Wildflower Walk

Doggo and I ran the trail camera trapline after chores. And with a gentle rain falling decided to take a walk along one of the newly-cleared trails. 

 

Seriously, who doesn’t like to take a walk in the rain with their girlfriend?

 

Anyway, I wanted to take some photos of my observations from atop the tractor yesterday of what was blooming in our prairie.  Prairie species are not indigenous to the peninsula as prior to European settlement the landscape was boreal forest.  Nevertheless, since much was cleared for farming planting deeply-rooted native grasses and forbs enhances the wildlife benefits.  

 

ID is included with each image and right-click for a closer look.

 

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

 

Blue vervain (Verbena hastata)

 

Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum)

 

Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum)  It's almost an 8-footer!

 

Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)  I planted these along the creek decades ago. Having reached maturity we’ve been getting acorns recently. 

Canada Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense)

Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium) 

A forest of Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)

False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)  Doggo and I had to brave the poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) to take this photo.  

 Nodding onion (Allium cernuum)  A wild edible

Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)  It’s as tall as me! 

 

The Garden Chronicles

The raised bed garden is working as expected. My expectations were low; to basically provide a steady supply of fresh produce for a couple of adults. They’re crowded yet the learning curve is short and it’s easy peasy to sow additional produce as you go. 

 

 

If I felt inclined to can pickles or something else there’s farm stands locally and a weekly market in Sturgeon Bay. There’s even a local neighbor who raises mushrooms and micro greens. 

 

Best of all, nobody’s gonna recall my lettuce or spinach for causing diarrhea.  And by the time February rolls-around I might commit high crimes and misdemeanors for my daily fresh tomato fix.

  

 

Raising a toast to an additional 18 inches of elevation….

Bushwhacking

 

From July 18 you can see how overgrown the trails are.  The Mule is basically half visible above the grass and weeds and you cannot see the dog.

 

So, earlier last week I swapped-out the blades and checked the gear oil on the Rhino, fluids and fittings on the tractor and hitched everything-up.  I got the north trail cleaned-up afterwards and on Saturday finished the rest with the exception of clearing the campsite alongside the creek.  

 

  

3.5 miles of trails brushed, including a location for the last deer stand this old hunter’s gonna build. 

 

 

 

That Rhino brush hog predates the blue tractor and if I had to hazard a guess might have close to a thousand hours under its belt. 

 

 

I didn’t keep count but I’d bet I shifted a dozen dead ash off the trail using nothing but the bucket on the New Holland. Sure beats wagging a chainsaw around. 

 

 

Check-back tomorrow for a virtual walk along one of the newly-cleared trails to see what's blooming in the pollinator habitat.

 

Meanwhile, raising a toast to high pressure hydraulics….

Uncle Remus And Modern Analogue

One of the most famous of trickster stories in the Uncle Remus collection was written by Joel Chandler Harris and published in 1881, The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story.  

As the story goes, Br'er Fox constructs a sticky doll out of a lump of pine tar and turpentine and dresses it in some clothes.  Along comes Br'er Rabbit who politely addresses the figure but receives no response.  Offended by what he perceives as the tar baby's lack of manners Br'er Rabbit loses his temper and throws a punch resulting in his fist becoming hopelessly stuck in the tar.  Enraged, Br'er Rabbit strikes with his other paw, followed by kicking with both feet and ending with a head butt leaving him completely entangled in the grip of the Tar-Baby.

In a continuation of Harris' tale several stories later there is the ending; How Mr. Rabbit Was Too Sharp For Mr. Fox.   

With his nemesis helplessly stuck, Br'er Fox speculates on how to dispose of Br'er Rabbit.  The powerless, yet cunning rabbit pleads; Do anything you want with me - roast me, hang me, skin me, drown me - but please, Br'er Fox, don't fling me in that briar patch.  The sadistically-inclined Br'er Fox gullibly believes that this will inflict the maximum pain on Br'er Rabbit so he tosses him directly into the briars.

Finding himself in the thorny thicket, the resourceful rabbit easily escapes and taunts the fox with; I was born and raised in the briar patch!  

