I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay...

I spent the long holiday weekend far far away from Wheaton in lovely Potter County, Pennsylvania, where my sister lives (in Shinglehouse, to be precise).  So, as a mini-vacation from writing about all things Wheaton, I thought I'd share the highlights of our fun weekend in the country, much of which centered around some delicious, locally grown food.

My boyfriend and I met my sister for lunch on Saturday in Ansonia, PA, which is close to the very scenic PA Grand Canyon.  We ate at the Burnin' Barrell Bar, whose menu features beef sourced from local, grass-fed cattle.  My burger was delicious and tasty, as were the philly cheesesteak and italian hoagie that we also shared.

After lunch, we headed over to the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum where they were holding their annual Barkpeelers Convention, which features demonstrations and competitions centered around the logging history in the region.  The highlight of the day was the greased pole competition.  No, it's not as dirty as it sounds, but it is maybe a little gay (don't tell those strapping young country boys that, though!).  The 8ft long log cake was also quite impressive.

In the photo below, the greased pole competitors are preparing to hit each other with heavy beanbags.  First person to fall off the 'greased pole' (a tree covered in Crisco) loses.

We also made a visit to the Cuba Cheese Shoppe in Cuba, NY, where we tried lots of delicious cheeses.  We brought home some 'drunken goat cheese' (goat cheese with white wine in it) and a white cheese with garlic, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes (pungent but tasty).

My sister also treated us to lots of delicious food over the weekend, much of it coming from her own garden and chickens, which she keeps in her back yard.  We had fresh eggs for breakfast in the morning and roasted chicken for dinner from some 'meat chickens' they butchered a few days before the weekend (glad I wasn't there for that).  We also enjoyed some lettuce, cucumber, and a few squash from the garden, which we had with the roasted chicken for dinner.

Here are some 'before' pictures...

And here are some 'after' pictures...

Overall, it was a relaxing weekend and a welcome escape from all the hot weather in DC!