Unplugged

My day started out with a pre dawn hike with Charlie to the ridge. I guess it really was just a walk as we weren't in much of a hurry. Charlie sniffed around and I walked across the crop land hoping for a colorful and blazing sunrise.

Well that didn't happen, but listening to the birds and watching the deer run across the unplowed land was just fine.

We went by the little tree and just watched for quite a while.

I was pretty grumpy and felt ornery and tired so I thought a walk would do me good. I wanted to cancel my gym class but decided to do it anyway. I had to get groceries in town, so I may as well suffer through a class.

I left my phone at home and was surprised at how I didn't miss it at all. No little dings letting me know that there was news, or email, or whatever.

CF put me in a good mood as did the sunshine. Between CF class and Mobility, I took off on a jog/run. Last week we had a run/jog WOD which I enjoyed immensely. I hadn't jogged in two years and I found my rhythm as if it had never left.

After lunch Charlie and I went looking for leeks in the woods and we found some above the creek. Yum! Looks like forest food is coming up! I picked some newly emerged nettles for tea and greens for supper.

Before heading back to the house, I sat on a mossy log and listened to the creek. In the past two years, it has been so dry here that this part of the creek was nearly dry and silent. I watched water bugs and listened to the creek music. 

10 second video of creek sounds and a woodpecker marking his/her territory.

Things are still without color mostly in the woods, but with this warm weather the plants will get a jump start.

Late afternoon I found my phone and discovered texts and emails. One was from our grand daughter Ariel. She is coming to visit us on her own, was that okay?

Another was from Olive. She wanted me to meet the new addition to her family. Gertrude or Gerti. She had Monday and Tuesday off, could we get together?

Being unplugged is nice, except when you miss something! I took care of the messages and brought the skid steer out of the shed and parked it next to the house running...

I told hubby that he needed to clean up the gravel pile that Frank had left and fill in the dip in the driveway as his granddaughter was coming to see him for his birthday. 

Wow! He got out! 
I'll be washing his skid steer today and making him strawberry shortcake for his birthday. I need to run to town to get Almond Milk for Ariel with a couple of other foods for her special diet needs.

I hope we get to meet Gerti too! Olive texted that she thought Gerti and Charlie would get along just great. So I am assuming she has a new dog!

Guess I'll plug back in.

At least I got rid of the Grumpies....

Going Up!

 Map My Hike says this hike had 435 feet of elevation in it. Hmmm. 

I'm not sure how these apps that follow you figure that out. But I do know that from where I parked to the top of the narrow back ridge was a climb of 300 feet. That is according to the topo map from KVR. 

I didn't do a 'close up' of the map because I wanted those read the drivel I write to see what the terrain is like where I walk.

This is the terrain of the 'driftless' region of Wisconsin. The bumps are hills, the shaded parts are slopes. The terrain map helps visualize what it is like where I live. Nothing is level, it is up or down!

The trail is pretty straightforward to the top. 

It is either an old logging road or farm road, it leads to an open area that has been logged and left. Briers and Prickly Ash grow so thick in its place that I doubt anyone or anything would want to walk the open area.

The trail goes around this mess and stays on the sides of the ridge in a mostly old oak forest. Finding the trail in the summer is nearly impossible as Charlie and I found out last year.

We found the top of the ridge easily.

We walked out to the point to see if there was much of a view.

I could look south and see Highway 131 ...

and look north and see the Highway leading to Rockton.

In the summer these limited views are impossible. But, I satisfied my curiosity and decided to finish the trail.

Some places were well marked, and others markers were a spot of yellow ribbon tied to a branch or a tree.

There is no chance of really getting lost as long as you have looked at the map and know to travel around the top of the oddly shaped ridge.
There is a steep drop off  if you do get off the ridge.

It doesn't seem at first that Jug Creek has a lot to offer in the wow factor. However, the old oak stands and maple woods provide a lot of shade and it is nice and cool on a hot summer day on the narrow ridge.
In the spring the forest floor will be covered in Spring Beauties and Pinks.

According to the pamphlet that is available at the Visitors Center, this trail is still under reconstruction. Clearing sections of this trail is not going to be an easy task.

I'd actually like to come back in the winter and snowshoe around the ridge.

Section 44 done.

Discovery and Explore

 

Hobby wanted a tripod, but she rummaged through the leftovers of Lego pieces and found a Chandelier top which she converted into a Quadpod.

She isn't sure how it will all work out, but for now, she is pleased. She thought she'd also try her hand at Infrared Photography, she was very surprised at how the Skunk Cabbage appeared white!

Skunk Cabbage Patch Below:

Below: Skunk Cabbage Spadix [center bumpy thing], the hooded Spathe is gone from being stepped on by wildlife.

The plants huge leaves will soon appear.

The Big Spring is located about a half mile or so from our house. The hike to get there isn't too bad, as long as you stick to the valley. The spring comes up from the ground and is probably the warmest spot in the valley. Most of the early plants can be found here.

