Nice Rack

I moved the trail cameras to a couple of new locations last Friday.  With the dearth of deer lately I figured what the heck.

Time to change it up.

Back home I uploaded the contents of the memory cards and lo and behold...

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Where'd the Deer Go?

For awhile it was not unusual to capture a hundred or more pictures of deer on the trail cameras.  Sure, many were multiple shots of the same deer.  Lately it's only a dozen to a couple of dozen shots.  And no boy deer.  Just does and fawns.

I wonder where all the deer went?  Hunkered-down due to the heat maybe?



One blonde lab too.

Another Wildflower

Prairie blazing star - Liatris pycnostachya.  A native plant found in Wisconsin's prairies it is favored by nectar seeking insects and delectable to the local deer.

Even though it appears to be a single flower there are many little flowers that can be found on the stalk.  Pycnostachya is latin for crowded.  In the picture below you can see it is just starting to bloom...

Still Seeing Fawns

No twins this year.  At least any that I've gotten a picture of.  Nevertheless, it is encouraging to know that another generation of deer is in the woods.  Since does and fawns do not range very far I'd beet that this scene is being repeated in various wood lots all across southern Door County.

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Note to self - move your trail cameras to alternate locations and see who else is out there.

The Dog Days

The dog days - diēs caniculārēs - reference the hottest days of summer which are July and August.

This has its roots in the belief that Sirius - also known as the Dog Star - was responsible for the hot weather due to its proximity to the sun.

Best to get that walk out of the way in the early morning before breakfast.

Sister, Gilligan and Girlfriend...

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Delicious Wildflower

If you like Earl Grey tea you should be familiar with this wildflower.

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Bergamot - Monarda fistulosa - also know as Bee balm or Horsemint.

A member of the mint family this wildflower has been used throughout history for its purported medicinal attributes.  The oil of this plant is incorporated as a flavoring agent in Earl Grey tea.

Enjoy!

Bird Food

While out bicycling last weekend I encountered this very healthy Kewaunee County field of sunflowers.  And it wasn't the only one.  There were many more - on both sides of the highway.

Northeast Wisconsin hasn't been nearly as impacted by the drought that has punished farmers almost everywhere else this growing season.  The corn is tall and looking fine and apparently there will be a bumper crop of oil sunflower seed as well.

That's going to be a boat-load of bird seed once it's harvested...

Riding For A Cure

For twenty years I have ridden the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Scenic Shore 150.  A charity bike ride (not a race) to raise funds for patient support and blood cancer disorder research.

Twenty years-ago the first ride had 130 riders and $30,000 was raised.

The goal now has grown to 1000 riders and $1,000,000.

Years ago The First Mate and I formed a team for organized bike rides - Team Swill.  Our motto is:  Where there is a swill there is a sway.  We're the original Swill Brothers.  We even formed our own brewery - The Swill Brothers Brewery.  We made hooch in the basement and that home brew actually garnered us three Wisconsin State Fair ribbons.  The brewery has been on hiatus but the bike team persists.  Team Swill fielded 11 good friends for the 20th anniversary ride last weekend. 

Anyway, I got this cool award because I'm the last man standing.

The only rider to participate in all 20 rides.

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Cuteness Personified

The Frau shot this video clip from the kitchen.

Four fledgling barn swallows were perched on the open window.  Whenever a parent swooped past or towards them to alight on the window and feed them a tasty bug the chorus begins.

Right on cue.

It's just too cute for words...

 

Migrant Housing

Probably not the most politically-correct term to use but the Peninsula boasts a robust history of migrant farm labor.

Prior to the mechanization of fruit harvesting Door County hosted a seasonal labor force that was responsible for bringing the orchard crop to market.

If you search the birth records of the peninsula for dates that coincide with the fall harvest you will find Hispanic surnamed infants.

I've ridden my bicycle past this relic situated along the spine of the northern part of the peninsula for more than twenty years.

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Housing for seasonal laborers.

There used to be bedsteads and moldy mattresses in these cabins - which coincidentally sported electricity.  But they're deteriorating and becoming more overgrown with every passing year.

History rotting...

Even More Deer

This location is capturing some does periodically and a few fawns.  No boy deer.

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On balance not as many deer than other locations so I'll probably more it in the next week or so.

More Garden Porn

Here's a nice shot of the main garden - thriving in its new raised bed.

Spuds in the foreground, followed by a couple of varieties of onions and cabbages.

I'm finding out that with the raised bed I get better water retention with the few and far-between rainsfalls we've been getting.

When I do have to irrigate the fact that I augmented the soil with peat moss and composted manure also helps.

Pumpkins

Cukes (on a trellis)

Green (sweet) peppers

Tomatoes

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More Deer

The camera located along the western-most end of the creek is capturing deer on a regular basis.  It's been repositioned about three times and I may  continue to tweak it as the summer progresses into fall.

A velvet buck

Mama and her fawn

And some crazed-looking guy on a four-wheeler

Garden Porn

It is with great trepidation that I suggest that this year's gardening experience is likely the best yet.

There probably aren't very many people that get-off on photographing their vegetables except me.  But the sheer richness and vibrancy of these plants is too irresistible.

Broccoli

Cabbages



Grape tomatoes

Pole beans (on bamboo tripods)

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Cana Island Lighthouse - Part 2

There is more to know about the Cana Island Lighthouse.

The height of the tower is 89 feet and it has a stone foundation the is set upon the dolostone bedrock the constitutes the peninsula's geology.

