The Old Folks Home

[Kusanar]

Our fair is this weekend...

fair food rules!

Our fair is at the 4th of july, my husband and I went there for dinner this year!

 

[chickisoup]

The "stars" of the fairs here in dairy land are of course anything dairy. County fairs, it's the ice cream, in amazing forms and cheese curds!

Deep fried little balls of yummy in an incredible array of flavors and varieties of cheese. At the state fair cheese of course is queen, with piles of free tasting samples after the judging, but the king? People literally stand in line for an hour just to get their hands on this huge, fluffy, amazing cream puff that you can actually watch being made by the hundreds as the line (finally) moves past big glass windows. They pile the fresh cream so high between the (baking non stop) rich eggy shells you can't even get a full bite without scooping out, and eating of course, some of the cream first. The lines are always so long that most families have a "designated" line stander who gets an extra puff for getting everyone's treat. You can buy as many as you like (some folks make it their last "stand" and take an extra box home with them). These are not those sugar sweet things the commercial bakeries pass off as cream puffs, these are the real thing with mounds of real whipped cream. They are not cheap, of course, but no one goes to the state fair without having or at least splitting (remember I said they are huge) at least one. I don't understand the splitting thing myself. They are as light as air and really, who counts calories at the fair?

The county fairs this far north aren't much. Tiny things with few animals and even less of anything else. You go an hour and a little more south tho where it is more of a farming culture and many years ago a couple counties got together, combined their resources and created a wonderful traditional large county fair. Haven't made it to the state fair since we settled onto the hunting land in 96. Just too big a deal requiring a very long drive down to Milwaukee, hotel, etc. Besides, it's so huge, seeing everything is definitely for younger legs than ours. Not to mention it costs a fortune just to get in the gate. Better things to do with our money these days tho I must admit I do wish I could go just one more time.

 

[Latestarter]

Besides, it's so huge, seeing everything is definitely for younger legs than ours. Not to mention it costs a fortune just to get in the gate. Better things to do with our money these days tho I must admit I do wish I could go just one more time.

Those legs aren't getting any younger! If you'd like to go "one more time", then make it happen! It's not an "everyday" event... Couldn't you splurge one more time? Maybe over a weekend and make a vacation out of it? One night in a hotel and a couple of days at the fair would no doubt be a lot of fun, worth the drive and the expense I would guess...

 

[chickisoup]

Good morning all

Hope everyone is enjoying their end of summer. Boy, where did it go?

We had to make a trip to town yesterday, down in the potato flats where the county seat, the only real town in our county (with now two stop lights!) resides. This area is actually a large ancient lake bed carved out when the glaciers came down from the north millennia ago. When they receded they left behind a huge even deposit of rich silt loam that, in our northern climate, is perfect for growing potatoes. It's a very pretty sight as you drive down from the north. You barely notice you've been climbing for miles until you suddenly break out of the woods and see this expanse of perfect large squares of crops down below you stretching as far as the eye can see broken up only by the crisscrossing two lane roads and a smattering of farm buildings.

On our way we could see many of the trees beginning to lose their rich deep green of summer and the first signs of the brilliant fall colors that are soon, too soon, to come. As we dropped down into the flats the dust was so thick in the air you could feel the grit on your teeth, mingled with the smells of wet earth from the potatoes and fresh straw from the oat fields The source of the dust and smells were the enormous harvesting machines hard at work everywhere, racing to beat the storms and heavy rains that have been forecast for the following three days. The fleets of large trucks one by one pull up beside the harvesters to take on their load of potatoes or grain and scurry off so the one waiting behind can pull up next, and the others in a hurried return from wherever they just deposited their cargo, add to the swirling dust as they all race back and forth, up and down the roads. This creates a bit of a traffic jam very seldom seen in this area. Adding to all the dust and noise and in the midst of all this neatly coordinated chaos, flocks of geese, already on the move from our Canadian neighbors, begin to arrive to feast on the grain and other yummy things left behind. Their "incoming" giving the illusion of arriving air support for the chaos below.

