We flew over it on our way home from Charleston, and finally, before summer draws to a close we visited Kelly's Island with our bikes. We found some seaglass, ate some ice cream, AND found an arrowhead! There were whitecaps on the lake, but we felt in good hands on the Ferry with the name IRENE! And of course there was food--we stopped in Port Clinton and brought home some Peaches!

There is a wonderful park 1/2 mile from our house where we wear out the trails with our bikes and shoes and dog. Several years ago the Metroparks purchased additional land to expand the park and then, one of our pioneer families donated the original family log cabin. Today, the park dedicated the new land and new living history museum with a big party. It was great to see the community come together to celebrate and also to see old friends. To raise funds, there was a paving brick campaign and we bought one to honor my Mom and Aunt. Our family has a long history in this area and I thought it appropriate to put their name on a brick---my aunt was a member of the first graduating class at Clay High School and my Mom, was her class's Strawberry Queen. It will be great to ride my bike along the new trails and see the brick with these 2 gals name on it!

These tomatoes are FINALLY here--and we can't get enough of them. These are going to be made into sauce this weekend--unless they are eaten with a little salt and pepper first.

Sometimes the best souvenirs from vacations are ideas you take home and this is my "idea souvenir" I have been shopping EBay and asking sailor friends and trying make to find an old sail to make a sun shade for our deck like this one we saw at a restaurant in Harbor Springs!

It's Dan's first day of school-for teachers only. We had a tradition that every day on the first day of school, we would snap a picture of our sons. When they were little, they would smile and love the picture and then when they were older, they would grimace and say through clenched teeth "would you hurry up". This is Dan's picture at the end of the day. He forgot to take his work shoes to change into and had to wear his Crocs all day.

We are having a splendid corn season here in Ohio this year and Dan and I are taking advantage of the bounty by freezing a bushel. Once again, we all have our jobs to do---most important, of course, is Magglio's-who watches for runaway kernels. My Mom taught me the handy way to cut off the kernels using an angel food cake pan and an electric knife.

This is what we've been doing today. Making Bluebarb Jelly from this book, Small-Batch Preserving. We all had our jobs today. Most important was Magglio's, who was instructed to eat any escaped blueberries from the floor. And the end result will find it's way on our bagels in the morning!

It's a double whammy.If you don't get run over by the tractor,you may get taken out by the airplane! We found a great new Rails to Trails bike path called North Coast Inland Trail and got a short Friday afternoon ride in.

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

All summer we have been wanting to try grilled pizza. After an article in our local newspaper, we decided to go for it. The only thing we changed was we didn't buy the $50 pan. I found a disposable tin pizza sized pan for 80 cents at Meijer. It was delicious---and tonite is the 2nd nite in a row we have had it. We used the Boboli bread because we were short on time but this weekend I am going to try dough in my bread machine. Delicious! Oh--and we topped it with a thin layer of sauce, carmelized onions, basil and peppers from our garden and cheese!

Why is it that when the first hint of fall is in the air and the first leaf starts to turn, the flowers become the most vibrant? This is an old fashioned flower called Cosmos and it is a delicate beauty!

When you're the one with the camera, you don't usually see very many pictures of yourself---which can be a good thing. Here is a "self-portrait" looking into one of our favorite stores in Petoskey-Symon's General Store. An assortment of unusual, enticing bottles and boxes of delicious items and a wonderful selection of cheeses from around the world. We like to arrive around lunchtime and have them grill a sandwich on homemade bread and take it to the park. Downstairs is a wonderful selection of wines! See if you can find me in the pic----kind of like a grown up kid looking into a candy store!

We are back home in Ohio. It was a great and relaxing getaway. I am posting a pic of all of us together before we dispersed to go our separate ways-Matt and Kellie took the circuitous route home through Traverse City and Adam and Jonelle back to Indiana. And us----we picked up a soft, clean groomed Magglio from a wonderful boarding kennel in town and hit the road!

Life is good in Northern Michigan-and even better now that Adam,Jonelle,Matt and Kellie are with us!

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

When the sun sets over Lake Michigan, people drop what they are doing and gather at the water's edge to watch the ball of fire dip into the lake. When it has disappeared, there is applause and everyone resumes their activities with a smile on their face!!

