Birch catkins

 

The sticker on my car said it was time to change the oil.  I really like that the new cars and synthetic oils require it only every six months.  Making an on-line appointment at the dealership's service center I discovered (1) the dealership was under new management and (2) their appointment system didn't remember me nor my car.  I'd been driving 60 miles to the dealership for oil changes because they also rotated my tires, checked a bunch of other stuff, they had an awesome waiting area, I could check out the new (or since Covid, the pre-owned) cars they had on the showroom floor, and it's a pretty drive there.  Might be, however, a good a time to switch to my local auto mechanic.  I'm certainly OK using his business.  He is very good, really nice, and pretty cute.  I dropped off my car at 8 a.m. and he said he'd have it ready for me in about a 1/2 hour.  I walked around the corner and part way down the block to the cafe for breakfast.  Only three tables were occupied - a middle table had three local guys.  I settled into my usual spot, ordered, and started playing Words With Friends on my phone.  Could hear the guy's conversation clearly.  They were discussing national news.  My ideological view on the role of government may not be the same as their's but had to agree when they joked about students protesting at Columbia, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Cornell, and others.  No wonder so many students want to attend Ivy League schools: at my college we never had time to even consider protesting anything.   Their discussion turned to local stuff.  One guy had gotten up at 4 a.m. and driven to his favorite hunting spot.  He said he won't begin hunting until next week but wanted to see what activity there was.  Three deer came out of the woods together - meant they weren't ready to drop fawns yet.  Crows were being raucus in the trees which usually starts a turkey response but he hadn't heard anything.   Might hunt somewhere else.   Breakfast done I sauntered back to the mechanics.   He asked if my idiot light had ever come on reminding me to get the oil changed.  No it hadn't.  He said he'd played around w/ it but wasn't sure he got it going.  Didn't give it a second thought til I saw the reminder sticker he'd replaced on my windshield.   It had a date only three months out.  I'll watch the level and color of the oil to decide if I visit him again in July or October.

Emerging Rhubarb

 

Excerpts from the Sheriff's Report:

7:26 a.m. - Woman paid for cigarettes and a Red Bull, then went back outside to pump gas.  She didn't come back in to pay for the fuel.  The clerk commented the woman said something about running late for work.  A personal check the woman wrote for the other items matched the registered owner of the vehicle description provided.  The officer contacted the woman.  She thought she had paid for the gas.  She promised to return and pay.

9:51 a.m. - Property owner wants to know if his rental is empty, and consents to a law enforcement search if building is unlocked.  Caller was told this is not a law enforcement issue and he will have to find another person to do this type of inspection.

9:57 a.m. - Driver ticketed for criminal operating after revocation and warned for expired insurance, expired registration, defective muffler, non-working brake lights, and vehicle paint color change without notifying the Department of Motor Vehicles.

2:59 p.m. - Caller reports a 2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara was stolen but unsure if the vehicle was actually stolen.  Vehicle located in the Ace parking lot, not stolen.

4:21 p.m. - 911 caller reported neighbor brutally beating dog.  A second caller reported the commotion is no longer taking place.  Officer arrived and saw dog running around outside, not appearing injured.  The owner said the dog pooped on the bed and was spanked.  Officer told owner to let dog out more often.

5:55 p.m. - Wellness check.  Person not answering door, vehicle at home but tractor gone.  Person was found cutting wood.

6:02 p.m. - Caller reports the vehicle ahead of her in the drive-up lane has the bass so loud she is having a hard time ordering.  Officer reported the vehicle is on private property and there is no noise ordinance during the day.

6:15 p.m. - Vehicle broke down one week ago and it was moved into a friend's driveway.  Now the vehicle is gone.  That friend said they hadn't seen where the vehicle went.  Caller went to another person's home and that person admitted to taking the truck and scrapping it for money.

7:44 p.m. - Caller reported man taking out electrical sockets by hand, afraid he'll touch the open outlets and get electrocuted.  Officer checked and man said it is OK.  Caller told to contact landlord.

Wild Turkey

 It's turkey season again.  Turkey season in my state runs from September - January (though here in the Northwoods they end it right after Thanksgiving).  It picks up again mid-April thru May.  Since turkeys lay eggs in April and May, I can only assume that the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) must think we have too many turkeys.  It's a perfect environment for them here.  They want open fields with forests nearby.   Watched this group make their way across the meadow.  Whenever they got spooked they went stark still w/ their heads raised up.  Would stay that way for awhile before one would break the spell and continue on.  Can't see it as a good strategy if they are being hunted - must work for them though.

