Another Garden Update

Time for another garden update.  March-planted vegetables  are doing well, except for a few hills of potatoes, which I replanted last week.  Everything ahead by a few weeks.  Radishes ready to eat, lettuce soon.

This coming week I’ll set out tomato plants—fingers crossed that frosty mornings will hold off until fall.  I’ll also plant green beans, more sweet corn, cucumbers, zucchini, winter squash, pumpkins, gourds, everything that’s not yet in the ground.

Alas, this is the first year that potato bugs have appeared before the entire garden is planted.  On Saturday Steve sprayed the potatoes with a new concoction we found last year called  “Potato Beetle Beater.”  Can’t beat that for a name.  You spray it on the potato plants when the first orange egg clusters appear on the underside of the potato plants.  The newly hatched and hungry potato beetles eat the treated leaves and that’s it.  No more beetles.  Unless the rain washes off the spray.  Unless this year’s crop of beetles is even tougher than last year.  We’ll see.  Old fashioned way of picking off the mature beetles and drowning them in a pail of water still works when all else fails.

NO BLOG ON MAY 27.  In Colorado until May 31.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  This year’s gardening season is beginning to look like the most unusual ever.

CHECK THIS OUT:  My one day workshop: “Writing From Your Life,” October 13, 8-4. The Clearing, Door County. For more information go to. http://theclearing.org/current/index.shtml

UPCOMING EVENTS:

May 24-31. Avon, Colorado. Writing and researching.

June 3, 1-3 p.m., Pendarvis, Mineral Point.  Garden Wisdom

June 6, 10:30. College Week, UW-Madison Campus, Ames County Novels

June 13, 6:00 p.m.  Wisconsin Public TV Major Donors Meeting, Center For Discovery, UW-Madison Campus.  Early history of Agricultural Education in Wisconsin including farm stories.

June 15, 1-2:00 p.m. S.E. Wisconsin Book Festival, UW-Waukesha campus, Waukesha.

Remembering a Friend

I lost a friend this week.  Barbara Fitz Vroman, an author, writing teacher, editor, and much more passed away on Monday, May 7.

I first met Barb in 1966, when she was News Editor at the Waushara Argus, and I was freelancing a weekly column called “Outdoor Notebook.” At the time she was my boss, the one who worked on my mangled attempts at selecting appropriate words and stringing them together in ways that made sense.

I wrote the column for ten years, until I moved on to book writing.  In the meantime Barb wrote award winning novels such as Tomorrow is a River, Sons of Thunder and more.  Along the way she began her own publishing house; Pearl-Win she named it. I was privileged to help her select manuscripts for publication, and have her publish my book Skiing into Wisconsin.

For many years, Barb and I taught writing at The School of Arts in Rhinelander.  She was soon well known for her caring, encouraging approach to teaching, and for her legions of student- followers.  She also began teaching writing workshops at The Clearing in Door County, where she was scheduled to teach this summer.

Shy, quiet and unassuming, Barb was often in the background.  But her writing surely wasn’t, nor was her teaching.  She will be missed, but also long remembered.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Sad though it may be sometimes; it’s important to take some time to remember our friends.

CHECK THIS OUT:  My one day workshop: “Writing From Your Life,” October 13, 8-4. The Clearing, Door County. For more information go to. http://theclearing.org/current/index.shtml

UPCOMING EVENTS:

May 19, 1-4:00 p.m. Old World Wisconsin. Eagle,  Book signing. Garden Wisdom, Barns  of Wisconsin, Horse Drawn Days.

May 20, 9:15 a.m. Midvale Community Lutheran Church, Madison.  Adult Education Hour.  Garden Wisdom.

May 20, 7:00 p.m. Lebanon Historical Society, Lebanon, WI. Barns of Wisconsin.

May 24-31. Avon, Colorado. Writing and researching.

June 3, 1-3 p.m., Pendarvis, Mineral Point.  Garden Wisdom

June 6, 10:30. College Week, UW-Madison Campus, Ames County Novels

June 13, 6:00p.m.  Wisconsin Public TV Major Donors Meeting, Center For Discovery, UW-Madison Campus.  Farm stories and more.

Special Days

Two dates take precedence over all others for many Wisconsinites.  When the calendars are put in place each January, these dates are circled.  No weddings, no anniversary celebrations, no birthday parties, even funerals are avoided on these special, historic dates that have been so very important for so very long in our state.

What are the dates?  The opening day of deer season in November and the first day of fishing season in May.  All else, no matter how important it may seem, is put aside as hunters and anglers return to what their fathers,  grandfathers and great-grandfathers did on these dates.

Much to the surprise and sometimes even astonishment of my non-outdoor sports relatives and friends, these dates are carefully marked and saved on my usually cluttered calendar.

On Saturday, my brother Don, an equally strong advocate of protecting these dates, and I hitched my old Sears 12-foot aluminum boat to his truck and we launched the fishing season at the Wild Rose Millpond.  Alas, not one trout did we hook in two hours.  And that with fresh minnows purchased not two hours earlier from Lauritizen's on Main Street.

We loaded the boat back on my primitive trailer and we drove a a few miles to Little Silver Lake where a stiff eastern wind and the threat of rain boded ill for our effort.  In spite of the negative odds, we managed to pull in a  fine meal of bluegills.  It was a good opening day of the 2012 fishing season.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Fishing is always good.  Catching often less so.

COMING EVENTS:

May 7, 7:00 p.m. Cultural Center, Cedarburg, Ozaukee County Historical Society.  Barns of Wisconsin.

