Foggy morning

Sometimes I wake up to heavy fog in our area. Our steep valleys often give us some incredible fog. I never liked driving to work in it at 4am or at 7am, but it is beautiful when one doesn't have to drive in it.

I took two cameras out Monday just as the sun broke the horizon. [Thank you Hannah for being the perfect alarm clock...on cue she wakes me up just as the world is getting light--> yawn!]

I headed out with the car so I could check out a few of my favorite places.

I started on the ridge and saw that the valley was full of fog.

This is one of my favorite places to stop and watch fog. All the elements are there. I've probably photographed this spot over many years in different weather. 

I decided to try and take some shots with both cameras for comparison:

Fog is one of my favorite things to go for walks in. Above is the road to the valley and below is a stream the locals call Black Bottom Creek but the maps call it Readscreek. 

It was about 6am and I stood on the bridge over the creek and took these shots. It is in the opposite direction from the shot with the tree in it.

I waited for about a half hour or so here hoping for the sun to come over the hill to the east. Impatience is my forte so I headed over to another bridge over the same creek.

I explored more shots but these are my examples. 

I find fog magical.

I love a good foggy morning in the Driftless.  I'm only moments from either the ridge or the valley.

The shot below is back on the ridge just after the sun broke through the fog.

Old place revisited

 

Above 👆

Photo of Rich on his beloved mule Fred.

21 years ago in the fall.

It has been a while since I visited the Wildcat Mountain State Park 'horse trails'. A person can hike those trails but I've never done that.

I've avoided taking hikes on the horse trails because of ... well, I thought the memories of us riding our mules there would be too painful.

Hannah and I set out on foot. It felt weird to navigate the trails on my own. Before I always had Rich as the navigator. He never seemed to need a map, he seemed to always know exactly where he was. 

I decided to explore the horse trails by foot since I have a trailer --but no truck to pull it. Nor do I have the skill to be confident in turning our large trailer around.

Even though I haven't been down these trails in a long time certain places just hit me with bittersweet memories. [Those are shown above]

We rarely had to chat when we rode. Rich was quiet, unless he was calling his chosen mule a name. Fred was sure his name was 'Goddamitfred'. We'd laugh about that all of the time. 

We packed a lunch of ring bologna, cheese, and Ritz crackers. We brought water along to wash it down. We often stopped at a spot called Johnny Cake to have our picnics.

Sunshine is the 'butt' on the right.

Today, it was just Hannah and I. 

We ran into a couple of lady riders that were trying to avoid Johnny Cake and get out to the Yellow Trail. I helped them navigate and gave them the second copy of the map I'd taken at the park entrance.

I spent a long time at Johnny Cake. 

I sat on that very same picnic table and let my mind wander into fond memories.

I thought that Memory Lane would make me sad. It didn't, it made me smile with remembering all the good times we had while mounted.

Life in the saddle was always so sweet. After all, that is how we met. 

Hannah and I enjoyed the trails and the deep forest trails we walked through. Everything was new to my 'feet' since I'd never walked any of these trails before. We just walked along and enjoyed everything we were seeing.

The memories were sweet and endearing.

Hannah and I got back to where I'd parked and sat down to have some water and snacks.

We will go back soon.

It is a place of fond memories and a place where we can create new ones.

Not only that...there are still 14 more miles of trails we can explore by foot.

Little Miss Sunshine

 

When this mule was born hubby thought we should sell her right away. She never got big but mom was only 14 hands. I wasn't impressed with her at first as she wasn't super striking to look at. I didn't feel that she had the best confirmation in the mule world. She inherited her mom's barrel body but did not inherit her mother's attitude.

At the time, I was working with her half brother who was 15 hands who was an incredibly handsome dark bay mule.

Rich put her up for sale and a guy came and looked at her. He wasn't impressed with her looks either so we decided to keep her and make her a grand kid mule. 

Thing is, she became our all around trail mule.

What I never realized in the years I worked with her is that she was absolutely beautiful, kind, sweet, and just like her half brother...she would do anything I asked her to do. I lost Badger when he was 16 years old due to an illness. It broke my heart and I couldn't bear to think of even loving another mule.

In the face of difficult situations in the forest, Sunshine will look at it, assess it, and then deal with it. She thinks, just like most of the mules I've worked with over the past 30 years. 

Sunshine's mother was reactionary. 

A deer would step out of the forest a quarter mile away and she'd generally spin and then stop. Sunshine points her hears, slows down, observes, then walks on. 

