Thoughts on Saturday

"Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I'd have the facts."

Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

On the Road Friday ~ Amnicon Falls State Park, Superior, Wisconsin

We are on the road today to Amnicon Falls State Park.

Click Here for more information 

Amnicon Falls State Park features a series of delightful waterfalls and rapids along the Amnicon River. You can view them from a covered foot bridge or trails along the river, or—if you're sure-footed—from the rocky shore of the river. The park is a place to picnic, camp, walk in the woods and learn about the Douglas Fault, the geological formation that created the falls.

We are going to explore the frozen waterfalls.

Here we go.

 My boys got a kick out of the name for this waterfall.

 Winter Beauty

 The covered foot bridge.

 The river flowing.

You can hear the water under the ice.

 

We loved this last waterfall. The ice formations look so amazing.

Amnicon Falls is a wonderful Wisconsin State Park to visit in the Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. 

Thank you for coming along today.

Have a great weekend.

 

It is time for the Hodgepodge

 

Welcome to the Hodgepodge

Joyce asks the questions

We answer the questions 

Click here to join in the fun 

1. Did you watch The Oscars? How many of the Best Picture nominees have you seen? (American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, Selma, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash)

No, I did not watch the Oscars.

I have not seen any of the following on the Big Screen. I am very excited to watch The Imitation Game. Several family members and friends went to American Sniper and enjoyed it.

Do you think actors should use their acceptance speeches as an opportunity to promote their political and/or social agenda? Does that sort of speech make you more or less inclined to change the channel? 

No, I do not think they need to use their acceptance speeches for that purpose. 

 

 2. Speaking of the movies... are you comfortable going to a movie alone? How about dinner in a restaurant (not fast food, but an actual restaurant)? The second half of this question was posed by Carrie who blogs over at It's Not Easy Being Queen. Thanks Carrie! 

I have not gone to a movie alone. 

And I have not gone to a restaurant alone.

I have gone to a coffee shop alone.

 3. What's the last home repair or home improvement project you had to pay someone to complete? In hindsight was this a project you could have done yourself? 

We are working on a home improvement project right as I type up this Hodgepodge.

We have a basement wall that is bowing inside and outside!

We can not tackle the project with out help.

The first person we called, never called back!!

The second person we called, was booked up with projects into Autumn of 2015!

We are working with our third person and so far so good.

A very positive man and very helpful with speaking to you in a way you can understand.

4. Have you ever had Indian food? Like it or no? If you're a fan, what's your favorite dish? Have you ever prepared this yourself at home? Is there an Indian restaurant in your current hometown? 

No, I have not had Indian food.

I have been making dishes at home with Tumeric, which is native to India. 

5. A song that reminds you of your parents?   

My parents would sing this together and dance.

My sister and I would laugh and laugh. 

6. The 26th of February is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day. What's your favorite, or one of your favorite, fairy tales? Do you have any childhood memories associated with a particular fairy tale? 

Thumbelina

My parents gave my sister and I a beautiful book of Fairy Tales. I am lucky to still have it. I loved the story of Thumbelina and the art work in the book still fascinates me. 

7. What's a problem you solved yesterday? 

My dog Molly, loves her daily walk. I try to give her one everyday.

Some days can be a little more tricky.

I solved it yesterday! 

My husband and I had a meeting to attend regarding our basement. We had a few errands to run after. I needed to get home, do a few chores, make supper and head out for another meeting at 6:15pm.  My evening meeting was just down the street from me, so I asked my husband to walk with me down to the meeting, so I could give Molly a short walk on a busy day! 

And she thanked me with a snuggle when I got home.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

The sweetest savorings of life are often found in the small sips.

Sue Potts 

Sourdough Bread

Today, I am asking for help. I am new at making Sourdough Bread. As you can see in the photo above my bread splits in half. I am not sure what I am doing wrong.

Tips.

Tricks.

Your recipe.

I appreciate your help.

How do you like to eat your sourdough?

We love to toast ours and have peanut butter or honey on top.

