Friday, February 28, 2020

Where Have All The Songbirds Gone?



Photo by Jerry Apps

“Where are the birds this winter? Almost none at our feeders.” I’ve heard this from several of my neighbors. Same for my three feeders. Almost no activity this winter, save for a few Juncos (snow birds) and a pair of cardinals. No blue jays, nuthatches, finches, not even any chickadees—we always had chickadees.

So what’s going on? Are the birds able to find feed on their own? Are they locating the feeders with the higher quality bird feed, and ignoring my less expensive fare?
Or aren’t there as many birds wintering in Wisconsin these days? I did a little “online” looking and discovered some research from Cornell University on bird numbers. I found some disturbing information.

Cornell researchers reported, “Wild bird populations in the continental U.S. and Canada have declined by almost 30 percent since 1970.” Some specific examples: since 1970, we have lost one in four Blue Jays, one in three Baltimore Orioles, one in three Juncos, one in four Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks and many more similar examples. . . . The scale of loss portrayed in the Science Study is unlike anything recorded in modern natural history.” The reason for the loss according to the researchers, “. . . our human-altered landscapes are losing their ability to support birdlife.” We are losing fence rows and marshes, natural prairies and open spaces and more—all home for songbirds.

There have been some gains. Waterfowl have increased by 50%, Raptors (hawks, eagles) have increased by 200% and the wild turkey population has increased by 200%.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Seems like we better start thinking about stopping this kill-off of our songbirds.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, March 21, 1:30, Columbus Community Center, Columbus, WI Sponsored by Columbus Public Library and Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

Saturday, April 11, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Speaking at 3:00) Middleton Library.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS AND DVDS.

Read about winter in my book, The Quiet Season (Wisconsin Historical Society Press)
It is available from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street, Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary
www.wilroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth's home town, Westby and visit Dregne's. They have a good selection of my books for sale, or by calling them at 1-877-634-441. Or, visit your local bookstore.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Remembering Shoveling Snow


Photo by Jerry Apps

It came quietly in the night, without fuss or fury. Another six inches of wet, heavy snow that clung on the trees and shrubs. It followed six inches of snow from the previous week and as many inches of snow the week before that.

I am on my tractor with a front end loader and box grader hanging on the back, moving snow, bucket full after bucket full. I am thinking about snowstorms when I was a kid and snow had to be moved. On the home farm, when I was little guy, we had no tractor with a front end loader. We had no tractor at all until Dad bought our first tractor in 1945, a Farmall H.

We shoveled snow by hand. With a scoop shovel, the kind used for moving grain from one place to another in the granary. We shoveled a path from the house to the chicken house, from the chicken house to the granary, from the granary to the corncrib, from the corncrib to the barn, from the barn to the pump house, where we cooled the morning and evenings milking. We shoveled another path from the pump house to the house and a path directly from the house to the barn.

And that wasn’t all of it. We shoveled the driveway from the country road that trailed by our farm to the pump house, so the milkman, who made his rounds every morning could load the four or five cans of milk that we had for the cheese factory.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Appreciate the labor-saving devices of today while remembering what it was like when moving snow meant shoveling by hand.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, March 21, 1:30, Columbus Community Center, Columbus, WI Sponsored by Columbus Public Library and Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

Saturday, April 11, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Speaking at 3:00) Middleton Library.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS AND DVDS.

Read about winter in my book, The Quiet Season (Wisconsin Historical Society Press)
It is available from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.
www.wildroselibrary.org

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Friday, February 14, 2020

Otto the Gnome



Photo by Jerry Apps



His name is Otto and he lives in a big old maple tree in our backyard. He only comes out at night, or so I am told. But I happened to snap a photo of him when he was sneaking a peek outside his tree home during the daytime.

Otto is a Gnome, pronounced “nome.” Otto is Norwegian, named after my Norwegian father-in-law, Otto Olson. When I married Ruth, I didn’t realize, I should have, that I was not only marrying a wife, but I was marrying a whole bunch of Norwegian traditions including such foods as lutefisk (no comment), lefse (OK), krumkake (quite good), almond cake (tasty), and rosette cookies (really good at Christmas time).

But back to Otto with his pointed cap, big ears, and impish grin. In Norwegian folklore, Gnomes protect the farmsteads, the animals, the buildings and of course the people from harm. They do this at night when the people are sleeping. Some believe that Gnomes reward people with good luck and happiness. I’m counting on Otto to do this.

Gnomes themselves have a cheery disposition. They are always smiling and carefree—hoping some of their internal happiness will rub off on the people around them. Ruth received Otto as a Christmas present. With winter hanging on, I suspect he’s taking a long nap. I’m waiting for spring so Otto can do some of his magic.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Even if you are not Norwegian, I believe everyone can benefit from having a little Gnome in their lives. I know I’m counting on it.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, March 21, 1:30, Columbus Community Center, Columbus, WI Sponsored by Columbus Public Library and Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

Saturday, April 11, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Speaking at 3:00) Middleton Library.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS AND DVDS.

Books that tell the story of my farm: The Land Still Lives, Old Farm: a History, and Roshara Journal All are available from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you travel to the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby and visit Dregne’s.. They have a great selection of my books for sale, or order a book by calling them at 1-877-634-4414. Or visit your local bookstore.

Friday, February 07, 2020

Every Farm Has a Story to Tell




Our farm in 1966. Photo by Jerry Apps

It was an old farm with an old barn and a granary that had seen better days. The farmhouse, equally decrepit had burned sending the occupants away. The farm, homesteaded in 1867 by a Civil War veteran, had provided a living for several families over the years, albeit not a very good living, the land was poor--stony and hilly and hard to work.

It was the home place, where children learned how to do chores, and lived with the simple things of life as there was no electricity, no indoor plumbing, no central heating. There were families, parents and children—working together, doing chores, feeding the chickens and hogs, milking the cows, by hand, by the light of a kerosene lantern, and children walking a mile to the country school.

There were neighbors, too, one nearly across the country road, and another a half-mile north, and still another a half-mile south. Each ready to help when a task such as wood sawing, threshing, or butchering required a few extra hands.

It’s the farm my family owns now, not where I grew up, but only two miles away. We’ve owned it since 1966. We call it Roshara—we’re located in the Township of Rose in Waushara County—thus the name.

Our farm has a story to tell. And now, as we are losing so many farms, two a day last year, we are losing so many stories. Let’s hope some of the stories are told—so we all can learn, and remember what life was like on the farm.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: As we lose our farms, we lose the stories about who we are as a people, and where we have been.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Speaking Saturday, February 8, 2:15 p.m., Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison. Topic: The Land Still Lives: Restoration of an old farm. Book signing in Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, 10 to 12 in the morning and 3:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon.

Speaking Sunday, February 9, 1:00 p.m.., Garden Expo Alliant Center, Madison. Topic: The Land Still Lives: Restoration of an old farm. Book signing in Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, 2:30 to 4:00 in the afternoon.

Saturday, March 21, 1:30, Columbus Community Center, Columbus, WI Sponsored by Columbus Public Library and Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS AND DVDS.

Books that tell the story of my farm: The Land Still Lives, Old Farm: a History, and Roshara Journal All are available from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.

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

If you travel to the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby and visit Dregne’s. They have a great selection of my books for sale or order a book by calling them at 1-877-634-4414. Or visit your local bookstore.