(click on the pictures to enlarge them)

We are into Wisconsin fall, time continues to move quickly!   With our travels this summer was especially short. And my worry is we will have another early winter and fall will be gone in a few weeks!   So time to enjoy some good weather that is predicted for this week and start to make winter preparations. The garden did not do well this summer, a combination of lack of care and a cool wet summer.   So I think this week I will pull plants and start to dig up the soil.   Our hope is we will not be at this house for next planting season, but it is best to prepare!   We do have an accepted offer on the house, but it is contingent on the couple selling their house, which may or may not happen. So we continue to do little things around the house and have showings.   We had some positive comments from a showing last week but they felt the bedrooms were too small, so it must have been a family.   Our extra bedrooms were set up to be more guest bedrooms than full time living. So still not the perfect motivated buyer yet! And it may be time to have some firewood delivered to get us through at least early winter.

Chris and I continue to have some fun.   Labor day we went to Michigan to meet Mary Jane and John.   We left our car in Milwaukee and took the Lake Express over to Muskegon. We enjoy the trip even though this was the roughest water we had crossed Lake Michigan on.   But we did fine, a few guests struggled with sea sickness.   John did the driving for the long weekend and we stayed in Grand Rapids, which has a wonderful small brewery community.   We toured 10 breweries, and of course (I at least) had lot’s of fun!   Most had very good beer varieties and good food.   So when we got home we had to diet for the rest of the week.   And this last weekend we went up to Marquette Michigan with friends.   Friends had friends who live there, and set up some private beer tours for us in the local micro breweries.   Again great beers and a lot of fun!   Saturday turned into a beautiful day and we spent lots of time walking Marquette and sitting outside.   Sunday started out much colder with some rain but it made for very interesting sight seeing along Lake Superior.   I look forward to going back for a more extended stay!

In between we will manage to have some fun, and always little projects to do.   Our bar room now has almost all of the beer signs taken down and a quick coat of paint.   Most are going to our beer clubs charity fund raiser for the silent auction. www.caskandcaskets.org , last year we gave $7000 to local food pantries and hoping for $10,000 this year.   The day after Halloween, a great way to support the local charities and try some homebrew beer and wine!

And I need to make another list of items for sale.   Getting down to less things to deal with.   Air compressor and tools, portable generator, roto tiller, tread mill, radial arm saw.   May as well keep cleaning and thinking positive. We hope this finds you well and enjoying life.

Some brewery links if interested!

http://www.mittenbrewing.com/

http://foundersbrewing.com/

http://www.breweryvivant.com/

http://www.hopcat.com/

http://www.osgoodbrewing.com/#home

http://www.oddsideales.com/

http://www.crankersbrewery.com/

http://www.blackrocksbrewery.com/#first-pic

http://ore-dock.com/