12/31/11 A LOT OF FUN, AND ALSO A LOT OF WORK

TRYING...

...VERY TRYING

...BUT A LOT OF FUN!

Saturday, 8:00 AM.  23 degrees, wind W, calm.  The sky is overcast but the sun is trying to peek through in the east.  The barometer predicts snow.
    The bay is slowly freezing, with mostly ice from Ashland to Washburn, but it is fragile, and I saw no ice fishermen or ice boats out on it yesterday,  Further north, at the beach, the ice is forming shelves at the shore line and there are some floating plates that look like big water lilies or fish scales forming, but it will be a long time before there is ice in the channel between Bayfield and Madeline Island.
    I am letting Buddy off the leash to play fetch on Tenth Street (there is hardly ever a car passing through these days) and he fetches  nicely, except that he is distracted by everything ,., a blowing leaf, a small bird, another dog… he is both very smart and observant, but also a knucklehead.  A lot of fun, and also a lot of work.

12/30/11 SOMBER WEATHER, A LOCAL UPRISING, AND THE OSTRICH SYNDROME

Friday, 8:00 AM.  25 degrees, wind W, calm.  The sky is completely overcast but the barometer predicts partly cloudy skies.  The somber weather has become a big topic of conversation: “We could sure use some sunshine.” “We could sure use some snow.” “”Can’t go snowmobiling.” Can’t go ice fishing.”
    Last evening Joan and I attended an impromptu meeting of Bayfield business folks who are worried about the apparent  anti-business attitude of the city government.  About fifty people were there, many of whom voiced their concerns about over reaching, possibly unconstitutional city ordinances which affect the growth, development and survival of the city and its businesses. There are at present two law suites going to court against city tourist lodging  ordinances. It is a complicated situation, but this grass-roots uprising may be the start of turning around a slowly dieing community. I will have a great deal more to say about the decline of Bayfield  and similar American communities at some appropriate future time.
    Commentary: with another debt limit crisis fast approaching, Jamu Green, Executive Director of Rock the Vote, proposes a unique solution.  Eliminate, not the debt, but the debt limit.  Ergo, no debt limit crisis.  This is like saying to eliminate hunger, eliminate food.  Or to eliminate crime, eliminate crime victims.  Better yet, conjure up the old cartoon image of the ostrich hiding from its enemies by sticking its head in the sand. I could go on, but I am sure you get the idea.   Odds are that some left wing member of congress will adopt this nutty idea.

ANOTHER SOMBER DAY

   

11/29/12 TALES OF WINTER GALES, AND ALL HANDS LOST AT SEA

Thursday, 8:30 AM.  25 degrees, wind WSW, calm.  The sky is mostly overcast, we have about and inch of snow on the ground and the channel is enveloped in fog.  The barometer predicts more snow but the wind is picking up and a patch or two of blue appearing in the cloud cover.
    Neighbors Erick and Nancy and Sherman and Jane were over for dinner last night and the food (thanks Joan), wine, and company were all excellent.  Sherman is a ferry boat captain, and Erick and Sherman were both Great Lakes ore boat sailors in their youth, so the evening’s talk soon turned to tales of winter gales and ships lost with all hands on board.  Erick told of being on the last ore boat out of Ashland at the end of the mining era back in the early ‘70’s, and we discussed the possibility of that era returning.  Erick is now a Bayfield EMT in his retirement, and gets called by the Coast Guard to make emergency medical runs to the big ships, sometimes having to clamber up rope ladders to get on board.  Sometimes a helicopter can be called in to make a medical evacuation but often the patient has to be lowered to a coast guard boat to be brought to shore.

FINALLY, A LITTLE SNOW

BAD PHOTO, BUT GOOD COMPANY

    When the vacationland surface of Bayfield is scratched, what one usually finds is its maritime history.

12/28/11 THREE EAGLES, AND A NORTHWOODS OZYMANDIAS

BALD EAGLE..CAN YOU FIND IT?

