Sunset

The sun continues its relentless march to the south and after a brilliant splash of shades of rose-red darkness descends.

From today there was this.

A quick shot of the color, a 180 degree panoramic view of the same and a compass shot of the direction of set....

 

 

Battling the Cold

 

Overnight lows are getting closer to dipping in the single digits and I am reminded of two things:

1.  Entering-into a prepaid forward contract for propane in July was prescient

2.  Same for laying-in 2+ cords of stove wood for supplemental home heating

Raising a toast to sustainable living.....  

Love In The Autumn Air

This short, silent, video vignette was captured at the very beginning of November.

That is a dandy buck chasing a girl deer - and if I'm not mistaken he's got loving on his mind.  And she's either playing hard-to-get or attempting to beat it out of Dodge.

Female whitetails generally come into estrus within a shared window of opportunity beginning in mid-October into mid-December.  Gestation is around 200 days with fawn drop beginning in April and into June.  Unbred does will come into heat again 28 days later. 

 

Beer Review

Bock beer has traditionally been brewed during the winter months and lagered (stored) for consumption with the arrival of spring – generally as part of Easter festivities.  This beer style is noted for its dark, rich color, warm notes and a reasonably high gravity as traditionally the alcohol content is north of 6.5%.  

As the story goes bock beer originated in the Northern German city of Einbeck in the 14th century.   As a consequence of trade a regional favorite gradually gained acceptance across all of Germany and later the rest of Europe.  

The name ‘bock’ is derived from ‘beck’ in Einbeck.  Bock also translates to ‘billy goat'  (ziegenbock) and as bock biers were generally brewed under the sign of Capricorn the name stuck.  Nowadays, the beer is generally associated with images of a goat.  

This refreshing lager is brewed by Leinenkugel.  The inclusion of oat flakes in the brew impart a smoothness to its malty flavor with notes of roasted nuts.  

Grab a couple cold ones - it will not fill you-up.

5.1% ABV

Quote of the Day

Educate the children and it won't be necessary to punish the men

-Pythagoras

 

 

Friday Music

If you're old like I am you would have grown-up with the cultural experience of the Spaghetti Western.  Namely the Sergio Leone-directed trilogy that included A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.  

All three movies starred Clint Eastwood.  The last of the trilogy cast Eastwood as 'The Good',  Lee Van Cleef as 'The Bad' and Eli Wallach as 'The Ugly'.  

The musical score was composed by Ennio Morricone and featured one of the most influential soundtracks in history.  

This fun piece is covered by the California Guitar Trio and Montreal Guitar Trio.....

Counting Your Blessings

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.  On this day of holiday thankfulness it is useful to reflect-upon what an incredible time it is to be alive.    

Ten years ago would it have been considered possible to treat cancer with gene therapies?  That items (including body parts) could be created with a 3D printer?  That the unemployment rate peaking at 14.8% in April of 2020 today heralds initial unemployment claims last week of only 199,000 - a decline of 71,000 from the prior week - the lowest level since 1969.

Who knew you could summon a ride from a Smartphone.  Speaking of automobiles – back-up cameras are now a standard feature.  Cars have cruise control that automatically responds to traffic conditions and flow.  There are blind spot warnings and many cars can now park themselves.  A new generation of sixteen year-olds may no longer have to learn how to parallel park!  Safer, self-driving technologies are on the cusp of commercial viability.  

For anybody grumbling lately about the judicial system being broken I have news for you.  It works pretty well.  Especially the jury system.

And there are vaccines!  And new therapeutics awaiting emergency use authorization!

Sure, there are inflation worries as Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE prices) grew 0.6% in October, and are up 5.0% from a year ago. Just wait for the collective howl as home heating bills arrive in December.  Nevertheless, economy-wide Q3 corporate profits, which rose 4.3% from the second quarter, are up 20.7% from a year ago, and at a new all-time high.  Retiree savings reflects the strength of US markets and the profitability of entrepreneurship. 

For sure there is much to be improved-upon – yet on balance this is a terrific time to be living.  We have much to be thankful-for so if your glass is half-full take a moment to count your blessings.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hunting Humor

 This brought a smile to my lips....

Deer Camp Recap

Yesterday was a day of rest with everyone here at camp sleeping-in to 7 AM.  After a delightful breakfast of strong black coffee and Shit On A Biscuit...

We off-loaded seven whitetails from the meat pole and loaded-up the pick-up truck.  

Four deer to be processed into steaks, chops, burger and bagged scraps along with the three remaining deer donated to the Northeast Wisconsin Food Pantry Network.  

