Riders on the Flood
Lunch in Whitefish Bay, then wet park and wet ride in Whitewater.
Yard Reclamation
Work ‘till you drip has been the approach. Then, when soaked, head inside and sit for a bit in front of a fan.
Squishy, and somewhat buggy ride to the prairie, but Pax wanted a good stretch after all the yard work.
Swamped
Thunderstorms from 3p.m. until the wee hours, then heavy rain this morning.
Geared up and off to camp.
Wipers on high driving to Oconomowoc, but slow clearing once there. Morning with Bec, Mads and El (including some exciting rounds of Uno), and then it was time to take the older girls off to catch the bus to camp.
Whitewater Creek flooded, and Milwaukee needing to release who knows how much more than a hundred million gallons of untreated into the big lake.
The band of weather moved from west to east, stretching from about Green Bay on the north side to Rockford, Il, on the south side. No moisture on Manitoulin.
Holed Up...
awaiting decent weather. Although the yard is a jungle in need of a sharp machete, all we were capable of, given the heat and humidity, was a trip out for breakfast with our "dinner and Sequence neighbors" to Blue Gilles in Newville.
The rain finally came about 3 p.m., and although the heat has lessened a bit, the humidity has not.
As evidenced in the photo above, the alpine currant bushes on the south side of the hourse seem to thrive in a tropical climate.
In the Heat of the Night...
...and the day, too.
The young berry patch seems to be doing well.
The cornfields are a deep blue-green. And, with wet fields and extreme heat and humidity (not to mention elevated levels of CO2), I have little doubt an inch or two of growth was added today.
On the way past a recently cut hayfield we saw several younger guys bailing hay, the old way, with square bales that needed to be heaved up onto a hay-wagon. Empathy and commiseration.
Lucky us, we got to take Ellie, Maddie, and Becca out for breakfast this morning, and then a bit later spend time with Ben and James.
Road Toads
But not a bad trip. 12.5 hours, with, as usual, the last half hour being the hardest. Yard, as usual, overgrown. Hot and humid—not acclimated.
Team Carter Bay...
...so called anyway.
Forced to shoot a selfie.
Bob, Narasim, and on the right, barely, Therese. Also in attendance but not pictured Dr. Roy.
Although we hosted, Narasim brought lunch, a delicious chicken curry.
Long and interesting discussion about the future of the Carter Bay property and the possibility of making it a center of environmental ed. and stewardship training and practice.
Now packing for tomorrow’s travel.
Perfection Is Impossible...
...but it’s an interesting goal. And so today we took advantage of perfect weather to go after little annoyances, and items well down on the to-do list. Lots of variety, which is fun, plus the weather was perfect.
These beauties didn't flower last year.
To start things off, Pax got his third bath in 24 hours, this time after a rubdown with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap.
One Of The Finer Things In Life...
... is sitting on the screened porch, with a morning cup of coffee, in a thunderstorm—watching and listening as the rain comes raining down.
The new downspouts got their first test, and performed well.
The storm was brief, but powerful enough to wash away the memory (and other stuff) left behind by all the caterpillars; to perk up the garden; and to rejuvenate the beleaguered forest. And then, shortly after noon, we were treated to another storm. And then, a bit later, an hour or so of just moderately steady rain. Who could ask for anything more?
When the sky finally cleared, the wind came roaring in—a full gale from the west.
A few minutes before supper cook-time Sue suggested a trip to the marina to check the boats. That was a bright idea. Conditions rough in the harbor, with considerable bouncing and chafing. But with extra lines, and variouis readjustments, we feel confident all will be well until the wind subsides.
Scourge Diminishing...
...but much of northern Ontario denuded. Billions of of caterpillars, most of whom will not survive, thanks to birds, parasitic flies and wasps, viruses—and me. I've been sweeping the concrete entry porch three or four times a day, and with each sweep I dispatch dozens. Nature is astonishing.
Sunny, warm, and very dry. A good hard downpour would be appreciated by the gardens, the forest, and every road and path covered in caterpillar fecal pellets.
Skunked
And the aroma lingers.
Sue was upstairs typing away; something about the proper use of semicolons, I think; as Pax and I were coming back from our usual walk, which consists of hiking the Lane down to Murray and Elaine's and then treading back on the path through the woods to Tyson's, and then home; except that I arrived home before Pax, in itself and unusual event these days, only to hear Sue shout from above that she smelled skunk; this, of course, causing me to about-face and whistle for the dog, who, several minutes later, came home filthy and bedraggled with his tail between his legs, and seriously aromatic; which, naturally, sent us into emergency skunk drill, which, however, we found to be a bit rusty though quickly updated by an internet search suggesting either peroxide or vinegar mixed with water and dish soap—a solution clearly at odds with the common folk wisdom which touts the efficacy of tomato juice—which we applied liberally prior to Sue taking him into the outdoor shower for a good wash; and while this would seem to have been the best course of action...he still smells.
Home Waters
Heliotrope back in Kagawong. Fine sail from Gore Bay, in spite of an east wind. Motor needed only through the channel. Trip completed in 4 hours. Mark and Wolf as compatible crew. Much thanks to Sue for transportation, and a fine packed lunch.
Another Night Out
To what was billed as a fundraising concert, in and for the old, defunct church at the top of the hill which is being repurposed as a performance venue.
Good turnout. No comment on the music.
Boat and Bunkie, Bunkie and Boat
In a bit of a rut, though not a bad one. And, the boat is ready to sail. Coming to Kagawong on Sunday.
Under construction but coming along.
The Boat That Liked To Float
I’m always impressed by how perfect Heliotrope looks when back in her element. Like she was made for it.
GLIC and Boat
First actual in-person meeting of the Great Lakes Islands Coalition Manitoulin team this morning. Beginning with a bit of breakfast at the Anchor Inn (with conversation), and then our first monthly conference call as a team. Just four of us, all told: Alicia (Expositor editor), Josh (instructor of First Nation history at Kenjgewin Teg), Joe (retired professor of entomology), and me. Rather fun...and the number one item on our action plan is getting a few more active members.
Sue headed for the boat well before I got back from that, but eventually, the two of us finished up al the boat work necessary prior to launch.
Divide and Conquer
Sue to the boat, me to the bunkie. One of us got more done than the other.
Chilly, with clouds.
Have a caterpillar, we've got plenty.
Big Boat...
...being prepped for launch.
Note the nice cradle.
Heliotrope cleaned, and the topsides waxed and buffed. Launch scheduled for Friday.
Chilly, drizzly morning giving way to cool, mostly cloudy and extremely windy day. Perfect for boat work.
Michigan/Huron is way up—way, way up. Fraser beach is no longer—water coming up almost to the road. Remarkable change from 2013. I would be tempted to say that the water is high enough, except I know that the level of the Great Lakes is delicate and fragile. I've still got my "Stop the Drop" hat, and I plan to hold on to it.
Fire in the stove last night and tonight.
Chilly and Damp
A little big boat epoxyfying and bunkie batten painting before the rain came, what little rain there was.
Sunset over Bayfield Sound, on the way back from Burpee/Mills last night.
Caterpillars still falling out of the sky and crawling everywhere. Also now, midges at the beach, mosquitoes on the Lane, and deer flies starting to assert themselves in every sunny place. Luckily, a variety of dragonflies have also shown up.
Dinner Dance...
...with octogenarian swing band. And square dancing to the tune of a great fiddler.
