Ice cream and rain - a perfect day

My friend Trisha and I took our kids to Michigan State University's Dairy Store.

When I was in school there, I went there a lot.  Know why?  I had to pass it to walk to class.  Right by it!  How could I not stop?

As their site puts it, the Dairy Store "is many things­—our plant, our stores, an educational and outreach center, and more. We make, package and sell delicious ice creams and cheeses."

They have a viewing balcony of their factory.  We watched the workers package up their ice cream.  We also watched an educational video up there that told us all about it - even that the Dairy Store sells their excess milk to MMPA, which is the same co-op we belong to as well!  (Did I cheer when they showed the MMPA sign?  I guess you'd have to be there to know.  Okay, yes.  Did you hear me?)

I haven't been in a few years, and ... I forgot.  Their ice cream, which they make onsite, is the creamiest ice cream I've ever had.  And I've eaten a lot of ice cream, all over this land.  Every day on vacation.  In other countries.  For instance, in Costa Rica, they kept serving it to me alongside jello.  I don't even like jello, nor did I like it touching my ice cream.  But, it was a cultural experience either way. 

Trisha's son had a pamphlet called Michigan Adventure.  One of the reasons we went there today was for him to get it stamped by the Dairy Store workers.  It's a statewide thing - if he does nine of the events he gets entered into a drawing for a bunch of prizes, like an iPad. 

But we all won today!

This was a framed picture up in the store

Watching the magic happen

Trisha paints her toenails for every occasion, even a Dairy Store visit!

&&&&

Thankfully, thankfully, it rained yesterday and all of today.  I think we'll probably end up with almost an inch.  We needed it so much.  I can almost feel the earth sighing with relief.  No, wait - that was everyone who lives here.  You can tell you're friends with a lot of people in agriculture when every Facebook post is proclaiming: "RAIN!  It's RAINING!  My rain dance worked!  Finally!"  Let's hope the crops respond!