There is also the following;

Deer camp wine - courtesy of my neighbor and his wife who happen to be wine-making enthusiasts 

Deer camp bread - second loaf pictured after the hungry crew devoured the first loaf in one sitting

Deer camp homemade biscuits - the vessel for the creamed chipped beef (above)

Deer camp fish fry of wild-caught perch, walleye and crappies

Deer camp homemade clam chowder

Deer camp flag
 

Deer camp dog

And a deer camp sunset 

All in-all more fun than a barrel of monkeys.  We reconvene in December. 

Daylight in the Swamp

 Blaze orange sunrise....

Full Beaver Moon

 

This is not a sunrise.

I slept-thru the partial lunar eclipse Thursday evening - Friday morning.  Nevertheless, I did rise at sunrise to catch the Full Beaver Moon setting in the west.  

It was a nice balance of low sunlight in the foreground from the rising sun behind me to the east and the moon dropping quickly below the western horizon.

Whitetail Deer Identification Guide

 

 

Today is the gun deer opener here in Wisconsin.

If you find yourself surfing around Facebook.

Be sure to look for this handy deer identification guide.

Print it-off for all your pals at deer camp....

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.  The 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.

 

Deer Camp - The Prequel

I don't want you to get the impression that I'm superstitious or anything but I never begin my gun deer camp without the Cowboy Junkies...

Never provoke the wrath of the Deer Hunting Gods by switching-up tradition.

This is a nice tune.  Live at Canada's iconic Massey Hall (Toronto, ON) on May 24, 2018. 

Enjoy.  And safe travels if you're on your way to camp...   

 

Full Beaver Moon With a Bonus

This month’s full Moon, also called the Beaver Moon, reaches its peak in the early morning of
November, 19 at 2:59 AM CST.

Bonus - it includes a near-total lunar eclipse. 

NASA Image

Starting at about midnight, our time here in Wisconsin, the Earth’s shadow will begin to slowly
creep across the Moon’s surface, reaching peak eclipse around 3 AM.  At this point, the Moon
will take on an eerie reddish color, with about 97% of its surface fully eclipsed by Earth’s
shadow.

Full moons often take their names from the traditions of native Americans and European
settlers.  November is the time of year that beavers retire to their lodges for the duration of
winter.  As a consequence of their pelts being prime this was also the time of year that fur
traders trapped beavers.

The Lakota people recognized this as the Deer Rutting Moon, Cree and Assiniboine called this the Frost Moon and with the spawning of this fish species in November the Algonquin called this the Whitefish Moon.

In the meantime I have fallen victim to a supply chain issue.  And until I receive a replacement
baffle for the wood-burner we're going to refer to this moon as the Chilly House Moon. 

The struggle is real....

Pre Hunt Bucks

Final installment before the next round of trail camera maintenance or the gun hunt.

Whichever come first.....

 

Let's Go Brandon

It’s perfectly OK to disagree with Joe Biden’s politics.  Or even dislike the man.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion and a belief system - political and otherwise.  Heck, Uncle Joe may even go down in history as a failed president. 

All of that aside, I encountered this when I ran an errand the other day.  It is obvious to the casual observer that the individual who hung these on their porch considers it a bold expression of their First Amendment rights.  

Congress shall make no law... abridging freedom of speech.

We all have a constitutional right to say bad things about whoever is the occupant of the White House.

Nevertheless, the owner of these banners is not a patriot and hopefully doesn't have children or grandchildren.

Let's be clear- I have a rather thick skin when it comes to matters that might irritate anybody's delicate sensibilities. 

 

If you want to say F*** you to the current guy; or the former guy, have at it.  You won't be the first and you won't be the last.  It's a free country.  What makes America great is we have the right to say bad things about the President.  In the interest of full disclosure I have told any number of lame politicians to F*** off over my lifetime.  

 

However, in the privacy of my own personal space - not with a dishonorable banner hanging on my porch.  

 

I consider this display of opinion ineffective on two levels.  

 

First, it is a desecration of the flag and consequently it dishonors the women and men that laid-down their lives or otherwise served to defend and uphold the values and ideals represented by the flag of this great nation.  Alas, in a world where it is acceptable behavior to grab someone’s mother, wife, daughter or granddaughter by the pussy perhaps this is what now passes as patriotism.  I think it is crass.

 

When you superimpose our flag with the F-BOMB and pass-it-off as some sort of smart-ass patriotic expression you lose anybody that has a normal view of right from wrong and what is righteous and noble about what this country stands-for.

Second, when you flaunt your tasteless desecration in public for the consumption and questioning of young and impressionable children you are setting a bad example.  

 

Is this what we want our children to model in their formative behavior? 

 

If you want to desecrate the flag keep it in your own personal living space for you and your friends to get-off.  Flaunting it in public doesn't work.

