Wisconsin Raptors

Barred owl - Strix varia - a grey and brown owl with a large head and dark brown eyes.

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A common forest owl it has a distinctive call...who cooks for you, who cooks for you, who cooks for you all...

They are often seen perched in a tree keeping a sharp eye out for voles, mice and other prey.

1963 Amphicar

The Amphicar.

An amphibious car designed by Hanns Trippel and manufactured by the Quandt Group at Lübeck and at Berlin-Borsigwalde.

This one includes a Wisconsin boat registration and a 2012 season pass for the boat launch in Sturgeon Bay.

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Hitler Finds Out About Apple's IOS6 Maps

It had to happen sooner or later...

1965 MKII Shelby Cobra

Fitted with a 289 cu in (4.7 L) this is one fine automobile.

Not sure what model this one is.  Might even be a kit...

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Fall Flowers

Another showy fall flower is Canada goldenrod - Solidago Canadensis.

Not to be confused with Stiff goldenrod (rounded leaves) the pointed leaves of this plant differentiate it from other twenty-odd goldenrod species found in Wisconsin.

A member of the aster family it also is a nectar producer and is frequently visited by migrating Monarch butterflies and bees stocking-up for the winter.

Driveway Upgrade

Having battled years of gravel being tracked into the house, or gravel being pushed by the plow into the yard and dogs scratching their backs by rolling in the gravel - especially wet gravel - The Frau and I decided to have the driveway paved.

In asphalt.

Sure, it will be hot in the summer - but the snow won't stand a chance in the winter.  Moreover no more grit and dust blowing into the house when the windows are open and no more stone getting tracked all over the place.

Here's what it looked like before the project began.

Making sure the base is prepped and the grade is correct.

All ready for paving when the conditions are right.

Newly paved road out front will be connected with a newly paved driveway.

I should go purchase a skateboard.

How To Wear-Out Your Lab

It has been said that as far as dog breeds go the Labrador retriever has more energy than sense.

At least I said that. 

If only all of that energy could be bottled and sold.

I've come across a simple method of burning-off all of that excess energy.  Get up early in the morning and take the dogs off lead for a walk up to the north property line a half mile distant.  Then walk back.  That's a little more than a mile for the man but probably closer to two miles for the dogs.

Feed the pooches breakfast upon return.

They'll sleep in their crates until noon allowing me and The Frau an opportunity to accomplish something else without having to mind the pups.

Fall Color

It's a wonderful routine to take the dogs for a walk run first thing in the morning.

Brisk, sunny, pistol on my hip and a cuppa steaming joe in a travel mug.

On the return leg of our mile+ hike it's nice to set on the Leopold bench at the ancestral campsite and check the email while the dogs continue to tear it up.

Even this red oak sapling is getting into the spirit of autumn...

Sturgeon By Car Show

Harvest Festival 2012 was today and Brother In Law and I and the Fraus went to check it out.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend it's got gobs of arts and crafts for sale, music, and all sorts of food.  The Marine Corps League sells Italian sausages with peppers on real Italian rolls, the Knights of Columbus sells grilled turkey legs and sweet corn, the Rotary sells brats, plus there's pizza, kettle corn, sweets and beer.  And wine.  And more beer.

The festival also hosts one of the best car shows around.

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Amazing to me that there are so many cool cars on the peninsula.

Check back periodically for some real cool wheels. 

Fish Fry

The Frau talked me into making fish last night.

So I fetched a package of yellow perch from the freezer and prepped it the only way it should be prepped.

Brined it for a few hours, dipped it in an egg wash and dredged it in seasoned flour, back to the egg wash and into Panko Japanese bread crumbs.  Pan fried.

Served with some oven baked garden potatoes season with Emeril's Essence.

Yum!

Fall Flowers

The flower petals have fallen from this Compass plant - Silphium Laciniatum - leaving the seed heads exposed for the resident goldfinches and chickadees.

I cannot even reach to the top of this one.  Remarkably, the tap root on this plant is longer than it is tall.

The compass plants are prolific this year as they lover drier than normal weather.

Girlfriend

I think that I have possibly the most stunning-looking girlfriend on the face of the planet.