Leather Jacket

 

While moving things around in the laundry room I found a little cannister of mink oil.  Finally!  I've had it for a long time so when I couldn't find it wondered if I'd tossed it in a cleaning paroxysm.   Set the little can out on the table and went to dig through my closet for my father's leather coat.  I don't remember how I got it.  Probably I was tasked w/ clearing out someplace at one time, came across it, and couldn't quite toss/give it away.  Figured it could use a good lubricating after all this time.  I spent the morning at the table w/ the coat hung across the back of a chair.  The leather practically inhaled the mink oil and the coat looked happy again.  I found a tag sewn into the coat stating it was a Windward horse leather jacket w/ sheepskin interior.  Wondered if Windward was still in business so checked on the Internet.  Of course that led me down a google rabbit hole.  This type of leather 'bomber' jacket jumped in popularity in the U.S. after WWII service men returned.   Hollywood picked up on the fashion and dressed their renegade characters in leather jackets: 'The Wild One' w/ Marlon Brando and James Dean in 'Rebel without a Cause'.  Hard to imagine Dad wanting to cultivate a 'bad boy' image (maybe Mom bought it for him).   The Internet also said those coats made after WWII would include on the label 'Nylon Stitched' since nylon had been severely rationed but was again available for non-war applications.   I looked - yes - that's on the label.  Searched Montgomery Ward catalog ads from the 40's and 50's.  These leather jackets originally were sold in the range of $13-$20.   Then came across an Etsy ad for a Winward coat that looked just like this one, vintage 40's, preowned ('broken in' I think the ad stated).  Gulped at the price they wanted for it.  Egads - if I knew the coat was worth that much I would have double checked that mink oil was the proper thing to use!

Barn Quilt

 I've posted 20 pictures of barn quilts that are located within the village.  There are even more around and when I was doing library duty, I saw another two propped up in the village lobby ready to be installed somewhere.  Spring has begun springing though so think I'll hold off on posting more quilt pics.  Maybe pick it up again next winter when it becomes difficult to find anything for a picture.  Hope you enjoyed them.

Barn Quilt

 

Got a quick call from the Town Clerk Chris.  She received a phone call from a lady who introduced herself as Stephanie (wasn't a local number) who wanted to let the clerk know election ballots can be hand counted.  In the interest of fair elections, did we do that?  Chris, it turns out, is way, way nicer than I am.  She said we didn't but that our town had two Chief Inspectors, both w/ years of experience, so she had no concerns about our elections being fair.  The caller started talking about how machines could be manipulated (no details or facts) but Chris suggested the caller should be taking her concerns to the County Clerk.  The caller became irate then stating that the County Clerk wouldn't listen to reason.  So, Chris wanted to give me a 'heads up' in case the lady called me too.  Probably a good thing - if the lady does call me I'll try my best not to call her a nincompoop (or some other synonym).  I can't promise though.   Our tabulator did it's job again this last election and caught some people who had mistakingly voted for too many people for an office or across party lines.  Those people were able to fix their ballots before they left the town hall.  If we had handcounted them at the end of the night, those votes could not be counted at all.  Chris said the County Clerk had also sent out a list of errors made on election paperwork returned from all of the different municipalities in the county.  I asked Chris if she would forward it to me.   I read through the e-mail.  We had done everything correctly on the list until I got to the last line.  There it was: "Make sure seal document records are completely filled out."  That's a future promise I can make.

Barn Quilt

Around 7:30 p.m. Whip and I went out for our last walk - our nightly constitutional.  It was truncated a bit because Whip doesn't like to get her head wet and it was very windy and raining.  She got far enough from the house to feel comfortable in 'doing her business' and then turned tail (literally)  back to the house, opened the front door, and waited for me inside.  OK by me.  8 p.m. PBS was broadcasting the last part of 'Julius Caesar: The Making of a Dictator.'  As a kid my grandmother would let me read her old school books and one was 'The Story of the Romans'.  It was a fantastic read for a pre-teen: adventure, war, gods/goddesses, and debauchery of every kind.   Roman history has been an interest of mine since.  I settled myself in front of the TV.   As the show began I savoured remembered names - Cicero, Cato, Cassius, Brutus.  I didn't agree w/ all of the conclusions of the show's featured historians but that just added to my enjoyment.  The final credits flashed on the screen.    I should check if the towels in the dryer were done.  Got up and walked toward the laundry room.  There in the foyer was quite the tableau.  Whip was looking out an open front door.  Blitzen was hacking up blades of grass.  Dunder was crouched, reaching out one front paw to tentatively prod an obviously dead shrew.   They all noticed me at once.  Dunder took off past me closely followed by Blitz.  Whip's tail went into a slow metronome.  The shrew did nothing.   While I had been totally engrossed in the TV show, the wind must have blown open the door.  It's done that before if it's strong enough and from the right direction.  The cats ventured out to explore.  They had caught the shrew and brought it back inside where they could be dry and show it off.  Blitz had supplemented her diet w/ greens.  Whip, who usually chases the cats if they make a break out the door, was so loathe to get wet again she just stayed put and watched.  I cleaned up the vomited grass, the tiny dead creature, and shut the door as tightly as I could.   Probably not a good thing to be so oblivious to my surroundings.

