I recognize and appreciate some of the ironies of life. Like one that came to me this afternoon: By the time football season ends (in late October or early November, depending on playoff success), snow will be flying through the air. But today, as I finished editing my Week 1 stories, the local temperature was in the low 90s.
Actually, it was a quiet Sunday, besides being a hot day. My wife and I did very little, but we got in a little practice for the start of the NFL season, in two weeks.
I had recorded the first half of the Packers' game against Indianapolis Thursday night (because I was away, covering girls volleyball). While we had lunch together (as usual on Sunday: sandwiches, in the living room), I played the Thursday night game. And, as usual, after we finished eating, she leaned her head on my shoulder ... and soon was asleep. I think I may have dozed off for a few minutes, too.
When I returned to the here and now, I turned on the Weather Channel, which claimed the local temperature stood at 96F (36C). Easily the hottest day of the year if it was true, but I don't quite believe it. Maybe 91 or so, but not 96. Later, we went out to do some grocery shopping. It seemed pretty warm but not that hot.
On Saturday, all three of us (including David) went on a shopping trip to Rhinelander. The surprise of the trip came early, on Wisconsin 70, halfway between Iron River and Eagle River, Wis., when I saw a feline figure crouching on the edge of the woods as I drove past. Definitely a feline head. Either a bobcat or a lynx, and lynx aren't that common here. Definitely larger than a cat.
I just got a glimpse of him as I drove past. I quickly stopped and turned around, but I never saw him again--my wife caught a glimpse of him (?) running across the road and disappearing into the woods. It's a densely wooded area of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, but we were on a state highway with a wide right-of-way cleared of trees and such.
Bobcats live in the woods, but I had never seen one in the wild before. More irony: The night before, I saw a whole bunch of bobcats--they were wearing the green football uniforms of the Florence Bobcats, who battled West Iron into overtime.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Goats, piggies and vampires
Ever since her GF moved up here early this year, S had been talking about the three of us visiting an animal farm south of Oshkosh. She took my wife and me there a couple years ago; we had a great time, and I got some goofy pictures, which is almost as important ...
(That's an extreme close-up of an elk, by the way.)
Now she wanted to share the critter experience with her GF, who I will hereafter call T.
I wanted to take them there earlier this summer and drove down, but we didn't have good luck with the weather. We did other stuff. Summer lasts a long time, right?
But when the calendar hits August, it gets really hard for me to take a couple days off--the month gets much busier (for me) than June and July are. So, early in August, on a warm, humid Monday night, my wife made me an early supper, and I hit the road for the four-hour drive south to the Fox Cities of Wisconsin.
Earlier this summer, I had run into road construction along the way. This time, I got smart; I figured out a route that only would take me a little out of my way. But fate didn't work out that way, for three reasons: (1) patches of ground fog; (2) other condensation that made reflective signs hard to read; and (3) the earlier sunsets of early August. By the time I got to the construction areas, it was dark, and the signs were hard to read. I had to follow Highway 55, not Highway 54.
OK, I got lost for a while. The GPS on my phone helped straighten me out, but I finally got there about 11 p.m., a full hour later than planned. First things first: They had to get me up to speed on the "Twilight" movie series. We had decided to see a movie during this trip, and they wanted to see "Eclipse," the third entry in the Twilight series. So I watched "New Moon" with them to learn who's whom and what's what. Werewolves. Vampires. Indians. My head was swimming with details.
Finally, to bed and quickly to sleep. S had taken a Tylenol PM, so she was night-night, no matter what. I was bushed, anyway. Sleep came easily.
We all slept late Tuesday. Just after noon, we got something to eat and left for the animal farm. It was hot (in the upper 80s) and quite muggy--but it was also cloudy. Lucky for us: If the sun comes out, I told them, the heat index is going to shoot straight up.
When we got there, I picked up my camera but not my hat. It was still pretty cloudy.
I paid for all three of us, and in exchange we got several bags of old bread--to feed to the critters we saw along the way. Off we went. Our first friends were a goat and donkey that posed with S. Say cheese! ...
The goats were quite interested in T's bread ...
Then we found a pen where the goats were stacked for snacks ...
We also encountered a hungry bison with a black tongue ...
On the other side, camels. Some of them had figured out how to get closer to their two-footed visitors and look cute doing it ...
Again, the goats. They were quite insistent. They wanted food. They knew we had it. And they weren't accepting any excuses. T had to talk to one of them, to tell him to mind his manners ...