When I was working her as a 5 yr old I'd sing from her back, drop her reins, flop around in the saddle, and pull branches off trees and wave them around. I'd cry out, whine, complain, and carry on.

Rich laughed and said I was acting like a 4 yr old and I agreed. If a kid were to ride her, they'd probably do all of these things. 

But she did end up being an incredible mule to carry grandkids.

For whatever stupid reason, she still was not my 'favorite' heart throb mule. I was still lost over losing Badger so I rehabbed Opal the people hating mule. I fell for Siera with her good looks and her incredible gaits.

Time and time again, I returned to riding the Little Red Mule. Each time I discovered more reasons why she was so good.

My friend who has horses had invited me to bring a mule to her place so we could ride together. 

Kristi just wanted to ride and have someone to go with.

My first thought was to take Siera. She is 14.5 hands and a very striking bay mule. She is calm and easy going too. Siera developed that weird lameness so that left Sunshine.

I struggled with that decision because she is 28 but in great health and no issues. But I've never ever been apart from her for 28 years. I didn't know if I could wake up in the morning and NOT see her in the pasture.

This week we finally made a date to move her. My anxiety level went through the roof. How could I let my red head leave the farm?

Another thought struck me. I have raised this mule from birth. I have overlooked her time and time again but always knew in my heart that we have a special connection that normally doesn't occur between equine and humans.

When I took her photo in the pasture the other night I was again struck by her poise and beauty. Plus the fact that I could not step out on the porch without her spotting me from across the field. Always, always, she knickers and watches to see what I am up to.

Was I really that dumb to not appreciate the plain colored red beauty? With my heart in my throat, I took her to Olive's house where we transported her to Kristi's farm.

I put her in the paddock next to Johnny Cash [Kristi's new horse] and observed. Sunshine walked around the paddock while the horses checked her out. The horses bounced around and whinnied. Sunshine gave them the once over and then got down and rolled. Apparently she wasn't too impressed.

Kristi sent me a photo of Sunshine this morning so I wouldn't miss her too badly.

So Sunshine and Johnny Cash got along just fine.  She must like his songs.🎶

I went there last night and we rode for a bit in her indoor arena. 

Sunshine had never been in one and didn't care for it at first.

We then headed out and down her road which is a dead end. The wind was blowing pretty hard but the two equine didn't seem to mind. We traveled through a gate and rode through a large pasture. Sunshine was on a mission and did her best mule walk which is fast.

Johnny is a Western Pleasure horse and walks slow and easy. 

Eventually we went to the outdoor arena and practiced some figure 8's at a trot and just enjoyed the evening.

The kids went by in a UTV, the Amish neighbor was moving sheep and they were making a lot of noise. Tyler the handyman was using a skid steer just outside the outdoor to spread dirt and do landscaping.

Both equine took it all in without batting an ear. Though the crappy shot below shows my long ear watching the Amish Sheepdog.

So.

What does it feel like riding after such a long hiatus? 
Sweet.

I will commend my Little Miss Sunshine for taking it all in at a strange place and not being a butt head. She did everything I asked her to.

Saturday morning we are going to trail ride at Kristi's.

My decision was the right one. Serendipity chose Sunshine and Sunshine once again proved exactly why she was the one mule I've always wanted.

What can I say. Except that I haven't felt this stress free in years. Yes, riding is magical.

Hike to Blackhawk Rock

Monday morning, after taking down the campground and hauling everything back to the house, I asked the pups what they felt like doing for the morning.

Well, they were not helpful at all so I decided we'd take a midday trip to Blackhawk Rock. The sun was bright and glaring but that makes for fun Infrared Photography.

I stop and look at this old tree along the trail every single time I hike the Blackhawk Trail. The tree is an ancient old maple that keeps losing parts.

At one time there was a plaque on it giving it a name and a number.

The trail gets steep once you head up towards the rock outcropping. One of the things I like to warn folks about is that the trail is narrow, steep, and full of poison ivy on both sides of the trail with plants that are as tall as my hip.

I always wear long pants while hiking through there and am careful not to crush any leaves as I go through.

Then you step into an opening of the forest and look up.

The feeling of just looking up at it, is a bit overwhelming. There is a legend that says that Blackhawk the chief of the Sauk tribe rode his horse to the top of the rock. 
The soldiers thought they had him captured, but he and his horse leapt from the rock and escaped.

That didn't happen, but it is a cool legend. 

I purchased a book on the Blackhawk War for my grandson as a gift. It is a pretty interesting book.

