Saturday, September 25, 2010

Robert Gard

Last Friday I had the opportunity to participate in the dedication of the Robert E. Gard Memorial Storyteller’s Circle at Muir Knoll on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, a quiet place on a high hill that looks out over Lake Mendota.

Bob was a storyteller, a historian, a folklorist, an author of more than 30 books, and many other things. He worked for the University of Wisconsin’s extension program when I first met him. I always enjoyed his folksy way of writing and his concern for the land. He helped me publish my first book, THE LAND STILL LIVES, and assisted me with several other writing projects. He had a gentle way of encouraging people to do their best, demanding but in a quiet, friendly way.

Bob was a Kansas farm boy, a lover of the prairie. In a newspaper piece published in 1986, he wrote, “[T]he roots of man and the roots of grass were much the same. Both must have the land to nourish them . . .”

Bob Gard died in 1992; I miss him.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Quoting from THE TRAVELS OF INCREASE JOSEPH: “It’s the land. I’m talking about the land and how we must take care of it or we shall all perish.”

CHECK THIS OUT: CRANBERRY RED book launch:

--Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose, Sunday October 24, 1:00 p.m.

Learn all about cranberry growing, county agent work, and what happens when research goes amuck. UW Press is the publisher of this, my fourth novel, in the Ames County series.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

September 29, 5:30 p.m. Wisconsin Book Festival. Quivey’s Grove (between Madison and Verona). Barns of Wisconsin and Cranberry Red.

October 1-2, Midwest Booksellers, St. Paul. Barns of Wisconsin, Cranberry Red

October 7, 7:00 p.m. Next Chapter Bookstore, Mequon. Horse Drawn Days

October 9-10 Old World Wisconsin, 2:30 each day. On Saturday , Horse Drawn Days and on Sunday, Barns of Wisconsin.

October 12, 5:30-8:00 Apple Blossom Books, Oshkosh.

October 15, Local History Conference. Lake Geneva, WI

October 16, 12:00 noon, Muskego Library, Muskego. Horse Drawn Days

October 19, 6:30 p.m. Rhinelander Public Library

October 23, 6:00 p.m. Oregon Public Library. Living a Country Year.

October 24, 1:00 p.m. Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose. Cranberry Red

October 28, 7:00 p.m. Oconto Falls Library.

November 3, 3:15 p.m. Wisconsin Library Association, Wisconsin Dells

November 5-7, National Farm Toy Show, Dyersville, Iowa.

November 13, 9:30 a.m. Sheboygan Falls Library, Horse Drawn Days.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Final Three Sisters' Report

I’ve reported several times on the progress of the three sisters’ garden project that I tried this summer. I mentioned how the sisters—corn, squash and pole beans—rather than helping each other as they were supposed to, got into a serious competition over which one was best, especially early in the growing season. The corn was supposed to support the pole beans and the squash was supposed to stifle weed growth with its broad leaves and sprawling vines.

The pole beans got off to the best start, the corn struggled, and the squash, once it got going, did well. By mid-summer the sisters seemed to be getting along or perhaps better said, putting up with each other. This summer’s growing season was far from normal. It rained and rained and rained, and it was hot, hot, hot.

By late August a mildew attacked the squash, and alas, killed it dead. One day it looked great with promise, a week later a brown, dead vine remained. The corn, never very energetic struggled on, but continued to be out done by the bush beans.

Final report. A good crop of beans, one tiny ear of corn, and no squash. I wonder if the Native Americans, who reported to have great success with this garden strategy, had the occasional crop failure—or was it just me? I would like to blame it on the weather. My other garden squash did poorly as well and my sweet corn was well below average. But I did have a good bean crop. Was this the year of the bean? A gardener knows there is always next year.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: It’s not over until it’s over, except when it is.

CHECK THIS OUT: CRANBERRY RED book launches:

--Barns and Noble Madison West, September 21, 7:00 p.m.

--Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose, Sunday October 24, 1:00 p.m.

Learn all about cranberry growing, county agent work, and what happens when research goes amuck. University of Wisconsin Press is the publisher of this, my fourth novel, in the Ames County series.

WRITING WORKSHOPS:

Saturday, October 30. There is still room in my day-long workshop. Contact: The Clearing Folk School www.theclearing.org P.O. Box 65 | 12171 Garrett Bay Road | Ellison Bay, Wisconsin 54210 Toll Free: 877.854.3225 | clearing@theclearing.org Monday - Friday 8-4

UPCOMING EVENTS:

September 21, 7:00 p.m., Barnes and Noble West, Madison, Launch of Cranberry Red.

September 24, 3:30 p.m. Robert Gard Story Tellers Circle dedication, School of Education, UW-Madison Campus.

September 25, 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Barn Dance and Harvest Celebration, Saxon Homestead Farm, 15621 South Union Road, Cleveland, WI. Sponsor: Council of Rural Initiatives. Before the dance, presentation BARNS OF WISCONSIN.

September 29, 7:00 p.m. Wisconsin Book Festival. Quivey’s Grove (between Madison and Verona). Barns of Wisconsin and Cranberry Red.

