The Bone Collector

I have to admit, I like bones. I like wandering the deer trails in the spring to find sheds. It is a handy excuse to just get out and enjoy the hills and valleys before spring rushes in. 

Once it greens up most of the forest is nearly impassable with undergrowth. At one time these woods were pasture for beef cattle. The cattle kept the forest 'clean' and it was like wandering through a park. Now it is wild. Fifteen years after the cattle were sold, the place is has become the Wild Forest.

I decided Sunday morning to take a 'quick' trip down to the east end of the valley to see if I could find some Skunk Cabbage and perhaps find a Marsh Marigold. After 30 years of wandering this valley, I've got a fairly good idea of when these first flowers of spring appear.

I headed out to the point and then followed a deer trail that twisted down the hillside to the creek. I'd been out 'shed' hunting the day before and found only a small skull of a nubbin' buck.

Bonus! Right there! 

I picked it up and tied it to my back pack.

I was in a hurry to get to the Spring but paused when I saw a pattern on the north bank. Mosses and Lichen are my new interests, so I grabbed my cell phone and took these shots. I checked the landmarks so I could stop by on my way back and try a better photo.

I love the name of this moss. Common Liverwort. Um, or a Hornwort? Goodness, it is hard to tell!

Sort of makes me want to make up names for it. I want to call them Hogworts!

There is a little teeny tiny one I want to find called an Earwort. But I may need to start carrying a magnifying glass!

Even cooler? 

Snakeskin Liverwort.

Yes I looked up the proper name, but I thought this common name was more descriptive.

It grows next to the spring with other moss.

And I think it could be the same type of moss that I took the photos above with.

[If you click on the picture, you can see it larger]

Then this little beauty. Scarlet Elf Cup Fungi in moss...

And then I saw a glimmer of purple.

After a bit more looking around, I found them in various stages of growth.

                               

This all in the area of the Big Spring.

By the end of next week, the spring should have a few dozen flowers opening.

I decided to head back and take the deer trail around the north facing hillside where I'd found the antler and then cut across the meadow towards home.

My weekend haul was one nice set of antler sheds. I found 3 skulls. 

And what on earth do I do with these?

I clean them up.

One of Those Few Days

Hubby had his second shot and he felt crappy for a few days so I had to make cookies. I knew he wasn't feeling up to par as he didn't snarf all the cookies down in one day.

He said we had a cookie thief and I said I'd get right on it.

Snow is forecast for Sunday night through Monday with up to 6 inches of wet heavy snow for our area with some hard winds. 
Winter keeps knocking at the door reminding as if to tell us ... it isn't over until ... what? The Fat Lady Sings? 

My week included appointments with the dentist [all good there...NO cavities!] The hygenist was a different one and she touched me deeply with her compassion. As I left the office she gently touched the small of my back and said, "See you! Take care!" That touch and comment meant so much more to me than it might have a year ago.

The eye doctor was Friday. I loved this young guy! What a hoot! I went to a new optometrist in town at the clinic. I am SO glad I did. I was told to go and buy my glasses on line...so much cheaper. The doc and tech were awesome. When I went to look at glasses I was even surprised more. 

I told the gal that I needed glasses that FIT my face. We ended up with child frames. Yeah, I am a little person. When she asked me what I thought, I asked her what SHE thought. How did they look? She pointed out that I'd have to be satisfied and I pointed out that she saw faces with glasses more than I did.

I said that the only time I would LOOK at the glasses was when I was in the bathroom. Otherwise the only important thing was to make sure I could see with them.

My old glasses were off for my distance vision. I could see better in the distance without the old glasses!

Enough of that.

Hubby has recovered from his vaccination. 

His mind or memory or perception of things this week has changed so much. I'd told him Monday that I ordered new hiking boots to replace the ones that were falling apart. He freaked out when UPS dropped them off and proceeded to yell at me for ordering unnecessary footwear.

He forgot about it overnight. 

Question or food for thought: Other issues? Or did the vaccine cause issues? Hmm.

Last night I said something about Daylight Savings Time and he told me I was wrong about spring forward. According to him I should move the clocks back so we get more daylight. Back.
Back.

Back.

I even showed him my cell phone clock this morning and he got irate. Everyone was wrong. Wrong. 

He has aphasia so sometimes the language is reversed. So I usually just ignore it and other times it causes real problems in our communications. He is She, Up is Down, and I think you get it.

I know that I will just adjust the clocks when he naps today on the stove and microwave and when he wakes up things will be just fine. Because I relented and just let the subject drop.

