Lil Rev will return for his third concert Sunday, September 9, 2-4 p.m.

We agree with Pete Seeger who said, “Listen to this! Lil Rev is Great!”

Rev is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist playing guitar, harmonica, mandolin, ukulele and banjo. He’s a songwriter and music-historian from Milwaukee who teaches and tours around the continental U.S.   at libraries, museums, schools, community and health centers as well as concert halls. Check out his web site:  www.lilrev.com

We’ll be in the 1870 Granary so space is limited. Tickets are $15 in advance (give us a call if you can come) $18 at the door. Children are free.

Following the concert we’ll have dinner featuring fresh, organic vegetables and our homemade bread and other treats. You’re welcome to join us! Just give us a call: 715-258-5333.

These cherry tomatoes are just like candy they’re so sweet. Last evening a neighbor girl who just turned three came by and we went into the garden and after I said she could have them she couldn’t stop eating them – we had to distract her by introducing her to the flower garden that has lemon mint and lavender hyssop – so fragrant and beautiful.

Cherry Tomatoes with tall Pole Beans in the Background

We’ve been harvesting potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and beans from our garden and they’re SO delicious. We love serving breakfast saying, “These were just picked!” We don’t use any pesticides or herbicides – we enrich our soil with  our compost so we’re happy with what we put on the table. Our guests tell us they appreciate knowing where their breakfast comes from! The folks in the French Country Cottage could see us picking tomatoes right out their front door!

Robert coming in with his harvest.

Our prairie plant that Robert planted near the inn is in its glory! The bright yellow blossoms at the top can be seen from Alice’s Room – the guest room on the second story. When it rains water collects in the leaves where they’re attached to the thick stem and birds and insects drink water from them.

This huge prairie plant helps shade the Canopy Room!

Today we were blessed with a beautiful wedding here. The bride’s parents decorated the gazebo which overlooks the Crystal River and it was just lovely. There was a flute quartet seated in the gazebo and wedding party stood at the entrance of the gazebo for all the guests to see. It was such a joyous event! We’re grateful to be a part of the joining of two wonderful families.

This was just picture perfect! We’re delighted by the butterflies and bees that come to the butterfly weed that is such a brilliant orange. It’s the showpiece of our butterfly garden now!

Our cat, Missy, got to go outside yesterday – we occasionally let her out when we’re going to be close by.  She sat on a stone next to the gorgeous blue hydrangeas we got from Silver Mist nursery, just a mile down the road. We’re very pleased with the plants which adorn the east side of the house and are visible from the gazebo. They are next to the well established white hydrangeas which produce beautiful green (to white to beige color) puff balls of blooms – such a joy!

This morning we served a fresh fruit parfait starting with organic bananas, greek yogurt, granola with almonds, fresh raspberries (that Mrs. Peterson brought by after she picked them from her garden last evening), more yogurt and granola,  then topped with fresh blueberries and spearmint from our “mint plantation” outside the front door. We’re trying greek yogurt for the first time. Our guests, Scott and Tony, like it so Robert got some to try and make his own greek yogurt from the cultures. So far, so good!

Oh we are so happy to share our news that the Little House on the Prairie new main entrance to the living room through a new deck is all screened in! Today Robert installed the last of the screen and since he’d hung the door yesterday today he got the door closure working so now everyone can sit outdoors in the evenings and not be concerned about mosquitoes. There are some jobs to complete but  we’re very pleased to have gotten this far and look forward to guests enjoying the new living space.

This morning I took our guests who are experienced birders on a trip to check our bird nest boxes at the southeast corner of our land.  As we approached box #7 we saw two Eastern Bluebirds swooping around it. We saw one “hand off” (by beak) some type of food to another who took it into the box. When we arrived at the box a few minutes later (we’d stopped near a rocky site in which we’ve seen killdeer eggs in the past). In the nest boxwe found five Eastern Bluebird chicks – about a week old. They are so delicate and we were so delighted! The parents were flying around the box anxious for us to leave so we did not linger. On the way back to the inn we heard a tiny call and movement in the grass then we spied what we think was a bluebird chick, not yet able to fly but able to stumble through the grass and flutter its wings pretty well. We didn’t see adults around but hope they are near and wish long and healthy life for baby bluebird.