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Not really SAD, but

A lot of people are affected with Seasonal Affective Disorder in Wisconsin.  We have many, many days without sun during the winter months.  This year, we've had a string of days with heavy fog and unseasonably warm temperatures in the 30's and 40's.   Personally, I can't claim that I've ever really felt the effects of SAD, but this year, knowing that we are likely moving west later next year, I've been very impatient and annoyed with Wisconsin weather.   Sun trying to fight through the clouds It hasn't helped that my daily routine involves looking at the weather in Fort Collins and Tucson.  Their weather has been spectacularly sunny and more pleasant this time of year.   So, I haven't been blogging much because not much is going on. I've substituted indoor pickleball for hiking. The trails have been muddy and not much fun. For Christmas, we had my mother, Julia's brother and Allie here.  I went and retrieved my mother from Cedar Rapids a...
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Beer in the Barn

Some of the best beer surprises are the ones you find in unexpected places. One of our new Iowa pickleball friends recommended that we try out a bar in St. Donatus for a good burger with homemade French fries. I asked about the beer, and the response was along the lines of “yes, they have beer.”

St. Donatus, population 120, is a very small town founded by a Luxembourg early settler. If you blink at highway speeds, you could easily miss it.

In doing some navigational research, I saw a listing for “Beer in the Barn” across the street from said bar and tucked behind an old Inn. As it turned out,  the burgers and fries at the bar were just okay, but Beer in the Barn was a stunning find. 



The pictures we took don’t do it justice. The stone barn is supposedly the oldest standing barn in Iowa. 


We asked the chief bartender/owner to tell us his story. In doing so, we learned that his wife is the brewmaster. We later learned from her that one of her best friends lives in Lodi. That Lodi woman is one of Julia’s friends and was Justin’s long-time piano teacher. Small world!


Julia’s hazy IPA was delicious. My milk stout was very good. There will be live music on Sunday afternoon. We plan to be back.

Comments

MFH said…
Justin played piano?
May 19, 2024 at 4:52 AM
John said…
He did. He even won a couple of awards at Solo Ensemble in high school.
May 19, 2024 at 5:13 PM
MFH said…
Cool! What kind of music?
May 19, 2024 at 7:15 PM
John said…
They were classical pieces. I couldn’t remember the names of any of the pieces, and neither could Julia. I do remember hanging on every note from the beginning to end, hoping he would do well. Justin would roll up to the piano bench with Elvis the service dog, and I would transfer Justin from the chair to the bench and then back again after his performance. By his senior year, moving his arms and hands became too difficult, and he gave up the piano. Justin had a small electric keyboard that he kept playing for about a year longer.
May 20, 2024 at 9:15 PM
MFH said…
WOW!

What a wonderful memory.

Thank you.
May 21, 2024 at 5:45 AM
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