I keep forgetting my lessons regarding stroke and communications. And everything I learned while dealing with MIL and her dementia. 

Go with the flow.

I want a stuffed Llama so I can beat it up when I get frustrated. Drama Llama.

The memory and mind are interesting things. It sort of reminds me of a road that you've never taken ... you don't know where you will end up.

Know where you are.

There was a story this week about how a woman had to be rescued at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. She had gotten lost. 

Woman lost on Kickapoo Valley Reserve. 

She was found safely around midnight. The sheriff department used a drone to find her heat image that night and she was 'rescued' unharmed. 

I am not going to make fun of her experience. A good friend of mine last spring called me on her cell phone as she and her family had taken a wrong turn 'somewhere' on the Reserve and she felt lost. That worked out as her husband [ex marine] took them to a spot and went to get the vehicle on his own.

Here is look at the map.

and a closer view:
This area in close up, is probably THE most confusing part of the KVR.
I carry a paper map while hiking and I have my map marked up with mileage of each section of trail along with notations about tricky trail junctions.

Here is a satellite map of the area not all of it, but just enough to give you and idea of the contours, hills, and valleys.

I have many friends whose biggest fear is getting turned around in the KVR. I have ridden mules on the Reserve before it was the Reserve. Now I spend my time carefully plotting hikes to show my pal.

On my own two feet I have done all but 4 miles of the 50 miles of trails. There is some wonderful logic to use here. Hike with someone you know. If not, have a paper map AND a compass. Some junctions are tricky and it is easy to go west when you intend to go east if it is heavily overcast.

Don't leave the trail if you don't understand the lay of the land. However, walking the trail will eventually take you to a road. Listen for traffic. If you are quiet you can hear in which direction roads are.

Bill and I took a wrong turn last winter. Too much talking and not enough paying attention. We backtracked and were fine. So having Bill with me asking questions was my downfall. We didn't get lost but it sure was embarrassing to me.

I recently spoke with another friend of mine and she had asked if I'd show them around to the ice cave trails as she'd tried to figure it out but was afraid of getting lost with her kids. 

I am more than happy to, the KVR is no longer the mystery it used to be.

One more satellite view. The circled area I hike and live in. I've spent from 1996 to present walking/riding this area. The very first time I went on my own, I took my mule so in case I got turned around, he'd take me back home. Now I hike it daily up and down the hills and through the valleys. 

When I first moved here, I could not figure out my directions. 

I am hesitant to try places that I don't know. However I would love to get to know Governor Dodge State Park and Wyalusing much better. Unfortunately they are an hour drive one way. Too far for a quick hike. 

We are lucky in our county to also have Sidie Hollow, Esofea, Duck Egg, and Jersey Valley County Parks to hike/ride equine/bike/camp in.

Okay. I got way off track.

Be prepared. I always have a backpack with food, water, map, compass, emergency blanket--the space kind. A Firestarter, and a lighter. Of course a little first aid kit too. 

Last funny thought. 25 years ago two ladies came into the Chiropractor's office where I worked and told me a story how they'd gotten sort of lost on the Reserve. No cell phones at that time. The one lady said they'd been hunting morels and got off the beaten path. It got dark so she built a campfire and waited until morning when she could get her bearings and walk out.

That story stuck with me. Those women were totally calm about their experience. 

One of the signs at the trail heads at KVR is to notify hikers to not depend on their cell phones as the reception is spotty at best in the deep valleys.

I am very happy to learn that our Sheriff Department is able to launch a search with a drone that can read heat images. 

I hope to hike on Saturday on one of the less popular trails. This week has been full of appointments. I'm off to get my eyes examined in a bit.

Rich said I should have my "head" examined.

This photo is from Tuesday...our first crocuses!

And now to the weather...Sunday

snow/sleet/rain and yuck!

Gotta love March!

Shot #2

So some of this will be about the second Moderna Shot for hubby. He recieved it yesterday at the Madcity VA. It was a nice day and we picnicked in the car on the way home.

So we ate out and had what we referred to as a 'late lunch date'. 

Today started out with thunderstorms and downpours which really reduced the snow cover and caused a small quick run off of water. Fog moved across the landscape and it really looked eerie.
Rich said he felt okay but just tired when he got up. Tired. After he did his morning routine, he complained about feeling tired. I told him that was normal for some folks and just to go lay down while I finished doing laundry and other things.

Then it was 'quiet' time for most of the rest of the day. The third time he laid down, Charlie decided he needed to be there too. He did his grunting thing that means he wants something...and I put him on the bed next to Rich. He immediately slid under the big blanket and lay with his back against Rich's. 

