37 Degrees, deer and an owl

Well I bragged too much about the 70 degree weather at our log cabin in Gaylord! It is now 37 degrees and we've had a mix of snowy rain this morning - though nothing is sticking. The bird activity at our feeders has increased tremdously and the chickadees like to buzz around my head and use my hand as a trampoline. We went to Greg's hunting property in Grayling yesterday and checked out his deer cam (see pic down below.) He was excited to see a lot of buck rubbings on the pine trees.

Mrs. Doe was having a late night out!

Marvin is going crazy for that feathered owl I bought. I let him stalk it and lick it for a few minutes - then when he gave it a bite - I gave the owl a new home on top of the kitchen cupboards.

A favorite cabin decor store - The Old Spud Warehouse

I am addicted to the Old Spud Warehouse in Gaylord. This building was used by potato growers in the early 1900's and is now an ecclectic home decor shop mixed with new and antique items. There is something for everyone here whether you own a traditional home, cottage or log cabin.


They always have new inventory so I always stop in for a peek. I'm driving Greg crazy - he wants me to give it a rest for a month.




























In the basement, you can find some neat antique tables, lamps, old wooden skis and much more.












See that large owl on the bottom shelf - left hand side? Well he now has a home at our log cabin!

From the log cabin kitchen

I'm getting excited as Thanksgiving is approaching! Of course I had to go buy some Thanksgiving serving ware for the log cabin. This Thanksgiving we are going to celebrate at my in-laws cottage which is located about 20 minutes from our log cabin. And then the following night I am going to host the family at our place for cookies and christmas movies.

Wanted to share some of my purchases as well as a quick salad supreme pasta recipe which is great for lunch!



I picked these up at Garden Ridge - gosh I love that store!











Of course I needed the turkey placemats!










And now for a quick lunch recipe that has nothing to do with Thanksgiving!


This is such a simple pasta salad to make. You just need Zesty Italian Dressing, Salad Supreme Seasoning, your favorite pasta (I think spaghetti is best) and vegetables. I like to put green pepper in mine!











Boil 4 1/2 cups of pasta according to the directions. Then drain - don't rinse!

In a bowl, combine the pasta, 4 tablespoons of salad supreme seasoning, 1 cup of veggies such as peppers and 1 cup of Italian Dressing. Sprinkle a little more seasoning on top and then chill. Voila!

It's 68 Degrees today!

Today in Gaylord, it is 68 degrees, sunny with a light breeze - definitely doesn't feel like a November day. I think we picked the perfect week to spend up at our log cabin. Today we were suppose to get our internet installed and for the 4th time when a technician came out, the cable line still has not been pulled to our power pole so he can drop the lines. I have been trying since May. Needless to say I lost my patience on the phone with the unnamed cable company (but who I will name if I don't get my cable by next week!) We are hoping we can work from our cabin (and I have to admit - so I can keep up with my blogger friends when I'm up north!) So I'm back at Bigby's coffee using their wireless service. But despite the cable snafu - it was an enjoyable day.


Pine trees are my absolute favorite. I'm already having visions of garlands and wreaths in our cabin for Christmas.













This is the noisy Tufted Titmouse - he sounds like a duck being strangled when he sings his little song - but I still like him!

















A sunny, blue sky day from our deck.












Greg cut down a cherry tree that was severely leaning to one side. The good thing is that it has opened up our view to the lake a little more.

Nature days at the Log Cabin

Greg and I are spending a long week at the log cabin and hoping to complete some projects as well spend as much time as possible in the outdoors. We went on a hike on a nature trail nearby (pictures below.) And this morning I was thrilled when we were able to get the Black-capped chickadees to eat out of our hands. They really seemed to like Greg - I think because he was wearing his black fleece. One landed on his head, then his shoulder and then started eating out of his hands. Can I tell you that nothing is more thrilling then having one of these little feathered creatures trust you enough to eat out of your hands?!



This chickadee was walking down Greg's arm like it was a tree trunk to get to the seeds.

This is Jensen's nature trail in Gaylord. It was a beautiful 1 mile hike.