Colorful

The past few days have given us some spectacular morning and evening colors. The ones above were from a morning walk. The magic all happened as I walked back towards home. I'd hiked out to an area where I could see across the top of the ridge but the view was rather...um. Bleh.

When I got to the mailbox the skies lit up with those great crepuscular rays of morning light over the cornfield.

Another stunning evening sky gave us some amazing colors. 
Home sweet home ... colors in the sky above us.

The trees are rapidly changing colors. Getting a scenic shot is really quite hard in these woods and hills without travelling to the river or a bluff.

Green and Gold Hickory leaves:

Maple leaves along the driveway:

I'm hoping to get out to one of the county parks this afternoon.

Below is a photo of Jersey Valley which had an earthen dam to provide flood control and a man made lake which provided us with hiking, fishing, and kayaking, picnics, and swimming. The dam was destroyed in 2018 and apparently they will not replace it once again as it is too costly.

The County is working on rebuilding the trails that were also destroyed.

I do recall in years past that this was my go to spot at sunrise or late in the day. This is a photo from 2014 when the lake still had water.

I'm aching to get out and enjoy some fall beauty if it comes around. However. I'm okay with what Mother Nature will provide for us.

My favorite County Park

These are two views of the wing dam area that was breached by the storms last year.
I believe there is some debate going on as to whether or not this lake and dam will be fixed again.

I can say that this has probably been one of Vernon County's most popular parks. It has a picnic pavilion and below that it had a refurbished beach that was extremely popular with the residents of the county.

The lake was stocked and the beach and the small fishing docks were almost always in use. Kayaks, canoes, and small fishing craft with electric motors were almost a constant on the lake.

There was an upper trail and lower trail that was closer to the shore for those who wished to fish from the bank. Or in my case, hike along and look for turtles.

Now parts of the trails are missing and washed out. The upper trail is mostly intact but closed in some spots as the steep banks have large cracks in them and are deemed unsafe to hike on.

I wanted to hike from the wing dam to the north side of the Valley. It used to take Morris and I almost 2 hrs to hike the 3 mile trail. This trail was probably the most popular trail all year for runners and for those who had dogs. In the winter parking is at the top of the valley and a person has to hike in from the gate.

These are photos from the trail to the north end of the lake where the south fork of the Kickapoo River comes in.

I'm happy to say that this trail is intact and one can go all the way around to the snowmobile bridge and cross the river.

I turned around here and I will have to return to try the trail from the other side and see how it held up.

Half way around the lake there is a small trail that leads down to the shore. It used to be a popular spot to hike to and fish. Now it leads to the 'new' north end of the lake.
From up above it looks rather intriguing. It is river bottom now and not a lake bottom.

This is the place I really want to explore. There are a series of tiny waterfalls and places where the river rushes over the new valley floor that look very interesting.
However I didn't have time to go down and look around.
I knew that if I did, I'd lose track of time.

I made a mental note to come back soon. Hopefully later this week.

The unexplored trails are calling to me in my favorite park!

Little get away

Last week it was Duck Egg for a quick get away.  Tuesday afternoon I used Rich's nap time to do some errands and ended up at Jersey Valley.

I had spent Monday after appointments mowing the 'hill' with the push mower. The grass hadn't been cut since I'd injured my ribs. Tuesday morning I'd mowed the bulk of the yard.
I ran the errands.
And then for whatever the reason, the Subaru drove to Jersey Valley. I got out and walked over to look at the lake and see if any of the trees had started to turn.

Here is a shot of the man made lake. You can see that the water level is at least 10 feet or so below what it used to be.

Here is the pavilion for picnics and what not...next to the playground and above what used to be the beach area.
Sorry...in Infrared!

If one turns around from facing the picnic area, you can see where the wing dam was breached by the flood waters last year.

I cannot even begin to imagine the volume of water that caused this, however there was a farmer that had a drone that did take footage of the water just after it happened. 

If you would like to watch it ... it is here:
Jersey Dam Failure

There is drone footage from before and after the storm.

Looking down from the picnic area towards the wing dam area.

...and from mid way down the rock slope...

This part of Jersey Valley is worth exploring now. The bedrock is exposed, there is a new tiny stream that flows from the lake ... and the rocks are a rockhound's dream come true.

I found a cool root to add to my collection of stick and roots.

I found gobs of neat and unusual rocks too.

I followed the new little stream which seems to be the new main attraction at JV.

This is where I found the tiny waterfalls. There actually are several along the way, but this one is about 3 feet tall and empties into a rock pool.

At this angle the pavillion doesn't look as high up as it really is and things are pretty deceptive looking. Only those with good balance and goat like skills should climb up and down the hill. Lots of loose stuff to trip you up.
Walking in the boulder field would be a challenge to those with weak ankles.

However, it is worth the hike to see some of the sights.

Like I said, the place is interesting!

If you take the time to look around, you find odd things, neat rocks, and unexpected things.

