Went for a drive

 Oh that sounds so darned silly doesn't it? 

I went for a drive because. Well. Just because. I had a destination in mind and thought I'd take some back roads on the way just for something different to do.

My two trouble makers came along for the ride. My destination was a small State Park called Mill Bluff. Now I could have used my GPS in the vehicle to do the route but I decided to 'wing it'. 

Charlie is not a great dog to travel with. He is nervous all the time and loves to whine and whine and whine. He even gets a bit hysterical when I stop for a stop sign or he hears the turn signal going. Hannah on the other hand is mostly silent and listens if I tell her to be quiet.

When Charlie has a meltdown, she hops out of her car seat and tries to get in his. If she is not tethered she will actually get in with him. That makes for one very crowded spot. 

Charlie has been this way for 8 years. I have at times put a vibration collar on him and sometimes that helps keep him quieter. I think he actually calms down faster with Hannah as company. We are still working on that issue.

Any....way...

I got way off track while driving, but I got to see quite a bit of scenery on the narrow back roads. There were plenty of times I wanted to pull over and just take in the sights. But I was on twisted narrow roads so I just kept going.

We eventually made it to the park. 

I had intended on taking the dogs to the far side of the 'beach' for a dip, but it was crammed with people so we went straight to the Bluff Trail. [no dogs allowed anyway]

This trail of a stone stairway is steep and long. I don't know how many steps one has to take to get to the top of the bluff but it is not for the faint of heart.
One can rest along the way.

Charlie didn't find it that hard going up and we did stop a couple of times. I wanted to get some shots of the stone stairs. I stopped and tied the dogs to the railing so they wouldn't run up or down the stairs. I had to think about what might happen on that terrain if they got excited by seeing another hiker. 

We climbed 120 feet up to the top of the Bluff.

When I first read this sign I thought we were standing on the Long Bluff. What you can't tell is that the sign has been there for quite a few years. I'm supposed to be looking across the way at Long Bluff. It had been so many years since this sign was posted that the trees on this bluff have grown up hiding the view.

The sign says:
Long Bluff which is named for its shape, is one of the many bluffs found in this area. It is approximately 199 feet tall. You are standing on Mill Bluff which is approximately 120 feet tall.

A portion of land visible is an abandoned cranberry marsh. Cranberry farming is an important industry in the Warrens area.

The rest of the sign disappears into old age and water damage.

The state put up a chain link fence around the top of the bluff. I'm guessing to keep fools from trying to climb up or down its steep sides. However, you can see where those fools have gone over. 

I found the fence convenient to tie the dogs to while I took a few shots. We did meet another hiker who was from Pennsylvania. The dogs went nuts as he was a dog lover and cooed over the both of them. 

The second time we saw him, I was able to make both dogs sit in front of me while I used the magic of 'treats' to hold their attention.

At the south end of the bluff we found another old sign.

Sign: 
Volk Field Air Strip
The air filed lying east of Mill Bluff is part of the Volk Field National Guard Training Site located adjacent to the Village of Camp Douglas. 

The airplane runway you see is oriented due east to west.
It is 9000 feet long and 150 feet wide with a 1000 feet overrun on each end. It is capable of receiving and sized air craft presently made.

The farm field in the foreground has been partially drained and is used as pasture land. Most of the land in this immediate area is either very dry or wet and has marginal use for agriculture.

Once again. There is no view here but there it is. Trees grow even on the sides of bluffs.

We decided to go to the other end. 

There was a view! 

You can see for quite the distance from this spot. It is obvious that people have climbed over the viewing area fence to go out to the tip. Mill Bluff sits between WI Hwy 12 and interstate 90-94. As a kid we traveled Hwy 12 and then later the interstate to go to spend the whole summer where our grandparents lived.

We'd stopped at Castle Rock Wayside to have a lunch and a break from travelling. It isn't far from where Mill Bluff.

At the overlook there is a bench and ... this!!!

A selfie stand?

Of course, why not!

After the 'selfie', I set down the dogs on the bench so I could grab a shot at the sign behind me....but....

but...

an older lady was coming up to the overlook and she was tottering along with two walking sticks. She gave me a 'look' when I grabbed my dogs' leashes. They bounced up and down and of course wanted to go see her.

I didn't let them, but made sure we gave the woman space to enjoy what we had been looking at. I'm disappointed that I didn't get a photo of what the sign said.

