tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63335109813175813272024-03-14T03:38:09.559-05:00On-TheEdgeSteve Meurett-Writing with LightStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.comBlogger347125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-49226613722134696762021-12-31T07:34:00.002-06:002021-12-31T07:35:36.938-06:002021-The Year in Pictures<p> The year in pictures or my favorite ones of the year. A yearly disclaimer, these are my favorites blended with ones I feel are good images. Or, at least in my eyes. They are roughly chronological, but not always, and some I may feel need a title or caption, while others not. This blog has been floundering for the past couple years, maybe the result of just trying to make it through 24 months of covid, misinformation, ignorance and a democracy teetering. It's exhausting and I think spending time outside instead of typing will be my go-to excuse. Maybe I have less to say with words than I do with pictures. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiAMrGqSTmN0lZUoZlm1Te5lV3AB0DngD1evrXp6bTyY_gYfwrO5W9pMBQCkIidmtPsk07OBoT7BqjKIMKsV6gaFEoCK0VP0mgKBEr83Wab4cgWCebndczoNFKacLUKScaBJ9vBaiQkktb-fBcf4AcE2Jbzo51hR3xrvIs_fjCI31r0huX380uwIra4g=s3154" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2216" data-original-width="3154" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiAMrGqSTmN0lZUoZlm1Te5lV3AB0DngD1evrXp6bTyY_gYfwrO5W9pMBQCkIidmtPsk07OBoT7BqjKIMKsV6gaFEoCK0VP0mgKBEr83Wab4cgWCebndczoNFKacLUKScaBJ9vBaiQkktb-fBcf4AcE2Jbzo51hR3xrvIs_fjCI31r0huX380uwIra4g=w640-h450" title="Cold First Sun of the New Year" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold First Sun of the New Year-Reed Farm<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYnom1NrzcN6mo_2ud4tGG7ubQ3Ehp60-_d1awTHem7N_EOCWf8nVE74w9MRP1fLhiz9DwUfQnx6XfnjgUO6c8bYPmROc2eV4bpbk3FL5Q4b9dg1Js_NSwClUoejrbekHEEQ8NqoYi2tJWiM_ZF790lyK45Qw3R89ez4Pt_pxlrYIHm_8aHRErlpIfag=s3590" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1940" data-original-width="3590" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYnom1NrzcN6mo_2ud4tGG7ubQ3Ehp60-_d1awTHem7N_EOCWf8nVE74w9MRP1fLhiz9DwUfQnx6XfnjgUO6c8bYPmROc2eV4bpbk3FL5Q4b9dg1Js_NSwClUoejrbekHEEQ8NqoYi2tJWiM_ZF790lyK45Qw3R89ez4Pt_pxlrYIHm_8aHRErlpIfag=w640-h346" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Blue Stem on Sturtz Paririe<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjp47mFrjcvG0Z2yKdIs-ZpFodiK4ZtFdpfHG84_GnS0inUKCqz3BkalAv1TtoF20bZhhoUVAEMAnvrVU-wK_B26HcKljgYV-gMRooLxWbtIM11jVW63fi6jqzcQPHhgc8PjbnIP27SzSk2MINEHVD8yL-a6GXCeyvUj3bj_-WGqAPXVk5JLQJpD5wLdA=s2346" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="2346" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjp47mFrjcvG0Z2yKdIs-ZpFodiK4ZtFdpfHG84_GnS0inUKCqz3BkalAv1TtoF20bZhhoUVAEMAnvrVU-wK_B26HcKljgYV-gMRooLxWbtIM11jVW63fi6jqzcQPHhgc8PjbnIP27SzSk2MINEHVD8yL-a6GXCeyvUj3bj_-WGqAPXVk5JLQJpD5wLdA=w640-h596" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Dodge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_uQZRZhYmGbJYqKJH3oUuVF-jk6ZH9Q86Gjp4jCYmjamajll8y_ux0OKB_c5equhilvtH0gJ_CeFWcOTIcvL9lexT8YXoQ_jRZjbvOjAQA9IASYoyMwJkfQq13869UL8T86n2YWSFDf_ivh2OBPFrFr7Lba4z4wePqx_uc1v3I7o4fHr5R3XhN3ZITA=s3150" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2276" data-original-width="3150" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_uQZRZhYmGbJYqKJH3oUuVF-jk6ZH9Q86Gjp4jCYmjamajll8y_ux0OKB_c5equhilvtH0gJ_CeFWcOTIcvL9lexT8YXoQ_jRZjbvOjAQA9IASYoyMwJkfQq13869UL8T86n2YWSFDf_ivh2OBPFrFr7Lba4z4wePqx_uc1v3I7o4fHr5R3XhN3ZITA=w640-h462" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Highground-Service Dog Memorial<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg92Amw1JeGW9A__u4LJCF6nWw0YN-M7PvEeLfw4zmOfIPY2oYw6hDEc_kmFObaSnx1aLFPVVnllIQUgQkSRcrcY2KrLOVh8vgqiByoBQL2_TnC-8p7ali6ehQtgq5eGNwGDlziONameP2D0YHixqzySAySCmsFH55NnWbBgH3iZv9ozP_SdApa4cKFew=s2374" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2368" data-original-width="2374" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg92Amw1JeGW9A__u4LJCF6nWw0YN-M7PvEeLfw4zmOfIPY2oYw6hDEc_kmFObaSnx1aLFPVVnllIQUgQkSRcrcY2KrLOVh8vgqiByoBQL2_TnC-8p7ali6ehQtgq5eGNwGDlziONameP2D0YHixqzySAySCmsFH55NnWbBgH3iZv9ozP_SdApa4cKFew=w640-h638" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Symmetry <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJwoVrl3GpcLh7_Fm7hYsufRa8mg6BUxmyu3tRNcKnSucF1DfLgCaHjyat6tAIQphl15d4ltIYe6DU9_4lzadQ8KTSpXr9DjGycwHDXgr1qYAlrMPIhBAMqdT3gCgzjbqJ1Z9cV_wLV6ZTmsnksM5-E6XGUU39x4zAcT1AReOypItMeFuRCt8ZfOFCNg=s2364" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2344" data-original-width="2364" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJwoVrl3GpcLh7_Fm7hYsufRa8mg6BUxmyu3tRNcKnSucF1DfLgCaHjyat6tAIQphl15d4ltIYe6DU9_4lzadQ8KTSpXr9DjGycwHDXgr1qYAlrMPIhBAMqdT3gCgzjbqJ1Z9cV_wLV6ZTmsnksM5-E6XGUU39x4zAcT1AReOypItMeFuRCt8ZfOFCNg=w640-h634" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginnings and Endings<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsKPKamJ2q3URhJIRflp3OeH0uPRE23e2sy-qTOSNj4kCflqA6UCXzmo3whewyRoLW47XraVBq-xQ1RKqOInHw2lRIhY5h-Jf8fTSpj3yJABvYdlN5sMjjYCaFv6y9jWotIX7Q4PVVDn44n_YdTb_JiTg8N-h36jZ3V-F9XPkMlSzAc5VbQ98oFE0foA=s3894" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1954" data-original-width="3894" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsKPKamJ2q3URhJIRflp3OeH0uPRE23e2sy-qTOSNj4kCflqA6UCXzmo3whewyRoLW47XraVBq-xQ1RKqOInHw2lRIhY5h-Jf8fTSpj3yJABvYdlN5sMjjYCaFv6y9jWotIX7Q4PVVDn44n_YdTb_JiTg8N-h36jZ3V-F9XPkMlSzAc5VbQ98oFE0foA=w640-h322" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Big Blow-Loyal, WI<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjabp485T78FIduVju7669k8KOXoHf42pwrMHy1cg3czLTqJQTEuWGw2W0CqegQ82H04aoeuoAazFSREIddpKxOEW0Mc6kDkAQYLSRBgsD_w3v9mWw-flrQeW2-d6G0nquaWgm4MQ-TWioi5IXsJWLVPntkoL0MX5pi_DRgtdYhz-r3qFVjE-opjd1MeQ=s3160" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2258" data-original-width="3160" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjabp485T78FIduVju7669k8KOXoHf42pwrMHy1cg3czLTqJQTEuWGw2W0CqegQ82H04aoeuoAazFSREIddpKxOEW0Mc6kDkAQYLSRBgsD_w3v9mWw-flrQeW2-d6G0nquaWgm4MQ-TWioi5IXsJWLVPntkoL0MX5pi_DRgtdYhz-r3qFVjE-opjd1MeQ=w640-h458" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Regrowth-Dike 17 SWA<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL94fh_diLIgwyi2buc3pCRJzc0VciRbBH-HxCW-eqM8OIT2rnEZZuepcVHXuMRHRzceWIaMi3rz-xJfvbnF1hUGXyEVduU_yAy0v08HbLGbnPwtR-sL1AKuXEfOJg2nUA5Cq1ea8D2T4B0oeUQmP3IGsRNTAGInEWRJPN3282jsgTgxJ-7DoFz658oA=s3116" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2242" data-original-width="3116" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL94fh_diLIgwyi2buc3pCRJzc0VciRbBH-HxCW-eqM8OIT2rnEZZuepcVHXuMRHRzceWIaMi3rz-xJfvbnF1hUGXyEVduU_yAy0v08HbLGbnPwtR-sL1AKuXEfOJg2nUA5Cq1ea8D2T4B0oeUQmP3IGsRNTAGInEWRJPN3282jsgTgxJ-7DoFz658oA=w640-h460" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Golden Hour<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjiZHwqKQgeTWhPmI15Dq_V3BcoydwlIGiFulkMdbEvZFPwM9PJnxzuLBXcTvisiXDKmlctXGUG_FY2zBAdSIJduthNweiC28mqzf8LLOiJAX7YTpLhP3MczDNKpohXRz8YpIilngjAWM8bibcTA0ejVJ9IEWCJckURkvYcbPN9RnwsK_9IiaegeYiqw=s3546" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1946" data-original-width="3546" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjiZHwqKQgeTWhPmI15Dq_V3BcoydwlIGiFulkMdbEvZFPwM9PJnxzuLBXcTvisiXDKmlctXGUG_FY2zBAdSIJduthNweiC28mqzf8LLOiJAX7YTpLhP3MczDNKpohXRz8YpIilngjAWM8bibcTA0ejVJ9IEWCJckURkvYcbPN9RnwsK_9IiaegeYiqw=w640-h352" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trumpeter Swans-Jackson County<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSAze19yjFy9m6l428Iui9rdkwWwquEA1bbXIoGIpJsOGWmsQyQrV1GK_6-Qrkw0JVuj5t3YcnseuAYtNcRBMp-UVnsBT2HlkGDz7qYpcdTpEMND0tvRoWTpLE-lOvA0ZH1A38GZ8X4jIB1CivCDmRZyLxXkIaSBV77eKRWBqJ156PlgAdUBHOzdio9g=s2182" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2182" data-original-width="1728" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSAze19yjFy9m6l428Iui9rdkwWwquEA1bbXIoGIpJsOGWmsQyQrV1GK_6-Qrkw0JVuj5t3YcnseuAYtNcRBMp-UVnsBT2HlkGDz7qYpcdTpEMND0tvRoWTpLE-lOvA0ZH1A38GZ8X4jIB1CivCDmRZyLxXkIaSBV77eKRWBqJ156PlgAdUBHOzdio9g=w506-h640" width="506" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Boy and his Kite-Reed Farm<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDgymdQQBu6QSo2VZlEcen6cQH0anb-coqUIlUfi7PUIN2DLCwRYIT23DiIhdeBZzPCcu_0N61A-dkjXpAJ9p6SC5A9tr0-3O5C3KA--ockLRDVHu0WUf06AN__BPEqYOH9Dx3RpJVqYGwk7lC07dVnuomMlkfvxVdYBdzJdMqDvmm4TbJF_d59M7jXg=s2352" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2318" data-original-width="2352" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDgymdQQBu6QSo2VZlEcen6cQH0anb-coqUIlUfi7PUIN2DLCwRYIT23DiIhdeBZzPCcu_0N61A-dkjXpAJ9p6SC5A9tr0-3O5C3KA--ockLRDVHu0WUf06AN__BPEqYOH9Dx3RpJVqYGwk7lC07dVnuomMlkfvxVdYBdzJdMqDvmm4TbJF_d59M7jXg=w640-h630" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun Setting-Ashley ND<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIqe60FKY_ciDRbvk00DzTEZNY6l34hc9VrROYK2W9jnjhWpn-xfci1HMswcBenjVYzw3bkZS_tT2B2p8OszdqUDbz-PV9hWUYGoCeNN9sEEn-p3zDZWx9Qj85mStU-nHtLlB2r5sm24JYnGUvHvFWBP7961h2clBwFQvyG_ygSfMb3Ca9YGTfhR01DA=s3156" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="3156" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIqe60FKY_ciDRbvk00DzTEZNY6l34hc9VrROYK2W9jnjhWpn-xfci1HMswcBenjVYzw3bkZS_tT2B2p8OszdqUDbz-PV9hWUYGoCeNN9sEEn-p3zDZWx9Qj85mStU-nHtLlB2r5sm24JYnGUvHvFWBP7961h2clBwFQvyG_ygSfMb3Ca9YGTfhR01DA=w640-h448" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Land, Big Sky- Danzig ND<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPGUAUPUsF4Pb-frn1lxw_Tf38OdizZ0hT3iGU4ON3Sql6x_tz_MSxnrqTmLSrrQFDwFrxarcy9FJ2zyHeisOVvNbi--A_9k8y1qRlHobpnAvi5919IsjKRWUh5ji81AZZxAmz4LQPouSIkcTaKrNX4RoVBwMluH7KHJiAcIDmvl78q5u8MeOdbW-Ugw=s3162" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1988" data-original-width="3162" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPGUAUPUsF4Pb-frn1lxw_Tf38OdizZ0hT3iGU4ON3Sql6x_tz_MSxnrqTmLSrrQFDwFrxarcy9FJ2zyHeisOVvNbi--A_9k8y1qRlHobpnAvi5919IsjKRWUh5ji81AZZxAmz4LQPouSIkcTaKrNX4RoVBwMluH7KHJiAcIDmvl78q5u8MeOdbW-Ugw=w640-h402" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaver Creek Fisheries Area-WDNR<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIk8LYDKIFjszx4DEfgeSBfb9zYahh8IgJXBcYLmYYwgXJ4w6v-9CbBslNvO46tGBCZgRXVjUIkUKLGlJ5-DGkwdGBTRuGztYDDO5MXiJK6pzb9Do8UhNldT3dsfVjV4YWAHVbU2sQsr0cQRhehGpR7B__OG1PzI-BerVo1yDmNOs5SJoFt-J3vY_97Q=s3164" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2050" data-original-width="3164" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIk8LYDKIFjszx4DEfgeSBfb9zYahh8IgJXBcYLmYYwgXJ4w6v-9CbBslNvO46tGBCZgRXVjUIkUKLGlJ5-DGkwdGBTRuGztYDDO5MXiJK6pzb9Do8UhNldT3dsfVjV4YWAHVbU2sQsr0cQRhehGpR7B__OG1PzI-BerVo1yDmNOs5SJoFt-J3vY_97Q=w640-h414" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sky GLow<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfjTqpMFLY-K8S--k_ZhW8uyhRM9mwj0l_qI-ngDcgh77sdjWAPJpLPDci3nQUdiCuFDeIpB3N-eDUvj64C3JtAkTX4r6vpFjDeeCsD21ZtKXKUXyPXF4wVAnBrVOPxxkmKOhpYBrf9QHlCXyG89X5jQkH6fEvuyaGtcgWBWPsRlNzEBnveU1DDEfB1g=s3694" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="3694" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfjTqpMFLY-K8S--k_ZhW8uyhRM9mwj0l_qI-ngDcgh77sdjWAPJpLPDci3nQUdiCuFDeIpB3N-eDUvj64C3JtAkTX4r6vpFjDeeCsD21ZtKXKUXyPXF4wVAnBrVOPxxkmKOhpYBrf9QHlCXyG89X5jQkH6fEvuyaGtcgWBWPsRlNzEBnveU1DDEfB1g=w640-h370" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple Elements-Sturtz Prairie <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKPtuQb12L80aAjc4yKucJL0paOfWKMeg0Hk6BLBY5OmdAykMXO59dwPCpGOwI9LVQDTB15B0lqkVNENToqPSdKhgedU0uRFOewM4mCqG7fTNFqk-UPfvailNCoRcATAX9i6tCi9GqhGopim_mzmb_dl013TmNVUbB8SwuWKTOq-UTJPGsw5fH1VE5CQ=s3162" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="3162" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKPtuQb12L80aAjc4yKucJL0paOfWKMeg0Hk6BLBY5OmdAykMXO59dwPCpGOwI9LVQDTB15B0lqkVNENToqPSdKhgedU0uRFOewM4mCqG7fTNFqk-UPfvailNCoRcATAX9i6tCi9GqhGopim_mzmb_dl013TmNVUbB8SwuWKTOq-UTJPGsw5fH1VE5CQ=w640-h414" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple Prayer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I'll wrap this up with my favorite image of the year, a happy accident as we were about to paddle. Mark seemed to be at peace with just floating, as it should be. Cold water, dry suits on, and speed and distance of no concern. Taking in the moment was as good a reason to be on the water. </p><p>Happy New Year.<br /></p>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-83082892819277833012021-01-07T09:22:00.000-06:002021-01-07T09:22:37.016-06:002020-The Year in Pictures<p> 7 days late and 7 months or so since my last post. Seems national tragedy spurs these things. After yesterdays attempted coup, and make no mistake, it cannot be called anything else, we all will see what today brings. </p><p><br /></p><p>For now, maybe some pictures. I joked yesterday that maybe it wasn't the day to post pretty rime ice photos, but maybe it is exactly the right time. A distraction from the chaos. For quite a few years I have published my favorite pictures of the previous year. They may be my favorites for very different reasons-some may be great photographs, others just a memory or a marker of a different time and place. Some, just because and I have no other reason than that. </p><p>What follows are kind of in chronological order except the first-I start with a "pretty rime ice" picture.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HmPOgFxk6VA/X_ca9qB3pxI/AAAAAAAAEis/jsZaN5JvNq8CT3UJBNcrIXwcLYtuv9ZJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.738.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1471" data-original-width="2048" height="460" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HmPOgFxk6VA/X_ca9qB3pxI/AAAAAAAAEis/jsZaN5JvNq8CT3UJBNcrIXwcLYtuv9ZJgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h460/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.738.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rime Ice on "Fragments" The Highground Memorial Park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LuVquB0uvrE/X_cbW2LOpFI/AAAAAAAAEjM/Xkgl_31m1OMaXfrPKgpbdeHmc7LCiLP1wCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.737.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1565" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LuVquB0uvrE/X_cbW2LOpFI/AAAAAAAAEjM/Xkgl_31m1OMaXfrPKgpbdeHmc7LCiLP1wCPcBGAYYCw/w490-h640/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.737.%2BAM.png" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rime Ice at the Tailings Pond-Lake Wazee<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4AGe_ytkgQ/X_cbnsp6MiI/AAAAAAAAEjY/N4lP0GncCWUfOj6JqJ-It1VeOHa6koC-ACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.739.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="2048" height="458" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4AGe_ytkgQ/X_cbnsp6MiI/AAAAAAAAEjY/N4lP0GncCWUfOj6JqJ-It1VeOHa6koC-ACPcBGAYYCw/w640-h458/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.739.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lab on Ice-Reed Farm<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n7VKCDhrsTc/X_cbp9Zf1-I/AAAAAAAAEjQ/i2LAdwSK8x8tm8eOnonnZyPU-qSjrF1xQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.741.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1532" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n7VKCDhrsTc/X_cbp9Zf1-I/AAAAAAAAEjQ/i2LAdwSK8x8tm8eOnonnZyPU-qSjrF1xQCPcBGAYYCw/w478-h640/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.741.%2BAM.png" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truly Snow Angels<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0vcuFLGJDdQ/X_cblSGePDI/AAAAAAAAEjM/ekzKgvs_hcMp5vCFfJbBHKCzBbtrD2s7gCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.742.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1390" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0vcuFLGJDdQ/X_cblSGePDI/AAAAAAAAEjM/ekzKgvs_hcMp5vCFfJbBHKCzBbtrD2s7gCPcBGAYYCw/w434-h640/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.742.%2BAM.png" width="434" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Century Oak<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aMBdakoBX70/X_cbtvoCdzI/AAAAAAAAEjY/QpIvI89RZeolgd2DdzUxmDeFJXUqj3yBQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.744.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1573" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aMBdakoBX70/X_cbtvoCdzI/AAAAAAAAEjY/QpIvI89RZeolgd2DdzUxmDeFJXUqj3yBQCPcBGAYYCw/w492-h640/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.744.%2BAM.png" width="492" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Thaw<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>This was the start of the lockdown, the pandemic, the failed responses to the first national crisis of 2020 and it didn't have to go the way it ultimately did. 5000 dead in Wisconsin, 350,000 across the country and many who still call it a hoax and refuse to do their part to help. That yesterday happened doesn't surprise me-it's been building to that with complacency from some of our "leaders." It was allowed to happen and for some, it was wanted. For a few images that follow are many long sullen walks as we all take life day by day when so much is out of our control.</p><p> <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9azv-8V_Y4/X_cbyYFNqQI/AAAAAAAAEjk/fIDmsk7IE4A-UzT80ol4HD3wqGce4zmMgCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.746.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1639" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9azv-8V_Y4/X_cbyYFNqQI/AAAAAAAAEjk/fIDmsk7IE4A-UzT80ol4HD3wqGce4zmMgCPcBGAYYCw/w512-h640/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.746.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Eagle Tree" Reed farm<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TUhVVEgeZfo/X_cb6R26YhI/AAAAAAAAEjk/2k-h-z1SI0wSKCbjvLtpjz6cDU-EaIttwCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.746.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="2048" height="454" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TUhVVEgeZfo/X_cb6R26YhI/AAAAAAAAEjk/2k-h-z1SI0wSKCbjvLtpjz6cDU-EaIttwCPcBGAYYCw/w640-h454/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.746.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliffs Tractor<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GVkh3WqdEV8/X_ccBDLSO0I/AAAAAAAAEjs/RHf68cypW7UdpQuu1C8ABlQi0jJWBMjEACPcBGAYYCw/s2619/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.747.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="2619" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GVkh3WqdEV8/X_ccBDLSO0I/AAAAAAAAEjs/RHf68cypW7UdpQuu1C8ABlQi0jJWBMjEACPcBGAYYCw/w640-h294/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.747.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fox pup-Reed Farm<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-og-LUqGytO0/X_ccJcBdWjI/AAAAAAAAEkI/R83tujnrnW8wpDHuW8mSx1DFvkzS9Gm9QCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.750.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1487" data-original-width="2048" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-og-LUqGytO0/X_ccJcBdWjI/AAAAAAAAEkI/R83tujnrnW8wpDHuW8mSx1DFvkzS9Gm9QCPcBGAYYCw/w640-h464/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.750.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brook Trout- A return to fishing<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D2GuwSbsJ94/X_clMXMuBwI/AAAAAAAAEl8/xKay2lLsPacGQfAMljgUeGNXnfWBjISJACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.743.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="2048" height="412" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D2GuwSbsJ94/X_clMXMuBwI/AAAAAAAAEl8/xKay2lLsPacGQfAMljgUeGNXnfWBjISJACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h412/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.743.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="w8qArf"></span><span class="LrzXr kno-fv">Cervus canadensis</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w-4bxjd1DN0/X_ccQXJ62BI/AAAAAAAAEkA/MFSSmUaxkDE7OhHrs4o3_7c8BKwbjbMtgCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.751.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="2048" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w-4bxjd1DN0/X_ccQXJ62BI/AAAAAAAAEkA/MFSSmUaxkDE7OhHrs4o3_7c8BKwbjbMtgCPcBGAYYCw/w640-h464/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.751.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prairie Burn- Sturtz Farmstead <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K67QMWPt7oU/X_ccWvKmhuI/AAAAAAAAEkI/EQc3vfcH4kw5C2CEB3ojEvWW2ymptbjagCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.757.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="2048" height="618" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K67QMWPt7oU/X_ccWvKmhuI/AAAAAAAAEkI/EQc3vfcH4kw5C2CEB3ojEvWW2ymptbjagCPcBGAYYCw/w640-h618/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.757.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Boys-Some sunsets are better than others<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o73AOr2q7OM/X_ccgnPSCEI/AAAAAAAAEkI/1leU18w-e-sNNYGMY9SL-sCaBUYzYfXugCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.758.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2034" data-original-width="2048" height="636" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o73AOr2q7OM/X_ccgnPSCEI/AAAAAAAAEkI/1leU18w-e-sNNYGMY9SL-sCaBUYzYfXugCPcBGAYYCw/w640-h636/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.758.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Boys on Giants Chairs<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ozj1jd7l1_U/X_ccm8BcbkI/AAAAAAAAEkQ/Vn20CJO0scIWDuTZXLkmLPzzUecoKUyYgCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.800.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2029" data-original-width="2048" height="634" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ozj1jd7l1_U/X_ccm8BcbkI/AAAAAAAAEkQ/Vn20CJO0scIWDuTZXLkmLPzzUecoKUyYgCPcBGAYYCw/w640-h634/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.800.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect Landing<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PhK8dQ506Wo/X_cc0cOdsWI/AAAAAAAAEkg/FCEWo54RrTQQPJvt0vtCYgt8-HHzIunBgCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.801.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1355" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PhK8dQ506Wo/X_cc0cOdsWI/AAAAAAAAEkg/FCEWo54RrTQQPJvt0vtCYgt8-HHzIunBgCPcBGAYYCw/w640-h424/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.801.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Kaubshine Sunset<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WO1Tsk8FSaU/X_cc7dBxp7I/AAAAAAAAEko/09X9Rn0GCMIRYYMYFBFQOzjpKxZgqgQwQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.802.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1109" data-original-width="2048" height="346" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WO1Tsk8FSaU/X_cc7dBxp7I/AAAAAAAAEko/09X9Rn0GCMIRYYMYFBFQOzjpKxZgqgQwQCPcBGAYYCw/w640-h346/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.802.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prairie Grass Colour- Sturtz Prairie <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ece8F79gTiA/X_clxIPaTCI/AAAAAAAAEmE/uy_Es6X-pBYmuJpwiyoaIB3LhwYVzaPkACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.801.