S found a donkey, who brayed loudly about how hungry he was. S always falls for that trick ...
It was hot but manageable ... until, halfway through our self-guided tour, the sun broke out in all its glory. I remembered my hat, still in the back seat. Sure enough, my U.P. blood was getting too hot.
We spotted a gazebo and took refuge from the sun there. I took off my shirt, something I don't do that often, to invite a breeze. I invited the girls to do likewise. But they had seen a little girl earlier in our visit and didn't want their breasts to corrupt impressionable youth, I guess. Anyway, I was the only shirtless person.
That's about when a bunch of piglets spotted us. What fun!
After that, we had piglets trotting after us, looking for treats and grunting endearingly ...
In fact, T was like the Pied Piper of Piglets. She certainly had a devoted following ...
When we visited in 2007, we took refuge from the heat in a camp store, where they sold sodas and ice cream. We finally found the place. It was closed. Our luck.
Before we left, S found more creatures near a fence--a bison, deer, more goats ...
(In fact, it was the same bunch we had seen earlier, when the goats were on multi layers.) ...
Frankly, I wasn't feeling that well. The girls saw my skin was a lot pinker than normal, and I hadn't gotten sunburned--I was just overheated. Luckily, we found a gas station and restaurant and took refuge there for a while. Ice cream! What a good idea! I had a banana shake. Yum! We took our time, and eventually I cooled down.
Our original plan had been to drive north to Appleton, enjoy dinner together and see the movie. But first we had to go back to their place to peel off our sweat-soaked shirts. By the time we reached Appleton, time was too tight for a regular restaurant. Instead: Burger King. Then, off to the movie.
I'm glad I saw "New Moon" the night before--it did help me keep track of the main characters. The girls thought this film would tie up all the plotlines and bring the saga to a close. Far from it! The ending very obviously hinted that at least one more sequel is in the works. Nonetheless, everyone enjoyed the film--and the air conditioning inside ...
After that: Some evening shopping. The girls needed a number of things and were short on money, as usual. But they are my friends, and I don't have a problem helping out. From Tylenols to maxipads to whatever, my attitude is: If you need it, put it in the cart. The big one was a cell phone--S had a phone, but it was only for emergencies. I reasoned that getting a new one would make their lives less complicated.
From there, back to their place. Various people visited, and someone took a picture of me with the girls ...
Finally, a little after midnight, off to bed (though the GF stayed up). S and I were tired after a long, busy day. We both fell asleep quickly.
Wednesday morning, I had to head for home. But first, S and I had some unfinished business to take care of. One important item remained on the to-do list because we were too tired the first two nights.
One last chance to renew our love, and we made the most of it. And wouldn't you know it! Just as we both were right at our climax, the door swung open, and T walked in to fetch something she needed; under the circumstances, we barely noticed. We laughed about it later; S said that if we weren't nearly done, she may have joined us.
About an hour later, just as I was leaving, T was nearly asleep on a mattress in the living room. I came over, knelt down next to her, and we kissed good-bye. She wished me a safe trip home and hurry back again.
And then it was time to go. I saw many things on the trip home. Birds gathering on wires. The hamburger capital of America. Pretty farming valleys. But that's enough pictures for now. Maybe another time. Finally I got back home.
The trip was a bit too rushed for my liking, but it had to do. I don't expect to visit them again until October or November. We're already talking about special plans for that one. This one is so special to me that my wife might join us. I'll explain in due time.
(That's an extreme close-up of an elk, by the way.)
Now she wanted to share the critter experience with her GF, who I will hereafter call T.
I wanted to take them there earlier this summer and drove down, but we didn't have good luck with the weather. We did other stuff. Summer lasts a long time, right?
But when the calendar hits August, it gets really hard for me to take a couple days off--the month gets much busier (for me) than June and July are. So, early in August, on a warm, humid Monday night, my wife made me an early supper, and I hit the road for the four-hour drive south to the Fox Cities of Wisconsin.
Earlier this summer, I had run into road construction along the way. This time, I got smart; I figured out a route that only would take me a little out of my way. But fate didn't work out that way, for three reasons: (1) patches of ground fog; (2) other condensation that made reflective signs hard to read; and (3) the earlier sunsets of early August. By the time I got to the construction areas, it was dark, and the signs were hard to read. I had to follow Highway 55, not Highway 54.