A RUSTIC CAMPGROUND

MADELINE ISLAND AS SEEN FROM CAMPGROUND

CITY CAMPGROUND

Wednesday, 8:00 AM.  20 degrees, wind WSW, light.  The sky is overcast with high gray clouds and the barometer predicts snow, which many Bafieldians are pining for, either because they are cross country skiers, or because they are worried about a changing climate.  I assure them that by May they will have experienced all the winter they could possibly wish for. 
    Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend some time in Dalrymple Park, a city campground on the lakeshore on Bayfield’s north side.  I investigated some hazardous trees for winter take down, and must admit I had little visited the park before.  It is very rustic, iindeed naturalistic, a fact attested to by three eagles which flew out of the conifers along the lake shore as Buddy and I approached.  There were two adults and one very large juvenile, the three probably being a family unit.
The park is named after a 19th century Bayfield booster and developer, who invested in land and railroad schemes that he thought would elevate the young community on the shores of Lake Superior to the status of other burgeoning cities on the Great Lakes, and in the process secure his fortune.  In true real estate over-statement, he called Bayfield “The New Chicago,” and when the railroad finally arrived he envisioned Bayfield as a major transportation hub of the nation, connecting the young city to the world via the Great Lakes.  He also promoted Bayfield being renamed “Dalrymple,” in honor of his far-reaching vision of influence, wealth and prestige for himself and the his city.
    Ironically, the rustic campground is the only monument to this Northwoods Ozymandias and  his schemes and dreams.

Ozymandias
            by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

      I met a traveler from an antique land
      Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
      Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
      Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
      And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
      Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
      Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
      The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
      And on the pedestal these words appear:
      “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
      Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
      Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
      Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
      The lone and level sands stretch far away.

12/27/11 AND IT WON'T BE OPEN THE MONDAY AFTER NEW YEAR'S DAY, EITHER

TODAY IS A TOSS-UP

Tuesday, 8:00 AM.  25 degrees, wind WNW, blustery at times, making for a rather chilly morning walk.  The sky is mostly overcast with ominous black clouds, particularly in the east.  The barometer predicts partly cloudy skies.  The day is a toss-up.
    Yesterday was unseasonably warm, and very windy, with often gale force winds from the south-southwest. The whitecaps were clearly visible from the porch, and the ferry boats were engulfed in spray as they headed into the wind toward Madeline Island. I may be mistaken, but it appeared the ferry even stopped running for a while, as I saw none for several hours in the afternoon.
    Commentary: I was rather taken aback when I found the post office closed yesterday.   The sign was posted all week on the door but for some reason it didn’t register.  I guess I just couldn’t accept that the post office would be closed the day after Christmas.  So, I missed my paper as well as the rest of the daily mail, and I had to send a package by FED EX rather than through the mail.  The post office is already notorious for poor service, and stubbornly insisting on being closed even one day during the Holiday Season bespeaks of management that does not respect its obligation to serve its customers.  “Neither snow, nor heat, nor rain, nor dead of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” But Christmas will.
Now, the excuse from both the union and management is that the Monday after a holiday was made a day off (and therefore shuts down the entire enterprise) in lieu of a pay raise.  That excuse only makes both equally culpable.
In the past I may have waxed sentimental about the Postal Service, as I spent several  Christmas holidays delivering mail during my college years. Indeed, it did do its job in the past.  However, today it does not, and the Postal Service is now supposedly a private or at least semi-private enterprise.  If so, let it go bankrupt and sell it to the highest bidder, or break it into its component parts and sell off those (such as package delivery and logistical components) that do not function satisfactorily and keep only the parts most essential to public service,  such as city home delivery and RFD, admit they are money losers and subsidize them.  At present the Postal Service is neither fish nor fowl, can neither swim nor fly, metaphorically speaking.  And it won’t be open the Monday after New Year’s Day, either.

12/26/11 AN AWESOME DAWN AND A QUIET CHRISTMAS

AN AWESOME DAWN...

...EVER CHANGING

THINK I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO OO WITH A SQUEAKY DUCK?...

...GRrrrrr...

 Monday, 8:30 AM. 35 degrees, wind WSW, light to moderate.  The sky is mostly clear with patches of very high, thin white clouds moving fairly rapidly west to east.  They may represent an advancing front, as the barometer predicts precipitation.  The dawn this morning was so amazing that I sat and watched it as the colors and shapes of the eastern horizon slowly changed from those of night to those of day. Buddy, who has very little esthetic sense and even less patience, finally nudged me out of my trance to go for our morning walk.
    Christmas Day was quiet, weather wise and otherwise.  We exchanged a few gifts, and Buddy was all wiggly with anticipation when we started to unwrap his. He actually knew the wrapped and beribboned gift was for him; dogs have amazing sensibilities. We thought about letting him unwrap it himself but we would have been encouraging a rather dubious habit, I am afraid.  Anyway, he went nuts over the yellow duck squeak toy Santa left for him, and did his best over a two hour time span to rip it apart, but only succeeded in putting a couple of holes in one wing.  Other than that Joan and I read, I took Lucky for a run on the beach (still on a long lead) and talked to children and grandchildren on the phone.  We did watch the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears in the evening.  It was a pleasant enough Christmas, but seemed rather strange without any snow.
    In the Christmas spirit, I will spare you any political commentary.

