Tuesday, September 07, 2010

A Little Break

We had a little break this weekend at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  The weather was cooler, so I was able to test out our furnace, change the filter and put some new batteries in the thermostat.  We also brought in the succulents on our front porch and deadheaded most of the perennials.  I do not plant any annuals up here anymore because there is no watering going on when we are not up here.  Even a few perennials didn't make it this year because of the heat, but overall, most of the plantings look better than at home.


The Vera Jameson Sedum and Nepeta Walkers Low look much more vivid in my Wisconsin Garden than back at home.

This is also supposed to be Vera Jameson, but since planting a couple of years ago, it has always had a different look.  Vera Jameson always looks better either hanging over something or planted in front of other plantings just peeking out.

Sedum Autumn Joy

Rudbeckia, Knockout Roses and the Juniper that fell over last winter (seems to have recovered)

We even got in a little kite flying

On Sunday, we made our way to Elkhorn to the Walworth County Fair.  The fair dates back to 1850 and is everything you can imagine about an old fashioned county fair, rides, philly cheese steaks, corn dogs, cotton candy, homemade lemonade and even the church hall diner (where we ate).




Lots of horse races

The vintage church dining hall where we had lunch

We had come to the fair two years ago but it was so hot we could barely move through the congested aisles of concessions.  I remember lots of funnel cakes, my daughter riding a camel, a man carving beavers out of wood and my grandchildren posing on a fire engine.  This year, it was all about looking for the scariest ride, the tornado, silver streak, tilt a whirl, bumper cars, fireball and the octopus.



My favorite as a child, much to my mother's dismay, I came home with lots of goldfish!




Picture perfect veggies competing for a ribbon

Pastry ribbons, the one in the middle won first prize.


Crafts everywhere!


Pumpkin judging


This one won the blue ribbon

What a departure from my everyday life, miles and miles of farmland and open fields, a pristine blue sky and even though we saw many locals pulling out their BlackBerrys, there is still a feeling of the simple life.  I am not sure I could live there full time, but it is certainly a relaxing break from the daily treadmill of city life.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Eileen, All the fun of the Fair!! This weekend break looks to have been enormously enjoyable, with something for everyone to enjoy. Oh, yes, how Iloved to try to win a Goldfish, but, just as your mother was against such things, so indeed was mine. It is always so refreshing and envigorating to do something completely different on a holiday weekend and makes the daily grind more bearable.

meemsnyc said...

Looks like a fun county fair! I love fairs, they are for me the best part of summer. Wow, that is a big pumpkin!

Karen said...

Hello Eileen! Oh, you were in my neck of the woods! (Well, ok, more like a hundred miles south of me) Your garden in WI looks as if you tend it every day, how do you do it?! It is simply beautiful!

Thank you for showing us the fair; we didn't even make it to our county fair this year and it was only three miles away, just too much work to do around here. Those cakes were amazing--the one with the roses was gorgeous. Yes, we do live a completely different lifestyle than the major metro areas. My nearest neighbor is 1/4 mile away and I think that's too close, lol. Thank you again for your post!

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Edith, we had a great time and the weather was lovely. I am on my hunt for more cabbages and some fall like flowers.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Memsync, the pumpkin was huge, actually a lot bigger than the picture shows.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Karen, I think you guys have something special in the soil because really no one waters this garden.

I do have xeric type plants in this whole garden,, like the sedums, salvia, daylilies, coreposis, lavender, coneflowers, gaillardias and dianthus. But, even the roses do well up there. My same knockouts at home are not flowering!

Eileen

Granny Lyn's Garden said...

Hi Eileen,
Karen's right, what a beautiful garden,looks like it's tending daily,and no weeds. How lucky you are to have two beautiful gardens .:)
God Bless,Lynda

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Thanks Lynda, I am not sure why this garden survives, except that it is xeric, however, it goes a long, long time without any additional water except rain.

Eileen

Anonymous said...

Hi Eileen, Your Vera Jamison is just beautiful. I love this plant!! Fun at the fair.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Thanks Grace,

Vera looks so much better in Wisconsin, vivid rose color.

Eileen

joey said...

Everyone needs a break, Eileen. Yours looked wonderful!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Eileen girl ! What can I say ?!!
I loved seeing the Halloween crafts and all the bits and pieces of this fair .. I haven't been to one in ages and we always wonder about funnel cakes, I think that is more of an American treat ?
I loved seeing that pastry/cake shot .. wow ! beautiful edible art !! LOL .. and the PUMPKINS! .. We saw a couple on a road side stand but we have to get to our market square soon to see unusual gourds .. I love different colours .. we had a blue one on the front step one year and didn't "somebody" walk away with it ! You can imagine what I was thinking I bet ? haha
Loved the post .. VERY Autumnal !
Joy : )

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Joy, wow a blue pumpkin/gourd I have never seen one. I will buy some real pie pumpkins but the squirrels have a heyday with them.

Eileen