Barn Quilt

Another warm (60's) day and time to put out the bird houses.  A spring task made much easier now that I have Jormungandr.  As I put the houses in the cargo bed I saw the tree swallows were back too.  There were two pair squabbling over the house mounted on the west side of the stockade.  After setting up all of the houses on my land, I drove over to Neighbor Blake's land by one of the ponds.  He allows me to keep two houses there.  (He called later in the afternoon to say he'd seen me out driving.)   Then it was back over to Neighbor Doug's.  He too lets me put up houses on a mound he has back of the buildings where they aren't in the path of machinery.  (I didn't go unnoticed there either since their dog Max started barking.)  I followed the edge of the field down to Brother Russell's.  At the end of his driveway I have two more houses.  I was now out of houses but remembered the 'duplex' Niece Rebecca had given me.  Brother Brent had mounted it on the east side of the stockade under the apple tree.   It's door needed to be closed also but it's too high for me to reach w/o a step stool.  Drove Jormungandr under the apple tree and I stood up through the UTV'S roll bars.  Perfect height to allow me to shut the door.  All of the houses are ready for occupation just as the birds are returning.    Now - will the weather remain 'spring-like' too?

Barn Quilt

While the dog and I were out and about I noticed a bird sitting atop the bird house on the north side of the meadow.  When it flew off there was a flash of blue.  Bluebirds were back!  Over winter the houses w/ doors are purposely left open to be blasted clean by the wind/cold/and sun.  Houses made out of PVC pipe are unhooked, cleaned, and stored away in Sleipnir.  Come spring I wait for the tree swallows or bluebirds to return before setting up the houses again.  Making them available too early and house sparrows will move in.   I walked out to the pair of houses the bluebird had been sitting on and fastened the doors in place.   Each time Whip and I went outside I looked over that way and eventually saw a bluebird perched on one again.   Bluebirds do a low chatter as if talking to themselves.  This one was now contentedly chirping about how great it was to be back in the Northwoods plus find a suitable nesting spot quickly.  Later a bluebird flew in and sat momentarily on the hooks where the feeders hang.  Bluebirds don't do seeds so assume she just wanted to make sure I noticed they were back.  Five of the houses are now closed up and ready to go.  I will do the other thirteen tomorrow.

Rachel

Put Niece Rachel to work w/ the chainsaw.  I am so happy to have an electric one.  I popped in the battery, checked the chain oil level and hit the button.  Started right up.  She cut through the opportunistic plum trees that popped up around the plum I planted in the corner of the garden.  I would grab the cut trees and toss them over the fence.  One year, I'd left the cut trees in a pile in the back of the garden.  Meant to move them over to the tall grass but before I could a brown thrasher had made a nest in them.  Preferring the thrasher to a neat garden, I left them for her.  We threw the salt lick I'd picked up at Farm and Fleet in the back of Jormungandr and drove it out to the deer lick.  The lick is on a rise at the far end of the meadow.  Near enough I can take pictures of the deer but far enough that Whip doesn't go ballistic (that doesn't always work).  We traveled on to the far end of the old woods and went looking for the first flowers.  Neighbor Doug had said he'd seen hepatica already.  When we first started walking the woods we couldn't see anything.   It took a few moments to kind of 'assimilate' to the forest environment.  Then we started to see them - patches of bright green ramp leaves just peaking above the dead leaf clutter.  Rachel and I each pulled one and ate it - wonderfully mild at this stage though there is a lingering aftertaste of onion/garlic.  I found the thin spear like leaves of spring beauty - even found a stalk w/ buds.  I walked to an area I remembered was thick w/ cutleaf toothwort in other years.  Yes, found the tiny little leaves emerging  if I gently brushed the detritus aside.  Told Rachel it was too early for miterword or saxifrage as I walked nearer to the swampy bottom of the woods.  I was wrong - found the fuzzy looking leaves of a saxifrage plant.  We - Rachel, Whip, and I - got back into Jormungandr.  No flowers here yet but I expect in another week the forest floor will begin to bloom.