12/25/12 A CHRISTMAS LETTER

GRAY AND DULL OUTSIDE

WARM AND CHEERFUL INSIDE

Christmas morning.  8:00 AM.  35 degrees, wind WSW, moderate with stronger gusts.  It is a gray, cloud covered day and the barometer predicts the same but the lighted Christmas tree and a fire in the fireplace cheers the household. 
Last evening we watched, for the umpty-umpth time, “The Sound of Music.”  It may be my imagination, but it seems to have become as much a Christmas classic as “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and “Miracle on Thirty-fourth Street.”   It is really rather sappy but the music is wonderful.  And the true story with its basic themes of faith, freedom and family is quite overwhelming, even if much of the movie is fiction..  But when it comes to the really important things in life, fiction is usually as relevant as fact.
    The following is our annual letter for 2011, which has been sent to family and friends.  We hope our blog readers will count themselves among the latter.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
From
ART AND JOAN ODE
Dear Reader:
    2011 will soon be over and we are grateful that we both are again in our usual good health and spirits, after a few problems this past  year, and hope you and yours are well and happy. Our children and grandchildren are all fine and progressing in careers and school.  We had the pleasure of visiting Dutch, Leslie and granddaughter Allison in Texas in February, and then on to Eva, Doug and grandchildren Nick and Katie in Colorado.  They all in turn visited us in Bayfield in July.  Daughter Greta was not able to be with us last summer so we visited her in Columbus in November. Her yellow lab Atticus was a finalist in the Master National Hunt Test in Virginia this fall, quite an accomplishment.
    We enjoyed maple sugaring again last March with friends Andy and Judy, and spent many summer evenings with them around the campfire at their Bayfield  tree farm.  We also managed to spend time with friends Tom and Barb in Racine in March, and cousins Susan, Marilyn, Janet, Ted, Clara Jean and Joan and I all got together at cousin Karen’s home with members of their family in Plainfield on Labor Day Weekend.  We visited old friends Bill and Alleen for goose hunting in September (a good hunt). 
    We both keep busy seasonally with our businesses and Chamber of Commerce activities and I with urban forestry volunteer work, the latter taking us around Wisconsin quite a bit during the year.  Boredom is not a problem.
    We were saddened to loose cousins Walter and Gladys, and second cousin Bob this past year.  Time marches on.
    We were also sad to loose our faithful old dog Lucky last fall, but are enjoying a new experience with Buddy, a relentlessly enthusiastic and happy English pointer.    The Holiday Season will find us at home in Bayfield, but with family and friends in spirit wherever they may be.  We wish all of you a blessed and joyful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Art and Joan Ode

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
From
ART AND JOAN ODE
Dear Reader:
    2011 will soon be over and we are grateful that we both are again in our usual good health and spirits, after a few problems this past  year, and hope you and yours are well and happy. Our children and grandchildren are all fine and progressing in careers and school.  We had the pleasure of visiting Dutch, Leslie and granddaughter Allison in Texas in February, and then on to Eva, Doug and grandchildren Nick and Katie in Colorado.  They all in turn visited us in Bayfield in July.  Daughter Greta was not able to be with us last summer so we visited her in Columbus in November. Her yellow lab Atticus was a finalist in the Master National Hunt Test in Virginia this fall, quite an accomplishment.
    We enjoyed maple sugaring again last March with friends Andy and Judy Larsen, and spent many summer evenings with them around the campfire at their Bayfield  tree farm.  We also managed to spend time with friends Tom Moran and Barb Hawk in Racine in March, and cousins Susan, Marilyn, Janet, Ted, Clara Jean and Joan and I all got together at cousin Karen's home with members of their family in Plainfield on Labor Day Weekend.  We visited old friends Bill and Alleen Peebles for goose hunting in September (a good hunt). 
    We both keep busy seasonally with our businesses and Chamber of Commerce activities and I with urban forestry volunteer work, the latter taking us around the state quite a bit during the year.  Boredom is not a problem.
    We were saddened to loose cousins Walter Ode and Gladys (Ode) Kreel, and second cousin Bob Luhm this past year.  Time marches on.
    We were also sad to loose our faithful old dog Lucky this fall, but are enjoying a new experience with Buddy, a relentlessly enthusiastic and happy English pointer.    The Holiday Season will find us at home in Bayfield, but with family and friends in spirit wherever they may be.  We wish all of you a blessed and joyful Christmas and a Happy New Year
Art and Joan Ode

