From Warm To Storm…
…and then from clouds to cold.
Afternoon clearing, in time for some bike riding.
Doing everything possible to avoid hearing about the Supreme Court nominee, who in a sympathetic universe, would never come across my consciousness.
Sunday…Adventures and Dinner…
…with the Nies family.
Imagine dinner table discussion with nine loquacious individuals all having plenty to say.
Thanks to Bri for most of the photos.
Shrimp On The Barbie
Another neighborly spaced-out back yard picnic.
Along with the shrimp, various sauces, rices, corn casserole and broccoli casserole, and some amazzing kind of chocolate/raspberry cake.
Just about dinner time the wind switched to the east and the temperature dropped. As darkness descended (as it does early now days) a deep evening chill finally broke up the party.
To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. —George Santayana
Phenology…
…seems to be my modus operandi, or perhaps my magnificent obsession. But when you have to do a daily blog, you need a crutch.
Anyway, windy and warm, very warm, unseasonably warm, but still pleasant. Except for the stink bugs and ladybugs who suspect less favorable conditions are on the way, and are invading the house.
And remember, a barometer (mine is holding steady) is an ingenious device that reveals the kind of weather we are experiencing.
Day of Calm and Quiet
No clouds, no wind, no rush, and, so far, no watching the news. Pleasant weather—pleasantly warm while pleasantly cool.
A fine old maple on Park Street
Some glacial erratics at the edge of the prairie
Here’s a link to a short video of the Nies cottage on Pickerel Lake in the Harrison Hills.
https://youtu.be/-6menQ99nps
Back on The Back Patio…
…after a slight detour on the way home.
Sunday Drive…
…on Tuesday. Back roads up to Ironwood, then over to Gogebic, and then back to the cabin on Highway H, the most beautiful of all.
And then a thunderstorm tonight.
Big South Wind, Way Up North
Treetops dancing, a few big limbs dropping (not right here), leaves whirling in showers.
Day’s big event a visit to an old-growth forest, just a few miles west of here.
How fine to be in the presence of such great trees. And to imagine that this is the way it was all across Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Fall Color…
…up Flambeau way.
Sometimes Bad Weather Is…
…just fine. Chilly, gray, damp days are okay after a long hot summer.
A good day for reading, leisurely dog walks, and trying to cook something new.
Bring In The Rosemary
Just not quite all the way yet.
Frost advisory, but some recent cloudiness could cancel that.
Visit to the flowing well, and then the forest preserve. Seven mile bike ride back, headwind all the way.
At the forest preserve we noticed lots of galls on the young oaks. Caused by a wasp.
Try This For Apple Cider
Pressed just a few days ago at a local orchard, unpasteurized, and already fizzing. Totally tasty.
You know it’s good when you can’t see through it.
Clearing The Air
A wind from the north shouldering its way around corners and through trees still laden with leaves, but bringing cool air clear as bells, and blowing away the pollution still lingering from Trump’s performance at last night’s “debate.”
Great fun bike riding along trails, with the wind at my back, wheels crushing through windrows of the early deciduous.
Eating close to home tonight with local tomato soup, chicken, potatoes, and chard (though I’m not sure the chard is really edible).
Cranes On The Move
Cool and mostly cloudy. Just a few cranes, but the migration seems to be starting.
Pax loves this weather. He’s been bouncing and running and reluctant to come inside all day. Rejuvenated. He could be the poster dog for climate change.
Ride In The Rain
Among other things.
Sheltering under a bridge when the precip got too heavy.
Evening clearing just beginning.
Big Cooldown…
…with just a little rain.
Could it be time to think about getting the storm windows out of the basement?
So What Do We Do About the Court?
For the sake of sanity let’s assume Biden wins and the Senate is flipped. What should we do then to redress the Trump/McConnell depredation of the Supreme Court?
1. Increase the number of justices.
A. Great idea
B. Okay
C. Nah
D. Bad idea
2. Move aggressively to get statehood status for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
A. Great idea
B. Okay
C. Nah
D. Bad idea
3. Establish term limits for justices.
A. Great idea
B. Okay
C. Nah
D. Bad idea
4. Establish a program in which justices rotate on and off the court.
A. Great idea
B. Okay
C. Nah
D. Bad idea
5. Implement a “strategic retirement” plan for liberal (fair minded) justices.
A. Great idea
B. Okay
C. Nah
D. Bad idea
6. Follow racist, sexist, corporatist, or totalitarian court decisions with new legislation reestablishing justice (such as a new voting rights act).
A. Great idea
B. Okay
C. Nah
D. Bad idea
7. Simply ignore racist, sexist, corporatist, or totalitarian court decisions (as Lincoln did after Dred Scott.)
A. Great idea
B. Okay
C. Nah
D. Bad idea
8. Vow to keep the White House in Democratic hands and to keep a majority in the Senate.
` A. Great idea
B. Okay
C. Nah
D. Bad idea
Change Is In The Air
An autumnal wind swirling leaves from the locust…
…and brushing the tips of the sugar maples.
There’s a sense of anticipation in the atmosphere. Fall is coming.
Birthday Dinner With Irene.
All kinds of good food, conversation, even a little music.
Bean soup, tomato soup, cucumber tomato salad, sautéed bok Choy, grilled salmon, along with new potatoes, etc.
Nuts
Shagbark hickory nuts, to be precise.
A pretty good haul. In hickory country a few weeks earlier than usual this year, which means I’m moderately competitive with the squirrels. A couple of windy days have also helped by shaking some nuts loose before the rodents got to them. It also seems to be a low year for the weevil population—only one of all I’ve collected so far has exhibited a drilled hole.
Plan is to let these seeds stratify in the garage over the winter, and then plant them (squirrel proof) come spring. With luck I’ll have seedlings available in a couple of years.
Hither and Yon
Out and about. Not much time to think bloggish thoughts.
Do you recognize this gnarly person.?
The Whitewater Urban Forest Committee seems to be moving forward with my push to have an arboretum in Starin Park. Here are my suggestions for a Mission Statement and a List of Benefits:
The Arboretum at Starin Park
Mission Statement
The Arboretum at Starin Park exists to provide a beautiful, welcoming sanctuary for humans, trees shrubs, and wildlife. It is a place where people of all ages can come to connect to nature, learn about the environment, and study and practice stewardship. The Arboretum at Starin Park is dedicated to helping create a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world.
Benefits
The Arboretum at Starin Park will:
1. Facilitate restoration of the beauty, health, and diversity of the woodland at Starin Park, enhancing its role as a vital natural sanctuary.
2. Provide Whitewater(and the larger surrounding community) with an outdoor classroom and a related curriculum that connects kids to nature and teaches the fundamentals of ecology and stewardship.
3. Provide Whitewater(and the larger surrounding community) with a haven for adult environmental connection, learning and stewardship.
4. Provide ecosystem services—oxygen, shade, pollution reduction, urban cooling, wildlife shelter, etc.
5. Provide nature-related outdoor social and volunteer opportunities for adults.
6. Help, in a small way, with climate mitigation.
7. Serve as a museum of native Wisconsin trees and shrubs.
8. Provide a laboratory for arboreal research (and a potential nursery).
9. Bring visitors to Whitewater to experience a special natural area and to participate in programs and learning opportunities.
10. Bring recognition to Whitewater as the site of an internationally certified Arboretum, thus enhancing the city’s profile as a good place to live.