The Big Adventure

I generally take some things with me wherever I go. This trip was no different.

I put the small Mickey Mouse Lego Car in my stuff along with a few of my favorite Lego Females.

I imagined a road trip. I imagined some different scenes in my head and let the ideas percolate. 

While I was setting up a shot on my son's boardwalk, Twila came bounding through and jumped over me. I was crouched on the walk with camera in hand. I hit the shutter as she ran by and leaped.

I thought, "Well crap, that shot is ruined now isn't it?" I figured I'd get another chance later on to do another or different shot.

However when going through the photos once more on my laptop, I decided that this shot was a keeper for sure. I imagine a story line something like this...

Driving can be dangerous!
Hobby and the gang decide to take Mickey's car and drive to a Big Lake where they heard there was cooler weather. Cooler weather and lots of water? This they had to see!

They encountered some wildlife. Due to Hobby's excellent driving and evasive maneuvers, all was well...

Mirth asked for a rest stop so she could stretch her legs and inspect the area they were travelling through.

Hobby decided that the huge exotic flowers were a must to add to her album of wild plants. While taking photos, an elfin gal came out of the brush.

Hobby was stunned. The elfin gal introduced herself as Fern. Fern had a sad story of being the only wood elf in these Kenosha woodlands. She was so lonely.

Did Hobby know of any other wood elves?

Hobby said she knew of one other wood elf just like her and maybe she'd like to meet him? However the wood elf was back home hours away.

Fern said she like to meet this wood elf could she meet up with them later the forest that humans called Peoria Park? After a short hike, she could take them to the Big Lake called Michigan.

They meet up at the Big Mushroom in the Park.

Fern takes them for a short hike.

She explains that they are in her forest, people and dogs also like to visit to enjoy nature. The people aren't dangerous and sometimes the dogs just knock her over. But Fern felt quite lonely being the only little person in the whole forest.

Fern takes the gals to see Lake Michigan.

And they are all in awe.

None of the humans even notice all the little people, it seems they were interested in other things like bird watching and a kit flying festival.

Hobby and the gang were fascinated, they'd never seen so many people and the the lake was incredible. So much larger than their creek back at home.

Fern then said that sometimes the human people actually built homes for little people like them.

No Way!

Fern decided to show them one of the homes that had been abandoned by other little people when they left the forest. Human children must have built it and then left it out in the woodlands Fern tells the others.

Hobby asked Fern if she'd like to come and visit their forest and meet Acorn the other wood elf that lived not far from them.

Fern agreed and...

well,

we'll just have to see what happens next.

Ahhhh.

One just cannot have too many Lego People.

:)

Busy day

Tuesday, the sun came out and melted off more snow. Charlie and I headed to the woods to see how the rest of the fences faired out. We wanted to see if the Virginia Spring Beauties were still around and look for other signs that Spring was coming despite the snowfall.

I was surprised that the electric lines were just fine except in the places where the deer had knocked them off their insulators. I took an insulator count for replacement.

We found Pheasant Back mushrooms forming on a tree that fell over the winter.

This surely was a sign of spring!

In fact we had to sit down on the forest floor and get a closer look:

When we did, we found this in the leaves!

And we found Mayapples or as my Grandmother called them Maypole flowers. I don't know why but she did.

Of course there was Frank the Trooper Dude who decided to sit on a log and get in touch with Nature. He brought Birdie and they relaxed in the sunlight.

Hobby found some leeks or wild ramps just above the creek where water was actually flowing this Spring from the bountiful moisture and the snow melts.

Soon it will be time to walk along the creek and gather wild parsnip roots for a fresh veggie to be seasoned with wild garlic and some wild ramps. The parsnip and wild garlic are invasive species but eatable so why not eat them?

Wild parsnip roots:

Spring culinary delights await in the woods.

Saturday Adventures Abound

 Here is the prize Ugly Chair I got. I love it! It has been painted green underneath which shows through the ugly brown paint. It has scratches and worn spots, but it is sturdy and fits me just right. This summer I'll sand it and prime it, then paint it into a wildly colorful Happy Chair.

Hubby wants me to strip it and finish it. A Happy Chair is always more popular. My grand kids used to try and get to the colorful chairs first when they stayed with us. It is no secret that I like fun stuff. It is no secret that there is an in law who is horrified that I don't have one matching wooden chair around my old wooden table. 

