On The Road Friday ~ Tuscobia State Trail ~ Wisconsin

 Happy Halloween

We are on the road today, we are off to bike on the Tuscobia State Trail

This 74-mile trail on a former rail corridor is one of the longest rail trails in the state, running from Park Falls to the Wild Rivers State Trail just north of Rice Lake. The trail passes through part of the Flambeau River State Forest and the rugged wilderness of Wisconsin's Blue Hills. The trail connects seven small communities in Barron, Washburn, Sawyer and Price counties, each providing year-round accommodations and services.

The Tuscobia State Trail is a year-round multiple use recreational trail that offers opportunities for ATVs, snowmobiling, horseback riding, off-road bicycling and walking. Trail activities vary by time of year and by county. The western end of the trail is part of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

We are off on the trail. Heading into  the "Old Forest".  The boys thought this looked like the trail Frodo takes in the Lord of The Rings.
I will admit, this is my first long bike ride on rough terrain. I was proud of  how well I did. 

 Tuscobia State Trail
We started our adventure in Rice Lake.
Click here for a map and more information 

 Riding bike in the leaves was so much fun. The sound of the leaves crunching under our bike tires was so fun. Atticus would put his legs out and act like a snowplow. 

The following is from the Wisconsin DNR Tuscobia State Trail website ~

Walking and bicycling

The entire trail is open to walking and bicycling year-round, though bicycling is not recommended. The trail is not groomed or surfaced and may be rough or soft in many sections. If you plan to bike the trail, the tread is more suitable for off-road bikes.

 The trail was very nice for off-road bikes.

We walked down a hill that had a wash out area, not wanting to hit a big bump.

Thank you for coming along today.

Trick or Treat

On October evenings in Sleepy Hollow, when the wind is crying through the trees and the firelight makes familiar faces seem ghostly and unknown, that is when the stories are told...

 Washington Irving

Do you think you would walk down this trail on an October evening?

Boo! 

How Old Is Your Candy?

"Camels are just a fad, but chocolate is a permanent thing."

Milton Hershey

For centuries candy was expensive, handmade and very rare. Everything changed in the 1800's. Trains transported sugar cheaply. New machines produced hundreds of sweets at the same time. Kids could suddenly afford "penny candy"-mostly peppermints, butterscotch and other hard candies.

Since 1937, U.S. military rations have included a chocolate bar.

In 1982 astronauts ate M&M's on the space shuttle.

Instead of gummy bears, Brits nibble on jelly babies.

A California company makes see-through lollipops with bugs inside! Yuck!

A dad invented Ring Pops to help his daughter stop sucking her thumb.

The first Smarties came from a machine that made gunpowder pellets.

  Trick or Treat is here.

What is your favorite candy from the list and can you read what year it made its tasty appearance?

1935 - Kit Kat for me!

   

   

Storyteller ~ Tracy Chipman

 Last week we attended an event at our local library. 

Storyteller Tracy Chipman

Click below to check out her blog and more information 

 

Tracy Chipman  

Enjoying a good story. 

How fun it was. She used her hands, arms, eyes and facial expressions to tell us several great stories.

I loved to peek over at my boys to see the expression they made. 

One story she shared was a riddle. As she told the story we had to continue to try to solve the riddle along with the character in the story.

A little red house

With no windows or doors

With a star inside

And when you find it, you will receive something good to eat!

Do you like a good story?

Do you have a good storyteller  in your family?

Or are you the storyteller?

Sunflower Seeds

Each year I try to dry our sunflower seeds for the birds.

 I lay them out and get them all nice in the sun.

 Almost ready!

  I am thinking,"Oh the birds will be so happy this winter, and so will I, watching the birds eat the seeds."

 I am so happy!

The next day I head in to check on my seeds and a mouse, chipmunk or squirrel has found my sunflowers in the sun.

And I ask myself...what are those darn cats doing?

 Living the life of a cat, of course.

