Sunday, August 26, 2012

Rural Wit and Wisdom


Earlier this summer, my newest book, Rural Wit and Wisdom: Time-Honored Values From the Midwest (Fulcrum Press) came out.  It’s a completely revised version of a book I wrote several years ago.

I wrote the first version of the book shortly after my father died at age 93.  Although he had little formal education—he completed fifth grade—he was a man of wisdom and a great storyteller.  With his passing, I wrote across the top of a page in my journal, “Things I learned from my father.”  It was my way of grieving my loss.  I thought I would fill up a couple of pages with my memories.  As it turned out, a book resulted from this effort.

In this new edition, I include additional bits of wit and wisdom from my father, and I also include a section on storytelling—especially how to write stories that you remember from your life. The book includes a set of new photos taken by my son, Steve, who is Chief Photographer for the Wisconsin State Journal. Give the book a look; I think you will find it interesting.  To learn more go to http://www.fulcrum-books.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=6171 or stop at your local bookstore.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: There is never enough wit and wisdom.

CHECK THIS OUT:  You can preorder my new novel, THE TAMARACK RIVER GHOST (fifth in my Ames County Series) from Amazon.com.  See press kit at this link for information about the book: http://uwpress.wisc.edu/Presskits/Apps_RiverGhost.html

UPCOMING EVENTS:


September 7-8, Southwest Wisconsin Prairie Festival, Folklore Village, 3210 Co. Hwy. BB, Dodgeville, WI. Keynote, Saturday, Sept. 8, 1:00 p.m. “People and the Prairie.”

September 15, 1-4 p.m. Old World Wisconsin, Eagle, WI.  Book Signing.

September 18, 10:30-11:30 WAHCE Conference, Marriott Hotel, Middleton, WI Keynote.

September 22, 2:00 Wade House Historic Site, Greenbush, WI. Garden Wisdom.

September 24, 11:30, Learning in Retirement, Oshkosh. Stories From the Land.

September 29, Stonefield Village, Cassville, WI.  Horse Drawn Days.

October 4-6 Midwest Booksellers, Minneapolis. Book Signing.

October 13, 9-4.  The Clearing.  Writing Workshop: Writing From Your Life. (Still some openings. Go to www.theclearing.org for information.  Click on workshops.)

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Pine Trees and Drought


Driving in the sand country of central Wisconsin, where there is no irrigation available, you quickly see the havoc created by this summer’s heat and drought.  Cornfields are dead and dying—some already have been plowed down with the crop declared a complete failure.  Other cornfields are stunted with dead leaves and no ears.  The soybean crop is not much better. Nor is the late cutting of hay.

But overlooked by many is what the drought has done to those of us who are tree farmers.  About five years ago we planted seven-thousand red pine trees on our farm.  They were doing well, many of them already three and four feet tall.  But this year trees that were planted on sandy, gravely hilltops have died. Once green needles are now a sickly, reddish brown.  Entire hillsides of dead and dying trees.  Not a pleasant sight.

It’s not just the relatively young trees that are dying.  Yesterday, on our farm, I spotted a twenty-foot jack pine, the toughest of tough native trees that had died.  And not far away, a Scotch pine, about six feet tall—dead.

I decided at the very beginning of my tree farming operation in the middle 1960s that I would grow pulp wood, logs for log cabins, and saw logs for lumber.  No Christmas trees. Driving past a Christmas tree farm north of Montello, I spotted an entire hillside of once beautiful Christmas trees, all dead.  The entire hillside of trees killed by the drought—and a great loss to the grower, I’m sure.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Let’s hope next year will be better.

CHECK THIS OUT:  You can preorder my new novel, THE TAMARACK RIVER GHOST (fifth in my Ames County Series) from Amazon.com.  See press kit at this link for information about the book: http://uwpress.wisc.edu/Presskits/Apps_RiverGhost.html

UPCOMING EVENTS:

August 25, 11:00 Mt. Morris Camp and Conference Center.  Mt. Morris, WI. Barns of Wisconsin.

September 7-8, Southwest Wisconsin Prairie Festival, Folklore Village, 3210 Co. Hwy. BB, Dodgeville, WI. Keynote, Saturday, Sept. 8, 1:00 p.m. “People and the Prairie.”

