Freitag Musik

I've been itching to post this - not out of sense of obligation - as much as a desire to relive some fond childhood memories.  My parents were civilian employees of the US Army in southern Germany during the 1950s and as a consequence cultivated a fondness for German band leaders.  Notable would be James Last and Bert Kaempfert.

Bert (Berthold Heinrich Kämpfert) was a songwriter, producer and German orchestra leader that popularized jazz and easy listening music.  He also wrote any number of songs popularized by Al Martino, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley and Wayne Newton.  He's remembered for writing Strangers in the Night and Moon Over Naples.  I was surprised to learn that Kaempfert played a role in the success of The Beatles after he signed them to record several tracks during his sessions with Tony Sheridan.  

Bert's albums were always on deck for hi-fi music in our household growing-up in the 1960s. Enjoy this medley of possibly familiar tunes...

Stinker

The beginning of this month this pungent visitor showed-up on this very same trail camera.

Mephitis mephitis - the Striped Skunk.  

A nocturnal animal it is more often smelled than seen which is fine by me.  Eight years ago Girlfriend got sprayed and we had to clean her up before letting her back in the house.

With the freezing temperatures we've had lately I'd just as soon not have to go thru that sort of trouble.  

Controlled Demolition

CCTV footage of a rather dramatic distribution center accident. 

The workers at the bottom of the video appear to have escaped harm.  One can only wonder about the fate of the forklift operator. 

Looking For a Pony In The Manure Pile

General Motors announced this week that they were ending production next year at five plants including its last remaining plant in Detroit and its Lordstown plant in Ohio.  

The automobiles manufactured at these locations are not poor quality products – hardly at all.  The fact of the matter is that these vehicles are no longer in vogue.  US automobile buyers are voting with their wallets for crossovers and SUVs – not sedans. 

As Mary Barra (GM CEO) said - these cuts will make GM lean and agile as the company concentrates its resources on electric and autonomously-driven vehicles of the future.    

The future of mobility is changing – driven by shifting population demographics and the inexorable march of ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft competing with automobile ownership in urban communities.   All the moves are designed to save the company $6 billion in annual costs.   Ford is expected to announce huge job cuts this week as well. 

This is capitalism at work.  Messy sometimes but that’s the way it works.     

For all of his tweeting Trump is looking more like the drunken dad who promised his supporters a pony for Christmas. Instead, they found a pile of manure under the tree and now they are enthusiastically digging thru the pile of crap thinking there must be a pony in there somewhere.    

One has to wonder why a successful CEO of General Motors would waste her valuable time listening to what a failed casino operator has to say anyway.    

Sheesh…

The Aliens Return

They're back. 

The aliens and their green laser death ray. 

You can see the blinding bright glare of anti-gravity alien space ship motors. 

For all of their advanced technology and appetite for spreading death and destruction - they missed destroying the camera.  

Poor marksmen the aliens are...

Mr. Fix-It

The First Mate and his wife were discussing Instant Pot and Crock Pot recipes last weekend.  I explained that my trusty Rival Crock Pot still worked but that the handle previously attached to the lid could no long hold a repeated glue fix under the duress of heat and steam. There was no longer a means to affix the handle to the lid.  It had been rendered useless.

After discussing options for replacement or a fix I proceeded to drill-out the soft, white metal fastener.

And replaced it with an odd wooden drawer-pull, a threaded bolt and a star-washer.

Bingo!  Temporary fix from odds and ends found in the workshop.

It's not likely a permanent fix - but it is stylish.....

Packers Say to Eat More Deer

Not really.

Seriously.

Although, if the No Fun League made a stink over that observation they would be in deep doo-doo with just about everyone in northeast Wisconsin.

If it is Sunday night Packer football it also is Door County venison custom nachos for dinner.  Tortilla chips topped with yummy deer taco filling, shredded cheese and broiled.  Avocado and sour cream too.  Frijoles, olives, jalapenos and onions are optional.  But always welcome.

Eat more deer.....

