Some pictures looking out from Vernon Vinyards where we bought two bottles of wine made from their own grapes.
Ephrem's face is messy from eating grapes.
The pictures below are pictures of a park we found due to posters around town about a Harvest Festival that was to take place. The park had lots and lots of trees and a unique wooden playground. People were setting up boothes in the park to sell thing? Give information? It was difficult to tell. It seemed to be some kind of hippie/pagan festival. That afternoon they had a parade which you can see some of in the last two pictures. I stayed back at the cabin with the little guy and attempted to nap but the rest of them went to the parade which apparently had lots of people on stilts and people dressed up in costumes with a few small bands of people playing When the Saints go Marching In.
We stayed at a cabin on a dairy farm just outside of town. We went to watch them milking a few times. Ephrem did not like the sound of the milking machine and the large animals (cows and horses) were frightening to him as well. There were three calves kept in little boxes as they were being weaned. They were right in the entrace of the barn where the milking was done. Clare really like the calves and there were also lots of kittens hanging around as well. It was funny how the kittens nuzzled the calves and the calves licked the kittens. Below is a picture of some calves that some of the grandchildren of the farmer and his wife came out to show us. There's Clare in the middle. They offered to give us a tour of the farm. They showed us a shed with an Amish buggy. Apparently the farmer sometimes rides into town in the buggy. When in Amish country do as the Amish do.
On Sunday, the last day of our trip, we drove to LaCrosse and went to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the second time. We were there two years ago when Ephrem was a baby. It was rainy and cold the first time we went but the weather was beautiful for our whole vacation this trip. This time we also had brunch at the Shrine restaurant. Very nice.
Below is a photo of a releif of Joseph with the boy Jesus. It appears as if he is showing Jesus how to put something together. It took me a little while not notice that the two pieces of wood were formed into a cross. You can see Mary in the background with her hand over her mouth in a look of horror. Very moving.
We ended up going to mass and confession in the afternoon at thie Shrine Church.
Other things we did: Viroqua has a health food store/food coop. I ended up going there for food instead of Walmart. I always like to see what natural food stores in other towns are like. We stopped at a yummy bakery before we went to the park and got German Chocolate Apple Fritters. Boy were they good! The were apple fritters with German chocolate cake frosting on top. We brought them to the park with us for a snack. We ate Friday morning in a restaurant in the hospital called The Grill. It was recommended by two people when we asked where we could go for breakfast. We would have never thought to look at the hospitla for a place to eat! The pancakes were very good and the food was reasonably priced. It's always nice to eat at places that the locals recommend.
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