12/24/11 WINDSLEDS ON THE BAY, AND THE HEROES OF CHRISTMAS EVE

WIND SLED ON CHEQUAMEGON BAY

...SAILS DISMOUNTED

Saturday, the Day Before Christmas.  25.5 degrees, wind WSW, calm.  The sky is mostly clear with patches of very high, puffy white clouds drifting lazily eastward.  The barometer predicts sunny skies and it should be a pretty day and a beautiful Christmas Eve.
        These wind sleds had just come off the ice on Cheqamegon Bay in Ashland yesterday afternoon.  Their sails are already off the masts and put away.  The ice looks smooth, and talking with the owners they said it was good sailing although the wind was not strong enough for a really fast ride. Evidently the ice is of sufficient depth for the sleds although I see only one fish shanty off the Ashland shore.  Wind sledding has always looked like a good sport to me, relatively inexpensive, and no noise, fumes or use of gasoline.  There were several more sleds already off the ice and on their trailers.  They are simple enough for a handy person to build for a few hundred dollars and one owner said he paid two thousand dollars for his commercial model.  These are as far as I could see one-person sleds.  I have seen much larger sleds on the Hudson River, and at one time  big wind sleds hauled cargo and passengers up and down the Hudson between New York and Albany, just as sailboats did. Wind sleds can reach sixty miles per hour or more in a stiff breeze.  They are not practical or safe on rough or snow covered ice so they are not seen that often on the big lake. 
        Even though present times are not the best, most of us are well enough fed, clothed and housed, and our children and grandchildren  secure and happy.  So let us pause and give thanks for the promise of “Peace on Earth, good will toward men,” as announced by the angels on that first Christmas Eve.  And let us remember the  heroes of Christmas Eves past, such as the rag-tag patriots under the command of General George Washington, who crossed the Delaware River on that stormy Christmas Eve of 1776 to surprise and defeat the British and their hired Hessians on Christmas morning at the battle of Trenton.  Let us also remember the heroes of the Battle of the Bulge, and the Chosin Reservoir, and the troops fighting for peace and justice in Afghanistan on this Christmas Eve, 2011.
        As we look back on our history as a nation we see many, many Christmas Eves when we were at war, and young men shivered in snowy trenches or sweated and died in steaming jungles.  God has promised us peace on earth, but like freedom, it is our task to achieve it, year after year, and century after century, in an endless quest.  Freedom is not free, and peace is only achieved through faith and strength.

12/24/11 ALMOST READY FOR CHRISTMAS, AND HAIL TO THE FREQUENT FLIER IN-CIEF

YESTERDAY'S SUNSET, LOOKING WEST FROM THE BEACH

MADELINE ISLAND AT DUSK

Friday, 8:00 AM.  22 degrees, wind WSW, light.  The sky is overcast and the barometer predicts snow, which would be nice to have a bit of for Christmas.
    Our little tree is finally decorated, and some cleaning and a few chores and we will be ready for Christmas eve.  When I was a child we spent Christmas Eve with aunts, uncles and cousins on Milwaukee’s South Side, which was much more fun than Christmas Day.  We kids always received a present then, as a precursor to those under the tree at home the next day.  Of course we went to church on Christmas Morning, even my Dad, who only attended on that day and Easter Sunday.  He claimed those were the only services with decent music and in retrospect I am sure he was right.  Also, the sermons were seasonally upbeat, not the usual fire and brimstone, damned if you do, damned if you don’t orations that caused even the most innocent among us to squirm on the hard wooden pews.
        Commentary: I received one of those group emails yesterday, covering a lot of politics.  The following is an edited portion of it. I am assuming the statistics are correct, considering the source.
    According to Mark Knoller of CBS, Presidential travel on Air Force One costs almost $182,000 an hour, not including use of the Marine One helicopter, the Secret Service, logistics or local police costs.  Last year, 2010, President Obama made 65 domestic trips over 104 days, and six trips to eight countries over 22 days, plus six vacation trips over 32 days. He made 196 helicopter trips. In total he flew in Air Force One 172 times, and spent over $200 million taxpayer dollars flying himself and his entourage around on Air Force One. That’s quite a carbon footprint for the environmentalist president, and he sure didn’t travel any less in 2011. One wonders if he gets Frequent Flier miles to claim later?

