Awesome!

We're staying in Door County, Wisconsin, having what I believe the locals would describe as 'an awesome time.'  I think we have been awed by some of Door County's scenery...and the cherries and fish boils are definitely awesome!

Yesterday we took the car ferry to Washington Island and what a lovely place that is! It's green and wooded, with beautiful beaches (School House Beach being particularly awesome) and you can get what I now believe to be the best coffee in the whole wide world.

TR and the Mouse loved the beach. They both had a go at sunbathing (it's OK - I had them swathed in UV suits, hats and Boot's 'Once' suncream), while their parents sat in the shade, and pronounced it a great success. TR also loved the ferry ride, although he was sad to leave and said he wanted to live on Washington Island. Mr Ruby said he'd like to spend his summers there, but come home to England for the winters. I quite fancy the idea of a home on Washington Island, complete with a Fisher Price-style farm and a small herd of dairy cows. (Obviously I'll need to employ a professional milk-taster.)

Here are some photos of our day on Washington Island.

TR beside his stone cairn. (It was awesome.)

The Mouse, looking lovely (as ever)

I will ask the Doctors and Blondie if it's OK to post pictures of them on here. 'Til then, you'll just have to make do with the Rubies.

Mr Ruby strikes a Boden-pose.

God Bless America!

So, we were talking yesterday what America has going for it, what Dr X misses when she comes to England, what Dr Norton and the rest of us miss about England, and so forth. I'm 'into' America right now. I love the sense of space you get here, the self-assuredness of the people, the flag-flying and general patriotic, homespun knick-knacking that you find on every porch.

Patrotic homespun knick-knackery.

I love that everything is made out of wood - just because there's so much of it available. There's a solidity and permanence to American furniture, that makes our veneered cabinets look flimsy in comparison. Mind you, our brick houses look a little more solid than their wooden houses. I love the midwest climate: proper cold in winter and proper hot in summer - none of your constant dampness and drizzle and you can pretty much always see the sky! I love the taste and texture of corn and that cinnamon is widely used in baking. I love this nifty little conversation starter they have, whereby you can change the topic and introduce your little anecdote by beginning with, 'So...' How handy! So handy, I began this blog entry with it.

On the other hand, I would kill for a cup of tea right now! I'm having to get all my tea-fixes via iced tea, which is good... but not quite what I'm craving. I'm also not so hot about the gun laws here: I just don't get that. Plus, the whole 'the car is king' thing: I'm not so mad about that. I'm also a little homesick for sweets that aren't laced with artificial colourings. Ultimately, I'm enjoying my little love-affair with America and Americana, but I couldn't quite live here: not until I find somewhere that sells dairy-free, soy-free margarine, anyway.

Oh - and the things Dr X misses about the USA when she travels to England? Her capacious and quick-cycle washing machine (it is a thing of beauty, I'm telling you!), her efficient gas dryer (another marvel) and corn-based foods. Dr Norton misses family and someone to help him with car-projects, and marmite and salad cream. When Mr Ruby comes here, he misses the BBC and football - especially Brentford. You can get football here, of course, but it's called 'soccer' and there's no Brentford.

Eat Cheese or Die!

The Rubies are now in Wisconsin, America's self-confessed Dairyland. Apparently their alternative state slogan is, 'Eat Cheese or Die!' A tough choice for the Mouse, TR and I, since we are allergic to dairy products. Eat cheese and die, in our cases. Ha-ha!

We drove up to Door County today, for the first of our 'vacations within a vacation' (see how I have adopted the vernacular?). Drs Norton and X, along with Blondie, will be joining us later. I'm hoping the cool beers in the fridge of their motel room (we have adjoining rooms) will help to lure them here. We are staying at the Apple Creek Resort in Fish Creek, Door County:

We stayed here once before, only that time it was in November and freezing cold. We have already swum in the hotel pool and picnicked in our hotel room. I baked bread before we left and, on the way here, we stopped to buy locally produced strawberry jam, German sausage (Wisconsin has a sizeable German community), and fresh cherries and raspberries. No offence, Waitrose, but those were among the best raspberries and cherries I have ever tasted. The wurst wasn't half bad, either! I am feeling slightly guilty, though, about the bread knife that I stole from Drs Norton and X before we left. Hopefully they haven't missed it and will forgive me when I present them with wurst sandwiches.

