The Party's Over

Case and I have been suffering from the let down - now that Tuesday's party is over.  I am referring to the Wisconsin Presidential Primary.  For more than a week we were the center of the political universe.  Boy, was that exciting!  Candidates showing up at large and small venues.  We watched all of this from the comfort of our living room, but, nevertheless, the excitement was felt.  Both of us are election inspectors as they are called in WI.  Getting ready Tuesday morning was as exciting as the big ski race day.  We were giddy.  There are 303 registered voters in our "Town of Spider Lake."  186 voted which is about 61% voter turnout.  There was no down time.  The time went quickly.  I left at 2:30 when the next inspector came on duty.  Case and another inspector were there from 6:30 am to 10 pm.  I don't work the whole time because President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 freeing the slaves.  15.5 hours of work with NO breaks is slavery in my opinion and I won't do it. Thank you, Abe.

Another reason we were giddy was because we felt we were facilitating the Stop Trump campaign which was running strong.  The state did just that - stop Trump.  However, here are the results of our polling place.  And our county followed suit. We were disappointed. So Trump received 3 delegates from the northern part of the state and 3 delegates from the western part of WI.  The rest went to Cruz. 

Trump 69
Cruz 35
Kasich 23

Sanders 34
Clinton 20

There were only two candidates running for two positions on the local town board.  They received 139 and 126 votes and 1 vote for "Dave" - one of the election inspectors!  I guess that brought a little levity to the late night counting situation. 

It's the little things that are fun

I have never seen a black safety pin...until now.  Didn't know they even existed!  Only seen the gold-colored or silver-colored ones. Recently, I was at a store in Hayward to buy a pair of ski/snowshoe pants on clearance.  Last pair I bought was when we moved here 5 years ago.  I'm due for a new pair.  I arrive home to look at my new purchase and remove the tags.  None of that plastic tag business that is attached with a "gun."  No sirree!!  This was attached with a little black safety pin.  Well, isn't that something?  So, back to my original thought, it's the little things that are fun.  I will enjoy the pants next year, too.

Giant Strawberry

...no foolin'    When we go to see Lucyna and Shane, we pass through Strawberry Point, Iowa (pop. 1279).  Everything is named strawberry (restaurants, barbers, other shops).  This huge strawberry is in front of the police station on the main drag through town.  Citizens claim that it is the world's largest one.  It got me to wondering what their school mascot is...the Fighting Stems?....well, the town is one of three in a new consolidated school called Starmont.  There is NO mascot yet.  They are still deciding/voting, etc.  But the PTO will donate 1/3 of the money to buy a "costume" of  some sort.  Who says Iowa is boring?

This is one of the welcome signs.

Tuesday at the Mazik's

I hosted my walking group - WOWWs - yesterday.  It was a small group because many head south for March.  We hiked 4 miles in the Chequamegon National Forest and then lunched at a local restaurant.  Tuesdays are always a great day.  (WOWW=Women of the Woods and Waters)  I am in the first row in red.  Case is taking the photo after being the parking director for all the cars.

I also must comment that all the restaurants - and I mean all - write up separate checks for a group this size.  They just do it.  In Chicago and suburbs, the waitress would laugh! 

Early Spring in the Northwoods

65 degrees here.  All the snow has melted except for mounds in parking lots and near the end of driveways.  Ice is melting in the lakes.  Case and I headed for a favorite spot to hike along the Flambeau River.  Current was moving swiftly due to the winter run-off over Little Falls.  The noise of it all!  Both of us were glad that we wore our knee high rubber boots.  Fabulous day for so early in the spring.

 Case looking upstream of the Flambeau River.  Little Falls to his left.

Jo needs to look where she is going!

Large chunks of ice have been pushed up on shore by the fast-moving water.

Christmas Present

Because we no longer have our pet birds, Case gave me a bird feeder for Christmas.  Now I have lots of birds.  Some I had never even heard of before moving here:  Red Polls, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Downey Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, and of course, Chickadees.  We are both having great fun watching them. 

From bottom to top:  Chickadee at feeder, suet cage for the Woodpeckers, baffle to keep the squirrels away.

Here is a full-sized black squirrel enjoying the dropped seed.  He is sleek and beautiful!

Overload and Explode

We have been watching the debates and then CPAC.  Our heads are on overload and I think they will explode.   I am embarrassed to be an American if this is what we have to offer on both sides.  November 9 - the day after the general election - better have some good news for the country.