so we got to Oregon, and...

...to no one's surprise, a nice dinner was in the offing.

We'd actually planned a meal in Medford at a place called Decant.  Alas, they were unable to accommodate us because of staffing issues.  At least they let us know.  Not only that, but they offered to book us a table at their sister property, The Restaurant at Jacksonville Inn in the nearby village of Jacksonville.  Funnily enough, we were booked there for the Friday, but then Peter messaged to say that his aunts were going to cater a grilled dinner the next night at the hotel we were staying at, so we canceled Friday and headed to the Inn that Thursday night.

We got to the restaurant, and it was a lovely dining room.  Even better, they had a bistro/bar area tucked in the back, and while the dining room was handsome and busy, the bistro had almost no one there. 

Much better for quiet conversation, so we opted for it.  A cozy corner for me and Conrad and Van.

For my drink, I opted for their negroni, made smoky with mezcal. 

Yum!  For my dinner, a starter of the burrata with winter pesto and prosciutto. 

My main was rabbit with gnocchi - ah, I love rabbit! 

The dessert escapes me - a tart or pie, a little fritter, some ice cream.  We shared that one, and it was tasty, too.

The owner came by a couple of times, deeply apologetic about the reservation situation.  We were far from upset, I promise.  We'd had some really terrific food and drinks and a very good, knowledgeable server.  It was a fantastic start to the weekend culinarily.

And then it was time to go.  We exited through the back patio which was littered, beautifully, with all these amazing leaves in wonderful fall colours. 

Back in the car, we slowly drove through town.  And there, in the corner of a yard, a deer feeding.  Lovely to see, and not the last deer we would see in Jacksonville that weekend.

a short weekend in the UP

We're in Escanaba, but not for much longer.  Conrad came up on Wednesday.  Me, I took a red eye, and I made it here on Friday.  Super tired, but worth it for Karen's 70th birthday.  And in the blink of an eye, it's time to go home.  A very short trip indeed.

I love cool and even cold weather, but I don't know how to deal with it any longer.  I did bring layers with me, but the wind is so cold, and the lows in the 40s are shocking to me this time.  Brrrrr.  It's embarrassing, but there you are.  I guess fall is here!

Conrad's hometown remains as inscrutable to me as ever.  I grew up in a small town, and yet, I cannot relate.  I go to Starbucks or restaurants, and I just don't get it here.  It's small town, hunters and Trumpers, and it's so foreign to me.  Ah well.  We've eaten heartily (including on our drive down to Little Suamico),

walked a little (around the nearby community college campus),

and celebrated Karen.  It's all gone quickly, and it was a nice time.

Autumn foliage

We had feared that by the time we got up to the UP last weekend, the early snow (no trace of it by the time we got there save for some oh-so-light flurries on the late Friday night drive) and the late date would mean that we'd have missed the lovely fall colours of the Upper Peninsula.

Happily, it was far from that case.

Saturday the weather wasn't as cooperative as we'd like, but in the patches of sun that hit Escanaba and the UP, we could see some fiery hues. Quite spectacular, often in the sudden appearance of a flame-red tree here or there.

I didn't get that sort of autumn colour, growing up. Evergreens and yellow-leaved trees like birch and cottonwood predominate. Seldom was there a glowing orange or red.

I took this first photo on Conrad's Mom's block. Not a spectacular tree, but I feared I would see few that day. In fact, we really didn't take many photos that day - the weather didn't help, of course.

The drive back home through Wisconsin, however, is another thing. A lot of sunshine, and some patches and swathes of yellows, oranges, and reds. Gorgeous. Given an easy schedule, we took a leisurely detour by way of Plymouth, and just outside that pretty town we stopped and took a few shots.




Ah, Plymouth. Also looking autumnal, but I'm mighty curious if Antoinette here gets garlands of lights and holly at Christmas.