However, we took the stairs down which were actually harder than going up. I used the handrail for one hand and the leashes in the other. My balance is pretty darned good, but it was a slight challenge. Charlie had a harder time going down than up. I even stepped on his tail one time.

When I got to the car I thought about the lady I'd met at top and wondered how she'd negotiate the stairs coming down.

I considered doing the interpretive trail around the bluff, but the skeeters convinced me to come back after a hard frost.

I grabbed a map/brochure and realized that the park was much bigger than I thought and had another whole section to explore. 

The Ice Age Reserve National Scientific Reserve. There is a trail that goes around 3 more formations.

Cleopatra's Needle
Devils Monument
Camels Bluff

It appears that we will have to go back this fall to check it out.

Rocks and bluffs fascinate me so I'll put this down for a return trip.

Perhaps I'll actually take a shorter way next time. The trip home was much much shorter. I let Google Maps help me.

My intentions this year were to explore more and check out many of our State Parks as day trips before I ever started any overnight trips.

Wild 36 hours

I'm not even sure how to explain this.

Friday morning I left with Hannah to drive 3+ hours to my son and his fiance's place in Wausau. We were going to drive north to the UP in Michigan that afternoon after the kids were gathered from school.

The first leg was peaceful and quiet. I decided to take Hannah and not both dogs. Charlie has always been a bit nervous in the car and does quite a bit of 'talking' and complaining. I left him at home where a neighbor was going to let him out and later, my grandson Dennis would come and stay at our house. Dennis offered to watch over the place, do chores, and keep Charlie company.

I thought that this would be great socialization for Hannah as well as seeing how well she travelled distances.

Hannah proved to be an easy traveler. It seems the car vibrations put her into a sound sleep. I took periodic stops for leg stretching and peeing. 

I'd seen the weather and apparently we were in for more wild weather at some point on Friday afternoon. I'd have avoided travel any other time, but this was a trip for a small informal wedding to be held at dawn in the U.P. It was crazy enough for me to be curious and not to back out on Jer and Em's wedding. 

As we left Wausau under blue skies, tornado warnings erupted just a few miles south of us in a town called Ringle. We found out just a bit later that 75 homes had been severely damaged.

We headed north as the weather caught up to us and by the time we hit Michigan we were driving in a wild rainstorm through snow country. The rains came down, the fog from the snowpack was intense. If I had been driving I would have quit and looked for a place to stay. 
We made Houghton, MI in the dark and the fog lifted.

At 3am WI time, we were up and the bride to be was getting her hair done.

It was an honor to be asked to be a witness but so far things had been a bit insane.

We piled in two cars and headed out to the proposed site.

The temperature was around 19 F with a fairly fierce wind. This is Esrey Park. Pre-dawn. I climbed the rocks with my head lamp and loved the view. It was the first choice for the 'wedding'. 

[sorry for the poor shots, it was dark!]

After scoping out two other places, we stopped at Hunter's Point Park and sought shelter from the weather while the vows were read.

The 'I do's' were said, the bride was kissed, and we piled back into the heated vehicles.

Jer and Em wanted me to see at least one of the fantastic waterfalls in the area. The rest of the parks and trails were deep in snow so we stopped at Copper Falls Park in Eagle Harbor and walked out on the footbridge to admire the roaring water.

We drove 4.5 hours back to Wausau were I picked up my vehicle and I drove 3 hours back home.

Wild and slightly insane is the best way to describe this adventure. However, it did peak my interest in the Michigan area and the beautiful shoreline of Superior. I can see taking this trip in the future at my own pace and exploring the copper mine museums and the sights of the Upper Peninsula. 

Sunday was spent with my grandson Dennis who helped me finish two fencing projects. He had come up Friday night after the storms went through and cared for Charlie and the animals.

I think Monday should be a day of rest for the dogs and I!

Humming birds/moths/Infrared tour

The Clearwing Hummingbird Moths have finally showed up to feast on the Bee Balm. Of course they generally show up on the hottest days of July, but if you wish to see them, you have to sit patiently and watch for them.

I was fairly far from the flowers... on the back step to the house which was in the shade. 

 Remember the crooked and ancient looking outhouse in March? It looked SO pitiful! 

Well, it looks like an aged old beauty right now. Maybe that is why I've kept from demolishing it.

I enjoy trying to 'catch' the hummingbirds doing their thing with the Bee Balm also.

