Monday, April 28, 2014

Weather Challenges Tree Planters



 A stiff east wind with a temperature in the high 30s greeted this year’s tree planters at Roshara.  Two teams braved the cold and wind and the occasional spit of rain mixed with ice pellets—Steve and Natasha, and Paul and Sue.  I drove the tractor with the plow, making furrows through the thick sod to make planting a bit easier, but not more comfortable.

 We had but 300 little Norway Pines to plant, trees to replace those that died in the drought from a few years ago.  Those that survived the dry weather are now four feet tall, some even taller.  If the rains continue, these newly planted ones will do well in the bottom of the furrow away from the competition of grass.

The cold wind seemed even colder as we worked on top of a sandy, gravely hill—but there was no complaining as we all knew the weather forecast of heavy rains coming for the afternoon.  Planting trees in a downpour of cold rain, although good for the trees, challenges even the most committed tree planters.  By noon 300 trees were in the ground, and an hour later the skies opened and the rain fell in buckets—a perfect situation for newly planted trees. 

The tree planters ate lunch around the old wood burning cook stove in the cabin, watching the rain splash against the cabin windows, and thankful for their good luck.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: One is never too old to plant a tree.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 29, Noon Luncheon, Historical Society Foundation. By invitation.

May 3, Wisconsin Dells.  District Rotary meeting. 

May 6, Noon. Retired UW-Madison Retirement Association

May 10, Noon. Madison Area Polio Survivors.  Monona Garden Family Restaurant

May 14, Young Writers Awards Meeting, UW-Madison.

May 17, Dregne’s Gift Shop, Westby.  Book signing.

June 21, Writing Workshop, The Clearing, Door County 9-4.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):
The library now has available both of Jerry’s DVDs, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.
Also available are several of Jerry’s book including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division St.
Wild Rose, WI  54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org

               










Saturday, April 19, 2014

Sights and Sounds of Spring


Roshara’s pond is alive with the sights and sounds of spring, even though about three inches of new, unwelcome snow fell last Sunday evening, making the landscape look once more like winter.  But not the pond.  The ice is out and the migrants are back.  I counted twenty-five ducks, mostly mallards and wood ducks.  They lifted from the cold, black water with a flurry of pounding wings and loud quacking. 
I spotted a sandhill crane standing in shallow water on the other side of the pond.  When it saw me, it flew up, protesting my presence with its loud, prehistoric and unforgettable call.  It flew once around the pond, checking me out as it flew overhead so low I could hear the swishing of its wings.  Then it headed toward the north end of the pond and landed.  A pair of sandhills have nested there for many years.
 Hugging the east side of the pond, I glimpsed a pair of Canada geese, swimming slowly, but not attempting to fly.  Do they have a nest nearby?  Probably.
Although the landscape is winter-like—the pond is alive with spring.  Now for some warmer weather; it was eight degrees at the farm on Tuesday morning.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Short people are the last to feel the rain and the first to drown.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 24, 6:00 p.m. Walworth and Big Foot Prairie Historical Society, Lake Lawn Resort, Delevan, WI. Dinner.  Breweries of Wisconsin.

April 29, Noon Luncheon, Historical Society Foundation. By invitation
.
May 3, Wisconsin Dells.  District Rotary meeting. 

May 6, Noon. Retired UW-Madison Retirement Association

May 10, Noon. Madison Area Polio Survivors.  Monona Garden Family Restaurant

May 14, Young Writers Awards Meeting, UW-Madison.

May 17, Dregni’s Gift Shop, Westby.  Book signing.

June 21, Writing Workshop, The Clearing, Door County 9-4.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):
The library now has available both of Jerry’s DVDs, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.
Also available are several of Jerry’s book including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.


Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division St.
Wild Rose, WI  54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org

Saturday, April 12, 2014

The Importance of Public Libraries

It wasn’t long ago that the word was: public libraries will soon all close.  The internet will provide whatever it is you need to know. Libraries will join livery stables, ice boxes and buggy whips as artifacts of history.
But as Mark Twain once said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” This is certainly true of libraries, which are alive and well and booming in popularity.
In the past several years, I have spoken at 92 libraries, the smallest of the small to gigantic, multi-floor institutions.  This past week I spoke at the Kiel and the Sun Prairie Libraries.  This past year I spoke at the Fitchburg, Shorewood (Milwaukee), Poynette, Frederic, Waupun, Plainfield, Reedsburg, Trempealeau, Wild Rose, Wisconsin Rapids, Boscobel, Mineral Point, Waupaca, Mt. Horeb, Green Bay, UW—Madison (Memorial), Park Falls, Brillion, Grafton, and Baraboo libraries.
Each of these libraries, although many with challenging budgets, are vibrant places for learning and where the community can gather.  Every librarian I have talked to, and I’ve talked to many, say they have never been busier.
Of course, like all of our public institutions, our libraries need our continued support, and for the “libraries are dead” folks—you are wrong. Communities love their libraries, and depend on them.   
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: If you haven’t done so recently, visit your local library.  Lots going on there these days.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 24, 6:00 p.m. Walworth and Big Foot Prairie Historical Society, Lake Lawn Resort, Delevan, WI. Dinner.  Breweries of Wisconsin.

April 29, Noon Luncheon, Historical Society Foundation. By invitation.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):
The library now has available both of Jerry’s DVDs, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.
Also available are several of Jerry’s book including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.


Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division St.
Wild Rose, WI  54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org

Saturday, April 05, 2014

What to Make of April


April is a cruel month.  The month that doesn’t know if it’s winter or spring.  One day warm and sunny, the next day cold and snowy.  A month of indecision.  A month that Mother Nature plays with, taunts with hints of the coming spring, then brings back reminders of the winter we’d so much like to forget. 

 April keeps us northern folks humble and thankful for that occasional day when the temperature hits 60 and maybe even a little more.  April keeps us looking ahead.

The changes are coming.  The robins have been here for a while, singing their hearts out.  The cardinals have been whistling, and the sandhill cranes are calling—and yes, the wild turkeys are gobbling, searching for mates, not waiting for the weather to calm down and be pleasant.

The spring flowers, the tulips and the daffodils, are poking their heads into April, not too sure how fast they should grow.  Waiting like the rest of us for warmer days and spring temperatures.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Enough already for winter.  Let’s get on with spring.

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 7, 7:00 p.m., Kiel Library.  Garden Wisdom presentation and book signing
.
April 8, 6:30 p.m. Heritage Hill Historic Center, Green Bay. Old Farm.  Book signing to follow presentation.

April 10, 6:30 p.m. Sun Prairie Library, Limping Through Life. Book signing to follow presentation.

April 24, 6:00 p.m. Walworth and Big Foot Prairie Historical Society, Lake Lawn Resort, Delevan, WI. Dinner.  Breweries of Wisconsin.

April 29, Noon Luncheon, Historical Society Foundation. Farm stories. By invitation.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):
The library now has available both of Jerry’s DVDs, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.
Also available are several of Jerry’s book including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.


Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division St.
Wild Rose, WI  54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.orgA