more from up north

While our trip was pretty much the opposite of fancy, it was full of fun. And ripe with novel experiences.

The big boys visited an elk farm and met the gentleman who raises the animals.  They learned that, in the middle of Michigan by a self-described hobbyist, elk antler size has broken multiple world records. 

The kids spoke with the folks we rented the house from, she an artist and children's book illustrator, he a story teller and stone carver.  They observed her in the studio, molding clay, and eagerly sprayed water on his work to see the undertones appear.

We all went blueberry picking, declaring the harvest the best we've ever tasted.  The boys noticed the huge machine, hollow in the center so as to drive over an entire row of bushes, with picking mechanisms on each side.  They also stepped into the factory to watch part of the packaging process. 

Simple excursions, small talk, lots of smiles.

It's not every day we get to learn from elk farmers or listen to artists or look at food distribution processes in action. Watching them take it all in, I spent some time wondering what stands between our boys and every possible future.