Autumn is near...

This past weekend when we were up at our log cabin - there was definitely a crispness and coolness in the air.

This photo was taken last year on Little Bradford Lake in Gaylord.

Red Squirrel

"If we had a keen vision of all that is ordinary in human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow or the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which is the other side of silence."

-George Eliot

Wine & Cheese at Black Star Farms

One of my favorite wineries to go visit is Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay, Michigan. It would make the perfect setting for a wedding with its Bed & Breakfast Colonial Mansion, the farm, rolling vineyards and beautiful landscaping. Their wine tasting room is filled with goodies including the best tasting cheese I have ever had! Their Raclette cheese and the herbed goat cheese have become something I cannot live without. In 2007, their Raclette cheese won Best In Show - beating out 1,200 other cheese entries at the 24th Annual Cheese Society Competition in Vermont. The owners have kept the small town quality with limiting their production and distribution. Needless to say if you can get your hands on their Raclette cheese, consider yourself very lucky!

Northport, Michigan - Part I

We visited Northport this past weekend located in the northern tip of Leelanau County on Grand Traverse Bay. They were having their annual wine and blues festival (which will be a future blog post this week!) It's a sleepy town with fruit orchards, art galleries, a marina filled with dream worthy boats and beautiful sandy beaches.

Link to Northport: http://www.leelanau.com/northport/

Kayaking

Our family has discovered the peaceful joys of kayaking this summer. I prefer the calm lake of the morning or at dusk when the loons are calling. Just gliding through the water and seeing a whole different perspective of nature at its' best.