Back In The Saddle

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Eighteen days since the hip replacement and I've been making steady progress.

Today - the ladies and I fired-up the four-wheeler and ventured forth for a romp.  Me riding with Sister and Girlfriend tearing along.

With my trusty crutch we swapped the memory cards from the trail cameras so there'll be some selected pictures to follow.

Feels terrific to be back outdoors...

South of Broad

I've been feeling pretty darn good. My physical therapist says I'm in the top decile of recovering hip replacement patients she's had an opportunity to work with.


So when I'm not doing my exercises or puttering in the kitchen I'm reading everything in sight.


One of the recent blissful pleasures has been the opportunity to read two daily newspapers over coffee each morning. Pure decadence.


Finished this book last night.

South of Broad - by Pat Conroy


Set in Charleston, South Carolina, between 1969 and 1990 the story tracks a group of friends, their adventures, loves and battles.


If you like stories from the south mixed with Catholicism, segregation, sex, intrigue, murder most foul and a surprised ending - you'll enjoy this book.


Learn more about it here.

Frohe Weihnachten

From our house to yours...

The Ghost Map

Take a couple million people crammed into a something on the order of ten square miles. 

During the hot summer of 1854 London was literally wallowing in its own shit.  

It had become the perfect breeding ground for a disease that nobody understood or has a cure for.  And it lead to one of the most horrific epidemics since the plague.

This is a story about how this event changes science and urban sanitation forever.

Learn more about it here.

Whitetail

Another solitary deer.

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The next time I have an opportunity to post any deer pictures we should have snow on the ground. 

That's all for now.  See you soon...

Tatooed!

Been back home following my hip replacement in the big city.  Shortly afterward the Frau pointed out that I had a number of autographs on my right leg.

Seems everyone had to sign-off and be in agreement that this was the correct limb before anyone begins dislocating and hacking-way at it.

I happen to think that it is good policy.

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Holiday Parody

In keeping with the holiday cheer...

A Strange Aparition

I'm not a drama queen but this does creep me out.

A ghostly light captured in the woods beyond the deer trail.

Spirits?

A UFO?

Alien visitation?

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Busy Spot

The location of this trail camera has furnished plenty of evidence that this is a busy and well-traveled deer trail.  Amazing...

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Nocturnal Hunter

For a refreshing change of pace I caught a series of pictures of an owl. 

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Judging from the scale of the head of the deer in the picture from yesterday's post and the position of the bird behind the licking branch my best guess is that this is a Great Horned Owl.  I know we don't have Barred Owls as I never hear their distinctive call.  We do have Screech Owls - but they're much smaller raptors.  That leaves - Bubo virginianus.

This bird is sometimes called the Flying Tiger as it is fearless.  It is one of the few animals that will kill porcupines and skunks.

A Couple of Deer

A one and a one-and-a-half year-old buck and a thoroughly startled doe.  The photo with the buck was taken by a camera positioned next to an active rub.  The buck is checking out another male whitetail's licking branch.

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Blogging About The Blog

By the time you read this I will be at the hospital being prepped for a new hip.  Ordinarily I wouldn't be looking forward to a major surgical procedure but I'm being optimistic about a pain-free, new year and getting my life back.  I will be partially bionic.

Following my discharge I've got a couple weeks of in-home  therapy before I get to wear my dancing shoes again.

Anyway, I've got some additional trail camera shots to post this week - but after that the blog will go on a short hiatus.

Busy Night

Wednesday, November 30th was a hopping morning for the whitetails.  This isn't all of the pictures - just a few of the better ones... 

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Big Buck

This guy is still coming around the usual spot...

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More From the Trail Camera

Sister and I went out yesterday to fetch the memory cards from the trail cameras.  You'd think that post hunting season the deer would be few and far-between.

Not so... 

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Braumeister, Big Tim and New Guy are coming up tonight for some late season deer hunting.

Yippie-kai-yay

For pure escapism you cannot beat a good tale from the wild west.

I've been curled-up by the fire with this.

Classic Cowboy Stories - 18 Extraordinary Tales From the Old West

With authors like Theodore Roosevelt, Owen Wister, Zane Grey, Frederic Remington and O. Henry - what's not to like.

Git along little dogie...

Pole Dancing

Ordinarily I would not post anything involving pole dancing - but this girl can dance!

