 |
| Goodbye Ugly Biscuits |
This year's theme is "It's Closing Time" because we closed our business after 4 plus successful years. It was always the plan for it to be a short-term endeavor, but it is still bittersweet. Bitter because we will miss some things about it like meeting interesting people and being our own bosses. Sweet because we will have more free time to explore other fun things to do. We will do our best to focus on the new fun things to come our way. As Semi Sonic's lyrics suggest...
"Closing time, every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end"
This year has been a full-on roller coaster with some great times, and the worst heartbreak of our lives. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I like to write our year in review in chronological order. I always write it in Nov/Dec, and the previous year's end gets missed a little. So, a short recap on that. Last December Connie and I traveled to Phoenix for 7 days and then hopped over to Texas for 7 days. Why would we do this kind of trip you ask? For the birds of course! Plus we got to spend a few days with Mitch and Sandy in Arizona, which is always fun. I wrote blogs about that trip if you care to go back in time to read them.
YourDalyHug: Southwest Bird-Nerding Part 1
YourDalyHug: Southwest Bird-Nerding Part 2
 |
| A snowy owl we were fortunate to see in New Glarus, Wisconsin |
Speaking of birds, January got off to a great start. There were reports of a snowy owl hanging out in New Glarus, Wisconsin. That is just a little over an hour from us, so Judy and I drove down for a day to see for ourselves. We both love owls, and had never seen a snowy owl in the wild. We were not disappointed. We sat in our car, from a distance, and watched the snowy owl entertain its guests for hours. I got a few decent photos of her I feel. Not only did I have fun watching her, but I also had a fun day with Judy. A double good whammy.
 |
| Sunflowers are Jan's and Jamie's favorite. |
In February, our Aunt Jan came to town for a visit. It was the first time we could all be together since Jan's daughter Jamie died. We had a few fun days of visiting, eating, playing pinochle, and laughing. Connie got us all matching Sunflower attire, which is also fun.
 |
| Judy, Connie and Katie watch as they start our burn in the back prairie |
 |
| The start of it all. It is so fascinating to watch the process |
 |
| Katie looks on as they burn the front prairie |
Most of February and March, per usual, were low key. We walked our property with the dogs when weather allowed and stayed as warm as we could. Things started to heat up in April, literally... We did another prairie burn to help restore our native flowers and grasses. Plus, at the end of April I was able to do a clown trip. It would be my first clown trip in over 5 years. I hadn't seen Maria, Anya, Pluk and several more Russian friends since my last trip to Beslan. It truly did my heart good to see my old friends, make some new ones, and play with children and adults in need. We went to Georgia and Armenia, which were 2 new countries for me. It is always a good reminder for me to see how other people in the world live. I have so many blessings in my life that I still take for granted. But playing with kids in a refugee camp in Armenia will change your perspective on life, as it did mine. These people had to flee for their lives, due to war. They now live in tiny make shift shacks in small groups as they try to eek out a living. If that doesn't make you appreciate everything good in your own life, I don't know what will. I wrote some great blogs about my trip, if I do say so myself. I would highly recommend you read them, especially if you are looking for inspiration.
 |
| A flight attendant, Veronica, put on a clown nose for a selfie. |
 |
| Maria and I wearing matching scarves. Thanks Katie! |
There are too many stories and photos to share from that trip to put here. But that is why I wrote 3 different blogs about it. So, revisit them at your leisure. I know I do. While I was off gallivanting as a clown, Connie took her own vacation. She and Dixie went on a road trip to Missouri. She rented a cabin on 80 acres of private land with a pond. Her and Dixie seemed to have a great time together from what I was told. She even squeezed in a nice hike with our friend Gail, who lives in Arkansas. We don't typically take separate vacations, but I feel we both had fun trips in our own way. Another fun thing that happened in April was our great horned owls had a baby. Connie and I spent every day for a while walking the back prairie to where we could watch the baby in the nest without disturbing them. It finally fledged in early June, and we continued to watch it grow as it flew around our pines. May and June are typically all about the birds. We get a lot of fun migraters through our property, and you are all invited to come see them for yourselves.