Cheers!

FFA Toy Tractor Show

There is a first time for everything and today was a first.  We paid a visit to the 11th annual FFA Alumni Toy Tractor Show.  

FFA is the premier youth organization preparing members for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture.   And today's show was held from 9 am to 2 pm at Southern Door High School,

click on images for a closer look

 

 

There were all sorts of toy vendors and collectors and an opportunity to buy, sell or swap toy tractors, NASCAR models, ball cards, Packer stuff, craft goods and vote on the best model farm layouts (think - model railroading).  

 Included was a silent auction, door prizes and raffles. Lunch too.  Admission was $3 -  children ages 10 and younger admitted free.

Supper Club

The First Mate and his wife paid a visit this last weekend and we did a Peninsula Supper Club.

Since I forgot to make reservations for our first choice we traveled down the road a piece for a second choice that had no waiting.

The ambiance was basically supper club cool.

The adult beverages were excellent.

And the service was attentive and prompt.

But now I know why there was no waiting - the food was average - not knock-down impressive. 

Next time I'm making reservations......

Sometimes Heard - Rarely Seen

In October a diminutive little owl showed up on one of the trail cameras. 

Aegolius acadicus - the Northern Saw-Whet Owl - paid a visit to the same location just a few weeks ago.  If you look carefully you might just be able to spot him (or is it her?) in this picture. 

click on the images for a closer look

 

It's not easy as this is the smallest owl in eastern North America and among the smallest on the continent measuring 7-8½ inches in length and weighing-in at a whopping 3 ounces – give or take. 

This is a better photo and there is no mistaking the identification judging from the size of the bird, the lack of ear tufts and a proportionately large head and prominent facial disk. 

I'll have to keep a sharp eye out for this little bird as I've learned they prefer to roost in dense conifer stands just above eye level and near the trunk of a tree.  Supposedly they can be quite tame and approachable in the daytime – if you can find one.

No Room at the Inn

With the pick-up of that load it is official.  Every last cubic inch of freezer space is filled with steaks, chops, roasts, loin and burger.  Lots of burger.

I have a vision of venison tacos, venison stroganoff, venison jerky, venison bourguignon, venison barbacoa, venison lasagna, venison Bolognese, venison chili and much more in the year ahead.

Got no more room....

Friday Music

Composed in 1964 by British songwriters John Carter and Ken Lewis (writers for the Ivy League and Herman’s Hermits) this song was originally recorded by The Little Darlings from Coventry England.   In the US the song was popularized by an Ohio band - The Music Explosion - whose version rose to first place on the Record World 100 Top Pops chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.  The single was eventually certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of one million copies. 

Little Bit O' Soul has been covered by any number of bands including The Ramones, Dodging Susan and 2 Live Crew.  If you like garage band music Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers produced a nice version.....

Thanksgiving on the ISS

Astronauts Alex Gerst of ESA and Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA send their best wishes of a happy Thanksgiving!

On the International Space Station, the crew - including Sergey Prokopyev - will share a holiday meal of turkey, stuffing, candied yams and spicy pound cake and call home to speak with loved ones on Earth. 

The meal was prepared in Houston, where scientists assemble the food and then dehydrate, radiate or thermostabilize (similar to canning) it to prevent it from spoiling, 
 
Packaged in individual vacuum-sealed bags, which are carried into orbit and kept safe in a locker until Thanksgiving. The food is prepared on the ISS by adding hot water or putting it in a small warming oven. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Loving wife and family, fun day job, good health, great circle of friends, the respect of my peers and the public, even the dogs.  Indeed a great deal to be thankful-for.

Happy thanksgiving to you readers too.

In keeping with tradition dating all the way back to 1620 and just like those undocumented pilgrims that sought asylum here; we're having cold beers, dining upon venison tacos and watching football. 

Cheers!

Long Legs

A couple of weekends ago my Pals Six Deuce and Best Beard were at The Platz for a weekend hunt before the mayhem of the gun opener.  Beard described a bird he spied that for all the world sounded like a heron.  A great blue heron.

