Saturday Report

I spent the entire morning working on the Canada tour itinerary, figuring out campgrounds, mileage, and straightening out times and dates. All that's left to do is print out maps to the libraries and senior centers. 

It was supposed to rain on and off today but it turned out to be pleasant enough that we could finally get in the garden. The poppies and irises are done but now it's roses, peonies, multiflora rose, and yellow loosestrife on the north side. 

The peonies are on the Dorns' side of the property line but Gary and I take care of them. Today we tied them up because they were getting top heavy.  

The sweet smelling pink roses, also belonging to the Dorns, are in full bloom. 

It's taken years to get this hosta bed to fill in but I think it's finally there. 

We have a long way to go. The weeds took over while we were camping.  I have a little over two weeks to get them cleaned up. Then when I get back from Canada I'll have to start again.

The good news is that the tomato plants I started in February are already producing. These cherry tomatoes should be ready to eat in a week or two. 

The bunnies wiped out the peas but on Tuesday we'll get more at the farmers market. Weather permitting I'll be there with my screen tent to sell the books of local authors...including my own. 

Getting Ready

I was planning on clearing the garden today but it rained.  Instead, we went into planning mode for the Canada tour.

I dug around for a while and finally found my passport.  I was pretty sure it hadn't expired and thank goodness, it hadn't.  I will have to renew it in the fall of 2014 before we go to New Zealand. Meanwhile it is in the glove compartment where it will stay until I go over the bridge at Sault Ste Marie and enter Canada.

In the next couple of days, we'll put up my $29.95 tent, the one I've been using for over fifteen years. Gary will spray it again to seal the seams to keep out the rain.

Gary insisted on going to DePere to shop for a bit of carpeting to lay down on the back of the car. The rear seats will be folded down to create my emergency sleeping area.  Even if the tent is rain proof, I will have to take it down every morning to .  A wet tent is a horrible thing to keep in car.  The interior becomes humid and on a hot day the tent smells musty.

On top of the carpet goes my self-inflating air mattress.  In my younger days, I slept on the ground but these days my old bones need a softer surface. On top of the air mattress goes my cold weather sleeping bag and on top of that the cool weather bag.  Once I arrive at a campsite, I back the car in, set up the tent directly behind the car, open the rear hatch and slide the sleeping area into the tent. Easy.

The other side of the back area is for camping gear and clothes.  I have a set of drawers that I can access through the side door behind the driver's seat. That's where my clothes go, especially the performance clothes. Behind that is camping and cooking gear.  I'll take packages of dry packaged food and tea.  Nothing else, I don't want to attract animals. These will be cooked over my one burner stove using a set of aluminum pans that nest into each other.  One cup, one bowl, one spoon, one fork, one knife. There is no point to over packing.

Gary is insisting that I take a ten inch tall lantern but I am opting for a three inch lantern I've used in the past. Since the sun won't set until around 10:00 up in Canada, I don't see the need to worry overmuch about light. I think I will win that argument.

Bungee cords always come in handy, so I'll have a set of those.

Need I mention the "piss pot?"  With old age, that's a necessity.  It goes into a corner of the tent for those darn midnight emergencies.

The first aid kit, the bag of toiletries. The autoharp. My Nook with at least a dozen new books to read. Paperwork for the venues that includes invoices. Those go in the seat and floor in the passenger area.

Plus my computer so that I can continue to post on this blog every night.

Home Again

After over three weeks of camping, it was time to go home.

We left Rangers Kevin and Joshua about to set the porcupine trap.  I asked Gary what they could possibly use as bait for a porcupine.  They love to chew on bark but there's a forest out there to chew on why go into a trap, matter how cleverly it's hidden.  Gary, my sweet environmentalist, said the answer is salt.  The best bet is to put salt on apples.  I wonder if that's what they did.  

Gary drove home hauling the camper with his van.  I went separately in the Subaru.

Over over five years, I didn't have a car with a CD or tape player.  Now I have one, so I was playing CDs I haven't heard in years on the Subaru stereo.  One was "Opal Miner: The Songs of Bill Scott" performed by Penny Davies and Roger Ilott. There were songs from his years as an engineer on steam engines; silly songs about bunyips and  a tanglefooted fellow who can't do anything right; love songs with Aussie twists; and a lullaby I used to sing to my grandson.

I met Bill Scott the first time I went to Australia.  Ellen Kort, then Wisconsin's poet laureate and a friend, met him first and told me to go see him when I went Down Under. I visited Bill and Mavis Scott, both writers, in Queensland. Bill was a marvel. He was a singer, a poet, a writer and a storyteller.  We hit it off right away.  He was an old man then...and probably not so much older than I am now.  We jawed for hours, especially when he discovered my preferred drink was scotch.He knew all the traditional Australian songs and stories, which he collected in several books. His nation in time would designate him as a national treasure.

We kept in touch over the years, and I visited Bill and Mavis one more time.  They put me on a bus to Sydney and that was the last time I saw them. He wrote me and told me there was a fresh case of scotch waiting for me but I never got back. It was too late.