Wild from Wyoming...

Sticker Shock

Here's an eclectic mix of bumper stickers.  If you think about the logic of it - its a good way to patch-over the rust and dents on this pick-up truck.

Funny thing though. The rear tag is Wisconsin while tag on the front bumper was from Wyoming... 

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West Point Tree Farm

Perhaps the most unusual Tree Farm in the U.S, is the West Point Tree Farm, located on the banks of the Hudson River in New York on the campus of the historic military academy founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1802.  It is unusual because its 12,736 acres are the only federal land certified as part of the American Tree Farm System.  The one-of-a-kind designation was granted by ATFS in 1987 and resulted from West point's long-standing commitment to sustainable forestry.  that commitment began when the Academy hired its first forester - Gifford Pinchot - in 1903.

Pinchot, a pioneer in forest management and the father of the U.S. National Forest Service, developed the first management plan for West Point's forestlands.  This is still reflected in West Point's Integrated natural Resource Management Plan for the 21st century.  The plan focuses on maintaining ecosystem viability, protecting ecosystem integrity, protecting and enhancing biological communities, and protecting the forests from unacceptable damage and degradation - all while serving as a setting for rigorous military training.

Learn more about the West Point Tree Farm here.

Source - American Tree Farm System

Tatooed!

After returning from the hospital following my hip replacement the Frau pointed-out that I also return with a number of tatoos on my right leg.

Seems everyone's got to sign-off on the job and be in total agreement that they have the correct limb before anybody weild a saw to it.

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Titan Dies - Weight Lifted

Alekseyev, Vasily - 1942 to 2011

Passed away on Friday in Badenhausen, Germany.

Winner of the Olympic Gold in the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Games - Alekseyev was unbeaten from 1970 to 1978.  He holds eight consecutive world championships.

Alekseyev was the first man to lift 500 pounds and more than 600 kilos (1,323 pounds) in three lifts.  

As a young man coming of age in the 1970s it's a sad day to see this weight lifting titan pass into history.

RIP Big Guy...

Demand for Alcohol

The year-round population on the peninsula is slightly less that 28,000 people.  The village of Egg Harbor has 201 permanent residents.  It's a small place.

Egg harbor also has 21 licensed liquor establishments.  That means there is one location to slake your thirst for every nine residents.  Egg Harbor has more liquor licenses per capita than any other community in Wisconsin.

I don't want you to get the impression that there is a drinking problem in this tiny burg.  Probably has more to do with the annual invasion of flatlanders.

Learn more here. 

Die Hard Deer Camp

Last day of deer camp for this hunter.  Found this interview on the web.  This is a hard core deer camp...

More Antlers

Here are some additional selected photos of the local buck population...

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Antlers Anyone?

The other day Sister and I finally got around to fetching the memory cards from the trail cameras. 

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Yotes! Yow!

Took the dogs out tonight to do their business and Sister, Little Buddy and Girlfriend got all worked-up over the yipping and howling to the south.

Coyotes!

As near as I can figure they were located immediately south at the edge of the hay field bordering a large woodlot. A half mile distant.

It's been a number of years since we've had yotes howling around here like this. 

Probably because there's all sorts of gut piles and the occasional unrecovered deer on the landscape.

I suppose coyotes have a reason to be thankful today too.  If I was one I'd probably howl too...

Yummy Burger

Picked-up 30 pounds of ground venison from the local butcher.

I dropped a big box of scraps-off on Monday and asked that they grind it into burger and ad 10% pork to the mix.

Packed in handy one pound+ bags and frozen.

I have a vision of tacos, chili and more in the coming year.

If you're in the area be sure to make a sttop at Marchants for some awesome fresh and smoked meats.  http://www.marchantsfoods.com/

Opening Day With a DNR Warden

Here's a short clip from Wisconsin's WDNR...

Curious Bear

Here's a  bowhunter's solution to a curious bear...

Veterans Recognition

Finally got around to off-loading some photos and video from my iPhone.  This is a nice shot of the card trick that the crowd participated-in at the Packer/Viking game last Monday night.

Very cool.

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Deer Camp

All the unloaded firearms are stacked lovingly
on the rack by the  back door of the garage.

By the grilling supplies.

