Birthday Lunch at Mariposa Farm

 For my birthday we headed to Mariposa Farm in Plantagenet.

Sweet that the salt and pepper shakers were kitties!

Loved 'em!

The dining room is a big, bright windowed affair...

This is what it looks like from the outside.

It has an open kitchen with your eating selection on the counter
A choice of one of three appetizers, three mains and three desserts.

Lots of fun salt and pepper shakers. Ducks seemed apropos for this pair!

Fun!

 Nat and Gordon both chose a wonderful salad...

 Richard started with roasted tomato soup....

 I had the duck/pistachio pate for a starter. Wowza!

 My main was their very own grown duck on a mushroom bread pudding and greens.

 Richard had pork...

 Nat and Gordon both chose the bison flank steak on an assortment of veggies.

 For dessert, you serve yourself coffee or tea...

 

 I chose the carrot cake...

 ...while the other three had the wild blueberry vanilla pannacotta.

All in all a fabulous meal!

 Then we toured the grounds and admired their wonderful gardens.

 Natalie makes friends where ever she goes.

 There was a very late blooming lilac bush with a lovely swallowtail butterfly on it.

 And a sweet pond beside the dining room.

 On the pond was a very big swan...

...who seemed to take a liking to Natalie.

The weather was perfect...

 ...and we all had a grand time. A perfect way to spend my birthday!