Nocturnal Deer

Plenty of deer movement during daylight hours - and not just on the trail cameras.  We are witness to it almost constantly now.  Deer in the cut bean field to the east, deer in the cut hayfield a mile to the west.  Deer in the tall grass north of the house.  Deer everywhere.  What we don't see are the deer after dark.  For that there is infrared technology and the ever-patient Moultrie trail cameras....

click on image for a better look

Reading List

Nothing like being bedridden to get caught-up on your reading.  Last week I polished this-off between naps.

It is the winter of 1945, the last dark days of the war in occupied Holland.  A Nazi collaborator, infamous for his cruelty, is assassinated as he rides home on his bicycle.  The Germans retaliate by slaughtering an innocent family;  only the youngest son, twelve-year-old Anton Steenwijk survives.

-New York Times Book Review

This is a fictionalized account of life under Nazi occupation by Dutch author Harry Mulisch.  It focuses on the life of Anton Steenwijk with the story staged in five sections. Each section represents a different point in Anton’s life as the mystery of the slaughter that night unfolds despite Anton's efforts to avoid contemplating his family’s fate. This is a thriller and detective novel of sorts illustrating the lingering effects of the Second World War on the Dutch population.  I found it difficult to put down with every chapter a peeling-back of the onion revealing more of the truth. 

Lenten Blueberry Walnut Muffins

More then once I have published here the recipe for my blueberry muffins.  They're back for the season of Lent. 

As you probably already know Lent is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday. 

Many practitioners of the Christian faith commit to fasting and/or foregoing certain luxuries to replicate Jesus' sacrifice in his forty-day journey in the desert.  Others commit to daily devotions, prayer and contemplation. 

You're probably wondering what makes these muffins appropriate for Lent.  They don't look particularly sacrificial - they actually appear rather decadent.  The answer is obvious - if you give up dessert during Lent don't eat the muffins.  Reserve them for breakfast.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Recipe here.

H3N2

We can speculate that human influenza (the flu) has bedeviled the human race throughout history – although a lack of accurate records and similarity to other respiratory diseases make the data difficult to interpret.  The classic symptoms of the flu were described by Hippocrates as early as 2,400 years ago. 

The earliest record of an influenza pandemic was of an outbreak in 1580 which started in Russia and spread thru North Africa to Europe.  In Rome over 8,000 people were killed and several Spanish cities were largely depopulated.  A century ago the most famous and lethal outbreak was the 1918 flu pandemic – also known as the Spanish Flu.  Lasting from 1918 to 1919 it is estimated to have killed 50 to 100 million people. 

The flu is still around today and with regular vaccinations society has achieved much progress in lessening the impact of pandemics.  Nevertheless, the flu should never be taken lightly.  It can be fatal to very young children, the elderly or among those who have compromised immune systems or other preexisting conditions. 

Last week I was slammed by a nasty strain of the flu (likely H3N2) that was not prevented by my yearly flu vaccination.  Each year, there are usually a few different strains of the flu virus circulating around and as a consequence your flu shot may not be as effective.  In 2018 we’re seeing more of the Influenza A-H3N2 than any other strain and any year in which this is the dominant strain tends to be worse than usual.  This is the worst year in a decade. 

The good news is that nowadays, we have antivirals, acetaminophen, fortified sports drinks and over the counter extended-release medications to loosen mucus to moderate symptoms and avoid complications.   Such things didn’t exist a hundred years ago.  Yet individuals still die from influenza and complications like pneumonia.   So wash your hands regularly, cover your coughs and sneezes and if you have sudden onset of cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue seek medical help.

Raising a toast to Tamiflu, Mucinex, Tylenol and enough Gatorade to float a boat.

Sunset

Another nice winter sunset for the blog...

click on image for a closer look

 

Mysterious Tree Damage

Last Wednesday I posted evidence of tree damage in my woods. 

click on image for a closer look

 

Bark stripped and shredded from the limbs of live ash trees.  Having never seen anything like this before I was puzzled as to who or what did this. 

I sent my photos over to my pal Jamie who is a biologist and Senior Wildlife Outreach Specialist with UW Extension and she immediately emailed me an answer. 

Bark stripping by tree squirrels - grey or fox and hopefully my trail camera will confirm this by catching them in the act.

I knew we had both species of squirrel in the woods yet I've never encountered evidence of this behavior.  Sure, beavers, porcupine, mice and rabbits will gnaw and strip bark from a tree.  I guess I can add squirrels to the list too.  As it turns-out, squirrels prefer to strip branches that are horizontal, but have been known to strip trunks too. The damage can be extensive.  Bark stripping generally occurs in late winter - yet it can occur in the spring if trees don't produce mast.