Barn Quilt

I had a list on the refridgerator of things to pick up in Churchville.  Niece Rachel is staying for a couple of days so first thing in the morning I told her we needed to take a drive.  Drove over on the main highway since it goes past the recycling bins and I had accumulated quite a few bags of plastic bottles, metal cans, glass, and cardboard.   Drove on to Churchville and sat down to my fav breakfast of strawberry crepes.   Next stop Farm and Fleet.  I picked up dog treats, dog food, cat food, a salt lick, and bird seed.  Rachel was lured over to the big metal holding pens full of chicks.  They are under warming lights and peeping to their hearts content.  Even had a pen filled w/ baby ducks.   Next stop Cabin Coffee.  Picked up a latte and two bags of whole beans.  Turns out they've dropped their Customer Reward system.  Too bad - that odd free bag of beans or latte was much appreciated.  Then on to Hobby Lobby.  I needed a cardboard box of a certain size and red ribbon.    If you want red ribbon the best time to get it must be around Christmas 'cause this time of year they only had two types - curling ribbon and tulle.   Wasn't sure how to manipulate tulle into anything so opted for the curling.  There were still two more items on my list but I had reached my internal time limit for shopping for the day.   Headed toward home through the hills.   On the way out of town dropped off my dry cleaning of winter sweaters and throws.  The things I didn't pick up this time I'll use to start a new refridgerator list.  

Barn Quilt

Had to plan the day carefully.  Attended my cousin Steve's funeral.  The church was three hours away but it was a road that I drove quite a bit when I lived in the Big City.  I was on my way by 7 a.m.  Once at the church I wasn't sure of funeral protocol.  Cousin Ginger informed me this was 'visitation' time.  I was to join a line, express sympathies to the family, file past the coffin, and return to the lobby where I would 'visit' w/ others. Fortunately Ginger knows me.  She assured me that none of that was required and in about 10 minutes people would begin finding seats for the service.  The service was nice.   I liked the pastor's message and found it rather comforting to sit in a row w/ cousins.  Right after the service it was time to drive back.  Made library duty w/ a half hour to spare.  A man walked in right after me to return the DVD "Road House".  He said he really loved the movie and did we have any other's to suggest.  The librarian and the volunteer I was relieving started suggesting other Patrick Swayze movies.  Swayze is easy on the eyes but I suspected that wasn't the movie's attraction for this older weathered gentleman.  Picked out the beginning of the Yellowstone TV series, one of the Mission Impossible movies, and "The Rock".  He'd seen the first two but checked out the latter.  A few hours later I shut down the library five minutes early in order to make it to the Town Board Meeting.  The proposed Road Protection Ordinance was on the agenda.  The Planning Commission chairman had given them copies of it before the meeting.  The members of the Board all smiled broadly, pronounced it  'vindictive', and said it was exactly what they were looking for.  Not sure what that all meant but I hadn't eaten all day and was a little high on coffee.  It can wait til the next Planning Commission meeting.

Barn Quilt

 

The frogs have wakened? - woken? - awaked?   The frogs were calling tonight.   I can't hear them yet from the house but once I got beyond the meadow they were quite loud.  Mostly Western Chorus but could also make out the duck-like calls of Wood frogs.   Another sign that spring is progressing slowly but surely in the Northwoods.

Barn Quilt

 I found my eclipse-watching colander and set it out on the desk.  Made out some cards.  Printed out tax forms (Yes, I still mail them instead of doing it electronically.) Ordered flowers.  Rewrote the Town of LaFayette's Road Protection ordinance (it was only three pages) for our town and submitted that along w/ last week's meeting minutes to the Planning Commission chairman for his approval.  Then went out to mail the cards & tax forms, talk briefly with the librarian, and pick up groceries.  Grabbed lunch before driving back home.  Made it back in time to watch the eclipse.  It was not only overcast but raining.  I sat at my computer and updated some files.  Could see that outside it was getting a bit darker - like it would at sunset.  Watched the birds.  Normally after the morning rush, they hit the feeders sporadically during the day before the late afternoon gorge.   The birds didn't seem to be reacting differently than any other day.   The only noticable effect of the eclipse was on me:  I turned on the light in whichever room I was in.