This is 3 shots combined into one. 

Thankfully, the camera has an exceptional image stabilizer and ON1 allows for layers to be aligned when loaded!

I like to do these kinds of shots, they just seem so fun to look at. I think I'm going to do a bird calendar next year for all of my favorite birds shots from this year.

I can't wait to capture some action with some butterflies. I would hope to see some Swallowtails and Monarchs just because they are so incredibly beautiful.

Sunday morning I had to run an errand in town to pick up some milk and other 'stuff' you know, the stuff you forget the last time you shopped.

Since I went very early [hubby's early morning nap time], I took a little more time driving to town and back. I took my Infrared Camera with me. The fog here was dense and it had been such a l-o-n-g time since I'd been able to get out and admire the morning light and take some shots.

Along a ridge road --> a not shortcut road to town. The fog was so dense there was no sky but I thought the telephone/power poles made a neat shot with the road curving off into the distance.

The fog started to lift as I came through this ridge towards the county road that leads to the highway....that leads to town!

I just love the undulation of the different strips of crops and lines that the eyes wouldn't see in regular color.

Here the morning sun comes out on another cut across gravel road I took. 

A bit further down the road the sun came out peeked between clouds. I was following buggy tracks. The buildings on the left side of the road belong to a few Amish families. 

More photos taken on the way home from town on another gravel road between the highway and the county road. One of my favorite ways to go home.

This shot was taken on our road as I headed home with a cooler of ice cream and all sorts of good veggies to make cold meals of fruits and veggies. 

I had hoped to get some nice steaks. I looked at some steaks that I've purchased a month ago for $25 to $30 bucks. That would feed us 2 suppers and one lunch.

The sticker shock of $45.00 stopped me in my tracks. I won't be able to afford to eat beef! I picked up pork chops and chicken. 
Hubby is going to have to forgo eating steaks [which is what he is so into right now].

It makes me sad to think I let my little beefers go a few years ago. I am also thankful that our friend Steve has supplied us with some amazing fish and venison.

The sky and ridge as I turned onto one of our gravel roads.

And then....

down this lane and into the woods to our place....

All these shots were done with a camera that was modified to take Infrared photos with different 
filters of different wave lengths. I use the 665nm filter for all shots. 
I normally take this camera out a lot when driving to and from places when

there is an interesting sky. 

Today is supposed to be blistering hot so I did all the chores before 7am and even did my last bit of mowing with my little mower. Boy that mower hated the wet tall grass, but I got it done, cleaned the mower, and put it away.

Any...way....

Many mornings, Charlie and I try to get out for an early walk. Sometimes, we actually make it. 

This shot of Charlie was taken a week or so ago. 

Getting out for a stroll is not always easy. I try to at night but it seems there is always something else to do. Thankfully most of the programming that we watch is rather uninteresting and I've decided not to pay for any more channels.

So evenings are spent reading, or gardening instead of staring at the TV. I often fall asleep if I do find something to watch now. The other half is getting up generally several times a night. He also is getting up between 4 and 5am. 

That used to be my quiet time, as I was the morning person and could enjoy sunrise walks along with quiet time with my coffee.

Charlie looks pretty serious here in this shot. He was just being Charlie, walking along looking for interesting smells.

Froggy Froggy...! I found this guy when I stopped to admire the fading spring phlox.

And on Wednesday morning this was the start to our walk. Whoops! This ancient oak fell over in the night. It's base was hollow and filled with carpenter ants. 

I texted this to our neighbor who lives at the top of the driveway and she sent it to her husband at work. I also sent it to Rich's pal who had planned on coming over to take Rich [and I] for a drive on Wednesday with the message that the driveway was blocked.

And then this happened.

The neighbor came home from work and made sure we could get in and out of our driveway. Steve [in the red shirt] showed up with his chainsaws and we had the drive cleaned up in no time flat.

My neighbor said he would clean up the big pieces for firewood and I said I'd clean up the little stuff and put it in a pile. 

Wednesday was another 'old' guy out day. 

I sat in back and enjoyed the ride and listened to the conversations.

Since we weren't fishing as it was so hot and humid, Steve wanted to find some wildlife for me to 'shoot' and enjoy. He had a grand time looking for turtles. Me looking for turtles amused him as he lives near a river and has turtles and snakes in his yard all of the time.

