Lake Michigan Camping Trip

We went camping at the Point Beach State Forest near Two Rivers, WI on Lake Michigan. We had fun using our bigger tent for the first time. We had just missed the rain, so we were happy to be dry. However it was pretty buggy. Reeve was really bummed because we didn't bring our bikes and it seemed like everyone there had bikes.

It was really neat to see Lake Michigan. It really felt like we were at the ocean. The beach was beautiful, but the water was not. In places it was filled with algae, had a horrible smell, and we saw a dead fish with sores all over it's body. There was no swimming in the lake due to high levels of e.coli bacteria.

The kids didn't seem to mind that they couldn't swim in the lake. They had a great time playing in the sand and building sand castles. It was good we had some cloud cover so we weren't baking in the sun. Then we really would have wanted to go swimming to cool off.

Garden Harvest

It's hard to stop and take a pic when you're hungry and just wanting to make something to eat, but we did stop and take this pic of produce from our garden. Reeve and Kyle were happy to help me harvest garlic, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

We've been happily eating fresh tomatoes everyday now for the past week. Sometimes we eat tomatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but no one is complaining. They're the largest variety of Roma's that I've every grown, and they're very tasty. I also grew another variety of beefstake (I think). Reeve took this picture, and I thought he did a pretty good job.


We have more basil than I know what to do with! When we get back from our camping trip I think I will have to dehydrate it. I love having too much.

We also had an abundance of cucumbers, so I made pickles for the first time. We'll test them when we get back from camping.

We're going camping on Lake Michigan at the Point Beach State Forest. This was Reeve's idea. He's been begging to go visit the Great Lakes ever since we read about them. I'll take lots of pictures and post them when we get back :-). The last time we were camping as a family for more than one night was three years ago when we went camping with my Auntie Mary Lea and Uncle Rye and Cousins Elena & Austin in the Golden Ears Provincial Campground in British Columbia. That's too long for people who suposedly love the outdoors.

Our New Lawn Mower

We needed a bagging lawn mower. If you're going to garden organically you have to have mulch and grass clippings make a really good mulch. We have tons of grass, but we didn't have a bagging mower. We didn't want to go out and buy an expensive gas guzzling mower just for the bag, so we bought a Reel Mower. It runs on all of Reeve's abundant ENERGY.

It's very easy to push and we've got tough weedy grass. I actually think it's easier to push than our gas powered mower. It's certainly a lot less noisy and really easy to start :-). Reeve really loves to push it around. We find we want to mow the grass more often. I always felt extremely guilty using the gas mower all the time knowing we were causing more green house gasses, and now we don't have to feel guilty at all.

I took these pictures on Saturday evening when it wasn't terribly HOT. We're in a record breaking heat wave right now. Yesterday it was a 102F (38.8C) here, way too hot to be outside mowing the lawn. It's only supposed to get up to 96F (35.5C) today, and then in the 80's tomorrow.

Blueberry Picking

The kids and I went blueberry picking. It was our first time, and it was a lot of fun. The blueberries were tasty, big, and easy to pick. Reeve and Kyle loved it. We didn't stay terribly long because it was really hot and we were all sweating. We ended up with about 7 pounds. Now that we know where to go we'll definitely get an early start next year. I could only take one picture as my camera ran out of batteries.

Something You Don't See Everyday!

Tommy in Fatigues! There were some visiting Canadian troops at the Air Force Base where Tommy works that gave him a helicopter ride. He looks kind of nervous.

Tommy's the second one from the end.

He said that they went 140 mph (225 kph)hugging the ridge line from Camp Douglas, WI to Sparta, WI (about 45 miles or 70 km) and back.

More Monarchs & Garden update

Reeve is constantly searching on milkweed for more Monarch caterpillars and he found one! Just when I thought we were done for the season. At any rate it continues to be an excellent learning adventure for Reeve and Kyle.
Reeve and Kyle are sitting on the raised bed we made last year. I harvested the garlic and it's drying now. Now this bed has a few carrots, dill, basil, and I started some lettuce mix. I really love this raised bed. It's small but it's such a joy to weed. I get to sit which makes weeding extremely easy. Also since we don't walk in it the soil is really loose. Those garlic bulbs just popped right out. Last year I remember having to dig in hard clay soil and ending up damaging the garlic. The garlic was also moldy (not enough air circulation) last year, but this year it was beautiful. I should take a pic of that soon :-). In front of the boys are Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins.




This is a picture of the new raised bed I started to make. We had a lot of concrete blocks just sitting around. They were previously under the mobile home which thankfully has been removed. I decided I didn't like this raised bed so much. It's a lot of block for little garden space. Then I planted pie pumpkins and buttercup squash which needs loads of room. That was poor planning on my part. It's turning out okay so far, but there will be definite changes next year.
We planted cucumbers on the other side of the first raised bed. Beyond the fence is all burdock and nettles. The nettles have sneaky seeds that fly through the air and land right in the garden. I'm constantly weeding those sharp suckers.