Sure as shoot this bird was captured on a trail camera - not far from where he was hunting.

Meet Ardea Herodias - the Great Blue Heron.  Adults boast s gray color, distinctive black eyebrows, a white crown, wispy feathers at the base of  the neck and a long yellow bill.

This is a juvenile.







Brown is the dominant color, with a black crown, dark bill and no wispy stuff on the neck.

First time we've spied one in about a half-dozen years,

click on images to enlarge

 

Migrator passing thru perhaps.......

New Management Coming?

Another deer camp gun opener is in the archives and camp diary.  A good one indeed.  Let there be know doubt that we do our level best to manage the local deer herd and control their burgeoning numbers. 

With the mid-term elections behind and the change in management at the top in Wisconsin coming before too long I wonder if there is hope that beginning in 2019 this nonsense that passes for deer policy will end and science will prevail. 

With all due respect to Cool Hand Luke I'll not hold my breath.....

Feeding the Hungry - One Deer at a Time

Wisconsin’s deer donation program helps feed thousands of low income families in northeast Wisconsin.  Since this program began in 2000 - hunters have donated over 90,000 deer which were processed into over 3.6 million pounds of ground venison.   Hunters sharing the blessing of their success afield as food providers for others less fortunate. 

Yesterday morning my pal Six Deuce and I saddled-up the pick-up truck and shuttled six deer to a processor supporting this program. 

Science-based deer management where needed and assisting local food pantries with their mission.  Thanks to the guys in the crew and their commitment to doing the right thing.

Learn more about this righteous and noble effort here:  http://www.paulspantry.org/hunt-for-the-hungry

How to Dismantle a Deer

For anyone at their deer camp that is both a reader of this blog and fancies their self a homespun butcher this 20 minute video is one of the best 'DIY' explanations of how to butcher your kill.

An excellent demonstration on how to break down a deer carcass into boneless cuts, without the use of a saw.  Watch it and learn the tips and techniques on how to keep your meat clean, where to separate joints, and how to remove gristle and silver skin.  Take it from a guy that has cut-up more deer than he can count.

Bookmark it for future reference.

You can learn more and even order seasonings at:  https://www.beardedbutcherblend.com/

Deer Camp

Ok.  If you find photos of dead deer ghastly and off-putting read no further.  Exit this blog NOW and close your browser.  You might want to stay away for a couple more days and resume reading sometime after Monday.

Three camp records fell yesterday.  The obvious one is as follows...

Go ahead and click on the photo for a better look

The Feast

Dinner at camp last night featured - you guessed it - venison. 

A dry-brined variation that Lawyer started on Friday evening and allowed to set uncovered in the adult beverage fridge for 24 hours. 

Allow to come to room temperature then cook indirectly on a covered kettle drill to rare on the 'safe side' of the grill (the side without coals).  Then sear directly over the coals on the opposite side - turning once.  Remove, tent with foil and allow to rest for ten minutes before serving.







We served with a bold Chianti, a couple of deli potato salads, homemade slaw and hard rolls from Rocket Baby Bakery n Wauwatosa.  There was even a terrific, homemade smoked German sausage that Best Beard brought from his Oma and Opa.


Yum!

Some days I think we eat like kings.....

Infrared Deer

click on images to enlarge

A handful of photos from after dark by the Moultrie cameras in infrared mode.  

Two different locations.

Deer Camp

A couple of days before deer camp a hunter's wife puts her foot down and tells him he has to stay home and whittle down his honey-do list of chores.   

The fella's friends are upset and understandably disappointed that he cannot join them at camp.  Alas, they are powerless to do anything about it.  Two days later the crew has gathered at deer camp.  A fire is stoked in the wood burner.  Blaze orange bibs and parkas are hung in the fresh air on the porch.  Even the boots toe the line.  Firearms are carefully stacked on the gun rack at the back door.  Bunks are claimed and everyone is enjoying a refreshing adult beverage and shooting the bull in the testosterone-infused atmosphere. 