12/22/11 SIMPLE IS BEST, AND BIPARTISAN IDIOCY

 NIGHT...

...OR DAY, SIMPLE BEAUTY SAYS IT BEST

Thursday, the first day of winter, 8:00 AM.  24 degrees, wind NE, light.  The sky is overcast but the barometer predicts sunshine.  A very few snowflakes are drifting lazily down but it looks like a white Christmas will be only in our dreams.  But on the bright side, we don’t have to shovel dreams.
    There are some elaborate Christmas decorations in town, but I think this one, a simple, lighted wreath and bow bedecked swag hung up on driftwood boards, says it best.  Thank you, neighbor Jake and Mrs. Jake!
    News item: since 2005, the United States has given Saudi Arabia, home of some of the most notorious Islamic terrorists and a suspect regime, almost 4 billion dollars in aid.  Saudi Arabia is awash in oil money and is a lynch pin of OPEC, the oil cartel which is de facto ruler of much of the world through the manipulation of oil price and availability.  They should be paying us for protecting them and the world’s oil shipping lanes, and not be a recipient of our largess. This  is not a partisan comment, as both the current and previous administrations are complicit in this idiocy.

12/21/11 SNOWBERRIES, AND THE QUOTE OF THE WEEK

SNOWBERRY BUSHES

SUNRISE ON THE SHORTEST DAY OF HE YEAR

SNOWBERRRIES

Wednesday, 8:00 AM.  30 degrees, wind WSW, calm.  The sky is mostly overcast and the barometer is down.  The shortest day of the year will be even shorter if it is overcast in the late afternoon. It will be a relief to see the days getting longer.
        Snowberry, Symphorocarpos albus, in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) is native from Ontario south to the northeastern US and northern Midwest.  It thrives on poor soil, is shade tolerant and suckers profusely, so it is valuable for holding banks, etc.  Its’ pink flowers are insignificant, but the large white berries are very effective in the winter landscape if there is no snow.  In other words, it is interesting when it is interesting.  Another species in the genus is S. orbiculatus, with the common names of coralberry and Indiancurrant, which has more obvious pink flowers and attractive pink to red fruits.
        Quote of the week, by  Vice President Biden: “The Taliban is not, per se, our enemy.” What? Oh, well, in that case we can slink out of Afghanistan with our tails between our legs and not worry about what happens to the women and children of that wretched country when we’re gone.
 

12/20/11 HORSETAILS AND A LEFT HOOK SUCKER PUNCH

FINALLY, A CRISP, CLEAR MORNING

CONE AT TOP OF LEAFLESS STEM

STEMS WITH PROMINENT JOINTS

Tuesday,  9:00 AM.  24 degrees, wind WSW, calm at ground level but brisk at cloud height.  It is a bright, crisp, almost cloudless morning, the first really nice day in a while, but the barometer predicts snow, a few inches of which would be welcome for Christmas.
    Horsetails are very primitive, non-flowering plants straight out of the age of the dinosaurs that are common in wet, sandy waste places, but are often overlooked by the casual observer.  The one pictured is the scouring rush, Equisetum arvense, in the horsetail family (Equisetaceae) in the horsetail order.  Instead of flowers and seeds, the plant reproduces by spores, borne in  a cone at the top of its unbranched, leafless stem. The ridged, hollow stems have very prominent joints.  Horsetails are very low on the evolutionary scale, and proof positive that ancient concepts can still be valid and competitive in the modern world. 
        Warning: get ready for a left-hook sucker punch from the Environmental Protection Agency, whose nameless, faceless, unelected bureaucrats are publishing a “Little Green Book” (remember Chairman Mao’s “Little Red Book”?) that outlines new regulations for an undefined “sustainable environment” that will put a chokehold on the US economy and your personal freedom, and will make us all subject to new United Nations environmental protocols, the intent of which is to relegate the United States to a third-world economic status. 

