Late September 2012 Trip

Even though the daytime highs were only in the 40s, and showers were around periodically, it was a nice quiet time at the lake. We went up Thursday late and left for Madison on Monday the 24th.

Lots of fall colors. At the time we were here the colors were not at their peak, but close. This picture looks like it could be on a Christmas card. The second picture below is just a nice fall-colors shot of the big hill on the driveway.

I got out and rescued six trees along the shoulder of Board Bridge Road: three red pines, three white pines and one white spruce. I planted them along the driveway heading up to the shed.

Mary and I collected rocks for the rock wall I’ve been building the last two years. We drive forest back roads looking for rocks along the road that are turned up from periodic road grader grooming of the road.

The rock wall in-progress and pictured is along the circle driveway that we built in 2010. Building a rock wall is a neat thing and I find some joy and simple pleasures in the task. I got started building rock walls with my parents at our home in rural Belvidere. As a kid I don’t imagine I found it a joy or simple pleasure. But now I do.

It’s a somewhat simple task. Big rocks go on the bottom, smaller ones at the top. You nest them together carefully, aligning their various angles, cuts and shapes. At 64, I can still safely lift a rock about the size of two basketballs. Found a rock this past trip that was about 3 basketballs and I could not lift it. Mary said it’s a boulder not a rock. I think I can get it if I go out with my trailer that tilts; that way I can roll the rock up on the trailer and don’t have to lift it.

The rocks you see grouped at the top of the wall are the 50 or so we collected, and I’ll get them placed in the wall next time at the cabin.

On Sunday, at dusk I quietly walked the nature trail. Sat down for a while on the Leopold bench on the north trail. While sitting and listening, a coyote suddenly started to howl from a close distance. I pegged it as being on Black Bear Lane about 50 yards from where I was sitting. So, I started making a bunch of human-like noises and headed back to the cabin.

Feeling Like Fall - September 14-17, 2012

Mary and I took an extended-weekend trip to the cabin. Enjoyed great balmy weather Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some trees have begun to show their fall colors and one morning it was down to 36 degrees.

We enjoyed an 8-mile bike ride on the trail west of the Forest Lake Country Store outside Land O' Lakes. Not much in terms of all colors over there yet.

I enjoyed my 10th and 11th sailing excursions of the year. Check out this 29-second video of my sail on Sunday the 16th. I had a pretty brisk wind out of the west. I now believe that shooting video while sailing is as risky as texting while driving.....although I won't do the later. The last time I shot video while sailing, Linds was with me and we tipped in high wind.

We rescued 15 red pine trees from under the power lines on Black Bear Lane. I put four in the ground up north and brought 11 home to plant in the back of our lot in Madison.

ANNUAL SUMMER ESCAPE, 7-12 AUGUST 2012

ANNUAL SUMMER ESCAPE

We headed to the cabin on Tuesday, August 7^th with Linds for our annual retreat. We had a couple of days of rain mid-week and were not able to get outside for our usual activities. During the week, Linds prepared some tasty dishes including a shrimp appetizer and a chicken/green olive/artichoke/tomato dish that was terrific. We always complete a project with Linds and this year it was an upholstered headboard that turned out very nice.

Linds and I got out on Wednesday the 8^th between showers for a special duty. We went into the Nicolet National Forest to rescue two little white pines we found growing by the roadside. This is a practice that gives the trees a chance, as they are certain to be snow plowed, cut off, or run over before too long. After 30 minutes of driving narrow logging roads we found two white pines 2-3’ tall growing within a couple feet of the road. Linds dug them up carefully and brought them back and planted them in memory of two little angels, Catherine and Hattie. Linds took charge of the digging, planting, and watering. I took care of the photography. We will continue to water and look after these trees because they were planted with special purpose. White pines grow well. In just a few years these will be stunning and we will all remember with pride our rescue and the reasons why.

After the periodic rain on Wednesday and Thursday, we made the most of Friday. Golfing in the morning at Big Sand, and kayaking in the afternoon with Connie and Gary Greene on the Deerskin River.

If that wasn’t enough, after kayaking we went to an early dinner at Eagle Waters and stopped at the new brewery in Eagle River, Tribute Brewing. Had a great time sampling some guest beers and talking with the owner, Bill Summers.

A highlight of the summer was a visit with Nathaniel (Puddy) Greene and girlfriend Shainah Reid. They came up Friday evening and we could not have had a better reunion at the lake. We went on a bike ride on the new trail going west from Land O’ Lakes at the Forest Lake Country Store. This was a ride led by Dick Leinenkugel of the Leinenkugel Brewing Company. Here’s a picture of our group of 7 with Dick after the ride. Pics here also of Linds, Puddy and Shainah.

