Apple Cider, Fall Colors

Fall is a busy time. In spite of the all the rain in October, we managed to visit the cider mills a few times, indulge on cider donuts and enjoy the fall colors in Michigan. And, I still managed to do fall garden cleanup, make new pieces of jewelry and get ready for a Black Friday weekend sale at Etsy. Now that things are winding down a little, I can write on my blog again.

I hear cider mills are mostly popular in Michigan and people from other states do not understand what the big deal is. Well, all I can tell you is that it has a different taste than apple juice. Taste wise, the difference between apple juice and cider is like the difference between store bought and fresh picked tomatoes. I found two good sources that explained the differences between apple juice and cider, the first one is on AnswerBag.com, at http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/36322and the second one is at mass.gov (the Massachusetts Department of agriculture) at http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/cider_juice_difference.htm

Wildlife in Troy, Michigan

I try to take a walk everyday to the park near our house. The park is a basically the rouge riverbed enlarged. Usually, I can spot a grey heron, or a white egret amongst the ducks and the geese. I like watching the wild life and the sound of the water takes me away from worries. The other day, I noticed two swans. So today, I took my camera and took some pictures of them. Watching them in the water, with no worries, and so graceful, was the best way to start the morning. They were not even afraid of me, so I got pretty close. I enjoyed this morning so much that I had to share it. Here is a slide show of the pictures I took this morning.