Saturday, August 27, 2011
Canoe Trip
My son, Steve, and I have just returned from the BWCAW, a long set of initials that mean Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. For those who are unaware, the BWCAW is located in far northeastern Minnesota, snuggled up against the Canadian Border. It’s one of the few true wilderness areas left in our country (outside of Alaska). The BWCAW is more than 100 miles long, some 30 miles wide and includes more than one million acres, with no motorboats allowed on almost all of its 1,000 lakes and streams.
It’s a place for canoes and quiet contemplation, a place for settling down and checking out (no cell-phone access). A place to listen for loon calls, and, if you are lucky, hear a wolf’s lonesome howl in the night. A place to hear waves slapping against ancient rocks. A place to reconnect with nature.
Oh, it’s also a place to fish. In our annual fishing contest, Steve landed an 18-inch small mouth bass, which meant I had to buy him breakfast on Friday morning when we began our long drive home. I won’t get into my fishing success this year—I’ll save that for another day.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: You can’t catch a fish if your line is not in the water.
CHECK THIS OUT: See my new book, Campfires and Loon Calls. It’s all about the Boundary Waters and our adventures there. Publisher: Fulcrum Press, 2011. Check my website, www.jerryapps.com for more information.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
September 7, Noon. Friends of Eagle River Library Banquet.
September 10, Barnes and Noble, La Crosse. 1:00 p.m. Campfires and Loon Calls.
September 11, Woodland Country School Reunion, 1-4, Speaking at 2:00 p.m. Two miles from Hustisford on Highway R.
September 17, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg. Book Signing, 1-4.
September 18, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg, Book signing, 12-3.
September 21, Cumberland Library, 5:30 p.m. The Lighter Side of Country Living.
September 22, Midwest Bookseller Convention, Minneapolis
October 2, Old World Wisconsin, Eagle, WI.
October 4, Union Grove Library. 1:30 p.m. Horse Drawn Days, 6:30 p.m. History of Cheese Making.
October 8, Horse Drawn Days, Stonefield Village, Cassville, WI. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
October 15, Horse Drawn Days, Wade House,Green Bush, WI. 1:00 p.m.
October 18, New Holstein Library, 1:00 p.m. Book talk featuring Cranberry Red. 6:30-8:30 Writer’s workshop.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Say Cheese
The last couple of weeks I’ve been giving presentations about the history of Wisconsin’s cheese industry. For those who have accepted California as the leading dairy state in the nation—remove those thoughts from your mind. Wisconsin continues as the leading cheese producing state in the nation—a honor our state has held since 1910.
In 2010 Wisconsin produced 2.6 billion pounds of cheese. Lots of cheese. Mozzarella, then cheddar lead the pack of cheese varieties produced.
Some additional cheese trivia that you can use to wow your friends:
It takes 10 pounds of milk to make a pound of cheese.
Colby and brick cheese are Wisconsin originals—meaning they were invented here.
There is but one cheese factory in all of North America that manufactures limburger cheese—Chalet Cheese Factory near Monroe in Green County.
In 1950, Wisconsin had 143,000 dairy farms. In 2011 the number of dairy farms is about 12,000 and dropping.
Wisconsin has about 1.3 million cows.
Artisan cheese, small batch handmade cheeses, now make up 16 percent of total cheese produced in Wisconsin. More than 400 different kinds.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: I’m a cheesehead and proud of it.
CHECK THIS OUT: The Wisconsin Historical Press, one of my publishers, has recently produced a “trailer” for my new barn book. You can watch it by going to: http://www.youtube.com/user/whspressvideo.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
September 7, Noon. Friends of Eagle River Library Banquet.
September 10, Barnes and Noble, La Crosse. 1:00 p.m. Campfires and Loon Calls.
September 11, Woodland Country School Reunion, 1-4, Speaking at 2:00 p.m. Two miles from Hustisford on Highway R.
September 17, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg. Book Signing, 1-4.
September 18, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg, Book signing, 12-3.
September 21, Cumberland Library, 5:30 p.m. The Lighter Side of Country Living.
September 22, Midwest Bookseller Convention, Minneapolis
October 2, Old World Wisconsin, Eagle, WI.
October 4, Union Grove Library. 1:30 p.m. Horse Drawn Days, 6:30 p.m. History of Cheese Making.
October 8, Horse Drawn Days, Stonefield Village, Cassville, WI. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
October 15, Horse Drawn Days, Wade House,Green Bush, WI. 1:00 p.m.
October 18, New Holstein Library, 1:00 p.m. Book talk featuring Cranberry Red. 6:30-8:30 Writer’s workshop.
In 2010 Wisconsin produced 2.6 billion pounds of cheese. Lots of cheese. Mozzarella, then cheddar lead the pack of cheese varieties produced.