The outdoor temperature got up to 62 degrees. But my job was to sit and keep an eye on hubby.

I decided to work on my photo project. Whew, I sure did.
I have a lot more but better stop here? 

If nothing else it will be fun for others to look at this when I am gone.
Hmmm. Or not. 
I must do things that cause me joy.

I decided to watch a video on composites. 

I wanted to try one then. Something simple and not to difficult. I guess it started because I saw some 'overlays' and Photoshop Actions advertised that *will make your photos stand out!*
Um.
I realized that something I've done for years with 'creating' a sun flare or creating Bokeh and overlays... is now a thing that people sell in combo packs to drop on your photos...TO make them better! 100% guar---um---teed!

Excuse me while I cough. A photo is good if you take a good photo. 

And I will be the first to admit, I love editing and having fun.

Well I had time to literally twiddle my thumbs after making cookies for Rich. [I know he doesn't feel wonderful because he didn't scarf them down.]

Challenge.
Make a composite. 

Photo one:

Photo Two:
The Bear cut out...

Photo three:
The Composite.

I was surprised by the results and rather pleased.

Well, back to keeping and eye on Hubby.
He says he kinda feels like crap. Body aches and fatigue, no fever but a bit chilled.

His comment as he drags his butt off to bed again?

Better than a ventilator I think....

Stay well.

One day in the Future

My son and I talk on Sundays. My oldest son, that is. This has become a ritual since March of last year. I think we started it the weekend of the 'lockdown'. He is able to work from home and has been practicing masking and social distancing. 

I can't fathom how difficult it must be for him as he is a very social creature. Yet he perseveres with caution. He has gone to limited workouts at his CrossFit gym and has a small 'bubble' of friends that he does things with. 

He is a constant source of common sense for me. He also likes to give me grief and joke with me. 

He pulls no punches. This year he asked what did I intend to do in the future when Rich was no longer here? Would it make sense to hang onto the farm and all that it entails as I creep towards 'older' age? Did I really want to maintain pastures, gardens, and plow out the driveway? Depend on the help of others?

What would happen when I couldn't drive anymore? Of course I laughed and said that I expected him to tell me when he thought that I'd reached that point. 

"Okay mom, I'm coming for the keys." He responded. 

Harrumph. 
But he had a point. No taxis are in this rural area. I couldn't be asking neighbors to take me shopping now could I? I know it was a huge pain to take half a day to drive my mother in law around and pull out her walker and act as her spotter when she got tipping one way or the other. Grocery shopping with her had to be done, but she insisted on doing it herself. It took over an hour just to get 15 items. Afterwards, she wanted to 'do' lunch. Eventually we'd make it back to her apartment and she'd collapse in her easy chair and direct me on putting her things away.

Next she'd ask me to do dishes and make her bed. Please don't think I am cruel, but I was chomping at the bit. Rich was my full time care partner. He needed me too. He'd just had recovered from cancer treatment, a stroke, and Pulmonary Emboli. 

I fell into the caregiving category because MIL's family were too busy, too far away, or whatever else they had for reasons.

Ed said to me. "Don't think I'll be driving out there once a week to check up on you mom." He then proposed a future.

Eventually sell the place and move back to his home town. Use the farm proceeds to purchase a condo near the lakefront. I actually liked that idea. There are bus routes and bike/walking trails all over. Uber is available for rides. If I couldn't drive [my father went blind with macular degeneration] I could still get around. Since I am familiar with the area, I know there are miles and miles of beautiful trails to explore. 

Not the forest though. It is not the forest. There is the big question. Give up my forest rambling? Hours by the creek? 
And yet, I could be free to travel if I wished provided I had no farm to hold me down. I could drive places and camp. Something that has always been on my list.

My son pointed out that at least I'd be in the same town as he was. And yes he could check on me easier. 

I'm grateful for Ed and his logical mind. Yes, I'd make the change, eventually. I love this house and it is nearly maintenance free. 

I also know that I am adaptable. I've lived in Skokie, Illinois. I've lived in Kenosha County. I've lived in apartments and crappy houses. I've lived all over and seemed to always adapt quickly.

I have to be realistic. There will be a day when I can't handle all of this on my own no matter how much I work out and stay healthy. 

Rich and I talked to Ed about this and Rich thinks it is a great idea. He doesn't want to see me alone in the world without family nearby. 

I saw first hand with my MIL, the true shortcomings of help in the rural area. No transport or limited transport. Helping Hands was always stretched thin. It was a struggle to get her extra help even with the county involved. 