In early June I drove to Ohio to spend some time with Natalie after her graduation. On my way to Ohio I stopped in Urbana, Illinois to see my friend Justin, as he was visiting Patch. Justin, if you remember, is my "spy" friend from Russia. I have seen him more times in America than I have in Russia I think, ha. Last year he just happened to be in California the exact same time I was, and we got to spend a day together. This year he just happened to be in Illinois on the weekend I was driving through Urbana. So, we were able to spend another day together. I am starting to wonder if it is coincidence, or if I am being spied on somehow? Ha Ha Ha. I just can't wait to see where I catch up with him next year. Anyway, we had a fun evening together and were able to share a meal with Patch and his wife Susan.
Then I drove along to my destination of Ohio. In Ohio I was able to visit a few friends. I stayed with my friend Karen, which is always a treat. It is nice to catch up with her, my friend Nikki and their families. I also was able to enjoy a nice dinner with some old high school buddies Mark, Kevin, Dave and Mike. We spent a few hours catching up and laughing about old times as we razzed each other like old friends do. It was a short visit to Ohio, and I was not able to see everyone I would like to. So please forgive me if I wasn't able to visit you while in Ohio. With the business closed, there should be more visits to Ohio, and you are always invited to Wisconsin to visit me there.
 |
| Natalie and Nevin |
 |
| A beautiful day together at the zoo. |
The main reason I went to Ohio, however, was to spend time with Natalie. I put in the wrong weekend to be able to see her graduation ceremony, but it might have been serendipitous in the end because I was able to spend a full day with her and her boyfriend Nevin instead. That might not have happened if I went on her actual graduation weekend, and that day was a true blessing through and through. That blessing was emphasized even more 4 months later when they both died in a car accident together. Sadly, it was the only day I would ever get to spend with Nevin. And the last day I would get to spend with Natalie. I revisit that day over and over in my head to relive some great memories. My heart hurts, but the memories do help.
Nevin and Natalie were together about 4 years, but had been friends a little longer than that even. According to his family, Nevin showed them a picture of her shortly after they became friends and said "Isn't she the most beautiful girl in the world?". His love for her was evident on the day I spent with them. I wrote a tribute blog about them if you care to read that.
https://yourdalyhug.blogspot.com/2025/11/a-special-butterfly-and-her-gem.html
 |
| Connie and I in Southport, NC |
At the end of June, Connie and I traveled to the coast of North Carolina. We just missed seeing a painted bunting in Texas last December and both of us were hankering to see it. It is a beautiful bird (maybe the most beautiful we have seen yet) and was worthy of a special trip. Connie searched "Where to see a painted bunting in June". Up popped Bald Head Island. So, we did a quick 2-day/3-night trip to go see a painted bunting. Once again, we were not disappointed. Our first morning as we stood outside our hotel room, we were treated to a song and sighting of a painted bunting. We couldn't tell if it was female or a juvenile, but it was not a male bunting. No offense to the females or juveniles, but the male was the grand prize for this trip as it has the most colors. I believe it has all the colors of a rainbow actually. Maybe not purple, but still. After enjoying the female, we took our ferry ride out to the island. We went to a hiking trail where buntings had been sighted recently and it didn't take us long to find our grand prize. He was as beautiful in person as we could imagine. We were treated to multiple sightings of him throughout the day. We also got a view of a male and female together on the same branch. AND if that wasn't enough... as we were leaving the trail we came upon a conservation group who were just about to release a female painted bunting back into the wild after rehabilitating her. We only got a glimpse of her, as she was quick to get back to nature (and who can blame her?). But it was still a fun experience.
 |
| A male and female painted bunting together. |
 |
| The grand prize. A male painted bunting |
Connie jokes around that no matter where we go, I know someone there. True to form, my dear friends Colleen and Laine live just 15 minutes away from Bald Head Island. I hadn't seen them in almost 20 years. So, we drove down to spend a day with them and see their beautiful home. They treated us to a fun boat ride to a nice restaurant on the water. We had a lovely meal as we chatted and caught up on old times. It felt like little time had passed to be honest. Connie and they became instant friends, and so we are hoping to see them more often than once every 20 years.