Mavis sent me this collection of his songs, written over a lifetime, and sung by his young friends.  The last selection is "Old Man's Song" about Bill's times as a miner and at another time, a merchant marine.

The last verse says:

"Now I am old and I sit in the sun,
Thinking and dreaming of things I have done
Remembering laughter, forgetting the pain
And yes I would do it all over again.
And it's weigh ho, lift it along
What good is your life if it isn't a song?"

As I listened to Bill's music, I asked myself about my own life: would I do it all over again?  The answer is simple.

No regrets.  

Last Day

Today was our last full day at Laura Lake.  School is out and from now on through August, this campground will be near to full of campers.  Most of the first two weeks there were only two campers, the Gaulkes and us. They were on site 2, we were on site 24 so unless we walked over to see each other, quiet reigned.

Tonight, 21 campsites have been taken.  At least half of them have dogs, often multiples. If one barks, it sets them all off.  Time for us to go, but we'll return after Labor Day for the last farewell to camping.

This morning, I hiked over to the bog lake. Even more pink lady's slippers were in bloom and more pitcher plants than I've seen in years. The bog is healthy.  I chatted with a loon for a while but he refused to come closer.

On my way to the bog, I noticed that Ranger Kevin had a crew working on the loop 3 pump.  That pump goes out of commission every so often and now they were trying to figure out why.  I used my cell phone to tell Gary they were working because he loves to get involved in anything to do with hardware. He used to be at the hardware department at Menards and has every gadget known to old guys with tools.

Sure enough, he was there with tools he was sure they would need. Ranger Rick was cranking away at a lug nut and after much grunting, the thing came loose.  The pump will be taken to the shop to be repaired, cleaned and sterilized.  The water will be tested and perhaps the campers in that loop will finally have drinking water.

They also set the trap for the porcupine.  They will not kill it. It will be sent to someplace where it will not be destructive.

Tonight we went to Fritz's in Long Lake for tacos.  It was Mexican night.  We've been going to Fritz's for years which has been how long he's been trying to sell the bar.  

Tomorrow, back in Seymour.

The Trail

At least once a year I hike around Laura Lake. It requires a breezy, cool, rain-less day for optimum enjoyment. Those are the mosquito-less hikes. Today was the day.

There is nothing to it, really. The trail leads around Laura Lake, with Gordon Lake on the right during the final bit. The trail is clearly marked with white diamonds, so there's no getting lost.

Two trees were down across the trail, but that just makes this old lady work that much harder. I can still climb over and under these barriers.

We are post-trillium now, so other than a few bunch berry and wild strawberry blossoms, nothing was in bloom. I hiked in a green world. 

At one point I heard a flock (also known as a “conspiracy”) of ravens quarreling but didn't see them. Hermit thrushes sang their bell like songs but I don't know that I've ever seen even one.

It was one step after another. With many exposed roots I always had to keep an eye on the ground. As the terrain grew hillier, I opened up the aluminum walking stick which is a big help on the tall climbs.

Then the joy of a doe leaping up from the shrubs, waving her white flag as she scurried off. I knew, of course, that the fawn would be nearby, but why would I disturb its sleep? Babies should be left alone. If I really need a photo of a fawn, I could lift one from the internet.

I seldom meet campers on my hikes. Most of them stay close to the campfire eating and drinking. Sometimes the children tear around the loops on their bikes. They might even go swimming. Connecting with nature doesn't seem to occur to them. Oh well, it leaves the trails open for me.

We have only seen black bears twice on hikes, but I like knowing they are out in the woods not so far away doing bear stuff. I always chuckle when I see the “bearing tree” which is just a surveyor's marker.

Or is it a gathering place for bears?

I did pick up passengers: three wood ticks. This now puts me in the lead in the tick sweepstakes. Me, 5, Gary 4.

So I came to the end of the trail and found Ranger Kevin and a helper working on the outhouse the porcupine was gnawing on. They won't finish the repairs until the porcupine removal team arrives tomorrow.

A fellow in the Flats asked where I came from and I said I had just circled the lake.

“Too long a hike,” he said.

“Two and a quarter miles.”

“Way too long,” he said.

He seemed to be half my age but had a few pounds on him.

There were several campsites with dogs running loose. I stopped to warn them about the porcupine. One group had no idea what a porcupine was.

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Last night the temperatures dropped to near freezing. Early this morning the hummers were whizzing over to the feeder Gary put out.  They probably were in dire need of nutrition after a cold night like that. Later we sat on the shore line to catch some rays. A hummingbird was working away on dandelion fluff, so we assume the nest is progressing.

North Woods Critter Report for Monday

On our way back from Iron River this morning, a black bear went across Highway 139. Gary immediately made a right turn onto an side road and we watched the bear cross that road, too. Gary estimates him to be 150 lbs., and probably a second year bear, not yet old enough for breeding. I never have a camera ready in these situations, but I was pleased nonetheless. A summer without a bear is not worth having.

Back at Laura Lake, both loons are out fishing, which probably means the chicks have hatched out. For the past weeks, at least one loon has been on the nesting platform provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. By law, the forests belong to the National Forest Service but the waters belong to the State of Wisconsin.

