No Sailing on Geneva…

…this weekend.

Fontana

Williams Bay

Some time spent watching the impeachment trial. Incredible contrasts between reason and logic and responsibility, with dissembling and disingenuousness.

Emptied Thrice

We don’t have angry birds, we have hungry birds, and lots of them.

Squirrels too, and I do marvel at how these warm blooded creatures handle the cold without the benefit of feathers.

How Cold Is It?

Well…smoke coming out of the chimney is freezing solid and breaking off in big chunks.

And creepers are necessary when walking.

But, cold weather is not all bad. It slows the spread of invasive species (murder hornets, anyone?). It lightly thins the over-abundant white-tail population. It suppresses the coming year’s mosquito population. It keeps hibernators hibernating (which is actually good for them). It reminds fruit trees to be patient. The ice it makes on lakes is good for lakes. And, the heavy snow cover (such as we have) makes for an agriculturally productive season to follow.

But, as they say, enough is enough. 15 below zero when I first checked this morning.

Ready For Anything…

…as long as it’s indoors.

Walking Is Rough

Single digit temperature, slashing wind, treacherous substrate.

Long zoom chat with the Spalding’s.

Such Weather

Been out shoveling four times (although shallow accumulation) and still the precip continues.

And the forecast is…off-putting? Cold, and getting colder.

Footprints…

…in the snow. Plus, another shot in the arm.

Sue got her first Pfizer dose today, which is a relief, because I was worried that the two of us might be a month or more apart in terms of immunization. In an ironic twist, she gets her second shot a day before I get mine.

And now for the footprint quiz. The first photo has one print, the second photo has prints of three different creatures. In order to win the prize identify all four. Pls. post your answer in “Comments.”

Addendum: today we saw a red-tailed hawk and a bald eagle circling Starin Park for quite a long time. The birds almost seemed to be working as a team (which is hard to believe). “Turning and turning in the widening gyre.”

Well, There’s Snow…

…and then there’s snow.

Quick trip to Cedarburg to drop off a few items, and to say hello. Snow too deep in Cedarburg for even biggish dogs, but fun for outdoor kids.

900 Pounds…

…of books delivered this morning.

Each individual copy is quite hefty thanks to high quality paper. Now the challenge is selling more than a few of the 500. This evening Tom and Mary and Sue and I had a celebratory chat, glad of progress, and looking forward to the next phase. Mary reminded me that Tom and I met for the first time, at SweetSpot, almost exactly a year ago (pre-covid).

And, in case anyone didn’t notice, today is the first of February. While February is the month you most want to avoid, it does have the twin benefits of being attached to March and being relatively short.

PhD…

…Piled high and Deep. Less snow than forecast, more than we need.

The hemlock bows but shrugs it off

Waiting For Snow…

…which, with a roaring wind, seems to be arriving just about now.

Quiet, in-house kind of day. Squash soup and pork chops for dinner.

Not Only Birds…

…but other wildlife as well. It seems apparent that the birds are well fed, and we suspect that the neighbor behind us is putting out corn for the deer (which is not advisable, but might keep them from chewing the cedars.)

Photo by neighbor Anna

Mostly Indoors

Very chilly outside, though Pax seems to find it agreeable.

Lot of time spent trying to remember how to build a website, along with a bit of Whitewter GroCo work. While no sign of COVID, a little flare up of spring fever.

It’s Beginning To Feel…

…a lot like winter.

Cold and snow, snow and cold. But, the day is 45 minutes longer than it was back at solstice time, and 5 o’clock is no longer a time of darkness.

Inoculated, Immunized, Vaccinated...

…and needled in the left arm with Pfizer.

Left arm a wee bit sore, but otherwise, no problem. Shot at 8:15 A.M., in Janesville, in the middle of a raging snowstorm. But, quite a crowd of old folks that early and with that weather. Vaccination is a complex operation and here it was very well organized. Mercy Health system is now providing a shot a minute for its patients at two locations in southern Wisconsin.

Arboretum At Starin Park…

…one step closer to reality.

Plan completed, approved, and submitted to ArbNet for certification. It has taken only 10 years to get to this point, and the future looks green.

Iceboat Work

Canting the runners inward so they are not splayed out when under load.

Quite a complex project involving measurement, substrate removal, epoxy, and, ultimately, precise alignment. Luckily, lots of help. (N.B. the guy with the gray hair and no mittens is not Bernie.) Thanks to Renee for the photos.

Nighthawks

I have long been drawn to Edward Hopper’s surprisingly attractive portrait of urban loneliness, almost wishing to sit in, with burger and a milkshake, and being part of the conversation.

(I can’t take credit for the Photoshopping, unfortunately.)

Also, can’t wait to actually go to a pub.

A Cold One…

…in fact, coldest day of the winter so far.

But, record low ice cover on the Great Lakes, and no usable ice for sailing.

Photo by Sue

Do Icicles Really Grow Up?

No. It’s a conspiracy theory.

But this bit of crystal has been sitting on this ledge for days, giving the impression that it is actually growing in place.

Here is last Sunday’s arboretum post.