The journey here took us four hours. Luckily I was kept entertained by the twin joys of licence-plate spotting (Ooh - one from Maine - that's miles away!) and Americana-spotting ('Ooh - look everybody: a Fisher Price Barn! Maybe a giant-sized Fisher Price person will emerge from it in a minute!'). All Mr Ruby exclaimed was, 'You're very excitable, aren't you?'

When my brother and I were little we amassed a whole village of Fisher Price toys. Alarmingly, they are now known as 'Vintage Fisher Price'. TR and the Mouse still play with it all now, although the animals have mainly lost their legs. The farm set looks like this:

Similar to ours, but with more limbs.

And Wisconsin farms look like this:

To be fair, the cows on these probably still have all their legs. Quite a few things on this holiday have prompted a 'Just like Fisher Price!' from me, including fire hydrants and school buses. I keep hoping I'll spot a child on board one of those buses, with a saucepan stuck on his head:

Nostalgia demands a pan. Reality has thus far failed to deliver.

Well, that's enough excitability from me for one night. I must go and hide the bread knife before the Norton-Xs get here. With any luck, they'll never know!

Swimming with the fishes

This morning Blondie took the four of us to the lake for some swimming. We swam in the lake at Jones Island Park. We also borrowed the neighbour's paddle board, which was a lot of fun. TR and the Mouse gained some more water confidence, thanks to their cousin showing them what to do. She also taught me to do underwater handstands. I think it's safe to say that the British Synchronised Swimming team won't need me for 2012. A-hem. It was lovely and cool in the lake and I managed not to freak out over the little blue-gill fish swimming around my legs. Thankfully I maanged to get it together as I emerged from the lake.

Actual photo of me emerging from lake.

Afterwards my hair decided to style itself in ringlets. So here's another photo of me, this time with post-lake hair:

This afternoon we wandered into Grayslake centre. Boy, was it hot? We stopped for cold drinks in the coffee shop, 'Something's Brewing'. This evening Blondie, the Mouse and I cooked dinner for everyone, whilst watching a good ol' midwestern thunderstorm. I am happy to report that it is now a few degrees cooler here.

We've arrived!

We've arrived! Our flight was long, but pleasingly uneventful. Our queue at US Immigration was almost as long - well, it felt like it anyway. Dr. Norton met us at the airport and when we finally stepped outside we were all a bit taken aback by the heat and humidity. The smell of hot humid weather makes me happy as it takes me back to my childhood in Kiribati. Actually, although it is hot and humid here (32 degrees today) it isn't oppressive. Indoors, it is air-conditioned and very pleasant. Outdoors, you do run the risk of burning your feet on the deck but it's still not unplesant to be out in.

On the plane

Dr Norton, Dr X and Blondie made us all feel very welcome and fed us delicious sausages for dinner - always a hit with TR and the Mouse. Finally we tumbled into bed. Goodness knows what time it was on either continent, but when TR hit his head on the kitchen table, that seemed like as good a signal as any to turn in. Clearly if your co-ordination has gone, you're ready for bed!

Almost packed and ready to go

It's been a while, but the Rubies are off again on their travels. We're off to America, to visit family, friends and explore the 'real America' in a camper van. (Must get used to calling that an 'RV'.) The Mouse and I have somehow persuaded TR and Mr Ruby that they want to visit three Little House on the Prairie home sites. Log cabins and holes in the ground, here we come! Here are some pictures, showing the states we plan to visit. NB: GoGos and Lego minifigs not to scale.

Wake me up before you GoGo!

Poor Iowa man: slain by Jedi mind-tricks.