It's summer and if you haven't already taken a vacation, you are planning one. There are so many great places to go - Maui, Cabo, Lake Tahoe or Vegas. - As for me, I've already taken a vacation this year - to Wisconsin. My friend has a 92-acre spread in this little town called Mayville, which is located somewhere between Milwaukee and Madison. She doesn't raise cattle but rents out part of her land to local farmers who grow hay and a variety of other crops I can't identify. The rest of her property is surrounded by trees, wildflowers, various creatures and a huge natural pond, the result of iron ore mining back in the turn of the century.

Apparently, the folks of Mayville worked this quarry for the steel barons who were busy building tall skyscrapers in the big cities. When it was discovered that mining would be a lot cheaper in Ohio or Pennsylvania the mining companies pack up their equipment and moved, throwing the good citizens of Mayville into a depression a year or two before the rest of the country.

Of course, there are still plenty of farmers, black and white cows and beautiful weathered red barns. They also have homes and businesses built out of unusual and rare yellow brick that is quite the catch if you can get one.

But there are no Pilates studios! I started the trip thinking, "Boy, my Pilates instructors are going to make mince-meat out of me when I get home!" But after a week in Mayville and watching my friend and her pals on an average day, I can see why there is no need for these girls to hit the gym.

First of all, there are the garlic mustard plants. Apparently they are over-taking the town and according to the local news, you must pull these fast-growing weeds out of the ground immediately! My friend was on top of that situation way before it hit the news and every day she would get in her Gator and her new pal Sampson, a 7-year-old rescued Boxer, and off they'd go into the woods to start pulling. Sampson's job was to keep all the sneaky chipmunks and rabbits away.

"After watching my friend and her pals on an AVERAGE DAY, I can see why there is no need for these girls to HIT THE GYM."

While cruising around in the Gator, we'd stop and pick wild mushrooms and check out the new plants and streams. The last time I Gatored with her, two deer jumped in front of us on their way to a watering hole. Now as I tromped around in the sopping-wet foliage looking for lilac, morel mushrooms and dogwood, all I could think of were the snakes or some ther wild critter that were waiting for this unsuspecting suburbanite.

Then it was time to tackle the problem with the gravel driveway. Because the mid-west has been experiencing a lot more rainfall then we have, the driveway was in danger of washing away and there is nothing worse than getting a 10-year-old Saturn Ion stuck in the mud. So now it was time to load up the wheelbarrow with loose gravel, shovel it out along the driveway and smash it down every time we drove up or down the 2-mile road.

One day we headed to a neighbor's house. She needed to place a new queen bee in her hive so her honey crop would thrive. I watch from a good, safe distance as she donned her bee gear and introduced the new lady to the workers. She too had picked a crop of wild mushrooms earlier in the week and the two friends discussed the great find and couldn't wait to go out and harvest more.

Each evening during my visit as we prepared for dinner, my friend would wander down to her garden to pick fresh spinach and onions for our salad, and dry and fry the wild mushrooms in garlic and butter. Because I am a child of the '60s, the thought of eating wild mushrooms was a little disconcerting, but what the heck, I was in Wisconsin. Everyone eats this stuff. And while I'm at it, let me put aside the whole debate about whose cheese is better, California's or Wisconsin's. I have to say, we really never had any cheese except the provolone we bought at the local Piggly Wiggley.

It may seem that I became a country girl in one week, but if truth be told, I passed on many of the adventures (the gravel spread, for one). The whole weekend gave me a real appreciation for these ladies (and gentlemen) who work the land and marvel every day at its riches. It may have not been Cabo, Maui or Vegas, but having the opportunity to spend time with a friend made it rich nevertheless. And to my Pilates ladies. I'm ready for you!