I found the first Cowslip or Marsh Marigold yesterday. The spring is dotted with them, I imagine with the warm weather this weekend, more flowers will open.

Charlie in the Big Spring shot in IR.
The blue colored lumps

are moss covered rocks.

In contrast the rock wall has ice on it. The sun only shines on this section of the valley when their are no leaves on the trees. The rock holds onto the cold. This little pond is a great place to cool off on a hot summer day.

It is only about knee deep but the water stays at 45 degrees F most of the summer.

Just above the wall with ice on it...I found fern curls emerging from the detritus.

Charlie sits and waits for me to make through the tangle of dead trees. He knows exactly where we are going now that he has been hiking this route for 5 years.

Come mid June, we won't be able to hike much further than this spot as the plants and weeds will be waist high and we won't be able to see our footing unless the deer and other wildlife make a trail along here.

In another few weeks though, I can come down and dig up fresh wild parsnip to take home and eat.

Today we should get off to KVR to hike the Jug Creek Trail. I want to get up on the rock formations while I can still see through the trees.

Wicked Weather!

You can Dance in a Hurricane

But only if you

are standing

in the

Eye.

I heard the above words when I was listening to my Pandora Station with earbuds while sorting out medications for Hubby. Doing meds for half the month or the full month takes quite a bit of time. I generally listen to music to blot out any distractions.

I just loved the lyrics to this song and sadly I don't know what the song was!

The winds whistled and roared above our little hollow and once more, I was grateful for not living on the ridge. We'd had over an inch of rain during the night with a lot of lightening and thunder. 

A few times when the thunder shook the house, Charlie was sure that the world was about to end.

Since it was soooo gloomy out, I decided to do some lightbox photography.

The ambient light was a little easier to control. Pictured above is the lightbox with a black background and a little Ulanzi cube light, a balloon light, a face mister, and tacky stuff. 

The tacky stuff is great for keeping the feet of the taller figure in place.

The little light comes with filters to change the color of the light. I'm still experimenting and learning all about light. I never thought I'd ever do anything other than outdoor photography.

However, here I am, learning something new.

I am really happy how this turned out. I used the lightbox with the lowest light setting and a diffuser over the light.

I used the Ulanzi cube with a slightly orange filter at the foot of the toy pointing up.

I used the face mister to produce...well, mist!

I learned a lot about mist. It can confuse the camera and it can also make things rather grainy. 

Finding the right balance takes a bit of work and quite a few shots.

Dark Trooper leaving his

charging station with 

a mini Dark Trooper

I found these non-Lego Legos a while ago when searching for knights.

[Pointing below at the photo---->]

If you are a fan of Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings series, these guys would be identified as Uruk-Hai Orcs. One Orc from Lego would be nearly $26.00. 
In a photo like this, you cannot tell if it is a real Lego or a knock off. I was able to get 7 Orcs and 7 Elf like knights in one package for less than one Orc.

These guys look pretty fierce. And now I am laughing because this Orc is holding his shield upside down!

A few days ago, I did make it down to the creek to enjoy some quiet time with Charlie. I had Squatch and Hobby in my bag. I went to my favorite spot and did this:

It's nice that they too can get out and enjoy some peaceful times.

This morning the moonlight woke me up and the skies were clear and bright!

Whew! Mother Nature has decided to give us another break from the Wicked Weather.

It'll still be a little windy, but at least I can get out today and enjoy the weather.

Travelers

The book I ordered and started reading:

This book explores what it is like to be a Caregiver and what they face when caring for those with some form of dementia...or the new and improved terms: Cognitive Decline or Neurologically Impaired.
Like any Caregiver, we want to fix our charge. 

We develop behavior that in its own way is problematic. Then the Caregiver feels guilty and struggles with feelings of regret, joy, and frustration all at the same time.

My husband's stroke in 2017 was pretty significant. I won't go into the details, however, he did have to go through months of speech therapy to try and help his aphasia. I learned quickly to understand what he wanted to say when he said something quite opposite. Soon after, he was also diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment Frontotemporal Dementia.

It is easier to say his Brain is Hurt.

When I am frustrated with him, I correct his backwards speech or even repeat it back to him. The surprise on his face when he hears that reminds me that he KNEW he said She instead of He, or In instead of Out. When I am particularly feeling like a turd, I pretend just not to understand him.

Yes, I said feeling like a turd. 

So many moments we have are normal and he catches his 'mistakes'. So I sometimes think ---> he is doing it on purpose.

His stroke also changed his personality. Once he was quick to anger and he could be rather difficult when he was in a mood. He had rages when something went wrong and usually I'd just step back and let him calm down. He wasn't a bad husband at all, just quick with a temper. Most of the time it was directed at inanimate objects. 
I watched him try to beat up his truck one time when it wouldn't start.

After his stroke, this different person emerged. Slow to temper, quicker to smile, and almost unemotional. He stopped taking interest in most things around him. He was always the person that had to be in control of everything. Bam, that ended abruptly.

He even stopped driving. He had no interest in operating a vehicle. 

[He still gives me helpful backseat driving hints when we travel together.]

