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It’s been fleeting this year; taking forever to get here due to the warm weather, gearing up slowly and muddling along with a few early birds then in the space of less than a week we went to full blown peak and beyond. The winds came up and the leaves are scattering ankle deep in yards so I made a trip around Waupaca in one last attempt to record this year’s colors. This was the view I had the last time I got gas at Fleet Farm; a colorful array on its way to glory.
The sun sits low in the sky already but gives off a golden glow this time of year; coupled with the temperamental winds and brisker temperatures it lends a feeling that it is definitely getting close to the hibernation season. Town even seems quiet and subdued; summer tourists long gone leaving streets to us locals. Even the boats weren’t out on the Chain of Lakes so nothing to disturb the crystal clear water and silt bottom.
The sandhill cranes have still been hanging around but appear to be gathering into larger and larger groupings before their migration south. I will miss their haunting calls as they fly low overhead.
The other evening we revisited a campground pub/restaurant down the road apiece to which we had taken my daughter when she was out this summer. It was very crowded the first night we visited; we had to fight our way to the bar for 15 minutes and to a table for two hours. Marc and I decided to start earlier now that summer is over and see if things had calmed down. We arrived in time to make it to have a cold beer sitting at the bar with no problem and also obtained a table before 5 p.m. We did note a good crowd that started arriving at 5 so figure the key is to get there early. As in many things in life, the early bird gets the worm as they say. The Friday night fish fry is decadently unhealthy and they remain open all year excepting for the month of December so I convinced Marc we need to return some evening when it is snowing and we can sit in front of one of the two fireplaces having the place almost to ourselves no doubt, as we imbibe some Irish coffees. After all; the campground closes soon.
Wisconsin is unusual by western state standards for places like this; places tucked away into old houses, back in the woods, off the beaten track yet somehow eking out a living for the proprietors off of word of mouth alone. Neighborhood bars and pubs where beers are cheap and Friday’s always feature fish fries and Sundays prime rib. They are so ubiquitous as to almost be a defining characteristic of the state; a very endearing one actually. I always wonder just who drives miles out into the country to visit these places anyway? Obviously, the neighbors.
Leaving the campground I asked Marc to turn right instead of left (out to the highway) and we wandered down this small rural lane leading into a subdivision. To our surprise we came across a couple of lakes, both with small boat launches and several cabins and vacation homes on the surrounding shores. It was peaceful, quiet and beautiful so I decided to return on Sunday which was marvelously sunny and warm, to take some fall pictures.
It still amazes us that there are places like this hidden away, merely a mile or two from our house that are unknown to us. Never have we been in a state with more roads and highways or more lakes and waterways. Never is there a more beautiful season to see it than now. It takes awhile to develop an appreciation for the change of seasons here but if you're going to live in this state there is no other choice. Mere days away, that sunny Sunday has faded; temperatures have dropped, the wind is up, clouds scuttle across the sky and leaves fall and dance along the ground; all signs of an approaching winter too soon to be here.
We ended up having a pretty fun time at the Blenker open house and were simply in awe of the house itself. To say it’s over the top doesn’t even begin to cover the 4000 square foot interior and its finishes. The thing goes forever in multi-levels but the most stunning feature was the wall of windows running just about ceiling to floor (house has 12 foot ceilings throughout) for around 20 feet in the great room. We figured it would be gauche to be the only ones there taking photographs so all we got was the front exterior, the back fountain/pond/swing area (they have grandkids) and the “tiny” house. Blenker had built the tiny house as a demo for the energy fair held in Plover last year and it was a big hit in its simplicity and cute factor. Believe me, I could very well envision it lakefront up in the Northwood’s and being snug as a bug for long weekends of bliss.
So Marc surprised me the same weekend with new furniture! I had thought for sure we were going to live at least for another year with the thrift store hand me down couch covered in its painters drop cloth and the worn out recliners we stole out of the RV. I had always said I didn’t like the looks of the recliner couches so what do you suppose I ended up with? Actually, it really isn’t too bad at all and we both also got new recliners; mine matches the couch, his is a different brand and darker brown. I love this material; it looks like worn leather but in actuality is polyester and so far seems imperious to cat claws.
So far we’ve had good luck with the wing back chair pictured next to the couch, which has become the sacrificial cat chair. I paid $50 for it and they decided it would be the one to use as their scratching post so we totally succumbed and gave it up to them. It doesn’t match in now very well but if it saves the other stuff…oh well. The brown in the new stuff is the perfect neutral to blend in well with my gray and is a knockout against the tribal looking area rug. You will note I also repainted and upholstered the free coffee table from red to black, using the $10 horse blanket I bought at the antique store. It looks MUCH better in here!
Our Seller Stan, bless his heart, saw me shoveling then lunging and lugging the wheelbarrow full of gravel in an attempt to do more of the house surround and called Marc and told him I shouldn’t be doing work like that at my age so he is bringing his tractor down tomorrow morning to help me which will allow me to get it all done at once instead of daily ten foot increments. My back will thank him.
Our temperatures remained warm for so long that fall was just teasing us with a few flickers at first. Then all of a sudden, I didn’t leave the house for three days and the next time I went out it was in full blaze. I suspect the peak could even be within a week which will make it a very short season. Last year it seemed to ease in and out over the course of an entire month. Look at the difference in 8 days. Regardless, this is just a magical, beautiful time of year here.