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1936" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ece8F79gTiA/X_clxIPaTCI/AAAAAAAAEmE/uy_Es6X-pBYmuJpwiyoaIB3LhwYVzaPkACPcBGAYYCw/w604-h640/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.801.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="604" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7 Hour Rain Delay-FT Flowage<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0thnxquzh0U/X_cdDvUWriI/AAAAAAAAEko/6N6H6a5MA-wZtIRT5cTFs4oengrp_Z3CgCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.803.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1295" data-original-width="2048" height="404" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0thnxquzh0U/X_cdDvUWriI/AAAAAAAAEko/6N6H6a5MA-wZtIRT5cTFs4oengrp_Z3CgCPcBGAYYCw/w640-h404/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.803.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead End- Potters Flowage<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XoxpYLolSog/X_cdNroH5kI/AAAAAAAAEkw/Nk_GgW7aZUA1mutH-ACnmUph_bU0epLUACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.804.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XoxpYLolSog/X_cdNroH5kI/AAAAAAAAEkw/Nk_GgW7aZUA1mutH-ACnmUph_bU0epLUACPcBGAYYCw/w640-h478/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.804.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Forest for the Trees-Town of Hewett<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YZeXLyR9tCc/X_cfjaYiVsI/AAAAAAAAElE/EFCncLXRQuQjSHnJGGERZFm9oZpoNBo4ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.807.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="2048" height="370" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YZeXLyR9tCc/X_cfjaYiVsI/AAAAAAAAElE/EFCncLXRQuQjSHnJGGERZFm9oZpoNBo4ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h370/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.807.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bird Dog-Mara with rooster<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BeWxbmX54Ag/X_cfb-m4fcI/AAAAAAAAElA/BLsdV-YxCOEKPsGlSw5vtnbyEFCPh2RPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.808.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1569" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BeWxbmX54Ag/X_cfb-m4fcI/AAAAAAAAElA/BLsdV-YxCOEKPsGlSw5vtnbyEFCPh2RPgCLcBGAsYHQ/w490-h640/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.808.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice Devil-Oxbo Pond BRSF<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ze16YUWAd5Q/X_cfbZVEHzI/AAAAAAAAEk8/LPreT8L-JE8u8REN58k09MtJ8XHoekqegCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.808.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1542" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ze16YUWAd5Q/X_cfbZVEHzI/AAAAAAAAEk8/LPreT8L-JE8u8REN58k09MtJ8XHoekqegCLcBGAsYHQ/w482-h640/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.808.%2BAM.png" width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark Mode-LeMoine Farm<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U8AM4I5PqiU/X_cjpNqyLmI/AAAAAAAAElg/l31m_u1Ha6wrmz3toghqBLaRHDcWhC8ewCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.809.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1842" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U8AM4I5PqiU/X_cjpNqyLmI/AAAAAAAAElg/l31m_u1Ha6wrmz3toghqBLaRHDcWhC8ewCLcBGAsYHQ/w576-h640/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.809.%2BAM.png" width="576" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire and Ice- Dike 17 State Wildlife Area<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-61oFKkd3j0A/X_ckfGkfjiI/AAAAAAAAElw/HrZEe_h5B-wvDpRe3dreD18AkJ8Iw-aTACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.745.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1119" data-original-width="2048" height="350" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-61oFKkd3j0A/X_ckfGkfjiI/AAAAAAAAElw/HrZEe_h5B-wvDpRe3dreD18AkJ8Iw-aTACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h350/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-07%2Bat%2BThursdayJan%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.745.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait of 2020- Reed farm<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><p><br /></p><br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-77171646125302870732020-07-10T10:54:00.002-05:002020-07-10T10:58:25.054-05:00W1045<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; 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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04nS0mo_r80/Xwcw_5es5nI/AAAAAAAAEcI/FXBstUKeGKU-52Gl4cMF_SZqf8nUzcxOwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-14%2Bat%2BThursdayMay%2B14%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.608.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1544" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04nS0mo_r80/Xwcw_5es5nI/AAAAAAAAEcI/FXBstUKeGKU-52Gl4cMF_SZqf8nUzcxOwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-14%2Bat%2BThursdayMay%2B14%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.608.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">W1045-March 2020</td></tr>
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W1045 is the DNR ID number for wolf 1045. He'll be known as that for as long as he's "on the air" and long afterwards if he has a life and stories worth remembering. Hopefully he'll provide more information for those of us who conduct, monitor and help with wolf research. Personally, he's special to me as he's from a pack I know quite well and live among. There are other packs like that in Jackson and Clark counties of the Central Forest, but he'll be one I'll really want to follow and get to know better.<br />
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<i>There's my preface of this post. It can sit there for a moment. It's been a while since writing and yes, I've had subjects in the cue-Ice Age Trail hikes, kayaking, mountain biking etc....but the urgency to type hasn't been there like back in March when the covid crisis started. It's now 4 months in and although we had a downward trend in April (and many other countries contained it then) Americans grew tired, lax and have no consistent plan from anywhere to stop it. Why this tucked in here? I guess the frustration is always sitting under the surface lately-sometimes crawling out on FB posts, but I'm preaching to the choir there for the most part.</i><br />
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<i> There seems little to look forward to-can't make plans. Unsure of the future. Even activities I love seem more like I'm going thru the motions. Using up a day. Like flying with an unhappy baby on an airplane-you just gotta make it thru....but lately, it seems like the pane will never land. </i> <br />
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So that leaves me with doing what I can to make days during this crisis meaningful. I love working with wildlife, and wolves especially are a fascinating species and one I study. I jump at every chance to learn more. I remain basically laid off from my DNR work until re-hiring starts up again. There is so much work to do from our work station, and I think it could be done with low risk but for now, wait and see. So sans that work option, I look for volunteering opportunities.<br />
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Trapping wolves in Wisconsin in order to place research GPS collars on them, takes place in late May and early June. Pups have been born and are usually hanging close to their den-adults wander far and wide to find food for their growing appetites. Travel corridors during these time periods give a trapper the opportunity to be successful. It's no easy task to get an adult wolf in a 50+ square mile territory to place one foot on a specific spot the size of a coke can. This time span also proceeds the bear hound "training" season which starts July 1st. It would be difficult then as the public lands are crawling with pick-ups, hounds chasing bears and wolf/ hound conflict and depredations begin. <i>(sidebar: I don't understand running bear when heat indexes push to the 90 and 100 degree range and hounds are placed into known pack territories. A personal frustration.)</i><br />
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W1045 has been around for a number of years-a survivor so far in a county known for frequent poaching. He's appeared on my cameras before-at least I'm quite sure it's him. Same territory, same pelage (fur coloring). He's a big male as Wisconsin animals go, in the 90 # range. Contrary to fairy tales from barstool biologists, that is about as big as they ever get in the state and a little unusual-no 150 or 200# Little Red Riding Hood big bad wolves out there. The really interesting aspect of W1045 is that the day before he was trapped, I had seen him about 3 miles away from where he was caught while driving a forest lane looking for tracks. No way to know for sure, but it was the same color, in the right area and checking tracks he left behind, he seem to fit. Ironically, I'd also been in the area checking cameras and discovered him in several frames from March and April in a full thick winter coat!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IxsdDUYn2PI/Xwcp4Z2cZ9I/AAAAAAAAEb8/lIoUDY_iZjANc4QtETHWuSFGmpdlEbMAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-14%2Bat%2BThursdayMay%2B14%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.609.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1114" data-original-width="1580" height="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IxsdDUYn2PI/Xwcp4Z2cZ9I/AAAAAAAAEb8/lIoUDY_iZjANc4QtETHWuSFGmpdlEbMAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-14%2Bat%2BThursdayMay%2B14%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.609.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">W1045- April 2020</td></tr>
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Covid effected trapping season as well. Normally it would be a crew of 3 scheduled ahead of time, generally over a 2 week period. The trapper, and 2 assistants. There is a lot to do in a short amount of time for the welfare of the animal. Assistant duties include distracting the animal when it's being sedated, constantly monitoring temperature during work-up, and cooling as needed. Recording information on a particular animal, following a check list step by step and monitoring it during reversal. It's all done efficiently and professionally. This year was different, as we traveled in separate vehicles, wore masks and took precautions. Instead of being formally scheduled, we were on-call to help as needed should a wolf be captured.<br />
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The system worked well and I was able to help out on W1045-a fortunate thing as during reversal, the trapper headed out to check other sets and as luck would have it, W1046 was also caught the same day. Another assistant was called in to help there while I watched this big guy finally wander off into the woods. <br />
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During the June session, one more wolf was collared from a pack researchers were targeting, so a successful season overall. Data from collar locations will be used to learn more about wolf and elk interactions, pack territory shifts and generally where they are spending their time throughout the year. Trapping never goes smoothly and challenges included bears tripping or pulling sets completely out, raccoons digging attractants and some days just a general disinterest by animals walking by without investigating a perfectly good set. All frustrating, but a part of the game.<br />
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For myself, it's an chance to really be up close and personal with an animal that normally is seen only through the lens of a game camera pic or track on a sandy road or snow covered trail. They are often such a maligned animal, misunderstood by many-especially in the area I live. I'm thankful to have such an opportunity during these crazy times volunteering with W1045 and others. I'm glad I could contribute to learning more about him (and them,) a species I hope we can appreciate for what they are, how they live and who lives among us and makes the wild a little bit more wild.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hDktn9-dQ1E/XwiPyI8ZAAI/AAAAAAAAEcU/DXmwyw_E4TQI5HYFD4bbZR1F-D2Y6jrjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-14%2Bat%2BThursdayMay%2B14%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.516.%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1408" height="468" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hDktn9-dQ1E/XwiPyI8ZAAI/AAAAAAAAEcU/DXmwyw_E4TQI5HYFD4bbZR1F-D2Y6jrjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-14%2Bat%2BThursdayMay%2B14%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.516.%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">W1045 Reversing</td></tr>
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-48998201726119247432020-05-31T08:25:00.002-05:002020-05-31T08:36:39.141-05:00The Country on Fire.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I joked with Rick that his RX prairie burns are always one of the big deals in the Town of Hewett...and I wasn't joking. With firetrucks lined up along Columbia Av and white and gray smoke lifting up into the sky, it's about all the action we get out here. Exciting stuff. Rick and Toni Sturtz live on an old farmstead, which they have transformed into a wondrous home property-caretakers of the land until the next generation comes along.<br />
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There are few prairies anywhere in the central forest region of Wisconsin. It's hard to imagine that a 1000 years ago, all of this landscape would have been covered by warm season grasses and plants. The Sturtz's are doing their part to bring a little back and enhance the environment. Over the course of years since flipping the fallow ground back to what it is today, it's steadily improved and more and more varieties of prairie plants find their way "home."<br />
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I've written and posted pictures of these RX fires before, so I think there was a different need to do so this morning. CV19 has claimed over 100,000 lives in the US and shows no sign of slowing. In Wisconsin, it's getting worse as we "opened up" 2 weeks ago. 24% unemployment. The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer a week ago, has now fanned protests and looting and violence across the nation. (Knowing that protests & the violence are not the same thing, nor the people). We are on fire in the US, literally and figuratively. There isn't anyone alive that knows how this will end, or if it will end. 3 months ago I had the same ache and anxiety, and it's returned today, but for a different reason. The racial injustice that has always been below <i>and</i> above the surface and those who willingly and purposely fan those flames as we are learning today.<br />
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Seems fire is a theme in this post.<br />
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So escaping all of that, Rick invited me help yesterday. Of course-I'd be glad to. Usually I'd have a big camera in hand, but it was replaced by some kind of fiberglass broom, used to stomp out any escaping flames heading sneaking to where they shouldn't. The firemen had it all under control and I didn't have to do much 'sweeping." The firebreaks were green, and the back fires worked like a charm. The head fire really was subdued, but still blackened the majority of the field. Successful in any regard. I walked around in the black, made some pictures and took in the transformation of this property.<br />
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Our country is being transformed as well. These past few months I've noted the very best in humanity in those who realize we're in this together (however cliche that is, it fits) and the very worst, as we are seeing now. I don't think there ever will be a "normal" or a getting back to where we used to be. In so many ways we can't and shouldn't. Like the prairie starting over after fire, so will we-we have to, to make this world better.<br />
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And then some pictures: <br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-46527949290221417282020-05-17T08:55:00.003-05:002020-05-17T09:29:00.205-05:00A Creek Runs Through It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The post title is an homage to one of my favorite books-"A River Runs Through It" <span class="st">by Norman Maclean. His tale of brothers and a family, who's life intertwines with a river, with fly fishing and an obsession with both. In my world, trout live in small creeks and streams and there are no large cold flowing rivers like the Blackfoot in Macleans book. Flyfishing is challenging in the tree and brush sheltered waters around here, so bait or spinners are more common. But trout are trout and they are different than other fish and maybe trout fishermen are too</span>.<br />
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I'd been exposed to trout fishing only briefly as a young boy by my grandpa Schultz and Uncle Johnny. We'd drive south a few miles from the cottage in Hazelhurst to the Rocky Run creek off hiway 51. A hike back through dense forest about 1/4 mile lead to the stream. Worms were tossed in a few holes and most of the time brookies filled the old wicker creel destined for Grandma Emmas cast iron pan. <br />
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In the early 80's I'd find myself back alongside trout water again. I'd started my first teaching job in Neillsville and Bob Moore, a HS history teacher, kind of took me under his wing in all things outdoors in this unfamiliar neighborhood. He showed me his best bow hunting spots and frequently we hunted together. He also dragged me along to fish the tiniest of trout waters in Jackson County, west of Neillsville and taught me the ways of putting fish in the bag. <br />
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We bait fished-actually more like hunting. We were camo clad and literally crawling through brush trying to thread a nightcrawler and line thru tangles and tall grass into the creek. Doing so without spooking fish or getting hung up was a challenge. We'd move from place to place, give the fish a look at the bait, if no hit, then try the next spot. Generally, we'd get our 5 trout limit and be back home by mid morning.<br />
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That was 30+ years ago. Kids came along and time to sneak out myself to fish was limited. Until now. Of course the world has changed and I have a lot of time on my hands and returning to the trout streams seemed like a good thing-a diversion to a quiet unhurried place. I tapped into our fish biologist Kramer at work and asked about what he uses and where he goes. I'm sure, like all fishermen, he didn't tell me everything, but he got me started. The creeks I'd fished with Bob Moore all those years ago were now sub-par, silted and shallow and holding fewer and smaller fish than years ago.<br />
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So I'd be moving and exploring new water and exchanging worms for spinners. Casting would be different and not entirely easy in these tight twisty creeks. With bait, you'd drop it with a split shot on the line in a likely looking spot, let the current drift it along and hopefully in front of a trout nose. I suppose a spinner fishing is a bit like casting a fly-you're actively trying to place the lure as close to the fish as possible and coax a strike.<br />
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My first attempts a couple weeks ago went okay, though starting out I was reminded of the 10,000 casts adage in musky fishing. It seemed that was how many I tossed before finally catching and releasing my fist small brookie. At least I must have done something right? Immediately I caught a second and kept it for the frying pan. The creek was small here at a road bridge, but did have a larger deep pool on the opposite side-perfect looking spot, but 5000 casts later, nothing.<br />
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Trout fishermen get obsessive of their sport-I'm understanding that now. That same little stream got it's claws in me when I hooked into a big brown trout a bit downstream, the largest I'd ever seen or had on a line. It got tangled in a branch of course, but I managed to free it and work to a clear spot. The next issue was getting him out of the water. The water was too deep to wade in and I really couldn't get to it as the banks were too high and straight down to the water. So, I tried gently lifting him up and out which resulted in a big brown trout quickly swimming away downstream. Damn.<br />
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I've returned to that spot again and several other streams Kramer had shared with me. It seemed every time I learn something new, I became better at reading the water-where fish may be waiting in ambush. My casting techniques improved and getting tangled with overhanging sticks is a bit less frequent. I'd return home with fish enough for a meal and a need to change out equipment that just wasn't working. The open bail spinning real was shelved for an enclosed one-less tangles in all my short casts. Asking other trout fishing friends, my spinner collection grew and narrowed to what seemed to generate the most hits. A new net was needed as I tired of cutting the hooks out every time I landed a fish in the black nylon one. Brand new hip boots are now left in the garage replaced by my old neoprene chest waders for it seems to work better to actually be in the water working my casts upstream at fish level-who knew? I've learned that spring stocked rainbows taste bad and though fun to catch, get slid back into the water. Brookies are beautiful and make great table fare so that's what I want now hitting my lures. <br />
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I haven't forgotten Brown Trout-that day one fish is seared in my mind-watching it plunk back into the water and swim away. I've yet to catch another and I know they are there...somewhere. I think I'm getting that trout fishing preoccupation with getting one on my line again and maybe this time landing one.<br />
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Like the brothers Maclean, Norman and Paul from the book, I'm starting to understand the ardent pursuit of a perfect pool, a perfect cast and perfect fish. I don't know if I'll ever get there, but now seems to be the time to try.<br />
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<i>Of course now I'm too old to be much of a fisherman, and now I
usually fish the big waters alone, although some friends think I
shouldn't. But when I'm alone in the half light of the canyon, all
existence seems to fade to a being with my soul and memories, and the
sounds of the Big Blackfoot River, and the four-count rhythm, and a hope
that a fish will rise. Eventually all things merge into one, and a
