Delavan

After driving the countryside I came across Delavan, Wisconsin.  What's so interesting to me is that most of the towns have a water tower in the middle of town.  Sort of, like right there on the, what we New Englanders, would call the town green, stands this huge tower.

 But who knew that I was standing on sacred circus ground?  Read below.

 I find it curious that they say the original P.T. Barnum Circus was organized in Delavan.  In Bridgeport, CT, about 20 minutes from Orange is the Barnum museum, where good old P.T. haled from.  In fact at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport you can find his grave and the grave of Tom Thumb with a life size monument.  I'll take photos some day and get back to you.  But for now Delavan.

 Circus animals dotted the ground below the water tower.

Toto, we're not in Connecticut anymore

It does my explorer heart good to get away from the lake (Lake Geneva) and explore the countryside.  My cousin likes to stay put so she let me take her car one afternoon to see the countryside.  I thought I'd photograph some barns.  What was I thinking?  Well, I was expecting those tiny, quaint New England barns completely forgetting that I was in the middle of Wisconsin.

It was a really bright day and so I had some trouble getting the right exposures but I think you get the idea.

Friday at the Feeder

Well not exactly at the feeder but I saw this little feathered friend finial on the railing that will eventually lead down to the dock on Lake Geneva.  You can see his friend down at the bottom of the railing.  The slats behind the railing will eventually become the dock.

URANT

This restaurant has been around for a while.  Guess they are out of charcoal and seafood.

Along the path of life

 each moment

 often

 abundant

 all

 each day

 happen

These tiles were on one of the lakefront properties along the path around Lake Geneva in Wisconsin.

Shall We?

Spotted at another Christian camp on the shore path was this grill.  I think they were Presbyterians.

Early Morning Walk

On the first day I took a very early morning walk from the camp down to Williams Bay, about four miles round trip.  There is a shore path all around the lake which is about 23 miles.  It takes about 8-10 hours to walk it but people do.  The morning light and the silkiness of the water made it so rewarding to get these lazy bones out of bed.

Norman B. Barr Camp

So you can guess that I have not been in Orange, CT, I've been in Lake Geneva Wisconsin on holiday with cousins at Norman B. Barr Camp.  My cousins family has been going there for many years, the camp is in it's 104th season.  I went up as a kid and started going back to preach about 7 or 8 years ago at their lakeside Bowman Chapel.  The next few days will be posts around and on Lake Geneva.

Some of the cabins.  Whipoorwill, Sweetpea, and Ivy are my families cabins.

Trek down to the lake.  One must be in good condition, if not you will be by the end of the week.

The pavillion.

View from the pier.

Takhomasak

Takhomasak may sound like a Native American name but it isn't.  It's the famous phrase from Steak 'n Shake encouraging you to take a sack of steakburgers home with you.

Founded by Gus Belt in Normal, Illinois in 1934 and is still serving up steakburgers, chili, shakes, and more.  I grew up on this stuff and if ever there was anything that would make me move back to St. Louis it would be Steak 'n Shake.

Truly!

The one we stopped at was in Downer's Grove, Illinois, it's a far cry from the original.

Photo courtesy of Steak 'n Shake

Right before the crowd got there.

They used to have car hops which of course on a summer's night you JUST had to do.  You'd roll down your window 3/4 of the way and they would attach a tray with your steakburgers, etc.

Takhomasak.  Well I didn't bring home any steakburgers I did bring home their chili in a can.  So good, so incredibly good.  I've got quite a few posts coming up now from my vacation to Lake Geneva, WI.  Stay tuned as they say.

In sight it must be right!*

*Slogan of Steak 'n Shake.

Friday at the Feeder

Today's Friday at the Feeder features a Grey Catbird.  FINALLY a bird discovers that I've put out some oranges to peck away at.  His primaries and tail feathers are quite beautiful in their span.

 He was really all over this orange.

One of the identifying marks was his red (roufus) feathers under his tail.  Apparently they can sing but also mew like a cat.  Admittedly these aren't the best photos in the world but, as a fellow photoblogger says, "Sometimes the best camera that you have is the one that is at hand."  This was with my Iphone through a window.

Hannah's Hill

OK, time to transition from the Strawberry Festival to a little mono-chromatic serenity.  This is the backside of Hannah's Hill.  You might remember the photo a couple of weeks ago of this red barn with the two Adirondack chairs in front of it.  This is the other side looking up from Meetinghouse Lane.  Soon I'll transition to photos from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin where I just got back from a week at Norman B. Barr Camp with beloved cousins.

Pie Tent

I was stationed in the pie tent with my pie comrades Cindy and Laura.  We were raking in the dough - no pun intended, I don't think - at $12 a pie, they all went!!!!  You do the math.  We also sold out of the jam that the women made a few weeks before the festival.  NICE JOB OCC!  All told we grossed over $24,000.  That's a lot of strawberries.

The forlorn

This clown seemed, well, just lost.  And no children around him?  It was a peculiar sight, good thing he had a smile painted on his face.

Happy Faces

 What's a festival without face painting?  Absolutely nothing.  We had some serious face painting going on.

On to the festival

 Finally the day arrived.  We had about 70 vendors selling crafts and 'what-nots', rides, games for the children, clowns, entertainment and of course, pulled pork, strawberry pie a la mode, strawberry shortcake and my favorite, chocolate covered strawberries.  Of course did I get any photos of people enjoying the fruits of our labor?  NO.

 But I did get the girls on this ride as they were going up.

This is cute, huh?

Whallah!

Pies, glorious Pies!  All two-hundred and thirty of them.

Dang, that's a lot of pie.