May 19, 1-4:00 p.m. Old World Wisconsin. Eagle,  Book signing. Garden Wisdom, Barns  of Wisconsin, Horse Drawn Days.

May 20, 9:15 a.m. Midvale Community Lutheran Church, Madison.  Adult Education Hour. Madison, Garden Wisdom.

May 20, 7:00 p.m. Lebanon Historical Society, Lebanon, WI. Barns of Wisconsin.

May 24-31. Avon, Colorado. Writing and researching.

Garden Report

 You’ll recall that I planted some of my early crop vegetables back in March, when spring abruptly replaced winter and acted like summer for several days.

So far my experiment worked, mostly anyway.  The radishes, carrots, beets, onions, peas and lettuce are all up and doing fairly well, considering too many mornings with temps in the 20s.  Alas, I’m still waiting for the early potatoes to appear.  It’s been more than month, and I should see some potato life.  I’ll wait a few more days before I become concerned.

This weekend the fence goes up—these early crops will soon be discovered by our resident deer and wild turkeys.  And I’ll plant a couple of rows of sweet corn.  It’s probably too early to plant sweet corn, but I’ll give it a try.

My indoor plants, cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli and five different varieties of tomatoes have become leggy and overgrown with too little bright sunshine—I’ve only had them outside for a couple days and then had to drag them in with reports of frosty mornings.  I may have to repot them.  I don’t plan on setting out any of this tender stuff in the garden until late May.

Like every year, gardening has its challenges.  But that’s one of the reasons I keep doing it.  Each year offers something new, something different.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Want a challenge that’s also great fun.  Start a vegetable garden.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

April 29, 2:00 p.m. Lucille Tack Center for the Arts, Spencer, WI. I will be discussing my Ames County series of novels: THE TRAVELS OF INCREASE JOSEPH, BLUE SHADOWS FARM, IN A PICKLE and CRANBERRY RED. Free to the public.

May 3, 7:00 p.m. New Glarus High School. Town of New Glarus Parks.  Barns of Wisconsin.

May 7, 7:00 p.m. Cultural Center, Cedarburg, Ozaukee County Historical Society.  Barns of Wisconsin.

May 19, 1-4:00 p.m. Old World Wisconsin. Book signing. Garden Wisdom, Barns  of Wisconsin, Horse Drawn Days.

May 20, 9:15 a.m., Adult Education, Midvale Lutheran Church, Madison. Garden Wisdom

May 20, 7:00 p.m. Lebanon Historical Society, Lebanon. Barns of Wisconsin.

May 20, 9:15 a.m. Midvale Community Lutheran Church, Adult Education.

Earth Day 2012

Earth Day! It all began on April 22, 1970. Hats off to Wisconsin’s then Senator Gaylord Nelson, father of Earth Day, who had an eye for the future and passion for taking care of the environment.

What can you do to commemorate the day?

--Take a walk in the woods. Bring along a child or a grandchild, and walk quietly. Listening, watching, feeling, taking it all in.

--Plant a tree.

--Watch a sunset. Do it several times. No two are alike. Sunrises are great as well, sometimes even better.

--Start a vegetable garden. It doesn’t have to be more than a few rows. What a great feeling it is to know that you grew this food—and that the travel time, and cost, to deliver it to you was nil.

--Encourage your child or grandchild to help you in the garden. So they will know that carrots grow in the ground, that green beans grow on bushes that sweet corn grows on stalks. And that weeds need hoeing.

--Pull a copy of Aldo Leopold’s Sand County Almanac from the shelf and read a few chapters—A Wisconsin story, this book. A sand country story.

--And when you’ve finished with Sand County Almanac, try a few chapter of Walden, Henry David Thoreau’s masterpiece.

--Listen to a pair of sandhill cranes flying overhead, calling their mysterious and ancient call.

--Take a child or a grandchild fishing. A great way to enjoy the outdoors—and learn something about patience at the same time. You also just might catch a fish.

--Go for a walk.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Let’s make Earth Day every day!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

April 27, 4:30 p.m. Friends of Wisconsin Historical Society: Old World Wisconsin (Eagle, WI, Dinner, auction, and presentation on BARNS OF WISCONSIN.

April 28, 11:00 – 4:00. Wisconsin Public TV at Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose. Residents of the area are asked to bring in family farm photos for possible inclusion in a documentary film about farm life in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s that Wis Public TV is doing. Photos will be immediately scanned and returned.

April 29, 2:00 p.m. Lucille Tack Center for the Arts, Spencer, WI. I will be discussing my Ames County series of novels: THE TRAVELS OF INCREASE JOSEPH, BLUE SHADOWS FARM, IN A PICKLE and CRANBERRY RED. Free to the public.

May 7, 7:00 p.m. Cultural Center, Cedarburg, WI Barns of Wisconsin. Ozaukee County Historical Society.

A Trail Through The Woods

Steve and I with some help from daughter Sue and son-in-law Paul, and brother Don hacked out a new trail in our 60 acre woodlot.

Uphill and downhill, between the ponds, around stones, through blackberry thickets, avoiding the big white oaks and black oaks and maple trees, with a chainsaw cutting through downed trees, and slicing off low hanging limbs. Hard work, but fun work, too. Deciding where to go and where not to go.