river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood, and
runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are
timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words
are theirs. I am haunted by waters.</i><br />
— <cite>Norman Maclean, (1976)</cite><br />
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-18782973351636118302020-05-10T08:14:00.003-05:002020-05-11T05:41:33.682-05:00Coach Doug<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ9py8Q4UCc/Xrf0322Pa5I/AAAAAAAAEYo/RhtZkFcxZjISneEsdZzUFa9_XywL2Bf_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-07%2Bat%2BThursdayMay%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.510.%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="908" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ9py8Q4UCc/Xrf0322Pa5I/AAAAAAAAEYo/RhtZkFcxZjISneEsdZzUFa9_XywL2Bf_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-07%2Bat%2BThursdayMay%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.510.%2BPM.png" width="378" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coach Doug</td></tr>
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My cell pinged and I saw it was from long time friend Janet Capetti. A little unusual. She works in the Special Olympics state office in Oregon and we stay in touch mostly via facebook or over the years prior to or after a World Games. If I happen to be a head coach, and an Oregon coach applies for an assistant position, I would always contact her for a reference.<br />
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This wasn't that type of call or message. It was simple, and short. "<span class="_5yl5">Hi Steve. Hope this finds you well. I'm messaging you to share sad news, and I'm sorry to do so. Our sweet friend Doug passed away. Not really sure what happened. Just know he passed "in his sleep". My heart aches. He was one of the best."</span><br />
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<span class="_5yl5">He was. A shock to be sure. He had a recent birthday and the picture above was still fresh in my mind. </span><br />
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Doug Trice was one such coach I wanted to know more about before the 2011 SO World Games in Athens Greece where I had been named head coach. Janet connected with me and could not say enough good things about Doug-his personality, his involvement with Special Olympics, his coaching style and knowledge of the sport (track and field). I didn't have to scour his resume to decide if he would be a good fit for our team, I trusted Janet's recommendation. I called and caught up and it seemed the more we discussed Doug-the stronger he became as a candidate.<br />
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The closest thing I've ever had to a manger-as in hire and fire type manager, is being a head coach and being involved with selecting assistant coaches. Yes...the application needs to be filled out correctly, the resume should be strong and there should be a feeling that the coach loves the sport they are applying for. I also like to call and actually talk to these coaches. You can get one impression on paper, but just having a conversation can usually bring out a more authentic perception of who they are. Such was the case with Doug.<br />
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I asked if he was interested in the World games coaching position. "I would be very pleased," he replied.<br />
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San Diego was our training camp site and the first chance to meet all of the coaches and athletes on the "Team USA" Athletics team. Coaches each have a role to play-maybe as a event specific coach, like distance, or sprints or throws or as a more general coach. In some cases I'd know that ahead of time, and in others it may take a day on the track to see where each coaches strengths are. <br />
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Doug had a quiet, restrained coaching style. Technically, he was stronger in some events than others, but he was also humble enough to always watch and learn from some of the others. That was his greatest strength. Athletes related well to him, as did all of us on the team. He would do whatever needed to be done and at any time. Doug was a consummate team player.<br />
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The 2011 World Games were held in Athens Greece with a couple days at the Isle of Rhodes for host town. Volumes could be written here regarding the travel challenges, schedule, training and "hurry up and wait" that is the modus operandi of any Special Olympics event. Doug was always composed through it all. Our home during the games was THE Olympic Stadium in Athens. Looking at the Olympic rings, touching the track, sitting in the marble trimmed stands...all hallowed ground for any track athlete and coach.<br />
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When Doug wasn't escorting, warming up or staging athletes, he could be found as a calming and reassuring force in our team "camp." You could run ideas past him and could always get an honest reply. He was a coach you could consistently count on.<br />
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I made this photo of Doug in Athens or Rhodes. I loved this picture and I thought it
captured him well. I t<span class="text_exposed_show">hink he liked it too. He had a gentle soul, a kindness toward all around him. He checked in with me frequently over the years
asking about life in general, kids and grandkids (he was a grandpa as well by now). I was most humbled to have him in my Special Olympics family. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">You
will be missed Coach Doug. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">Run fast, turn left.</span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-90789209931201479142020-04-28T07:02:00.000-05:002020-04-28T17:39:20.573-05:00Vulpes vulpes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A month ago, when snow still blanketed the ground, I'd been noticing a lot of canine tracks-some larger, a coyote and others 2 fingers wide of a red fox. The 3 properties I regularly hike through seemed blanketed with tracks and some I noted, went right past my neighbor Jeannie's shed and barn. That seemed a little unusual, but the barn has sat empty for many years and may be<i> </i><span class="st"><i></i></span>fertile hunting grounds.<br />
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Approaching my turkey blind a couple weeks back, I bumped into <span class="LrzXr kno-fv">Vulpes vulpes, an adult red fox. He or she scampered away from my tent, not in any big hurry and took the time to stop and watch me. A moment or two later, it continued on in search of a meal I'm sure. The next day, a ping on my phone from Jeannie told of fox pups outside of the barn using an old wood chuck hole as a den. Ahh, that's the reason there had been so much activity on this farm-mouths to feed.</span><br />
<span class="LrzXr kno-fv"><br /></span>
<span class="LrzXr kno-fv">It turned out there are 3 pups holed up near the base of the old silo. They would have born around March 6th, making them about 7 weeks old. I decided to set a turkey tent up about 50 yards away and try to get some photographs-how can you beat cute fox pups for subject matter? You can't.</span><br />
<span class="LrzXr kno-fv"><br /></span>
<span class="LrzXr kno-fv">They seemed to be active starting around 6:30 and would be outside the den for an hour or 2. In another week, they'll venture out further and start getting trained by the parents. I fumbled with the camera on my first morning, having just settled in as the first pup crawled out. Locking down the camera on the tripod, I started firing away. A second and third pup emerged as one of the adults returned with food behind the silo. They'd return with a mouse or shrew, chew on it, toss it in the air and perform some of the classic fox pounces-which was hilarious. Already at this young age, they had those hunting instincts.</span><br />
<span class="LrzXr kno-fv"><br /></span>
<span class="LrzXr kno-fv">I returned a couple days to make more pictures and was lucky to have good morning light as well. They seemed to be coming out earlier and usually I didn't have to sit very long to see them and the adults coming back and heading out to hunt. The vole, mouse, mole and gopher population would be reduced on the Reed farm-a good thing, as there are no shortages around here. </span><br />
<span class="LrzXr kno-fv"><br /></span>
<span class="LrzXr kno-fv">I may return in a week to see how they've grown or if they have moved on to another place in the neighborhood.</span><br />
<span class="LrzXr kno-fv"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gopher for breakfast</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intent on Pigeon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning greeting</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pounce</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anticipation</td></tr>
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<span class="LrzXr kno-fv"><br /></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-74401509952153761562020-04-23T09:11:00.002-05:002020-04-23T09:21:29.577-05:00A taste of Normalcy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The big bend on Wedges Creek</td></tr>
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It was consciously awkward standing on the roadside discussing the creek we were about to paddle and work on. The social distancing has now become ingrained it seems. It's been just a month, but the importance of doing so, seems to be second nature. There are masks tucked in our pockets as well if needed. <br />
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Jeff Polzin is a friend and retired doctor from Black River Falls. I'd say he is kind of the paddling "instigator" in our area. He's very active in the "Friends of the Black River" group, who organize paddling trips and keep the creeks and rivers clear for kayakers and canoes. We're blessed with some of the finest water for paddlers anywhere in the state. The Black of course, the East Fork (of the Black), Halls, Robinson, Morrison and Wedges creeks all are within a half hour of each other. Mike Svob, author of many paddling guidebooks of Wisconsin, has said if he could only live in one place, it would be Jackson county, just for the exceptional water.<br />
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Like most outdoor clubs and groups, there are usually a very small number of volunteers that do the bulk of the behind the scenes work. The Friends of the Black River is no different. While the Black and East Fork are always clear being bigger rivers, all of the small creeks need help to keep water flowing. Flooding, wind and heavy snow drop trees which can block safe passage for paddlers. Once there, they usually stay and just attract more debris, sometimes forming huge jams.<br />
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I've helped Jeff before, and he takes the work seriously. His truck is loaded with long bar Stihl chainsaws, chaps, helmets, fuel and everything else do do work in the water. Watching the intensity of him clearing trees, I sometimes wonder if he doesn't like chainsawing more than paddling!<br />
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We dropped a shuttle vehicle at the takeout in the ghost town of Columbia on Wedges Creek. It's at the halfway point if someone paddled the entire creek. With masks on, we headed back the 5 or 6 miles to the put-in just below the Snyder Lake dam. Jeff would tether the equipment boat with saws and gas in it behind his and I'd follow along and hop out wherever we needed to.<br />
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The day was sunny, 45 with some snow lingering along the banks yet. Water was <i>really</i> cold, but dressed in dry suits, we'd be fine. Approaching a jam or just trees in dangerous places, we'd beach the boats, don helmets and set to work chunking longs and limbs into three foot pieces. In doing so, they can slide through downstream without causing another problem spot. I'd guess it's quite a sight-helmeted PFD and chap wearing guys sending up plumes of water from the saws doing their work.<br />
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The top section of Wedges (to Columbia) is normally about an hour and a half paddle. On this day, we'd be on the water for almost 5. The first major choke point was just a quarter mile from the put in and we'd spend almost 2 hours on that section. Others downstream were simpler-maybe one or 2 trees in bad spots here and there and not too difficult to clear. There is great satisfaction in doing this work. Now I know why Jeff is so fanatical about it-if he had his way and the time, all these local creeks would be pristine with nothing out of place.<br />
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We floated and chatted (yes, keeping our social distance) and stopped where needed. Water levels were good, so not too much bumping the bottom along the way. This section has 2 little drops so no problem even for Jeff towing the second kayak. Most the forest along the shore is county property so it really is beautiful. Wildlife was a bit scarce-wood ducks, deer and beaver activity were about all we saw.<br />
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We did leave a few trees for next time, but for now it is perfectly fine for paddling trips. We found a good take out on 5 Mile Creek just above the Wedges' Middle Road bridge. It's private property, but the landowner is kind enough to allow creek assess. Dogs and neighbors came out to visit and chat about the creek. It'd been a long day on the water-I was tired and would be sore the next day from slinging the saw, but it's all good. In a "normal" spring, I may have viewed this work differently, but in these times, it was appreciated as an escape and a little taste of normalcy.<br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-75388470741206255762020-04-21T08:08:00.001-05:002020-04-21T08:19:16.117-05:00The Bird & a 40 Year Old Gun<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bird and old 870</td></tr>
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The turkey hunting business is a juxtaposition of long hours of waiting, watching and listening and a flurry of action and anticipation. Perhaps that's why I'm drawn to it. I'm okay with long hours, especially now, when I'm not taking even the little things for granted.<br />
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As I sat tucked inside my blind, protected from the strong cold wind, sipping the coffee slowly. The spent 12 gauge shell still smelled of burned gunpowder and was tucked in my pocket. The 40 year old Remington 870 leaned in the corner. It had done it's job, as if there was any doubt. The dead tom was still and 30 yards away, very near the 2 mismatched decoys. I didn't have to run out there, I could sit and stay and warm my chilled hands up on my coffee cup. My season was over.<br />
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The week of my hunt started out cold-just 9 degrees and 8" of snow on the ground, not ideal and I'd be lying if I said I was in the blind at the crack of dawn. I wasn't. The first couple days I'd head out later, sit a few hours, call and scout for tracks and would find none. Two neighbors were kind enough to let me hunt their land, so I had options. I'd need them.<br />
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One thing that I've always loved about turkey hunting is the sounds and unexpected things you see when in the woods as the day wakes. Stepping out of the truck in the dark, I noticed the beautiful crescent moon over the farm field-stars out but also an oranging sky, then 2 deer heads with alert ears are silhouetted staring me down yards away. They hustle away as I must have interrupted their morning feeding time on the alfalfa field.<br />
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In the cocoon of the dark blind, the sounds start. Cranes unison calling, so loud, shattering the morning sky. Pairs of geese coming off the roost. Always crows and a boss mama robin. The odd call of a hairy woodpecker then their hammering on dead trees echoing in the otherwise still air. I call on the slate, but get no reply. I repeat, louder and in different directions, but nothing. This scene repeats for a couple days, which is fine. It's hunting.<br />
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<i>Run and gun</i> is a phrase some turkey hunters use when they call and hearing no replies, move on to the next spot to try their luck. It works best early, when birds are still roosted of just hitting the ground and gobbling. I had 2 blinds and by 7:00am, wasn't doing anything. I move on a mile distant to the Reed Farm. It's odd waltzing across the field in broad daylight like that and the red fox ambling, then stopping to check me out must have thought so too. I'd seen tracks in the snow, but now could actually see him-not in any great hurry, but moving off to continue his hunt. I'm sure there are hungry kits and a vixen nearby. <br />
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High winds during the night did a number on my tent as it lay flattened the following morning. A tom was gobbling just across the field in the dark, so I really needed to get this set up and deeks out. He kept it up for a good 45 minutes, but never in answer to my yelping. Frustrating. The winds were still high, but I was pretty sure he could hear me. A hen there? Wait and see. At full sunrise, the trees where he had been were lit up by warm light. His calls were on the ground now and moving. I think he was romancing a date. Sure enough-a hen appeared, 400 yards away, but no visible suitor. She worked her way diagonally toward me picking along for 20 minutes. I'd call for fun and she might look up disinterested. <br />
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The relentless wind didn't let up and had knocked my jake decoy off kilter. Fretting that my set up looked off, I belly crawled over to it and slit a hole in so the stake could keep it in position. In the end, worth the effort of sneaking out when birds were around. Two dark birds walked out in unison, distantly following the hen. <i>Now</i> my call made them take notice-this might be game on? They never gobbled, but now realized another "bird" was yelping away from the one they were perusing. They eventually caught up to her, but she was still having none of it and the pair changed tactics and peeled off in my direction. They'd seen the decoys and walked straight across the hay field to them. Shot gun at the ready, but they were side by side and getting closer-safety off, bead on the front one and wait til they they separated just enough to make a clean shot. At 20 yards the hunt was over, new shell chambered and safety pressed back on.<br />
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That's how it goes. There is a sense of thankfulness and respect at this point, so no need to hurry out. The excitement of a successful hunt should be appreciated just as being out there is. Let the steam rise and the sun warm take non of it for granted.<br />
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Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-77613476222261189952020-04-20T07:21:00.003-05:002020-04-20T07:28:22.264-05:00The Mask<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been lucky enough through Special Olympics to travel to some amazing places. From Ireland to Abu Dhabi, countries with great contrast, but wonderful people. As such, it also means I've spent time in international airports, there is a whole 'nother story) and something you'll see are masks. Almost exclusively on the faces of travelers from Asian countries. While in Korea and Japan, I'd see the same. I'd thought they looked silly and paranoid, but I didn't live in their world. Until now.<br />
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I'm wearing one.<br />
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I sat in the truck outside the grocery store. First trip after things started getting really serious. The store had taken precautions for employees and customers. They are keeping us alive. They were wearing masks. I slipped mine on as I walked across the parking lot-feeling a little self conscious. About half of the shoppers wore them, so I felt like-okay, this is how we live now. I recognized a few people, but most didn't talk to each other. Get in, get out, get what you needed. Scurry through the store and keep your distance. I guess one could only tell how others were feeling by looking at their eyes.<br />
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Out the door, wipe hands with sanitizer, wash them well at home. The new normal.<br />
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By the 3rd and 4th trips, it wasn't a big deal. This is what we have to do to beat this virus down. Some sacrifice now for the good of everyone. Then the protests start a few days ago. Encouraged by our president. He's claimed them as his people and is in favor of them in his own words and tweets. Apparently, they are medical experts. Apparently the rule of law doesn't matter, health department orders don't matter, they know better than our top endocrinologists. They know better than the White Houses own recommendations to our governors. They expose themselves and everyone else them come close to. They prolong this shutdown whether they want to or not-F'n no one wants this lockdown, but it has to be done. I'm not willing to see any of my family or friends die so they can escape what we all have to do. They will put a greater burden on our doctors, nurses and hospital staff and facilities. We could be flattening out this sh*t, but their selfish acts will prolong it.<br />
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Instead of coming together as a people, as a country, this is dividing us further. It's us and them, and that is the last thing we need. <br />
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I know I try to control only what I can control. It's all I can do. It's all any of us can do right now. Stay the course. Wear the mask.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-88288210525046579162020-04-13T11:27:00.001-05:002020-04-13T17:39:59.508-05:00Infuences and Knives<br />
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I have to admit as I start typing this-I'm not sure where it's going to go, but I know I wanted to say something. I can trace the seed of this post back to a couple things recently. I was looking at some finely crafted knives by friend Greg Wohlfeil on one of his FB posts-they are well made and the shape and design I appreciated. I'd made and sold a few knives back years ago when I dabbled in blacksmithing, so his work interested me. Yesterday I ran across a carefully wrapped bundle in the bottom of some hunting supplies, a few of those very knives I'd made so long ago. Which, in turn, lead me to think about the collage professor who taught me so much more than knifemaking and art metals. Then it was then a short step down the rabbit hole to other instructors who influenced me along the way.<br />