An updated picture of the garden. The cilantro has bolted, the lettuce bolted and I removed it. I planted more spinach, and the kale is coming up. I have to figure out a better plan for the tomatoes next year. They get so huge and overbearing. You should have seen it last year. This year still looks out of control but it's 100% better than last year. The cabbage has been delicious and abundant. As a matter of fact I'm going to make some more cole slaw today. I should try to make sauerkraut, but I haven't worked up enough nerve for that yet.

DeeDee's Memorial

On Sunday we went to Chicago to celebrate the life and memory of my second cousin Carolyn Sands (aka DeeDee). Her husband Butchie gathered her closest friends and family and we celebrated at one of their favorite Mexican restaurants Mi Tierra's in Chicago near their home in Cicero.


DeeDee was an extremely festive person and this really was the perfect place to remember her.



There was lots going on in the restaurant. They had a wonderful Mariachi Band. They serenaded each table. Reeve and Kyle absolutely loved it and couldn't stop dancing in their seats.

Tommy, Butchie & Reeve

Reeve is sporting his new "TickFinderFriendly" haircut.

Silly Teeth

I'm happy to report that Reeve is feeling 100% again. However we noticed something wrong with his teeth.








Have we been forgetting to brush their teeth?











No, they just love these silly joke teeth. Reeve can't stand to see them in Kyle's mouth, and Kyle wants to wear them all the time!

Ticks Suck!

There have been no updates recently because for the past two weeks Reeve hasn't been 100%. He's had a mild fever, been lethargic, and started complaining of neck pains and headaches. Recently we suspected Lyme's disease. Thursday we were able to get an appointment with a doctor... unfortunately our normal doctor was on vacation. They took a blood sample and sure enough it came back positive for Lyme's disease. Poor kid is on antibiotics for the next 21 days. In less than 24hrs of taking the antibiotics Reeve has cooled down temperature wise and is really getting back to his normal happy self. He says he's feeling much better and finally has an apetite again.

End of the Monarch pics... I think!

Well we have one more Monarch yet to hatch, but here are the boys with the second Monarch to hatch this year.

Finally we let the butterfly dry its wings some more on the apple tree by our garden.

Kyle & the Monarch... Part2

Kyle was a good sport while I took pictures of the Monarch crawling all over his face. This happened to Reeve last year, and he wasn't about to let that Monarch on his face this year, so Kyle's the poster Monarch child this year.

Kyle and the Monarch... Part1

Kyle was initially upset that Reeve got to hold the Monarch first. So in this first pic Kyle is showing how cool he can be without smiling. This picture was taken after Kyle decided to run around the house to get out some of his agression for not being first.

The Monarch quickly lightened Kyle's mood and proceeded to crawl all over his face, which of course cheered him up. How many people can say they've had a newborn butterfly crawl all over their face?

Reeve & the Monarch

Reeve didn't want the Monarch to go on his head this year, so here's some conservative Reeve shots.

Butterfly Independence!

We had a great 4th of July with the Birth of the Monarchs from their chrysallises.

Country Jacuzzi

Tom rides his bike to work, so when he comes home he goes in his Country Jacuzzi! Reeve & Kyle love this, and make him create a whirlpool. Kyle is usually in the center of the vortex, and a couple of times it has dragged him under. They all love it. I haven't warmed up to it quite yet. I still think a solar heated hot shower is more my cup of tea.

Monarchs Getting Ready

Well we knew last night that the Monarchs would soon be emerging from their chrysallises. Their chrysallis becomes super clear and you can acutally see their black & orange wings! It's incredibly beautiful and hard to capture with a 2 pixel digital camera.

Ouch!

Thought I'd get some red, white, & blue stripes for the 4th of July. I was so busy weeding the garden, mowing the weeds, and trying to keep cool with a shirt that obviously didn't fit me!

Farm Babies

Friday I rode my bike with both boys in the Burley wagon. HEAVY! We went to my friend Brenda's place because the kids wanted to see Brenda's baby calf, chicks, rabbits, and puppy.
I never did get a good picture of the baby calf. The little calf was very shy. The ride there was all downhill. On the way home I made Reeve & Kyle get out of the Burley and we all walked up the very steep hill. We've been told that when they built the road they didn't follow any steepness or grade standards and the hill is actually illegally steep. There's been a few times after a snow that Tom cannot make it up the hill in his car... even after it's been plowed. When that happens he has to go about 7 miles out of his way to come home on the other side of the hill.