First Lady of Wisconsin

When the First Lady of Wisconsin - Tonette Walker - decided to walk a trail near my house this morning, I decided to join her.  She promotes tourism around the state by staging "Walk with Walker" events.  Today was her 25th walk.  The walk was along the Birkie ski trail near our house, famous for the February event with 12,000 cross country skiers. 

There were probably 50 people walking along.  Definitely a photo opportunity...

                                         Jo and Tonette - BFF - Yes, she does have her hand around my waist.
 

Polygala - Spring Wildflower

This wildflower is new to me and I have only seen it here in northern Wisconsin.  It is called Polygala, only a few inches tall and usually near a base of a tree.  I love the color!  This is 12 feet from our door. 

The Couple That Logs Together...

...Stays Together

Case is wearing a hard hat, face screen, noise protection for ears, steel toe boots and Kevlar chaps that will stop a running chainsaw.  I was told that I am too delicate to run a chainsaw so I am merely lifting the cut logs.  LOL   Also, note that we are both wearing black and white flannel shirts - coincidence.  The best part is that the tree is on our neighbor's land...with his permission.

Changing Blog Format

A picture is worth a thousand words.  I wonder who said that originally?  I have decided to change to pictures for the retirement blog. 

Here we are on our 37th wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago.  The watercolor above the couch was painted by a good friend of ours.  We wanted to capture our "Foxy" who is still around. 

Ice and Snow Melted

Finally, I have surfaced.  I did not sign up for 6 months of snow and ice.  We have had back to back unusual winters.  Last year was one of the shortest and this was the longest.  We are looking for normal next year.  What's been going on...

• I am now in official retirement.  Stopped my 8 hour a week job.  It was getting in the way of fun things I want to do.  I was there over 2 years.  When we first moved here, having a job helped me to organize my week. Now I am so involved with community and church that I no longer need that.
• Kayaked yesterday for the first time this year.  Great to be back in the "saddle."
• Spent 3 days in mid May at a Birding Conference.  Because we had no leaves yet this year, it was easy to spot them.  We also saw bird banding, a flying squirrel flying, and salamanders.
• Attended a quilting show in Beaver Dam and bought a lot projects for the future.  Great to meet other fabricoholics like myself.  Thanks, JB.    
• Mother's Day weekend Tad and Carrie and her parents visited.  I think we spent the entire time thinking of serious and silly names for our first grandchild (for both sets of grandparents). 
• And, I guess that means, I am announcing that Case and I will be grandparents in November!
• Visited Lucyna in Iowa and she visited here.  She was here on a Tuesday and got to meet my "posse"  that I hike/snowshoe/kayak with all year.
• Wished Tad Happy 26th birthday and the next day...
• Celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary!
• Last Monday our Lions Club hosted all the 3rd graders in the county at the Chippewas Flowage to learn about Water Habitat Study Day.  All about fishing and the lakes.  Good service project for our club and our specific area.
•  I am adding to the list of activities for the women of our church.  We now have a Prayer Shawl Ministry group.  With so many on the prayer list, they will be quite busy. 

Even though the weather was crummy, I was still busy and having fun.  

We have gotten our money's worth.

Dateline:  April 23, 2013 - 17 miles east of Hayward, WI

10 inches of snow fell last night.  Schools are closed - even the school in the town of Winter is closed.  So...Winter is closed.  I wish it were closed.  Winter is open and thriving here.  Two of the spring sports teams haven't even suited up:  baseball and soccer.  The track team had two indoor meets.  (Watch out in the bleachers for the shotput or discus coming your way.)   We trying to be positive.  I have finished a quilt.  We are working on spring cleaning.  Once spring is here - who wants to clean?  Anyway, this is a minor inconvenience when I think of people whose homes are flooded around the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  Or those who are recovering from a bombing or the families of those who aren't going to recover. 

Let it snow.  Let it snow.  Let it snow.  We have gotten our money's worth of Northwoods weather.  We're retired so we don't need to tackle it and then put in a day at work. 

Saturday's predicted high:  50

The Blog You Have Been Waiting to Hear from the Northwoods

Spring is very late this year.  Locals can't remember when it was this late.  Many people go away for March and return in April when Spring is suppose to return.  These folks are walking around in a daze.  Those of us who stayed have hidden away the kitchen cutlery for our own protection.  Last Saturday, it rained and sleeted all day.  Scheduled to read at church Saturday evening, in town I went.  (Case was at our son's house.) During the one hour at church, it started to snow.  Then I went to Walmart for the weekly food supply.  During the one hour in the store, the truck got covered with snow.  Covered.  Yesterday I was in town for errands.  I knew most of the shopkeepers.  "Did you hear the weather report?" they would say with this look on their faces.  Think Jack Nicholson at the end of The Shining. Weather says there is a winter storm warning because 6-10 inches are expected with lots of wind.  The lake still has over 20 inches of ice.

And that's why you don't live in the Northwoods.