together, continued

So to catch up those who hadn't been following along: I have a new knee. My friends Barbara and Diane are in town (indeed Diane is with me at the farmhouse). The three of us are heading out to spend three days together in Arena, Wisconsin.

We rented (through AirBnB) the Brisbane House -- built in 1868 by an abolitionist from South Carolina. To say that Bruce and Samantha (the owners) have painstakingly renovated this historic landmark has to be the understatement of the year. The place is beautiful in photos we'd seen and even more beautiful in real time.

So let's get going!

But first, Diane and I have breakfast. 

And I take a farmette walk, surveying what's growing out there...

We'd put together a list last night -- foods to take, that kind of thing. We pack the car and head out, stopping for Barbara along the way.

The drive to Arena is a very familiar one to any Madisonian who likes Shakespeare. The American Players Theater stages productions in an outdoor space here all summer long and I remember many a late night snaking my way back to Madison after a performance. Too, this is where you go if you want to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin -- the estate that includes his home and studio in the time he lived and worked here. Finally, this is the road you might take if you want to swing down the Wisconsin River, say in a kayak, maybe with a tent, aiming for where it meets the Mississippi.

For us, none of these landmarks matter much (this time around). A historic but extremely comfortable home, a beautiful landscape, perhaps some hiking for those with knees fit for the occasion, a nearby coffee shop -- those are the essentials for our few days together. 

Our first stop though is in Mazomanie -- the village just before Arena. Here we find the 1855 Coffee House (named after the year Mazomanie became a village in the state of Wisconsin).

Avocado on cream cheese and toast. Great coffee. We linger, because there is no hurry now. We're just ten minutes from "home."

The Brisbane House is just far enough from the road that you can't hear civilization, even from outside the door. At all. Samantha, one of the owners, is finishing up some garden maintenance. Of course she is! The weather is fantastic! 76F (nearly 25C). We pause to chat, though not for long. I'm anxious to see the inside. So many people helped work on its restoration! So much talent and artistry was needed for the effort. I asked Samantha what were the bigger challenges and she said, without hesitation, getting the hundreds of bats and other wildlife to leave the attic and the (now attached) Summer Kitchen house (see below). They all needed to be relocated. 

The house now stands proud and ready for visitors.

Three bedrooms are spread over two upper floors. If you want to go all out, you can add the Summer Kitchen (now an added bedroom) to your rental. For us, the basic house is just fine. 

Barbara and Diane unpack the car and put away foods. I'm keeping my leg up to make up for the hobbling and driving of the morning. But eventually, at our own pace, we all set out to explore the forests and ridges that surround us. And here's the thing: Barbara teaches me how to use Apps to identify birds and plant life. I've know you could do that, but I never bothered to explore this smart phone feature. As I set out with my cane and my still slow moving left leg, I feel a whole new world has opened up for me. Suddenly I know what it is I hear and see in the forest!

A Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue-winged Warbler, White-throated Sparrow.  Plants, too, suddenly have names. Funny how much closer you feel to nature when it has identifiable flora and fauna.

(Selfie on a timed release because I'm just too slow to walk with anybody! Note my very attractive, post surgical white support stockings, which really do give the impression that I'm sporting some special hiking garb!)

In the house again, we read the various books the owners have left with stories of the house, the renovation, the original owner...  

Some of us, the obsessive bird listening types, go out on the screened porch to see if we can hear or even see more birds. Baltimore Orioles!  I cant wait to set this app on the population of farmette feathered friends. Diane brings out cheese and crackers. We open a bottle of wine. The knee is forgotten. Life feels extraordinarily beautiful out here, on the outskirts of Arena, Wisconsin.

My two friends fix supper -- a "taco salad." Simple and very good! And they clean up, as I recline on the couch, leg up on multiple pillows. Hey, I did volunteer to push forward our escape once I realized it would be so close after my surgery. In the end, we stuck with this date and I surely am the victorious one here as I can do nothing of substance, but throw out an occasional encouraging word over my shoulder.

A beautiful May evening. I hope it's that for you as well!

with love...