Best vacation ever

We spent almost a week in Wisconsin. But first, the lead up to a vacation. Empty the fridge. Clean the kitchen. Nurse the flowers through the week, rather than replace them. The daisy on the right died a dramatic and picture perfect death, don't you think?

We left on Saturday, a beautiful day. It wasn't even too hot. Laura took the first shift driving. It's nine hours to Ann and Pat's, and my drive/fly decision is based on the weather and our itinerary.

I had a cat companion. This is Zaggy, a small cat, rescued fourteen years ago, together with her brother, Ziggy. All the farm cats live outside, but Zaggy has retired and lives at Ann's kennel. However, the kennel was over capacity last week, and Zag was rehomed in my room, for the week. Here is my morning wake up.

Seven days a week Ann is up by six and out the door to open the kennel by seven. Laura and I know her kitchen as well as our own. That notwithstanding, this is laid out for her guests every morning, when they get their sorry behinds downstairs. That is genuine Amish Frog Jam there in the back. I tried it the first morning, but devoted myself to black current the rest of the week.

So you know, little has changed at the farm. The silo is covered by more greenery. The barn to the left is to the ground, and covered in vegetation. The foundation wall, on the road side of the picture, is about gone.

The creek still flows under the bridge. Almost nothing has changed. But this week Ann was able to arrange her schedule so we could visit Taliesin and Mineral City together, for two days. Laura and I went to the International Crane Foundation, rode the Wisconsin Dells boat on the Wisconsin River, went shopping the St. Vinney's, and ate a lot of ice cream. And then more ice cream. And, more later.