Farm Fun

About a month ago, I wrangled some friends into making a short trek to Govin's Meat and Berry farm in Menomonie for their annual Lambing time. It was a treat, we saw lots of new little critters. Here are the piglets.

Here's their mom...........she's pretty big. I think they said she was 500+ lbs - can anyone say "extra large pork chop?" I asked why she was in that cage contraption and I learned that it gives her piglets time to crawl out before she plops down on top of them. Pigs are really smart so after a few weeks, the piglets learn to run away when mom wants to lay down and the cage is no longer necessary.

I got to hold one of the squealers and would have loved to take it home.

Hungry? Yum, yum.

Adorable newborn w/ mom.

Chicago Finale

We attempted to go to the Children's Museum but it was mobbed; we learned the Chicago schools were also on spring break. It was a nice walk there, but then we got in a cab and headed to the Museum of Science and Industry. That was mobbed too, so we headed to some books stores and had a bite to eat at cafe. When we went back to the Museum of Science and Industry later in the afternoon it wasn't as busy.

One night we ate at this restaurant, a German place. We didn't think it was great, my meal was especially bland.

The Chicago pigeons are smart, here they are gathered around this wonderfully warm fire.

You can't go to Chicago and leave without some Garrett Popcorn. But is it really popcorn? I think the popcorn is just the base layer on which to pack on the salt and sugar - that's why it's so good. So if you're in Chicago or New York - get some. Yes, I bought a lot, but I gave it all away.

Chicago Part III

In Millenium Park, they have this cool sculpture, it's a gigantic, mirrored bean. Here you can see the skyline and Todd looks so smal standing there. This post is for Uncle D in CA - we were just talking about the big bean today.

Having fun and being silly.

Smile....................

Chicago Part II

A couple views of the downtown Chicago skyline.

It really was like being in the concrete jungle.

If you wanted to see some plants you had to head to Millenium Park.

It was fun walking around - even though it was cold and gloomy.

The Windy City

It's spring break for us, so we spent a few days in Chicago. It was a pleasant drive and since we didn't have to deal with an airport or luggage fees, I took my jumbo suitcase. I packed a variety of things because I didn't know what the weather would be like - it was a bit much, I admit, but so what?

We stayed at the Burnham Hotel, smack dab in the middle of downtown Chicago. Literally, out our hotel window, this was our view.

And to the left, was this. An entire block taken up by 9 floors of Macy's - holy cow batman! On my first venture to the store I only made it to the third floor. After buying a few things, I decided shopping had to end - Chicago has a 10.25% tax. The stuff I got on sale, no longer seemed like such a bargain.

Some days...................

You know how some days you just feel like you "missed the boat," haven't found your groove, make stupid e-mail mistakes like send a message without the attachment? It's only Tuesdays but I've already had two days in a row where I felt just like this cartoon. Some might call this a senior moment, some might say this explains why dinosaurs are extinct, I call it a "DUH!" moment.

Birthday Boy

Some may celebrate the first official day of spring, but at our house, we celebrate someone's birthday! Happy b-day Todd!

Favorite Customers

Last month, the Starbuck's store Todd frequents made him cusotmer of the month. They took this photo and put it up with a little bio at the register. They encourage his habit and reward his loyalty by giving him a bit of "fame" and a gift card - oh my!

American Birkebeiner

The Birkie is a BIG DEAL in Wisconsin; it's the equivalent of a marathon for skiers (30 miles).
We drove up to Hayward, 2 hours north of Eau Claire, to watch the skiers come in, here they are on the lake with about 600 yards to the finish.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and I'm so thankful for the blue sky and sunshine because after about 3 hours outside, my toes and fingers were pretty cold.

Here are Mike and Jodi. We were waiting to cheer on our friend, Kate.

The race finishes in downtown Hayward on main street. The skiers on the right were skating, those on the left were doing classic style. There are three main events, the Birkie, the Kortelopet (about half the distance of the Birkie), and the Prince Haakon (about 12k).

The thing to do is to ring cow bells - don't know how that tradition started. Here's Kate at the finish; she did great, finished in just over 4 hours. The elite racers finished under 2 hours - oh my!

Best in Show

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show don't know diddly.............THE BEST IN SHOW lives right here in Eau Claire............Champion Misty, sporting group.