Wisconsin Made, Wisconsin Proud

I should be all caught up with blogging, but for the past 10 days since I left Newfoundland I've been slacking off, wandering around in daydreams.

So today I'm getting out my typing fingers and scheduling some blog posts, get ready for the speed round! First up I have some pictures from Milwaukee when Mom and I went to Public Market and some other places for a day out together.

One of the benefits is the first hour of parking is free, and the other is all the yummy stuff to look at.

We grabbed some lunch and headed upstairs to sit down.  And stumbled upon a gingerbread house competition! Which was great because I didn't get over to the Grand Geneva to see theirs this year.

The public was invited to vote...which to choose?

In the end it had to be the one below, the details were just too fun, though #25 was my runner-up.

I mean, the garden hose alone was worth first place!

Just across the street the cream city brick was visible through the windows while we ate.

So while Mom was finishing up I darted over to Colectivo Coffee and got one of their imitation Pop Tarts to try.  Wasn't a fan, but you might love it!  I'm into doing those things now that I've wanted to but haven't gotten around to since we'll be moving before you know it.

I'm going to miss that brick...how many people say that when they leave a place?

One of the spots at Public Market has the coolest counter, and date smoothies which I might try at home one of these days.

We also stopped at the Basilica St. Josephat, someplace I have been to before but my mother had not visited.  When looking back at the post I wrote on that visit, I was amused to discover I also went to Public Market and Colectivo that day.  The pictures are different, only the itinerary is the same!

Most of what you see is painted, the church was originally all white inside.

My mother asked me to climb up and pose for a picture.  I declined politely.

I wonder what it sounds like when the organ is playing and the choir is singing?

If you'd like some nightmares, I suggest going to this link and reading the story of how Josaphat became a martyr.  Or the story of any saint for that matter, gruesome stuff usually.

I made sure Mom went downstairs to read the history of the building of the Basilica, including how they bought the materials from the destruction of the old Custom House building in Chicago and had it shipped to them to be reassembled in a new design.

The Custom House served as a viewing stand for the Vice President during a parade to celebrate the 1893 World Columbian Exposition! It was the second mention of the exposition I saw that day, that history is everywhere I swear.

Merry Christmas...a few days late!  More to come, including news of where I will end up next week!

Haul on Yer Gran-Mudder's Boots

Before I forget I want to thank Barbara Rogers for her comment on "mother-in-law tongue", I've never heard of it and will look into it!  I too suffer from dust/mold allergies so I tend to be in and out of antique shops quickly but it's always fun to have a look around.

Panoramic shot of the Ambrose Shea bridge from Placentia as the snow starts to fall

But let's get to the promised wintry Newfoundland photos, shall we?

On the way out from St. John's yesterday I stopped in the middle of the road to take a picture of all the Christmas trees that will greet you if you to decide to visit this time of year.

Breaking a path through the snow

After their large snowfall a few days ago a few more centimeters came down last night so this morning I couldn't wait to get out for a walk in the woods in Argentia.  There is only so much one can fit into their suitcase so I hauled on my Nan's boots and off I went.  The locals are smarter than I am and take their walks along the road, but I knew the paths up through Argentia would provide solitude and shield me from some wind.

It's not often I spy something and say "Oh that looks like______", so when I saw this sawed off tree with some snow covered branches I had to stop for a photograph.  I swung my boot back and forth through the snow until I hit the gravel beneath and dug out a few rocks for the eyes and nose!  The spirit of one of Santa's reindeer perhaps?

Here's my footprint going up the hill a half hour or so earlier on the right next to my returning imprint on the way down.  The wind was filling them in fairly quickly.

One of the many bunkers in Argentia

 I decided to have a look-see at a bunker I passed, finally lucky enough to come upon an open door when bright light was spilling inside.

Concrete like new, never know it was 80 years old

Forty five minutes of plunging through the soft snow ranging from 6 inches to a foot in some spots and I was ready to get back to a warm kitchen and a nice cuppa tea with my Nan.

But first I had to stop and admire the view of Red Island. Look at the wind making whitecaps out on the bay. Thanks to that wind the air temperature felt like 9F instead of 24F according to the Weather Channel.  No wonder I wanted to hide out in the woods.