Some additional cheese trivia that you can use to wow your friends:
It takes 10 pounds of milk to make a pound of cheese.
Colby and brick cheese are Wisconsin originals—meaning they were invented here.
There is but one cheese factory in all of North America that manufactures limburger cheese—Chalet Cheese Factory near Monroe in Green County.
In 1950, Wisconsin had 143,000 dairy farms. In 2011 the number of dairy farms is about 12,000 and dropping.
Wisconsin has about 1.3 million cows.
Artisan cheese, small batch handmade cheeses, now make up 16 percent of total cheese produced in Wisconsin. More than 400 different kinds.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: I’m a cheesehead and proud of it.
CHECK THIS OUT: The Wisconsin Historical Press, one of my publishers, has recently produced a “trailer” for my new barn book. You can watch it by going to: http://www.youtube.com/user/whspressvideo.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
September 7, Noon. Friends of Eagle River Library Banquet.
September 10, Barnes and Noble, La Crosse. 1:00 p.m. Campfires and Loon Calls.
September 11, Woodland Country School Reunion, 1-4, Speaking at 2:00 p.m. Two miles from Hustisford on Highway R.
September 17, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg. Book Signing, 1-4.
September 18, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg, Book signing, 12-3.
September 21, Cumberland Library, 5:30 p.m. The Lighter Side of Country Living.
September 22, Midwest Bookseller Convention, Minneapolis
October 2, Old World Wisconsin, Eagle, WI.
October 4, Union Grove Library. 1:30 p.m. Horse Drawn Days, 6:30 p.m. History of Cheese Making.
October 8, Horse Drawn Days, Stonefield Village, Cassville, WI. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
October 15, Horse Drawn Days, Wade House,Green Bush, WI. 1:00 p.m.
October 18, New Holstein Library, 1:00 p.m. Book talk featuring Cranberry Red. 6:30-8:30 Writer’s workshop.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Wild Grape Vine
I have wild grapes on my farm and this has been a banner year for them. They crawl over the lilac bushes by the cabin. They climb nearly to the top of the oak trees that line the trail to the pond. They curl up the red cedar tree by my machine shed. And this year they have succeeded in climbing to the peak of my pump house, nearly completely covering the east wall of the building.
My grape vines are aggressive and exploratory. One mischievous vine snuck through a crack in a pump house window. Once inside the curious vine discovered (can plants discover?) that no sunlight existed in my dark and dreary pump house, now mostly used as a woodshed. Know what? The vine crawled along the south wall inside the building, found a crack above the door and exited to the outside where it was once more treated to the afternoon sun. It appears happy as can be and seems rather proud that it has crawled in and out of my pump house. I must say, I’m impressed.
Anyone with a wild grape story? Love to hear from you.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: The road home is often the longest.
CHECK THIS OUT: The Wisconsin Historical Press, one of my publishers, has recently produced a “trailer” for my new barn book. You can watch it by going to: http://www.youtube.com/user/whspressvideo.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
August 18, 7:00 p.m. Three Lakes Historical Society, Three Lakes Wisconsin. History of cheese making in Wisconsin.
August 21, 4:00 p.m. Arcadia Books, Spring Green, WI. Presentation and Book Signing.
September 7, Noon. Friends of Eagle River Library Banquet.
September 10, Barnes and Noble, La Crosse. 1:00 p.m. Campfires and Loon Calls.
September 11, Woodland Country School Reunion, 1-4, Speaking at 2:00 p.m. Two miles from Hustisford on Highway R.
September 17, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg. Book Signing, 1-4.
September 18, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg, Book signing, 12-3.
My grape vines are aggressive and exploratory. One mischievous vine snuck through a crack in a pump house window. Once inside the curious vine discovered (can plants discover?) that no sunlight existed in my dark and dreary pump house, now mostly used as a woodshed. Know what? The vine crawled along the south wall inside the building, found a crack above the door and exited to the outside where it was once more treated to the afternoon sun. It appears happy as can be and seems rather proud that it has crawled in and out of my pump house. I must say, I’m impressed.
Anyone with a wild grape story? Love to hear from you.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: The road home is often the longest.
CHECK THIS OUT: The Wisconsin Historical Press, one of my publishers, has recently produced a “trailer” for my new barn book. You can watch it by going to: http://www.youtube.com/user/whspressvideo.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
August 18, 7:00 p.m. Three Lakes Historical Society, Three Lakes Wisconsin. History of cheese making in Wisconsin.
August 21, 4:00 p.m. Arcadia Books, Spring Green, WI. Presentation and Book Signing.
September 7, Noon. Friends of Eagle River Library Banquet.
September 10, Barnes and Noble, La Crosse. 1:00 p.m. Campfires and Loon Calls.
