Unplugged 2011.

Summertime means camping, fishing, and unplugging from technology. We made a list of items and wrote them down on a  blue college essay test booklet.  These items would make roughing it more comfortable. When I was younger, all I needed was a Rambo knife. Everybody wanted to camp like a reluctant hero that was on the lam. The survival knife had a compass on the butt of the knife that unscrewed revealing the fishing line with hook and some waterproof matches. Our list was complete, we loaded the bed of the truck like that hollow handled Rambo knife.  The Wisconsin northwoods was our destination.

The campground was great. Only a handful of other campers were seen during our visit. No water, no electricity, and a couple of miles of gravel road ensured a quiet time.

The only sounds at night under the tall red pines were the calls of  loons, a crackling fire, and whippoorwills.

Starrett Lake, Wisconsin

Starrett Lake Campground.

Megan and I out in the canoe.

Starrett Lake, located within the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest is a small lake and is perfect for canoeing.

This Smallmouth Bass fell for a buzzbait. Catch and release.

Another Smallmouth. 

Megan, my daughter, working a Zara Spook.

Everything unpacked and set up to find the tragedy of not having any sugar for my coffee! How could it have been missed from being packed. I bet Rambo wished he had a sugar cube in his knife to wash down the worms he ate for breakfast. Our front-country car campground breakfast included fried potatoes with onions, bacon,eggs, and strong black coffee.
The time we spent and the things we experienced was well worth every ounce of effort put forth on our expedition and memories that will last a lifetime.

The View From The Backseat

I normally do a lot of driving. So taking pictures sometimes takes a backseat to concentrating on driving. Yesterday, I had the privilege to be a passenger on a day trip with Melissa and some close friends to Green Bay and Door County, Wisconsin. The day started out nice and sunny but on the return trip home things became a bit gloomy and harrowing for a few moments. I post many pictures on Facebook. Some however, I feel need to be posted here.

Fox River and Green Bay.

The Hunt

Today, I returned to Powers Bluff to look for morel mushrooms. I did not find any which is not out of the ordinary for me. Years ago, I had an acquaintance that could see them on the forest floor from about 15 yards away.  To this day,I find myself practically on my hands and knees looking for them. I could not help but take another picture of the Trillium flowers (see previous post) while I was there.

 


I was the only one in the park. No one around for miles. Silence, just the sounds of nature and the occasional moo of a cow off in the distance. This park used to be home to several tribes of native Americans. About this time of year they would gather from miles around to dance and celebrate the return of spring.

This is another image of Bloodroot. I was drawn to it like a magnet.

Spring in Central Wisconsin.

This caught my eye the other day. Auburndale, Wisconsin.

In a world of politically correctness and fix it now, I find the laid back attitude of Milladore Wisconsin to be alright.

Spring Flowers 2011

Well we made it through the snowy days and spring is finally here. I have had so many busy days working on little projects around the house. I am sure I will get them all completed in time. Last Saturday, I found myself with some friends at a local county park going on a guided tour of spring flowers.
 It was a cloudy day and made for good images.

Blood Root

Breeches

Early Rue

Sessile-Leaved Bellwort.

Trillium Patch

Trillium

Scarlet Cap Fungi

Spring Takes a Break

Over the last couple of weeks the weather in Central Wisconsin has swung wildly from one extreme to the other. Regardless, spring is coming and will not be denied. Last weekend we had freezing rain.

Tuesday morning the same tree had shed the ice but some snow had found its way to many of its branches.

For years many photographers use a technique of coloring portions of a black and white photo to put emphasis on a certain aspect of an image. Photoshop and the digital age has made this easy to do to the point it has become gimicky. Several factors came into play with this image, the least of which, Photoshop.

  

One day a couple of weeks ago that taste of spring led to temperatures in the seventies and the sky filled with thunderheads in the distance.

Snow Tunnel

I had made a trail in the back yard this winter so I could easily access firewood. I used our snow-blower to keep this trail open and large enough to get a wheel barrow to and from the wood pile.  The wood trail  ran almost like a maze through the backyard.  The trail had a couple of inches of snow on it, while everything else was covered by drifts and accumulated snow. One day, a couple of months ago, while sitting at the computer next to a window that looks out onto the backyard, I saw a couple of ground squirrels running back and forth along the trail. They played in and around the firs in the backyard chasing one another. As they ran down the trail, I watched them disappear into a small hole in the snow along the trail. Today, as I did some work in the yard removing dead limbs and raking leaves where the snow has receded. This is what I found.

The opening is about three to four inches across and about the same in height. There are a couple of other tunnels that I am sure connect in the remaining snow. Sad to see all of their hard work melt but I am sure they are ready for spring too.

Maple

Yesterday, I was invited to Maplewood Gardens in Elderon, Wisconsin where owner, David Peterson was making maple syrup. It was a great to watch and learn as Peterson made, the best maple syrup I have ever tasted.

Buckets hang on tapped maple trees gathering sap in a small stand of woods located on Peterson's property.

Sap is collected, then put into a larger holding tank.

Sap is then pumped into another holding tank, where gravity can allow the sap flow easier into the boiler inside the shack.

Maplewood Garden Owner, David Peterson prepares to take a sample of syrup to check to concentration of sugar in the syrup as it is boiled down from the sap.

 Peterson uses a hydrometer to check the sugar concentration level.

 

The aroma coming from the shack was intoxicating.