Jersey Valley, September 27th 2015.

I quickly wrapped up my quick little get away and headed back home.

After all, I had some more work to be done.
I'm finding that if I break my work up into two hour increments with a 'choice time' each day, I am a lot more efficient at getting things done.

My choice time can involve a nap, reading, walking, hiking, or visiting a close by county park.

I call them my little mental get aways.

This along with my return to CrossFit has been a good thing.

Now for my next project.
Cleaning the...shed...

I like Jersey Valley

Jersey Valley is one of our local county parks. It had an earthen dam that failed during the extremely heavy rains last August.

The park had a nice little lake stocked with fish and a wonderful hiking trail that went around it with new trails being developed.

This is a view a few years ago that I took on an early morning walk with Morris. I am standing on the dam looking across the lake as the sun comes up on my right.

I don't really have good before and after photos as I just went out this week to check it out. The steep entrance road to this park gets closed often in the winter.

Morris and I went there after his first brush with death and the diagnosis of Kidney Failure. I wanted to take him to his favorite hiking area.

I went out there on Wednesday afternoon with Charlie after bringing Rich home from our 'adventure' to Vernon Memorial Hospital.

I took this photo to show Rich the change in the little man made lake since the spill way had been breached last August.

I am standing where there was a fishing dock at one time. I looked around and decided to go see where the flood waters broke through the dam.

Here is a photo from the breach point looking up at the park Pavilion and playground area.

I turned around and took a shot of a gent and his grandson walking through what used to be the spillway and following the stream as it now flows through here.

The 'new' look is pretty interesting. Charlie and I headed down the stream to explore the rock debris field.

We found this little falls falling into a deep rock pond.

Just above this water falls is where I took the photo of Mr. Morris on our last hike there together.

I followed the debris field and was able to walk along the West Fork of the Kickapoo River.  This stream empties into the watershed that flooded Readstown. Hard to believe, but if one looks at a map and follows the downward flow of water it is pretty obvious.

The dam was put in place for flood control.
The big question now is will the dam be replaced?

From visiting there a lot of the people are finding the re-modeled Jersey Valley quite interesting. The rock field is fascinating with its mix of rocks.

I found the fishing dock wedged up against trees. Amazingly, it actually held together fairly well.

This wasn't the first time it had gotten loose from its moorings, but it was certainly the first and only time it had left the man made lake.

I met some folks who were sorely disappointed in the lack of repair which I found interesting. The repair will be expensive and with more harsh rains? Would it even hold?
I liked the lake too. I like the hiking trails around it.

Some folks think the county ought to just redo the trails and leave well enough alone. Though I must admit I am conflicted. So many people enjoyed the nice little beach and most days in the warm season there would be canoeing, kayaking, and fishing occurring on any given day.

In a couple of years the rock debris field will be overgrown as Mother Nature remodels yet again.

But for now, I'm going to keep going back to one of my favorite places in Vernon County.

Walkies

Well I heard that description somewhere once upon a time.
My memory isn't as good as it used to be.

I do recall though the time I peed on a lady's shoes under the table. The shoes were so inviting. I was just a little puppy and well, I didn't know it would make her mad. Hopping mad too. I was told not to come back to her house. The older guy laughed and laughed until the Lenise lady gave him a stern look.

Anyway. She decided to go look at fall colors at Jersey Valley. I saw her getting ready and started to be a bit of a nag. I stood by the door and looked at her anxiously. I don't jump around much anymore.
Jumping around is not as fun as it used to be.

However, I knew it was a 'GO' when she got the blue lead line out.
Thank goodness she brings that now. I am pretty sure she wouldn't know her way around if I wasn't on the other end of the lead line.
Seems she needs this blue line more and more. Well, it is good to know that she needs me around still.

Even if She says I see monsters where there are no monsters. However, I know that that flower pot was really a huge threatening raccoon moments before it turned into a flower pot again. Those wild animals certainly are getting creative.

We settled into the Subaru and headed out. I navigated for a while then went to sleep. I was hoping she could find her way to the park. There are some nice trails there that She can follow pretty easily and doesn't seem to need my help.
I guess She has some concerns when she lets me loose. I head back towards the way we came.

She clips the blue line to her belt ...and off we go.

We have seemed to work out a way of walking that works with this method.

I'm glad because I sure would hate to have Her wander off where I couldn't find her.

Then where would we be? I know I'd spend the night lost with her in the woods and it wouldn't be so bad really. But I don't think She brought any of that really nifty dog food I like.

She was kneeling on the side of the trail while I sniffed up a tree. I'm sure a gorilla had just climbed this tree and was waiting to pounce on us. Perhaps it was a really huge Giraffe.

Anyway I kind of woofed a bit and then tried to climb it.

She called me a name, I think. She said "Come here Old Man," in a quiet voice. I looked around and didn't see Rich anywhere. I knew she must have been seeing things.

