…on the back patio, with the neighbors. Weather cooperating, cool with a gentle breeze, almost chilly as the full moon peeked between the trees.
Some thoughtful mowing in this yard. Reminiscent of Frost’s “Tuft of Flowers” but with perhaps an even more expansive motive.
…to sandbox building.
Testing the layout prior to moving into place
The Whitewater Urban Forest Committee has suddenly become enamored of my idea of creating an arboretum in Starin Park, and today was the first meeting of the group—city, university, school district, neighborhood association. Rather fun to see a long held idea begin to take root.
When the meeting wrapped up, it was off to O’woc to help with sandbox construction, using the model developed at Flambeau. Everybody pitched in (although the girls did take some time to work on and present a dance routine). Now comes the sand shoveling!
It’s been a gut-punch week in the annals of U.S. history—hurricane, fires, extreme heat, murder, protest, covid—all topped off with the blood-curdling abomination of the RNC.
To try for a psychic realignment I, despite the heat, went for a long, non-high-speed ride all over everywhere. It helped a little.
The hoped-for change in the weather seems to have been delayed.
…and maybe even a thunderstorm. And cooler weather.
I walked Starin Park again this evening, this time with another member of the Urban Forestry Committee, at his suggestion, because he is really interested in helping promote the idea of creating an arboretum in the park.
It was an interesting walk. I’ve met a few people who know more about trees than I do, but never anyone like him who knows everything about trees there is to know. Good guy, too, and valuable ally.
Too hot for anything but short dog walks and one short bike ride.
Don’t Cry Me A River, send me a snowstorm.
A perfectly phantasmagorical thunderstorm, unpredicted and unexpected. The whole house lit up by continuous, strobe-like lightning, brighter and brighter, with a slowly increasing, steady rumble, like a heavy freight train coming at you.
I unplugged the computer.
But then the rumble faded and the pulsing diminished.
Only to come back an hour later, this time with wind and rain. Quite a bit of rain, I think.
And so a light-show broke the drought.
…and very dry as well.
Acorn shrapnel being dropped by the many squirrels enjoying our oaks
Very hot and dry. Morning spent taking Pax to the vet in J’ville for a little more back-end or behind the scenes work. On the plus side, no big problems.
Having a little more free time, as a result of current conditions, I volunteered to help the grocery coop struggling to be born in WW. And, I was assigned to PR. Oh, well. Here’s my first puff piece:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whitewater Grocery Company Transplanting It’s HQ
by Jim Nies
GroCo is moving to new digs.
As the new UWW Community Engagement Center (CEC) has begun coming on line, and as the pandemic has forced everyone into a more virtual existence, it just made sense to the GroCo Board to take advantage of the new opportunity across town.
The new Community Engagement Center, in the former Sentry building, is designed to be a bridge between the university and the community. It will offer office space, meeting rooms, class rooms, a community board room, and even an art gallery. As life comes back to normal it will be a place of programs, workshops, and informational gatherings.
According to Gina Elmore, UWW Human Resources Development Coordinator and manager of the facility, the CEC’s mission is to listen to requests from the community and then try to meet them. “It will be a place of collaboration, a bridge between communities. We want it to it to be the hub of people coming together,” she said.
Perfect place for a growing organization like GroCo, says Lacey Reichwald, Whitewater Grocery Company Board President.
A convergence of events—expiration of the lease at the Innovation Center, a need to go virtual for a while, and the opening of the CEC—all led to the decision to move.
For now, GroCo does not have physical office space, just storage space. But, as a member of the CEC, it does have access to all the other features of the facility, and these will be increasingly used as conditions permit.
GroCo has what’s known as a Community Organization membership, and will be sharing the CEC with other organizations, such as the Small Business Resource Center (SBRC).
There will be benefits to rubbing shoulders (touching elbows?) with other community organizations, like the SBRC) according to Reichwald. “We can collaborate on events and workshops for the community,” she says. It will permit a closer connection with UWW students and faculty. And, it will “definitely help us increase GroGo’s exposure.”
All of which promises to advance the time until the grand opening of Whitewater’s very own grocery store.
Good move.
…lunch in the park and a look at the new house.
Massive silver maple
Very unpleasantly warm and humid.
Long and continuing dry spell. But nothing compared to wild fires and hurricanes.
On a trail in a small Whitewater park.
Urban sandhills?
Basil has been bountiful. With four portions frozen, and one in current use, we should be well pestoed for a good while.
Our little local party has gone big, with a billboard.
So, pesto pasta for dinner, along with local grown, grilled tomato soup. (And a bit of steak. )
…on Turtle Creek, well southwest of here, found by random ramble on the way home from a Janesville errand.
Here’s another You Make The Call
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T F — QAnon followers believe that there is a secret cabal of evil people doing abominable things who control U.S. government and media.
T F — This clique includes, among others, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, George Soros, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Pope Francis, and the Dalai Lama.
T F — QAnon followers believe that, in addition to molesting children, members of this group kill and eat their victims in order to extract a life-extending chemical from their blood.
T F — In 2016 QAnon claimed that Hillary Clinton was operating a child sex-trafficking ring out of the basement of a Washington, D.C. pizza restaurant. In December of that year a man who said he was on the hunt for proof of child abuse was arrested after firing a rifle inside the restaurant.
T F — QAnon is just a handful of wackos on the fringe of social media.
T F — One QAnon follower was arrested in April and accused of threatening to kill Joe Biden.
T F — Several QAnon followers have been charged with domestic terrorism and planned kidnapping.
T F — The FBI says QAnon poses a domestic terrorism threat.
T F — According to QAnon, Trump was recruited by top military generals to run for president in 2016 in order to break up the cabal’s criminal conspiracy, end its control of politics and the media, and bring its members to justice.
T F — Nineteen Republican candidates who have embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory have secured spots on the November ballot.
T F — Recently Trump called QAnon follower Marjorie Greene, winner of a House primary runoff in Georgia, a “future Republican Star” and “a real WINNER!”
T F — When recently asked asked about QAnon, Trump did not question the truth behind the claims of the conspiracy movement. Instead, he offered his help, saying, “QAnon followers are people who love our country.”
Late summer dry.
Photo shot yesterday, when we did have some cloud
…move your feet. Heard that African saying last night, and liked it.
Tonight’s dinner—from the Farmers Market
And, it is time to move.
As Michelle Obama said last night:
”We’ve got to vote early, in person if we can. We’ve got to request our mail-in ballots right now, tonight, and send them back immediately and follow-up to make sure they’re received. And then, make sure our friends and families do the same.”
For those of us in Wisconsin, go to MyVoteWisconsin. Click on My Voter Info (gray box somewhat upper left) and check to make sure you are registered and that your address, and all other info, is correct. (Note: if you are not registered, register!) Then click on Vote Absentee (gray box somewhat upper right) to request a ballot be sent to you!
Do this no later than tomorrow sundown. Remind friends, family, neighbors to do the same. Spread the word on social media. We need to vote EARLY to clearly avoid the voter suppression onslaught that is coming after us. We need to vote as if our lives depend on it, because they do.
…after a morning walk in the woods and some games of cards.
All told, an excellent week up north, and a fine substitute for the annual Canada gathering.
But still two days packed into one.
Thanks to Mimi for some of the photos.
..to evening show and campfire.
…to evening skinny dipping.
And almost everyone in bare feet almost all the time.
Katy, doing her George Washington impersonation
…pizza delivered by water.
Heading out
Bringing back the goods
And then after dinner, a bit of a cool down.
…on a beautiful day.