September 11, Woodland Country School Reunion, 1-4, Speaking at 2:00 p.m. Two miles from Hustisford on Highway R.
September 17, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg. Book Signing, 1-4.
September 18, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg, Book signing, 12-3.
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Garden Update
A few weeks ago, shortly after I wrote about my garden suffering from dry weather, it began raining. Sometimes an inch, occasionally a half an inch, enough to give my sandy soil garden the boost it needed.
Yesterday I picked about ten pounds of snap beans; a half grocery bag of cucumbers, five pounds or so of zucchini and our first three tomatoes of the season. I could have dug more red potatoes—I dug a half sack last week, I could have dug more onions—how well they have developed. And I could have dug more beets—I also did that a week ago. But the day was hot and steamy, hanging just around ninety, so—Ruth and I quit harvesting early.
Two weeks ago the pumpkins showed nothing but blossoms, today they have pumpkins the size of softballs and larger. The pumpkin vines are everywhere, crawling up the sweet corn, snaking over the tops of the tomatoes, and sneaking under the fence on their way to the cabin.
Can you believe it, I have tomato vines five feet tall? Tallest tomato vines I remember for several years. We have 48 tomato plants. If they continue developing as they recently have, we will have tomatoes—lots of tomatoes.
But I know full well the hazards of gardening. This week’s joy can turn into sorrow with one hail storm, another spell of dry weather, a broken deer fence and a critter raid. So I must be careful. When people ask me how my garden is doing, I usually say, “Could be better.”
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Keep things simple. They’ll get complicated enough, soon enough, without you intending that they should.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
August 10. 5 p.m., program at 6 p.m. Red Crown Lodge, 3852 Highway 51 North, Arbor Vitae, WI Preview of Ken Burns’ latest film, Prohibition. Discussion of Prohibition in Wisconsin. Free.
August 13. 5:30 p.m. Manitowoc County Historical Society. Horse Drawn Days
August 18, 7:00 p.m. Three Lakes Historical Society, Three Lakes Wisconsin. History of cheese making in Wisconsin.
August 21, 4:00 p.m. Arcadia Books, Spring Green, WI. Presentation and Book Signing.
September 7, Noon. Friends of Eagle River Library Banquet.
September 10, Barnes and Noble, La Crosse. 1:00 p.m. Campfires and Loon Calls.
September 11, Woodland Country School Reunion, 1-4, Speaking at 2:00 p.m. Two miles from Hustisford on Highway R. One-Room Country Schools.
September 17, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg. Book Signing, 1-4.
September 18, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg, Book signing, 12-3.
Yesterday I picked about ten pounds of snap beans; a half grocery bag of cucumbers, five pounds or so of zucchini and our first three tomatoes of the season. I could have dug more red potatoes—I dug a half sack last week, I could have dug more onions—how well they have developed. And I could have dug more beets—I also did that a week ago. But the day was hot and steamy, hanging just around ninety, so—Ruth and I quit harvesting early.
Two weeks ago the pumpkins showed nothing but blossoms, today they have pumpkins the size of softballs and larger. The pumpkin vines are everywhere, crawling up the sweet corn, snaking over the tops of the tomatoes, and sneaking under the fence on their way to the cabin.
Can you believe it, I have tomato vines five feet tall? Tallest tomato vines I remember for several years. We have 48 tomato plants. If they continue developing as they recently have, we will have tomatoes—lots of tomatoes.
But I know full well the hazards of gardening. This week’s joy can turn into sorrow with one hail storm, another spell of dry weather, a broken deer fence and a critter raid. So I must be careful. When people ask me how my garden is doing, I usually say, “Could be better.”
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Keep things simple. They’ll get complicated enough, soon enough, without you intending that they should.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
August 10. 5 p.m., program at 6 p.m. Red Crown Lodge, 3852 Highway 51 North, Arbor Vitae, WI Preview of Ken Burns’ latest film, Prohibition. Discussion of Prohibition in Wisconsin. Free.
August 13. 5:30 p.m. Manitowoc County Historical Society. Horse Drawn Days
August 18, 7:00 p.m. Three Lakes Historical Society, Three Lakes Wisconsin. History of cheese making in Wisconsin.
August 21, 4:00 p.m. Arcadia Books, Spring Green, WI. Presentation and Book Signing.
September 7, Noon. Friends of Eagle River Library Banquet.
September 10, Barnes and Noble, La Crosse. 1:00 p.m. Campfires and Loon Calls.
September 11, Woodland Country School Reunion, 1-4, Speaking at 2:00 p.m. Two miles from Hustisford on Highway R. One-Room Country Schools.
September 17, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg. Book Signing, 1-4.
September 18, Creekside Bookstore, Cedarburg, Book signing, 12-3.
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