The 2 days we spent with Sharon and Andy at their property in Manchester and their home in Beaver Dam introduced us to many beautiful and interesting spots. We took a hike through John Muir Memorial County Park, located near the home where the famous naturalist and his family lived after immigrating from Scotland. This lovely area likely influenced Muir’s love of the natural world. During this hike we learned to spot many wild mushrooms, as Sharon has an eye for them and found so many examples for us to look at.

The boggy pond at the center of the park offered pretty views.

Back at the parking lot, Andy noticed some lilacs blooming! He thought this was a sign that the plant was dying, and producing one last round of flowers before the frost comes. He picked a few to bring back to camp.

We visited an Amish dry goods store with all sorts of unusual sundries for sale, and a combination pet supply store / second-hand shop next door. There were quite a few treasures for sale there, including these items displayed in creative ways:

Back at the ranch, we enjoyed a nosh of garden veggies, cheeses and spreads, along with cocktails and wine 😋, and Andy hung a sign over the front door to the building ☺️ – now that says it all!

A walk down to the creek gave the dogs a chance to have a little dip.

Then we headed back to camp …..

… where we enjoyed a leisurely sweat in the sauna – what a treat on a chilly day! – followed by Des’s chicken curry for dinner and a good night’s sleep!

Sunday’s plan was to return to Beaver Dam for the day so we could do some laundry and Andy could watch the Packers! Before we left, we harvested some veggies from the garden, and some gorgeous wild mushrooms that appeared on a pile of wood chips that morning. Sharon thought they were wood blewits (or bluets), but she needed to be sure before they made it to the table.

The dogs enjoyed a last romp at the camp and a last paddle in the creek.

And we made another visit to the mushroom farm, where we found the wine caps had multiplied overnight, so we brought some with us to enjoy later.

Then we headed for Beaver Dam, stopping at a roadside restaurant for a little lunch first. By the time we got there, I was ready for a nap, so Des took on the laundry, and Sharon and Andy got cleaned up and started working on dinner. Their son Eli arrived home in time to join us for the Packers game. People take this very seriously here! 😀 Team shirts and socks must be worn, and the official cheer is shouted to celebrate every score. Dun da dun dun dun dun dun! GO PACK GO! The Packers made two touchdowns and beat the Buccaneers and Tom Brady so there was much happiness!

In the midst of the game, Andy was also grilling out in the back yard. He made some yummy eggplant slices with tomato, onions and herbs on top, and some Greek lamb koftas. We enjoyed these with pitas, tzatziki, olives, cheeses and veggies. The split pumpkin was baked and tried by itself and with everything else. Great meal! (I should add that a pretty intense thunderstorm roared through in the midst of Andy’s grilling, but he persevered, coming in dripping but with full platters!)d

After all this, Des and I headed back to camp for the night. Roy had an appointment with the groomer in the morning so he and his family stayed in town. But we planned to meet up in the morning for one last goodbye and thank you!