You have to climb 102 cast iron steps to get to the watch room at the top of the tower with port holes placed as periodic intervals.

The light itself has a visual range of 18 miles.

From the tower looking west is the oil house (still smells of kerosene) with the privy behind it.

Views from the tower of the coastline to the south

And the coastline to the north

In case you've ever wondered about the meaning of being built like a brick shithouse.  A picture is worth a thousand words....

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Cana Island Lighthouse - Part 1

It's been a few years since we've visited so last weekend my oldest pal World Explorer and his daughter (my Godchild) and The Frau trekked up the peninsula to check out one of Door County's more popular lighthouses.

The last time I visited nobody was allowed to climb the tower to the top.  That's changed recently and it's pretty cool to make the climb.

The Cana Island lighthouse was constructed in 1869 and first lit on 1870.  Both the tower, the keeper quarters and the privy were constructed of Milwaukee cream city brick.

Almost immediately the brick tower began to deteriorate at the hands of harsh coastal weather and in 1902 the tower was clad in steel plating to protect if from further deterioration.

View from beneath the lens

There is a third order Fresnel lens at the top of the tower that was manufactured in France.  (Yes, there was outsourcing in the 1800's.)  The light was originally fueled by lard oil, then kerosene, followed by acetylene and finally electricity in 1945 when it became automated.

View of the lens from above

The lighthouse has been serviced by eight keepers over the years with Rosie and Louie Janda departing in 1995.

It remains an operating lighthouse to this day.

The iPad

So papa, how do you like the new iPad we got you?

More Wildflowers

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Gray-headed coneflower - Ratibida pinnata.

As hot and dry as its been we have a nice crop of this tall and bold-looking native perennial.  The prairie plants are thriving under these conditions. 

Is also known as the Yellow Coneflower.

Kayak Nation

So far this year I haven't seen any kayaks on the water - and I've spent plenty of time on the water.

That's probably because the kayaks and the kayakers are so busy taking them for rides up and down Wisconsin's roads.  Or wagging them to the grocery.  Or trundling them around to show them off.


Yesterday I spied a Toyota Prius with two giant kayaks strapped to the roof rack.  They were longer than the darn hybrid.

Then there was this.

I figured it was just a matter of time.

The Mother Lode....

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Wildflowers Everywhere

When the dogs and I go for our early morning walk sometimes we have to stop and smell the flowers...

Compass plant - Silphium laciniatum - is the tallest of all the native prairie plants sometimes reaching a dozen feet in height.  (This one was only as tall as me).

This plant aligns itself north to south to maximize exposure to sunlight.

If you are inclined - collect the sap and make chewing gum from it.

Stewardship

While out bicycling I came across this pastoral peninsular landscape.

There was an old barn and you could see adjacent to the barn a ring of lilacs indicating where the ancestral homestead used to stand.

There was also this signage.

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Land held in Wisconsin's Stewardship Program.  Open for all for outdoor recreation - hiking, cross country skiing, hunting, fishing and trapping.  Probably berry-picking too.

Learn more about the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program here.

And One More for Good Measure

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Last week we moved one of the cameras to a new location and we're getting fawn pictures there too...

Even More Fawns

Again, in Sinissippigal's yard...

More Fawns

Looks like this year has brought us a nice crop of little ones...

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Better Living Though Smoking

Yesterday after the morning chores I fired-up the smoker.

On Thursday the dogs and I put a pail of eight South Dakota pheasant breasts down in the basement to soak in the signature brine.

The Frau and I had to fiddle with the placement of the smoker so the persistent east wind wouldn't blow-out the flame.  Eventually we got it spot-on and by 2 PM those precious breasts were smoking low and slow over apple wood.

Took them off after three hours.

Here's the finished product.

Oooooo baby.  Very nice.

I'll leave them in the pan in the garage fridge overnight and then debone most of them and cut into cubes.  From there they'll be apportioned into 1 cup packages and shrink wrapped and frozen.

I'll probably freeze a couple of the better-looking ones intact for entertaining.  Nothing better than cold smoked pheasant and cheese on crackers.  Especially during the holidays.

I took one of the breasts that was 'significantly shot' and trimmed and cubed it.

Fix a simple cheese sauce and cook a pot of pasta.

Drain your pasta.

Add back to the pasta pot some olive oil and a chopped garden onion. Saute.

When your onions begin to glaze add the pheasant.

After the pheasant and onion are heated-through add a cup of frozen peas from this year's garden.

Add back the drained pasta and pour the sauce over all.

Heat thoroughly and serve with grated Romano cheese.

This is a meal guaranteed to advance the domestic relations...



More Wild Flowers

Blue Vervain - Verbena hastata.

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Verbena - Latin for sacred plant - harks back to a long time ago when this plant was thought to have healing properties.  Bugs like it because it produces large quantities of nectar.

It's growning here because I nuked all the reed canary grass that had previously infested this area.

All it needed was a chance.

Another Velvet Buck

Not from here - but one in Sinissippigal's yard.

Fiscal Cliff

Ha!  You thought I was going to have a witty Fourth of July post today.

Instead I bring you this witty, ditty...

More Wildflowers

Common Milkweed - Asclepias Syriaca.

We've a nice crop of this native growing all over the place.  Food the a couple generations of Monarch butterfly larvae.

This plant has an odd pollination system.  There are sacs of pollen that become ensnared on the legs of insects - and the insect ends-up inserting the sacs into other plants as it makes its rounds.