Suddenly the dogs bark as the door from the garage opens and the heretofore grounded hunter materializes.  

Dang dude!  How did you manage to talk your wife into letting you go? 

Sidling-up to the kitchen counter and opening a beer the hunter explains...  

This morning I was sitting in my chair feeling poorly when my wife came up behind me.    

She put her hands over my eyes and said - 'guess who?'   I pulled her hands away and was surprised to see she was wearing a flimsy negligee from Victoria's Secret.  

A collective gasp emanates from the group as the hunter continues.   

Then she took my hand and pulled me over to our bedroom. The room had candles and rose petals all over.  On the bed she had handcuffs.  There were ropes too.  She told me to tie and handcuff her to the bed.    

Another collective gasp from the rapt audience.  

You know I follow directions - so I did what she told me to do. Then she said - 'Do whatever you want.'  

So, here I am.

Friday Deer Camp Music

Kevin Blake Weldon cut a nice parody of Lee Brice’s slightly more serious song - I Drive Your Truck - highlighting one of the worst outcomes a hunter could face after the end of a relationship.

If you're out in the woods hunting for the Wisconsin gun opener shoot straight and please be safe...

Fueling the Deer Camp Furnace

For those of you that are outdoor enthusiasts you know the importance of fueling the furnace in cold weather conditions.  Moreover a deer camp travels on its stomach.  And for those of you who have followed social media postings over the last couple of decades know that this deer camp places a high value upon its fare.     

This is chicken stock that has been simmering and reducing to its component comfort goodness. This will continue into the night.    Tomorrow I’ll strain it of bones and parts and use my new Oxo fat-remover to keep it it heart healthy.      

Eventually garden veggies and the obligatory Kluski noodles will complete the transformation to homemade chicken noodle soup.  A proper pairing will probably be grilled cheese sammiches made from rustic Rocket Baby Bakery bread.    

Stay tuned....

Déjà Vu Deer

Déjà Vu is a common intuitive experience that has happened to many of us. The expression is derived from the French, meaning already seen.

When it occurs - it seems to spark our memory of a place we have already been - a deer we have already seen, or an act we have already done.

Like this deer from October 23rd of this year...

And this one from October 17th of 2017...

Same location.  Almost precisely the same time of year.  Same trail camera. 

Déjà Vu all over again.

This is giving me the creeps.... 

Deer Camp

The Girls and I left the Naked City and arrived late today.  

The 24th chapter of deer camp unfolds.  

And another paragraph of this year’s deer camp continues.  

From only a few days ago are these IR trail camera photos of El Coyote only a couple a hundred yards from the shack….

Run-Up to the Gun Season

The thing about bow hunting is that it is a quiet sport.  And intimate.  Silent and close to your quarry.  Sort of like the intimacy of riding a bicycle on a quiet, tree lined country lane.

Gun hunting is another matter.  Loud and detached.  Sort of like riding a Harley with straight pipes at seventy-five miles an hour down an interstate - without a helmet.

Last weekend someone referred to the deer herd around here as a renewable resource.  I don't know if they are or they aren't - but it would seem that after almost thirty years of hunting there aren't any fewer of them. 

Raising a toast to the upcoming camaraderie and general mayhem of the gun hunt.

Stay tuned.....

Tweet of the Absurd

President Trump, as he is wont to do, fed his base another heaping helping of BS blaming imaginary Democrat oversight on market volatility. 

Smart people would tell you that this has more to do with certain tech stocks’ ability to maintain sales and earnings, rising interest rates, Republican tariff threats, slowing growth and the reality that the bull market is getting long in the tooth. 

The Dems haven’t held a hearing or even issued a subpoena – much less lifted a finger.... 

Run-up to Deer Camp

I spied this buck while bow hunting November 2.  He blends-in rather well in the big bluestem - but he's there, top third of the photo immediately left of center.

click on images for a closer look

 

He was out of range but those wide-set antlers were a perfect identifier.

