Big Bird

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Grus canadensis - the Sandhill Crane.  One of the tallest birds in the world.

We haven't been seeing them for a spell.  Of course everything has grown and the cover has become a dense thicket.

But last week the cranes that make the large pond home showed-up on one of the trail cameras.

The picture above was taken by a Moultrie trail camera just about where I snapped the photos of the wild flowers from this morning's post.

Beardtongue

Nope.  That is not newly-fallen snow in the tall grass prairie.  It happens to be Smooth penstemon - Penstemon digitalis.

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A native to the prairie it is commonly called beardtongue.  Native Americans and folk-healers have made us of this plant for medicinal purposes for both people and animals.

And when it blooms...BANG!  There it is.  And there is an abundance of this blooming beauty.  And then before too long the flowers are gone.

The Undead

One thing that is not dead for sure are those dang aliens.

They're back.

Trail camera in the woods caught this picture of the blinding thrusters from their lander.

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If Only the Dead Could Talk

The first church on the peninsula was founded by a Norwegian immigrant - Andreas Iverson.  Ephraim (to be fruitful) was settled with the hope that the land and progeny of these pioneers would yield a fruitful life.

Established in 1853 the Ephraim Moravian Cemetery is situated at the corner of Norway and Willow Streets - east of the church.  Several of the early settlers are interred here and the site is a monument to the church's history.

I've never visited this burial location before and while bicycling last weekend took about forty minutes to walk among the headstones and ponder the backstory of the lives of the deceased.

click on the grave markers to enlarge

If only they could talk it would all be clear. 

You can learn more about the history of the church, its founders and modern day life here. 

Misguided Economics

Photo: Ty Wright/Bloomberg News

Appearing before a wall of garbage today Donald Trump announced his plans to plunge the United States into a deep and dark recession and reverse eight years of steady job growth.

The US Chamber of Commerce and all of us heretic elitists in the business and economic community wasted no time ripping Trump a new one.

Simpleton.

Details here in the Wall Street Journal.

Gastronomical Delight

This week's obligatory food post.

Garden spinach salad - topped with locally-sourced strawberries, California walnuts, goat cheese and a light vinaigrette... 

Door County, organic, free-range, hand carved saddle of venison served rare...

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With garden potato mash and saute of mushrooms. 

Mama and the Twins

Fawns and their moms have been showing-up on the cameras in the past month.  But until last week not the best of pictures.  (The little ones are lost in the tall grasses.)

This pic of momma with a little one in tow..  And wait for it...

Little brother or sister.

Porch Sitting

click on the Corona to enllarge

The girls and I celebrated Donald Trump's cratering poll numbers and abysmal fundraising with a frosty cerveca from south of the border.

Raising a toast to free trade.  

It's what made America Great!

Milkweed

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Asclepias Syriaca.  There are thirteen milkweed varieties found in Wisconsin and this stuff grows all over the place.  Along the driveway, in the flower beds, in the native planting and along the trails.  It is ubiquitous.

There are no healing qualities to be ascribed to this plan - if you taste it your heart will do flip-flops and you'll get hot-flashes.  That is because the plant contains cardiac glycosides.

In a symbiotic twist the Monarch butterfly lays its eggs on this plant and the caterpillar dines-upon it.  As a result the caterpillar becomes toxic and the birds leave it alone.

Grape Jelly

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So far the jar count for this season four.  Started on a fifth.

Hungry bird the oriole is.

Amphibian Invasion

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Holy Crap!

These little frogs showed-up yesterday and they are everywhere.

Garage, shed, driveway, under the cars, all over the hot tub - especially the shady sides of 
the buildings. It’s an amphibian invasion.

And they're singing-up a song chorus every evening.

Spring peepers. 

Watching our step...

The Robin Expert

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Took this pic this afternoon.  These nestlings are getting huge - looks like they're about to fledge.

Laura Erickson - The Robin Expert - has this to say:

After a brood of young robins fledge (leave the nest), the mother starts building a new nest and laying new eggs even as she still spends most of the time each day attending to those fledglings. The father spends all day with the fledglings and leads them to a roost at nighttime, where they join with other fathers and fledglings. 