12/19/11 A HANDSOME DUDE, AND A SIDEWALK SHELL GAME

SIOUX RIVER SUNSET

LOTS OF SCENT IN THE BEACH GRASS

WHAT A HANDSOME DUDE

Monday,  8:00 AM.  33 degrees, wind W, light.  The sky is again overcast but the barometer is up,  predicting fair weather.
        We took Buddy to the beach for the second time late yesterday afternoon and he had an almost uncontrollably good time snuffling through the beach grass, which was evidently rich with delicious new scents.  I had him on a long tether in order to get him used to running from side to side not too far in front of me.  It will take a lot of time and patience to get him used to the drill, but he looks almost elegant doing it.
        Political comment: The tax break extension now working its way through Congress is, in my opinion, incomprehensibly and fatally flawed, in that it is proposed that the payroll tax break be paid for by a fee on all new federally guaranteed mortgages, including refinances (that means most mortgages) of $17 per month, $187 each year.  What?  The government puts money in your left pocket and takes it out of your right pocket.  Mostly the same tax payers who receive the benefit will also pay for it.  It is nothing more than sleight of hand, and only true con artists could come up with this one.  I have watched New York sidewalk shell games that were more honest.

12/18/11 KUDOS TO THE COAST GUARD

A WIMPY SUNRISE

COAST GUARD HOUSING...

...GETTING A MUCH NEEDED FACE LIFT

Sunday, 8:00 AM.  25 degrees, wind W, variable.  The sky is again cloudy, and the sunrise was but a peach colored streak on the southeastern horizon.  It was still completely dark at 7:00 AM and the sun rose about 7:30.  The days are shorter and shorter and one can hardly wait for Christmas and the winter solstice to see things start brightening up.  The barometer predicts snow.
    The Coast Guard owns four houses in Bayfield, which are primarily  used to house personnel with families.  This is necessary because there is little private rental housing in Bayfield that is affordable on military pay and allowances.
        These houses have always been kept up and are a good long term investment for the government, but had begun to look pretty dowdy, so they are in the process of getting a face lift.  New roofs, siding, better insulation, new windows and doors.  They have been made much more energy efficient, and the task has been done primarily by a local contractor and has given much needed work to local tradesmen.  If it is being paid for by stimulus funds it is a good use of the same.  In any case, Kudos to the Coast Guard.

12/17/11 GOING WHERE THE WORK IS, WHEN IT IS

MORNING SUNSHINE; NICE WHILE IT LASTED

Saturday, 8:030 AM.  18 degrees, wind NNE, calm.  Sunlight streamed through the patio doors at dawn, but the rising sun was quickly swallowed up by high gray clouds which enveloped the sky. It was nice while it lasted. The barometer predicts snow.
    We went to Dalou’s in Washburn for pizza last night.  They were mobbed and we never got served until about eight-thirty.  But it was well worth the wait. They have the only wood-fired pizza oven around.
    Overheard at Maggie’s the other night:  several older guys at the next table, who looked as though they should be retired, were excitedly discussing the possibility of going to North Dakota to drive trucks in the burgeoning oil and gas fields. North Dakota is booming. They probably need the money, but even more than that they could use the excitement.  Their talk even got my own blood flowing.  Reminded me of the days of the Alaska pipeline and many of us then young guys talking about heading there.  Some went and made (and spent) a lot of money. North Dakota is not anywhere near as far.  Probably as cold, though.
    A glimmer of hope: maybe, just maybe, Congress will out-maneuver the Obama Administration and get the Keystone Canadian oil sands pipeline project started.  That would really get the economy and those old timers at Maggie’s stimulated, but more importantly it would energize the young folks who are being short changed in these totally unnecessary hard times. The youngsters caught up in the various phony “Occupy” movements would be far better off to pack their bags and head to North Dakota than to listen to their left-wing college professors and the various “community organizers.” I can't imagine young people wasting their youth  in that way.
        Seen in town: Phil, a licensed ocean ship captain, who worked in the Gulf tending oil drilling rigs until most of them picked up and moved to the African coast when the Obama administration stopped oil exploration and drilling after the BP spill (and the huge rigs aren’t coming back any time soon). His company flew him back for the Holidays, all expenses paid.  He would rather be closer to hearth and home, but one has to go where the work is, when it is.