OK, I got lost for a while. The GPS on my phone helped straighten me out, but I finally got there about 11 p.m., a full hour later than planned. First things first: They had to get me up to speed on the "Twilight" movie series. We had decided to see a movie during this trip, and they wanted to see "Eclipse," the third entry in the Twilight series. So I watched "New Moon" with them to learn who's whom and what's what. Werewolves. Vampires. Indians. My head was swimming with details.
Finally, to bed and quickly to sleep. S had taken a Tylenol PM, so she was night-night, no matter what. I was bushed, anyway. Sleep came easily.
We all slept late Tuesday. Just after noon, we got something to eat and left for the animal farm. It was hot (in the upper 80s) and quite muggy--but it was also cloudy. Lucky for us: If the sun comes out, I told them, the heat index is going to shoot straight up.
When we got there, I picked up my camera but not my hat. It was still pretty cloudy.
I paid for all three of us, and in exchange we got several bags of old bread--to feed to the critters we saw along the way. Off we went. Our first friends were a goat and donkey that posed with S. Say cheese! ...
The goats were quite interested in T's bread ...
Then we found a pen where the goats were stacked for snacks ...
We also encountered a hungry bison with a black tongue ...
On the other side, camels. Some of them had figured out how to get closer to their two-footed visitors and look cute doing it ...
Again, the goats. They were quite insistent. They wanted food. They knew we had it. And they weren't accepting any excuses. T had to talk to one of them, to tell him to mind his manners ...
S found a donkey, who brayed loudly about how hungry he was. S always falls for that trick ...
It was hot but manageable ... until, halfway through our self-guided tour, the sun broke out in all its glory. I remembered my hat, still in the back seat. Sure enough, my U.P. blood was getting too hot.
We spotted a gazebo and took refuge from the sun there. I took off my shirt, something I don't do that often, to invite a breeze. I invited the girls to do likewise. But they had seen a little girl earlier in our visit and didn't want their breasts to corrupt impressionable youth, I guess. Anyway, I was the only shirtless person.
That's about when a bunch of piglets spotted us. What fun!
After that, we had piglets trotting after us, looking for treats and grunting endearingly ...
In fact, T was like the Pied Piper of Piglets. She certainly had a devoted following ...
When we visited in 2007, we took refuge from the heat in a camp store, where they sold sodas and ice cream. We finally found the place. It was closed. Our luck.
Before we left, S found more creatures near a fence--a bison, deer, more goats ...
(In fact, it was the same bunch we had seen earlier, when the goats were on multi layers.) ...
Frankly, I wasn't feeling that well. The girls saw my skin was a lot pinker than normal, and I hadn't gotten sunburned--I was just overheated. Luckily, we found a gas station and restaurant and took refuge there for a while. Ice cream! What a good idea! I had a banana shake. Yum! We took our time, and eventually I cooled down.
Our original plan had been to drive north to Appleton, enjoy dinner together and see the movie. But first we had to go back to their place to peel off our sweat-soaked shirts. By the time we reached Appleton, time was too tight for a regular restaurant. Instead: Burger King. Then, off to the movie.
I'm glad I saw "New Moon" the night before--it did help me keep track of the main characters. The girls thought this film would tie up all the plotlines and bring the saga to a close. Far from it! The ending very obviously hinted that at least one more sequel is in the works. Nonetheless, everyone enjoyed the film--and the air conditioning inside ...
After that: Some evening shopping. The girls needed a number of things and were short on money, as usual. But they are my friends, and I don't have a problem helping out. From Tylenols to maxipads to whatever, my attitude is: If you need it, put it in the cart. The big one was a cell phone--S had a phone, but it was only for emergencies. I reasoned that getting a new one would make their lives less complicated.
From there, back to their place. Various people visited, and someone took a picture of me with the girls ...
Finally, a little after midnight, off to bed (though the GF stayed up). S and I were tired after a long, busy day. We both fell asleep quickly.
Wednesday morning, I had to head for home. But first, S and I had some unfinished business to take care of. One important item remained on the to-do list because we were too tired the first two nights.
One last chance to renew our love, and we made the most of it. And wouldn't you know it! Just as we both were right at our climax, the door swung open, and T walked in to fetch something she needed; under the circumstances, we barely noticed. We laughed about it later; S said that if we weren't nearly done, she may have joined us.
About an hour later, just as I was leaving, T was nearly asleep on a mattress in the living room. I came over, knelt down next to her, and we kissed good-bye. She wished me a safe trip home and hurry back again.