As I reflected on our trail building, it so much like life itself. We reach high points and then often are thrust into a valley, we meet an obstacle and then must decide to confront it or go around it. We lob off the low branches of our life, and, if we take time, stop occasionally to appreciate what we have done and enjoy the view—as we did building a new trail through the woods last week.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: There is more to trail building than meets the eye.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 21, 1:00 p.m. Cedarburg Public Library. Garden Wisdom

April 22, 11:30 a.m. Fond du Lac Historical Society (795 Fond du Lac Ave). Dinner. Remembering our Rural Heritage.

April 27, 4:30 p.m. Friends of Wisconsin Historical Society: Old World Wisconsin (Eagle, WI, Dinner, auction, and presentation on BARNS OF WISCONSIN.

April 28, 11:00 – 4:00. Wisconsin Public TV at Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose. Residents of the area are asked to bring in family farm photos for possible inclusion in a documentary film about farm life in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s that Wis Public TV is doing. Photos will be immediately scanned and returned.

April 29, 2:00 p.m. Lucille Tack Center for the Arts, Spencer, WI. I will be discussing my Ames County series of novels: THE TRAVELS OF INCREASE JOSEPH, BLUE SHADOWS FARM, IN A PICKLE and CRANBERRY RED. Free to the public

Early Garden Crops Planted

We’ve made history this spring. The first time ever that I planted garden in March. I plowed down my winter rye on March 20th, and on Saturday the 24th, when my helper crew arrived, we began planting. A little reluctantly, I might add, as a year ago on that date there was still snow on the ground. We planted lettuce, radishes, carrots, beets, onions, peas and two rows of early potatoes.

The temperature was in the 70s, a pair of sandhills was raising a raucous in the valley to the west, and two pair of very noisy Canada geese were staking out nesting claims on either end of the pond. We could hear them, but we kept working. A pair of bluebirds worked as hard as we, as they were building a nest in the bird house to the north of the cabin. All the creatures at the farm are hustling and hurrying, believing that spring is really here and a month early.

On April 2, we planted ten rows of late potatoes. The radishes are up, the lettuce is poking through, and the peas are deciding if they want to face considerably less warm weather than we experienced a couple weeks ago. But the rest of the garden crops—especially the tomatoes will sit on my window sill until near the end of May.

One of the reasons I keep gardening is the mystery of it all, and never knowing what will happen, and whether things will grow or not. So far, this season appears to have the most mystery I’ve seen in my more than 60 years of vegetable gardening.

CHECK THIS OUT: Listen in to Wisconsin Public Radio, the Larry Meiller Show on Friday, April 13 at 11:00. We’ll be in front of a live audience, and I’ll be talking about my book, GARDEN WISDOM.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: If it’s surprises you’re looking for, try growing a vegetable garden.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 12, 7:00 p.m. McMillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Garden Wisdom

April 13, 11:00 a.m. Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. Broadcasting at Fox Cities Book Festival. Garden Wisdom.

April 13, 2:00 p.m. Fox Cities Book Festival, Neenah Library. Garden Wisdom

April 14, 10 a.m.-12 a.m., AAUW, Lacrosse, WI (Garden Wisdom)

April 15, 12:30 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble, LaCrosse (Campfires and Loon Calls, and my newest book, Garden Wisdom)

April 21, 1:00 p.m. Cedarburg Public Library. Garden Wisdom

April 22, 11:30 a.m. Fond du Lac Historical Society (795 Fond du Lac Ave). Dinner. Remembering our Rural Heritage.

April 27, 4:30 p.m. Friends of Wisconsin Historical Society: Old World Wisconsin (Eagle, WI, Dinner, auction, and presentation on BARNS OF WISCONSIN.

April 28, 11:00 – 4:00. Wisconsin Public TV at Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose. Residents of the area are asked to bring in family farm photos for possible inclusion in a documentary film about farm life in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s that Wis Public TV is doing. Photos will be immediately scanned and returned.

April 29, 2:00 p.m. Lucille Tack Center for the Arts, Spencer, WI. I will be discussing my Ames County series of novels: THE TRAVELS OF INCREASE JOSEPH, BLUE SHADOWS FARM, IN A PICKLE and CRANBERRY RED. Free to the public

Morton Arboretum

Ruth and I are visiting the Morton Arboretum about twenty-five miles west of Chicago this weekend. I am sharing information from my book, GARDEN WISDOM; Ruth is talking about vegetable and fruit preservation.

The Morton Arboretum, some 1700 acres of flowers, trees and prairie, (it includes a one-hundred acre prairie restoration project) was once the country estate of Joy Morton of the Morton Salt Company.

Morton moved here in 1910 and named the place Thornhill. The arboretum was established in 1922 by six members of the family and two executives of the Morton Salt Company.

Today, this showplace of the Mid-west is open to the public, and the public is here, hiking the 16 miles of trails, and biking along the nine miles of paved roads. With our early spring, they could see acres of daffodil’s, many, many red bud trees in full bloom, and even some lilacs sending forth their fragrant flowers.

The address for the Arboretum is Lisle, IL, a bustling business and corporate center. Check it out on www.mortonarb.org.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: It’s good to know that there are still places where peace, tranquility and beauty exist in our hurry, hurry “make a buck” society.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 12, 7:00 p.m. McMillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Garden Wisdom

April 13, 11:00 a.m. Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. Broadcasting at Fox Cities Book Festival. Garden Wisdom.

April 13, 2:00 p.m. Fox Cities Book Festival, Neenah Library. Garden Wisdom

April 14, 10 a.m.-12 a.m., AAUW, Lacrosse, WI (Garden Wisdom)

April 15, 12:30 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble, LaCrosse (Campfires and Loon Calls, and my newest book, Garden Wisdom)

April 21, 1:00 p.m. Cedarburg Public Library. Garden Wisdom

April 22, 11:30 a.m. Fond du Lac Historical Society (795 Fond du Lac Ave). Dinner. Remembering our Rural Heritage.