12/16/11 ANOTHER COLD, GRAY DAY, AND DENYING OUR HERITAGE

ANOTHER COLD, GRAY DAY

BUDDY PLAYS ENDLESSLY, ALL BY HIMSELF

 Friday,  8:00 AM.  20 degrees, wind NNE, calm.  It is again overcast and a few lake effect snowflakes are falling.  We have had a succession of dreary days but the barometer is up.
    Buddy continues to be a fun and affectionate addition to the household, is walking nicely on a lead and will play and play with his toys all by himself.
    Commentary. The public hearing on the newly proposed mining bill was held yesterday, and all the usual suspects showed up at the State Fair Park in West Allis (a suburb of Milwaukee).  From what I have read, the  objectors objected to, and the supporters supported, the mining legislation, and I doubt if most or perhaps any read the bill, as they all pretty much presented the same arguments they had made previously.  It is going to take more meetings and more time to resolve the issues involved, and at some point I will try to analyze the bill for myself. At this point my only comment is the following: it seems rather odd to me to oppose, on principal, mining iron ore in Iron County, Wisconsin, which is very close to the cities of Ironwood and Bessemer (think steel smelting) in Michigan.  Also, it has been pointed out that  mining is one of the four icons on the shield of the State of Wisconsin (which is called The Badger State in honor of its miners) and a miner, along with a sailor, are the two human figures on the state flag.  Mining has a tradition of over 100 years in the exact same area that the proposed mine would be located, and mining was a principal industry when Wisconsin became a state in 1848. The quaint mining community of Montreal, Wisconsin, was a company town built at the foot of a mountain of mine tailings.  It is now a national historic site.  Why must we deny our cultural and economic heritage?

12/15/11 A SAUSAGE BISCUIT BREAKFAST, AND "TH..TH..THAT'S ALL, FOLKS"

ANOTHER WINTRY MORNING

Thursday, 3:00 PM.  30 degrees, wind W, strong at times. It has been a wintry day, with ice and snow and slippery roads on an early morning trip to Ashland for a doctor’s appointment and then last minute shopping.  Buddy went along and the highlight of his otherwise I suspect boring day was a MacDonald’s sausage biscuit for breakfast.  Thanks in part  to Micky D's he is filling out some, but you can still see his ribs.
    This from the Associated Press: “The signatures of Mickey Mouse and Adolf Hitler will be counted on recall petitions targeting (Wisconsin) Governor Scott Walker as long as they are properly dated and include a Wisconsin address,”  the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, which reviews the petitions, has stated.  Really!  How about the signatures of Marilyn Monroe, Donald Duck, and Porky Pig?  I am so relieved that the State of Wisconsin is protecting the rights of voters, and incumbents in office,  through such judicious oversight. Can anyone tell me why a public board with such a frivolous attitude even exists, and who it intends to benefit?   Th..Th..That's All, Folks!

12/14/11 LUTEFISK, AQUAVIT, AND A "FAT CHANCE"

MAGGIES IN THE FOG

ANNUAL LUTEFISK DINNER

SKOAL!

Wednesday, 7:45 AM.  35 degrees, wind NNE, calm.  It as been raining and the roads are somewhat icy, and  walking Buddy was a bit iffy.  The barometer predicts more precipitation.
    The trip to Duluth yesterday was a foggy drive but was not dangerous if one paid attention to speed and visibility, and we were back in time to go to the annual lutefisk dinner at Maggie's restaurant, which we missed last year.
    Lutefisk is Arctic Circle winter starvation fare; dried cod which has been reconstituted into a quivering, gelatinous mass by soaking it in lye. Drowned in cream and melted butter it is somewhat palatable.  Die hard Scandinavians claim it as a culinary icon.  I eat it out of respect for my Nordic friends and neighbors, and because the free meal also has Swedish meatballs, boiled buttered potatoes, salads and a number of delicacies such as leffsa, a Norwegian tortilla-like flat bread sprinkled with sugar, and rice pudding with lignon berries.  And of course there is the Norwegian liquid fire, aqavit.
    Comment: 1.2 Billion dollars, has disappeared from and is unaccounted for by M F Global Corporation. Investors money was illegally commingled with other funds and is gone without, evidently, a trace.  All the top executives, including John Corzine, a former US senator and New Jersey governor, testified before Congress, claiming they know nothing.
    The Chinese would simply shoot them.  Congress ought to at least water board them until they tell the truth.  Fat chance of getting to the bottom of this, as Corzine is one of their own.