I've been through this with my FIL, my MIL, and Rich. Without a person willing to do everything the elderly in our area are lost.

One of my neighbors gives up time each week to go to an elder's house to help them. Good people are out there. 

One day in the future I'll be shutting the porch door behind me permanently. That only makes every day here in the NOW more important.

Finally a Project to do

 

It has been a while since I was motivated to do a book. Now I don't do this for profit. I am doing it for my own personal reasons.

I could have picked Shutterfly to do this, but I am already well versed in the Blurb book layout and how to work with text and photos along with overlays.

Blurb is pricey, but allows a more creative work. Also, I can download the Booksmart program and work on it without being on line. My very first book I did back in 2007 featured my dog Morris and his toys. It was a book for the grand kids.

With our extremely slow internet connection, it took hours to upload a tiny book. But it was worth it to see the grands enjoy their own personal adventure with Morris and his toys.

A friend at Flickr named Nikki, urged me to do a photo book on nature. She sent emails and she made phone calls. But I'll never forget the call I got in late 2008. She said, "Val I'm in trouble. I've been diagnosed with cancer for the 4th time. My mule Dyna will need a home." My husband drove to Wyoming in June of 2009 to meet Nikki's sister and bring Dyna the crazy mule to our farm to live in retirement.

Nikki's request was on my mind and I embarked on a photo journey. She passed away in April so she never got to see what her constant urging had spawned.

I spent from March to November documenting and photographing every wildflower and plant I could find within walking distance of my house. Morris and Badger my mule, accompanied me. It truly was a labor of love. The Enchanted Forest.

In 2011, I decided to do something similar in documenting and photographing the winter in our area. I called it The Sleeping Forest. I discovered that the forest does NOT sleep in the winter. 

I'm glad I did those books, I look back fondly now and page through them recalling those days of walking through the forest. I recall the note taking and fun I had pursuing the wildflowers and plants. I learned so much about the land that surrounds me. The only thing it did, was make me more curious than ever.

Another Flickr friend has been nagging me all through this Pandemic. "Val, make a book of your photos. Do something with them!" I became friends with BJ through Flickr also. She and I talk to each other every Sunday afternoon. Our ranges of subjects are always all over the place. 

One of the great influences for this book is the poet Mary Oliver. Her poetry and prose have been  constant companion through this last year.

Sometimes,
walking for hours through the woods,
I don't know what I am looking for,
maybe for something 
shy and beautiful to come
frisking out of the undergrowth.

~~Mary Oliver
1945-1985: Poem for the Anniversary

I'm not exactly sure how it will all turn out. But I feel it is a good direction for me right now.
A project.

Color my dull world and oh dear...

Willow Trail...in IR. Yes, I know, it doesn't look real, but it is fun.

Near old Campsite G...

Pictured is one of the last column of an ancient bridge from when this land had been a community with farms on it. The column on the south side disappeared sometime in the past few floods. This is next to the now closed Equine Crossing. The first time I crossed the river here on a mule we followed a sandbar across. Buck was a pony mule and I get pretty wet. 

It was a wise move to eventually shut this crossing down but I can see people still use it. 

As a side note. Things have really changed in the past 30 years. LaFarge Rescue now holds drills on the river twice a year for rescues. Mostly for canoeists that get themselves in a bad jam. The Kickapoo River may look lazy and shallow but it has its moments. The drills have proven to be useful. Last spring the Rescue Squad had to do a water 'save' of two women who'd gone canoeing in the spring run off and got tangled in downed trees and roots.

Reflections of Spring?

Waiting...

Silence

It is still covered in rotten ice. But I imagine it will melt this weekend, the temps are supposed to get up near 60. 

The real life colors were dull brown, dull green, and a grey-cast ice with a blue sky. 

I like my version of the world. 

I like the appeal of doing something wildly different. 

I like how it can be black and white or wildly colorful. I can make trees yellow, pink, and purple among other things. I can leave the sky an apocalyptic orange/yellow or even and evil red if I wish.

My new camera assistant is doing quite well. He gets impatient and starts to whine if I spend too long in one spot.

I did tell Charlie that I wanted to paint him a nice bright color so he'd show up in photos much better. Too often, he is a tiny black dot moving through my pictures....

Oh well.

That all said.

Let's add insult to injury from Thursday! Can we? Oh yes we can!

I always carry a spare battery while hiking. I've learned that I can run low in colder weather.
I sprayed Oxy-cleaner on my hiking pants and tossed them in the wash. Oh. Someone FORGOT to check the pockets, right?

I washed my spare battery. Extra long wash. 

Yup.