We found out today that the Sturgeon Guard shirts we ordered in May are on the way. I'd been wondering about that since my check had not cleared. Now we will be properly clad whenever we stand over the banks of the Wolf River in the spring.

The belted kingfisher finally showed himself to me this evening. I'd heard his complaining whenever he missed his prey but never saw him until now.

We haven't seen the porcupine but tonight saw his work on the outhouse next to the boat landing. The door frames had been chewed off as tall as he could reach.

I warned campers at the Flats who had three dogs, two of whom were running loose, that they didn't want to have a run in with a porcupine. We saw them tonight and the dogs were still running loose. I hope they have the phone number of a local veterinarian.

Bridges, Parks, and Overeating

After my nap (a perk of senior citizens) it was still raining. Gary suggested we go to Stoney Ridge for supper. It was packed with a Father's Day crowd. As we came in, the family at the table next to us was praying over together. When that little ritual was over, they began to talk, swearing profusely, discussing f___ this and f___ that. I found it amusing. It let us off the hook, should we let go with a good curse. Gary remarked that even if they prayed, we got our order before they did!

I figured that the end of meal was the day's finale, but Gary had other plans. He drove us off in the other direction. He made a turn off Highway 8 and soon we were following the signs that led to Goodman Park, part of the Marinette County park system. It was a park I first was taken to by my grandparents, back in the days they had a cabin in the area. The park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Thirties. It was one of the great ideas that came out of the Roosevelt Administration. It gave jobs to thousands of young men who had nowhere else to turn. They created parks in every state of the union, even in Puerto Rico.

As we walked around Goodman Park we could mark all the log buildings that have stood the test of time. Though the wooden bridges occasionally have to be re-done, their stone bases are still there. The main hall overlooks the dramatic Strongs Falls. 

We checked out the campground which was empty. There is a dumping station which charges $5.00. The campsites were too close together for our liking.

Next we stopped at the smaller McClintock Park, again created by the CCC. Just off the parking lot we discovered a turtle laying her eggs. We took a photo and left her to carry on.

McClintock's bridges crisscrossed the Upper Peshtigo River.

Ferns were lush unlike the last time we visited. It would have made a pleasant walk but the mosquitoes had taken over plus the sun was setting.

I figured that was the end of our outing but no, Gary went off though more back roads. We saw deer and I was glad Gary's reaction times are still good, especially when a doe and a fawn appeared just around a bend. The very young fawn was startled and didn't know what to do. Mama immediately dove off the road, but the little one kept going back and forth on the road, confused. We patiently waited for it to make up its mind.

It wasn't until we reached Lakewood that I realized our next destination: the Shell station at Townsend, which has the best and biggest ice cream cones ever. I got a Mudslide and Gary took the magnificent Zanzibar Chocolate which is the chocolatiest chocolate ever.

We drove home in the dark and rain with me watching for deer, but it wasn't deer that caused him to stop abruptly, it was the balsam fir across the road. It left us just enough room to maneuver into the ditch to get around it. We are finding trees like that one here and there. They become so rain soaked they become top heavy and topple over. We thank our stars that we don't have to worry about forest fires like the one in Colorado.

Before we returned to our camper we checked the campground. Thirteen campsites were filled, seven of them at the Flats. Our section has returned to quiet after a weekend of dogs and a loud generator. With no one around, Gary went out in the rain to start our own generator to run the furnace for a while to get the dampness out...and to allow me to go on line to write my blog.

Then it was to bed for us, after a day well lived.

Lady Slippers and Swimming

Gary and I went down to wish the Gaulkes good-bye and to make sure they weren't trying to take that porcupine home in their RV.  Barbara told me that she had seen a pink lady's slipper on the walk to Gordon Lake.

If there was one pink lady's slipper at Gordon Lake I figured there would be more at the bog lake so I hiked over there.  Sure enough, there were about a dozen of them.

Yesterday it was yellow lady's slippers, today pink. We've found white ones in the UP before. Now my goal is to find a showy lady's slipper which are very rare.

My day would have been made with the lady's slipper but it got better.  The day turned warm and breezy.  Gary suggested that I might like to go swimming. The established swimming beach is at Gordon Lake but there is a tiny sandy beach on Laura Lake next to the the path that leads to the bog.  Gary loaded up his canoe with  a lawn chair, a small table, and a stool to rest my feet on. I took along my cell phone, a towel, a bottle of water, and another  book by Walter Mosley. Then he took me across the lake using his new trolling motor.  With the breeze so strong, it would have been way to difficult to paddle.

Once on the beach, I was in heaven. Behind me the forest, in front of me the water slap-slap-slapping against the shore.Behind me the warblers were singing.  The day was warm but the strong breeze kept mosquitoes away. The book held my interest until I got too warm, then I took a plunge into the lake. Once cooled off, it was back to the chair and my book.  I replenished the summer tan I got while gardening.

The clouds began to gather. I used the cell phone to call Gary who was paddling around at the other end of the lake.  He motored over, picked me and the gear up and we all went back to the campground just as the rain began.

So much more happened today but I will have to report on that tomorrow.