Day One: Iowa -Gramma's Kitchen

Day One:

While driving through Iowa, we pulled over to eat at "Gramma's Kitchen".

Fantastic food!

Stopped for the Night

We finally stopped late Friday night in Iowa for the night. The EconoLodge - delightful. Drove about 850 miles.

Day Two: Stopped at the KOA

Day Two: We stopped and stayed near the Bad Lands at a KOA (nice - air conditioning and bathroom).

Bad Lands

Real Bad Lands!

Bad Land Dude!

One bad dude at the Bad Lands!

Lucky Lou

This is Lucky.

We rescued her from Hines Park.
She kept sleeping on the railing of our deck or grill. She was 11 weeks. Crying like a baby.
I begged to keep her.
Had a 2-1/2" deep gash at the tip of her tail.
Healed up very well.
She is skittish but a REALLY good cat.
Ain't she pretty?
My 2 other cats get along really good w/her.
She is a year or so younger than them.
She is 3 years old.

Greenmead Garden Update: Tending the Garden

Spaced out the onions more today.

Greenmead Garden Update: Picking

Picking lots of Basil.
Freezing and making Pesto.

Pulling weeds.
Added wood chips.

Picked some Swiss Chard,
Peppers and Basil.
Also some Lettuce & Beans.

Swans of Kensington

Vic, taking a break from biking.

Instead of "stopping to smell the roses" he is checking the iphone.











The swans were looking for dinner right by us while we grilled our dinner.

Greenmead Garden Update: Joe's Salsa

Our garden friend Joe planted a lot of pepper plants last year and made different kinds of Salsa. He gave us some to sample:

Mild
Medium Blended
H-Mild
Hot
V-Hot
and a green one (Salsa Verde?)

Can't wait to crack one open on the 4th!
It will go good w/Margaritas & Grilled Chicken w/this mexican spicy/sweet pecan barbacue sauce i made.
I gave him some raspberry jam.

Garden Plot Update: Dad Planting Wax Beans

This is a picture of my dad planting Wax Beans.

He picked a couple of green peppers and Bib Lettuce.

Vic and I have gone to water & weed.

Picked some basil, lettuce and a first batch of Bush Beans.

Also a Jalapeno Pepper. I'm going to use it for a Barbecue Sauce for July 4th.

Greenmead Garden Update: Sunflowers, Eggs

Our garden is doing well.



Plot neighbor Joe, planted some Sunflower plants. They were so pretty!










When we first saw our plot there was a Killdeers nest right smack in the middle of the lane! It had 4 eggs in it. We had to move it to the back near some woods.
A week later, a Killdeer built a nest in the middle our neighbors plot! It has 2 eggs. This is a picture of it.
A Killdeer bird is always squawking when we are there. It tries to lure you away feigning a broken wing.





Here is farmer Vic.

That hat looks good on him :)

U of M Garden Plots

This is the Secret Garden we discovered on our bike trip down Hines.

U of M - Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center. Community Organic Garden.









I thought this was creative.

A Tinman Scarecrow.

I would like to make one of these and put it in our garden at Greenmead.











They had a quaint gazebo.

We are going to pack a lunch next time and eat it in there.












Pretty flowers.














35 plots. Around 20 x 20.

Vic wanted one. But they were all taken.

We found out they have a wait list of 40 and not taking anymore names.

Bummer.








These people planted a lot of flowers in their gardens besides vegetables.
















A bean teepee.





















A really good Scarecrow.

Rouge River Bridge

We took a bike ride down Hines.
And we kept going, and going, and going.

We ended up at U of M Dearborn.

And discovered a great path, a bridge, a lookout deck and a Secret Garden.

We past the Henry Ford Estate and decided we were going to visit it soon. Vic has never been there. I have when I was little.