Our county has quite a few Historical Markers that a person can follow to read about the travels of the tribe and Blackhawk.

The post office of our town has a mural of Blackhawk. 

When we got to the top of the rock, Hannah slowly walked to the edge with Charlie and then backed quickly away. She didn't go near the edge again while we were there. Charlie took a nap in the sun while we simply enjoyed the view.

The edge of the rock is the same rock as seen from below. Yes, you can look down if you are brave. I usually kneel and then lay down to look.

I wanted to say that this was Hannah's reaction to the top of the rock...it wasn't, she was yawning when I took the shot. 

It was a nice day so we decided to do the whole loop which ended up being 4.99 miles according to the GPS thingy.

Hannah has made great strides in her leash work. We did run into a large group of horseback riders. Hannah was sure they were marauders of some sort. I think that the more often we encounter others on the trails, the less barking she will do. 

Once they passed, she ignored them. But she is part terrier and everything needs to be barked at when she first is surprised by it.

Both dogs were tired and slept on the drive home.

I'm pleased that Hannah and Charlie are doing well with hiking together now on leashes the double leash works but I didn't want two dogs pulling me around on the very difficult climb to the top of the rock.

We have continued our early morning 15 minute workout on a line learning to heel and sit when I stop walking. She is doing the sit now most of the time in the proper spot without me telling her and repositioning her now.

Charlie watches from the house. He believes that he is the overlord of the house and will refuse to join in our foolishness.

 

A place in the forest...

No internet. Spotty cell service. 
A comfy tent bedroom.

Peace.
No walls, open air.

Stars.

Magical blinking lights.

Surround sound.

Coyote calls.

Barred Owl songs.

Deer whistles.

Songs from a Brown Thrasher.

Bird calls.

Campfire.

Smells.

Fog in the meadow.

Dew.

The sound of leaves sighing in the breeze.

No noises other than those made in the forest.

A light show like no other.

Morning mists in the meadow.

A stunning morning view.

Good company.

Where the Earth Breathes

The morning mist hangs low and still,
Upon the green and silent hill.
The ancient trees hold back the wind,
And leave the busy world behind.

A hidden creek flows soft and slow,
Through mossy stones and fern below.
No hurried step, no frantic sound,
Just quiet grace upon the ground.

The golden light begins to fade,
Across the cool, protected glade.
The forest rests, the shadows fall,
And peace settles over all.

~~~Author Unknown

Night of the Fireflies

Miss Ariel came to visit for a short weekend. We went out to lunch, then decided to 'do' downtown Viroqua. The vinyl record store, used book store, second hand stores, and a couple of other downtown shops and the crazy old mall that was once a car dealership.

I picked up a couple of things and fell in love with a gypsy type skirt of wild colors and a pair of gypsy pants. I don't know why I needed something like that, but I did.

I found a t-shirt I couldn't pass up.

Happy me! A new store is opening downtown.

It will be buying and selling used Legos! 

Also other games and of course a gaming club I think!

Yes!!

We spent our downtime teaching Hannah the ins and outs of fetching and 'leave it'. Hannah was entranced with Ariel [Charlie loves her also]. So I had her doing some of the repeat work with her.

Hannah learned that you get a treat once in a while when you 'leave it'  or drop the ball in a human hand.

We did multiple doggy walks and enjoyed the cool air. Ariel wanted to get her steps in. I wanted to exercise the pups. 

When the sunset started I ran inside and grabbed a camera. The colors were incredibly intense.

The pine trees are in front of the house which you might be able to barely see in the bottom right corner.

It wasn't so dark that we couldn't see around us and as the color faded from the skies we started seeing hundreds of fireflies.

I set up the camera during the blue hour and started to use a computational thingy on the camera called LiveComp which records any change in light every 4 seconds or whatever you set it too.

I was super happy with the driveway photo. Ariel watched with some amazement too. I doubt she ever stood and just let nature flow over her like that in the semi dark. I pointed out that the lighting bugs often stayed off the gravel and stuck to the long grasses on each side of the driveway and in the forest.

I turned the camera to the neighbor's meadow which hasn't been grazed or mowed in over 10 years.

I let the camera go on for 20 minutes compiling flashes of light.

Long exposure with moving clouds...

30 seconds of the same area.

It was like the insects were doing a special dance just for us and all we had to do was watch. One even landed on my hand and another in my hair.

You could say I was immersed in it.

As was Ariel.

The pups were sleeping in the house when we finished.