When Spring is Summer

It’s mid-March and I’m sitting on a bench by my pond. I’m in shirt sleeves and remembering just last year at this time the pond was still ice covered and the valley was buried in snow. But this year the pond is open, the grass around it is greening up and the spring frogs are raising a raucous.

In the deep woods to the north I hear a ruffed grouse drumming—boom….boom….boom, then faster, boom, boom, boom. Like an old John Deere two-cylinder tractor.

As I watch, a muskrat with its head above water swims across the pond to the north. A few minutes later, another muskrat swims from the north side of the pond to the south. A case of “the grass is greener on the other side of the pond” it appears.

And then, from the east, a pair of sandhill cranes glide in. their wings set, their landing gear down. They land effortlessly, near where they’ve had a nest for many years on the west side of our pond. One of them lets loose with its throaty call that I place right up there with the call of the loon for its mystery and mystic—and its tie to prehistoric times.

A pair of wood duck wings in from the north, completing the spring scene—albeit about a month early. Is it time to start planting my garden? I’m tempted to plant some cool weather vegetables. A hard freeze and another snowstorm on the way? Maybe. But if the critters at the pond appear to believe it’s spring, maybe I should, too.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Pay attention to nature’s critters; they can tell you more about seasonal change than a calendar.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum (Thornhill Education Center), Chicago area. Presentation on vegetable gardening, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Sunday, April 1, 1:30-3:30 features a vegetable gardening workshop, with tips on planting and caring for a vegetable garden. Additionally, Ruth will discuss preparing vegetables and fruits for canning and freezing.

April 12, 7:00 p.m. McMillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Garden Wisdom

April 13, 11:00 a.m. Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. Broadcasting at Fox Cities Book Festival. Garden Wisdom.

April 13, 2:00 p.m. Fox Cities Book Festival, Neenah Library. Garden Wisdom

April 14, 10 a.m.-12 a.m., AAUW, Lacrosse, WI (Garden Wisdom)

April 15, 12:30 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble, LaCrosse (Campfires and Loon Calls, and my newest book, Garden Wisdom)

April 21, 1:00 p.m. Cedarburg Public Library. Garden Wisdom

April 22, 11:30 a.m. Fond du Lac Historical Society (795 Fond du Lac Ave). Dinner. Remembering our Rural Heritage.

Early, Early Spring?

What happened? It’s several days before spring and summer has arrived. Several days now in the high 70s and even low 80s. Confusion reigns. Daffodils are opening. Tulips are trying. Maple trees are budding.

Has the weather world gone mad? Or is it just an early, early spring? Or, or—a dirty trick that Mother Nature is playing on us before flinging one more snowstorm our way.

I’m going for the former, as I remember—memory has its tricks I know—that back in the 1940s,or maybe early 50s we had such an early spring. On the home farm we were in the fields in mid-March, planting the early crops such as oats. Saw a farmer out in his field yesterday, doing the same thing.

I’ve caught spring fever along with everyone else. I’ll be planting some garden vegetables this week—radishes, lettuce, peas, onions, maybe even a few rows of potatoes. I’ll not follow conservative Old Timer’s advice.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Watch out for Mother Nature. She can be mighty unpredictable.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

March 24. Central Wisconsin launch of Garden Wisdom at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Dinner at six. Contact the library for reservations: 920-622-3835. Presentation and book signing to follow.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum (Thornhill Education Center), Chicago area. Presentation on vegetable gardening, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Sunday, April 1, 1:30-3:30 features a vegetable gardening workshop, with tips on planting and caring for a vegetable garden. Additionally, Ruth will discuss preparing vegetables and fruits for canning and freezing.

April 12, 7:00 p.m. Mcmillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Garden Wisdom

April 13, 11:00 a.m. Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. Broadcasting at Fox Cities Book Festival. Garden Wisdom.

April 13, 2:00 p.m. Fox Cities Book Festival, Neenah. Garden Wisdom

April 14, 10 a.m.-12 a.m., AAUW, Lacrosse, WI (Garden Wisdom)

April 15, 12:30 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble, LaCrosse (Campfires and Loon Calls, and my newest book, Garden Wisdom)

April 21, 1:00 p.m. Cedarburg Public Library. Garden Wisdom

April 22, 11:30 a.m. Fond du Lac Historical Society (795 Fond du Lac Ave). Dinner. Remembering our Rural Heritage.

Canoecopia

They came from all around Wisconsin, from other states, and from Canada, too. Paddlers, canoe people, kayak people. Those with years of experience; those who’ve never set foot in a canoe or kayak.

They all converged on Madison, Wisconsin for the annual Canoecopia billed as the “World’s largest Kayak, Canoe and Outdoor Expo.” The Rutabaga Store in Madison sponsors the event and it hauls thousands of paddling enthusiasts out of their winter doldrums into the promise of spring and another season of on-the water fun.

There were umpteen opportunities for learning as well, with speakers sharing everything from wildlife photography to paddling Alaska’s North Slope, from kayak fishing to river trails of Wisconsin. Something for everyone, especially those looking for a little outdoor adventure and an opportunity to leave behind cellphones, laptops, and ipads.