There are all sorts of theories for this behavior - including discomfort caused by pregnancy, snacking and just plain enjoyment.  Even the scientists are not completely sure of the root cause.  Go figure.  You can learn more about bark stripping here.

Quote of the Day

You give them a little bit of a bonus, so practically for free, you have now made the school into a hardened target

-Donald Trump

Friday Music

Popularly-known as The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Wimoweh and Mbube (Zulu for lion) this song was originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda in 1939 under the Mbube title. 

Just about everyone and anyone has covered the tune since as most Americans ignored South African copyrights since South Africa was not a signatory to U.S. copyright law.  Following the Disney movie the Lion King the lawsuits grew in scale. 

Long story short, it was back in 1961 that the English translation of this song became popularized by the doo-wop group The Tokens.  Since I know you’re fond of ear worms I’ll post another version before too long....

Talking Turkey

Yesterday I published a post about mysterious damage to some ash trees in my woods.  I never would have encountered or had any knowledge of the damage had I not been stumbling-around in that particular location to swap-out the SD card for a trail camera. 

I did note that the snow was covered with turkey tracks.  All over the place was turkey sign. 

And here is evidence of the same.

Note that you do not see any shredded tree limbs in the background.  Strange.

Maybe aliens have been visiting recently.

Curling Stone Slapshot

In ice hockey the slapshot is the hardest shot one can perform.   It has four stages which are executed in one fluid motion to make the puck fly into the net.   And as a consequence of the violent motion involved can be less accurate.  It also takes longer to execute; a player usually cannot take a slapshot while under any significant pressure from an opposing player because the opponent could easily interfere during the windup. 
 
The slapshot is most commonly used by a defenceman at the point, especially during a power play, although a forward will sometimes find an opportunity to use it. 
 
In case you've never seen a hockey slapshot made with a forty-pound granite curling stone turn-up the volume. 
 
It is recommended you not do this at home…
 

Mysterious Tree Damage

While out in the woods last weekend I encountered this...

Tree limbs denuded of their bark.

These are perfectly healthy (for the present) ash trees and someone or something has come thru and peeled the bark from the limbs.  Completely shredding the bark.  It's too high so I cannot blame the deer - and besides the deer are finished with rubbing trees for the season.

There's turkey tracks all over the place.  Yet the tree limbs are too flimsy to support the weight of a turkey roosting on them.  Again, I've never heard or seen a turkey rub a tree.

Woodpeckers?  I shouldn't think so.  They peck and hammer and don't strip bark.  Have the aliens from outer space returned?

Who the heck did this?

click on the image for a better look

 

Nobody Here But Us Chickens

Kentucky Fried Chicken ran out of chicken in the United Kingdom over the weekend forcing them to temporarily close most of their stores.   A few restaurants were continuing to offer a limited menu during shortened business hours; yet the chicken delivery problem is so severe that the company cannot say when operations will be back to normal.  

It’s not like there are no chickens to be had as there is plenty of chicken.  The issue is getting the chicken to the outlets that prepare it for consumption and sale.   Logistics firm - DHL - which took over deliveries for KFC recently - told Mirror Online: “Due to operational issues a number of deliveries in recent days have been incomplete or delayed”.   

While you wait you can learn more about the bottle neck here.

Maus

These tracks on fresh morning snow are evidence of either a white-footed mouse or a deer mouse. 

 

The most common mouse in Wisconsin and most widespread of mouse species across North America is the deer mouse.  And you will find it in nearly every type of habitat within that range.  You will find them in your yard, forest, your shed, nibbling-upon the washer hoses of my Honda CRV and during the winter in my bird nest boxes.  Approach a nest box and get a whiff of a strong smell of urine?  Deer mice have taken-up residence.  It is the most widely distributed and abundant mammal in North America.  

The white-footed mouse is also widely distributed but prefers wooded or brushy areas.  It is sometimes found in open areas. 

 

This rodent is a common source of food for foxes, coyotes, hawks, owls and snakes.  Yes, life is short when you live near the bottom of the food chain - which would explain why they are so prolific.   Litters are 1-8 pups three times a year.   And each is sexually mature at a month and a half of age. 

 

They’re not aggressive and are actually quite tame. 
 

Death to the Invader

Started the day early with a trusted consultant touring The Platz and noting the geolocation of patches of non-native woody invasives - namely buckthorn and honeysuckle.

The good news is that the bad shrubs are not widely distributed and largely concentrated in locations where they can be dealt-with by hand and spot treatment.