We are Up North in Harbor Springs Michigan. And even better than that is the Gelato from American Spoon Cafe. With a size medium,you can combine 3 flavors and I always go with chocolate,ginger and coconut.Well,not always-sometimes I substitute pistachio but ALWAYS ginger. This stuff is so good that in the winter I have been known to ski down a slope ONLY because they sell it in the restaurant at Nubs Nob!

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

It was hot---and a chilly movie theater sounded appealing so last nite we went and saw Julie and Julia and it was wonderful. Meryl Streep IS Julia Child and she really made the movie. Hope it is cool and sunny wherever you are!

I would like to take a moment to give a plug your local produce growers. A lot of time and effort goes into those beautiful peppers, corn, tomatoes and everything else at your Farmer's Market. Not only that, but it is a constant struggle for them to compete with the big conglomerate farms. And it really is a no-brainer. Luscious, juicy, tasty tomato OR pulpy, cardboard tasting red round thing that transports well. Our strategy this summer is to preserve as much local produce as time allows and enjoy in the winter. Dan and I have a small chest freezer in our basement that, in spite of it's small size, holds an amazing amount of casseroles and produce---enough for 2 people and company! I am the first to admit that preserving is tiring and can burn you out really fast------so I just do a small batch every weekend. This weekend it is another peck of green beans-----if Dan and I snip together and then blanch and freeze, it takes about 1.5 hours--max. And that includes time that I am doing other things too. Like----if I sneak away and leave Dan snipping or time spent waiting for the water to boil. But the end result is very satisfying!

As promised, no more food pictures. But then, what to post, since I spent the afternoon making zucchini lasagne for the freezer. Here is a picture and a funny story from Charleston. We were walking around the beautiful neighborhoods and I spied this very old rocking chair, set out with the garbage. I stopped and thought(to myself), Wow-if I was home I would rescue this old chair and restore it---and at that same moment, my wonderful husband said "forget it, they will never let you on the plane with it" And I swear------the very next day we saw a chair exactly like this in a historic home!!

Food again. I can't help it. It's what I do---cook and eat, and read cookbooks. But it is blueberry season after all and these Lemon Blueberry Muffns are headed into the freezer and will be shared with some family members who may or may not be reading this post!! And strictly off topic here, but WOW this mosquitos are big, bad and ugly this year!!

At last----it is at it's finest-----Ohio Corn. And no, these aren't from our garden. We don't even have a tomato yet. But oh, do we have zuchinni. And why do I post so much about food---hmmmm.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of my Weekend:

The Good!

-I feel pretty good about preserving a peck of green beans from the Farmer's Market in my freezer. I am not sure about the cost savings but I feel pretty dang good about using LOCAL as much as possible. Next year I may have to grow my own. Dan wants me to post the picture where he is trying to look like he cut off his finger while snipping beans. Next weekend--corn!

-Got some bicycle riding time in and that is always a plusl

-Gave Magglio a bath and he always smells so good and feels so soft afterward.

The Bad.

-I ate way too much. Homemade Raspberry pie, chicken barbeque, ice cream,blueberry pancakes, beer---you name it. But that is coming to a screeching halt come Monday morning.

The Ugly.

-Did anyone see the Tiger-Indian game today. Not just a Tiger loss but a killing.. 11-1 and ugly every step of the way.

Simple Summer Pleasure

I am giving you a "secret" summer recipe that is a favorite of ours. We love it so much because it is so delicious and easy---perfect for lazy, hazy, summer afternoons. You know the kind----too hot to cook and almost too hot to eat. So here goes-----

Tomato Basil Sandwich

-sliced garden tomato(NOT those cardboard tasting kind the grocery store sells)

-FRESH basil leaves

-Mayo. We prefer Hellmeans REAL mayo

-freshly ground pepper and salt

-bread

Spread both sides of bread with a light coating of mayo. Stack the tomatoes and basil on and sprinkle with salt and pepper

Place sandwich on paper plate(no clean up) and sit outside with a glass of iced tea.

Disclaimer: These tomatoes are NOT from our garden. Here we are into August and all we have are green ones growing slowly. Also, Dan wants you to know the Light Mayo isn't as good on these sandwiches. ENJOY!