I shared a bit of our adventures in the Boundary Waters Canoe area where my son, Steve and I have canoed for more than 25 years—stories from my book, Campfires and Loon Calls. Lots of interest; lots of story sharing.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: There is more to be gained from paddling a canoe than merely going from here to there.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
March 11, 2:00 p.m. Book talk and signing, Arcadia Bookstore, Spring Green. (Garden Wisdom)

March 17, 10-2:00 p.m. Rock River Gallery and Coffee House, Jefferson. (Garden Wisdom)

March 24. Central Wisconsin launch of Garden Wisdom at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Dinner at six. Contact the library for reservations: 920-622-3835. Presentation and book signing to follow.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum (Thornhill Education Center), Chicago area. Presentation on vegetable gardening, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Sunday, April 1, 1:30-3:30 features a vegetable gardening workshop, with tips on planting and caring for a vegetable garden. Additionally, Ruth will discuss preparing vegetables and fruits for canning and freezing.

April 12, 7:00 p.m. Mcmillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Garden Wisdom

April 13, 11:00 a.m. Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. Broadcasting at Fox Cities Book Festival. Garden Wisdom.

April 13, 2:00 p.m. Fox Cities Book Festival, Neenah. Garden Wisdom

April 14, 10 a.m.-12 a.m., AAUW, Lacrosse, WI (Garden Wisdom)

April 15, 12:30 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble, LaCrosse (Campfires and Loon Calls, and my newest book, Garden Wisdom)

Winter Awakens

I spoke too soon last week. It’s likely all my fault that Old Man Winter awakened, crawled off his couch and dumped five inches of snow on many of us in southern Wisconsin. It may be late in the winter season with signs of spring wherever I look, but this morning it looked, and felt like winter. Even the usually happy cardinals were quiet—their feathers ruffled as they huddled in the cedar trees back of the house.

Outside of more shoveling—we really haven’t had much this winter—it was really quite beautiful this morning with snow hanging on everything, and sparkling like sugar sprinkled on sorghum cookies.

Which reminds me to mention that all are invited to Barnes and Noble, West Madison on Tuesday evening at 7:00 for sorghum cookies and some tales from Garden Wisdom. And if you miss Tuesday evening, drive a short distance to Spring Green for a presentation and signing at Arcadia Bookstore at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 11.

CHECK THIS OUT: March 6, 5:00 p.m. Tune in “Live at Five” on WISC, Channel 3, Madison (Charter Cable Channel 9), for a little bit about GARDEN WISDOM.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Without winter, spring would merely be a yawn.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

March 6, 5:00 p.m. Madison TV Channel 3 (Charter Cable 9)

March 6, 7:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble-West, Madison. Launch of Garden Wisdom.

March 9-11. Canoecopia, Alliant Center, Madison. (Trade show for all things canoeing) I am speaking at 4:30 on Friday, March 9 and at 2:30 on Saturday, March 10. Steve will share Boundary Waters photos as part of Saturday’s presentation.

March 11, 2:00 p.m. Book talk and signing, Arcadia Bookstore, Spring Green. (Garden Wisdom)

March 17, 10-2:00 p.m. Rock River Gallery and Coffee House, Jefferson. (Garden Wisdom)

March 24. Central Wisconsin launch of Garden Wisdom at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Dinner at six. Contact the library for reservations: 920-622-3835. Presentation and book signing to follow.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum (Thornhill Education Center), Chicago area. Presentation on vegetable gardening, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Sunday, April 1, 1:30-3:30 features a vegetable gardening workshop, with tips on planting and caring for a vegetable garden. Additionally, Ruth will discuss preparing vegetables and fruits for canning and freezing.

April 12, 7:00 p.m. Mcmillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Garden Wisdom

April 13, 11:00 a.m. Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. Broadcasting at Fox Cities Book Festival. Garden Wisdom.

April 13, 2:00 p.m. Fox Cities Book Festival, Neenah. Garden Wisdom

April 14, 10 a.m.-12 a.m., AAUW, Lacrosse, WI (Stories from the land)

April 15, 12:30 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble, LaCrosse (Garden Wisdom)

An Aging Old Man Winter

Old man winter is showing his age. This year he seems content to spend most of his time napping on the couch rather than periodically hurling blizzards at us and trying to frost our systems with days-on-end below zero weather.

Besides that he appears to have given up what little hold he had on the 2011-2012 season. I saw a robin last week; others have seen bluebirds and sandhill cranes. These creatures appear to have accepted the demise of what winter we’ve had in anticipation of an early spring.

But be careful. Old man winter may be old, but like some old people I know, he can be unpredictable and even at times a little crotchety. Just because old man winter is getting on in years doesn’t mean he lacks power—at least I, for one, don’t think so.

CHECK THIS OUT: March 6, 7:00 p.m. at Barnes and Noble West in Madison Ruth and I’ll be launching GARDEN WISDOM. Ruth has prepared some great door prizes ranging from her famous home-made grape jelly, to her even more famous zucchini bread.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: You haven’t got it until you get it.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

March 6, 7:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble-West, Madison. Launch of Garden Wisdom.

March 9-11. Canoecopia, Alliant Center, Madison. (Trade show for all things canoeing) I am speaking at 4:30 on Friday, March 9 and at 2:30 on Saturday, March 10. Steve will share Boundary Waters photos as part of Saturday’s presentation.

