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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.
Fall is here in suddenly dropping temperatures (over 20 degrees in one fell swoop in the space of a day) but the trees haven’t yet caught up. We’re a good two-three weeks behind changing colors that we normally would experience at this time. This is a beautiful park in Waupaca featuring playgrounds, skate park, hiking and biking trails, picnic areas surrounded by the Waupaca River and even a sled hill for winter. It’s all free of course but lacks the fall colors I was looking for on this day.
The Indian summer allowed us to get more done in the yard although not all that we had hoped as yet. Maybe as the changing leaves, the snow will also be delayed this year. Marc hauled in about six loads of mulch which he rototilled in, but we still need around four more loads to really complete the area as we want. I repainted all the white posts so they are pristine and waiting for the wire fencing. We’re still also hoping to get that gravel completed around the house and the spa moved and cleaned out.
I dug three nice holes for some planned birch and aspen trees and we had a road worker move our big rocks into place over his lunch hour for beer money, but I was too late in the season to snag good trees to purchase so I am letting it pass until next spring. I dug up some plants and repotted them to move inside the house but I’m not sure they’ll survive long since the opportunities for direct sunlight are limited given my four cats and where they play.
Sunday we’re due at the patriarch of Blenker’s, the founder father (Marc works for the son) for a preview of their new home and a Packer party. Marc and I don’t really enjoy football nor do we specifically follow it but it’s hard to live 90 miles from the home team and their absolutely hard core rabid fans and not be involved somewhat. Packer fever doesn’t even begin to describe what goes on in the fall in Wisconsin!
Sunday they take on the 49ers on their home turf. My son follows the 49ers as I was lucky enough in my work career back in the days of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, to obtain the entire team’s autographs all at one time (after their Super Bowl wins) which my son now has possession of. It’s such an incongruous story that it has to be true, right? I worked for Bank of Alex Brown in Sacramento and they had a branch in Rocklin which is where the 49er summer camp was held. When I heard that they would all be at the bank signing signature cards for their safety deposit boxes (where they kept their super bowl rings), I asked the bank secretary in charge if she would be kind enough to pass around a piece of paper they could all sign for my son. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Original signatures of all the 49ers in their glory days; hum, wonder what that could be worth? At the time I had no idea of the improbability of something like that being done; I’m only glad I thought to do it for my son, who now treasures it since he is such an ardent fan.
All good things must come to an end but as we move into autumn our summer seems to hang on. The trees here have barely begun to start changing colors given our warm temps of the past few weeks. We’ve been spending time trying to get the yard in order for its winter slumber. The recent main task for Marc is rewiring the control situation for the well from the shop to the house. Since this required a lot of trenching Marc rented a trencher Saturday and got most of the wiring completed and buried. Next will come the wiring and electrical boxes necessary in the basement to complete the job.
He recently purchased a rototiller and has started working the garden area soil and around the perimeter of the house. We are working the grade and will install black plastic and gravel to help mitigate weed growth and attempt to keep water flowing away from the basement. I found some perennials on sale and got a few more of those planted in an attempt to help cover up the basement window well; next up will be some trees if we can find large enough ones at a reasonable price but the bulk of our planting and ideas will wait until next spring to be completed.
I finally got the shed painting completed but the job will likely only last between two and three years given the snow that will sit against it for months at a time. We will need to ultimately replace the wood with vinyl siding if we hope to salvage it but Marc would really like to replace it with a much larger one.
Saturday dawned bright and cool and fall-like for the Waupaca Fall-o-rama, which showed off small town living to its best as families strolled and shopped the vendor booths. We had two booths representing the Waupaca Humane Society—the bake sale under one tent (with my 16 loaves of artesian bread) and our Pets Rock display of three puppies and a full grown dog drawing in folks like a petting zoo. Hopefully they will end up adopted as a result of their exposure because they sure are cute little guys!
The park itself is very well done; immaculately clean, quietly sitting lakeside and well equipped with picnic areas, a beach, restrooms, artwork and mature trees. It’s a real treasure to have right downtown. In winter, the lake supports ice fishing with little huts dotting its surface. This climate provides such a change in scene from summer to winter. It’s been a very good year!