Autumn is truly arriving here in the northwoods, sigh.

Ok, guess I better get outside and harvest the apples off our trees before the storm knocks them all down. At least this means I can make my apple butter while it's raining. Kind of feel sorry for the young doe we've watched from the porch for a week now move quietly out of the woods and sneak around the house and down into the lower garden to eat the fallen apples and "snitch" one or two off the trees. She looks so funny trying to chew an entire apple in one bite. Maybe I'll "accidentally" leave a few behind for her.

 

[chickisoup]

Those legs aren't getting any younger! If you'd like to go "one more time", then make it happen! It's not an "everyday" event... Couldn't you splurge one more time? Maybe over a weekend and make a vacation out of it? One night in a hotel and a couple of days at the fair would no doubt be a lot of fun, worth the drive and the expense I would guess...

that sounds very well put! just might use this argument on the DH. Wish me luck!

 

[Latestarter]

No kidding about the seasons getting ready to change. For the past while, day time highs in the 90's approaching 100 with nights in the high 60s. Over the next few days we're looking at highs in the upper 70s with night time lows down in the upper 40s to low 50s

Now that's ideal sleeping weather with the house all opened up! Gonna be first frost time up in the high country very shortly! Of course some areas at the highest peaks can get frost year round... I was speaking generally, where folks live. Just past mid August and fall is coming.

 

[pennyJo1960]

No kidding about the seasons getting ready to change. For the past while, day time highs in the 90's approaching 100 with nights in the high 60s. Over the next few days we're looking at highs in the upper 70s with night time lows down in the upper 40s to low 50s

Now that's ideal sleeping weather with the house all opened up! Gonna be first frost time up in the high country very shortly! Of course some areas at the highest peaks can get frost year round... I was speaking generally, where folks live. Just past mid August and fall is coming.

your right fall is just around the corner

 

[bruceha2000]

No kidding about the seasons getting ready to change. For the past while, day time highs in the 90's approaching 100 with nights in the high 60s. Over the next few days we're looking at highs in the upper 70s with night time lows down in the upper 40s to low 50s

Now that's ideal sleeping weather with the house all opened up! Gonna be first frost time up in the high country very shortly! Of course some areas at the highest peaks can get frost year round... I was speaking generally, where folks live. Just past mid August and fall is coming.

And you are going to try to push it back by moving south to Texas

 

[microchick]

I was in our barn a couple of days ago and noticed that for the first time since April, it is silent. No Robins, field sparrows or barn swallows milling about their nests, squabbling over territories or yelling their fool heads off at me for violating their privacy. I'm not being greeted by morning songs from the birds either when I go out to let the chickens into their run.

Also, speaking of Robins. Suddenly they are all gone. We usually have a few that winter over here in north eastern Missouri but they haven't showed up yet and the ones that nest here are no where to be seen.

It's been a hot, humid summer here and I'm almost glad to see fall coming.....as long as Fall hangs around until next April, LOL. Unfortunately, where there is Fall, Winter isn't far behind.

 

[chickisoup]

No kidding about the seasons getting ready to change. For the past while, day time highs in the 90's approaching 100 with nights in the high 60s. Over the next few days we're looking at highs in the upper 70s with night time lows down in the upper 40s to low 50s

Now that's ideal sleeping weather with the house all opened up! Gonna be first frost time up in the high country very shortly! Of course some areas at the highest peaks can get frost year round... I was speaking generally, where folks live. Just past mid August and fall is coming.

We're supposed to get the same here starting tonight but super wet. I'm more than ready to be done with the sticky 80's we've been having too and 60's at night is definitely NOT sleeping weather!
I'm looking so forward to being able to sleep without a fan droning in the window!

I was outside for a while this morning picking all the apples off our best tree before the storms roll in tonight. Got at least 3 bushels (probably more. Hard to say exactly since I was just filling my garden cart) so the change in weather the next few days will be perfect time to fill the house with the smell of apple butter simmering on the stove (I've got to go back outside and pick some of the wild apples to mix in with that batch) and apple pies in the oven.