Midwest Safari

Some friends of mine and I took a road trip out to The Wilds, where they practice conservation and restoration ecology. It is tens of thousands of acres of re-claimed strip mined land, donated by AEP. They have restored the soils, brought in grasses, and populated the area with all kinds of animals.



Here is the fun safari bus that we rode to travel through the acres of wildlife. They have paths running through different areas. Each area has multiple types of animals which are sorted by how they interact with each other, not what part of the world they are from.


Some of the animals were hanging out snacking.


Here's a part of a family grazing near one of the many lakes on the property. This particular lake also is full of carp.


It was quite a warm day, so this guy was just hanging out under the shade of a tree napping. I think he had a great idea.

I have many more photos of the beautiful animals living here. I will share them in future posts. Additionally, The Wilds have a lodge and other places you can stay overnight. They also have an assortment of tour options. Next visit I would like to take the sunset tour.

We had a great visit including a packed lunch overlooking the fields and a few stops off the tour to get out and walk around the areas. I recommend taking a trip and supporting the conservation and education efforts of this park.

M.E.

To market, To market I go.

I've started a farmer's market tour. They seem to be popping up in many towns and neighborhoods and I am all for fresh food and supporting local business. This one was small so early in the season, but it had a nice selection of plants, strawberries, and ...



The fried cheese lady!!


It is also held on a Wednesday afternoon, breaking from the Saturday way-to-early-for-me time of day. That is a nice change of pace.


This one was larger, on Saturday morning, and had all the traditional folks you would expect. The samples were delicious! Lots of vendors for flowers, fruits, meats, cheese, herbs/spices, candy, and baked goods.


This family uses this beautifully maintained truck for their display. It was quite a family affair and they fit right in the small town setting of this market.



I am a sucker for baked goods. I make plenty of my own, but that never stops me from wanting to try whatever someone else has spent some time and love preparing. My friends and I thought the set up for this little booth was adorable, and timely as it was the Saturday before Memorial day.

I will continue with more photos and markets as the summer progresses. I still need to get back to the Man with the Sage Pork. Seriously, it's heaven.


M.E.

Uh-Oh

Sometimes when the call comes in and you're running to catch your ride...



You don't notice the work being done outside the station.




And then you do, and drop your ax!



Ok, I'm kidding.

These were some of the impressions in a sidewalk near a firehouse. Cute huh?

By the way, the fire truck is from Cumbria, in northwest England.

See ya!
M.E.