 ♥

Have a great weekend my friends!

Carla

Photo Bomb

"Hi, My name is Molly. I am Carla's Boston Terrier. And I hate getting my photo taken!"

It is true. Molly does not like her photo taken. It has become a game for our family to take a photo of Molly. A nice photo of Molly, not one with her sticking her tongue out at us.

"I am kind of good here, but I will not let them see my smile."

"I am running from the camera! I will not let you get me! Ha! Do you like having your photo taken?"

Halloween Fun

Halloween is just a few weeks away. 

Do you have a tradition you enjoy to do?

Do you go trick or treating, take in a haunted house or make a special treat?

 Normal is an illusion.

What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.

-Morticia Adams

We carve our pumpkins and light them for all our neighbors to see.

The boys use to go trick or treating, but they decided to pass out candy last year, and plan to do it again this year. They love to see the little ones dressed up as Super Heroes, animals or other fun stuff. Last year we had Dorothy and Toto come to trick or treat. It was so cute. We also had a cute little bumble bee.

 Boo!

The boys love to carve pumpkins. That is the favorite part of the Halloween excitement. 

 

 Meow!

I like to dress up too. When the kids come to the door to trick or treat, they get such a delight to see the person passing out candy is dressed up too.

 

Brown Sugar Pear Tart

Brown Sugar Pear Tart

 Pears have been on sale at our local grocery store. I wanted to make something new and different for a dessert. Looking in my Betty Crocker's Cookbook, I found a fun new recipe.

Yummy...yes, it is very yummy.

 Prepare and bake Pecan Crust.

Pecan Crust

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2/3 cup butter

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients except butter. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press firmly and evenly against bottom and side of greased 8x8x2 inch pan.

Bake for 8 minutes, cool.

Pear Tart

3 or 4 medium pears

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all - purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Cut each pear lengthwise in half and remove core.

Place each pear half, cut side down, on cutting surface. Cut crosswise into thin slices. With spatula, lift each pear half and arrange on crust, separating and overlapping slices, to cover surface of crust. Mix remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over pears.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and pears are tender.

  

Enjoy!

 

Red and Green Peppers

Peppers, we have got peppers!

I can not take credit for all 47 peppers I am going to show you in the following photos. Marv is the gardener and green thumb of these beauties.

Marv heads to Maine every September. He asked if I would finish taking care of his produce and that I could keep whatever was still in the garden.

He had four pepper plants. Off the four pepper plants, I picked 47 peppers.

I froze some of the peppers and dehydrated the rest.

I love the mix of green and red.

Setting up the dehydrator.

The finished product. 

I will use the dried peppers to add to our  pizza.

I will use my frozen peppers for soups, stir fry and casseroles.

What do you like to use  peppers for?

I am so blessed to have Marv as my garden mentor. Guess what? He taught me his trick to growing pepper plants this summer. I am hoping I will have a green thumb just like him next summer.

 

Our World

The daily news. Do you keep up with all that goes on? Do you listen regularly or watch a certain news program?

Recently both my boys asked me why does the news only report all the bad stuff? We hear nothing happy or good. Then both of them said they really do not like to even listen to the news.

 Do you have any good advice to give to kids or even adults, when the news of the world starts to weigh you down?

Thoughs on Saturday

You can't reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday's junk.

Louise Smith

On the Road Friday ~ To the Pumpkin Patch

Hello,

We are off to the Pumpkin Patch today!

  On Halloween night, the 'Great Pumpkin' rises out of the pumpkin patch, then flies through the air to bring toys to all the good little children everywhere. Wouldn't you like to sit with me in the pumpkin patch on Halloween night and wait for the Great Pumpkin?

Linus

 I am so glad my boys are still excited to go pick out a pumpkin. I get just as excited! 

Something about  going to the pumpkin patch...it just makes me smile.

 It can be so hard to pick just the right one.

Atticus looks to see how the face will look all carved out and tends to pick out big, round pumpkins.