And then it was time to go. I saw many things on the trip home. Birds gathering on wires. The hamburger capital of America. Pretty farming valleys. But that's enough pictures for now. Maybe another time. Finally I got back home.
The trip was a bit too rushed for my liking, but it had to do. I don't expect to visit them again until October or November. We're already talking about special plans for that one. This one is so special to me that my wife might join us. I'll explain in due time.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Crazy August days
Apologies for not updating. It's just been pretty crazy at work, and there has been very little time to collect my thoughts.
First of all, an update on David's broken hand: It's mending very nicely. The pain seemed to go away quickly, and he's only on antibiotics now. The main problem is not being able to use his right hand and being left-handed for the first time in his life. Not easy, I'm sure. He has come over for supper once or twice, and my wife and I went shopping for him a couple of times. Doing OK.
We had a spell of hot weather here a few weeks ago--hotter and stickier than normal for mid August, with highs around 90F (32C). Then it eased off.
That's good, because I've been hopping since that trip my wife and I took (one upcoming post) and then a visit to S and her GF (another upcoming post). Since then, my life has been all about the start of fall sports, writing for a special section, another summer weekend festival and, this weekend, the county fair. Plus a couple features, a day out of town because of my mom, the annual cable board meeting and football scrimmages.
As president of the cable board, I had to write a report to our members, including the digital project we are working on--digital and HD coming to town this fall. But many major decisions haven't been made yet, so my report also had to be non-specific. I laid it out to the members, and I think they understood. Maybe the underlying frustration came through.
That meeting was held Saturday morning. On Friday, we had the football scrimmages, the local teams' only chance to hit other teams before the regular season starts next Friday. It was taking place at a city about 60 miles away, starting at 9 a.m. Some thunderstorms moved through during the early morning hours, and the ground was still wet when I left for the scrimmage at about 7:15 a.m.
So I got there about 20 minutes early and called home--my wife would be up by then, and I wanted to know if it was raining back there. She had news for me: They said on the radio that the scrimmage had been canceled (fearing more storms), and the two county teams would hold their own scrimmage--just the two of them--at the local high school practice field, five miles from my home. Except I was at the original scrimmage site, about 60 miles away.
So I quick had to drive back home, and I got to see much of it, anyway. Talked to the coaches, got my story written ...
The rain threat continued on Friday, and showers passed through during the afternoon. I was assigned to get photos at the truck pull that evening. It was already muddy enough in the arena Thursday night as the tractor pull took place ...
... so what would it look like now? Obviously, I had to see.
Just as I was leaving for the truck pull, rain struck. I zipped up my raincoat and drove to the event. Water was running through the unpaved parking lot, and water stood around the outside of the arena. There was rain. Then there was more rain. Then a cloudburst. Then more rain ...
It was real pretty ... if you happen to have webbed feet and quack!
I had a great vantage point--up in the grandstand, under a roof. But the dirt arena quickly got inundated. They finally called it off and rescheduled it for late Sunday afternoon.
That was the end of the rain. The fair had mostly sunny weather on Saturday, and the sun will stay around today. My wife and I went up to the fairgrounds Saturday afternoon. I went back my myself for the demo derby (another county cultural high point; they always get a packed house) that night, and then I'll be up there yet again for the rescheduled truck pull late this afternoon.
After all that bustling about and confusion, fall sports season will seem relatively calm and orderly.
First of all, an update on David's broken hand: It's mending very nicely. The pain seemed to go away quickly, and he's only on antibiotics now. The main problem is not being able to use his right hand and being left-handed for the first time in his life. Not easy, I'm sure. He has come over for supper once or twice, and my wife and I went shopping for him a couple of times. Doing OK.
We had a spell of hot weather here a few weeks ago--hotter and stickier than normal for mid August, with highs around 90F (32C). Then it eased off.
That's good, because I've been hopping since that trip my wife and I took (one upcoming post) and then a visit to S and her GF (another upcoming post). Since then, my life has been all about the start of fall sports, writing for a special section, another summer weekend festival and, this weekend, the county fair. Plus a couple features, a day out of town because of my mom, the annual cable board meeting and football scrimmages.
As president of the cable board, I had to write a report to our members, including the digital project we are working on--digital and HD coming to town this fall. But many major decisions haven't been made yet, so my report also had to be non-specific. I laid it out to the members, and I think they understood. Maybe the underlying frustration came through.