But. We did find turtles! But only in one park.

The sun did come out and the heat was on as well as the humidity and the smokey air. We drove through a park called Goose Island just outside of LaCrosse. Generally you can see deer wandering about along with a variety of birds, chipmunks, and amphibians.

We did get to see some Killdeer but they were far off as were the eagles.

I grabbed a few shots of the landscape.

It wasn't anything stellar, but I thought the shapes and contrasts were slightly interesting. 

I preferred this in black and white. In the second shot, you can see the extent of the smokey air that hovered above the Mississippi Valley.

By this time Rich was getting hungry so we elected to go back to The Bright Spot for burgers and fries. The effort of getting hubby in and out of the restaurant was the hardest part of the day, but we got it done.

I haven't had much time lately to visit the internet or even get out to play. I'm trying to figure out how to use my time more wisely when I do get Respite Care.

This week I did use most of my time to do a major grocery/supplies shopping for us. Hubby's feet are swollen enough from edema now that I had to find him wider shoes to wear.

I still have to figure out how to get 'time' to take my car into the dealer's to get the work done on it. The issue that needs to be fixed is covered under warranty. The trip to the dealer is an hour one way. So I have to find a solution to extend my 4 hour coverage.

I'll be addressing that very soon.

In the meantime, my pallet garden is producing beautiful Sweet William and an abundance of Daisies along with other flowers.

It is a pretty maintenance free little garden that produces a LOT of color and fun.

We are looking at a few days of rain so it seems I may have some time on my hands since I won't be able to mow yard and work outside.

Perhaps Charlie and I can sneak in some time hunting for fungi and fun.

When getting the oil changed...and

tires rotated feels like a wonderful outing.

I like the place I go to for service on our Subaru. They are pretty nice even if it is a dealership. They have a doggy play yard, a kids' room with toys and a nice waiting area for those who decide to sit and wait for their Subarus to be serviced. There is a shuttle that will take you places in LaCrosse and pick you up if you wish.

I prefer to take Charlie on nice days were he can enjoy the doggy park and sniff out every other dog smell. He enjoys visiting with the staff who go overboard to welcome him. Other times, if the vehicle is going to take a long time, I walk half a mile to the Riverside Park in LaCrosse and enjoy the views along the Mississippi River. 
I love to walk through the International Friendship Garden and enjoy all of the wonderful plants they have growing there along with the little waterfalls and ponds. The Riverside Park is free as well as the gardens.

The drive into LaCrosse was horrible on Wednesday. I ran into a sleet storm which pelted the 'Ru and covered the road in melting ice. Three miles later I got into a huge downpour that ponded on the roads. I took my usual route into LaCrosse and found that the 4 lane road was now 2 lanes with half of the road dug up down to the sewer lines. Highway 35 through LaCrosse was getting a face lift in sections at a time. The pot holes in the construction area would shake your teeth and eyeballs out of your head.

While waiting I looked out the window at my dream Subaru and pretended the new shiny one was mine. I didn't bother going to look at it because I figured a salesperson would be right next to me in an instant. 
I took out a book and proceeded to get lost in a 'who dunnit' novel. When I finished the book, I stuck it in my backpack. The sun had come out and was shining with a promise of things to come.

The service person found me and let me know that the oil change/tire rotation was done and let me know that I needed new rear brakes. I knew that was coming and asked if we could just make another appointment next week for that.

When I left, I decided to take another way home to avoid all the downtown traffic and construction with car eating potholes.
I took  Highway 33 that went on top of the ridge by Grand Dad's bluff [mental note--stop next week to see it again!]. 33 serpentines along the top of the ridge with grand views of the LaCrosse  County Coulees. 

I listened to music and enjoyed the drive. The clouds were scuttling along the sky and promising more rain, but I was content. 
I felt I was able to breath in deep and chill.

Yes, even going for an oil change and tire rotation somehow feels like a mini vacation from home. I plead guilty to that. 

Sunday Stills #25

In your car/truck...

What a fun subject but since I did nothing but move my vehicle from the yard to the shed today... I have to grab something old.

On the way to work from 2017...Rush hour traffic on Bad Axe Rd.

Loganville, WI. Through the windshield on one of our many drives to a VA clinic. 

Last winter January 6th. Charlie and I. [We stopped so I could do this safely] My co-pilot loves to check things out any time I slow down.

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Sunday Stills