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Which leads to the rest of this story.<br />
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I transferred to UW LaCrosse in the fall of 1979, enrolled in the "Broadfield Art" program-so I'd have a full art major, plus a full education BS by the time all was said and done. Prior to that move, I probably liked painting and drawing the most, with some exposure to sculpture (at UWMC). UWL of course had so much more to offer and I was mostly game to dive in.<br />
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The ground level of the fine arts building houses the art metal, ceramics and sculpture facilities. I recall signing up for art metals-something I had never really done, but was willing to try. This bushy mustached art professor with a quick smile, but also all business eyes set the workman like tone right off the bat. The first few projects were heavy soldering artworks-if you're going to make jewelry, you have to be an expert at soldering. After a few band rings, we set off on making a roman chain, which involves joining hundreds of tiny rings together with silver solder. The work is tedious, but in the end, you've learned a valuable skill you could do blindfolded. That's the way Bill Fiorini worked and taught and projected learning to his students.<br />
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For the 3 years I spent in his lab, I climbed up the art metals ladder, taking every course Fiorini... I mean "Bill," offered. He was a PHD, but insisted we address him by his first name. I worked hard in his room and spent every free hour back in there-it became my home base. In time, I became like an assistant doing work study for him. Silver and other metals became my passion and I loved designing and filling up sketchbooks. Bill also taught blacksmithing, so I had a chance to jump into that as well, and of course forging knife blades pushed me in a new direction.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0WXQKyERpaY/XpSSzv94ONI/AAAAAAAAEU4/WN79zSAHmI4fgVu5nJ6WQ1xWBz_YLgHqACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2BMondayApr%2B13%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.940.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="1456" height="211" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0WXQKyERpaY/XpSSzv94ONI/AAAAAAAAEU4/WN79zSAHmI4fgVu5nJ6WQ1xWBz_YLgHqACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2BMondayApr%2B13%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.940.%2BAM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fiorini made Damascus steel knife</td></tr>
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I sustained interest in art metals after being hired in Neillsville in 1983. Back then, I taught middle school and high school art and could set up classes how I wanted. Metals wasn't offered, so within a year, we had torches, centrifuges, rolling mills and casting furnaces. NHS now could go full speed into art metals. I continued knife making on my own and stayed in contact (through postcards and letters mind you) with Bill for years. I have to admit, of all the teachers I ever had, he probably influenced me in my teaching more than any. William Fiorini passed away June 4th 2011 at the age of 69. I believe he taught at UWL for over 40 years, and thinking of him and those years, he's missed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4d5OiuhT6HA/XpSGTFdvE_I/AAAAAAAAEUI/ybatcslfiGYM3YDPQiZUKCLN15qxlsJKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2BMondayApr%2B13%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.942.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="590" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4d5OiuhT6HA/XpSGTFdvE_I/AAAAAAAAEUI/ybatcslfiGYM3YDPQiZUKCLN15qxlsJKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2BMondayApr%2B13%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.942.%2BAM.png" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Fiorini</td></tr>
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So there is the knife to influences connection in a round about way I guess. I'd be remiss if I left it there, for as long as I'm at UWL, I should mention a couple others.<br />
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Dewayne Lesperence's sculpture lab was also on that lowest level, just down the hall from art metals. He had boom like cranes in there, plaster, welders, paper mache, plastics and just about every amazing material you could think of. Dewayne had <i>his</i> sculpture students and maybe because I'd spent all my time in the medals lab I missed out. Sculpture was never really my thing-I'd taken some at "The MC" and it never really pulled at me that much. I loved his classes, but never produced anything amazing like some of the others. He was a musician as well and played in several bands in the La Crosse area. Always fun to party with (yes, we did that in those days) I can say he also shaped my art career, maybe in ways I didn't fully understand at the time. I came back and visited and again letters and post cards were traded for many years. We even exchanged works of art as gifts along the way. He retired in 1995 and died in 2011 at the age of 78 after teaching 26 years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kn-IAjJWgdI/XpSIm8_I1xI/AAAAAAAAEUU/L_ts8SWxGjQYomD_Yz1TKpP-GcpiJONEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2BMondayApr%2B13%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.936.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="702" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kn-IAjJWgdI/XpSIm8_I1xI/AAAAAAAAEUU/L_ts8SWxGjQYomD_Yz1TKpP-GcpiJONEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2BMondayApr%2B13%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.936.%2BAM.png" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dewayne Lesperance</td></tr>
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By my third year at UWL, I could not put it off any longer-I'd <i>have</i> to take ceramics. If sculpture wasn't my favorite, then ceramics was even lower. I'd tried it in high school and nothing clicked for me. It was required for my major and I knew I'd face a lot of clay in my future, so sign me up-2 semesters to go. I don't know how it happened, but somehow I was won over. Maybe it was picking up wheel throwing quickly or the unpredictability of glazes. Or maybe it was Len Stach, the Department chair at the time and ceramics professor, who saw something in me and encouraged it. Sometimes it just takes a word or two to push a student in the right direction-something I hope I passed along to my students from him. I think also what happened was using a raw material so opposite from metal, it flipped my creativity. Jewelry making is slow and meticulous and mistakes are paid for dearly. I'd thrived in that, but now I had clay, and if I messed up, you just crunch and smash the clay back up and start over...in a matter of seconds. That was freeing. Len, of course inspired us to do just that. Soon, I'd challenge myself to make the biggest pots I could physically throw. Experiment with color combos, dive into salt glazes-you name it, I'd try it. I think I only disappointed Len once-when we were required to do handbuilding, which I detested. I made the bare minimum coil and slab pots, which were suitably ugly and during the critique I recall him almost laughing...like "What <i>are</i> these Mr. Meurett?" Not my finest hour, but we put it behind us and I became the lab assistant in my final semester there. What I could have done if I's not waited for that class. Lenard Stach is 86 years old, taught for 27 years at UWL and still lives in LaCrosse.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qxpBR27_c_M/XpSNofhDEqI/AAAAAAAAEUg/EMkn-qgmSWIv1sN_KnD7KQ7luPNJVZnMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2BMondayApr%2B13%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1048.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="364" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qxpBR27_c_M/XpSNofhDEqI/AAAAAAAAEUg/EMkn-qgmSWIv1sN_KnD7KQ7luPNJVZnMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2BMondayApr%2B13%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1048.%2BAM.png" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Len Stach</td></tr>
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I had other instructors at UWL and enjoyed other media-printmaking, life drawing and lots of painting. The art ed classes were a bit dry and sitting for hours memorizing art slides in a darkened room maybe wasn't the most fun, but I did learn. The final influencer and most eccentric was Dale Kendrick, owner of the Behind the Brewery Gallery on 4th St LaCrosse (yes, behind the then J. Heilemans Brewery). He was a crazy man-I'd never met anyone like him. He taught me what abstract art really was, he made you feel alive and that you shouldn't be afraid to try new things. Any semblance to restraint was out the window with him. So in many ways opposite of Fiorini, but still as important for myself developing into an artist and teacher. I remember when graduating, he challenged us to always be an <i>"artist-teacher,"</i> so in other words, don't stop being an artist once you're out in the "real world" (of teaching). I took that to heart, and tried to continue making art as many years as possible while in the classroom. Like some of the others, we continued to stay in touch for many years and he even invited me pack to talk to some of his newer art ed students. Kendrick defiantly put his stamp on the art scene in LaCrosse until his passing on Halloween (so fitting, his favorite holiday) in 2003.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BNt3jY6c7SE/XpSQrlWPyHI/AAAAAAAAEUs/VEPjDSekxYgkqDverISNO9-UyNkjFw60wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2BMondayApr%2B13%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1049.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1570" data-original-width="1278" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BNt3jY6c7SE/XpSQrlWPyHI/AAAAAAAAEUs/VEPjDSekxYgkqDverISNO9-UyNkjFw60wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2BMondayApr%2B13%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1049.%2BAM.png" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dale and Betty Kendrick; Behind the Brewery Gallery</td></tr>
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I can't recall if Greg was ever a student of mine-his mom was an educator at NHS as well. It's hard to believe, but not everyone took art while I was teaching-in HS it was an elective (haha). No matter, it's because of him and a little facebook post of his current work that took me down memory lane and back into the art world. It brought back just how important people who cross our paths can be in our lives. To these past teachers, mentors, instructors, professors, confidants and influencers, thank you.<br />
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<span class="caption-text"><br /></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-3173441393607191882020-04-12T07:29:00.001-05:002020-04-12T07:53:52.671-05:00First Paddles and CV19 Reality Check<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TDlpedq3QsQ/XpMHjUbL_CI/AAAAAAAAETU/Yc2z0L78iJI-YoBEsoYWCDK1cod3Bw8AwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-12%2Bat%2BSundayApr%2B12%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.719.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1600" height="466" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TDlpedq3QsQ/XpMHjUbL_CI/AAAAAAAAETU/Yc2z0L78iJI-YoBEsoYWCDK1cod3Bw8AwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-12%2Bat%2BSundayApr%2B12%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.719.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snyder Lake</td></tr>
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My first paddles this year are late. Usually, I'd be out breaking ice, drysuit on, hands freezing, but on the water. Late ice, the job, anxiety over CV....all of it seems to have kept be away. The refurbished Pack canoe was first-all new paint and repaired and so excited to put it to the test. My work turned out fine, but paddling a short little boat like that made me realize I have to really perfect paddling solo. With Snyder Lake just down the road, it's easy to put in there and journey upstream. My second outing was with the Fusion, a small 10' whitewater/cross boat. It has a retractable skeg, so I can paddle that pretty efficiently and get where I'm going. Snyders is part of Wedges Creek and heading upstream 1/2 mile gets you to a shallow stretch not allowing further progress. It's nice though, with a 100' wall and giant rock tumbled into the sharp corner. I usually linger there, coast, make a couple pictures, then head back to the lake.<br />
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Paddle 3 was at Potters Flowage in the Jackson Co forest. It's my go to body of water for I can paddle as far or as short as I want. It's lined with tall white pine and reminds me of Canada in a lot of ways. Usually I have it all to myself, especially the tributary end (Hawkins Creek, Morrison Creek) on the south where it's narrow. My 18' CD Caribou is the boat of choice for me here-slim, fast and comfortable to paddle in. I had the water to myself except for one kayaker who pulled up as I slipped into the water. A few strokes out and I was halfway across the channel-felt so good to be gliding along again. There is some freedom in that. Sun was high, slight wind in my face and I headed down to explore the narrow end.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2z0UjqsHc1Q/XpMIbupvdsI/AAAAAAAAETo/zpsMh1SctBkLCLf-zDsBuhesTVRAjy8pwCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoBTgTYZu7AxthoSJOiJzBXnYFU06E3ejQs0T_6R8ca29PoSV45vup55g8iiXQYwGTN675zygAPBAGq-s6GHVNoihaum80NfMLNWGLhQT_km1qSuyVIOgAxqJf4mjBNa7XzlwK6zXyb2KdpM039KWYmcrILtbMi1On_Tmh6HVUfNOZV4JmG1RIve6dGR_jHOoFFzEZZxlHRr66g6fToxEohfIXx_cZ6j3xFF9wbHzNeNksSbT9bgLOzTArWOiabdM37mA6AbCtEDTEkWnR9yld3ABp3qqJij_UJAjYl930CpqfFg0CTurOoh3CYoyeqjaeabRrHghAHFokAqiq6TwF3y4gZiomPMmaX7-wIDxjQyoizDrRhBDk6hri2bhzpiloXDknCDlmVMMZJ4Mh261QMXOqAoWRKcGIEbA5_BasOpREgb6IwhfpXZ5iXAdFYOsGweutbnOU4mmKoVC056_bO5VFhJ2lST1A-tcBd9fKNMhZQhA0IKBx6FHwZLSlVi-tNjtEhFwF0T0-hoQis7RwbCw4gsP6HFeuv_qBtma1C0TDejVP772hJe0V-cl--F8ulf_YBaN6sohzKbkkMaAeJL04G-ciwg_ep3MKiWzPQF/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-11%2Bat%2BSaturdayApr%2B11%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.431.%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2z0UjqsHc1Q/XpMIbupvdsI/AAAAAAAAETo/zpsMh1SctBkLCLf-zDsBuhesTVRAjy8pwCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoBTgTYZu7AxthoSJOiJzBXnYFU06E3ejQs0T_6R8ca29PoSV45vup55g8iiXQYwGTN675zygAPBAGq-s6GHVNoihaum80NfMLNWGLhQT_km1qSuyVIOgAxqJf4mjBNa7XzlwK6zXyb2KdpM039KWYmcrILtbMi1On_Tmh6HVUfNOZV4JmG1RIve6dGR_jHOoFFzEZZxlHRr66g6fToxEohfIXx_cZ6j3xFF9wbHzNeNksSbT9bgLOzTArWOiabdM37mA6AbCtEDTEkWnR9yld3ABp3qqJij_UJAjYl930CpqfFg0CTurOoh3CYoyeqjaeabRrHghAHFokAqiq6TwF3y4gZiomPMmaX7-wIDxjQyoizDrRhBDk6hri2bhzpiloXDknCDlmVMMZJ4Mh261QMXOqAoWRKcGIEbA5_BasOpREgb6IwhfpXZ5iXAdFYOsGweutbnOU4mmKoVC056_bO5VFhJ2lST1A-tcBd9fKNMhZQhA0IKBx6FHwZLSlVi-tNjtEhFwF0T0-hoQis7RwbCw4gsP6HFeuv_qBtma1C0TDejVP772hJe0V-cl--F8ulf_YBaN6sohzKbkkMaAeJL04G-ciwg_ep3MKiWzPQF/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-11%2Bat%2BSaturdayApr%2B11%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.431.%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potters, Heading South</td></tr>
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I always make pictures here-it's like I have to. I shoot more than I'll ever use, but it is such a beautiful place. Sometimes I don't make a lot of progress as I'm stopping and looking a lot-which isn't a bad thing either. Some mallards kicked up, then a pair of hooded Mergansers. A few woodies here and there tucked into tiny back bays. Turtles slid off logs and mossy humps and a large garder snake did his best to get on board as he swam across the lake. I'm not a snake guy, so I encourage him to continue. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3afmWVJDYyQ/XpMIakzx70I/AAAAAAAAETk/GC9BQzdOKbUDdQcq_rwqgTQQItwULFxPACEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoB4W3kBC-nV6-i1KJwrDyxo_gwh2t1p8mU_Rb_syGv3JwrMLUAnfSEWNpE8zfCyXC-T_AMjax5flst0xmDl0keARiAe2QNUPzSR-6h9deyhrscvFh8m2MVxL8lnsmUyMDXxwQkaUAiR3F-Ngx2AXsU1fCi7uaxSFskI2K-5pcXigqJc8ZCJQIpSOCBrLQeBr3iCKoql58KH5LV7_RHDx2oGcuAnTXSrO1MfbdW8cztvRH7iyFs_5S4bH1NsY0InysIjkzhttzV_nsbNUCceQk78MmLOi8Iw8Ce_cpuQTudklpTt_qBC07qhVFeCNzzywByzdaV0Z9BTFeyoym6PhuGY--kXWVOu-Bxeae9HPIpo9z6lou5QC_Wlc_oL4piPA-D_kdLaY50OM1Wd91DCO8DbvvmUI4O44qitUpcFg1BWyBQgZOZWgUqAJZ1JabCFr5SYfI4LzMPGvZGdE6NF4DL1_D_K9GNzKWvtdn0MOaCs5LK4iwYG-NXhHMP4nanKmZCjHOZx6KjLlyAb2zrkM44syUw9pPl6VI7qvkJS1q8XBiRh5UdPNCLvL77aRhpf7cEHPNnHBi58EADsO9FWoEFAh2KilTY-cr3uMK2XzPQF/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-11%2Bat%2BSaturdayApr%2B11%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.432.%2BPM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="1600" height="466" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3afmWVJDYyQ/XpMIakzx70I/AAAAAAAAETk/GC9BQzdOKbUDdQcq_rwqgTQQItwULFxPACEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoB4W3kBC-nV6-i1KJwrDyxo_gwh2t1p8mU_Rb_syGv3JwrMLUAnfSEWNpE8zfCyXC-T_AMjax5flst0xmDl0keARiAe2QNUPzSR-6h9deyhrscvFh8m2MVxL8lnsmUyMDXxwQkaUAiR3F-Ngx2AXsU1fCi7uaxSFskI2K-5pcXigqJc8ZCJQIpSOCBrLQeBr3iCKoql58KH5LV7_RHDx2oGcuAnTXSrO1MfbdW8cztvRH7iyFs_5S4bH1NsY0InysIjkzhttzV_nsbNUCceQk78MmLOi8Iw8Ce_cpuQTudklpTt_qBC07qhVFeCNzzywByzdaV0Z9BTFeyoym6PhuGY--kXWVOu-Bxeae9HPIpo9z6lou5QC_Wlc_oL4piPA-D_kdLaY50OM1Wd91DCO8DbvvmUI4O44qitUpcFg1BWyBQgZOZWgUqAJZ1JabCFr5SYfI4LzMPGvZGdE6NF4DL1_D_K9GNzKWvtdn0MOaCs5LK4iwYG-NXhHMP4nanKmZCjHOZx6KjLlyAb2zrkM44syUw9pPl6VI7qvkJS1q8XBiRh5UdPNCLvL77aRhpf7cEHPNnHBi58EADsO9FWoEFAh2KilTY-cr3uMK2XzPQF/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-11%2Bat%2BSaturdayApr%2B11%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.432.%2BPM%2B1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'd reached the end and just soaked in the sun a little. The wind nudged me back the way I came, so the return was pretty effortless. I poked the nose of the kayak into backwaters here and there and bumped into the other paddler, who, at a distance, crossed to the opposite side of the channel. Things are different like that now. I'd asked a couple friends to join me, Mark, my paddling mentor, but he was out of town. Dave, who I'd asked to maybe connect someplace 1/2 way up north, decided we should probably stay closer to home. #paddlelocal I guess and probably smart.<br />
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I dwelled in one back bay at the end. I have a geocache back there and it's a favorite place where a tiny feeder creek enters. Mossy and green and always some kind of wildlife to see. This day it was just ducks, but that was fine. Little things. I shot a couple pictures and then swung around to head to the truck.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-seN9JNrReTQ/XpMJhXbST-I/AAAAAAAAETw/3CDYQme5ueE65WyoLAUi2zpHolugRA0BwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-12%2Bat%2BSundayApr%2B12%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.727.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1226" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-seN9JNrReTQ/XpMJhXbST-I/AAAAAAAAETw/3CDYQme5ueE65WyoLAUi2zpHolugRA0BwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-12%2Bat%2BSundayApr%2B12%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.727.%2BAM.png" width="306" /></a></div>
<br />
The other kayaker was already back, the short plastic boat pulled up to shore. She was sitting at the base of the tree having a snack. I landed, and started loading and securing my gear and boat. Sun was still warming everything and grabbing a beer, sat down next to the waters edge. The reality of the CV times we are in right now struck me in that moment. 2 fellow paddlers on the same water, staying at extraordinary distances apart. No words exchanged, which in normal times would have. Neither of really acknowledged the other, even sitting on shore. I thought how sad we have to be like this. The small joy I had from being out here was tempered by the day in and day out times we now live in. Social distancing really sucks, but it has to be done or it'll never be done.<br />
<br />
Easter is today as I write this. Hope for optimism? I'm working on it. Cold snowy storm moving in later. That will shut down any first paddles for a while I'm afraid, but it's something I can't control, so I'll just leave that behind. For now.<br />
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-21306590313267969802020-04-08T16:53:00.001-05:002020-04-08T16:53:18.965-05:00History-Amos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZqCPmutz58/Xo48OvvoIFI/AAAAAAAAEPs/cM7y67-WxykznNCm1z3ETy9Tcm-Bdy4FgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.342.%2BPM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1165" data-original-width="1600" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZqCPmutz58/Xo48OvvoIFI/AAAAAAAAEPs/cM7y67-WxykznNCm1z3ETy9Tcm-Bdy4FgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.342.%2BPM%2B1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I have no idea who Amos is. I can't make out a last name or year Amos may have carved his name into this rock. I wonder-is this history or vandalism? If Amos was here in 2019, I'd cry foul. I have no doubt, but this was someone maybe over a hundred years ago. Why does that feel different? I've done deep dives into platbooks from the late 1800s and early 1900s, but Amos remains a mystery. Just some logger wandering by? A surveyor? An early settler after the virgin pine was harvested? <br />
<br />
These older names tend to stand out more than modern carvings. Fire ravaged the area in the early 20th century and it almost appears the darkened sandstone was "baked" harder and preserved. I've seen the same at Levis Mound. The letter styles are unmistakable and much different than the scribbling we do now a days.<br />
<br />