The roots of this tale likely find their origins in the oral traditions and folklore of enslaved Africans that were collected by Harris during the reconstruction period following the war between the states. 

Br'er Rabbit is the personification of the West-African trickster; a metaphor of a physically weaker individual who relies-upon quick thinking and psychology to outwit the stronger aggressor.  The Tar-Baby is a euphemism for a sticky and complex problem that worsens the more someone struggles against it. 

My introduction to this tale dates to my early childhood and I really haven't thought much about it since.  

Until recently.

Even after six and a half decades and a fable dating back almost 150 years-ago,  I am mindful of a sticky situation half-way around the world complicated by the impulsive actions of one solitary man, seemingly out-witted by a weaker foe.

I sure hope he extricates himself from this to every American's mutual satisfaction as I want policy that improves your and my prosperity and general lot in life.  

Along with making the world a safer place.

Dairy Trivia

The advertisement pictured is a charming piece of 1950s northeast agricultural history.  Sneider's Dairy operated out of Menominee, Michigan immediately adjacent to Marinette, Wisconsin.  And directly across the bay to the north.  The four digit phone number (3533) is the clue that solved the riddle. 

Bashful Bessie was the dairy's answer to Borden's Elsie the Cow.  

Bessie's long eyelashes and the pun - It's In The Bag (udder) was a characteristic of the wholesome imagery of that era.  Same for the doctor recommendation.  With the introduction of rural electrification and expansion of pasteurization and homogenized milk the scientific achievement in food safety was worth crowing-about.

Growing-up we had a milkman who delivered a couple of times a week leaving glass bottles of milk in the box on our doorstep.  Sealtest Dairy if memory serves.

Can you pick me out in the photo?

The packaging in the advertising is a wax-coated paper carton used for grocery store distribution.

Sneider's was a staple in the Upper Peninsula and Northeast Wisconsin for decades.  With the passage of time they were absorbed by larger regional dairy co-ops; yet vintage memorabilia like this shows-up in antique shops and on the interweb from time-to-time and is an interesting walk down memory lane for anyone interested in mid-century marketing and local history.

Friday Music

Composed by Stephen Stills this song was first recorded in 1968 during the first recording session as a group by Crosby, Stills and Nash.  It was subsequently released on the Atlantic Records label by the group in 1969; Crosby, Stills and Nash.

The album was a major hit in the states peaking at Number 6 on the Billboard Album Chart and spinning-off a couple of single hits; Suite: Judy Blue Eyes and Marrakesh Express. The album subsequently earned a triple platinum certification in 1999 and quadruple platinum in 2001.  Neil Young toured with the group as a session musician and later recorded  Déjà Vu  with the group in 1970 making some of the best harmonies on the planet.  Which is why they are a Super Group.

Turn-up the volume for Helplessly Hoping recorded at Woodstock.... 

Rib Fest Reunion - The Water

Since Rib Fest is held at a lake home on Legend Lake there has to be time spent on the water.

Whether you are first cousin, first cousin once removed or a second cousin there is time on the lake boating.

 

 Jet skiing or kayaking.

Swimming or fishing.

Observing the local eagle nest around the corner. 

It is a requirement.  And sort of the reason for being there anyway...

 

Rib Fest Reunion - The Cousins

One of the notable features of Rib Fest is the cousins.  Lots of cousins.  Therefore, a word about the cousins.

Here's your family tree lesson of the day.

And I'm putting it here insofar as I always have difficulty remembering how this works.

Your first cousin is the child of an aunt or uncle.  These are first cousins.

The child of your first cousin is you first cousin - once removed. Removed indicates a difference in generation. 

The child of your first cousin once removed (who is your first cousin's child) is your second cousin.

 

Keep that straight as there will be a test later.

These are first cousins once removed and small second cousins.

 

Meanwhile it's been heartening to see the successive generations grow and prosper.

Oh, and by the way, ribs prepared three ways....

 

Because, you know it's Rib Fest....

