I don’t know about you all, but we had our first taste of fall weekends out here, and it was glorious – rain and all! The temps have been steadily dipping into the lower 60s during the day, and the nights are a crisp 40-ish degrees, which is perfect sleeping weather. I told Ryan that I know I’ll regret saying this three months into winter, too, but right now, I’m loving the rain. After a dry and very hot summer that I really wasn’t anticipating out here in the PNW, this is a welcome relief. It was just cool enough to pull out the crockpot and indulge in some hot chili and cornbread one evening, and just warm enough with a break in the clouds to start our great cider donut quest.
Sadly, I have mixed feelings about the place we went this past weekend in search of cider donuts. I’ve been looking for a replacement for our beloved Old McDonald’s Farm in Sackets Harbor, and I came across Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm during my search. Their website promoted a great farm experience, cider treats, and an animal experience, all of which I wanted to do with my boys. After a 35-minute drive, we ended up being a little disappointed in the place, and I was disappointed in my searching abilities – even though the boys had fun.
It turns out the place was involved in a lawsuit over the past few years regarding animal neglect and cruelty, and all of their hoofed animals were removed. Had I known that ahead of time, we wouldn’t have gone, and I wouldn’t have patronized them. However, we went, we tasted their treats, and we have to admit that their country store was well-stocked with fall goodies. The boys each chose a little pumpkin, and they loved their cider donuts, even if I thought they weren’t quite traditional. The quest will continue. We checked out the few animals they have left, and we went on our merry way, only to learn later on that they’d been embroiled in the aforementioned issue. I felt awful, but what’s that saying? Know better, do better. We’ll do better (and find better) next time!
Sunday was a special one for us. I say this with sarcasm. Spencer’s guts have been less than happy the last couple days, so we laid low for the most part, only venturing out later so I could make a quick trip to the mall for some maternity clothes (yikes). Since we were already in Tacoma and there was a gap in the clouds, we headed back to one of our favorite places out here thus far – Point Ruston. We enjoyed fish and chips, and my men enjoyed their ice cream even as the temps dipped and the air got cooler.
It was the perfect way to end a weekend together, especially since we’re in for a busy week ahead. Ryan’s class is moving ahead full-steam, and we have family pictures this evening. Cheers to busy weeks that make for beautiful weekends!