These samples are remote, well off the beaten path and one would have to search them out to find them. There are a few newer scratchings but the best last date was 1961. I sure wish I knew more of the history of who left these marks. It was a tough time back in the 30's, when most of the land holdings went back to the state or county as farmers discovered the soils were poor. Homesteads died and the rail road moved on.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JPRJyHo0PLQ/Xo47-YeMIRI/AAAAAAAAEPw/v3xBA_N8uTAzczuP1dCoIwHC6tfVQ5OmQCEwYBhgLKs0DAMBZVoCG9msMuH-wIUheTrrIsRdYXUfF2Yk5R0KQVuHwuJ90SIbs7pwg-zZmEUOlePZXfxwbFxfF_44ASW9QfzBjIBevDVKksHIq9SzJoy2Rx7P6FolFMip-FgK7Zm3cA1sC7aiSiXCXR5nboE1DtOSrp90hBPHtVXHMkSoJnfq0rqjIpfQzjvov1Pe9ZjL2JzfNyiuaTpJQrbkWEnRAPLTQBXyw-OH4MwHTQwR23csJxi1tr5k9RaKPDkE-1-sWp-p7onHn3kGl7TWe7hTLyO06P2m7_oLXKNW851wCAZVgy4JaWPM9rK2Tj_oJT59lQuxvvxXaIGxv1WimSlAovpDw9TfZZSC-C1myUaBijI3WkDa2PJPFfnQQWfdKtpwfVGARltD_kRQ0Iyx6j6bT45-PHlY_wsZ2b9EQU1ZvVR_WjXhBgkmqj6gV8GVyxRc0aza9KHwnjUaI-YiNfsSOJgYYIQAciNuvGtePtDlG-Bb3_90EGzaCtrX-ciOHRiDzxolJEDdKHL_mxqv42SL7_CJE5WHKWclQaBBlbgJ6gsqh0LtUwVRg1x8zMHL3VivYXL8ey54egB1KZlYBnqklH-sBFI7RCc-voQf48I4wpoy59AU/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.341.%2BPM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1600" height="520" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JPRJyHo0PLQ/Xo47-YeMIRI/AAAAAAAAEPw/v3xBA_N8uTAzczuP1dCoIwHC6tfVQ5OmQCEwYBhgLKs0DAMBZVoCG9msMuH-wIUheTrrIsRdYXUfF2Yk5R0KQVuHwuJ90SIbs7pwg-zZmEUOlePZXfxwbFxfF_44ASW9QfzBjIBevDVKksHIq9SzJoy2Rx7P6FolFMip-FgK7Zm3cA1sC7aiSiXCXR5nboE1DtOSrp90hBPHtVXHMkSoJnfq0rqjIpfQzjvov1Pe9ZjL2JzfNyiuaTpJQrbkWEnRAPLTQBXyw-OH4MwHTQwR23csJxi1tr5k9RaKPDkE-1-sWp-p7onHn3kGl7TWe7hTLyO06P2m7_oLXKNW851wCAZVgy4JaWPM9rK2Tj_oJT59lQuxvvxXaIGxv1WimSlAovpDw9TfZZSC-C1myUaBijI3WkDa2PJPFfnQQWfdKtpwfVGARltD_kRQ0Iyx6j6bT45-PHlY_wsZ2b9EQU1ZvVR_WjXhBgkmqj6gV8GVyxRc0aza9KHwnjUaI-YiNfsSOJgYYIQAciNuvGtePtDlG-Bb3_90EGzaCtrX-ciOHRiDzxolJEDdKHL_mxqv42SL7_CJE5WHKWclQaBBlbgJ6gsqh0LtUwVRg1x8zMHL3VivYXL8ey54egB1KZlYBnqklH-sBFI7RCc-voQf48I4wpoy59AU/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.341.%2BPM%2B1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J.N. 1912</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RRsFpv0xq_M/Xo5FBTYbvDI/AAAAAAAAEQA/S7F2vo9VBRU0B9BX_soVEDTfMXpRcvmVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.341.%2BPM%2B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1322" data-original-width="1600" height="528" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RRsFpv0xq_M/Xo5FBTYbvDI/AAAAAAAAEQA/S7F2vo9VBRU0B9BX_soVEDTfMXpRcvmVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.341.%2BPM%2B2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1918</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpiH8Z1f6UI/Xo5FFm6qVFI/AAAAAAAAEQE/UuWGtsdqjdMtAteyiTz8eG-cMVwBm5NggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.342.%2BPM%2B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpiH8Z1f6UI/Xo5FFm6qVFI/AAAAAAAAEQE/UuWGtsdqjdMtAteyiTz8eG-cMVwBm5NggCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.342.%2BPM%2B2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">16647?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VUFnbh_pH2E/Xo5E6NwqYQI/AAAAAAAAEP8/Fz0u-BRO6F4x3QEOCegcGrwRVBHlShGEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.342.%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1600" height="364" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VUFnbh_pH2E/Xo5E6NwqYQI/AAAAAAAAEP8/Fz0u-BRO6F4x3QEOCegcGrwRVBHlShGEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.342.%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T.T.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mncnWwqhbEM/Xo5HrnFlcxI/AAAAAAAAEQU/ZEzu9Ib7znsRJ9Dr9ol_bEiNLzMaG5xxACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-08%2Bat%2BWednesdayApr%2B8%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.445.%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1295" data-original-width="1600" height="518" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mncnWwqhbEM/Xo5HrnFlcxI/AAAAAAAAEQU/ZEzu9Ib7znsRJ9Dr9ol_bEiNLzMaG5xxACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-08%2Bat%2BWednesdayApr%2B8%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.445.%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1906 plat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-67648567275947200182020-04-07T09:21:00.001-05:002020-04-07T09:26:41.791-05:00Solitude<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V0hI77CCtqQ/XoyFVx4p98I/AAAAAAAAEPc/0uCDmBxRXQkK10gza6uoeAtooUC3fChOACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.849.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1600" height="342" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V0hI77CCtqQ/XoyFVx4p98I/AAAAAAAAEPc/0uCDmBxRXQkK10gza6uoeAtooUC3fChOACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-07%2Bat%2BTuesdayApr%2B7%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.849.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content">I crave for the balm of Nature, the anodyne of solitude, the breath of Mother Earth.</span></span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content">This past month has been filled with anxiousness, fear, trepidation, hope and solitude. I'm reminded to take one day at a time, to control what I can and let go of what I can't. I'm more successful at those intentions on some days than others. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content">I've been taking to the forest, the farm fields, hills and gravel country roads on daily walks with the dog. For most of the past couple weeks I haven't felt 100% and energy levels have been low. I've had some kind of bug, a cold or something. So I'm taking my time, walking slowly, taking as much in as I can. Neighbors farm fields are just starting to sprout, so for now, it's like walking a lawn-easy and aimless to some degree. These fields also have well worn rounded hills where I can perch high above the surrounding flat countryside. I can see the Highground, the Neillsville Mounds and my beloved Levis Mound 12 miles distant south. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content">So I sit. I've placed a few old chairs here and there so I have </span></span></span><span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content"><span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content">a modest </span></span></span> destination to each jaunt. A spot I can sip coffee, pet the dog, stretch my legs and listen, think. Purposeful mindfulness I've heard it called. That's probably the biggest help during this isolation. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content">Today was heavy fog. I wanted to get out early and make a few pictures in this atmosphere, so it was out the door just as the dawn opened up. Nothing but bad news-an election day that should have been postponed, but was fought by some to remain putting people at risk. I'd made my thoughts known in emails and FB, but the tiny town hall down the road had cars already by the time I passed by. Continue walking, head to a chair I thought. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content">I approached from behind, the rain slowing enough I could tuck away the umbrella. The white wire chair waited-looking east on a small rise 1/4 mile from the Reed barn. It's a good spot. A tom turkey was blasting off in the shelter woods below, a snipe rose and fell twittering by the cattail pond, bluebirds sang while deciding which nesting box to set up in. I sat for a bit, but a cold north wind came up and I wasn't dressed for it. Keep moving, find another chair. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="collapsible-stateful"><span class="collapsible state-expanded css-9hqolu-CollapsibleContainer e24wjht0"><span class="collapsible-content">Mara and I did-she busy rolling in dirt and flattened reed canary grass, I feeling the warmth of the coffee sipped deliberately in a slow way. There is no rush in this solitude.</span></span></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-69181879816675540042020-04-04T07:30:00.002-05:002020-04-04T07:38:32.824-05:00The Artifact<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zX6SNLMRVf8/Xoh5gc-pzhI/AAAAAAAAEPA/okyj5hcbPocWPFKbDkvRZvgAfCOT0tVCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-04%2Bat%2BSaturdayApr%2B4%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.710.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1596" data-original-width="1600" height="638" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zX6SNLMRVf8/Xoh5gc-pzhI/AAAAAAAAEPA/okyj5hcbPocWPFKbDkvRZvgAfCOT0tVCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-04%2Bat%2BSaturdayApr%2B4%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.710.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
How far has this traveled? Who made it? What were the circumstances that found this spearpoint in a farm field in the Town of Hewett? What was it used for? Trading, hunting, protection? How old is this? All questions that flooded through my head as I reached down to pick up and pull out of the wet dirt this oddly symmetrical piece of quartzite. It stood out on the ground, surrounded by well tumbled stones and thawing dark soil. How is it that I happened to stop for a second, call a friend and look down to see it just ahead of my boot? So many questions, so many stories. One never knows it seems where a simple country walk will lead you or what you'll discover.<br />
<br />
(Note: This very well may be pure silica sandstone from Silver Mound, about 15 miles SW of where it was found. More information follows)<br />
<i>The Hixton quartzite
is a sandstone that has been cemented together by silica. Scientists say the
sandstone here is different from others. It's pure sand and pure silica, and
it's found nowhere else. For 12,000 years, Native Americans have come to Silver
Mound to make tools and weapons. The earliest visitors were paleo-Indians who
stopped here on their annual North-South migrations to quarry the unique stone
they shaped into lance points and later into arrowheads. Archaeologists don't
know how they found the hill in the first place, but this was the first place
that scientists found evidence of people in what is now Wisconsin.
</i><br />
<i>
Steve Boszhardt, a researcher with the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at
the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, has said it is known that the stone was
used 12,000 years ago - about the time glaciers retreated from Wisconsin as the
last Ice Age ended - because people made Clovis points with it. The term refers
to the shape of delicate, fluted points up to 8 inches long made by people all
over America. </i><br />
<i>
</i><i>"Through time, the points people made changed shape; the Clovis points
were first in America," Boszhardt said.</i><br />
<i>Oddly, Clovis points seem to have been made for their aesthetics as much as
function. "The points are finely worked, well beyond what would be needed
to be functional," he said. One reason people returned to Silver Mound may
be that its stone "is pretty. It has lots of different colors, from white
to blood red. And it's shiny - sparkly. Some think the points were traded like
baseball cards," Boszhardt added. Collectors call the small ones bird
points, but people hunted mastodons with them. -Judi Schiller, Richard Schiller</i> Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-50699421014739077922020-04-03T08:46:00.003-05:002020-04-03T08:57:03.830-05:00Making a Picture<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v2esVKiKXPc/XoYWSBT2mYI/AAAAAAAAEO0/J8a0z-yopOIP7y22WQdv5NM0gg3-YT2MwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-02%2Bat%2BThursdayApr%2B2%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1123.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1300" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v2esVKiKXPc/XoYWSBT2mYI/AAAAAAAAEO0/J8a0z-yopOIP7y22WQdv5NM0gg3-YT2MwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-02%2Bat%2BThursdayApr%2B2%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1123.%2BAM.png" width="518" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antler Post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Somewhere along my photography journey I heard the phrase, "<i>making a picture</i>." Not<i> taking a picture,</i> not <i>shooting a picture</i>, but rather consciously <i>making</i> a picture. I guess at the time, it struck me odd, as most of us with cameras in our hands don't say that or maybe don't even think that way. But if you've been photographing long enough I think it becomes intrinsic-at least if the quality of the work is going to be there.<br />
<br />
What I believe it means is the photographer needs to put all the elements of the picture into consideration. Subject matter-yes, light, patterns, color, perspective and point of interest, to name a few. Other artists do this, painters for instance, have to skillfully employ all the ingredients" in their "toolbox" if a painting is to be successful, irregardless of subject. They (and we, as photographers) also need to figure our how to "build" a good picture. Perhaps it's just recording something-a subject that interests us. Or an event. A mood or feeling or emotion. Telling a story. There is no wrong subject. But after that, how?<br />
<br />
Firstly, cameras don't matter in making a good picture. Period. "Wow, that's a really good picture, you must have a really expensive camera!" Ahh no. Technically, sure, some are better suited than others-long lenses for wildlife, birding, wide angle for landscapes, short zooms for portraits. Any camera can make a good picture, it's the decisions of the person pressing the shutter that are vastly more important. When am I gonna have good light? Wait, what direction is the light? Is that distracting in the background? What if I get lower for a different perspective? What if I crop that little corner out? Just a few things to think of in the hours or seconds before pressing the shutter.<br />
<br />
I'll admit-I'll say "shooting" and "taking a picture" or "capturing" an image-these phrases are too hard wired, so no, I'm not a purest in sticking to "making a picture." I recall noted wildlife photographer Jim Brandenberg explaining using a flashlight to highlight an evening shot and addressing if that was okay. "Does it matter?" "Is that important" "Sometimes you just have to make it work," he said. I agree. I have no problem doing post production-Film masters like Ansel Adams did it years ago-tweeking photographs in an image editor is just as much a part of making a better picture as dark room work was a hundred years ago. (Journalistic photographs are a different subject)<br />
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What got me thinking about this whole subject is the above picture. I wanted to shoot something of interest on this walk-the light was good, it was early enough in the day, but I wasn't <i>seeing</i> any pictures. It happens. At times to break that block, I just start firing away, knowing that nothing I'm getting will be of any worth, but it sometimes primes the pump. I wandered around the 'hood and found a dropped deer antler. Small, nothing special, but I do like finding them, wondering about when the buck lost it, where he is now, what he'll look like next fall. I like the smoothness of it, polished on some small alder last September and October. I carried it along thinking it's not enough for a picture. Yet. The Reed farm still has some remnant old wood fence standing here and there. Rusted barbed wire wrapped on some, ceramic insulators on others. The corner post I approached divided long gone cattle from the crop fields along a tractor path. A fallen blue bird house hung there, with some interesting ochre color clinging to the wood. The strands of wire seemed like it would work to wrap the antler-and soon I had an impromptu still life. Some colors repeated in the antler and insulator, some good contrast between smooth polished and textured wood and a small dash of color. Though the bokah isn't perfect from an iphone, it does well enough to dull the background and get focus where I wanted it. Award winning image? Hardly, but I could walk away happy enough that I made something that interested me, and yes, I made a picture. Guilty. <br />
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Sometimes, we just need to make it work.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-27649911322236714072020-04-02T11:38:00.001-05:002020-04-02T11:41:12.645-05:00Happy Surprises<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-msG4xwSDho8/XoYR6wya5cI/AAAAAAAAEOo/1UCMk3PAT9cYHhFaRaYW0zK7wN27oWALwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-02%2Bat%2BThursdayApr%2B2%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1122.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1264" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-msG4xwSDho8/XoYR6wya5cI/AAAAAAAAEOo/1UCMk3PAT9cYHhFaRaYW0zK7wN27oWALwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-02%2Bat%2BThursdayApr%2B2%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1122.%2BAM.png" width="504" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snyder Lake Tube</td></tr>
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A couple years ago during a torrential rainstorm, actually following a day or 2 of rain, all creeks flowing to the Black River were out of their banks. Wedges Creek is just down the road and a small dam there form Snyder Lake. Wedges eventually flows into the Black about 10 miles distant. Also feeding this system is Meadows Creek, which passes east of the house and then turns west into Snyder. Arndt Road passes over this small tributary and at the time of the flood, was under repair. An old large diameter steel culvert was being replaced. From evening til the next morning, the force of high water blew out and mangled the new steel and dumped an excavator into newly created void. Quite a sight. Eventually, everything was repaired and back to normal, ready for the next 100 year flood, which means we are due again.<br />
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All that is just some background I guess for this image. I've made pictures here many times in a kayak, so in the inaugural paddle of my repaired canoe, I just had to swing by and take another image. I didn't think much of it at the time-not until I pulled it up on the computer and look closer. Of course, it was in color and I felt like it wasn't bad-then I noticed all the squiggly lines formed by the culvert reflections in the water and thought, I'd bet that would pop out even better in black and white, so it was converted and yes, so much better. Not everyone who saw both versions agreed, but it's mine and to me, the line patterns, the "mysterious" nose of the bow plate and the well used idle paddle worked well. Perhaps it's also because it's different from any other picture I've made here that I'm drawn to it. In any regard, sometimes we have happy surprises from the shutter to the "print" so to speak. For me, it's a keeper.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-15017699428978494412020-04-01T10:26:00.001-05:002020-04-01T10:39:59.261-05:00Grandpa Glaze Hut<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXxgcUA3lAM/XoSrd9CdneI/AAAAAAAAEOM/AvJ77XgnPxMGjIawVNkYfd-4lKciILwqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayApr%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.947.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1261" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXxgcUA3lAM/XoSrd9CdneI/AAAAAAAAEOM/AvJ77XgnPxMGjIawVNkYfd-4lKciILwqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayApr%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.947.%2BAM.png" width="504" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grandpa Glaze Hut</td></tr>
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<i><span aria-hidden="true" class="gfmi-4FXD8W2 gfmi-71bWr2zH7G3H7FzH">There
will be a day when you can do all the things you normally do, and there
will a trade off: you won’t able to do what you can do today.</span></i> <br />
<i><span aria-hidden="true" class="gfmi-4FXD8W2 gfmi-71bWr2zH7G3H7FzH">You’ll have a</span> <span aria-hidden="true" class="gfmi-4FXD8W2 gfmi-71bWr2zH7G3H7FzH">that</span> <span aria-hidden="true" class="gfmi-4FXD8W2 gfmi-71bWr2zH7G3H7FzH">day but you won’t ever get this one again, and it would be a tragedy if you wasted it, waiting to be released by someone else.</span></i><span class="byline"><span class="author vcard"><i> -</i></span></span><span class="byline"><span class="author vcard"><i>John Pavlovitz </i></span></span><br />
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<span class="byline"><span class="author vcard">These word from Pavlovitz's recent piece about living in CV times seemed to hit home. I hate to think I've been wasting days, but in truth, there does seem to be some <i>waiting</i>....for <i>that day. </i>To be honest, some evenings, I just want to get to bed, sleep if I can, and get to the next day-one day closer to ending this nightmare. But I also have time to live in the present and am doing my damn best to follow that path.</span></span><br />
<span class="byline"><span class="author vcard"><br /></span></span><b> </b><br />
<span class="byline"><span class="author vcard">Which leads me to Grandpa Glaze's Hut. With more time on my hands, and nothing pressing, I've dove back into writing this blog and making pictures-both things I've neglected for a long while. Daily walks are almost a requirement now- to soak in what's around me and appreciate more. With camera in hand, they have also become daily photo walks where there is a pressing need to make at least a few good images. </span></span><br />
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<span class="byline"><span class="author vcard">The sun was up early and that pushed me out the door with Mara sooner than I had been. I made a picture of the Reed Farm landscape while sipping coffee, of a deer skull and an old no trespassing sign. Grandpa Glaze's tiny hunting stand is atop a hill on the Miatke farm. I almost felt from the start I'd end up there this morning and I did. If I recall correctly Dean (Grandpa Glaze's son and my dear friend) made this little box stand many years ago. It's been moved around a few times, but now has settled here overlooking several hundred acres of cropland. During deer season, it's fitted with an LP heater so one can just kick back, sip coffee and eat cookies all day without worrying about any deer bothering you. Knowing the Grandpa Glaze deer reports every year, that pretty much is the case. ;)</span></span><br />
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<span class="byline"><span class="author vcard">Grandpa Glaze is a story teller for sure and his exploits of spotting far off bucks just by their walk and ability to drop 'em in their tracks at vast distances are renown in our neighborhood hunting camps. It's not unknown for him to take a few breaks, wander around the adjoining woods and even stop in at the Reeds farm or our house for coffee and conversation. That has always been his preferred hunting technique as long as I've known him. Like so many of us older hunters, it's no longer about getting a deer, it's about being there with family and friends and living in the moment. GG Glaze is in his later 80's and still settles into this hut and other scattered blinds and tents (he does like variety!) come every rifle season. I'm reminded of him every time I walk or snowshoe or ski past this stand, and look across the fields wondering about those 300 yard shots. I think about his stories of him still being out here and I look foreword to next November when the hut is occupied again.</span></span><b> </b>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-25830217851348814322020-03-31T13:24:00.001-05:002020-03-31T13:42:17.418-05:00The Pack Canoe<i>Canoes, too, are unobtrusive; they don't storm the natural world
or ride over it, but drift in upon it as a part of its own silence. As
you either care about what the land is or not, so do you like or dislike
quiet things--sailboats, or rainy green mornings in foreign places, or a
grazing herd, or the ruins of old monasteries in the mountains. . . .