March 11, 2:00 p.m. Book talk and signing, Arcadia Bookstore, Spring Green. (Garden Wisdom)

March 17, 10-2:00 p.m. Rock River Gallery and Coffee House, Jefferson. (Garden Wisdom)

March 24. Central Wisconsin launch of Garden Wisdom at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Dinner at six. Contact the library for reservations: 920-622-3835. Presentation and book signing to follow.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum (Thornhill Education Center), Chicago area. Presentation on vegetable gardening, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Sunday, April 1, 1:30-3:30 features a vegetable gardening workshop, with tips on planting and caring for a vegetable garden. Additionally, Ruth will discuss preparing vegetables and fruits for canning and freezing.

April 12, 7:00 p.m. Mcmillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Garden Wisdom

April 13, 11:00 a.m. Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. Broadcasting at Fox Cities Book Festival. Garden Wisdom.

April 13, 2:00 p.m. Fox Cities Book Festival, Neenah. Garden Wisdom

April 14, 10 a.m.-12 a.m., AAUW, Lacrosse, WI (Stories from the land)

April 15, 12:30 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble, LaCrosse (Garden Wisdom)

Wisconsin Agriculture

As some of you know, I’m writing a book on the history of Wisconsin Agriculture. I thought it might be interesting to share where our state ranks today in its agricultural production. How does Wisconsin fare—in comparison to all the states in our several agricultural pursuits?

More than half of Wisconsin’s agricultural income comes from its dairy industry—so we truly are a dairy state. But the state is also a national leader in several other agricultural areas.

Wisconsin’s Ranking:

Milk Production—2 (California leads)
Milk Cows—2 (California leads)
Cheese Production—1 (2.6 billion pounds—25 % of nation’s production)
Milk Goats—1
Mink Pelts—1
Corn for silage—1
Oats—2 (Minnesota leads)
Cranberries—1 (60% of nation’s production)
Potatoes—3 (Idaho leads)
Cherries—5 (Michigan leads)
Maple Syrup—4 (Vermont leads)
Mint for oil—6 (Washington leads)
Carrots for processing—2 (Washington leads)
Sweet Corn for processing—3 (Minnesota leads)
Green Peas for processing—3 (Minnesota leads)
Snap Beans for processing—1
Cucumbers for pickles—5 (Michigan leads)

So be proud, Wisconsinites, our state not only has a rich agricultural heritage, but a powerful agricultural presence in 2012.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: If someone calls you a cheesehead, smile and say, “thank you.”

UPCOMING EVENTS:

March 6, 7:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble-West, Madison. Launch of Garden Wisdom.

March 9-11. Canoecopia, Alliant Center, Madison. (Trade show for all things canoeing) I am speaking at 4:30 on Friday, March 9 and at 2:30 on Saturday, March 10. Steve will share Boundary Waters photos as part of Saturday’s presentation.

March 11, 2:00 p.m. Book talk and signing, Arcadia Bookstore, Spring Green. (Garden Wisdom)

March 17, 10-2:00 p.m. Rock River Gallery and Coffee House, Jefferson. (Garden Wisdom)

March 24. Launch of Garden Wisdom at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Dinner at six. Contact the library for reservations: 920-622-3835. Presentation and book signing to follow.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum (Thornhill Education Center), Chicago area. Presentation on vegetable gardening, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Sunday, April 1, 1:30-3:30 features a vegetable gardening workshop, with tips on planting and caring for a vegetable garden. Additionally, Ruth will discuss preparing vegetables and fruits for canning and freezing.

April 12, 7:00 p.m. Mcmillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Garden Wisdom

April 13, 11:00 a.m. Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. Broadcasting at Fox Cities Book Festival. Garden Wisdom.

April 13, 2:00 p.m. Fox Cities Book Festival, Neenah. Garden Wisdom

Potato Lover's Month

Did you know that February is National Potato Lover’s Month? I sure didn’t. When I was growing up on a farm, every month was potato month. In fact, it was the rare meal, whether it was breakfast, dinner or supper that we didn’t eat potatoes in some form—boiled, mashed, baked, fried, in soup, in a casserole, in a stew—we grew a lot of potatoes and we ate a bunch of them, too.

We called potatoes by a variety of names: spuds, taters, even Murphies (apparently some connection to the Irish who were known for their potatoes). My brother Darrel, a great lover of potatoes as a kid, was nicknamed Murph, which he seldom goes by these days.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, that helps promote the various national promotions, says the average American eats 126 pounds of potatoes each year, which is a good thing as Wisconsin produces 2.2 billion pounds of potatoes making it third in the nation after such potato giants as Idaho and Washington State.

So forget about calories (a medium size spud only has 110), and dig in. Who can’t love a potato, whether its potato lover’s month or not?

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: If all you have left in the pantry is potatoes, you still have plenty to eat.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
March 6, 7:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble-West, Madison. Launch of Garden Wisdom.

March 9-11. Canoecopia, Alliant Center, Madison. (Trade show for all things canoeing) I am speaking at 4:30 on Friday, March 9 and at 2:30 on Saturday, March 10. Steve will share Boundary Waters photos as part of Saturday’s presentation.

March 24. Launch of Garden Wisdom book at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Dinner at six. Contact the library for reservations: 920-622-3835. Presentation and book signing to follow.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum (Thornhill Education Center), Chicago area. Presentation on vegetable gardening, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Sunday, April 1, 1:30-3:30 features a vegetable gardening workshop, with tips on planting and caring for a vegetable garden. Additionally, Ruth will discuss preparing vegetables and fruits for canning and freezing.

April 12, 7:00 p.m. Mcmillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Garden Wisdom

April 13, 11:00 a.m. Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. Broadcasting at Fox Cities Book Festival. Garden Wisdom.

