Vinlands Icelandics: Independence Day

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Independence Day - Tuesday, July 4, 2017

A special day to reflect on the United States, the Founders, and our Constitution. Tracy and Jon came to celebrate with their special bottle of Chateau Beychevelle reserved for a very special event. We carefully decanted this great wine to enjoy with the quintessential July Fourth meal; Steak, baked potatoes, sauteed green peas and Egyptian walking onions, pumpkin bread, salad, and finishing with white and red strawberries and a nice sauterne. Clicking on photos enlarges them.

Coming home after shopping this week and using the south entrance drive there were two families of wild turkeys on the road. Even the youngsters can fly now - at least for short distances and perhaps that's enough to escape our fox.

Coming home from lunch/breakfast at the Peppermill in Bad Axe we came across a holdover from earlier times: an old tractor tossing bales of hay into a wagon with an old baler . Virtually everyone here rolls up their hay now. It was awesome to be reminded of how things were and how fast changes happen. After each bale was finished, it was ejected with some force into the following wagon. You can see a flying bale in the third photo.

A local teenager has been painting rocks and leaving them scattered around Sanilac County for folks to find. She has asked finders to take their foundling and place it someplace new. Good fun, ain't it? There's a building that could be turned into a small Fritatta-type restaurant that we have daydreamed about a few times and where we found one of those small rocks tucked below a window. We also found a bachelor's button plant and a rose bush in the weeds at what once must have been a garden spot under a sign near that building.

Jay Harrison in nearby Port Sanilac repairs and refinishes furniture and makes signs; we found this one yesterday made with horseshoes and are now expecting company any minute

Until they get too hot on the sunny concrete, the dogs enjoy the summer day; soon they will want in - - - again.

Bear sleeping behind Korpur and Totty in the front.

Last year I planted some wild flowers and also scattered a variety of "wild" prairie flower seeds. Sleep, Creep, & Leap. This is their second summer and they are already doing quite well. Fortunately my neighbors don't seem to mind that I don't mow.