That meeting was held Saturday morning. On Friday, we had the football scrimmages, the local teams' only chance to hit other teams before the regular season starts next Friday. It was taking place at a city about 60 miles away, starting at 9 a.m. Some thunderstorms moved through during the early morning hours, and the ground was still wet when I left for the scrimmage at about 7:15 a.m.
So I got there about 20 minutes early and called home--my wife would be up by then, and I wanted to know if it was raining back there. She had news for me: They said on the radio that the scrimmage had been canceled (fearing more storms), and the two county teams would hold their own scrimmage--just the two of them--at the local high school practice field, five miles from my home. Except I was at the original scrimmage site, about 60 miles away.
So I quick had to drive back home, and I got to see much of it, anyway. Talked to the coaches, got my story written ...
The rain threat continued on Friday, and showers passed through during the afternoon. I was assigned to get photos at the truck pull that evening. It was already muddy enough in the arena Thursday night as the tractor pull took place ...
... so what would it look like now? Obviously, I had to see.
Just as I was leaving for the truck pull, rain struck. I zipped up my raincoat and drove to the event. Water was running through the unpaved parking lot, and water stood around the outside of the arena. There was rain. Then there was more rain. Then a cloudburst. Then more rain ...
It was real pretty ... if you happen to have webbed feet and quack!
I had a great vantage point--up in the grandstand, under a roof. But the dirt arena quickly got inundated. They finally called it off and rescheduled it for late Sunday afternoon.
That was the end of the rain. The fair had mostly sunny weather on Saturday, and the sun will stay around today. My wife and I went up to the fairgrounds Saturday afternoon. I went back my myself for the demo derby (another county cultural high point; they always get a packed house) that night, and then I'll be up there yet again for the rescheduled truck pull late this afternoon.
After all that bustling about and confusion, fall sports season will seem relatively calm and orderly.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Quickie update
First, an update about David. He's doing fine. He came over to our house Wednesday night for a home-cooked meal. Can't cook with the broken hand.
He didn't seem to be in any pain; he didn't mention it. He asked me about the big bruise on his inside thigh--it seems to be getting a little bigger, but it's not hurting him. Quite colorful already. Anyway, he was more interested in fantasy football than anything.
I had just returned from my latest trip that afternoon--more about that later--and offered to take my wife out to dinner. But David preferred the home-cooked meal, so we saved the restaurant stop for tonight.
It's been bloody hot here lately. Warmer and stickier than it ought to be in mid August. We had temps around 90F (32C) on Thursday--though, frankly, the humidity seemed a lot more comfortable than it was the day before. Right now, it's 85F (29C) here on the second floor, but just 73 outside. Better get room air-conditioner in the bedroom cranked up--she will be heading to bed soon.
I've got more stuff to write about: (A) Our trip over the weekend to central Wisconsin, and (B) my visit to S and her girlfriend earlier this week.
But that's going to have to wait--I'm tired, it's late, and that's how it goes tonight. I mowed the grass, then took a shower, then did this or that on the computer in lieu of writing. I had good intentions. Honest!
Some of this verbiage will be recycled for an official update, which will be prepared ... when I get the time.
He didn't seem to be in any pain; he didn't mention it. He asked me about the big bruise on his inside thigh--it seems to be getting a little bigger, but it's not hurting him. Quite colorful already. Anyway, he was more interested in fantasy football than anything.
I had just returned from my latest trip that afternoon--more about that later--and offered to take my wife out to dinner. But David preferred the home-cooked meal, so we saved the restaurant stop for tonight.
It's been bloody hot here lately. Warmer and stickier than it ought to be in mid August. We had temps around 90F (32C) on Thursday--though, frankly, the humidity seemed a lot more comfortable than it was the day before. Right now, it's 85F (29C) here on the second floor, but just 73 outside. Better get room air-conditioner in the bedroom cranked up--she will be heading to bed soon.
I've got more stuff to write about: (A) Our trip over the weekend to central Wisconsin, and (B) my visit to S and her girlfriend earlier this week.
But that's going to have to wait--I'm tired, it's late, and that's how it goes tonight. I mowed the grass, then took a shower, then did this or that on the computer in lieu of writing. I had good intentions. Honest!
Some of this verbiage will be recycled for an official update, which will be prepared ... when I get the time.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Unlucky rider
What my wife and I did out of town Friday and Saturday is really secondary to what happened to our son David on Saturday afternoon. We got back home about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and David called Sunday afternoon, just after we finished lunch.