Sam likes to find tall pumpkins.

My hubby knocks on them....looking for the pumpkin that has the most seeds.

We always save our pumpkin seeds and roast them in garlic salt...yummy!!

 Do you decorate for Autumn with pumpkins?

Do you carve pumpkins to celebrate Autumn?

And how about roasting pumpkin seeds, do you have a fun way to roast pumpkin seeds?

 The winner of our Studio206 card giveaway, is Meredith of Mereknits

 Congratulations!!

Thank you to all for entering.

To celebrate Autumn we are having a 15% off sale on all our products.

Enter in  HAPPYAUTUMN in the coupon code to receive 15% off!

Our Shop 

Swedish Dishcloth

 A dear friend of mine gave me this Swedish Dishcloth as a gift. She said"Use it!"

It took me awhile to try it, because it so pretty, only feels like paper and is a map of my most favorite place in the world, Lake Superior!

I obeyed. Last week I used my Swedish Dishcloth and I love my Swedish Dishcloth!!

This marvelously absorbent dish cloth from Sweden is a wonder in the kitchen. You'll never want to go back to sponges or regular cloths when you see how it works. It softens when wet, cleans kitchen surfaces virtually streak - free, and washes and dries like a dream. Made of earth-friendly 70% cellulose and 30% cotton, it is durable (just wash it in your washing machine). And the motif will give your kitchen a Scandinavian accent.

What is your favorite type of cloth to use in the kitchen?

 

 

Autumn Giveaway

Autumn Giveaway

It is simple to enter, just leave a comment. 

 Peek at our shop on Etsy Click Here

Share in your comment a few of your favorite cards or posters.

The winner will be drawn the old fashioned way, out of a hat, by one of my boys on Thursday night.

The winner will be announced on Friday, October 10th.

Happy Monday!

A peek at our new photo card for Autumn.

Gourd and Pumpkin Harvest

 

On The Road Friday ~ Bushel and a Peck ~ Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Welcome to Friday!

Today we will take a trip to Bushel and a Peck, located in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

 Bushel and a Peck

We picked our own apples.

The apples are just huge! We enjoyed our day out in the orchard.

Situated on a scenic ridge separating the
Chippewa River Valley and the Eau Claire River Valley, our orchard was planted over a century ago and now includes over 5,000 trees
producing over 30 varieties of apples. 

Click here for Bushel and a Peck website 

 An apple a day keeps the doctor away!

 I love the gazebo, it is surrounded by apples! It is really neat how they have apple trees growing around the gazebo. Very creative and I am sure a lot of work.

 If you look at the websites photo gallery, a couple got married in the gazebo.

Bushel and a Peck are the home of over 5,000 apple trees!

 Picking apples is a tradition of our family. We like to take a day and pick apples.

At the request of my boys, I made three pans of apple crisp. 

My sweetheart makes the best caramel, so we enjoyed some of the apples fresh and dipped them in caramel. We also ate some to keep the doctor away.

 " Mom, I think we can get a few more in here"

How about you? Do you visit an orchard for your apples or just for the fun of the season?

What is your favorite thing to do with apples?

I am planning to get a few more apples and make some applesauce or apple preserves.

Enjoy the weekend!

 ♥

Carla

 

Lovers Lane

Lovers Lane

The spot to be this Autumn.

Bring your sweetheart, a picnic lunch and enjoy!

 Lovers Lane ~ Bayfield County ~ Wisconsin

 Old roads winding as old roads will,

Here to a ferry, and there to a mill,

And glimpses of chimneys and gabled eaves,

Through green elm arches and maple leaves.

John Greenleaf Whittier

 I love tree covered roads. I know of four and lucky for me we have one in the county I live. I also get to drive on one on my way to my parents. They are so magical, full of imagination, wonder and romance. Just the best place to take a walk with your sweetheart on an Autumn day.

How about you, have you traveled on a tree covered road?