 

Thoughts on Saturday

"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship."

Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

On the Road Friday ~ A Garden Tour

It is Friday. Time to take a little trip.

I planned to take you to another frozen waterfall. After waking up to -20 degrees and surviving another cold week in Wisconsin, I decided we better take a trip to a garden and think spring thoughts. "Think Spring"

 Saving this for next week, Amnicon Falls State Park, Wisconsin.

Amnicon is another beautiful place to visit in all seasons. We visited January 24th and took in the frozen waterfalls. I will share more about them next week.

Click here for more information 

How about a walk in the warm sun.

 A dear family friend took us on an amazing garden tour in Weyerhaeuser, Wisconsin.

  

The garden was in full bloom.

 Fun fairy gardens too.

 Garden decorations and surprises around each turn.

 The door to the secret garden.

 I loved this homemade garden decoration from glass wear.

Thank you for coming along. Soak in that sunshine and think Spring!

Happy Weekend

 ♥

Carla

♫ Ring, Ring, Ring ♫

♫ Ring, Ring, Ring ♫

My parents still have a rotary phone. It looks like the one above, but in a pea green color.

It is down in the basement. 

My boys saw the rotary phone and asked grandma "What is that, Grandma?"

Oh my, did my mom get a chuckle. 

The boys got so excited to use it. They each called me twice.

♫♪ Ring, Ring, Ring  ♫♪

"Hello" I said.

"Hi Mom, we are calling on grandma's phone in the basement. It is so cool mom!"

"We are going to hang up now, so we can call you again!"

♫♪Ring, Ring, Ring♫♪

And we did the following conversation from above again and again.

I loved every minute of it and so did my mom.

How come wrong numbers are never busy?

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

This photo was taken in 2009. We all have grown older. One thing remains the same. My youngest son, Atticus, loves to wear orange hats.

♥

Carla

 

On the Road Friday ~ Black River, Superior, Wisconsin

Welcome, to On the Road Friday, today is the day we take a little trip. We are going to hike down to the Black River in Northern Wisconsin. 

 Sit and relax as we hike on a frozen river. Yes, we are going to hike on a frozen river. And your are saying,"Carla, that does not look frozen, with water gushing!"

The Black River is located in Northern Wisconsin. The Black River is called Mucudewa Sebbe in Ojibwa, which means "black" or "dark". The root beer tint of the water comes from tannin leached from the decaying leaves and roots of vegetation along the river's path.

 The Great Explorers.

The river bank.

 On a river island.

 Ice formations.

  

Tracks...of more crazy people hiking on a frozen river.

 Cracks in the ice.

 My brave dog, Molly, the Boston Terrier.

Thank you for joining us for a river walk.

If you visit Pattison State Park, Wisconsin. Take the Big Falls Hiking trail to get down to the river. It is a beautiful trail in all seasons.

 

A Simple Valentine Craft

 Valentine's Day is on Saturday.

If you need a simple Valentine craft, this is it!

 Valentine Man or Lady

Gather the following

Paper

Scissors

Google Eyes 

Markers

Glue

Cut out a big heart for your body

Cut out small hearts for your hands and feet

Cut out and fold strips of paper for your  arms and legs

 Glue on your hands and feet and google eyes

Create your fun Valentine face

 Happy Valentine's Day!

Montana Flood Cake

 Montana Flood Cake

1 cup butter

3 cups of sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons pure lemon extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

3 cups plus 3 tablespoons cake flour

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the extracts, then alternately add the heavy cream and cake flour.

 Beat the batter for 4 to 5 minutes.  

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until the cakes pull away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. 

Let cool slightly before serving.

Top with berries or ice cream or both!

Enjoy!

 

We loved this fun and easy cake. We topped our cake with our raspberries from this summer. What a fun blessing to go into the freezer and pull out a package of frozen berries from our garden this summer. We have a beautiful raspberry patch in our back yard.  We are so thankful for it! 