Chances for being quiet nowadays are limited. </i> <br />
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<i>John Graves</i></div>
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Paddling has become more and more of an interest, maybe even a lifestyle. Not flashy, but as Graves points out, "unobtrusive." Guess that quietness appeals more to me now than when I was younger, a product of the years moving faster and me wanting to be more deliberate, not to miss anything.</div>
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<i>"Paddling a canoe is a source of enrichment and inner renewal." -Pierre Trudeau</i></div>
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I have spent far more hours in kayaks, both sea and whitewater boats than canoes, but paddling is paddling. A friend told me years ago while cruising across a large lake, "now what can compare to this?" A valid question and one I need not answer at the moment. Silently sliding across the water with only the dip of a paddle cutting through the surface is in itself that "inner renewal" I...we, so need.<br />
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My only canoe, up to now, is a 30+ year old vintage royalex Old Town 174. A beast. Almost indestructible, it shows it's age more from sitting for years in the sun cracking it's hull, than abuse from use. I'd used it in my younger days for duck hunting and I wonder now how I ever manhandled it myself. It's 85+ pounds and with duck gear it's no wonder I skip using it. I've repaired it and just hold onto it for occasional use.<br />
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Another friend mentioned that his ideal canoe would be an Old Town Pack. It's a 12', 33 pound solo boat. Light and easy to maneuver-fun to just dump into a small lake or river. Granted, this friend has made 2 cedar strip canoes, which are beauties, so him even mentioning this so called Pack model caught my interest.<br />
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As this story goes, I happened to recall my photographer friend Ras once mentioned something about that very boat. It wouldn't hurt to inquire and in doing so, found out yes, he did have one-stowed under the back deck, dusty and dinged and what he called a "bear chew toy." Hmmm, It needed some healthy repair and after a second of negotiation, I could have it, just use it again and give it a second life. Deal.<br />
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Now this little boat has some pedigree. It had been oil-canned on the Boris Brule, abused and used and earned it's wounds from some of the best water around. Up to the Huron Mountains, the Big Two Hearted River, The Fall, Whitefish, Wolf, Iron, White and Ontonogon Rivers. That is some fine pedigree for any canoe. Okay-worthy for some restorative work, or at least getting it floating again. As it was at the moment, that wasn't realistic.<br />
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Off to Rhinelander last fall-a great excuse to visit Ras, be in the northwoods and pick up the boat. It hadn't seen daylight for a while and when I dug her out from the underside of the deck, I could see why it was referred to as a chew toy! It seems royalex must be tasty-at least to one bear, as the stern was pretty much chewed off (you'll see below). The bow, not to be outdone, also had inherited a cold crack, from gunwale to keel. A surprise injury Ras wasn't even aware of. No matter, the price was right and I needed a winter basement project. I'd never done this kind of repair, but it could be something fun along the way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cold crack</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chewey</td></tr>
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So this would be a learning experience for sure. Lots of deep dives into canoe and kayak forums to figure out what to do. Royalex isn't made any longer and is basically a sandwich of a foam core between ABS plastic. Strong and tough and it can take a lot of pounding. Repairing it, well, there seemed to be a lot of opinions, but few exactly-the-problem-I-have solutions. The cold crack should be straight forward. Clamp the split together after cleaning it out and use G-Flex epoxy. The gaping hole, just might take more ingenuity...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold Crack</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drilled stop hole</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trimming the chew hole</td></tr>
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Once some preliminary work was done, how to make as perfect a stern as I could. One thought was fill the inside with spray foam, then trim it back with a file when dry. Tried that, but I didn't want sheets of fiberglass over the intact hull, so I pulled the foam out. Next option, make a paper mache mold of the bow, since they were the same shape, and then use it on the damaged end by fiberglassing <i>into it. </i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paper mache mold</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">positioned mold on stern</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second attempt to get smoother fit over hole</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preliminary glassing</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--llGN2F8FLo/XoOEZYFSeGI/AAAAAAAAENo/ROFL_g0tHkI80g3m3Yrphbks3zpi7AzmQCEwYBhgLKs0DAMBZVoCYd1efmQttRg4uzlxwbP7JaiKremRZUk2lW03_Q8Ym_O0ZuwvFM0xCQ0FOTr9hG5cuNZfcyO2_9YmRiOn8kSRI4ewgo76b-bZiRIMSekaH7bz6Ih7m2Njq1dljoNv35Ocrb-8tdI7x-t72DXCsu7LZ65itzp3iwstQoQ-A0eVkqe9JCgtLCUGzePd_BUxYLxaxV801fo2h1FD7WUTfYowkQkxBkfRBQy2h15F8su_7caox7aPYZYa_C8xfls5MZFC9DDRX80hOZl0TgwYDwKDLqmgIubM_WjqdZkAL878LldDMkvemrzvY9CzZLYEGkhE5KqnLOp9i5cBMWMSmaJ2TKX0whVw6xyFeGZoLSa6qwz1AO7JQbGMs3Eq24uQiS5mUfbaEajKdMYvvDAdQNCpTxmtFnpWS7-blLVd3CJvSEWNHSsB_KqIbFcTlO-XYOUVxL57GODFO9-HsHIwvr1d6CLiJ6Yto8_lje4MfrHSLxtp40oj_Eq2UTi-6Uq2uV5J8PbLb0IGZaXRcy_J-X00GII2QFtgKb2LY19IT36CF7_Rqi0e7pnv9C9rwoD5hEaA8NCj6PSsDAS7UAMME7nZl5F6vS6O2JrAw6ZCO9AU/s1600/13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1442" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--llGN2F8FLo/XoOEZYFSeGI/AAAAAAAAENo/ROFL_g0tHkI80g3m3Yrphbks3zpi7AzmQCEwYBhgLKs0DAMBZVoCYd1efmQttRg4uzlxwbP7JaiKremRZUk2lW03_Q8Ym_O0ZuwvFM0xCQ0FOTr9hG5cuNZfcyO2_9YmRiOn8kSRI4ewgo76b-bZiRIMSekaH7bz6Ih7m2Njq1dljoNv35Ocrb-8tdI7x-t72DXCsu7LZ65itzp3iwstQoQ-A0eVkqe9JCgtLCUGzePd_BUxYLxaxV801fo2h1FD7WUTfYowkQkxBkfRBQy2h15F8su_7caox7aPYZYa_C8xfls5MZFC9DDRX80hOZl0TgwYDwKDLqmgIubM_WjqdZkAL878LldDMkvemrzvY9CzZLYEGkhE5KqnLOp9i5cBMWMSmaJ2TKX0whVw6xyFeGZoLSa6qwz1AO7JQbGMs3Eq24uQiS5mUfbaEajKdMYvvDAdQNCpTxmtFnpWS7-blLVd3CJvSEWNHSsB_KqIbFcTlO-XYOUVxL57GODFO9-HsHIwvr1d6CLiJ6Yto8_lje4MfrHSLxtp40oj_Eq2UTi-6Uq2uV5J8PbLb0IGZaXRcy_J-X00GII2QFtgKb2LY19IT36CF7_Rqi0e7pnv9C9rwoD5hEaA8NCj6PSsDAS7UAMME7nZl5F6vS6O2JrAw6ZCO9AU/s400/13.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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The stern hole was going pretty well. I added more layers of fiberglass and G-Flex on the inside and just epoxy on the exterior. Sand, more epoxy, repeat. I probably spent more time than needed getting it smooth, but I did want it to look good and float. Not every imperfection was taken out, but it would be satisfactory after the first few scratches when used.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--hb4R2Mq1GQ/XoOClGfMhdI/AAAAAAAAELs/urYT_93-eZYLng6S3IiaS765yTxtDKAvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="1600" height="302" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--hb4R2Mq1GQ/XoOClGfMhdI/AAAAAAAAELs/urYT_93-eZYLng6S3IiaS765yTxtDKAvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/14.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bow deck removed</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpsuNS66ngU/XoOCoYsmN0I/AAAAAAAAELw/vjMpKjn7R64K98LjrCiSOpfUl7tNS-aAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1139" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpsuNS66ngU/XoOCoYsmN0I/AAAAAAAAELw/vjMpKjn7R64K98LjrCiSOpfUl7tNS-aAACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/15.png" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleaning up the crack</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-noC2Easx_ko/XoOEcb35tOI/AAAAAAAAENs/6PoESjFsoqwFPns683ry2RCxnZbuQXDEwCEwYBhgLKs0DAMBZVoBQ_BNA8pijq1G7NSYVcKDYwJPOe0gEp2mQMB5YyBXMqK1Xi7HXK2ToZHJrdN-E075zV94RE93o-CCx8hq3KzOVy_aLQkCl--UT2P1bkzhT3SCvzMmB9PUcdthk-vGh6ICoAOsRf611MLZo9wP-O2x8yjxRlGLsulWJc0s_mrsZYxO08wD4IxHobPSwD7UHQS5YIYCJIqVgzQnqA6CKZOHfjkwHcIQglv13W88nF9SjpB_pEN6_XZLHhL_k54_QlbLOiAQkFLSlsXyW8bEI2AbxF6W5hSwVMdg7buYhayZRV19pKDCc64snt-8uHfsj09D9lwKnHNUIGCEZaQckuLZnkCGYNaiTYlGiERnA8PfegtkxwGtFvv5XS247oljImeXi2LOUD4gePEasU76kKe8ATBATbv_WtoPXXS20_rRcASmaObTdh6S9fG0EplQvgTC_EyavyqV6xoOzCKNue1PzMqKfBnIuK51X9TDnmyXwjrjgkew4uHihHUFZxRedFtismyEMKhHq1COCdnIMfNZv1WlitLkgt_d2V231fEE6iEb7-wd7Taium9pqQ2PitXcA_6EjB7vnMmCGgAxex4wg3xn6V9itp68wwZOO9AU/s1600/16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="933" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-noC2Easx_ko/XoOEcb35tOI/AAAAAAAAENs/6PoESjFsoqwFPns683ry2RCxnZbuQXDEwCEwYBhgLKs0DAMBZVoBQ_BNA8pijq1G7NSYVcKDYwJPOe0gEp2mQMB5YyBXMqK1Xi7HXK2ToZHJrdN-E075zV94RE93o-CCx8hq3KzOVy_aLQkCl--UT2P1bkzhT3SCvzMmB9PUcdthk-vGh6ICoAOsRf611MLZo9wP-O2x8yjxRlGLsulWJc0s_mrsZYxO08wD4IxHobPSwD7UHQS5YIYCJIqVgzQnqA6CKZOHfjkwHcIQglv13W88nF9SjpB_pEN6_XZLHhL_k54_QlbLOiAQkFLSlsXyW8bEI2AbxF6W5hSwVMdg7buYhayZRV19pKDCc64snt-8uHfsj09D9lwKnHNUIGCEZaQckuLZnkCGYNaiTYlGiERnA8PfegtkxwGtFvv5XS247oljImeXi2LOUD4gePEasU76kKe8ATBATbv_WtoPXXS20_rRcASmaObTdh6S9fG0EplQvgTC_EyavyqV6xoOzCKNue1PzMqKfBnIuK51X9TDnmyXwjrjgkew4uHihHUFZxRedFtismyEMKhHq1COCdnIMfNZv1WlitLkgt_d2V231fEE6iEb7-wd7Taium9pqQ2PitXcA_6EjB7vnMmCGgAxex4wg3xn6V9itp68wwZOO9AU/s400/16.png" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beveled & ready for glue</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytyLaSwflEg/XoOCp8zrnxI/AAAAAAAAEL0/XJ-DHt_SCS0kDyn5WBC4OfXH-QcnJDlIACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="752" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytyLaSwflEg/XoOCp8zrnxI/AAAAAAAAEL0/XJ-DHt_SCS0kDyn5WBC4OfXH-QcnJDlIACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/17.png" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aliment and clamping</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iyp8tAD1cdk/XoOCt9qPPPI/AAAAAAAAEL8/GWIfF5p3Tegpw_WUEX9jZ_q-HpUVA735QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1291" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iyp8tAD1cdk/XoOCt9qPPPI/AAAAAAAAEL8/GWIfF5p3Tegpw_WUEX9jZ_q-HpUVA735QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/18.png" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">G-Flex epoxy fillet</td></tr>
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I altered between painting hunter green again or going crazy. Painting royalex isn't easy and no one seemed to have an opinion on what would work. The ABS is already colored, so the original boat isn't painted, but exposed royalex needs something to protect it, so paint it would have to be. I settled on Krylon Fusion spray paint-it's supposed to be more flexable on plastics, so because I needed a bunch of cans, I went with a wild scheme. Having read lots of pacific WWII books in MS, I always loved the "dazzle" camoflage paint used by warships. My plan was to base the paint pattern roughly on the USS Yorktown. Of course they used grays and blues, and I wanted more camo-type colors, so I opted for green, brown, gray ivory and black. This whole paint process took a long time, but it was at the start of the corvid 19 crisis (by crisis I mean by the time anything was being done about it....3 months late!) so I'd have time. The only sketchy thing was going to Lowes to buy paint-at this time, I really didn't want to be wandering around in a big box store.<br />
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Taping the pattern was time consuming...I decided the best way was to paint a color on one side, let it dry and then do the opposite side. Then go to the next color, the next side, and on and on. Each color took about a day to prep, tape, paint and re-tape the adjacent blocks. The Krylon worked well and I chose to use satin finish paint, which looks good.<br />
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The woven seat was rotted so I replaced that and the thwart and bought some Old Town decals to make it look official.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jibFkmj_jug/XoOCzaxKneI/AAAAAAAAEMA/j-aKfk3QFSEjVfURgOAzupXbzMNzfPMhACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jibFkmj_jug/XoOCzaxKneI/AAAAAAAAEMA/j-aKfk3QFSEjVfURgOAzupXbzMNzfPMhACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/19.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laborious tape process</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Iyvr98XlYs/XoOC1ZjkwZI/AAAAAAAAEME/GC8MtNnN8m0UHbVBrOmrLRmhlNs9ziiRACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1470" height="305" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Iyvr98XlYs/XoOC1ZjkwZI/AAAAAAAAEME/GC8MtNnN8m0UHbVBrOmrLRmhlNs9ziiRACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New hardware</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C7x8CQIeues/XoOC5rXiuKI/AAAAAAAAEMQ/XhpioCeVk9EivTPsqOW0rLAe31iPyG20gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1600" height="353" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C7x8CQIeues/XoOC5rXiuKI/AAAAAAAAEMQ/XhpioCeVk9EivTPsqOW0rLAe31iPyG20gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/21.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stickered up</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sN0wlTtadB4/XoOC88iaonI/AAAAAAAAEMU/DqRfLwc94iwnT8z1uck2kRrNJUv4dvkhACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1600" height="321" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sN0wlTtadB4/XoOC88iaonI/AAAAAAAAEMU/DqRfLwc94iwnT8z1uck2kRrNJUv4dvkhACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/22.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dazzle Camo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NjIJhEmTSeE/XoODDBdPqZI/AAAAAAAAEM4/YY07wpo6Rk0jACEYyz1StA7XHw63kt9UwCEwYBhgLKs0DAMBZVoA9teCb6V5Th8uYBUeCSeDH5S6QUfD625lBvnxSKRb-J0NjRjPizoz2W0Zqxy5thJRSyiQDeVPcabEIxJzf6NRslB-xdYQFS7LamIkONXtbPG5nWlA_w0xbboUFLqwnCqu_5lSAe65v3W7ExW6ZszwfRPkvCapfUut7i2bF2Nx0iCfWVp0jCGp9a4DRypC-9EqAOcV0suwhpsts4ZKe7_usAh1g7LRv0nx_9VBVI6X3D-EtcJL-JsIc9zF1U6rRIruBZmNFrIaUmRmf7EBanEteMpfRXprpw4V25HBAr25PtcTvaCwfwgWyo6xepW9eS3avVkBwb7MDsyDUeLw08vKkwBxY8ZwgzF1UyDpLd-ROZx1HYMe9JvnX_YyV7prOwGE5qtHVry8t0NzUCiR3zLTr87leptEcI3kVRSYG9jJpI-YT6K8-yM1MyBCNFVkIOFOziYDtjM3REJPPQ85xVkcZEVdKBmI6f6Oy6Lls9SRJ9ywdMaqiPguFYOWhgzHF5ZyQeA45SNVfS9UgChwrKrOhYlYY4N7XOykDrz5_eWmS6vqgfBSo02HjrDKvXqcHXrrvlVPt7dR4v7obRjiMttkdKPB2TQ0sIikw1KKO9AU/s1600/24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1600" height="232" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NjIJhEmTSeE/XoODDBdPqZI/AAAAAAAAEM4/YY07wpo6Rk0jACEYyz1StA7XHw63kt9UwCEwYBhgLKs0DAMBZVoA9teCb6V5Th8uYBUeCSeDH5S6QUfD625lBvnxSKRb-J0NjRjPizoz2W0Zqxy5thJRSyiQDeVPcabEIxJzf6NRslB-xdYQFS7LamIkONXtbPG5nWlA_w0xbboUFLqwnCqu_5lSAe65v3W7ExW6ZszwfRPkvCapfUut7i2bF2Nx0iCfWVp0jCGp9a4DRypC-9EqAOcV0suwhpsts4ZKe7_usAh1g7LRv0nx_9VBVI6X3D-EtcJL-JsIc9zF1U6rRIruBZmNFrIaUmRmf7EBanEteMpfRXprpw4V25HBAr25PtcTvaCwfwgWyo6xepW9eS3avVkBwb7MDsyDUeLw08vKkwBxY8ZwgzF1UyDpLd-ROZx1HYMe9JvnX_YyV7prOwGE5qtHVry8t0NzUCiR3zLTr87leptEcI3kVRSYG9jJpI-YT6K8-yM1MyBCNFVkIOFOziYDtjM3REJPPQ85xVkcZEVdKBmI6f6Oy6Lls9SRJ9ywdMaqiPguFYOWhgzHF5ZyQeA45SNVfS9UgChwrKrOhYlYY4N7XOykDrz5_eWmS6vqgfBSo02HjrDKvXqcHXrrvlVPt7dR4v7obRjiMttkdKPB2TQ0sIikw1KKO9AU/s640/24.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The final step was to add kevlar skid "plates" which are just kevlar cloth pieces epoxied on to the bow and stern. I'm not sure I'll beat this boat up much, but they will help on rocks and other rough surfaces. At this writing, the kevlar is curing and the "Chewy" will be ready to hit the water soon. ("Chewy"...really? I guess a boat should have a name, and it fits even if a bit dorky)<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SKOPLLQBd6Q/XoODHJdaVJI/AAAAAAAAEMo/e8W8FidyqR8cgUHjf3TvzTdeRVjOK1nnACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1214" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SKOPLLQBd6Q/XoODHJdaVJI/AAAAAAAAEMo/e8W8FidyqR8cgUHjf3TvzTdeRVjOK1nnACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/26.png" width="483" /></a></div>
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Fin<br />
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-84236870609725661792020-03-31T09:03:00.000-05:002020-03-31T09:08:51.307-05:00The Year in Pictures (2019)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zy9FIX6Wo-E/XoNFPiIIfiI/AAAAAAAAEJM/oaUDddRAynMc-wEv00NCxXJSJMmYchMlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.349.%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zy9FIX6Wo-E/XoNFPiIIfiI/AAAAAAAAEJM/oaUDddRAynMc-wEv00NCxXJSJMmYchMlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.349.%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BRSF, North Settlement Road, heading to the "Office"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So this post is WAY overdue. When I've done a YIP, it's usually in December, but since my absence from the blog, I never got around to completing it except for pulling some images into a folder. As in the past-these are some of my favorites. Some hold up as good photographs, some as a reminder of a good time or place. Little matter, these just represent why I love photography.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Zq8o8m4090/XoNFLxjEztI/AAAAAAAAEJI/vShqn5X5loUYRvqcx1gwE5VL9yc38Fe-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.825.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1597" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Zq8o8m4090/XoNFLxjEztI/AAAAAAAAEJI/vShqn5X5loUYRvqcx1gwE5VL9yc38Fe-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.825.%2BAM.png" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red oak Captured. Trow Drain, BRSF</td></tr>