12/13/11 CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND JIMMY CARTER

CHATEAU BOUTIN

GORDY LIT UP OUR STREET, DIDN'T FALL OFF THE LADER

OLD RITTENHOUSE INN

KNIGHT HOUSE

Tuesday, 8:00 AM.  34 degrees, wind NW, calm to very light.  The atmosphere is damp and murky but there is little actual fog.  The city salt and sand trucks have been out, but roads were still too slippery with black ice to walk the dog very far this morning.  He is out on the porch now, playing with his toys to work off some energy.  He barks some when he plays but I doubt neighbors will complain, at least if I don’t let it go on too long.
    We are off to Duluth today, where Joan has an eye doctor appointment and we may do some shopping. Buddy loves to ride in the truck and will go along.  He also loves a MacDonalds' hamburger.
    We sought out more Christmas lights yesterday evening but the pickings are pretty slim this year.  Too many absentee home owners for one thing, but I think the biggest damper on the season is the general mood of society, and  I suspect this lack of enthusiasm is general throughout the country.  The news and peoples' attitudes are very negative, and the economy is so down that it is bound to dampen everyone’s holiday spirits. The Grinch seems to be at work everywhere, doubt and cynicism rule the day and optimism and goodwill are in short supply. I would characterize it as a Jimmy Carter malaise (put on a sweater, repent of your capitalistic sins and freeze in the dark, folks)

12/12/11 FOG, CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS, AND "FAIRNESS"

FOGGY, SLIPPERY MORNING

LUTHERAN CHURCH

SECOND STREET

...MORE

NEIGHBOR MIKE OUTDID HIMSELF THIS YEAR

Monday, 8:00 AM.  35 degrees, wind WWSW, calm.  The sky is overcast and thick fog is developing.  The barometer is down and black ice is forming on the roads. I managed to take a tumble despite being careful.  Buddy walked very nicely, not pulling on the leash at all.  He seemed to know conditions were a bit perilous for bipedal creatures.
    Buddy is improving his manners every day, but still has a stubborn streak a mile wide, which is I think characteristic of the breed.  He still won’t sit for me on
command but sits nicely for Joan.  Of course, she doesn’t command, she cajoles, I.E., “Buddy is such a nice dog, I know he will sit for me, won’t you, buddy dear?”  Now that is patently unfair.  After all, that would ruin my reputation at the kennel club or wherever if I resorted to that kind of bribery.
    The city has a fair amount of Christmas lights  up, but they seem to be fewer every year as there are more and more absentee owners who don’t bother with decorations.  Of course we don’t help much as we don’t put up a lot of decorations either.
    Commentary: Loews is under fire for discontinuing its advertising on a Dearborn, MI reality TV show featuring Muslim-American couples.  It reportedly did so after receiving complaints from other groups that the TV show did not depict the truth about Muslim life.  Now, Loews obviously advertised on that show in anticipation of gaining more Muslim customers, and withdrew the advertising because it believed they were alienating more customers than  attracting . It was a business decision as to how to spend an advertising budget.
    This has now become a political battle, from as far away as California, with lawmakers calling Loews prejudiced for withdrawing its advertising.  Sounds very logical and one might evern be sympathetic to the discrimination charges.  But here's the crux of the matter: if government or its surrogates can tell a corporation how and when and where to advertise, it can play political favorites ad nauseum, and obviously will do so.  How about the federal government telling Walmart and Loews and the rest to advertise on shows that have politicians or political viewpoints from one party or another featured? Or tell them to withdraw advertising from the same?  Or demanding advertising support for General Motors products, the firm still owned by the federal government?
    Life, including business, is not always "fair."  But demanding "fairness" in every instance, especially by the government, creates the opposite; unfairness of the most grievous and illogical sort, including infringement of the First Amendment rights of all of us.  Keep this kind of pressure up and business will be loath to advertise at all.  How's that for stimulating the economy?