No trips out across the bay at this time of the year, thank you very much.  But that's okay, lot's to see and do right here, even if I have to do it in a borrowed pair of boots!

Last Fall Photos

The last of the photos from the fall make their debut today, these were taken in Ironwood, Michigan.

I've been trying to search out those little hidden spots I may never have the chance to see again once we move to Canada.  These were taken at what I believe is Interstate Falls on the outskirts of Ironwood.

The light was fading fast and all I had was my iphone, but the shots turned out pretty good.

It was only a five minute walk from the parking area through the woods.

The next photos were taken near Gile Falls between Ironwood and the small town of Gile.

I only spent a few minutes hanging about, there was only a few small paths to explore.

Fall color is long gone everywhere, and yesterday they had more than 6 inches of snow on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland!

At this moment I'm sitting in the Toronto airport waiting to board a flight to Halifax, so expect some wintry Newfoundland photos within a few days!

Art Deco Dreamin'

I had a free day last week so I had my mother meet me to visit some antique malls in Milwaukee that neither one of us had been to before.

She is always on the lookout for dishes and linens, but I am trying to solidify what direction I want our new home in Canada to take.  Our first stop was the Riverview Antique Market where I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their offerings..but my mother was a little appalled by the pricing.

Our current home leans toward Mission style and Arts and Crafts movement, simple and nature inspired like the vases in the pictures above and below. The vase above was so tempting, especially for the price!

And of course there's nothing wrong with being eclectic, so why not throw in some Art Deco pieces?  How amazing are these glass pheasants that were on display next to a lamp?  Talk about delicious!

Upstairs there was a whole booth devoted to Art Deco, which might be the first one I've seen.

How great would this coal box be to set by one of our new fireplaces?  Love the ship design since we will be living on the ocean.

But these clocks really stole my heart, I just might be back for one of them in the spring.

Seriously, I don't even care which one!

And this Ibex was neat, but the fact that it is a planter had me a little wary.  I'd want to see it with a plant in it before I'd decide.

We also visited a great architectural salvage place called Razed and Found which boasted a ceiling from one of the exhibitor pavillions at the 1893 Worlds Fair.  Um, hello!!

While I couldn't afford to take that home with me, how cool would it be to imitate the design for a project?  I was also in love with the golden treasure in the bathtub, but Curly is the mascot is not for sale unfortunately.

A set of heat register grates caught my eye, but they are too heavy to use as decorative pieces. And a bit expensive.

A place like this is heaven to geeks like me.  Don't forget to look up!

Speaking of looking up, antique tin ceiling squares were available, and I've seen a few DIY projects where these are framed and displayed that I may attempt.  But likely I will buy new and distress them myself because you have to worry what type of paint may have been used on the old ones.

Just down the road we stopped into the Ambassador Inn to see if it would be a good spot to have lunch but the lobby had an overpowering scent that was leaking into the restaurant so I had to pass.

So just a quick last look around their lobby as I'll likely never stop by again.

We went to Public Market for lunch and made another stop that I'll share next time.

Woodsy Days Gone By

I saw a bear in the woods back before the leaves and the snow both fell.  He just stood still and let me pass by.

I got one final night in at Potawatomi State Park in Door County before the end of October and slept on a carpet of gold. Now the trees are bare and the ground is carpeted in heavy wet snow so tent season is done for 2018.

On my walk in Potawatomi State Park I saw one of the largest bear tooth fungi I've seen, at least I think that's what it was - it was a little taller than me.

Fungi were everywhere thanks to all the damp this year.  After a surprising number of snow days here in Wisconsin for November we've been experiencing steady rain for the last 48 hours.  I'm sure that means ice will soon follow unfortunately.

As I drove through Sauk City I spotted a mural that was done for their sesquecentennial.  It is the oldest incorporated village in the state of Wisconsin and lies on the Wisconsin River.  That region saw a lot of flooding this this year, I believe both the Wisconsin River and the Baraboo River reached the major flooding stage.  I've never seen such widespread flooding in the state - from La Crosse in the west to Madison and Baraboo in the central part of Wisconsin to the far north border at Ashland everyone has been struggling to stay afloat this year.

Sauk City Sesquecentennial

Sorry to sound so gloomy, the weather must be affecting my normally cheery disposition!
Linking up to Monday Mural