He told us he was in an accident the day before. He was riding his bike out to an area lake when he was hit or forced off the road by a car (the story is unclear). He broke his right hand, along with other bumps and bruises. The hand is the major problem--he will be off work for several weeks.
Right now, he is resting semi-comfortably at home. After the accident, he was taken to the hospital by ambulance and was released a few hours later. He was prescribed painkillers, and I told him he has to be careful with them. He knows about the addiction problems people can get into with painkillers, and I know he will be careful.
We went to the store for him and got him a couple ice packs and some fruit cups and applesauce and took them to his place. I opened the cases for him, since opening stuff with two hands is going to be a challenge for him for a while. His mom took care of the dishes in his sink.
He was hurting quite a bit when we arrived at his apartment, but that's because his painkiller had worn off. His four hours were up, and it was time for him to take another one. He starting feeling better within a few minutes.
We offered to take him home with us and make him a hot supper, but he said he will be OK at home. But he will be coming over to have dinner with us from time to time. That's OK with us. He lives just a few blocks away.
One thing he told us was that he was riding in the middle of the road. Not a smart thing to do, he said. And he learned why.
The other thing, we agreed, was that it could easily have been a lot worse. Suppose it had been an arm. Or a foot. Or a leg. At least he can walk around fairly normally (remembering that he got a bad bruise to his thigh, as well). I told him to keep the hand elevated as much as he can, to help deal with the pain.
We left him at about 5:15 this evening. It's now after 11, and apparently things are going well enough with him.
****
Otherwise, our trip went well. I'll write about that in a few days. Just a two-day, one-night to central Wisconsin for our anniversary.
He told us he was in an accident the day before. He was riding his bike out to an area lake when he was hit or forced off the road by a car (the story is unclear). He broke his right hand, along with other bumps and bruises. The hand is the major problem--he will be off work for several weeks.
Right now, he is resting semi-comfortably at home. After the accident, he was taken to the hospital by ambulance and was released a few hours later. He was prescribed painkillers, and I told him he has to be careful with them. He knows about the addiction problems people can get into with painkillers, and I know he will be careful.
We went to the store for him and got him a couple ice packs and some fruit cups and applesauce and took them to his place. I opened the cases for him, since opening stuff with two hands is going to be a challenge for him for a while. His mom took care of the dishes in his sink.
He was hurting quite a bit when we arrived at his apartment, but that's because his painkiller had worn off. His four hours were up, and it was time for him to take another one. He starting feeling better within a few minutes.
We offered to take him home with us and make him a hot supper, but he said he will be OK at home. But he will be coming over to have dinner with us from time to time. That's OK with us. He lives just a few blocks away.
One thing he told us was that he was riding in the middle of the road. Not a smart thing to do, he said. And he learned why.
The other thing, we agreed, was that it could easily have been a lot worse. Suppose it had been an arm. Or a foot. Or a leg. At least he can walk around fairly normally (remembering that he got a bad bruise to his thigh, as well). I told him to keep the hand elevated as much as he can, to help deal with the pain.
We left him at about 5:15 this evening. It's now after 11, and apparently things are going well enough with him.
****
Otherwise, our trip went well. I'll write about that in a few days. Just a two-day, one-night to central Wisconsin for our anniversary.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Jurustic Woodchucks
Our travels took us to central Wisconsin in mid July. It was partially for David's benefit--he wanted to go several places in that area, plus some shopping. So my wife and David and I got into the car and drove south to Wausau--about three hours south of our place.
The first priority was scratching that shopping itch. So, after getting our room, we went to a few places he was interested in. But storms were moving in--another round of thunderstorms was moving through Wisconsin. We ducked them for a while, but as we drove west towards a Barnes & Noble bookstore, we could see the rapidly darkening clouds right at us.
The skies really looked ugly. No picture: I had the camera along, but I was busy enough as chauffeur and navigator to worry about pictures. We almost made it. Just as we pulled into the bookstore's parking lot, the skies opened up with heavy rain, and we had to wait out the worst of it. The clouds weren't as ominous looking as before, but here's what the radar looked like on my phone ...
The rain eased off, we dashed inside, shopped for a while and later returned to our motel. It was dark by now, but lightning was still flashing, and I decided to try to get a picture as it went Zap! Why did I bother? My camera will not do a time exposure without a tripod, and I didn't bring one along. There was only occasional flashes, and before long I went back inside for the night.