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I have been servicing Snapshot Wisconsin cameras since my Ho-Chunk wildlife technician days in 2015. Over the years, I went from working 20-30 cameras down to just 3 personal ones now. One of my original sites, ELKBR 178, is part of the elk grid and buried deep back in the forest. It's always been my favorite as it's captured just about every species we have....except an elk. Last winter, we had little snow, so it lead me to explore another route to the camera. We had lots of ice, so the lab and I ventured down a mile or 2 of ice on old 1930's era drainage ditches. We made it safely in and back and was a unique perspective of how diverse this state land is.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kUoHkdAvvpI/XoNFJAknzfI/AAAAAAAAEJE/x-KyZ3DDJ4QCHXTOaEmqEULuVxzagohpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.826.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1486" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kUoHkdAvvpI/XoNFJAknzfI/AAAAAAAAEJE/x-KyZ3DDJ4QCHXTOaEmqEULuVxzagohpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.826.%2BAM.png" width="594" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trey; Sweaty Yeti Fan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t3EkDIbdN5o/XoNFTpbv2TI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/YmQOH4m8SGcFBYt5bskRNrpU07LnB9itQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.831.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1364" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t3EkDIbdN5o/XoNFTpbv2TI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/YmQOH4m8SGcFBYt5bskRNrpU07LnB9itQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.831.%2BAM.png" width="544" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Michigan, Jacksonport WI</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t7z7ft-n9_E/XoNFZQGwa7I/AAAAAAAAEJU/0y5MdSUXh8kNuLaf4r5x66hUJ8POvM6vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.832.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="1600" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t7z7ft-n9_E/XoNFZQGwa7I/AAAAAAAAEJU/0y5MdSUXh8kNuLaf4r5x66hUJ8POvM6vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.832.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BRSF, Brockway Road</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-364aRoq71wA/XoNFe1gY4nI/AAAAAAAAEJg/swJcosrx3NAZnvz1sxOV0BNCRLSMdI1WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.832.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1600" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-364aRoq71wA/XoNFe1gY4nI/AAAAAAAAEJg/swJcosrx3NAZnvz1sxOV0BNCRLSMdI1WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.832.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dike 17 Wildlife Area, BRSF, Upper 17 Flowage. </td></tr>
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The Dike 17 wildlife areas is one of my favorite places to work on the job. Not always glamorous wildlife work mind you (tearing out beaver clogged tubes in mid-July) but still, it's always beautiful and something is always happening there. Waterfowl, wolves, bear, elk and other fun wildlife.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-69Z1vJ1TE34/XoNFlcExl0I/AAAAAAAAEJs/HbJF6kUEKAUFH3Qki5uySMksD9fCFyOWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.834.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1600" height="476" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-69Z1vJ1TE34/XoNFlcExl0I/AAAAAAAAEJs/HbJF6kUEKAUFH3Qki5uySMksD9fCFyOWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.834.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coldwater Canyon, Wisconsin Dells</td></tr>
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Paddling the Dells was one of the most unique experiences I've had. Coldwater Canyon took my breath away. So unique, so quiet. The paddle to get here is a bit harrowing through the "Narrows" as tour boats passing make for sketching kayaking (yes, I was a bit scared). Hard to believe the entire Wisconsin River squeezes down to a narrow passage just in view at the entrance to this side water. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T0EiCABbCW8/XoNFrHuKlXI/AAAAAAAAEJw/nFICHH4Q3pMuF2JMXCQuJkF1gnDCNx8VQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.836.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1467" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T0EiCABbCW8/XoNFrHuKlXI/AAAAAAAAEJw/nFICHH4Q3pMuF2JMXCQuJkF1gnDCNx8VQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.836.%2BAM.png" width="586" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bobcat Track,Clark County Forest</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b005VInBXhI/XoNFxrFRKRI/AAAAAAAAEJ4/dp_B5RXmVs0jsMqbKXbvbIEw_tCw5viFACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.837.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="1600" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b005VInBXhI/XoNFxrFRKRI/AAAAAAAAEJ4/dp_B5RXmVs0jsMqbKXbvbIEw_tCw5viFACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.837.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wind Lake" Lehr North Dakota</td></tr>
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North Dakota has a special beauty and I always love being there-worth the time and effort. The prairie has a special place in my soul. Harsh, unforgiving and insanely beautiful at times. Ice covered most of this on the late October morning. Hunting stools would have to be recruited to bust it for dogs and decoys and ducks. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fs4WDk7BUck/XoNF3qZ7lkI/AAAAAAAAEKA/NwKOz5a__yEtcw7hOoiiBTjTaXbMl57qwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.838.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="1600" height="458" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fs4WDk7BUck/XoNF3qZ7lkI/AAAAAAAAEKA/NwKOz5a__yEtcw7hOoiiBTjTaXbMl57qwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.838.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hammer Down Inn with Grant and corndog</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nFwzO3hcE70/XoNF8bFS-HI/AAAAAAAAEKI/R--wUoBgxrwizOPBxOV67ufsW2fcEASEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.838.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nFwzO3hcE70/XoNF8bFS-HI/AAAAAAAAEKI/R--wUoBgxrwizOPBxOV67ufsW2fcEASEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.838.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wind Lake, Lehr North Dakota. Morning Ice</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMFgjr2_jKI/XoNGC_RpAVI/AAAAAAAAEKQ/od_DBn5jEqA5s7qH42DaUTseYT2EidlgACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.839.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMFgjr2_jKI/XoNGC_RpAVI/AAAAAAAAEKQ/od_DBn5jEqA5s7qH42DaUTseYT2EidlgACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.839.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wazee County Park, Jackson County elk</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6YA-2p-dRSE/XoNGIkwSY_I/AAAAAAAAEKU/KEJh_XcMNVUQgZoguc-e9n6HLOJD1s5bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.839.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6YA-2p-dRSE/XoNGIkwSY_I/AAAAAAAAEKU/KEJh_XcMNVUQgZoguc-e9n6HLOJD1s5bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.839.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reed Farm, Clark County Wisconsin at -5</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OEUq9d8lkJM/XoNGQMOEXsI/AAAAAAAAEKc/ue4ISZlp8-4ILql2FYRNa0F6xhwUseDMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.840.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1600" height="392" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OEUq9d8lkJM/XoNGQMOEXsI/AAAAAAAAEKc/ue4ISZlp8-4ILql2FYRNa0F6xhwUseDMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.840.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mara. Town of Hewett Wisconsin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jh2DK7royo4/XoNGWO-OHnI/AAAAAAAAEKk/dK2a_FXdi-YsQLtj92nxNQcBsNqniNxCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.840.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jh2DK7royo4/XoNGWO-OHnI/AAAAAAAAEKk/dK2a_FXdi-YsQLtj92nxNQcBsNqniNxCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.840.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BRSF, Morrison Creek at Oxbo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NL61tjfees/XoNGYmAI4vI/AAAAAAAAEKo/CjN1V4NRnfErL2iGc1pE_P_xQGoc_PJ9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-03%2Bat%2BFridayJan%2B3%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.413.%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="1600" height="374" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NL61tjfees/XoNGYmAI4vI/AAAAAAAAEKo/CjN1V4NRnfErL2iGc1pE_P_xQGoc_PJ9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-03%2Bat%2BFridayJan%2B3%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.413.%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fatbiking the Sweaty Yeti</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1D49tK2WRY/XoNHRX2YnMI/AAAAAAAAELA/PbdIu4bE7zgy0tcykDSMbDfzaD-H2kq9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.827.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1600" height="484" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1D49tK2WRY/XoNHRX2YnMI/AAAAAAAAELA/PbdIu4bE7zgy0tcykDSMbDfzaD-H2kq9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.827.%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calf Search success with Meghan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OU9NzxE2dFA/XoNHLLRqquI/AAAAAAAAEK8/BNa9rwUPdRUH4UjuC1MRN_vvpny7W8tywCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.830.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1359" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OU9NzxE2dFA/XoNHLLRqquI/AAAAAAAAEK8/BNa9rwUPdRUH4UjuC1MRN_vvpny7W8tywCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-01-01%2Bat%2BWednesdayJan%2B1%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.830.%2BAM.png" width="542" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackson County Forest, Potters Flowage</td></tr>
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-70866439643682944962020-03-30T12:14:00.006-05:002020-03-30T12:26:27.341-05:00A Country Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'd hoped to find something...anything to make pictures of today-I mean, the sun was finally out after 3 days of constant rain, mist, cold wind and dreary news. I needed something to clear the sky out and bring back a breath of fresh air. Mudders donned and a happy lab charging out the door, I headed out with the iphone 11pro-my go to camera for knocking around. (I'm finding it quite capable).<br />
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A lot of ground wasn't covered, but then again, it's about what you see, not how much you look at. The stone house was covered pretty well, so I moved onto the old rust scattered around nearby. Then onto the Reed Farm for one small picture and one from Cliff's farm next door.<br />
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No masterpieces here, just a diary of the 'hood. Sometimes you just gotta press that shutter the first time and let 'em keep coming.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDQFsMK2YBY/XoIoOzbd6bI/AAAAAAAAEIA/iVKcCoS1TH08I-yyl-U17oeLuxJrwmz9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-03-30%2Bat%2BMondayMar%2B30%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1026.%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1313" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDQFsMK2YBY/XoIoOzbd6bI/AAAAAAAAEIA/iVKcCoS1TH08I-yyl-U17oeLuxJrwmz9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-03-30%2Bat%2BMondayMar%2B30%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1026.%2BAM.png" width="524" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kleine Farbe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-7092562246093982792020-03-30T12:04:00.003-05:002020-03-30T12:08:15.255-05:00Reclaiming the Stone House<br />
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Just a quarter mile down the road is a dilapidated stone house. Under part of it's facade and added on at some point in the long past, is the original log building. The ground is slowly taking it back as it sinks into it's own lower level. <br />
<br />
I've made countless pictures of this small building over the years. I walk or drive past it all the time. The story goes that it was once a small cheese "factory" and it used water from springs located on our land and the farm next door. Looking at aerial images from the 1930's, this area was bare except for a few trees. All farmland with a spattering of small homesteads. Wooden and clay cisterns dot springs within 400 yards of where I now sit. Those springs apparently provided the water for making cheese in this tiny place and still continue pumping out water to this day now draining away into a swamp. <br />
<br />
I have no idea when anyone last inhabited this shack. There is a 40 acre farm field nearby and old rusting machinery scattered about, so I'm sure this was also the farmhouse. An empty silo still stands just behind as a marker of what was once here in a different time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homey interior</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sinking back into the ground</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-8817587818233587962020-03-30T11:41:00.003-05:002020-03-30T11:42:31.584-05:00Knashing of Teeth <style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>(Note: If you're not a deer hunter or interested in deer or
predators, you may want to skip. Somehow I don't think I ever published
this piece, maybe written in the heat of the moment, then forgotten.
Since the blog is firing back up, I may as well put this out there now) </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<i> </i>"Three...Two....One...." The
preliminary Wisconsin gun deer harvest numbers are in and.....</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Right on cue, the howls (pun intended)
of DNR bashing and "wolves kill all the deer" have begun.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Within hours of the press release
comments from readers flooded the WEAU.com story:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"Smartdude5": <i>"It's
a complete joke to say the deer herd was depleted by harsh winters.
There's only one thing depleting the deer herd' Wolves!" </i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
"bowhunter":<i>"Winters???
How about wolves, cougars, and bear. Who knows what else. Never a
word about predators doing harm to the population."</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"legendary whitetail": <i>"I
agree with the part about winters but facts are facts that with the
introduction of wolves has depleted the herd as well as in past years
having all these doe hunts and all those doe tags available and
people shooting more deer than they need." </i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> </i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Scapegoats are easier to imagine than
actual facts or to look closely at the complexity in our wildlife
management. “I didn't see enough deer, therefore I'll bash the DNR
and wolves” is the general theme. Hunters want more deer,
foresters and farmers and insurance companies want fewer deer,
grandma wants more pretty deer to look at in the yard, but "don't
eat my hostas!" To deny harsh winters has no effect on deer
populations is to ignore the obvious. Deep snow and severe cold
temperatures plus limited food is going to kill deer. (Although four
times <b><i>less</i></b> than hunting) It will also reduce the number of
fawns born and in general, leave the herd in a less healthy state.
That's deer biology 101.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Do predators take deer? Of course.
Are they the root of all evil and the reason for a decline in harvest
numbers this year? Absolutely.... if you want an easy mark and
ignore all other factors that have an influence of populations of
wildlife. (Oh, and note-wolves were not “introduced” by the
DNR-around 1975 a few individual animals started returning from nearby
Northern Minnesota, by themselves)
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Years ago, a noted wildlife biologist
remarked that the “the thing that will kill deer are <i>orange and
white</i>.” Hunters and winter.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The reality of that statement remains
to this day and especially this season. As reviewed by JS Online
outdoor editor Paul Smith earlier this year, the extensive DNR/UW
adult deer mortality study (2011-2013) found those facts (the
<i>“orange”</i> especially) ran true by a huge margin over all other
factors combined. In the northern forest region, human hunting accounted for
43% of deer mortality, followed by starvation (9%), coyote predation
at 8%, poaching (8%), wolves (6%), car kills (6%). In the eastern
farmland zone, deer fall again to hunters, causing 53% of adult deer
deaths, car kills at 17%, starvation (4%), coyote (2%) and wolves,statistically 0%. (Wolves, though present, are not plentiful in the eastern
farmland area).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The study was very transparent and
involved professional wildlife researchers and thousands of citizen
volunteers. To say predators are not mentioned is to neglect
actually reading the study conclusions. “Cougars?” <i>Really?</i>
That is one reason the harvest is down 15%? Some comments border on
ridiculous. When similar declines are also noted in <b>all</b>
surrounding states (Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois) then
something besides predators is the cause-some of these states have no
wolf populations at all.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Opening weekend (when typically 75% of
deer are harvested) deep snow blanketed the north, while thick fog
covered other areas then rain set in. In addition, there were 18%
<i><b>fewer </b></i>hunters in the woods opening weekend according to
the DNR. It's no secret, poor weather, and downturn in license sales
will result in fewer hunters seeing or harvesting deer. Mid week
had temps down to zero and again, only the heartiest of blaze orange
wearers are going to stick it out. Hunters numbers are down, tough
weather and a changing hunt overall is going to have to get some
credit for a dip in the harvest-right?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some commentators on the DNR's facebook
page also chimed in:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Elmer:” <i>“A wise man once said,
the resource will never sustain the number of deer the majority of
hunters want.”</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm not sure who the “wise man”
was, but this statement has always been very true. I'm struck by the
similarities in arguments about deer and wolf numbers between now and
during the mid thirties through the wolf's extinction in Wisconsin in
the late 1950s. Although wolf numbers then were declining rapidly
(because of bounties), deer numbers were also dropping-they were
literally eating themselves out of house and home by over browsing.