Do you have something fun you saved from the summer months to help you remember summer during the winter?

Thoughts on Saturday

"All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. For after all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog."

Charles M. Schulz

 

On the Road Friday ~ Pattison State Park, Superior, Wisconsin

It is Friday. Today we are taking a trip to Pattison State Park, Superior, Wisconsin.

Pattison State Park is the home of Big Manitou Falls, the highest waterfall in Wisconsin.

 165 - foot - high Big Manitou Falls

Frozen on the outside, but you can hear the water gushing under the ice.

 Pattison State Park is full of history and beauty.

Civilian Conservation Corps helped shape Pattison State Park what it is today.

Camp Pattison

Until 1935, facilities at Pattison were modest: a small picnic area, some wooden overlooks, pit toilets and a ranger's cabin. Visitors camped on the lawn and parked along the road. A dam formed in 1928 had enlarged Interfalls Lake, causing a muddy and weedy shore.
One of the programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's plan to end the Great Depression of the 1930s was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) [exit DNR]. Young, single, unemployed men were put to work on conservation projects. On July 25, 1935, Camp Pattison Company 3663 of the CCC was established at what is now Little Manitou Falls picnic area. For the next seven years, thousands of men labored to transform the landscape into what is now the main park area.
The CCC put in sewer and water systems, removed old roadbeds and abutments, planted trees, landscaped and built three miles of foot trails.
During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps quarried rock and chiseled it into blocks to create the park shelter building, nature center, bathhouse and former office building.
The CCC members began work on the campground and pedestrian underpass. One of the most ambitious projects was draining Interfalls Lake, rerouting the river channel and hauling sand from Lake Superior's shore to make the beach.
Once World War II was underway, the labor shortage ended the CCC program. Many CCC veterans often return to Pattison and reunions have been held at the park. The CCC left a legacy of beautiful buildings, practical facilities and a changed landscape in its wake. A booklet detailing the history of Camp Pattison is available at the park office. 

From Wisconsin DNR History Website

 

  

The beauty of a frozen waterfall.

Big Manitou Falls ~ January 24, 2015

 "There is more beauty than we can measure in this world of ours"

Gladys Taber

Thank you for coming along today.

Have a great weekend.

It is a Pink Hodgepodge

It is time to do the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions

We answer the questions

 

 Click Here to join the fun

 

 

 

1. Do you wear your heart on your sleeve, or keep your emotions tucked in tight?

 

Tucked in tight.

 

 2. How did you meet your closest friend?

 

My husband is my best friend. We met when we were young but did not think much of it. During our college years I worked for his parents at the restaurant they owned. Jeremy was also working for his parents for the summer. We both were surprised how much we had grown up. 

 

 
3.  Pink lemonade, grilled salmon, cotton candy, pink grapefruit, a strawberry milkshake, or raspberry sorbet...of the pink foods listed, which one is your favorite? Least favorite? Which one have you most recently consumed?

My favorite ~ pink grapefruit

 

Least favorite ~ pink lemonade

 

Which one I recently consumed ~ pink grapefruit

 

 
4. When were you last 'tickled pink' over something? Explain.

 

 Friday and Saturday we went out to Cross Country Ski. I am always tickled to take an adventure with my family. 

 

5. Are you a fan of television talk shows? Daytime, nighttime, or both? What's your favorite?

 

No.

 

 6. When was the last time you wanted to ask a question, but felt too foolish to do so?

 

During my visit to Chicago. My sister and I wanted to look like we knew what we were doing. My sister finally said, " I am going to ask" 

 

  7. My favorite __________________right now is _________________.

 

My favorite tea right now is Meyer Lemon Stash Tea. 

I am enjoying a cup right now.

 

  8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

 

 An unpublished novel by Harper Lee is to finally see the light of day, 60 years after the US author put it aside to write To Kill a Mockingbird.

 

My husband and I both love To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Yes, we named our son Atticus after Atticus Finch.

I am so excited to read another novel by Harper Lee. 

 

Click Here for more information