You might be wondering why anyone would hire someone to do something they could perform on their own and the answer is two-fold. 

First, most of the locations are wetland, seasonally wet, or stream bank.  It is sensitive and home to a terrestrial-aquatic inhabitant: the Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii).  While not threatened or endangered this turtle is listed as a Species of Special Concern.  As a consequence licensed applicators should perform this job.

The second reason is we can afford it.

They don't know it yet but today the invaders received a death sentence today.

You can learn more about NES Ecological Services here.

Scruffy Deer

This animal looks a bit shaggy - perhaps a bit scruffy.  It would be a fawn born earlier last year.  Which would make him a teenager.

Maybe he just got out of bed...

Tweet of the Absurd

So much for stacking firewood, walking in the woods with my Labs and thinking I was busy.  The president's tweeter has been burning-up bandwidth this weekend. 

 

Attacking the FBI for missing a tip regarding the alleged Florida shooter (a major blunder that the bureau admitted to Friday) while funerals are still being held for the victims of the Parkland school shootings strikes me as obtuse.  Admittedly, I may share a minority view.

 

Last time I looked the special counsel’s office (run separately from the FBI) isn't responsible for investigating the missed tip.

 

If Donald Trump was my teenage son I would take his tweeter away and ground him.

Seedling

In the big city there is a small - yet loud - group of grumpy people who seem to have a peculiar aversion to sustainable forestry.  And tree farmers in particular.  I know it sounds wacky but for them the term Tree Farmer has become a pejorative.  I am not making this up.  They disparage tree farmers much like some people disparage certain ethnic groups. 
 
The uncanny thing is that when level-headed people witness this behavior they scratch their level heads and dismiss the small, loud, group of grumpy people as a cranky collective of malcontents that are truthfully better-off ignored.  Which is sad because once in a while they might come-up with a good idea or perhaps a worthy cause and as a consequence of their off-putting behavior fewer than expected individuals are going to come to their aid.  That's the way things work in life.  Word gets around and people gradually become disinclined to contribute.
 
Nevertheless, this Tree Farmer is quite comfortable in his skin and knows that here on the peninsula there is a natural affinity and appreciation for individuals and families who plant and grow trees.  Which would be a consequence of the fact that growing and harvesting trees provides direct employment for plenty of men and women in northeast Wisconsin and plenty more in secondary, related employment.  Moreover, working forests are good for the environment because they provide a renewable resource, clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and carbon storage.  The mix of economics and the natural, renewable world is positively sublime.  Tree farmers are real tree huggers – not pretend tree huggers.  Don’t take my word for it - Green Bay remains a mill town that also happens to be home to a pretty slick professional football franchise.   

I have digressed. 

Yesterday the girls and I went for a long walk in the woods and among other things found a surprisingly large population of tiny white spruce seedlings growing in the understory of a bunch of bur oak trees.  What the heck. 

 

I guess what happened is the critters or Ma Nature Herself have been spreading the seeds produced by a thousand white spruce Jill and I planted twenty years ago.  The curious thing about trees is when they mature they begin to propagate quite naturally – and in the space of ten feet or so you might count a dozen or so of these poking-up thru the snow.  

 

In case you’re wondering - this native Wisconsin tree is valued in the forest because of the cover it affords to wildlife of all sorts.  If it walks, saunters, climbs, flies or flutters plenty of critters make their home among white spruce.  If you are in the woods and you want to verify the identity of this tree take some of the needles and crush them between your fingers and give them a sniff.  The strong odor reminds many people of skunk.  This would explain why this species is sometimes called Skunk Spruce.  

 

In any event feel free to ignore anyone who might imply that tree farmers are dreadful individuals. They don’t know what they’re talking about.  And being the naturally optimistic tree hugger that I am - I'd like to think perhaps one or two people from that afore-mentioned group might actually read this and be reminded that like most everyone who plants and grows trees our environmental cred is solid. Tree people may be natural allies for something important you might wish to advocate-for. 

If you care to plant a seedling - all you have to do is ask.  After all, tree farmers are the good guys.

Raising a toast to sustainable forestry. 

 

Cheers!  

 

Gemini

The Twins.

Gemini is a zodiacal constellation representing the twin brothers Castor and Pollux. Both were mothered by Leda, and were therefore brothers of Helen, but they had different fathers:

In one night, Leda was made pregnant both by Jupiter in the form of a swan and by her husband, the king Tyndarus of Sparta.  Yikes! 

 click on image for a closer look
 

A nicely composed photo of a pair of whitetail deer - probably twins.