The storms moved through during the night, and the next morning was bright and sunny. We were back on the road, heading to a place south and west of Wausau and north of Marshfield. With all the rain central Wisconsin has been getting, the corn is growing well ...
And so was a big field of sunflowers ...
Our destination was Jurustic Park, which features displays of whimsical creatures made entirely of scrap metal. My wife and I stopped there in '09, but we arrived too late--they were already closed for the day. We resolved to return and bring David along ...
The first priority was scratching that shopping itch. So, after getting our room, we went to a few places he was interested in. But storms were moving in--another round of thunderstorms was moving through Wisconsin. We ducked them for a while, but as we drove west towards a Barnes & Noble bookstore, we could see the rapidly darkening clouds right at us.
The skies really looked ugly. No picture: I had the camera along, but I was busy enough as chauffeur and navigator to worry about pictures. We almost made it. Just as we pulled into the bookstore's parking lot, the skies opened up with heavy rain, and we had to wait out the worst of it. The clouds weren't as ominous looking as before, but here's what the radar looked like on my phone ...
The rain eased off, we dashed inside, shopped for a while and later returned to our motel. It was dark by now, but lightning was still flashing, and I decided to try to get a picture as it went Zap! Why did I bother? My camera will not do a time exposure without a tripod, and I didn't bring one along. There was only occasional flashes, and before long I went back inside for the night.
The storms moved through during the night, and the next morning was bright and sunny. We were back on the road, heading to a place south and west of Wausau and north of Marshfield. With all the rain central Wisconsin has been getting, the corn is growing well ...
And so was a big field of sunflowers ...
Our destination was Jurustic Park, which features displays of whimsical creatures made entirely of scrap metal. My wife and I stopped there in '09, but we arrived too late--they were already closed for the day. We resolved to return and bring David along ...
Sunday, August 1, 2010
24 busy hours
From an email I sent to Betty last night. Parts of it will undoubtedly be reconfigured into an official blog post ...
SNIP
Well, it's been a pretty eventful 24 hours since we last talked. I decided to skip tonight's rodeo show as a result. Just a little worn out with everything.
I'll get back at it Sunday morning. For now, it's R&R for the rest of Saturday.
In brief---
--The country music show Friday night was pretty good. Jamey Johnson was the headliner, but I can take just so much of the modern country boy sound. For my money, the lead-in group, the Kentucky Headhunters, were much more fun. They play a mix of southern rock/blues/country/heavy metal. They rocked hard, and I imagine a few people left the concert talking more about the Headhunters than Johnson. I obviously enjoyed them more.
--Home to bed. Then up at 7 a.m. to get pictures at a road race, which had its start-finish line just a block or so away, behind the former middle school. Not much to report. Got pictures of the start, and the first finishers. I was there for about an hour.
--Back home, then Janet and I went off to see the rodeo parade, The parade was pretty good. A number of horse groups. We each got a big peach from a local supermarket giving stuff out along the way.
--After the parade, we went to the store, where they were having a brat feed. Between the two of us, we had three brats.
--A little time at home to rest, then I left (about 1:45) for the rodeo. A chance of light rain was in the forecast, but all we got was just a little sprinkle that ended about as quickly as it began.
It was a bad day for the cowboys, though. Several got shook up pretty good from riding on the horses and bulls, but the worst incident took place during the saddle bronc event, when one cowboy couldn't get his hand free from the rigging on the saddle--even after the horse bucked him off. So here's this poor guy, trying to run alongside the horse, which is galloping around. He did his best to keep up, but he couldn't keep his feet, and the horse dragged him around the arena 1 1/2 times, while the other cowboys tried to stop the horse long enough to get his hand free.
(Of course, the saddle bronc riders try to get as tight a handgrip on the saddle as they can, so they don't get bucked off so easily.)
They finally got him loose, and called for the EMTs (who are always at these events). The cowboy was soon sitting up, but he had broken a leg along the way, probably when the horse stepped on him as it dragged him along. He went off to the hospital in an ambulance--sitting up and sipping from a water bottle as they carried him into the ambulance. So it could easily have been much worse.
I tell you, I've been covering this rodeo for just about 30 years, and this was the worst wreck I have ever seen. I have seen many bull riders get hung up in their rigging, but just for a few seconds. Bull riders have two big things in their favor--there are two "bullfighters" nearby, ready to run in to the rescue, and bulls can't run as fast as horses.
