Missed The Regatta

Nite Nationals begun today on Green Lake. Conditions not ideal, and no regrets at not participating. On to next year.

Windy and warming.

March Winds

Morning dog walk, evening concert.

Very windy, with early spring clouds chasing spots of blue.

And, later, Maddie’s second grade musical concert.

And That’s That

Honda crf250l. Ad placed March 1. Bike sold March 4.

Photo by Sue

A fun 4.5 years, but times change. And now I’m thinking about e-bikes. Two wheels aeternum.

Meanwhile, the Blues Brothers are getting ready to ride.

Photo by Renee

Two-eyed Jacks…

…can be wild, but that will have to wait a day or two.

So, an older fellow is so proud that he put a jigsaw puzzle together in under two hours that he calls his wife over and tells her about it. “And look here on the box,” it says, “6 to 8.”

North With The Spring

Sandhill cranes overhead, and red-wing blackbirds at the ponds. Robin yesterday. The early birds are here, and they are pretty sure spring is right behind them.

Also spotted, on a high ledge of the old stone water tower, what I think are a pair of American kestrels.

Sun Swinging

Along with Go Fish, pancakes, and long bike rides. A springlike day.

And, riding the warmth north, Robins, this year first sighted by Sue.

Photo by Sue

Lots of snow gone; lots of snow remaining. And where it’s gone, traces of life in the former subnivean zone.

Overnighters

Will, Kate, and Abby here for dinner and fun.

BLTs, cornmeal-cheddar waffles, mac&cheese for dinner. More good food and more good fun planed for tomorrow. And, katy brought her Polaroid camera, and used it to take a shot of the one eyed wonder. She then scanned it and gave it to me for posting.

Podcasts and Playlists…

…are appreciated.

So, the police arrest two guys caught in a burglary. One has a car battery, the other a bunch of fireworks. There’s an arraignment, but then, as you might expect, one is charged and the other let off.

This is from one of my favorite podcasts, “The Infinite Monkey Cage,” a blend of science and humor—with most of the humor better than that above.

And, then, in the same vein, this from Gina Barker’s FB page:

Become the Sky…

… and the clouds that create the rain, not the gutter that carries it to the drain.
—Rumi 

Blundering along, half-glassed, but purposeful. Able to take two good walks with Pax. And to work on the computer using my monocle. Chilly, with a keen wind, and near zero tonight.

El Arco Iris

What color is a rainbow? Well, it depends on which eye you use (after a cataract procedure).

Bright, with forgotten blues, in the remodeled eye, along with 20/20 vision. Not so much in the pending oculus. And that’s the hard part—having two eyes that are so very different. To deal with the problem I’ve ripped an old pair of spectacles in half, and am using the right side as a monocle. It almost works (no photo available).

Once eye number two gets its upgrade, I thinking of some Oakleys.

Optical Upgrade…

…in progress. Please stand by.

Oak burl

A Tinkling of Little Bells...

… out of some far recess of the sky.
—Aldo Leopold, “Marshland Elegy,” A Sand County Almanac

Jace, a character in Tig of the Marsh and Wetland, hears the cranes returning north. One of the dozen or so illustrations being done for the book by friend Tom. (Antigone canadensis, the sandhill crane)

Sunny Sunday

And warm enough to get out on two wheels, around town, including the footbridge over the rail road on the east side.

Soft southerly, and no impossible ice patches or impassable melt puddles (If you were willing to detour a bit). Lots of walkers, bench sitters and other two-wheelers out pretending spring has arrived.

We did a little bench sitting, too, on the back patio, watching snow melt. Pax reluctant to come back in.

Potted up 4 Kentucky coffee tree seeds and 8 shagbark hickory seeds (gathered last fall, and kept in the cold garage all winter). Expectations low, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

You Make The Call

Which…

Pip? Is that you, Pip?

…of the following should be included in elementary school vocabulary lessons?
(Choose all that apply)

☐ Phish
☐ Click bait
☐ Acorn
☐ Whack-a-mole
☐ Tweet
☐ Kingfisher
☐ Virus
☐ Troll
☐ Newt

Note: three of the above are among a group of (no longer used) words that were dropped from the most recent edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary. Which three are they?

Seed Starting…

…sweetgrass. After 35 days in the fridge, the sweetgrass seeds have come out to grow. At least theoretically.

Sweetgrass (Hierochloe ororata) is notoriously reluctant to grow from seed. It needs to be stratified, which is what it was doing in the fridge, and even then its germination rate is very low. The starter tray in the photo is comprised of 72 cells, and at least 2 (and up to 4) seeds have been planted in each. I’m hoping that by the first of May at least a few of the many will have sprouted.

As a side note: I’ve also got 50 hazel seeds now taking their turn in the salad crisper.

Science Everywhere…

…at Greenland Elementary’s Science Fair. Ellie’s project revolved around the concept of immiscibility, Maddie’s electric circuits, and Becca’s the solar system. Ben and James had fun too, exploring and mingling with the crowd.

Back Home

The Landmark Inn is a delightful place, with it’s penthouse North Star lounge overlooking Lake Superior, and it’s wood-paneled and cozy Northland Pub at street level (although the streets in Marquette are not level). But, since sleeping in hotel rooms is not something I tend to do, we decided to get back home before dark. Pax had a fine time at the Janowiec’s.

Way Up North…

…again, and this time at an even higher latitude. Ultima Thule. Just about as far north in this country, at this longitude, on land, as possible. On the shore of Gitche Gumee.

Out annual Valentine’s day getaway. Deep snow, but open water. Green Bay mostly frozen, all of Bay de Noc. Strange traveling without Pax, who is staying in Fox Point, but ever so convenient.

Marquette is an interesting town.

Thinking Ahead…

…to liquid water and the need for a relocated and re-plumbed pump house.

Meanwhile, another snow event—coming down pretty hard, but mostly melting.

Busy feeder. Photo by Sue

Straight South

Single digits In Flambeau, above freezing in Whitewater. One stop, enroute, at Qdoba in Stevens Point; Pax has an especially refined appreciation of Qdoba grilled chicken.

And tonight we hear that Will, Kate, Abby, and Tony have gone back to Winter Park for a candelight ski—and this after snowmobiling out to lunch. This family likes winter.

Minoqua Winter Park

Hemlock—Photo by Katy

Will—Photo by Katy