October 1-2, Midwest Booksellers, St. Paul. Barns of Wisconsin, Cranberry Red

October 7, 7:00 p.m. Next Chapter Bookstore, Mequon. Horse Drawn Days

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Fall on The Way

My son, Steve and I headed for the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota last week. In search of fish and some solitude. The solitude we found. The fish story later.

While we weren’t looking for it, we found fall—lurking just over the border in Canada. We were but a couple miles from our neighbor to the north and it sent a biting northwest wind south that dropped nighttime temps into the low 30s with little warming during the day. The birch trees turned more yellow each day we were there. The loons seemed a bit anxious, no doubt making preparations for their long migration south. Fall was clearly in the air.

And the fish? Well, we always bet about which of us is more successful fishing. Whoever is buys breakfast for the other guy in Grand Marais on the day we come out.

This year Steve won. He caught the first fish, the largest fish, and the most fish. He also caught the only fish, which was a small mouth bass about 15 inches long.

I enjoyed the solitude—and the beginnings of fall. Please don’t ask about the big ones I brought up to the canoe but didn’t land.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Fishing is always good; sometimes the catching less so.

CHECK THIS OUT: CRANBERRY RED book launches:

--Barns and Noble Madison West, September 21, 7:00 p.m.

--Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose, Sunday October 24, 1:00 p.m.

Learn all about cranberry growing, county agent work, and what happens when research goes amuck. UW Press is the publisher of this, my fourth novel, in the Ames County series.

WRITING WORKSHOPS:

Saturday, October 30. There is still room in my day-long workshop. Contact: The Clearing Folk School www.theclearing.org P.O. Box 65 | 12171 Garrett Bay Road | Ellison Bay, Wisconsin 54210 Toll Free: 877.854.3225 | clearing@theclearing.org Monday - Friday 8-4

UPCOMING EVENTS:


September 13, 10:00 a.m., Attic Angels Retirement Center, Madison. Horse Drawn Days.

September 14, noon, Waupaca Library, Waupaca, WI. Ames County Novels.

September 18-19, Creekside Books, Cedarburg, WI. Barns and Horse Drawn Days.

September 21, 7:00 p.m., Barnes and Noble West, Madison, Launch of Cranberry Red.

September 24, 3:30 p.m. Robert Gard Story Tellers Circle dedication, Muir Knoll, UW-Madison Campus.

September 25, 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Barn Dance and Harvest Celebration, Saxon Homestead Farm, 15621 South Union Road, Cleveland, WI. Sponsor: Council of Rural Initiatives. Before the dance, presentation BARNS OF WISCONSIN.

September 29, 7:00 p.m. Wisconsin Book Festival. Quivey’s Grove (between Madison and Verona). Barns of Wisconsin and Cranberry Red.

October 1-2, Midwest Booksellers, St. Paul. Barns of Wisconsin, Cranberry Red

October 7, 7:00 p.m. Next Chapter Bookstore, Mequon. Horse Drawn Days

Sunday, September 05, 2010

Wild Grapes

Sometimes you hear about animals doing crazy things. I want to tell you about a plant that’s been on a rampage. It’s a wild grape vine. With all the rain in central Wisconsin, the wild grapes have been growing, growing, growing. In some cases to the tops of trees near the trail by the pond.

For many years, grape vines have grown on the east and south sides of my old pump house. Built in 1912 and still standing tall, the pump house serves mostly as a woodshed these days. Not satisfied with growing on the outside of the pump house, a grape vine has decided to look around inside the building. So it snuck in, through an open space where the roof connects to the walls.

Not knowing at all how wild grapes look at the world—some days I can’t figure out how I see the world—the grape vine must have decided that not all is so hunky-dory in a dark, old, musty, bat-filled pump house, now woodshed. So it searched for a way out, which it found in a crack above the door. When you approach the pump house, you see a grape vine hanging over the door, green, happy and growing. Where to next, I wonder for this traveling plant?

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Nothing succeeds like excess.

CHECK THIS OUT: CRANBERRY RED book launches:

--Barns and Noble Madison West, September 21, 7:00 p.m.

--Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose, Sunday October 24, 1:00 p.m.

Learn all about cranberry growing, county agent work, and what happens when research goes amuck. UW Press is the publisher of this, my fourth novel, in the Ames County series.


UPCOMING EVENTS:

August 6-10, Research trip, Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Northern Minnesota.

September 13, 10:00 a.m., Attic Angels Retirement Center, Madison. Horse Drawn Days.

September 14, noon, Waupaca Library, Waupaca, WI. Ames County Novels.

September 18-19, Creekside Books, Cedarburg, WI. Barns and Horse Drawn Days.

September 21, 7:00 p.m., Barnes and Noble West, Madison, Launch of Cranberry Red.

September 24, 3:30 p.m. Robert Gard Story Tellers Circle dedication, Muir Knoll, UW-Madison Campus.

September 25, 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Barn Dance and Harvest Celebration, Saxon Homestead Farm, 15621 South Union Road, Cleveland, WI. Sponsor Council of Rural Initiatives. Before dance, presentation BARNS OF WISCONSIN.