--Meanwhile, I had something else on my mind. When we got back from the brat feed, there was a message on the phone at home. It was from an aunt (my dad's younger sister) living in Kingsford--one of my uncles has died at the age of 91 (he was my dad's older sister's husband). I tried calling back and finally was able to talk to her this evening. She also told me that my dad's younger brother broke four ribs recently, is in the VA hospital in Iron Mountain, and they are afraid of pneumonia.
I had been wondering whether I could drive the aunt to the funeral--but she told me it's going to be on Monday, and there's no way I can be spared on Monday.Besides, it's taking place about 500 miles away, near Lansing, so we would have had to leave early on Sunday in order to be there for a Monday funeral. Not going to work.
So that's what my last 24 hours has been like. With all that stuff going on, I decided to punt on the rodeo tonight and will take it easy at home, probably watching something with Janet.
It's just about 8 p.m. now, so it's time to go down and decide what we can do.
UNSNIP
SNIP
Well, it's been a pretty eventful 24 hours since we last talked. I decided to skip tonight's rodeo show as a result. Just a little worn out with everything.
I'll get back at it Sunday morning. For now, it's R&R for the rest of Saturday.
In brief---
--The country music show Friday night was pretty good. Jamey Johnson was the headliner, but I can take just so much of the modern country boy sound. For my money, the lead-in group, the Kentucky Headhunters, were much more fun. They play a mix of southern rock/blues/country/heavy metal. They rocked hard, and I imagine a few people left the concert talking more about the Headhunters than Johnson. I obviously enjoyed them more.
--Home to bed. Then up at 7 a.m. to get pictures at a road race, which had its start-finish line just a block or so away, behind the former middle school. Not much to report. Got pictures of the start, and the first finishers. I was there for about an hour.
--Back home, then Janet and I went off to see the rodeo parade, The parade was pretty good. A number of horse groups. We each got a big peach from a local supermarket giving stuff out along the way.
--After the parade, we went to the store, where they were having a brat feed. Between the two of us, we had three brats.
--A little time at home to rest, then I left (about 1:45) for the rodeo. A chance of light rain was in the forecast, but all we got was just a little sprinkle that ended about as quickly as it began.
It was a bad day for the cowboys, though. Several got shook up pretty good from riding on the horses and bulls, but the worst incident took place during the saddle bronc event, when one cowboy couldn't get his hand free from the rigging on the saddle--even after the horse bucked him off. So here's this poor guy, trying to run alongside the horse, which is galloping around. He did his best to keep up, but he couldn't keep his feet, and the horse dragged him around the arena 1 1/2 times, while the other cowboys tried to stop the horse long enough to get his hand free.
(Of course, the saddle bronc riders try to get as tight a handgrip on the saddle as they can, so they don't get bucked off so easily.)
They finally got him loose, and called for the EMTs (who are always at these events). The cowboy was soon sitting up, but he had broken a leg along the way, probably when the horse stepped on him as it dragged him along. He went off to the hospital in an ambulance--sitting up and sipping from a water bottle as they carried him into the ambulance. So it could easily have been much worse.
I tell you, I've been covering this rodeo for just about 30 years, and this was the worst wreck I have ever seen. I have seen many bull riders get hung up in their rigging, but just for a few seconds. Bull riders have two big things in their favor--there are two "bullfighters" nearby, ready to run in to the rescue, and bulls can't run as fast as horses.
--Meanwhile, I had something else on my mind. When we got back from the brat feed, there was a message on the phone at home. It was from an aunt (my dad's younger sister) living in Kingsford--one of my uncles has died at the age of 91 (he was my dad's older sister's husband). I tried calling back and finally was able to talk to her this evening. She also told me that my dad's younger brother broke four ribs recently, is in the VA hospital in Iron Mountain, and they are afraid of pneumonia.
I had been wondering whether I could drive the aunt to the funeral--but she told me it's going to be on Monday, and there's no way I can be spared on Monday.Besides, it's taking place about 500 miles away, near Lansing, so we would have had to leave early on Sunday in order to be there for a Monday funeral. Not going to work.
So that's what my last 24 hours has been like. With all that stuff going on, I decided to punt on the rodeo tonight and will take it easy at home, probably watching something with Janet.
It's just about 8 p.m. now, so it's time to go down and decide what we can do.
UNSNIP
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