A really big dog came along the trail dragging a man. I gave that big dog a wink and a nod. "Train your human right off the bat! I wish I could drag mine around!"

Big Dog and Dragging Man stumbled down the snowmobile trail and off they went crashing.

She took more photos as I sat and watched.

I am pretty sure if I hadn't been along, She would have missed some of these glorious colors and photos.
After all, we've been partners for a very long time.

We went to the top of the dam and looked around. I got pretty bored. There were no people or monsters around.
In fact I was pretty tired.

Thank goodness She noticed and started to pack things up. Besides, I knew it was going to rain again.

We paused on the way back to take in the trail and the colors once more.
I do want to come back. It is nice taking her on this new trail.

Besides, I want to see if Big Dog and Dragging Man ever made it out safely.

I hope we get more 'Walkies' in before the temperature gets cold. I don't think I like cold stuff any more. I think She is okay with that. 
I talked to Dixie the other day to see if she'd pick up the slack.

After all, I really don't want Her to go out on her own. She needs a good dog to keep an eye on Her. 

Good Morning.

With all the horrid news that we are seeing today and this past week, I thought I'd offer something a bit more positive.

Farm Life is pretty quiet and peaceful.

Sunday morning I drove to Jersey Valley to watch the sunrise. I really thought I'd messed up because the sky was absolutely brilliant with unimaginable reds as I drove to one of my favorite spots to watch a sunrise.

I kicked myself a few times thinking I should have stayed at home and simply watched it from the ridge.

However.
Somehow, Jersey Valley didn't really disappoint.

While there I heard an strange noise, it sounded as if a truck was rolling down the steep hill dropping gravel.

However it was a flock of black birds that swirled above the lake and landed somewhere on the north side.

~~~

Morris is doing pretty well. He absolutely adores the Kidney Diet food he is getting and seems ravenous. He still has very slow mornings, but is lively and annoying for most of the afternoon and evening. He is eating better and feeling better. He is staying stable at this time.

Most mornings he just mopes around and doesn't do much or seem to have interest in things. However he still likes to go for walks and enjoyed seeing the kids at the bus stop last Friday. He did tire, but I did give him a lift too.

He has become somewhat of a 'lap' dog with a cling-on attitude. I am okay with that also.

~~
Rich is doing better also. Last week we got the okay from the neurologist. Rich can start driving with limitations. He is really good about being a compliant patient.
Yesterday he drove to the river and went fishing. He handed me the keys later and said he was tired. Could I drive?
We still are doing things as a team. Need to run to the hardware store? We go together.

The Sunrise Club

Thank goodness the sun rises later in September. It makes it slightly easier to get up and out to certain places for a 'sunrise' adventure.

Our friends arrived late Friday night from the east side of the state. I love their visits. It means there will be a crazy fast and furious weekend of trying to do a million things.
I think they have fallen in love with this portion of Wisconsin. I must admit when I did the very same thing about 20 some years ago. I did the crazy thing of driving to visit Rich on Friday nights after work and spent until late Sunday afternoon enjoying his company and this area.
Until I realized that I would just move here and it would solve a lot of my traveling and driving issues.

I never looked back. And I am happy I did.

Anyway we were up early. Daryl came quietly down the stairs. The coffee was brewing and I was thumbing through my Smarty Pants Phone checking the Nautical Dawn, Civilian Dawn times and the actual sunrise times for one of the county parks I like to visit through an app called Sun Locator Lite.
Amanda came down the stairs, then Evelyn was next and finally Grace came down the stairs.

Ready? Ready.
We piled into the Subaru and headed out.

When we came down the steep road into the valley and made the bend everyone in the car said, "Wow!" in some sort of form. There is a curve that allows you to peak at the man made lake just before it reveals itself.
Yeah, it is breath taking every time I see it. And I have not become immune to it.

We parked and everyone stepped out at once, scattering quickly to get the 'best' view. The Sunrise Club had arrived. Only this time we weren't in PJ's!

I wanted to be everywhere at once but couldn't. I stood next to the car and admired the colors as the daylight began to make the area glow with light.

Having the place essentially to yourself is another bonus.
Look!
No parking issues!

We eventually migrated to the floating fishing dock and watched the skies change.

Time for a bit of goofing around.

Even the girls found interesting things to do.

And I discovered my 'best' shot of the weekend because of that. Nope, it wasn't the spectacular scenery or the incredible colors. No, it wasn't something like that at all.
It was one of Daryl's daughters playing with some wild flowers she picked.

This shot made the morning for me. I photographed it in color, but the but in my mind saw it as black and white.

Once I took a series of her picking up the flowers and setting them back on the lake's calm surface, I sat back.

My morning couldn't have been any better. I got the shot of the day. I was satisfied. This image struck me as a powerful one.

I wanted to jump up and down and shout out, "I got it!"
But I didn't. Although my friends would have totally understood it if I had.

The clouds moved in and the sun disappeared.

Time to end our morning adventure and head back to the farm.