September 15, 1-4 p.m. Old World Wisconsin, Eagle, WI.  Book Signing.

September 18, 10:30-11:30 WAHCE Conference, Marriott Hotel, Middleton, WI Keynote.

September 22, 2:00 Wade House Historic Site, Greenbush, WI. Garden Wisdom.

September 24, 11:30, Learning in Retirement, Oshkosh. Stories From the Land.

September 29, Stonefield Village, Cassville, WI.  Horse Drawn Days.

October 4-6 Midwest Booksellers, Minneapolis. Book Signing.

October 13, 9-4.  The Clearing.  Writing Workshop: Writing From Your Life. (Still some openings. Go to www.theclearing.org for information.  Click on workshops.)

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Stories To Tell


The came to Door County from Illinois and Iowa, from Minnesota and Wisconsin.  They came to The Clearing, a residential learning center near Ellison Bay.  They came to write stories.  Their own stories, as they participated in my “Writing From Your Life” workshop held last week.

They wrote of early childhood fun.  They wrote about tragedy—death in the family. They wrote hilariously funny stories.  They wrote about little things important in their lives—a rocking chair passed on from generation to generation, a mother’s coffee cup filled with memories, a favorite pair of boots.

They wrote six-word stories patterned after Ernest Hemingway’s six-word story: “For sale.  Baby shoes.  Never Worn.”

They laughed.  They cried.  They shared and critiqued each other’s work.  And they wrote and wrote some more.  Wonderful stories.  Stories from the heart.  Stories from the past with meaning for today.

CHECK THIS OUT: For a guide to writing your own story, see my book RURAL WIT AND WISDOM (Fulcrum Press, 2012).  I include a long chapter on writing personal stories with many tips to help you get started.

 THE OLD TIMER SAYS: When we forget our stories, we forget who we are.

CHECK THIS OUT:  You can preorder my new novel, THE TAMARACK RIVER GHOST (fifth in my Ames County Series) from Amazon.com.  See press kit at this link for information about the book: http://uwpress.wisc.edu/Presskits/Apps_RiverGhost.html

UPCOMING EVENTS:


September 7-8, Southwest Wisconsin Prairie Festival, Folklore Village, 3210 Co. Hwy. BB, Dodgeville, WI. I’m giving keynote talk, Saturday, Sept. 8, 1:00 p.m. “People and the Prairie.”

October 13, 9-4.  The Clearing.  Writing Workshop: Writing From Your Life.

Saturday, August 04, 2012

Dry Weather Gardening


Five things to do during hot, dry weather to keep a vegetable garden alive and producing:

1. Work hard to keep out all weeds.  They use a lot of moisture.

2.  Water regularly--about a half-inch at a time, in the early morning to reduce evaporation.  We try to not let the garden "dry out" too much (we have sandy soil) as too dry and then too wet leads to problems (blossom end-rot of tomatoes for example).  Too much watering leads to mildew and other wet weather problems.

3. When I finished harvesting the early sweet corn, I cut the stalks into little pieces so the remaining corn plant would not draw moisture. Same for when the green beans finish bearing.

4.With hot weather,  crops mature quickly--and can over grow almost while you watch (especially zucchini  and cucumbers). Harvest regularly.  Overgrown crops draw lots of moisture.

5.  Do a rain dance--regularly, with vigor and enthusiasm.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Gardening is never a sure thing.  Mother Nature is full of surprises.

CHECK THIS OUT:  You can preorder my new novel, THE TAMARACK RIVER GHOST (fifth in my Ames County Series) from Amazon.com.  See press kit at this link for information about the book: http://uwpress.wisc.edu/Presskits/Apps_RiverGhost.html

UPCOMING EVENTS:

August 5-11, The Clearing.  Writing Workshop: Writing From Your Life.

September 7-8, Southwest Wisconsin Prairie Festival, Folklore Village, 3210 Co. Hwy. BB, Dodgeville, WI.  Keynote talk, Saturday, Sept. 8, 1:00 p.m. “People and the Prairie.”

October 13, The Clearing.  Writing Workshop: Writing From Your Life.