A ten-hour road trip to Farm
Day One, through Chicago and Milwaukee
Finally a motel in Sheboygan
And only one eighty-two fifty
The Marinette Best Western, our local respite
A grand view of my home town’s skyline
Scrambled eggs and sausage each breakfast
We slept like oak logs until nine
Farm could be featured in “Better Homes and Gardens”
Jim cleared a new space by the coop
New roofs on most of the buildings
A welcoming abode for our group
Our parents’ presence was everywhere
The organ refinished by Doris
Vic’s photos, oils, and stained glass
A paradise they passed on to us
Jennifer, Wynn, and Ingrid drove here from Seattle
Jacob and Delphine flew in from Brooklyn
Justin, Alex, and Leo traveled from NOLA
Katja and I, the last to come in
Justin has great fun with his cousins
Many jokes, lots of laughter and smiles
An only child, his cuz are like siblings
Well worth it to travel those miles
The youth had their fun time at Farm
Shooting B-B’s, riding bikes, doing art
Alex and Leo and Ingrid and Delphine
Growing up evermore and so smart
Co-Co and Osa were also there
Seattle poodles, filled with play
They raced about, rolled over on their backs
Delighting the humans every day
Justin was teaching his kids to drive
Back and forth on our road, M-3 Drive
This struck me as a little bit scary
But they both gave their dad a high-five
Menominee’s the new home of six cannabis stores
They’re lined up on Highway Forty-One
I askedif I could buy a few gummies
Katja scowled, “No way under the sun”
Justin brought us pasties for supper
A reminder we were in the U.P.
I have to conclude they were tasty
Eaters gobbled them up with such glee.
On Saturday we did all the yard sales
A great buy, Katja’s colorful rooster
Justin found me a Maroon tennis cap
Now I’ll be an out-of-town booster
We toured the Marinette thrift shops
Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul
One buck for a Menominee River T-shirt
Plus “Oconto Golf”, quite a good haul
We devoured our burgers at Mickey-Lu
They’re voted the tastiest in the state
Butter burgers and scrumptious buns
Plus thick chocolate malts, flat-out great
Main Street Antiques was thriving
The top floor, Rusty Wolfe’s fine art
I searched for Lundgren Drugstore bottles
Once again my fruitless quest broke my heart
I love to cruise around the Loop
The best part is Menekaunee
I told the kids, there’s a murder each week
I’m not totally sure they believed me
Every day we hung out in the gazebo
I’d say Jennifer’s the life of the party
She reminds me a lot of her dad
With the bonus that she’s much more arty
Jim and Sharon paid us a visit
The longstanding caretakers of Farm
They keep the property shipshape
And guard it from every kind of harm
A family night out at Berg’s Landing
A long-time tradition from Vic
Walleye for me, filet mignon for Katja
Berg’s continues to excel at their trick
We did a quick tour of Henes Park
The new bathhouse, a splendid addition
The views of Green Bay are glorious
John B. Henes accomplished his mission
We accompanied Jacob to the river
Vicki’s property was again looking swell
We had a nice chat with neighbor Troy
He still dreams that my sister might sell
Jacob treated us to lunch at Jozwiak’s
Their famous burger, the Wabash
Vic and Doris’s favorite hangout
Beer and burgers, they spent lots of cash
Before we knew it, the time came to leave
Tons of family photos in the front yard
Hugs and kisses and sayonaras
Goodbyes are always too hard
I’m pleased that we came on this trip
It keeps me in touch with my history
The river, the bay, the forests, the town
A world that enjoys its own mystery