Friday Music

Formed in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan - the Amboy Dukes were an American rock band.  Heavily influenced by The Yard Birds the group is remembered for their one hit wonder - Journey to the Center of the Mind.

The group experienced significant turnover during their performing years with lead guitarist and composer Ted Nugent remaining as the only consistent presence.  After years of performing as a backing band Nugent discontinued the name in 1975.

Released in the summer of 1968 this single peaked at # 16 on the Billboard charts. 

Raising a toast to gonzo guitar-playing and psychedelic rock and roll…

Risky Home Building

The bird that constructed this nest is clearly resourceful and a risk-taker.

If you look closely it is principally make of turf seed netting.  You know - the stuff that a landscaper will unroll and staple to the ground to grow grass turf from seed and control erosion.


I give the builder of this nest a grade of 'A' for creative reuse.  Nevertheless, It is clear to me that this nest presents a clear hazard of injury or death by entanglement to anybody residing in it. 

Valentines Day

click on the pan-seared salmon for a closer look

 

Saumon poêlé, salade César et baguette. 

 

Joyeuse saint Valentin...

How to Sensibly Amortize Your Transportation Costs

click on the image for a closer look
 

That is not OJ on a car chase.  That is my 2007 GMC Acadia crossing the Ohio River on the Abraham Lincoln Bridge between Kentucky and Indiana – downtown Louisville to be exact.  

Last month I posted some history about the Ohio River Bridges Project - namely the construction of two new Ohio River bridges. The Abraham Lincoln Bridge opened in December of 2015 and is located in downtown Louisville and slightly upstream from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge – completed in 1963 as part of the Interstate 65 project. 

This happens to be a toll bridge – you have to pay a toll for the privilege of crossing.  However, there is no toll collector or toll booth.  If you happen to live and commute frequently on a toll road you likely have a transponder in your vehicle for the convenient electronic payment of your road use from a prepaid account.  Crossing the bridge your transponder will communicate with the sensor and you're toll is collected electronically.  Yet if you’re me – from Wisconsin – where we do not have toll roads how do you pay if there’s no toll collector there to collect your money and you do not have a transponder-equipped automobile? 

There is RiverLink.   This allows customers who cross a bridge to register their license plate and link it to a prepaid account.  With each crossing, cameras will recognize the license plate and automatically deduct the proper toll from the account.  

If you’re simply passing-thru like me – the vehicle’s license plate is photographed and the owner is sent an invoice in the mail. Associated with this method are the highest of tolls - as administrative costs are greater. 

The bottom line is a transponder-equipped passenger vehicle pays $2 per crossing, camera recognition will cost you $3 and if you’re an unregistered out of towner - $4.  The invoice above arrived in the mail the other day - $8 for a round trip. 

This technology interests me and if you think about it maybe the future funding of all roadways will somehow be linked to vehicles that come from the factory with a transponder.

Fat Tuesday

Closely related to Spanish Chorizo without the curing process - Chaurice is often served, pan fried as a side to Red Beans and Rice. 

It is also used as a seasoning meat in many one pot meals such as Gumbo. 

click on image for a better look at this yummy dish

 

Red Beans and Rice along with homemade Chaurice from my Tosa pal RottieGuy. 

Fat Tuesday.  Yum!

Flushed

While out for a hike with the First Mate and his wife this past weekend - the trail camera at the turn took some fine pictures of our legs both on the out-bound leg of our walk and on the return leg.  Pun intended.

In between the camera also captured three burst photos of the ass-end of a couple of deer high-tailing it.  Judging from the time-stamps (cropped from the photo) we must've pushed them from their bed.  Probably mama and her fawn.

We never saw them - but the camera captured the flush bounding directly over the camera...

 

click on images for a closer look

Friends

'Twas a fine weekend for hanging out at The Platz.

Freshly-fallen snow

Hiking

Cross-country skiing

And there was the food.  And more food.






The First Mate and his wife arrived bearing home-made baked mac and cheese (I have the recipe if  anybody needs it).  All we added was Louisiana smoked pork and crawfish sausage.

And then there was antipasto composto

Followed by olive e pomodori sallati


And risotto con petto d'anatra affumicato e asparagi

And the finale - Crème brûlée






Friends

Tweet of the Absurd

click on the lie for a better look

 

George Bush was President in 2008 

 

The Democrats lost control of the House in 2010 

 

DACA wasn’t created until 2012 

 

Some days I feel like I’ve stepped thru the looking glass into a bizarre parallel universe where liars are venerated 

 

Ninth commandment anyone?