The Perfect Metaphor

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia - Jeanine Pirro - stated in a court filing that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool was the "result of flawed installation by the contractor" rather than vandalism, prompting her office to drop charges against a former Olympic athlete and three other individuals.

Prosecutors noted that they received new evidence and information showing that the peeling sealant stemmed from poor contractor work and a rushed installation rather than intentional cutting by individuals.

Pirro isn't stupid and clearly knows if she pursued this nonsense she'd face disbarment. 

Speaking from the Oval Office yesterday Mr. Trump had this to say, "Frankly, I think she choked because the judge was really vicious.  Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department, and I guess she choked.  I don't know what the hell happened."

The Reflecting Pool is actually a perfect metaphor for Mr. Trump; and he created it himself. He's gonna drain it, repaint it and start over.   All the while expecting a different result. 

You read it here first. 

Any bets the algae makes a a return appearance? 

Rib Fest Reunion - The Giant Fish Fry

Growing-up the cousins on both sides of the family were pretty close.  My dad's brother and his tribe lived at the opposite end of the block.

 

Anyway, the cousins on my mom's side of the family have been consistent in helping to maintain many of the family traditions; including getting-together over the Christmas holiday and hosting a summer gathering.

 

Sun, surf and cousins reconnected for another Annual Rib Fest celebration on Legend Lake in Keshena, Wisconsin.

 

 

 

I dodge the rib event nowadays and orchestrate the Big Friday Family Fish Fry mostly because it’s so difficult to squeeze a large group into a supper club or local watering hole for Friday fish. And because I like cooking for a group. 

 

 

So I take the fry on the road. 

  

 

I recommend outdoor cooking, sparing the kitchen, and taking it under the upper deck on account of rain.

  

And a frosty Hamm’s.

 

From The Land Of Sky Blue Waters…..

 

A Technology Tale

If you're old like me some of you reading this will recall the technology boom that began in the 1990s, gained steam in 1995 and peaked in March of 2000.  This capital markets era of growth coincided with the adoption of cellular technology, the World Wide Web and embrace of the internet.  It was known as the Dot Com Boom.

As a financial guy it was hard to ignore the rapid growth in valuations of dot.com startups. Amazon comes to mind and companies that made no sense at all as they were experiencing soaring stock valuations based on a mere idea.  No assets, no sales, no earnings - just an idea.  At least Amazon was an online bookseller.  And following the peak on March 10, 2000 the tech bubble burst leading to a large market correction and a larger reckoning for those chasing the clown car and bandwagon of exaggerated stock valuations.  There's an old saying in the trade; Bears and Bulls make money - pigs get slaughtered.

Anyway, not all was ephemeral, this financial guy used some fundamental research to acquire shares of a company in 1991, or thereabouts, for not a lot of money.  This company went on to develop a nifty cellular communications device reminiscent of the communicators used by the crew of the Star Ship Enterprise.  It was a Flip Phone and it became immensely popular.

Anyway, in January of 1990 I presciently sold those shares and used the proceeds (almost entirely profit) to pay cash for the first new structure on our property.  I used the other people's money to erect a nifty Forest Construction metal shop building on a concrete slab and electrify it in relatively short order.  

Welcome to Motorola.  

Founded in Chicago on September 25, 1928 by brothers, Paul V. and Joseph E. Galvin this company has been around for awhile.  Originally established as the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, like most start-ups it began on a shoestring of $563 of working capital, $750 in equipment and five employees operating out of rented quarters.  

And the Galvin brothers had a novel idea; a device that would allow a battery-powered home radio to be wired into a vehicle.  

And in 1930 the affordable car radio was born.  Paul Galvin named it the Motorola - "Motor" for motorcar and "ola" for Victrola.

Galvin Manufacturing didn't stop there.  They developed one of the first gasoline-powered car heaters capable of instant heated comfort, an AM-Band two-way police dispatching radio and with the onset of WWII the development of the Handie-Talkie, the first handheld, single operator two-way radio.  An FM-Band backpack model with greater range followed.