The kids loved this chair! It was an old wobbly one I found in the shed and cleaned up. I did my best to unwobble it with glue and screws, but eventually it came apart.

It has been a while since I got to do a nice chair for inside. I found another neat chair at the Flea Market, it was SO ugly I loved it. The last layer of paint that chair had was bright pink with a white splotch on the seat. 

Another great find at the second hand shop was this jacket. Since I wear children sized clothes, this XL kids jacket fit perfectly.

Bonus! Mickey Mouse! Yes!

I went out to the woods after breakfast and chores to see if the Spring Beauties had appeared in the upper woods.

Imagine my surprise at finding Mayflower plants emerging where I'd burned weeds a few weeks ago.

Looks like my pals were out too! Doing selfies! Good thing they found that Quad pod!

Spring Beauties!

They have started! I was so thrilled that I didn't mind sitting in the midst of briers to get close to them. While there I heard thunder and the sunlight faded out.

A big thunderstorm moved in for about 40 minutes. As soon as it passed I trotted back out to look for cool things.

Virginia Waterleaf plant emerging:

Catkins on a Maple Tree:

Another thunderstorm threatened to move in and then hubby wanted lunch. Sigh. Spring was Springing and I wanted to be in it!

After the storms hubby went for his nap and I went to a place where I knew I'd find wild flowers.

Wood Anemones:

Virginia Bluebells:

Trout Lily leaves! That means they should flower very soon!

Remember Frank who had so many misadventures with his Storm Troopers? Well, he decided to get some R&R.
I found him doing this:

After chores and about supper time, we got a visit from Olive, Aiden, and Gerti. But that is a whole new blog entry regarding neighbors and barters. 

Now it is Sunday. It is cold, wet, and yucky. We will be under a Winter Storm Warning tonight into tomorrow morning with 8 to 12 inches of snow predicted. The days after the snow will be in the 50's so this will melt rapidly.

That means more excitement in the woods. Since I can't go anywhere until it melts, I imagine I'll have fun watching a large snow melt and run off in the creek and valley. 

Who ever said living in the boonies was boring? I'm absolutely over the moon with the weather and flowers.

Hubby says I am not quite right in the head.

Squatch builds a house

Do you remember poor Squatch who searched aimlessly with his friend Hobby for others like himself?

He searched for a home and built a stick house in the spring which got flattened with the first big winds.

They considered a nice Lego house at first but it was too fancy with decorations and all. So they got together and decided to get busy since it seemed that winter was officially on its way.

The Cabin looks very nice but it has to be built from the ground up!
It looks to be complicated and even has lights that are integrated into cabin! Here the friends study the first set of lights.

They decided to call in a construction crew to assist.
[Yes, their coffee breaks are very large!]

The skid steer was very helpful as was the supervisor.

By evening, step 1 had been completed and Squatch had the basement in along with the stairs to the new porch. Oh and a place for a friend!

A little pasture for a brown pony!

Everyone pitches in! Day 2:

The actual set we are doing is called FO Fun Whole Wood Cabin with 2097 pieces. It will take a while!

I love the detail I am finding in this 'build'. 

The bathroom with a tub, toilet, and sink [I fixed the spigot after
I saw this photo...]

Living Room complete 

with a record player

and a Foyer Cabinet
with drawers that work!

Seems I finally got my 'dollhouse'. I had a metal one as a kid and we played with them all of the time. Of course dolls didn't live there, any small toy animal we could find lived in our dollhouses. 

Thank goodness for Lego stuff!

Fun stuff

 The Gritty Girls

This is just going to be ...

the Fun Stuff. 

Why not? 

Mirth is out picking mushrooms. I think she is looking for those psychedelic ones!

We TOLD Harriet NOT to play with the food!

Hobby enjoys wandering the woods looking for cool fungi. She found Scrambled Egg Slime Mold aka Dog Vomit Slime Mold. Real name: Fuligo Septica 

Hobby and Susan stop to cool off in the creek after hiking.

Garden Gargoyles discussing the Welcome Friends sign. Obviously they are not impressed.

It is obvious that some of the gals need a bit more education on how to carry a load on a skid steer...

No one was injured.

This weather has been bad for mowing and some outdoor activities. But if one likes fungi and slime molds, this is absolutely great weather.

More on that soon.

Sneak peek: