Alex’s friends were still here and 2) because we didn’t have a party to prepare for. My feet were undelightfully swollen from being on them all day in shoes that didn’t exactly support my arches.

After the guests and Alex and Andrew left, we chilled and had a delightfully easy meal of party leftovers.

I snapped some photos of some of my wildflowers growing in the front planters.

Day 313: A Missing Delight from the Previous Post, Alex’s Parents, and a Surprise Wildflower Arrangement

July 1, 2021July 6, 2021 ~ Dona ~ 3 Comments

When I wrote the last post I think I forgot to mention that Alex and I went shopping for the engagement party on Monday, June 28. It was delightfully enjoyable to spend the day just with Alex. I can’t believe our luck in having her as a future daughter-in-law. Unless everyone finds it too schmaltzy, I may use the term daughter-in-love, as my friend Mindie does.

Today, I had the delightful pleasure of hanging out with Alex’s parents, John and Lisa Guyton. We toured the proposed wedding venue and then took a walk on the C&O Canal at The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (which I have always referred to as Great Falls). After that we had an impromptu lunch of cheese and crackers because the weather turned nasty. (We didn’t know, but there was a tornado warning for our area at the time). John and Lisa are such fun. Again — I cannot believe our luck.

Finally, our egg couple went above and beyond with a flower arrangement that dazzled us all. Rick delivered it along with my egg and greens when Lisa and John were here. Our jaws dropped when we saw it. I was expecting something much smaller, and without a vase, but since I’d mentioned it was for the engagement party Valerie and Rick made it extra special.

Days 284-312: A Month of Delights

June 30, 2021 ~ Dona ~ 2 Comments

This is the longest I have gone without writing in this blog which makes me think it is good that I am only doing it for a year. The biggest delights were having Dean’s sister’s son and his family visit for a few days, hanging out with Alex and Andrew for Dean week, visiting a wedding venue, and preparing for the engagement party. It has been a very busy month, and the summer will be busy as well.

I’ll try to not let a month go by again without documenting my delights.

Delightful wall shadows

While we watch television in the family room this time of year the setting sun shines through the western windows, making patterns on the wall.

Cicada Love

A couple of cicadas doing what they were born to do.

Indoor Cicada

This fella or gal flew in the bedroom window while I was trying to take a nap.

Fairy Garden Flowers Blooming

The fairy garden flowers (from the seed packet Alex gave me) finally began blooming.

Nick and Nora Manhattan

I bought a set of two Nick and Nora cocktail glasses and served manhattans one evening

Eggs for Dinner. Eggs for Breakfast.

One night we ate eggs and sausages (and beans, mushrooms and tomatoes) for dinner. I made egg in a hole one morning too.

Sparkly Rain

One morning as the sun came up I caught these rain droplets in the sun.

Visit from C&S and Fam

C&S and Fam were supposed to visit last summer, but we all know why that was not possible. They visited this month and it was delightful.

Great Falls

Since no museums were open during their stay, C&S and Fam and I went to Great Falls National Park.

National Zoo

We needed passes to get in, but we got them and went to the zoo. We even saw the baby panda!

Baking a Cake with G.

On the way back from Great Falls I asked the kids if anyone wanted to bake a cake with me. Everyone said yes, but only six-year-old G followed through. He wanted to do it all by himself (and he did most of it). He decorated it with flowers.

Introducing G to Rupert and Chum

The morning the C family was getting ready to leave, G and I played with Rupert and Chum. At one point G decided that Rupert and Chum should bake a cake — Rupert (who G was in charge of) told Chum (my charge) the steps to make a cake that sounded a lot like our day before. It was very sweet.

Father’s Day

Dean wanted to go to Cunningham Falls for Father’s day (the official beginning of Dean week) so we did.

Our 36th Wedding Anniversary

We ate at a local French restaurant. The food was very good, but we felt out of place.

Finally a use for the star and moon light!

I bought this thinking it would be cool — and it is — but how many times can you use it for just a two person party. We’re going to use it for Andrew and Alex’s engagement party. I took a video to show them.

Dean’s Birthday

The official end of Dean Week, his birthday, was nice. We’d made plans to go to an Indian restaurant but the reservations were not correctly made (my fault) so we at at a Laotian restaurant near Andrew and Alex’s apartment. Great food! We had pie and other treats later at their appartment.

Insects and Arachnids

The cicadas may be gone, but I saw some cool critters about the house and yard

Bumble Bee — we may have a colony under our deck

Day 280: Radish Greens are Edible!

May 29, 2021June 30, 2021 ~ Dona ~ 1 Comment

I learned that radish greens are edible. I was making stuffed shells but didn’t have any spinach but did have some radish greens so I chopped them up, added some pesto and added them to the cheese mixture that I stuffed the shells with. Very good! (I did check first to make sure it wouldn’t kill us).