Family Fall Trip...

...a return to the simple things.

Every year since little miss E was three months old we have taken a family trip out to the gorgeous western part of this state And for the past 4 years we've stayed at the exact same place. We rent a lovely modernized farm house tucked up alongside the Bad Axe river.

This year was no exception.

While there we spent our time hiking woodland trails, wading in the ICE cold Bad Axe river, and feeding the resident horse, llama, donkeys and sheep. We watched the Scottish Highland cows graze in their pasture across the suspended bridge over the river and we chased the 2 lovable barn cats everywhere. (Well, mostly E did that. And they reciprocated by following after her like puppies.)

Each night we watched millions of stars appear as the mellow Autumn daylight melted away and the Milky way grew brighter and brighter until it was a thick silver ribbon lacing up the dark sky. We heard Coyotes howling so close by that the hair on the back of our necks couldn't help but stand up. We caught snakes and frogs and toads. (But the spiders the size of silver dollars, those we left alone.)

We had bonfires and picnics and enormous pancake brunches. We drank coffee and hot cocoa out on the porch swing and watched the low rain clouds descend into the valley and get stuck and trail misty finger along the tops of the towering ridges. We collected acorns and blew Milkweed fluff and scavenged corn cobs to bring back for the animals. We bought pumpkins and went to an apple orchard and read James Herriot's veterinary tales, which were wildly appropriate.

And as is, I suppose, only to be expected of life in the country we got stung by bees, bit by baby donkeys and covered in Stinging Nettle rashes. None of that dampened our experience though. In all, we had an amazing time. And we made our reservations for next year as soon as we got home.