A Little Milestone and Fall Mums

It's hard to believe it's been a year already!  Our little Grandson Joseph Daniel "Joey" has 

turned "1"  😊

Plenty of gifts and cards for the little peanut!  He didn't know what to make of the gifts- tearing paper off?  What is that all about!  

He enjoyed all the new toys and was fun to watch.  He's such a sweet little boy- observant and loving!

His first sugary sweet treat!  After a little encouragement he figured out how to dig in a little bit and get some bites of cake!  Don't worry he only ate about a teaspoon's worth!  We stayed with the kids from Friday until Sunday and then headed back home on Monday.

Frankenmuth Michigan is conveniently located a few miles off of I75 and after many hours of driving we decided to stop in and have a chicken dinner.  There are two large restaurants that are well known for the large family style chicken dinners.  This time we ate a the Bavarian Inn.   It was round 5 pm when we arrived and the sun was just right for me to capture this shot.  Some trees have already turned color as you can see.

There is more than one carriage service which will take you on a tour through the little town of Frankenmuth.  Notice the grass and florals that I of course had to include in the picture!

A quick panoramic shot inside the Edelweiss room which has a definite Bavarian influence.  

Don't squeal but this is the food they bring!  I ordered the classic chicken dinner with a bit of sauerbraten on the side and Dan did the same except he ordered bratwurst on the side.  I was beginning to load my plate and decided to take a snap shot.  First they brought a basket of bread and chicken noodle soup (tiny noodles), then they brought pickled cucumbers, coleslaw, and a cranberry dish.  Following was the chicken, green beans, egg noodles with a grated breading on top, mashed potatoes dressing and gravy.  There were 8 pieces of chicken so we had planty of leftovers for our next meal at home.

This was the "mini" version of their apple strudel with caramel sauce.  Glad I got the mini!  Dan and I shared it and it didn't last long!

This is Zehnder's which across the street from the Bavarian Inn. We have eaten there the most.  Can you see the big chicken just below and to the right of the sign?

Here's a backside view.  Loaded with red and white wax begonias and a purple fountain grass for it's comb and tail!  They do this every year but I always love seeing it each time. 

Another view

Dan carrying my purchase and heading back towards the Bavarian Inn.  All up and down this street are cute little shops and further up the road is Bronner's Christmas Wonderland which is promoted as the world's largest Christmas Store.  By the time we got home it was about 10 pm.   We've been having a real hot spell (90's) so I was a little worried about my plants at home.

My Queen Elizabeth rose decided to bloom while I was gone but still had some flowers for me to see!

Notice the leaves?  Those came down since last Friday from the big ash tree.  What a mess!  Time for the leaf blower.

While I was setting up the new garden by the driveway turnaround I picked up various mums and asters.  I found some apple crates and plastic pumpkins from last year to help me get started with my seasonal display.

I was smitten with this color- sort of a soft coral/pink with a little bit of yellow in the centers.

I pulled out my topiary pieces Dan helped me make a few years ago.

I found this yummy yellow mums that I decided to put in the top.  In the past I've put a bunch of mini pumpkins and gourds in it but decided to add coco liners and plant them this year.  Here are link's to posts showing the topiary basket plantings in the past and present "2013"  "2014" "2017"  

2015 and 2016 I did the planters differently.

The mums in the lower level are a rich rust color that I found at Home Depot.  Little pots for  $2.98 each.  I found the ornamental kale at another store and decided to group them all together.  I am going to tuck in some mini pumpkins and gourds too (as soon as I get a chance to get to a farmer's stand).  

I just love the shape of the leaves and it's upward growth pattern.  I did plant them on a slight angle to show them off better.

So there you have it- a Little Milestone Birthday and my Fall Mums!

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