In early July we were treated to a visit from another friend I hadn't seen in about 20 years. My friend Deb does a big road trip with her daughters every summer. They visit National parks and other sites along their way. They left their home in Maine and were headed to Alaska. Along the way they dipped down a couple of hours out of their way to visit us and meet Connie and Katie. We had a fun afternoon of exploring our property and eating homemade pizza. We talked about old times, including our friend Sean from camp at Eagle Lake. We caught up on current events, and it was fun to finally meet 4 of her 5 daughters. Again, it felt like little time had passed. Connie and Deb also became instant friends, and we hope to see them more often as well.
 |
| They make cute clowns, don't they?! |
Our friend Susan had been feeling down since her dad died in April. So we brought her out to Wisconsin for a visit at the end of July. We had such a great time. We explored our property on our new pink golf cart. We spent many hours in our hammocks listening to and watching birds as we enjoyed some peace in our pines. We sat on the front porch as hummingbirds flew all around Susan. We even spent a day in our inflatable pool as we cooked out on the grills. The perfect summer days. We ate some delicious food prepared specially by Katie. Susan is a foodie and loves to eat. Katie made some great dishes, but our favorite was probably the Spumoni Waffles she made for Susan's last breakfast here.
 |
| Spumoni Waffles. YUM! |
Connie was looking for something extra fun and special to surprise Susan with. She found a drive through safari in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin of all places. Susan really wants to do a safari in Africa someday, but this was going to have to suffice for now. As we drove up to the Park, Susan's eyes lit up and she let out a great sound of excitement. We had such a fun few hours driving around as large animals stuck their heads inside the window and slobbered all over Susan. She loved every minute of it. The bison might have been the best, but the giraffe was pretty great too. We weren't allowed to feed the giraffe, but it got really close for a cameo. The ostrich bouncing its head up and down in the cup in Susan's lap was also great.
 |
| Up Close and Personal with a Giraffe |
 |
| The Bison was HUGE! |
Th
.jpg) |
| The Ostrich was funny |
In August we drove down to Rockford to spend a couple of days with Mitch and Sandy. We went to Klehm Arboretum and Anderson Japanese Gardens. Both are beautiful, peaceful grounds to walk around and enjoy a sunny day. We also took a trolley ride along the Rock River. It was short but still fun. We always enjoy spending time with Sandy and Mitch. Plus Rockford has a lot more to offer than you might think. I know they have some decent restaurants with good vegan options as well. So head on down to see for yourself.
 |
| Connie and I at Anderson Japanese Gardens |
 |
| Klehm Arboretum |
We also received some sad news in August. My Aunt Mary died. She was my dad's sister. She was in her mid 90s and surrounded by family. Like Oldie Yim, she lived a good long life, yet it is still sad to say goodbye. In September there was more sad news. Our friends Lori and Jerry said goodbye to Lori's mom Edna Mae. She was a delightful soul with a contagious laugh. She suffered from Alzheimer's the last couple of years of her life, and we hope she is now resting peacefully with her beloved Jim. Yet another wonderful soul that left us. In early October the hits kept coming as we learned one of our favorite guest Sue Gromme had died. We affectionately knew her as Aunt Susie, as that was how she was introduced to us. She lived an extraordinary life as well. She was married to Roy Gromme who was a involved in conservation. Roy's dad Owen Gromme was a superb painter and knew Aldo Leopold personally. The stories I imagine they could tell. At the age of 95 Aunt Susie left us also.
