Goose all dressed up for Thanksgiving

So, how was your Turkey Day, Oh Best Beloved? We broke with tradition, and had salmon for our main dish, instead of turkey. I made parfaits for dessert, each created with fat dollops of thick heavy cream that we whip ourselves, sandwiched between layers of freshly-made warm apple compote and crumbled Pamela’s pecan shortbread cookies, then drizzled with real maple syrup. We only make them three times a year (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter), as they have an alarming number of calories and fat in each serving. They’re lovely to indulge in on special occasions, but more than that and I’d be waddling off to a cardiologist to schedule a triple coronary bypass delux.

The afternoon was spent visiting a county park we’d never seen before, and it turned out to be delightful. We saw several does, a gorgeous sunset, and this sign:

In Wisconsin, We Pay Based on the Honor System

It made us chuckle as we talked about how much we enjoy living in a place where one can pay for items on the honor system. Park entry fees for county and state parks are handled this way, when it’s ‘after hours.’ You put your money for any park fees in an envelope, drop the envelope into a locked pipe or mailbox, and drive into the park. Even local farmers have produce stands by the front entryway of their farms that are unattended. You pick out your fruit and vegetables, total up what you owe from the prices listed on the hand-printed chalkboard wedged in between the goodies, and leave your payment in the cash box that’s sitting there. The unwritten rule: you make your own change, and you don’t take anything that isn’t yours.

By the by, most of the time around here the honor system works. On Thanksgiving Day, when we saw this sign, we realized that we’ve grown accustomed to living in a place where that’s the norm, instead of the exception.

For that, I am truly thankful.

P.S. Yes, that’s our Goose pictured at the top. As always, when it comes to Goose: don’t ask. Just enjoy.