At the time, Bill Feeney, leader of the Wisconsin Conservation
Department's Deer Research Project, came to the conclusion that
wolves played little part in the deer population decline. Starvation
and hunting were the main drivers of mortality. <i>Orange (or red
plaid) and white. </i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
By 1959 the eastern Grey wolf was
extirpated from our state. This predator became a non-factor in
whitetail numbers. Changes in big blocks of mature northern forest,
ie: habitat, became the root cause for increases in deer numbers.
Aspen cuts on large tracts of paper company lands helped provide a
boon for not only deer, but ruffed grouse and woodcock as well. Keep
in mind, as “John” on facebook commented: <i>“In the late 1960s
the total kill from bow and gun was about 60,000. Now it ranges
close to 300,000 plus some years. Yet people complain.” </i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As we can read by some hunters
comments, that is certainly true. Sometimes I think to myself
(sarcastically) -<i>”There sure isn't enough 170 class bucks
walking by my stand-I should blame someone or something.” </i>I
can't really throw that complaint at the feet of the DNR-they are
politically pressured to provide <i>more,</i> not better deer, nor
wolves, who aren't going to take the largest and healthiest of the
whitetail population.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hunting has changed-hunters have
changed and those are also factors in harvest numbers. An aging
population dropping out, fewer recruitment of new hunters,
distractions for our young, smaller and more fragmented parcels
and leased land, baiting, a drop in aspen harvest, and less habitat.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yui_3_16_0_1_1417686373421_4475"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yui_3_16_0_1_1417686373421_4476"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yui_3_16_0_1_1417686373421_4477"></a>
In reading comments-it's rare to see any of those mentioned. “Josh”
says it best perhaps: <i>“I just love how everyone is a wildlife
expert all of a sudden.”</i> Again it's much easier to rip the
DNR: “Jared” “<i>What do you mean less deer? There arnt (sic)
very many left in this state with all of the antlerless hunts the dnr
allows every year! </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Or the DNR
</span><i>and</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> wolves: “David”:
</span><i>Looking at the map they want to increase the herds (sic) up
in the northern forest zone because the dnr needs to feed their
wolves.” </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Seriously?</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anyone who didn't expect the kill to be
down this year would be foolish. We've had several severe winters (a
record last year) and the DNR responded by creating a buck only
season in the northern part of the state. Do the math-you're taking
50,000 does off the harvest roll (normal harvest in the forest
regions) and more than 9% dying over winter. Those two factors alone
will lower the harvest.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A good friend of mine, who has spent
more than 40 years as an outdoorsman (in northern Wisconsin) and
hunter perhaps addressed some of these knee jerk commentators best.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
-<i>Weather: it's all part of the hunt.
Deal with it. But last years drop in kill was magnified by bitter
weather. Fewer hours on the stand mean fewer deer killed. </i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>-Wolves… always the scapegoat. But
long before the first wolf meandered into the state, long before
antler less tags, long before bear populations rose, long before all
of this, winter kill was the most dominate force in whitetail numbers.
And that has not changed. </i>
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<i>-The ripple effect of last winter is
fewer spikes this year which leads to fewer 6's next, fewer 8's the
following. And that is before figuring in the drop in fawn production
this past spring which will have an impact next year. Wolves will get
the blame, the DNR will get slammed, but winter will be the real
reason.</i></div>
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<i>- Add to all this the changing
forest management as industrial lands are now sold off; as popple
clear cuts become less prevalent, as clear cuts are replanted to red
pine and private landowners, myself included, do not harvest large
portions of their 40s and let it go to popple regeneration. All of
this leads me to believe that the age of the prime whitetail hunting
in this area is past. And it won't come back. </i>
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His last comment is perhaps sad, but
also most likely true. Some of these factors just are not going to
change in our day in age. Some are beyond the DNR's control no
matter how much we as hunters demand.
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Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-16392745870786795982020-03-30T11:15:00.002-05:002020-03-30T11:22:44.952-05:00I'm backI don't know the reason-laziness, lack of inspiration, getting into a
bad habit of not writing. Honestly don't know. Maybe a hiccup in
taking photos, which is almost always the inspiration for a post. I
know part of it was losing my last outdoor editor Brian Otten from
Wisconsin Outdoor Fun where I could write anything I wanted. He'd
always follow up, give suggestions and seeing my words and pictures "in
print" was a motivator. It wasn't the same when he left for the Wausau
Chamber and a new editor with less interest in outdoors took over.<br />
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In
any regard, the blog has sat idle for a long time. I'd think about it
from time to time, but didn't lift a finger to pound out any
words-photos went to facebook more or less or just shared with friends
and family. The DNR job took away time as well and early mornings were
when I'd usually tap some thoughts out.<br />
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Now, this bastard virus has changed the world, and me in it.<br />
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Uncertainty, fear. Anxiety off the charts. Concern for friends and family, for all of us, for myself as well. A recent <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief">piece</a>
talked of this CV and our feelings of it as grief. Anticipatory
grief-not knowing what is around the corner. The world is forever
changed. It also presented a path forward-acceptance of what is right
now and what we can control and can't. To come back to the present.
I've not been one to meditate really, granted, I've spent a lifetime in a
deer or turkey hunting blind with hour upon hour to think, but I'm not
sure it's the same. Hmmm, I guess I've experienced "practiced mindfulness"
while hunting, fishing, hiking, paddling... I just didn't have a
word for it.<br />
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That whole thought has come and lit on me
pretty heavily lately-I've noticed how much I appreciate little things.
On walks with the dog, I'd usually always listen to podcasts...now I
leave them home, instead, taking in the bird song, wind in the bare
trees, trucks still hauling on the hiway a mile away, the bite of the breeze or mist of rain on my face. It's
grounding, there is still a world out there. Nature is still doing what
it does, and it's a comfort.<br />
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There will be an end to this, just as winter ended and the flocks returned. Just as I am back here as well. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v4jH1cyvYg4/XoIa_rvDs5I/AAAAAAAAEG4/EcKFDDvvbU8nCBIvWpX8kQgNfK-g3UTywCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-03-30%2Bat%2BMondayMar%2B30%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1028.%2BAM%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1221" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v4jH1cyvYg4/XoIa_rvDs5I/AAAAAAAAEG4/EcKFDDvvbU8nCBIvWpX8kQgNfK-g3UTywCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-03-30%2Bat%2BMondayMar%2B30%252C%2B%2B%2B%2B.1028.%2BAM%2B1.png" width="488" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mara, watchful for the next bird to chase in our favorite countryside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6333510981317581327.post-86015217166037491312017-12-30T14:38:00.003-06:002017-12-31T08:43:05.867-06:002017-The Year in PicturesWow-I realized I hadn't posted to this blog in a year....since the last year in pictures. Kinda sad, but writing hasn't been at the forefront, nor is making tons of pictures. I've yet to figure out my time with a 40 hour a week job at the DNR after having a bout of retirement.<br />
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As in the past, these are my favorites, some for their quality ( as a good photograph) some for just the memories of people and places have been lucky enough to experience. They are also more or less chronological starting early in the year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKHwsEwrvmU/Wkfsk8zmtII/AAAAAAAAD5o/4LXXeKITde4RH3CDmnPe3taoCtRmLCurQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.34.02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKHwsEwrvmU/Wkfsk8zmtII/AAAAAAAAD5o/4LXXeKITde4RH3CDmnPe3taoCtRmLCurQCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.34.02.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dachstein</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A more beautiful place I doubt there is on this planet....for cross country skiiers. Ramsau Austria with Mt. Dachstein for a backdrop. I was fortunate enough to be selected as a coach for Special Olympics USA at the World Games there. Of the different counties I've been to with SO, this may have been the most memorable. Wonderful people, athletes and landscapes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GSFYo-YAE-k/WkftS18PRpI/AAAAAAAAD5w/7L6WUidMEN0gbmtQmr3wqph7r-PNLL8UgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.32.00.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1455" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GSFYo-YAE-k/WkftS18PRpI/AAAAAAAAD5w/7L6WUidMEN0gbmtQmr3wqph7r-PNLL8UgCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.32.00.png" width="582" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John "Alphabet" from North Dakota</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ho7wksUoe28/Wkftl6mxrVI/AAAAAAAAD50/vLfyX2CGcNM-baCAGBaKThINo14a9JugACLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.34.27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="1600" height="554" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ho7wksUoe28/Wkftl6mxrVI/AAAAAAAAD50/vLfyX2CGcNM-baCAGBaKThINo14a9JugACLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.34.27.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Team-pre-and post races<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hIOJLLALTac/Wkft7Csk3eI/AAAAAAAAD58/K20k8u70xaw4IjqrD50ELBvgnA_o74mggCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.36.37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hIOJLLALTac/Wkft7Csk3eI/AAAAAAAAD58/K20k8u70xaw4IjqrD50ELBvgnA_o74mggCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.36.37.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black River State Forest-Shale Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I started a new job, or should I say a second career? After 32 years of teaching, I jumped into the Ho-Chunk Nation DNR for a year, then a break and now another natural resources opportunity came along I couldn't pass up. Working as a Wildlife technician is something different everyday and also puts me out into some beautiful places few others see or take the time to see. This is a quiet little spot along a state forest road that just had to have a picture made of.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pTJqigFQLAQ/WkfvQNcR1QI/AAAAAAAAD6M/7zkTbxh9a34t3nMCd8ezJyRO6NnVXxUegCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.39.02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pTJqigFQLAQ/WkfvQNcR1QI/AAAAAAAAD6M/7zkTbxh9a34t3nMCd8ezJyRO6NnVXxUegCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.39.02.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flooded Aspen-Castle Mound Road, BRSF</td></tr>
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This little spot has made these "pages" before. Their life will be short, as more and more mature and die and I won't make pictures here any longer. For now, it still surprises me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_ZbTh6XvL6o/WkfvyWdP6VI/AAAAAAAAD6U/VYx7gmv3ixohnRi3S06usm0yaG_K0LC8gCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.39.41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1600" height="374" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_ZbTh6XvL6o/WkfvyWdP6VI/AAAAAAAAD6U/VYx7gmv3ixohnRi3S06usm0yaG_K0LC8gCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.39.41.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elk Calf-Class of 2017</td></tr>
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Part of my job is to organize volunteers for elk calf searches, and when we are givin the "go," we're out trying to find these little cuties. This one was right in front of me when I spotted it-my first calf.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-76PoNq0rqQk/WkfwnJbqSXI/AAAAAAAAD6g/JKyPlrtXVXs18xUuIVRh2LJhhBq5rYbTgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.42.27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1600" height="474" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-76PoNq0rqQk/WkfwnJbqSXI/AAAAAAAAD6g/JKyPlrtXVXs18xUuIVRh2LJhhBq5rYbTgCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.42.27.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackdeer Property Sedge Meadow</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wFmE-Kip6Ok/Wkfw_SfYEOI/AAAAAAAAD6k/q4WzYYsVrVsow12nH5GF1ytER2mwCRDWgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.44.05.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="1600" height="486" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wFmE-Kip6Ok/Wkfw_SfYEOI/AAAAAAAAD6k/q4WzYYsVrVsow12nH5GF1ytER2mwCRDWgCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.44.05.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black River Downpour</td></tr>
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For whatever reason, I have a few of these motion blur and it works for me. Kayak pictures will always have the bow of the boat in it so anything a little different is interesting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2p2OF3X-K3Y/WkfxkSuQf4I/AAAAAAAAD6s/fr99GouQaREwcZ_HjsadUUXQYVrSfMczACLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.45.17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2p2OF3X-K3Y/WkfxkSuQf4I/AAAAAAAAD6s/fr99GouQaREwcZ_HjsadUUXQYVrSfMczACLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B12.45.17.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand Island Sea Caves</td></tr>
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Taken by my good friend Mark, (also my kayak mentor), I had to include it. A great trip, albeit short because of rough water and approaching rain, it was memorable none the less.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2WImleiK6m4/WkfyWumHRYI/AAAAAAAAD68/Ir-VJWGuFDgEcHs4--2bOcTild5znRK8QCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.04.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1189" data-original-width="1600" height="474" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2WImleiK6m4/WkfyWumHRYI/AAAAAAAAD68/Ir-VJWGuFDgEcHs4--2bOcTild5znRK8QCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.04.42.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Michigan-Cave Point County Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZDq6rl6hX0/Wkfynw8wBFI/AAAAAAAAD7A/4L_7RJXZq_gvay0AgNDlF62i2cLr8lSBwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.07.56.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="1600" height="344" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZDq6rl6hX0/Wkfynw8wBFI/AAAAAAAAD7A/4L_7RJXZq_gvay0AgNDlF62i2cLr8lSBwCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.07.56.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Wazee Sunrise</td></tr>
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A little gem in Jackson County, lake Wazee is the deepest lake in the state and on the way to work, the sunrise was just one I felt would be most appreciated near its shore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N7SdvMQA2yo/WkfzMHgicqI/AAAAAAAAD7I/4tYvWOFyHlsyLtZBvLw0iOkc4fROb1fygCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.09.03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1597" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N7SdvMQA2yo/WkfzMHgicqI/AAAAAAAAD7I/4tYvWOFyHlsyLtZBvLw0iOkc4fROb1fygCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.09.03.png" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potters Flowage-Fall Bouquet </td></tr>
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I love the Potters-it's like a little slice of Canada in the heart of the state. Towering white pine line its shores and the kayak seldom encounters another person. Paddling heaven.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uple--wLnd4/Wkfz0tZKTTI/AAAAAAAAD7Q/2YitVP96UsoA5F0QWCnDbf_-hkwqjDTgQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.11.09.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="1600" height="492" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uple--wLnd4/Wkfz0tZKTTI/AAAAAAAAD7Q/2YitVP96UsoA5F0QWCnDbf_-hkwqjDTgQCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.11.09.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battlepoint Flowage giving up her warmth-BRSF</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gR0_l_ZLqA0/Wkf0Louv1AI/AAAAAAAAD7U/SWiKa4gkJhMrZQSYoiV59euTEraymlnKACLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.11.57.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1600" height="462" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gR0_l_ZLqA0/Wkf0Louv1AI/AAAAAAAAD7U/SWiKa4gkJhMrZQSYoiV59euTEraymlnKACLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.11.57.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dike 17 State Wildlife Area</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Mound Road Aspens-Fall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yl2FNPYaH24/Wkf03KNCLPI/AAAAAAAAD7k/bHOnKmpevUUqrlRZMqmPYk8Iwe8Ws7iOwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.14.19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="1600" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yl2FNPYaH24/Wkf03KNCLPI/AAAAAAAAD7k/bHOnKmpevUUqrlRZMqmPYk8Iwe8Ws7iOwCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.14.19.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oxbo Pond-BRSF</td></tr>
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Just messing around taking multiple exposure with the iphone. Seems the phone is my everyday camera now and frankly, the iphone 8 is wonderful (and always with me).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tnoYq4JvgU8/Wkf1IKPYBTI/AAAAAAAAD7s/-ExYqBh_gyYpBjVH_wd6hCq09kXFTq0ygCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.16.49.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tnoYq4JvgU8/Wkf1IKPYBTI/AAAAAAAAD7s/-ExYqBh_gyYpBjVH_wd6hCq09kXFTq0ygCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.16.49.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly-NoDak 2017, Powerline Pond</td></tr>
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We sometimes measure our lives in dogs, and Molly has been a good one. She may not have many years left, but I was happy she made the trip to North Dakota again and performed well. If there are dog portraits, this is hers.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QbgMmQ0rsD8/Wkf1w5pnTHI/AAAAAAAAD70/8uH8GAlZ6L0xtFMTEU4b4M_lGCI-vWdrACLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.17.33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QbgMmQ0rsD8/Wkf1w5pnTHI/AAAAAAAAD70/8uH8GAlZ6L0xtFMTEU4b4M_lGCI-vWdrACLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.17.33.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homestead-North Dakota</td></tr>
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Old barns and falling down buildings are the cliche-right? I don't care, sometimes you still have to make those images. I've always liked black and white and here, thought how the sunrise cutting the house in half was interesting. When I see these out west, I just imagine how damn hard life had to have been.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OuDEeGA4QCY/Wkf2q-O-YwI/AAAAAAAAD78/I6TyQD1-6GQiKKGJscpw-DFTVY8nNGANACLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.21.24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1600" height="350" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OuDEeGA4QCY/Wkf2q-O-YwI/AAAAAAAAD78/I6TyQD1-6GQiKKGJscpw-DFTVY8nNGANACLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.21.24.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Beaver Creek Rooster</td></tr>
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I don't really care if pheasants aren't native to Wisconsin-they are some of the most stunning beauties out there, second only to the wood duck drake IMO. Besides, they are Molly's favorite gamebird.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HWmMPppf1MM/Wkf3V1UqLOI/AAAAAAAAD8I/BQQ3WZ4gVs8LqBtN1WhMctwaBNcyGBGrwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.24.08.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1599" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HWmMPppf1MM/Wkf3V1UqLOI/AAAAAAAAD8I/BQQ3WZ4gVs8LqBtN1WhMctwaBNcyGBGrwCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.24.08.png" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gun Hunt</td></tr>
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Cold, long hours, quiet, peaceful, anticipation, boredom-All of it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SzUx_32O_rk/Wkf38gtklGI/AAAAAAAAD8Q/Iu-OkYLSsYgENTI4Itg5pVGEmixqTUCDACLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.24.59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1600" height="474" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SzUx_32O_rk/Wkf38gtklGI/AAAAAAAAD8Q/Iu-OkYLSsYgENTI4Itg5pVGEmixqTUCDACLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.24.59.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest for the Trees-Lincoln County Hunt</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gAfGVmNNNFs/Wkf4UZaJT-I/AAAAAAAAD8U/-ras-NC-aesRBPdBbw23GDLGX39m7NwNQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.25.26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1598" data-original-width="1600" height="638" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gAfGVmNNNFs/Wkf4UZaJT-I/AAAAAAAAD8U/-ras-NC-aesRBPdBbw23GDLGX39m7NwNQCLcBGAs/s640/Screenshot%2B2017-12-30%2B13.25.26.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GFBD-Levis Mound</td></tr>
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Global Fatbike Day. It's not much work for me and always seems to be fun with fellow fatbikers. I always meet new people, chat up old friends and an excuse to be out on the trail before winter kicks in.<br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410433147866156522noreply@blogger.com0