Our neighbor, Sam, who has the new organic farm right across hwy 22 still has fresh watermelon and we served it this morning with mint from our plantation out front! Yum. Tomorrow we’ll prepare it as our Spanish speaking friends would serve it as “Agua Fresca!”

We’re grateful to China and Graham who had their wedding here last summer and their fabulous photographer from Madison. You can go to her blog and see what photos she took here and at the Red Mill, just down the road http://www.mphotography.blogspot.com/2012/08/china-graham-waupaca-wi-madison-wedding.html

Robert took this with his phone camera … this is the long view of his closeup he took – colors are stunning! The well was drilled 90 feet deep back in 1902 for the milk house when AR Potts built the dairy barn. The water flows constantly at 45 degrees so it kept the milk safe and many people bought milk daily from this farm. What you see in this photo is the result of the Potts bringing a pipe from the milk house behind the barn to a stock tank. Robert regularly takes it to the UW Stevens Point water lab for testing and it always comes back with an affirmation that it’s good to drink and has lots of iron! The building on the right is the old sheep barn built around 1870.

As we walk west to our Little House on the Prairie we go by or through a small grove of trees – that’s why one of the guest rooms there is called the Woodland Room. The woods were calling to me to capture it’s beauty. The Little House is available this Saturday night. Since it’s the weekend of the Hidden Arts Studio Tour it would be a great time to visit us!  

Today the wind picked up and many leaves are coming down. The trees begin to show more branches and the ground is getting a soft blanket of colorful leaves. I just had to put this photo of a few days ago up here now for you to see another colorful view – looking west from the inn. on the right is Rural Road.

Yesterday my mom came to help us around the inn and we had lunch out in the gazebo. It was like a mini-vacation with the electric yellow, orange and gold maple leaves.  The temp was in the mid 60’s and with the brilliant sun shining made for a perfect day. Our guests who went for a walk at Hartman Creek State Park said they had a marvelous time and spent all afternoon there.

Out behind our 1902 dairy barn and next to the 1870 sheep barn is a grove of sumac now in all their splendor. As you drink from the artesian well and look up this is what you see!

I just wish I were a professional photographer with a real camera about now! The colors are incredible – everywhere I look! The weather for the wedding here on Saturday was sunny and warm, colors gold, burgundy, brilliant yellow, green . . . the day was aglow in every way. We wish the Lisa and Keith all that is good in life as they begin married life. With family and friends surrounding them they are off to a good start.

This morning one of our guests went out  for early morning walk and captured this picture of the mill pond in Rural.  Troy is a fly fishing guide (an independent contractor) recommended by Orvis, and beside the gorgeous colors saw some good sized trout in the Crystal River. He had breakfast today with other guests who came here from Florida specifically to fly fish!   They caught several trout on their first day out.  Don’t you suppose they all enjoyed sharing fish stories?!  After breakfast Troy gave them some pointers as they set out in the Crystal River this morning. With the weather about perfect – sunny skies and colorful foliage it’s made for a great vacation for them. Thanks, Troy, for sharing this lovely photo.

The Rural Mill Pond is just a block from the inn.

The Inn from Rural Road – see, we’re right on the Crystal!

We’ve been wondering if we’d get fall colors since the weather this year has been so unusual but we didn’t have to worry – fall colors are gorgeous! Here you see the inn from Rural Road. The morning is a bit overcast but it makes a beautiful photo thanks to our guest and friend, Sandy Putnam.