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.

Orchids and Thunder

Years and years ago, when I was writing a weekly newspaper column, I wrote about the Good Shepherd swamp and its trail that I often walked. One spring, I reported on the first blooming, the three lobed hepatica, a lovely lavendar colored flower that appeared at only one spot along the trail. I described the flowers to my readers and my joy each year at finding them.

The day after the column appeared, I was back on the trail and found to my horror, that someone had picked every one of the flowers. Perhaps it was someone taking a child out to pick flowers. Perhaps it was some teenager who noticed them. No matter. It was the last time I ever saw the hepatica in the Good Shepherd swamp. I never wrote about wildflowers again with the exception of the marsh marigolds. There were so many, no one could pick all of them.

Today, I am writing about a nature area with beautiful flowers, but they are generally known to the public so I hope no one is tempted to go picking or even worse, digging them up and transplanting them.

The 1800 acres of water and forest of the Fumee Lake Natural Area are just off Highway 2 at the outskirts of Norway, Michigan. There are miles of hiking and biking trails rated easy to difficult. Canoeing is allowed with a portage between lakes. During the winter the trails are open for snow shoeing and cross country skiing.

Today, Gary and I returned there to see what orchids are blooming. We hiked the shorter trail around Little Fumee Lake, only a mile and a half on an easy road, but we found plenty to look at.

In that short period we saw rununculus (buttercups),columbine, beech peas, water irises, and goats beard. White flowers showed the promise of blackberries by the end of July.

The streams were full of bullhead lilies.

But what we had come to see were the multitude of yellow lady's slippers.

They were everywhere, but just one of the seventeen orchids found at Fumee Lake. If we had gone further, we likely would have found the more common pink lady's slippers, but we will see those at the Bog Lake by next week. A little later in the summer, Fumee will have the rarer showy lady's slipper.

Other orchids will show up at Fumee as the year progresses. I wish I had thought to include the place in Yesterday's Secrets, Tomorrow's Promises, my romance novel set in Norway.

Tonight we are snuggled in the trailer, waiting for a thunderstorm with multitude lightening strikes. As I told Barbara Gaulke, things that go wrong make for good blog posts. If we survive, I'll report on it tomorrow. 

Things to Write About

I've been writing this daily blog since 2010.  Folks ask if I ever run out of things to write.  So far, no. There is always something going on or something I've been thinking about.

Today, I returned to Laura Lake.  Gary had been busy while I was gone. My office now has a book shelf for my paperwork, journals and books.  This cleared the desk for my computer. The whole system is more workable. The wi fi signal is strong enough to reach in here so I can close the door and get busy.

I posted "Four Old Farts" at Black Coffee Fiction http://blackcoffeefiction.blogspot.com before I left Seymour but when I arrived here at the campground I found that Betty had edited the copy I sent her and had sent me the corrections.With my new office system, it was easy enough to take out the errors and re-post.

The story came from some old timers Gary and I keep running into in the Upper Peninsula.  (When I say old timers, it only means that they are even older than we younger old timers.)  We've been observing these guys for over four years so when it came time to write the story.....it wrote itself in about an hour.

Other news from Laura Lake:  with school out and the weather improving, the campground is getting busy. So far eighteen of the forty-one campsites are filled.  There were five canoes and two kayaks on the lake this evening which is pretty darn busy. I hope they stay away from the loons' nest.

One visitor is certainly not welcome.  The Gaulkes on site 1 have been plagued by a porcupine.  He nestles under the end of their big RV, the end being their bedroom. Porcupines mutter to themselves, sounding almost human, which is unnerving in the middle of the night.  They can also be destructive.  He's been chewing on the door frames of the outhouses, also unnerving if one wants to use those facilities.

No one is trying to start a porcupine hunting season using dogs but on Wednesday night, the National Forest expert will be here to try to trap the porkie and move him to a better location.  Gary wants to stay and help so we will be here at the campground until Thursday. You can be sure I will available to take notes for my readers.

Run out of ideas?  Never.

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At 8:00 pm, Gary and I walked over to Site 1.  The Gaulkes were not there, but Gary heard an unusual sound, and when we investigated, there was Porkie, gnawing on the frame of the outhouse.  Gary gave him a stern talking to saying "You're only going to get yourself in trouble", at which time Porkie went up a tree.

Yes, something is always going on.

Entitlements

One of the bugaboos of the right wing is entitlements.  All of the troubles, real or perceived, are laid on the door of too many government giveaways to those referred to as the 47% by Romney...or as he said, the takers. The trouble is that everyone I know has access to at least one of the government entitlements except they don't usually recognize them as such.

The farmers don't see the farm subsidies as entitlements.  They wouldn't survive without them.  Heat assistance?  Without it, the high cost of fuel would break those who sign on for it.  The older folks don't see social security as an entitlement, since they figure they've earned their monthly checks.  Medicare?  Again, not an entitlement.  An entitlement, it seems, is something somebody else gets and therefore doesn't deserve.

This morning, as I was waiting for my yearly Medicare physical, I got to thinking about the entitlements I've taken over the years.

In 1970, my husband left me and drove off with our only car.  He took all the credit cards and all the cash we had. I was in a trailer park in South Dakota with almost no food in the house. It was then that I had to go on food stamps.  It was only for a month in which I reorganized my life.  By then, I had a cheaper trailer and had started my teaching assistant job at the University of South Dakota.  I've never been on food stamps since. I've never even been to a food pantry.

The next time was in 1991.  The menopause from hell had hit me. Without getting too graphic, I was bleeding to the point that I could no longer go out telling stories (I would frighten small children)and I certainly couldn't look for a 40 hour a week job.  I was anemic almost to the point of fainting. One doctor, a feminist, told me it was a normal part of aging and accept it.  However, when I checked with my sisters, I realized it could go on for a year or two.  I needed surgery but the sparse insurance I had did not cover the pre-existing condition....of being a woman. I applied for Medicaid but found out I couldn't get it without going on welfare. The only other option I could think of was suicide.

I went on welfare, got Medicaid, found another doctor, and had the surgery. It turned out the tissue removed was pre-cancerous. I'd made the right decision. The following day I walked out of the hospital and a week later was off both welfare and Medicaid.

And that was it until I got Social Security and Medicare plus Senior Care for prescriptions.  Medicare paid for cataract surgery when I was 65 and Senior Care paid for the necessary eye drops.  Other than yearly physicals and mammograms, plus one colonoscopy, I've had no further use for Medicare or Senior Care though  I pay out about a hundred dollars each month.

When I consider all the years I've paid taxes and put money into these entitlement programs, I've never gotten as much out, nor do I expect to.  I am far too healthy.

My contributions over the years go to others who need the care. That is as it should be.  Yes, there are those who abuse the system, but that is no reason to take away from people in trouble.  I figure we should take care of those in need and get them back on their feet, so they in turn can help others.

They are entitled.

Irises

I had to come home from Laura Lake for tomorrow morning's yearly physical.  When I got here, this is what I found.

And this

And this

In the past few years, I've often been on tour when the iris bloom and have only seen photos of them others have taken.  I have about 12 varieties if not more.  

The columbines are in bloom, too

as are the poppies 

And for the first time in years, I get to enjoy them...at least for three days.