Last weekend the girls and I hiked the trail camera circuit and fetched the SD cards from six patient sentries that keep track of the comings and goings of the local wildlife.  Including male deer that we have come to identify by the distinctive nature of their headgear.

Including these photos of the very same deer.

This was taken on November 9th.

This one too.

And this one on November 10th.

Precisely on the trail he was following when I spied him a couple of weeks ago.  It is noteworthy that these are all daytime photos - evidence of the rut continuing.   To my deer camp pals it would appear that anyone hunting from the Taj, the Creek Stand and the First Guard Tower might stand a chance of seeing this big boy.

Unless, of-course, the neighbors haven't dropped it beforehand....

Brood Flock

One of the things about having trail cameras keeping watch on the comings and goings of the local critters is that you can pick-up on patterns of behavior.

This is called patterning and it is a technique that hunters will use to plan their ambush of a turkey or a deer that has settled-into a certain pattern of location and/or time of movement.

I've had a bit of fun patterning a local brood flock of wild turkeys going all the way back to when they were tiny poults, to chicken-size poults and to now when they are just about adult-size birds. 

click on images to enlarge

 

They really do enjoy this particular location to hang out. 

While the grasshoppers are all gone for the season this remains an ideal location to loaf in the sun and relax.

Funny thing is that when they show-up they hang around for almost an hour.  Sometimes less.

Mama hen and her brood know a good thing when they find it.








And I feel privileged to have patterned their movements.  Stay-tuned to see if it persists into the winter with the cold winds and snow blows or if these birds will seek shelter in the thicker pines and spruces...

Veterans Day

I never served in the military.  Nevertheless, today is Veterans Day and while I've known many veterans I thought I'd take a moment to talk about my favorite service member.  That would be my pop - Howard Gaertner.  Dad has been gone now for more than eight years already but I'm sure he'd appreciate the mention.    

This picture was taken August, 1943 in Milwaukee.  Dad was home on leave following basic training at Camp Butner, North Carolina. That's seventy-five years ago - an eternity by today's standards.  That's my dad's pop on the left - Henry Gaertner.  At the time this photo was snapped dad was all of 19 years of age.  He trained with the 78th 'Lightening' Division and following his arrival in England he was reassigned to the 9th Division. 

Dad landed at Utah Beach as an infantry replacement and served as a machine gunner in a weapons platoon.  He spent four months in combat following the invasion at Normandy - including the battle of the hedgerows, the breakout of the bocage at Saint-Lô, the dash across northern France with Patton's forces and the liberation of Belgium.  He was evacuated to England after being wounded in the Meuse River crossing in September of 1944 and returned to be part of the Army of Occupation.  This turned out to be an exceedingly long deployment and a boatload of experience for a previously skinny depression-era kid who was drafted after graduating high school. 

Following the war dad married, graduated from Marquette University, raised a family and lived a full life into retirement..  He never spoke of the war much until I was twenty-five years of age or thereabouts.  Dad was exceptionally proud of his service in the army but my sense is that combat was a very unpleasant experience.

Raising a toast to all of the veterans out there.  Cheers! 

What's the Story?

These are either sawlogs or destined for veneer.  You can tell by looking at them.  The logs are very large in diameter - measuring several feet.  And presuming that is a standard 48 to 53 foot cargo flatbed trailer they look to be twelve foot lengths.  Pulp bolts (logs for the paper industry) need to be sticks 100 inches long and, often, no less than three or four inches in diameter at the small end.  

Curiously, this freight is northbound out of Milwaukee.  The implication is that these logs are from somewhere south or perhaps they arrived in the Port of Milwaukee having originated somewhere else in the world.

They also look like a denser-ringed, higher value wood and note the colored identification tags affixed to the ends. 

My guess is some sort of high value or exotic wood to be utilized as veneer in the construction of expensive finished doors or cabinetry.

Of course, that is simply idle speculation.  What do I know after-all?  Sure would be nice to know the true and real story.