Why tree stumps are good.

Shortly after we moved in, I started drilling a couple of holes in some old tree stumps in hopes to speed the rotting process, and thusly, the removal process. A neighbor commented on a chemical I could dump in the holes to further speed that process along. Now I wish I hadn't even drilled the holes. Look at this beautiful polypore that is taking up residence. Both stumps have them, and there are three other species growing on or between the stumps. What a great summer for fungi!

Our Alley

No setback laws existed back in the early 1900s, but they do now. Any work you might want to do can only be repair work on these old buildings. New ones would have to go in at least fifteen feet from the alley, and, in our case, that would chew up most of our backyard. We had the inspector out, and he go a good chuckle out of the 1970s metal building attached to the 1907 wood garage behind, concrete floor in the old part (albeit heaving up and down) and dirt floor (with carpeting) in the front.

It's got the feeling of sub-par...

...written all over it. Something about the late heat, coupled with the huge winds and rain we've had, lead me to believe the colors will be somewhat mediocre this year. We have our fall photo shoot scheduled with our daughter next week. Here's hoping we can find the color.

Friday Night Lights

Would the modern day UWRF football team be able to beat this group of toughs? Half the team looks like Jim Thorpe's brother and the other half looks like they just got done plowing. Of course the average weight then was probably 180 and today, about 260. Advantage: Now.

At least someone used it

Went out back to try to take a picture of the bugs swarming at the hummingbird feeder, but it was nearly impossible. I got stung twice by yellow jackets, and those stupid little Japanese beetles were biting me the entire time. Our hummingbird feeder was a flop this year. One early fall hanger-on came through for a couple of days, and that was it. Last year, after we moved in, we had dozens---rubies, emeralds, you name it we had it. This year, one little ruby and that was that. And, as to those Japanese beetles; I don't remember them when I was a kid. We had lady bugs, and they did not bite. Now you have to discriminate. Is it safe to let the little bugger crawl on you or not? I love lady bugs, but I hate them Japanese beetles.

Since we're on the subject of tombstones

Another one to add to the great debate over whether or not stones in Cottage Grove and River Falls came from the same source. By highway, there's some distance between us, but going down the Kinni to the St. Croix and then up the pass through St. Croix Bluffs Park, we could darn near be sister cities. Going to head to the library today to do some digging. Doggone Slinger has got me all distracted now.

Bonus-Cliff Mine

Perhaps one of the best places for true cemetery afficianados---the Cliff Mine Cemetery up in northern Michigan. No people around, a hike to get here, and, once done looking at the stones, rock piles to go hunt for native copper. Beautiful!

Only the Good Die Young

I'm a big fan of graveyards. Besides the art of the stones, and the interest in the rocks that were used to make them, cemeteries are tremendously tranquil and a great telescope into the past. One of the saddest things about the olds stones is how many kids died young. We were at a cemetery in Utah, and there was a string of four stones, all kids from the same family who died within a year of five. It leads me to wonder the circumstances of their death. Disease? Starvation? Parents? Many sad tales at the graveyard.