A Different Path

Taking a different route on my walk, I enjoyed some new and beautiful gardens.

~Michele

Christmas Cove Farm

We had a chance to visit one of our favorite "apple stops." Christmas Cove Farm is owned and operated by John and Phyllis Kilcherman and is a cherry farm by most standards in the summer and then specializes in antique apples in the fall, after cherry season is over. 

Antique apples are very old apple varieties that you cannot find in your standard grocery store. They never made it to "main stream" apple consumption for a whole slew of reasons: some are hard to grow, don't ship well, don't last long enough, don't look pretty enough, etc. 


Despite this they are wonderful to try. Most have a written history card next to the carton so you can read about the apple first. They have some strains that have been in existence for many hundreds of years. 

The "Lady Apple" was small and carried in purses of young ladies in medieval times. They'd take a small bite before or during a party or gathering---it was a breath freshener! Another is the Spitzenburg which was Thomas Jefferson's favorite apple and he grew them at Monticello.

Also, and as you can tell from the other pictures, John collects more antiques than just apples. If we recall correctly, he has over 10,000 collector soda pop bottles from virtually every corner and era of the US. He's got a great selection of signs too. 

Click the link to get a neat glimpse of their operation--they ship too! We stopped by, got about a peck of apple varieties, and cider. It's the best way to kick off the fall season!


Andy


PS: This is Michele's little guy (Cricket). She's enthralled with the idea of getting shots of him in various gnome-like poses. 

Sand Hill Cranes

Can you believe it? I travel down state Michigan thinking I'm in a more urban area only to find, across the road from my sister's house, a flock of Sand Hill Cranes! At least 20 or so----I lost count. 

These wading birds are in the same taxonomic Order as Herons called "Gruiformes." I'm sure this descriptive grouping is more of a compliment than an insult (as in, "Did ya hear 'bout poor Fred? He came down with Gruiformes!"). Males are larger than the females (vice versa in the Raptor world) and they can be up to 5 feet in height with a wingspan up to 7 feet. "Big Birds" . . . even for . . . "Sesame Street."  ;->

Hearing their sound is a real treat. You feel like you are living in some prehistoric era surrounded by exotic animals---very eerie and out of place by today's fauna noise. They have one of the oldest fossil records to date.

Guess how many typically reside in Michigan? Last year's count was over 9,000. Best viewing time is the fall, late October. One last trivia question: what do you call a baby Sand Hill Crane? Give up? Yeah, me too . . . a "colt."
Andy

Cranbrook House and Gardens

If you haven't gone, do so if you ever get a chance. Learn more here: Cranbrook House and Gardens


Until then, I hope you enjoy these sneak peeks of the grounds; inside pictures are NOT allowed. Lots of amazing landscapes, fountains, and sculptures. Some of the latter are "alive" . . . or just my . . . family!  ;->


Andy

Crêpes

I love 'em and haven't made them in a couple of months. Got back from a last minute trip down state to see family, found we had tons of eggs in the frig, and just had a craving! For the filling I sautéed chopped apples (locally grown Zestar), walnuts, cinnamon and . . . BUTTER! Yes, I love butter too.


Here's the recipe I used and hopefully soon I'll try chocolate crêpes per a recipe from a fellow foodie (thanks, Melissa, and stay tuned!). 


Enjoy!
Andy

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup barley flour (gives a slight malt flavor I like)
• 1 tbs melted butter then slightly cooled
• 1/4 tsp salt

Combine ingredients and blend in a processor or whisk/mix thoroughly. Allow the batter to rest, ideally at least an hour. Heat a 6 inch or so sauté pan (ideally well-seasoned instead of non-stick) to medium and wipe with a little butter on a paper towel. Pour around 2 1/2 tbs of batter into the pan and tilt to spread the batter evenly over the bottom. 


Cook the crêpe for about 30 seconds until dull on the top; when lifting a corner the bottom should have a nice mottled golden brown. Flip it and then cook the other side for about 20 seconds or so. I garnished ours with drizzled maple syrup and powdered sugar. 

Day of Many Moods

People in Michigan often joke "if you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes and it will change." Yesterday was a great example of this; with very gusty cold winds blowing in dark skies, rain and more rain, followed by many peeks of the sun.

Just before dark, this beautiful rainbow appeared in the skies behind our house.

~Michele

Pride of Baltimore II

Suttons Bay was fortunate to have "Pride of Baltimore II" spend the night in our waters last evening. This afternoon she headed down to Traverse City for a couple days. Since Andy was at work, I did the best I could using my little point and shoot. (not so good!) Traverse city posted some fun shots of her arrival. Click here to see those.

~Michele