Sure we have since had some arguments and disagreements. Once I got really angry and pulled a card out of my mother's deck of dirty tricks.

I decided to give him the Silent Treatment, at least until he realized it and asked me 'What's wrong?'

True to his apathy for life and most all things, he never noticed the silent treatment. The only one that suffered was me. I was angry. He forgot what we had argued about.

Truly, I felt like a terrible Turd. My behavior was reprehensible. 

Now I use that behavior and forgetfulness wisely. If we argue about something and he gets upset, or I get upset, I wait. I let the issue drop. Within hours, all is forgotten and we go on about our way.

Well, indeed. 

Our journey will take us as Travelers to places we could not have imagined.

Wonderfully Full Sunday

 Early morning text:
Hey, when Aiden wakes up and has breakfast, we are so Up for a Birdie Hike!

A walk with Olive and her little boy was what I'd been looking forward to for a while. Aiden's reaction when he sees a large bird now is a riot. When he sees or hears a goose, he becomes so exuberant that it seems as if he just discovered a live dinosaur.

The morning was chilly and overcast, but we went anyway. Aiden rode in a backpack that mom wore. Aiden adores it, he is up where he can see everything we can see. Here is 30 seconds of fun with Aiden. We even got to hear Peepers!

The photos are nothing to write home about, I just took them to put together some bird photos for Aiden to be able to see.

Apparently he loves bird videos, so mom or dad plays them for him when he needs a distraction.

It was too nice in the late afternoon not to be outside, so I headed up to the little pasture above the Buckthorn woods and started to work on two large dead limbs that had fallen a couple of years ago. 

The wood was dead enough for me to use my machete to bust things up and pile it for burning on top of the weeds I'd pulled.

When I finish with this, the mules will stand under this tree again for shade on warm days. They can catch the north breezes and stay cool.

Piles of weeds and branches to burn.

View looking north on a section I still need to work on.

I think I have actually made some progress over the past 5 years that I've been working at this. It is a lot of hard hand work, but 6 or 7 years ago, you could not see through this section because of the overgrowth of Elderberry trees and Burdock.

Somewhere I have a photo of mules threading their way through the Elderberry forest that shaded the ground in the spot. You will just have to imagine it. This year, I plan on picking both elderberry flowers and berries. 
Apparently they make great tea for your immune system????

Olive was looking for some access to them last year. 

So I got way off track. 

Sunday's sunrise and sunset were stunning and I guess that is another reason I like these longer and somewhat more temperate days.

And that's a wrap.....

Looking west from the porch:

Looking north from the back door:

1st of April are we fooled?

I think March can be as tough as November because we are in that in between stage where we are dealing with some rather drab colors in nature. 

And now we move to April which begins the real season of spring surprises.

But for now? I take the ugly parts of the day and do that never ending job of cleaning up what I didn't take care of in the fall.
I looked back on what I've done in the past few years in March and it is the same fight. Clean up burdock, Motherwort, pile, burn, rake up as many seeds from the sour dock and do the same. 
Hack down elderberry tree sprouts -- more come up from suckers... and generally clean areas up so I don't have equine full of burs when I can start rotating them.

One of the spots that I didn't work on last year proved to be extra nasty come this past fall.

If I had a herd of goats and proper fencing, I'd send them through here a few times a year and let them clean up the nasty weeds.

The Dexter cattle did a good job at that. But we had too many and we all know what overgrazing does to the land.

Charlie and I worked on this one little spot. Well, Charlie supervised, I worked.

I make small piles and wait for an early morning without wind then burn the small brush piles.

Just to the right of where this photo was taken the Buckthorn woods start. The only thing that will rid me of those nasty trees is a bulldozer, then forestry planting and a lot of work bringing the forest back to its glory days. 

This section is only about an acre or so, but it is on a steep hill.

Face it. It is wild.

I have one thought on it. If I were to invest in doing all of that, I'd never live to see the benefit. One more thing to leave to the next generation of owners after I am gone.

I have to admit defeat and let that area go. I am only one person who has no business operating heavy machinery or chainsaws. I don't have the time nor the energy. I feel like I am failing as a steward for my land.

I obsess about it each year. However, I've decided to fix fencing and enjoy my property and all it has to offer. 

I will pick my battles.

This year I have one less grazing animal. Three of our equine are over 25 years old. So it is mostly retirement time for them.

My neighbor is a forester and I am looking forward to a tour of our land with him [and his wife]. 

I'll keep trails open and mark the best places to gather eatable mushrooms, dig parsnip roots, pick berries, and enjoy the beauty of nature.

This is a mental battle I do each spring with good meaning and ideas.

As soon as the wildflowers start though, I feel good again.

Right now? It is snowing and coming down hard. 

Sven thinks it is just fine.

As daylight seeps into the grey morning here, I am putting on my coveralls and heading out to enjoy Mother Nature's Joke on us.

Last night over an inch of rain. This morning, heavy snowfall. Tomorrow? Looks like a beautiful day.

I'll take it!