When the mother finishes laying a new clutch (which takes usually four to six days after her new nest is built), she starts incubating and leaves the fledglings to their father’s care. When the new eggs hatch, the father leaves the fledglings on their own and returns to feeding the new nestlings. Those fledglings hang out with the other fledglings from their nighttime roost, finding fruit trees and worms and being sociable, and every night the fathers join them in the roost. 

As the last broods are done being raised, the mothers join these flocks. So by the summer’s end, robin flocks contain birds of all ages that start to wander, looking for new feeding areas that provide some worms and fruit. The young birds hang out with these restless flocks, moving from place to place in search of food, mostly headed in a southerly direction. They don’t have to know where to go on their own because of their need to associate with other robins.

You can learn more from Laura at her American Robin website here.

Kegger Redux

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This beer was originally in a keg.

Now it's in a bottle.  

To be enjoyed at the close of an honest day's work.

On the porch.

Blister in the Sun India White Lager - Wisconsin Brewing Company.

Kegger

All I can say is that our friends on the other side of the pond have a more efficient way of moving vast quantities of adult beverages.

Or a sense of humor....

Grilling

Post bike ride grilling.

Start by chopping garden potatoes, onions and spargel.  Add chopped parsnips, carrots, sweet peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes.  Season with extra virgin olive oil and Penzeys rosemary.

Start with an exceedingly hot fire of natural charcoal on one side of your kettle grill.  In your grill wok sear the spuds, carrots and parsnips first, followed by the peppers.  

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Set aside on a cookie sheet and add skewers of yummy free-range, organically grown and wild-killed, hand-carved Door County venison.  

Sear to rare and set aside to rest.

Add the shrooms to the wok and set aside.  Tomatoes last.  Top with fresh cracked pepper and coarse sea salt.

Serve with friends and a selection of wines.

The entire stove top presentation was devoured by the six of us.

Raising a toast to fresh air and exercise and the healthy appetite that follows. 

Large Band

In the near future...

One of my favorite artists, intimate venue and the Large Band too...

Birds in the Bush

On Monday I posted an update on the robin hatchlings inhabiting the rose bush alongside of the garage.

They're growing quickly...

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Brexit

Ahem (thoughtfully clearing voice) 

I hate to interrupt your panic. But in case you haven’t noticed the UK is still a member of the EU and will likely remain so for at least two more years - if not many more.

Contrary to all of the breathless chatter nothing has changed yet.  The Brexit vote is not legally binding and it is entirely possible that the UK's new government may delay invoking Article 50.  

Or Parliament could instruct the prime minister not to invoke Article 50.

Or there could be another referendum to undo the first.

Indeed, we may actually never get a Brexit at all.

So let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Keep calm and carry on...

Friday Morning Music

Recording executives at Deram were skeptical about the hybrid style of this group that pioneered the use of rock and roll, classical musical music and the Mellotron that Michael Pinder has been introduced-to.

I came of age with this group.

Rare, early 1968 footage and they were clean-shaven and not so shaggy yet.  Sixteen minutes and three popular songs - live.  Enjoy...

Words to Live By

From my daughter's Face Book page is a note on her desk at work that she reads every day:   Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.  Be kind.  Always.

Now I have a note at my workstation too...

The Garden Chronicles

Update.

Last weekend the garden received a very thorough weeding.  Seriously, a crawling on your hands and knees with a claw and hose sort of weeding.  Followed by a cultivation of the larger areas with the rototiller.  If I don't say so myself it is looking like a fit and proper vegetable garden.

Three hills of Kakai pumpkins were planted at the far end (next to The Frau's invading raspberry bed).  A section of romaine lettuce was replanted as it was strangled by weedy vegetation and a third row of pickles went in as well.

Picked the first batch of spinach and bagged a gallon storage bag of fresh, rinsed spinach for salads and sandwiches this week.  

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Good food and good therapy. 

Vive le Jardin Magnifique!