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High Cost of Healthcare

In the past 25 years the daily cost of an average midwest hospital stay increased 1,366% or 11.3% per year.


Over the same period inflation rose 101% or 2.8% per year.


What gives?


Source: Department of Labor

Deer Camp

I don't want you to get the impression that I'm superstitious or anything but I never begin my gun deer camp without a healthy dose of the Cowboy Junkies...



If you're hunting  this weekend - shoot straight and be safe!

Downtime

When we're off chasing ringnecks in Spink County, SD one of our favorite times of day happens to be kicking-back and enjoying some downtime at Randi's Refuge.

Located in a a barn it has all of the comforts of - well - a barn.  Except that it is appointed with over stuffed furniture, a fully stocked fridge and bar.  It's a combination dog kennel, pheasant-cleaning station and man cave.

Back in Dolan at our rented house it's pate, sardines, head cheese, toast points and the Packer game...

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Smoke Signal

Returning from our pheasant hunting road trip Braumeister and I spied this giant cloud of smoke near Baraboo, WI.

We watched it loom larger as we approached and speculated on what was the cause.

Barn fire?  Plane crash? Forest fire?

When we finally arrived at the spot there was a prescribed burn being conducted in what appeared to be a wildlife area to the east of the highway.

Looked all over for a news item with details and found nothing.

Solve the Mystery

On Interstate 90 crossing Minnesota you are going to see plenty of these road signs situated on the north and south sides of the four lane highway.

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What will you find on the reverse side of the larger signs like the one above?

Peninsula Ringnecks

I was cleaning shotguns yesterday late afternoon when the Frau said - There's a couple of rooster pheasants by the rain garden pond.

Go figure.  Guns disassembled.  Parts everywhere.

I called Girlfriend to the backdoor and cracked it open. She spotted the birds immediately, flushed them and sent them cackling.
  
The pooch is still recovering but she hasn't lost any interest in ringnecks...
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Turn of The Digit

The odometer on the 4-wheeler turned over to 1000 miles yesterday.

It's hard to believe that you can put 1000 miles on an ATV on an 80 acre property in only seven+  years or so.

That's like driving your balloon-wheeled vehicle from the peninsula to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

That's a lot of errands and deer hauled to the shed.

The Big Zephyr

Just back from chasing ringnecks in South Dakota.  1300 miles of road trip and not a single kayak sighting!

We saw a lot of these though.  They're everywhere!

They're supposed to be good for slowing climate change.  Nevertheless, they were not turning.  Not a single kilowatt of current was being generated by the hundreds and hundreds of wind turbines we drove past.  Braumeister pointed out that this was because their blades were feathered. 

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I think I've figured it out.

Check out this news item...


In The Know: Coal Lobby Warns Wind Farms May Blow Earth Off Orbit

Gone Hunting

Be back next week.

Maybe...

Sparring

Smokey Joe captured these bucks sparring one frosty morning last weekend.

Shot some video too.

Very cool.

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Bow Hunting

Smokey Joe and Braumeister spent a weekend at The Platz to do some hunting.

Saw plenty deer.

Nothing hanging yet.

Caught On Camera

The girls and I were out swapping memory cards on the trail cameras a couple of weeks ago. By the time you are reading this we'll be doing it again. Even though it's beautiful hiking weather the dang hip has forced me to use the four wheeler.

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More Deer

Amazing.

Put the trail cameras out, move them around from time-to-time.  Replace the memory cards every couple  of weeks or so.

In the intervening time there will be hundreds of pictures taken.

No bait - no nothing.

I might want to start puting some scents out to see what  happens.

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Demographic Shifts

Seniors now comprise 23 percent of the peninsula's population (give or take).

According to Jeff Sachse, labor force analyst  for Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development the trend will be for this to climb to 33 percent by 2010.  Aging baby boomers are staying and younger people are leaving.

Additionally, the peninsula has the highest concentration of wealth of any non-metropolitan county in the state.

Per capita income of $40,124 is behind only Dane, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.

Not bad for a relatively sparse population of 28,000 residents.

Learn more about it here.

Nobody Here But Us Turkeys

While the Frau and I haven' been seeing many turkeys in person the local flock seems to be in mighty good shape going into the fall and winter.

Here's bachelor flock.

Until spring breeding begins males tend to move in their own group.

Females have their brood flocks.

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