Deedee Hosts Sam at Elawa Farm.

Back four or five generations Mr. + Mrs. A. W. Armour built a fabulous weekend retreat about 30 miles north of Chicago's Loop. The family escaped to their Elawa Farm and its exquisite gardens -- to plant, tend, reap the best of northeastern Illinois indigenous plants and flowers.

Over time the farm was neglected and began to show its age. The family stopped going, and the garden beds became clogged with weeds.

Enter environmental activist and world-class gardener, Deedee Borland of Lake Forest. She's led a revival effort for Elawa, attracted fellow gardeners, educators and citizens concerned, and put this place back into the shape it was 90 years ago.

Nancy and I were guests of Deedee and hubby Bruce two weeks ago. The visit included a personal tour of Elawa. Lucky us. Go check the place out for yourself.

Great Chow, Great Times, Great ....!!

Pina and I hang at Kurtz's restaurant in Bardstown, KY during Bourbon Festival last weekend. Great friends are, from left: Rich Evans, Nancy Samuels, Bill Samuels, Mark and Alora McAlister, Lee Evans, Nancy Samuels Hoyt (seeing any kind of a family thing going on here?), and yours truly. It sure was fun being back in the land of My Old Kentucky Home, and not too far from Loretto, KY, where Bill S. oversees the production of Maker's Mark, the very finest bourbon ever to please the world's palette.

Dunn Bros. Cafe Coffee Wall Art.

Let's say you're having an iced skinny latte down at Dunn Bros. on Loring Park. You stop at the sugar station, grab a straw, add some sweetener, and take your drink around the corner to check out the decorative wall art. This is not Toulouse but it's pretty damned good, and it's local and contemporary. I'll leave it to you to figure out who's-who, and who's drinking what.

Skol, and cheers, and salut, and salud, and saude, and .... well, you get the picture.

Russ Atha and the "Russettes."

Meet high mileage road guy Russ Atha of Steamboat Springs, CO. Russ poses with his hand-built, titanium frame, Erickson, ordered up just a couple of blocks away from Russ's store. Russ likes being bookended by his wife Shine, and Sam/Pina/Nancy, my wife. Call them the "Russettes" if you'd like. They'd enjoy that a bunch.

Butler Table Wedding Gift.

Nancy and I pose with the antique Butler's Table that we gave to Luc and Lindsay for their wedding on 8/28 in Alta, WY at the resort in Grand Targhee National Forest.

The soiree we've written about, but the table? A family heirloom from Star Hill Farm in Bardstown, KY.

The newlyweds were thrilled with the table -- but no more so than Poppina, who was excited to give her dear young friend Lindsay a special gift with special meaning on this special day.

Sure hope the Locusts aren't next!

On one of my walks straight up Elk Lane in Steamboat Pines, I kept seeing grasshoppers. By the hundreds. It is that time of year out in rural northwestern Colorado, and there's abundant grass and hay for these babies to hop on, but I was still awed by the size and quantity of the insects. Plus, I couldn't help thinking of the Plague of the Locusts, and wondered if they might be next here in this gorgeous Yampa River Valley?

Joe got Chesty's Eye Brows.

Old Blogger Poppy keeps getting requests to show off members of his immediate family. "Who's Cub?" they ask. "And Uncle Joe Ho?" Coggie, Mark, Ali, 'Da Boyz, etc., etc? Well, you asked for it. Here's my bro, Joe, wispy hair, fuzzy chin, weird eye brows and the whole deal.

Pina and Progeny.

Poppina just whipped up some blueberry pancakes and plopped them on the plate of her hungry and appreciative sonWill, who came for a visit with daughter Isabela from San Francisco.

Fan-tastic New Friends from California.

Marin County denizen Nicolle Weiss was our dinner partner at Lisa Ringer's Harvest Dinner two weeks ago in Long Lake. Behind the fans (the temp inside Lisa's house was 90-plus, and no A/C) are the Weiss boys Julian and Gabe. The guys sat across from Nancy and me at the harvest table. Thus the name, Harvest Dinner.

Food? Scrumptious, simple, organic, all grown in Lisa's garden, with exception of a bit of duck and lamb, which came from another sustainable farm, just down the road.

Cook and wait staff volunteered their services so proceeds from this remarkable repast could be donated to Lisa's pet non-profit, the Yell! Project.

Eat your heart out, Razor Scooter!

Little Miss Wick cruises the Long Lake kitch this AM on the coolest kiddie scooter you've ever seen! Watch out, Razor!

Pina, 'Bela, Will and I went toy shopping in the Wayzata mini-mall yesterday. The scoot was the major purchase, though we came home with a kazoo (which we've all been tooting) and some emergency vehicle stickers which are on their way to Oliver and Duncan.

Hoyt Pool Horse Play.

Will and Isabela horse around in the pool today in Long Lake in spite of warnings from Pina to take 'er easy!

Dr. Chesty Hoyt, way back in the '50's in Chillicothe, used to enjoin his kiddies (me and bros + sis) to cool it in our pool, too. Lot of good that warning did!

Isabela is fearless. So much fun to watch. Her dad thinks she'll be swimming before they head back home!

Ice Cream Break for Camp Compo Campers.

My very special grandson Ollie waits his turn for an ice cream bar at Camp Compo last week. Just the kind of cool-off treat a young guy would enjoy on a steamy summer day! Thanks to Mom for the foto from the town website in Westport, CT.

Avacad-Joe. Good for You.

Garden dispatch from our Miami Vegan, Joe Hoyt: "So I came across an interesting variety of Avocado the other day. Years ago when I lived in Coconut Grove a friend had a tree in his yard with this variety of avocado called Russell. When they ripened they turned purple. These, however, ripened green. Think the genus is Russell. They are delicious, very low in fat but still have an amazing nutty flavor. A squeeze of lime and a bit of hot chili powder! Gotta love the shape, no? Like none other...

Uncle Chris cozies Niece Lu.

Had to post this very endearing shot taken by my brother-in-law a few months ago.

It's of my nephew Christian Gaggia and his niece (I'm thinking that make her my great-niece?) Lucia Crary "Sweet Lu" parent, all of the great state of Washington.

Pretty cool family portrait, huh?

Choate School, Wallingford, Ct., '58.

Choate boys, ca. 1958, in front of Hill House. This group of 14-year olds were in their freshman year at School -- Third Form -- and likely away from home for the first time. Scared to death, lonely, awkward, etc., the guys were on a great adventure, academically, socially and culturally, though they had no idea of its life impact at the time. I had the privilege of joining these gents the next year -- 4th. Form, fall of 1959. I remember so many of these faces. Choate Class of 1961 prepares for its 50th high school reunion next May, and we are having SUCH A GREAT TIME doing our reconnection thing. Lucky us, really and truly.