Low Lake–Dreary Day

Our lake is down over three feet now, and we understand they intend to take it lower in order to kill undesirable vegetation in some of these back bay areas. Maybe you can't tell very well from this panoramic shot, but the amount of exposed lake bed now extends a good ten to twelve feet from our shore line. Our dock is stored up on the shore for the winter, so the part you see in the photo is just at the shore's edge. The water out there is maybe only one to one-and-a-half feet deep and lots of deadwood is appearing.

There is no sunshine today. Cloudy conditions and mist dominate our views out the window. Still, it is all pretty in its way.

So Long, Gus

Alas, today we said goodbye to our friend, Gus the Bear (2006-2013). After battling insects and weather while guarding the entrance to our lake property for many years, Gus finally succumbed to forms of decay that caused him to lose one of his hands during a storm. His nose and other parts of his anatomy were in grave danger of peeling off as well. So, reluctantly, we chose to bid him adieu.

Born in Minnesota in 2006, Gus was transported to Wisconsin and marked the entrance to our property from about April to November each year. In the winter, Gus hibernated in our garage. You could actually hear his snores if you went into the garage anytime during the winter months.

Gus posed willingly and often for photographs. Though he was mostly welcoming...

he sometimes preferred to be left alone.

Several years ago, in ways each of us can relate to, Gus began to suffer the effects of age. The stump on which he previously stood decayed, and his legs refused to hold him as they once did. So, after some surgery and rehabilitation (wood hardener, new paint), Gus sported a new platform from which to greet our guests.

His life was not without controversy. Gus once appeared in the local newspaper, the Sawyer County Record, and suggestions were made that he was not always representing the welcoming and open hands and hearts of local residents for those of us who are non-residents. Funny to us, because we non-residents found Gus quite welcoming.

Gus loved having children around, especially all of our grandchildren. Here are Henry and Clara, several years ago, rubbing Gus's nose for luck and pointing to the proud way he displayed our name.

Eleanor was just as tall as Gus when this picture was taken.

Gus was a special bear, because unlike our other bear visitors, he never tore down our bird feeders, frightened dogs or children or left scat on the road. We always loved his goofy grin too. He was our pal.

Because he lived up here in the north woods and therefore probably came from a Nordic tradition, we thought it only appropriate to send him off on a pyre. We talked about building a raft and putting him atop the raft with lots of combustible material, then setting him afloat on the lake and shooting flaming arrows onto the raft. Just like in some of those movies you may have seen where the Nordic hero is bid farewell at the end of the picture. However, we decided against this for several reasons: the DNR might not approve, we weren't sure how to build a raft that would fully burn, and neither of us is an archer! So, we opted for our burn pile. Adieu Gus! You have been wonderful! (And the toasts we raised to you as we tended the fire were also outstanding!)

Garage II Done!

Actually, this new second garage was done ten days ago, but there has been a big pile of gravel in front of it until today. The final grading around the garage was just completed, so now I can post a picture without the pile of gravel cluttering the image.

This is what you would now see upon entering our driveway.

This view was taken from near our fire pit. The original garage looks big in this picture, but it has less than half the square footage of the new garage. I have our car in the old garage right now, and the boat is parked in the new garage. There is still space there for my pickup (or a large electric train layout, should that become a good idea!).

The new garage was sided with a no-maintenance product. Our thinking is that in a few years, when the old garage and the cabin need new stain, we may reside them to match the new garage. I still need to paint the entry door to the new garage, but that will have to wait for warmer weather next spring.

White Stuff

We have white stuff falling from the sky today here at the lake. Enough to leave maybe a 1/4" on the deck by the time it was easing up. We had considered going fishing today, but I think we will wait for a sunnier day.

Leo

Kathie and I got to meet Leo this past weekend. Nana is very happy about her new grandson.

And Maia loves her new baby brother. (Unfortunately, I didn't get to see Maia, because she was away with her dad for the weekend to participate in her Aunt Amanda's wedding. Maia was a flower girl. I understand Mike and Jessica had her practicing with a basket of confetti paper at home!)

Leo is doing very well, as is his mother. He takes lots of naps in his little swing, and he loves watching the rotating mobile, listening to the music, and looking up into the convex mirror at the bottom of the mechanism.

Leo's Nana and mother thought this picture was too posed, but I like it!

Fascinating Book

I have just finished reading a truly fascinating book. Published in September, 2011, the book is actually a set of transcripts of a series of tape-recorded interviews of Jackie Kennedy starting in March, 1964 and concluding in June, 1964. This was a surprisingly short time after Kennedy's assassination in November, 1963. (Also, note that the assassination occurred fifty years ago next month!) Those of you who were, like me, young adults during the early 1960s may find this as fascinating as I did. The younger among you may enjoy it as well, although you may not be as familiar with some of the issues or persons mentioned in the interviews.