 

And the simple reason is that normal people aren't going to take you seriously and nobody places any value on bad manners and poor role models.  

______________________________________________________________________________ 

There is a population of conservative, center-right and independent-minded voters who place a high value on facts and the truth. Marginalized because they do not demonstrate sufficient fealty and obeisance to the former guy - exile is their cross to bear.

 

How To Roast Kakai Pumpkin Seeds

Halloween pumpkin-carving has come and gone.  Yet the memories of making use of the resulting bumper crop of pumpkin seeds persists.  I've been roasting pumpkin seeds most of my life.  Beginning as a child with the help of my parents - followed-on with jack-o'-lantern carving with my daughter and continuing into retirement.  this has culminated in farming pumpkins solely for their seeds.  

Admittedly, I've grown pumpkins for carving, roasting on the grill or making pie filling.  Yet we all can get a can of inexpensive pie filling just about anywhere - but where can you get a good roasted pumpkin seed?  

A number of years ago I began raising hybrid pumpkins renowned for their pulp and seeds. If you're a fan of roasted pumpkin seeds you have to check this out.  Not only are these pumpkins terrific for fall décor they are prolific seed producers.  Furthermore, their seeds lack the tough outer hulls of other gourds making them perfect for roasting.  On top of that they're a bush-variety and don't take-up large amounts of space in the garden. 

In 2019 disaster struck.  My seed pumpkins germinated, grew to maturity and by all outward appearances looked perfectly normal. However, at harvest time I was surprised to find them full of ordinary, pedestrian, white seeds with the tough outer hull. My pumpkins were the victim of a cross-pollinated batch of seed stock. The entire crop was a loss. The seed company apologized, furnished a credit for my next order and I had to fall-back on a strategic reserve of 2018 seeds in the bunker freezer.  The 2020 harvest was a welcome return to normal.

This year was beset with a different set of problems - namely a cold and wet spring followed by drought conditions. First planting didn't germinate.  The second planting failed too. The third sowing successfully germinated one solitary vine that produced fourteen plump gourds.  Remarkable but a month behind schedule.  My pal Six Deuce had a crop failure - and as a consequence he was the beneficiary of a half-dozen of my gourds to meet his winter seed snacking needs. 

Behold the Kakai pumpkin......

A fetching bright orange gourd with dark green digital camouflage, non-GMO and organically-raised pumpkin of about 5 to 8 pounds. And chock-full of hull-less green seeds.  Pure kernel and without that nagging-tough outer shell.  All you have to do is open them up, insert your hand into the pulp and all of those seeds will slip right out.  And plenty of them too. 

Pour your seeds into a stock pot and add enough cold water so that they float freely.  Add to that a cup of kosher salt.  Bring your pot to a boil, then turn-down the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. 

Drain your seeds in a colander. Spread them out on cookie sheets and bake at 325 degrees - stirring every 15 minutes so your seeds don't stick and rotating your baking sheets for an even roast.  Allow 60+ minutes or thereabouts.  Ovens vary so use your eyes, ears and nose as a guide.  When your seeds begin to snap, crackle and pop they are done..

Finished product.....

A light, nutty, salty, snack that is full of vitamins, minerals and healthy antioxidants.  They’re good for your prostate fellas.  You can trust me on that.   

Eight gourds yielded five (generous) one-cup paks of vacuum-sealed seeds.  Freeze to maintain freshness.  

Serve with an icy-cold adult beverage during the Packer game and at deer camp. Jill has pronounced them terrific on vanilla ice cream too.

More Buckaroos

And more bucks from a recent run of the trail camera trap line.

First photo is a buck checking a scrape.  Is it the same deer as featured in the last photo?

Photos two and three - same buck different location?

Photo four is a younger fork horn boy.

Still moving nocturnally - yet daylight photos have time stamps that fit hunting hours.

November Shooting Stars

With November comes the Leonid meteor shower. The 2021 Leonids will be a reasonably
laid-back affair with the early morning opportunity to observe shooting stars between November 6 to 30. The peak display will be the morning of November 17.

The meteors originate when the orbital path of the earth collides with the debris left behind by
comets. These bits and pieces of comet detritus enter the earth’s atmosphere with the resulting vaporization creating the streaks of light we call meteors.

The debris associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle results in this November display. Like other meteor showers, this one will be best viewed after midnight. Turn your gaze toward the
constellation Leo the Lion, where the shooting stars appear to emanate.

The 2021 Leonids are a moderate meteor shower with a peak display of about 10-15 meteors per hour. Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion, dots a backwards question mark of stars known as the Sickle. If you trace all the “shooting stars” from the Leonid meteor shower backward, they appear to radiate from this area of the sky.  Interference of moonlight may wash-out many of the meteors visible in a darker sky. Nevertheless, a dark rural location with minimal light pollution may yield good results.