The day before Aunt Susie died, we received the most horrible, tragic, awful news of our lives. My niece Natalie and her boyfriend Nevin died in a car accident in Ohio. They were both 18 years old. Devastation and Despair don't even begin to describe the pain we have endured over the past few weeks. And we are sure it will continue. Seeing old friends, reminiscing about fun memories, and laughing when we can has helped. I wish nobody on Earth would have to feel the pain we have felt, but we know that just isn't true. In fact, I know people who have dealt with a lot more loss and pain than we have even. Now I wonder how they got through what they did, as we try to navigate through this. We sure don't know exactly what to do as we move forward, but we have decided to do our best to honor Natalie and Nevin by being as kind to everyone as we can. Just like they were.
 |
| Connie and Nathan at mini golf |
 |
| Nathan and I taking a moment, as I do my best Al Bundy impression. |
Connie and I drove to Ohio in mid-October for the funeral. The week was busy and a little chaotic as you can imagine. However, we were fortunate enough to spend a full day with Nathan. We played mini golf at Young's Jersey Dairy, which is always fun. We hiked through our favorite nature preserve Glen Helen in Yellow Springs. We had a delicious home cooked meal at my friend Karen's house with her, Nikki, and Toby. Then we finished the day off with some delicious ice cream at Graeter's Ice Cream Shop in Centerville, Ohio. It was really nice to see Nathan relieve some stress. It was fun to introduce him to some wonderful friends we have and vice versa. We hope that helps him with his healing as he goes through this awful journey. It sure helped with our healing to spend the day with him. We promised to do more trips to Ohio to see him more often.
After the funeral, we had to get back to Wisconsin because we still had over a week of being open with the Bed and Breakfast. However, after sending home our final guest, getting things around the house somewhat organized, and helping Judy move her stuff in, Connie and I did another trip to Ohio. This was 3 weeks after the funeral and our heads were a little less foggy. We brought Dixie with us for a few reasons, but mostly because we didn't want to leave her home for another week so soon. We stayed with our friend Nikki, who was gracious to let us stay at her condo with Dixie in hand. We took Dixie for some nice walks and the local dog park during the day as we continued to clear our heads a little. We were able to spend some time in the evenings with our friends Nikki, Karen and Toby. Connie was able to have a girl's night out with Nikki and 2 of her friends while I spent an evening with Karen and her daughters and grandkids. Spending time with those families always does my heart good and my heart really needed some good at this time.
With Dixie in tow, we weren't able to visit many friends while in town. But again, we plan to do multiple trips a year now to Ohio. Especially since Connie and I will have the same work schedule, which will leave us with every Monday through Friday off together. That is one of the biggest perks from closing the business, our schedules are loosened up and match well. The main reason we came back to Ohio so soon was we wanted to spend some time with Nathan and Jess. We wanted to be there to show our continuing support and make sure they have what they need moving forward. We had a lovely dinner together at The Last Queen in Enon, Ohio. It is the restaurant that Nevin worked for before his death. His best friend was our waiter, and it was nice to meet him. He seems to be a wonderful young man like Nevin was. We spent a couple of hours catching up with Nathan and Jess and they both seem to be doing as good as could be expected.
We drove back home the next day and got back into normal life stuff. Connie and I work our weekend schedules and spend quality time together during the week. This now includes taking Dixie to the Dog Park. We discovered in Ohio that she likes being around dogs as long as there is open space and nobody is on leash. Judy continues to settle into her space after moving in to help us with such a big house and the dogs. Katie is finishing up her requirements to become a teacher, which includes observation hours and student teaching, etc. She may have an internship job starting in January, which sounds like a great opportunity and a steppingstone to the start of her teaching career next September. She also helps us with the house and dogs to allow us to travel more. Louie loves being able to roam free without guests around, as his favorite spot has become his comfy bed in front of the fireplace. Looking back, our year was quite full. Full of love and laughter and extreme heartache. Such is life. We continue to adjust to what life will be like now without the business, while dealing with the losses from the year. In spite of it all we think the future looks bright and we do have many things to be thankful for. In December Connie and I will be going to Maui for 8 fun days of sun, relaxation, birds, ocean, hiking and whatever else we can get into trouble with. Look for my blog on that trip to come in late December or January. I really do feel like they lyrics from "Its Closing Time" are appropriate at this time.
"Closing time, open all the doors and let you out into the world"
Now Go Out Into The World and Hug Someone Today!!!