At the close of the war the company was firmly committed to wireless communications and in 1947 adopted Motorola as its new name.  Today you will find Motorola handheld radios used in my household for hunting and marine frequency use.  Two way police and taxi communications became their trademark line-up and persist today.  If you talk to anybody in law enforcement they will tell you:  Bad guys cannot outrun Motorola.

By 1951, home television was transitioning from a post-war novelty into a living room fixture and Motorola paired their technology with fine furniture styling and cabinet design.  It was Motorola who adopted full-view rectangular Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) that allowed the image to fill the entire screen without cropping or distorting the edges.  Motorola pioneered additional technologies that reduced glare, improved focus, high-frequency tuning, audio enhancements and chassis shielding that reduced household signal interference.

Aside from the Flip Phone, Motorola advancements in transistor technology replaced tubes, Motorola designed and built the Unified S-Band radio transceiver linking voice, video and telemetry between astronauts, the lunar lander and NASA's Mission Control.  In 1973, company engineer, Martin Cooper, made the first public handheld cellular phone call with a Motorola prototype on a Manhattan street corner.  In 1979 they introduced the 16/32 bit microprocessor that became the foundation for modern personal computing and gaming.  And it was Motorola who delivered the world's first 5G smartphone connectivity by connecting a consumer device to Verizon's commercial 5G network and bringing gigabit data speeds to everyday users in 2018.

So, now you know the rest of the story, insofar as where it's advanced.  Who knows what the future holds....

Cherry Camp

 

After Horseshoe Bay Farms discontinued its elite Holstein breeding operation in 1925 the farm transitioned to focus on orchard production.  As hundreds, upon hundreds, of acres of cherry trees reached full maturity there arose a seasonal challenge; harvesting millions of pounds of cherries.  The technology of the time required thousands of hands picking cherries one by one and just like today local labor was in short supply.  Frank Murphy, who owned Horseshoe Bay Farms in Egg Harbor came-up with a novel solution.

Cherry Camp.

Functioning as a part-time summer job and youth camp bringing local teenagers together with other 13 to 17 year-olds from across Wisconsin and as far away as Chicago. 

The original Horseshoe Bay Golf Clubhouse, located right on the shore of green Bay, was converted into a dormitory.  The clubhouse featured a mess hall and a canteen where campers could purchase soda pop, treats and snacks.  As an exclusively all-boys facility, following a day's labor, most campers stripped-down, soaped-up, and jumped into the waters of Green Bay to clean-up.  The dorm also featured an outdoor basketball court, baseball field, horseshoes and a boxing ring.

As co-owners the Cowles family held longstanding seats on the Green Bay Packers Board of Director.  Consequently, Packers players, supplemented with local high school coaches,  served as chaperones and camp counselors.  

The daily routine began with reveille and calisthenics.  Following breakfast, trucks transported the kids up the bluffs to the orchards.  Campers had to pick 7.5 pails of cherries each day to cover their room and board.  Profits of every pail picked beyond that went directly to the teenage camper.  Lunch was at the orchard and quitting time was 4 PM.  Following supper, candy bars were awarded to the day's highest pickers.  Each day closed with the Pledge of Allegiance, retiring of the colors, taps and lights out. 

 This was not a vacation experience; it was back-breaking work.  Climbing ladders and hauling pails of cherries in the July sun was not a leisurely summer day.  Nevertheless, the organized camp experience combining hard work with summer adventure away from home likely left some fond memories.

The boom years for cherry camp extended from the early 1940s thru the 1950s.  The camp operated at peak capacity during these decades often drawing 100 teenagers each July and August.  With the introduction of mechanical limb shakers and automated harvesting equipment in the 1960s the need for the manual picking of cherries was eliminated.  The need for seasonal teenage labor disappeared and so did cherry camp. 

It is worth noting that girls picked cherries too alongside the boys - but under a different arrangement. Local girls commuted daily to the orchards to pick alongside the camp boys.  The children of families visiting for the summer also earned summer cash making cherry picking a rite of passage for generations of teenagers.

                                                       Photo Credits - Horseshoe Bay Farms