Puddy had not been here for several years and he has a storehouse of wonderful memories from coming to Manuel Lake throughout his childhood when our families vacationed together. He quickly “went native”, eagerly jumping in the lake for a swim. He and Shainah went sailing, her first time. From the shore, I heard plenty of “Oh my God” as the boat tipped in the wind. We walked the nature trail and Puddy climbed the white pines that the four kids used to spend hours climbing. He even remembered many of the branches – their bends, breaks and formations. On this walk, I learned that one of these trees was the General Store and the other was the Rain Fort Tree. On Saturday night we had a campfire on the beach and roasted marshmallows, using original “pot passers” that Puddy’s dad Gary had made some years earlier. I had left these pot passers in the shed, just where Gary left them.

Mary and I hiked into Blackjack Springs Wilderness with Linds and made sure we visited the memory box with the guest book.

Puddy and Shainah, and Connie and Gary all left about Noon on Sunday. Mary, Linds and I were not far behind.

HAWKEYES IN BADGERLAND, 22-26 JULY 2012

My cousins from Ankeny, Iowa visited for five days at the cabin. It was a 500-mile trek for Cyndy, Jeff and Greg. Cyndy and Greg visited last in 2010 but Jeff had not been in the northwoods since he visited with my Dad in 1994. When Jeff was here last, I took a picture of he and my Dad on the pier. So, this picture represents Jeff's return.

We had a great time, as these pictures attest. We drove into Michigan’s UP on our way to Black River Harbor on Lake Superior. Along the way, we visited a couple of waterfalls. There is a suspension bridge over the Black River upon which we tested its capabilities.

Greg brought his Flip Uno game and we played many games on the dining table downstairs. What a hoot! We golfed at Big Sand Lake Golf Course outside of Phelps. Cyndi and Greg enjoyed kayaking on the lake, and Greg still possessed the fine kayaking skills that he learned at the cabin two years ago.

The cousins left on Thursday, but not before posing with the bear by the front door. Mary and I stayed another day to clean up and do laundry, leaving Friday. With our extra time, we hiked into Whispering Lake in the Blackjack Springs Wilderness. We found this neat looking fire ring that someone created out of little rocks. I showed Mary the memory box and she signed the guest book.

7 Days North of the Tension Zone

We enjoyed a nice break at the cabin from 10-16 June 2012. A few highlights:

Out on the gravel part of Deerskin Road we saw two black bears about a mile from the cabin. These were sightings on separate days, so I don’t know if it was the same bear or not.

I take quite a few walks around our property and on the nature trail. Here are a few images from one of those hikes.

Walking down Black Bear Lane one afternoon, we saw an animal run across the road about 50 yards from us. Not sure what it was. Kind of like a fisher, but may have been bigger like a wolverine. However, wolverines are not supposed to be down in this area. It was not a coyote, wolf or bobcat. Mary figured it had to be the mythical Hodag.

We went kayaking with Greene’s on the upper Wisconsin River. Put in about 2 miles from the headwaters at Lac Vieux Desert. We floated down about 2.5 miles and then paddled back upstream where we put in. The pictures here represent that trip.

Went kayaking again on Thursday the 14^th on the Deerskin River. It had been 12 years since I had been on the Deerskin. We put in at Rangeline Road and paddled upstream from there. It was a warm day, but a cold front was coming in with showers. You can see the rain in this picture, and later, mist rose from the river. What a great time to be on the river. This picture shows Mary, the maiden of the mist on the Deerskin.

There are various styles for paddling a kayak. One of my favorites is the "recliner" style of paddling as demonstrated here. That's our sailboat and pier in the distance between my feet.

Saturday morning we rode the paved bike trail from Land O’ Lakes to the Forest Lake Country Store. That round trip was about 10 miles, but we extended it. We knew that the bike trail continued west from there, as part of the Wilderness Lakes Trail system, but were uncertain where the trail was and what it was like. So we went exploring. We found an outstanding, new, paved trail with stunning scenery and lots of hills. Reminded me of the Birkie Trail, but for bikes.

Before heading back to the cabin and leaving for Madison, we stopped at the Buzz on B in Land O' Lakes for coffee.

2012 Memorial Day Weekend

Mary and I beat the traffic north by heading to the cabin Thursday afternoon. We enjoyed stunning weather the entire weekend. I rescued two turtles that we noticed in the gravel road. I always usher them off the road when we encounter them on a roadway. The first was a softball-sized painted turtle and then we came across the snapping, basketball-sized monster you see here. She did not want to take direction from me. At this time of year females are out laying eggs and many wander onto gravel roads, believing it’s much like a gravel riverbank or lakeshore.

Glenn and Peggy Hojem were up as well. We took two bike rides with them. The first on the St. Germaine to Sayner trail and then on the trail out of Land O’ Lakes to the Forest Lake Country Store and back.

It’s a green wonderland. The hosta garden is in full bloom, the hummingbirds are back, and the black oak by the deck is wrapping us in its canopy.

I got the sailboat out and went sailing 5 times over the weekend. In the sailing picture, I am leaning well over the edge of the boat (this is called hiking) to oppose the heeling force of the wind as it pushes sideways against the sail.