Picture of the Day for March 16, 2015

Critters and humans enjoyed the taste of spring the past week and we won’t like the return to normal temperatures. A pair of geese came to my pond yesterday and the seven kittens who were born on one of the coldest days in February (and needed a heat lamp to keep them from freezing) enjoyed the warm sunshine. But they better grow up fast as the chipmunk was on my porch this morning since he knows my cat died last year and feels safe to dig in my flower pots.

Box Full of Kittens

Box Full of Kittens

Picture of the Day for March 15, 2015

My weather predicting rodent says that snow has melted as he had been on top of rocks and stumps scouting this morning. It is the first appearance of the chipmunks and a sign spring is coming. But he kept looking towards my porch as I think he wants me to get my flower and garden pots out so he can dig the dirt out and uproot my flowers and eat my garden seeds.

Chipmunk Sees No Snow

Chipmunk Sees No Snow

Picture of the Day for March 14, 2015

In the late 1800s, towns could become a bit wild when Saturday evening came and the work week ended for many. Old logging towns became rowdy when brawling lumberjacks hit the town with their winter pay after months in the woods to spend it in local saloons and dance halls.

The town of Port Wing in northern Wisconsin was a sawmill town surrounded by a dozen logging camps so the local constable was kept busy when hundreds of lumberjacks hit the town. In 1896, this jail house was built with double walls of two inch solid white oak planking, one laid horizontally and one vertically; with wrought iron doors, windows and half inch thick hinges. It was used until the 1930’s.

Port Wing Old Town Jail

Port Wing Old Town Jail

Picture of the Day for March 8, 2015

Yesterday there were over 11,300 people at the ice caves near Cornucopia on the Lake Superior shore and probably more visitors coming today. That is way too crowded for me so smaller out of the way places would be more fun for me so it is quiet enough to hear the water trickling down the frozen slope.

Quiet Stream Leaving Devil’s Punchbowl

Quiet Stream Leaving Devil's Punchbowl

Picture of the Day for March 7, 2015

Many people are headed to the most northern city in Wisconsin with a post office to visit the ice caves near Cornucopia and by 8 am, a thousand visitors have started the hike across the ice this morning and will only get busier this weekend with the short window this year to see the caves. (There were 5,000 people by 1 pm).

When it comes to nature and beautiful scenery, I have to admit I don’t like to share the experience with thousands of people as it gets way too crowded for this country gal. So yesterday I took my mom to the Devil’s Punchbowl to see some ice formations (and even there, we weren’t alone but a less than a dozen people is better than thousands).

And while it didn’t take miles of walking to reach the destination, it did involve some slippery slopes and 111 or so very icy stair steps but we made it down and back without landing on our butts (but one college student wasn’t as lucky).

I normally try to take nature scenes without people, but then you don’t always realize the scale without a reference point (as my mom picks on me for shooting a very close up tickle of water running down the driveway because it looked like a huge river) so this shot has my mom in the picture for scale.

Devil’s Punchbowl Ice Formations

Devil's Punchbowl Ice Formations