April 13, 2:00 p.m. Fox Cities Book Festival, Neenah. Garden Wisdom

Red Wing Water Cooler

A five gallon Red Wing water cooler sat on the edge of the sink at the Chain O’ Lake country school that I attended for eight years. An older student filled it each morning with water carried from the pump house just south of the school building, an every morning task no matter if it was 80 degrees or minus 20. The school building had no indoor plumbing, so carrying water was one of the many daily duties we students helped with.

At home a water pail sat at the edge of the kitchen sink, filled each day in the same manner as at school, except at home we drank from a dipper that hung on the side of the water pail.

The dull gray Red Wing water cooler was much, much fancier than a water pail. A shiny curved metal tube came out of the bottom of the cooler, and ended at a little metal bowl hanging over the sink. By pushing a button, water burst up from the bowl a couple of inches or more, depending on how much water there was in the cooler. As we might say today, how cool it was to be able to drink water this way.

This weekend we visited Red Wing, Minnesota and toured the former manufacturing plant for Red Wing Pottery, an enormous four-story brick building near the Mississippi River. Red Wing Pottery goes back to the 1870s, and some pottery is still made in Red Wing but on a much more limited scale and not in this old historic building. In addition to antique stores, and numerous shops and several restaurants, one can tour the pottery museum on the second floor of the building.

I have never seen so many pottery crocks, water coolers and assorted dinnerware. I couldn’t believe it when I learned that water coolers similar to the one at our country school now sell for between $1,600 and $2,000 dollars on the antique market. “And when one comes in, someone immediately buys it,” the woman at the antique store said.

I can picture that old schoolhouse water cooler in my mind as clearly as the first day I saw it in 1939. My memory is worth at least $2,000 I am telling myself.


THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Sometimes I don’t see as well as I think I remember.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

February 10, Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison. 6-8 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, signing copies of Garden Wisdom.

February 11. Janesville, Holiday Inn, noon luncheon speaker, FFA Alumni meeting.

February 12, Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison, 1-4 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, signing copies of Garden Wisdom.

March 6, 7:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble-West, Madison. Launch of Garden Wisdom.

March 9-11. Canoecopia, Alliant Center, Madison. (Trade show for all things canoeing) I am speaking at 4:30 on Friday, March 9 and at 2:30 on Saturday, March 10. Steve will share Boundary Waters photos as part of Saturday’s presentation.

March 24. Six p.m. dinner followed by presentation and book signing. at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Garden Wisdom.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum (Thornhill Education Center), Chicago area. Presentation on vegetable gardening, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Sunday, April 1, 1:30-3:30 features a vegetable gardening workshop, with tips on planting and caring for a vegetable garden. Additionally, Ruth will discuss preparing vegetables and fruits for canning and freezing.

April 12, 7:00 p.m. Mcmillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Garden Wisdom

April 13, 11:00 a.m. Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. Broadcasting at Fox Cities Book Festival. Garden Wisdom.

April 13, 2:00 p.m. Fox Cities Book Festival, Neenah Public Library. Garden Wisdom

More Weather Predictors

My last week’s discussion of old time weather forecasting caught the attention of several people who replied to my blog. One writer asked, in regard to wild bird behavior, “If birds crowded together on an electric wire, does that mean cold weather is on the way, and are they cuddling for warmth?” Could be. I must pay more attention to cuddling birds on a wire to affirm the suggestion.

Other weather predictors: red sky at night, sailor’s delight, red sky in the morning—bad weather within 24 hours. A ring around the moon usually means a major storm is on the way. Another weather predictor I learned from my father: watch the smoke coming from the chimney. If it rises, good weather at hand. If it trails downward, a storm is on the way. Last week, when I returned to the cabin from a short hike I smelled oak smoke and noticed the smoke from the kitchen chimney was hanging near the ground. Yup, it snowed that evening.

Send me your tried and true weather predictors, and I’ll share them.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Find some time to read a book. You might be surprised what you’ll learn.

CHECK THIS OUT: Steve Henry wrote a review of my Boundary Waters book for the Chippewa Herald. http://chippewa.com/news/opinion/columns/henry-outdoors-provides-an-invaluable-education/article_fa6a7830-46be-11e1-9692-001871e3ce6c.html

A REQUEST: Got any good family stories about early farming history in Wisconsin? I’m working on a new book about Wisconsin agricultural history. Contact me at jwapps@tds.net.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

February 10, Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison. 6-8 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, signing copies of Garden Wisdom.

February 11. Janesville, Holiday Inn, noon luncheon speaker, FFA Alumni meeting.

February 12, Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison, 1-4 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, signing copies of Garden Wisdom.

March 6, 7:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble-West, Madison. Launch of Garden Wisdom.

March 9-11. Canoecopia, Alliant Center, Madison. (Trade show for all things canoeing) I am speaking at 4:30 on Friday, March 9 and at 2:30 on Saturday, March 10. Steve will share Boundary Waters photos as part of Saturday’s presentation.

March 24. Six p.m. Launch of Garden Wisdom book at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Details coming.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum (Thornhill Education Center), Chicago area. Presentation on vegetable gardening, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Sunday, April 1, 1:30-3:30 features a vegetable gardening workshop, with tips on planting and caring for a vegetable garden. Additionally, Ruth will discuss preparing vegetables and fruits for canning and freezing.

Predicting The Weather

My dad, a life-long farmer, had an uncanny ability to predict the weather. After the evening chores were done in summer, he’d watch the sunset, note the direction of the wind, and proclaim what kind of weather we’d have for the next couple days. Quite important to know when you’re a farmer.