Tempel-Tuttle is a periodic visitor that will return in 2031.  it is worthy of mention that the Leonids can be stunning on rare occasions. With the reappearance of Tempel-Tuttle every 33 years the debris left in its wake can result in meteors up to a rate of 1000 an hour! 2001 was a very good November and 1966 was breathtaking.

The best time for observation is just before dawn after the moon has set. 

Fingers-crossed for cold, clear viewing conditions and early rising if you have to get out of bed to pee.....

Friday Music

This artist hails from Oklahoma , grew-up and came of age in southwest Dallas and spent his summers in Red River, New Mexico playing folk music in hootenannies with a trio called Three Faces West. It was during this time that this song was composed.

As the story goes Ray Wylie Hubbard’s career received an early career boost when fellow Texan Jerry Jeff Walker covered Hubbard's Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother on his live album Viva Terlingua.

According to Hubbard, the tale Walker told in his famous live performance from Luckenbach is a true one from a time before Willie Nelson taught rednecks and hippies how to get along.

The story begins with Hubbard making a beer run in Red River, New Mexico at the local redneck joint D-Bar-D.

I walked in and there were thirty or forty people drinking, including one old woman. The jukebox stopped and they all turned and looked at me.

While Hubbard waited for the bartender to fetch a case of beer, the old woman and her son confronted Hubbard about his long hair.

You want me to beat him up?, the son asked.

Hubbard grabbed his case of beer and ran from the scene. In the parking lot, he spotted the pickup truck with a gun rack and a novelty bumper sticker that made it into the song.

Enjoy…..

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day and I thought I'd take a moment to talk about my favorite veteran - Howard Gaertner.  Who also happens to be my dad.  Dad has been gone now for more than eleven years already but I'm sure he'd appreciate the mention. 

This picture was taken on September 13, 1945 at Reims, France.  That's seventy-six years ago - an eternity by today's standards.  That's dad on the right and his best friend - Donald Darnieder - a classmate from Cathedral High School in Milwaukee.   

 

Germany had surrendered in the spring of that year and Japan had surrendered a month earlier.  At the time this picture was taken dad was all of 21 years of age.  He'd already spent three months in combat - including the invasion at Normandy, 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 was turning 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.  

 

Thinking of dad today and giving a shout out to all of my acquaintances and friends who have toiled in the armed services of our nation.

The Return of the Hunter

Beginning this month and through February is this constellation that those of us members of the stargazing and hunting community will recognize.  

Orion - a familiar image situated on the celestial equator - is one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky.  Finding Orion's Belt is the easiest way to locate the Orion Constellation. Orion's Belt is formed by three bright stars; Alnilam, Mintaka and Alnitak. 

Named for Orion 'The Hunter' of Greek mythology the constellation's brightest stars are blue-white Rigel and red Betelgeuse. The most noticeable part of Orion is Orion’s Belt – with the alignment of three stars sure to catch your eye.  Hanging from The Hunter’s belt is a sword identified as three fainter stars. The central star of the sword is actually not a star at all – it is the Great Orion Nebula.

In the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere this time of year Orion appears to be lying on his side – with the Belt stars pointing upward – when he rises in the eastern sky. 

This photo taken with my iPhone XR from the porch looking south.

As the story goes - Orion hunted along the river Eridanus along with his ever-present dogs – Canis Major and Canis Minor.  With his dogs Orion stalked various celestial animals including Lepus the rabbit, and Taurus the bull. In the mythology of the ancient Greeks Orion was in love with Merope - one of the Seven Sisters forming the constellation Pleiades.  Alas, Merope spurned Orion’s advances. Tragically, the heartbroken Orion met his end when he was stung by Scorpious the scorpion.

Nevertheless, the gods were kind and they consequently fixed Orion permanently in the heavens with his two dogs. The creatures he hunted were placed in the sky as constellations as well. With foresight the gods exiled Scorpius to the opposite side of the heavens so that Orion would forever be safe from harm. 

Raising a toast to cold, clear skies and star gazing.   

Cheers!

 

And More Buckaroos

The rut is kicking it into high gear now and the chase is on as male whitetails have romance on their minds.

There's been plenty more daylight deer activity so it's appropriate to share some more buck and doe photos.

Including a mutant!

More Buckaroos

Last Saturday Blonde Dog and I ran the trail camera trap line and swapped-out SD cards.

No shortage of bucks making themselves known.

And the pre-rut has picked-up the pace with some very active scrapes to be noted.

Here's a handful of nocturnal and a few daylight deer photos from three different locations...