A demure dame if I ever saw one...

Fall Flowers

One sure sign of autumn is the blooming of the New England Aster - Aster novae-angliae. 

Migrating Monarch butterflies will visit this plant for its nectar as they head south.

Another Big Deer

Different deer, different location, taken on that same foggy 3rd of September...

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Big Deer

The third of this month dawned foggy and misty.

And the bucks were on the prowl.

Like this guy materializing from out of the mist...

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Little Deer

It seems exceedingly late in the year for this little fella to still be sporting spots.

Must have been a late-bred doe that delivered a late in the fawning season little one...

Feeling the Impact of the Drought

Even though we've had closer to normal rainfall than much of the state - the impact of the drought is still being felt.

Mostly by the pond.

It's dried-up.  There isn't enough water in it to float a kayak. 

This time of year it is ordinarily a way point for migrating waterfowl to stop for a layover.  Not this year.  Without some massive rains it's not going to fill until winter arrives and is followed by the spring melt.  

The good news is I'll be able to get in there and spray the invasive plants after the natives go dormant for the season.

Scouting by Camera

Catching some bucks on the trail cameras lately.

I cannot say much about the quality of the photography as conditions haven't been all that great.

But there are some dandy bucks out there...

Caught Between the Devil and a Hard Place

An interesting study has been published whereby economists have observed that a belief in hell (relative to a belief in heaven) may have a positive impact upon the economic growth of developing nations.

Learn more about it here.

Road Work Complete

With the exception of the final grading of the shoulder the new road is complete.  A very nice ribbon of smooth asphalt.

When the job went out for bids the winning contract was awarded to the low bidder.

The Door County Highway Department.

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Local Whitetail Watch

The trail camera located in the northeast corner of the property is getting plenty of action lately.

Most of the photos are no good as they're usually the ass-end of a deer coming or going.

But on occasion there's a good one.

Like this buck...


And this doe...

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Skillet Bear

Skillet Bear

1 pound of bear cut into ¾ inch cubes

2 small fresh sweet onions from the garden – chopped

I package fresh mushrooms - sliced

Five peppercorns and a couple of juniper berries ground in a pestle

Red wine (a dry red like Chianti or Merlot)

Beef base

Ketchup

Butter, olive oil and flour

In a skillet heat 2T each of butter and olive oil. More if needed. Generously season the bear with ground pepper and juniper. Dredge in flour and add to hot skillet. Toss in the onions. Sear on high heat until browned then add 1 c each of red wine and beef base. A splootch of ketchup too.  Cover and simmer for an hour+ with the lid slightly askew and stir periodically.

Pour yourself a glass of red wine.

After the sauce has reduced somewhat add your mushrooms and simmer another 15-30 minutes covered.

Refresh your wine.

Remove the lid from the pan and reduce further. The sauce will continue to thicken.

Serve with noodles, spuds, spaetzle or whatever. I used leftover crashed potatoes and some garden peas. Your bear will be tender to the fork.  The Frau declared this an exceptional dish.

This will enhance your domestic tranquility. I guarantee it…

Hairy Turd

In keeping with the present scatological  theme here at The Platz - while out walking the dogs the other day I encountered a hairy-looking turd on the trail.

I picked it apart revealing any number of small mammalian bones.

Coyote scat for sure...

Berry Turd

While hunting black bear in Canada a week or so ago I just had to have a picture of some bear scat for the photo album.

You can tell from this photo that the blueberries are in season.

You are what you eat...

Turkeys on Parade

Taken from the Guard Tower Deer Stand - a flock of turkeys.

A parade review of the ladies!

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Busy Cams

The trail cameras have been working overtime during the past week.  With windy conditions I've amassed almost three hundred beautifully composed digital photographs of trees, grass and shrubs waving in the breeze.

I've been concerned that a camera has been strapped to one of the Guard Tower Deer Stands for almost a month and hasn't taken a single picture of any significant wildlife.  Nothing but bugs.

Finally a deer...

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Mama

This looks like a small fawn for the end of August.

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Must have been late bred and late dropped.

Nevertheless the local deer population appears to be thriving.