Halloween Table

I just finished my 2014 Halloween table.  I posted it on one of my other blogs. You can see more of it clicking here.

Dying Perennials Have Value

I am deriving much pleasure from the dying perennial gardens this year.

I usually have most of it cut down by now, but this year I have done very little clean up.

I think my procrastination paid off! I enjoy taking a peek every time I walk by my bedroom window (it's the only place inside the house where I can see these gardens).

I had quite a few neighbors ask me what the flowers were in this new  roadside garden this year.

Most of my neighbors were not familiar with growing dahlias.  They all wanted them until I mentioned that they had to be dug out of the ground every fall. Suddenly they were all happy just to admire mine as they took their nightly walks down the road.  It is  a pain to do, so I was thrilled to pull into the garage after work and see 4 boxes like this:

Yes, my sweet husband dug them all out today and set them in the garage. Tomorrow he will hose off all the soil and let them dry out a bit before storing them for the winter.

Hope you are all enjoying the month of October in your part of the world.

Freezing my Herbs

On Sunday I picked a few herbs from the pot on my deck.

They are still beautiful, but I know it's just a matter of a few days, maybe a week or two,  and they will be blackened by frost.  So I decided to freeze some for later this winter.

I put a good tablespoon of diced herbs in each ice cube tray; then I added some olive oil.

I covered the tray with a piece of wax paper and stuck it in the freezer overnight.  The next morning I popped them out...

 

So beautiful! I just love looking at them. :)

 I wrapped them in waxed paper and put them inside a tin and stuck them back in the freezer. I can't wait to use them in some delectable dish. When the temperature is below zero with howling winds and snow drifts, I will be able to enjoy the fresh taste of summer by popping one or two of these into my soup, roast or other entrée.

Life is good...I am feeling prepared for the long winter ahead.

West Side of Upper Michigan Color

Yesterday we took a drive to the west side of upper lower Michigan in search of more gorgeous autumn color.  I have read about the "tunnel of trees" highway (M-119, designated a Scenic Heritage Highway), for years and decided it was time to discover it for myself.  This narrow highway follows the shore of Lake Michigan, winding through a forest full of natural beauty between Harbor Springs and Cross Village.  It is about a 2.5 hr. drive from where we live. 

About 30 miles from our destination (over 2 hrs of driving), it started to rain...cloudy, cold, miserable rain.  I am sure the rain contributed to my lack of enthusiasm for this "scenic" highway.  Still I took a blurry picture or two through the car window to share with you.

This highway is so narrow it has no centerline.

Which means you have to go way over into the gravel when another vehicle passes from the opposite direction.   Yes, this is us heading toward the trees so as not to hit the other car....

This is the tiny town of Good Hart, which has become semi-famous because of the tunnel of trees highway.

Had it been a lovely autumn day full of gorgeous color, I probably would have described this as "charming".  As it was I could not wait to get to the end of this "scenic" drive.

This restaurant is Leg's Inn, quite famous due to its location at the end of  the tunnel of trees.  It has quirky décor inside with a lovely area outside where you can enjoy  a delicious meal of Polish cuisine.

My intention was to have lunch here. Unfortunately it did not open for another 35  minutes.  About 20 people were standing outside under umbrellas waiting for it to open.  We were so "unthrilled" with our drive through the tree tunnel that there was no way we were going to stand in the rain to eat lunch.

Perhaps we will go back some other time.

The whole day was not a total flop.  On the way to the tunnel of trees we did see some beautiful autumn color.  This is Stutsman Road. 

Gorgeous!  Luckily we took a wrong road and discovered this! That is Lake Michigan at the end of the road. I was way more impressed with this road than the tunnel of trees!

Along the tunnel of trees highway, I did enjoy this rural setting:

There is something about bales of hay lying in the field that I like. It would have been even better if there had been some fall color.

So has anyone been through the tunnel of trees and had a better experience?  Something that would make me want to make that 5-hr round trip again?  If so, I would love to hear about it!

Weekend Trip toTahquamenon Falls in Paradise, MI

We had the pleasure of viewing this gorgeous autumn color last weekend:

It was a perfect 75 degree fall day in Paradise, Michigan (really...that's the town's name).  I am hoping this Saturday is nice, so we can explore another town.