Port Huron Michigan

The first leg of our trip brings us to Port Huron Michigan. This is where we will be crossing into Canada. I liked the big USA and the American Flag.

Here are just some pretty flowers planted at our hotel.  I am not sure what they are though.

This is unique, a large checker or chess board. The pieces can be picked up to actually play.

My chicken walnut salad with candied walnuts.  We ate on the deck along the Black River in Port Huron.  The restaurant was the Quay Street Brewing Company.  The Black River runs into the St. Clair River. 



They had a trellis with this wisteria growing all over it.  Oh how I would have loved to see it blooming!



The Black River, the draw bridge and the pretty sun shining.

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The blue St. Clair river. It was very breezy and people had makeshift holders for fishing. There were bells on the end of the poles so they knew when there was fish on the line.

This person even brought their hunting blind to stay out of the wind.  See his feet?

Quite a few people were wetting their lines.

So glad you checked in with me.

Red Framed

I picked up my newly framed picture of my fat cardinal. So pleased with it.  Northside Galleries does a nice job for my art.  Distressed frame with a red mat, the picture was torn to give texture.  It stands out and is very pretty on our wall in the bedroom.

Book Review-The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

The main storyline of this book has always been appalling to me but Jodi Picoult is such a good storyteller that it kept me turning the pages. 

The female lead in this story is named Sage.  She is a baker, she has a disfiguring scar on her face and that makes her uncomfortable and she is always trying to hid that side of her face with her hair. She is having an affair with the undertaker and works in a bakery called Our Daily Bread owned by a former nun. She acquired the scar through a bad accident and is attending grief meetings because of this and she gets acquainted with an elderly gentleman. She also has a grandmother who is a holocaust survivor.  A good portion of this book tells that horrifying story but it is just riveting, like a train wreck that you can't turn away from.

There are many twists and turns that bring the answers out in the end of the story. 
For me, this was a book I could not put down until I finished it.

6 million people died in the holocaust.  People are People...every one of us has skin, hair, hearts, brains, etc.  How do individuals come into power and think they can own, eliminate or torture others just by their skin color, religion and beliefs. The history of humanity has such black marks, have we learned from this?  Unfortunately this still goes on today. 

 

 

 

flowers

My Hollyhocks have started to bloom.  What a contrast in colors.

In the spirit of Georgia O'Keefe.

Not quite as dark with the sun shining.

The coreopsis are blooming nicely and shown along with my blue bird and solar ball.

These are going to be cosmos.  We got a free package in the mail for some reason and this will be the perfect spot.  In the background along the garage.  They should be tall and bright and reseed. 

Close up of one of the solar balls.  I really, really like these. 

Coreopsis up close and personal.

Now this is my wintered over geranium that has sprouted and nice fat bud.  I kept the little darling in the garage and when spring came about it started sprouting the leaves.  The other little sprouts are nasturtiums.  I had a package of them and just put them here and there.  There are so many pluses for nasturtiums.  They sprout easily and fast.  They have beautiful colors and are edible. 

This is a pot of pansies that are wearing down.  I have put more seeds in it and when it gets cool I will bet they will sprout up.  As you can see more nasturtiums. 

This solar ball is so pretty, especially at night.  The colors are pretty and subtle.

A beautiful red geranium pot with marigolds and snapdragons.  A knockout rose in the background-they smell so, so good!  The windchime was a gift for a house move in.  I just really enjoy the sound of it.  I have it sheltered because we get so much wind out here.  The soothing sound of it makes it seem as if everything is ok. 

This pot was empty so I put some extra seeds in it.  I know there are sweet peas (that is why I have a stick)  There are also zinnias and I can't remember what else.  It will be a surprise all over again.

Hope there are lots of nice surprises in your garden. 

Blacksmithing

On Friday and Saturday of this last weekend we were up in Scotts Michigan which is between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.  There is a place called Tillers International that teaches sustainable farming to other countries like Africa for instance. They also offer many different classes and Kevin has taken Blacksmithing I and II now.  They are good people there and of course very down to earth, he enjoys it very much and learns a lot.  He made three items this time.  The one pictured is a trivet and he also learned how to rivet the pieces together.   

Very good for his first time. 
He also made some blacksmithing tongs to hold hot items and also riveting tools.   

Plow horses in the background, baby oxen to the left.  I saw someone working with them with a harness.  There are many goats, different kinds of chickens.  They had baby turkeys that they were raising for thanksgiving.  Many heads of cattle, all grass fed.  It is a neat place. 

The Blacksmith Shop

We drove into Portage Michigan to find a bite to eat and the country road was just so pretty. 

This is just on the outskirts of Portage, it is empty and someone was mowing the lawn.  I bet it has an interesting story. 

On Saturday Tom and I went over to Jackson Michigan.  This is the site of the First State Prison in Michigan.  We were going to take a tour but the tour people were not here.  I loved this dogwood and had a good picture of Tom in front of it.

An Armory had also been located there also but art shops and instruction was in it now.  That I am saving for another post. 

There are now apartments in this part of the prison and that would have been interesting to see. 

The back side of the apartments.

One of the prison walls made of old stone.  The yard once had many manufacturing buildings which have been torn down. 

Guard towers and iron doors

It just felt like a lot of sadness in this area. 

These walls were built in the 1840's and they have seen a lot. 

It was nice of you to check in.  Thanks!

Book Review-The Search by Nora Roberts

I enjoyed this book very much.  It had many different elements.  Drama, Mystery, Romance, Animals.  The setting was Orcas Island in Washington State.  Fiona, the woman in the story had a search and rescue business and dog training classes that she held.  She owned three impeccably trained Labradors which was a delightful aspect of the story.  The lead up as to why she had this business is very intriguing and horrible.  The man in the story, Simon is a wood crafting artist and makes beautiful furniture and wood items.  He has just moved to Orcas Island and his mother bought him a puppy, that has become a handful.  His name is Jaws if that tells you anything.  He has paid a visit to Fiona to join her dog training classes.  Well, as you have probably guessed they eventually become a couple, but she has much baggage to work through.  I suspect that the author investigated how the search and rescues work, which I thought was very interesting.  This business plays into the end of the story and it was very much a Rah Rah moment.  It did not take me long to read this book, and it's a nice summer read.

I am sending my book on to a close friend who happens to live on Orcas Island part of the year.  I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.

I have always like Nora Roberts and can't think of a book I haven't enjoyed. 

new stuff around the house

I had many little things that I have collected through the years that I didn't want to let go, but I also didn't want to put out because they would be a pain to dust. 
I found this neat distressed cabinet and though it would be perfect to display my little items. 

Here I put a portion of them out and it was a nice walk down memory lane.  Thinking about where I got them or what friend gave them to me.

I love fun sayings and my friend Theresa gave this to me.  The neat bird on a spindle I picked up at Pottery Barn. 

A delphinium-the blue is so stunning.

A garden stake-it is supposed to glow in the dark.

I really liked this bulletin board in a green frame, and the mirror was my father in laws.  A friend had given it to him when he retired.  I thought the place worked out well, this is the way we go out to the garage.  Do a last minute check before we leave and if there is something we don't want to forget it will be on the bulletin board. 

A Kelly Rae Roberts design that I fell in love with.  I love her art. 

A little primitive piece I had picked up.  I loved the black frame too. 

Thanks for stopping by.