I read the book on my iPad using iBooks. This enhanced electronic book contained video and audio recordings. For each of the individual interviews in the book (seven, as I recall), I was able to listen to a recording of that interview with Arthur Schlesinger asking questions and Mrs. Kennedy responding, while at the same time I could follow along by reading the transcript and seeing selected photographs along the way. Hearing Mrs. Kennedy's voice was amazing, and her candor in dealing with many of the topics, including her opinions of prominent individuals of the time, was quite something. Schlesinger was a member of President Kennedy's staff, so his questions and contributions to the interviews were also interesting. I very much enjoyed revisiting the history of this time through their recollections, and I came away with a deeper understanding of some of the more significant events. Honestly, Mrs. Kennedy showed some attitudes in her responses that are surprising now (e.g. women's roles), and I have to believe her thoughts and opinions must have changed in later years. Caroline Kennedy is featured in a video preface to the book and describes both Mrs. Kennedy's intentions in doing the interviews and her own (Caroline's) decision about publishing the interviews at this time. Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian, offers some concluding thoughts.

Given current events and the horrendous behavior of Congress and the Republican leadership (or lack of same) that we are now seeing, I found some things in the book that really grabbed my attention. Permit me to share a couple with you. In one section Mrs. Kennedy is discussing how much the President read, and she cites his interest in the Edmund Burke address to the people of Bristol, England in his 1774 “Speech to the Electors of Bristol.” the Anglo-Irish statesman-philosopher said, “Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgement; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.” I suggest that our government would be much more effective if our elected representatives would heed this advice. Tea Party members, especially, would do well to think about this.

In another part of the interviews, Mrs. Kennedy opines that the New York Times v. Sullivan Supreme Court decision of March 9, 1964, was most unfortunate. The decision decreed that a plaintiff in a defamation or libel case must prove that the defendant’s statement was made with actual malice, in full knowledge or reckless disregard of its falsity. This ruling granted new license for publication of vicious comments about presidents and other public figures. This made me think of the incredible and unbridled distortion of facts and the lying that occurs constantly on our so-called cable news channels and in campaigns and on the Internet. In my opinion, Fox News celebrities have an especially terrible record in this regard–witness their constant attacks on President Obama in terms of the ongoing false claims about his citizenship, birth records, religious views, etc. By the way, on the day of President Kennedy's assassination, there was a full-page, right-wing attack ad against Kennedy in a Dallas newspaper, and "wanted for treason posters" railing against the President's record were being distributed throughout the city. You can read a bit about this by clicking here.

Enough from me! Consider reading the book, and let me know what you think.

Fall, Garage, Puffballs, and Neighbors

Fall colors are very nice right now in northern Wisconsin.

The new garage is coming along nicely and may be finished by the end of this week.

The inside has been insulated and the shiplap interior is in place. Much of the electrical work is done with more to follow tomorrow. Windows and the main door will be installed tomorrow or the next day.

Lots of fungi are growing up here right now. I was told about this enormous puffball mushroom and decided to go take a picture of it. I placed my camera's lens cap atop it to give you some perspective. That lens cap is about 2-1/2" in diameter. My first impression of the puffball was an interesting one, given the crease it has near the dandelion blossom. I'll let you decide for yourselves what it reminds you of.

Jerry and Tyler came by for a visit this afternoon. We spent quite a bit of time watching the guys work on the garage. Tyler was fascinated by all the sawing, nail guns, and constant motion and banter of the workers.

Wrist Update

No pictures this time, but for those of you wondering about the progress on my broken wrist, here is an update. Yesterday, I visited the clinic in Hayward for a followup examination. This was six weeks after the accident and five weeks since the cast was put on my arm. I had used a strap-on brace/splint the first week.

My wrist was X-rayed again (with the cast still on), and the doctor then met with me. She said that the bones are partially healed. We looked at the X-ray together, and she showed me that there are, in fact, two breaks on the radius, both now filling in with calcium, and that the nub at the end of ulna was separated from the bone but is also now reconnecting.

She was willing for me to have the cast removed, and that has been done. Thank goodness, because it was starting to be quite uncomfortable and smelly (sorry if that is TMI). However, she wants me to keep using the brace/splint for another three or more weeks to give the wrist a chance to completely heal. At least I can take it off to wash my arm now! When the cast was off, I could tell that although I feel much stronger, there are positions that are still painful, particularly if I try to tip my hand down. So I'm OK about continuing to use the brace for awhile.

There you have it. The doctor did share something with me that I found quite interesting. She described how after such a break, a certain kind of cell enters the area and essentially cleans up any debris that might be there (e.g., bone fragments) before the healing and calcium buildup begins. I had never heard of such a thing before. What fascinating mechanisms our bodies have evolved!

More Garage Progress

I'm back north, and here is a quick look at progress on the new garage. They started yesterday morning, so this represents just two days of work. By the way, fall colors up here are quite beautiful.