leder legends

We were surprised !  In Ionia there is a Main St restaurant called El Mariachi! It didn't look like much but we saw a few couples going in so we ventured in as well.  The decorations brought us back to scenes in Mexico. These are often strung across the streets during festivals! I guess every day is a party here! Lots of color! The chips and salsa were delicious! Not too spicy either. Arie had food from the buffet!  He loved it! A variety of plates from the buffet . I had chicken fajitas! so much delicious food. We had fun using our Spanish too. The restaurant is run by a family originally from Aguas Calientes which is Mexico not too far from Puerta Vallarta. The next time we go back, we will stop here again!    Every July it hosts what is said to be the world's largest free-admission fair, the Ionia Free Fair ....perhaps we should go then.  

 It was a beautiful sunny but cold day so we decided to go for a drive as we do occasionally.  We decided to head east on hwy 22 to Saranac and Ionia. The landscape is still very bleak but there are signs of spring...small green leaves on the low bushes and a few green fields.  Hope! Saranac is very small! A quick drive down Main Street was all we needed. Ionia is much bigger.  Even though it is known generally for the State prison and the Ionia Free Fair, I was not expecting much. We saw lots of old beautiful churches and government buildings. A quick google search told us it was founded in the late 1800s.    Every July it hosts what is said to be the world's largest free-admission fair, the Ionia Free Fair . It's not a busy town in winter. Time for lunch! The county courthouse! Interesting corner. Lovely blue sky!

I had lunch with a friend today and we decided it was cold enough to go and eat PHO, a Vietnamese dish.  This was my first time and it was quite an "adventure" because we did not know HOW to eat this.   Pho is a rich broth with rice noodles and a few vegetables. You order it with your choice of meat. I had raw beef, and brisket. My friend had the same with tendon. On the side there is a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, pepper slices and lime wedges. Hoisin sauce and siracha sauce on little plates. Thai basil, we discovered, has a licorice/anise flavor. Our bowls were fragrant and hot. We tackled it with the spoon and the chop sticks provided. Fortunately we also had forks. Lol. The chop sticks are for the noodles and meat and the spoon is for the broth. It was not easy. You mix some basil and bean sprouts on top of the broth, sprinkle on some lime juice and then use the spoon, and in our case, the fork, to create a perfect bite dipped in the sauce.  We had many bi...

Lenten Rose   Spring is definitely on the way.  Spring is really a mixed bag this year. We've had an occasional unusual 70 degree day and many with temperatures in the mid 30s. The nights have been hovering just above freezing for quite some time. We finally had 2 days of much needed steady rain. I eagerly look forward to the days of 50 degree temps so I can get into the garden to clean up the winter messiness.  The warmer days have encourage the hairy bittercress to sprout everywhere. It's quite depressing! if the seeds are ripe they can propel up to 16 feet.  I should have been proactive and used Preen last summer.  https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/hairy-bittercress-control.htm Asher enjoying a 70 degree evening .  The bees are out! I found this bunch drinking some water coming out of a rain barrel! The wild garlic or onion- hard to tell the difference- is a big job for this spring.  I'm planning to dig because they are flourishi...