During the winter, he often predicted snowstorms and cold weather using even more subtle techniques than wind direction or the sunset. He’d say something like, “Big storm is coming, I can feel it in my bones.” I don’t know what he was feeling, but he was usually correct.

Dad has been gone for nearly twenty years, so I’m stuck with figuring out the coming weather on my own. Of course I could listen to radio weather reports and watch the fancy radar clouds march across the TV weather map while someone, with an overly confident voice predicts future weather. I do that of course.

But these days my surefire way to predict winter snowstorms is to watch my backyard bird feeder. Take last Thursday, the day before four inches of snow fell in our part of the world. The cardinals were especially busy, competing with each other, crowding each other away from the little trough of sunflower and other cardinal delectables.

Today, with the storm in the past, the bird feeder is quiet—except for a nosy squirrel trying to figure out why the birdfeeder closes when it crawls on the perch bar. But I keep watching the feeder. This time of the year another snowstorm is usually not too far in the future.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: The best thing to do when it snows is to let it snow.

CHECK THIS OUT: My website is updated. www.jerryapps.com

A REQUEST: Got any good family stories about early farming history in Wisconsin? I’m working on a new book about Wisconsin agricultural history. Contact me at jwapps@tds.net.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
February 10, Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison. 6-8 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, signing copies of Garden Wisdom.

February 11. Janesville, noon luncheon speaker, FFA Alumni meeting.

February 12, Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison, 1-4 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, signing copies of Garden Wisdom.

March 6, 7:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble-West, Madison. Launch of Garden Wisdom.

March 9-11. Canoecopia, Alliant Center, Madison. (Trade show for all things canoeing) I am speaking at 4:30 on Friday, March 9 and at 2:30 on Saturday, March 10. Steve will share Boundary Waters photos as part of Saturday’s presentation.

March 24. Six p.m. Launch of Garden Wisdom book at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Details coming.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum (Thornhill Education Center), Chicago area. Presentation on vegetable gardening, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Sunday, April 1, 1:30-3:30 features a vegetable gardening workshop, with tips on planting and caring for a vegetable garden. Additionally, Ruth will discuss plus preparing vegetables and fruits for canning and freezing.

Midwest Farm Show

They came from the north and from the south, from the east and from across the Mississippi River to the west. Farm people mostly. Those who had spent their years tilling the land and were now taking it a little easy. Those younger and actively farming. Kids and grand kids. Lots of kids and grandkids; trying to crawl up on the huge tractors and sneaking a peek behind the curtains. All coming to LaCrosse, to the Midwest Farm Show, one of the first of the season.
The 34th annual Farm Show held January 11-12 at the beautiful LaCrosse Center on the banks of the Mississippi.

They came to kick the tires of giant tractors, see modern milking equipment, talk with the dealers and the salespeople, learn about new farm buildings, and chat with friends and neighbors. If they arrived on Wednesday, they basked in 57 degree temperatures; if they came on Thursday, they drove in a snowstorm with temperatures struggling to reach the high teens.

A goodly number gathered each day to hear me remind them of what farming was like in an earlier day, before electricity and indoor plumbing when we milked cows by hand and lighted the barn with a kerosene lantern, talked on a party-line telephone and listened to a battery-powered radio.

A couple of days of contrasts—old and new ways of farming, and warm, near spring like weather abruptly replaced with a January snowstorm.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Try not to get ahead of yourself. And never forget where you’ve been.

CHECK THIS OUT: My website is updated. www.jerryapps.com

UPCOMING EVENTS:
February 10, Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison. 6-8 p.m.
Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, signing copies of Garden Wisdom.

February 11. Janesville, noon luncheon speaker, FFA Alumni meeting.

February 12, Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison, 1-4 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, signing copies of Garden Wisdom.

March 6, 7:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble-West, Madison. Launch of Garden Wisdom.

March 9-11. Canoecopia, Madison. (Trade show for all things canoeing) Scheduled speaking time not yet determined.

March 24. Six p.m. Launch of Garden Wisdom book at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Details coming.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum, Chicago area. Talk and workshop. Details coming.

January

January is:
A time for endings, and a time for beginnings.
A time to regroup and a time to reconsider.
A time to reflect and a time to revise.
A time to evaluate and a time to plan for the morrow.

January is a quiet month, when all of nature rests—
the trees and the grasses,
the wildflowers and the birds,
the animals and the pond creatures.

January is a month of great beauty,
of blacks and whites, and grays
and a sprinkling of green from the pines,
the firs and the spruces that dot the northern regions.

January is a time to listen for the silence,
when the cold tightens its grip,
turning breath into clouds and thickening the ice on the lakes,
When snow cover muffles all sound.


THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Take time to appreciate January.


UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 11 and 12. 12:30 each day. Midwest Farm Show, LaCrosse Center, LaCrosse, WI. Stories from the land.

February 10, Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison. 6-8 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, signing copies of Garden Wisdom.

February 11. Janesville, noon luncheon speaker, FFA Alumni meeting.

February 12, Garden Expo, Alliant Center, Madison, 1-4 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Press booth, signing copies of Garden Wisdom.

March 9-11. Canoecopia, Madison. (Trade show for all things canoeing) Scheduled speaking time not yet determined.

March 24. Six p.m. Launch of Garden Wisdom book at Patterson Memorial Library Wild Rose. Details coming.

March 31-April 1. Morton Arboretum, Chicago area. Presentaton and workshop. Details coming.