Looks are deceiving

It sure looks like a nice fall day for golf, doesn't it? Yeah, sure, if you like hurricane winds. Had one shot, fifty yards right of the pin, land pin high after the wind worked it's magic. But, like they say, "A bad day golfing is better than a good day working." True'dat!

Power!

The power plant near Glen Park where the Kinni meets the South Fork.

Circa 1910

This puts the age of our house in perspective. This postcard image dates to three years after our house was built. The wide streets, so that horses could turn around with a cart behind, provided the space for the cool center island that runs the length of Main. Accidental aesthetics are the best.

Wabi Sabi

There is little to recommend the back side of most main streets. No exception to the rule on the east side of our Main. The west has the river and some effort to spruce up the waterfront. Don't get me wrong. It ain't no San Antonio; but, an effort is at least being made. The east side, though, is just plain ugly. The history has been vanquished, and what remains is little more than junk from the age when no one cared what downtowns looked like. Good luck finding the beauty in this picture (and don't just blame it on my camera (or me)).

Thrift Store

The G.T. Smith Building from 1916 now houses Treasures from the Heart, a great thrift store that benefits the local hospice program.

The Early 20s Lull

Hit the wall early, and have to resort to a picture of a beat-up and worthless front yard planter for today's photo. Damn that work and all the other things that suck up valuable time!

Ingram Center

Across the Maple Street Bridge is the Ingram Center a location of varied civic organizations and the community gardens. This odd arch sits at its rear. I'm new enough to town that I don't know the history of this yet. Are the shells local? Was this once the community hospital? Why did this merit preservation when so many other historical artifacts have gone by the wayside? Why is my camera set on super dark mode?

Walking Bridge

Great walking bridge downtown. Water is shallow, and it is always fun to see what the town thugs have tossed over the side. No bodies or anything, but we have seen a bike, a fishing rod, and a big chunk of concrete. New York's got nothing on us for excitement.

How to turn a penny into $15

The meters on Main Street our cheap. A penny gets you 12 minutes, and a dime two hours. But, beware, they watch these cheap meters, and, as I can attest, you can get tickets. We've been here a year, and I already have two. One for too long in a coffee shop with only a nickel in the meter, and the other for too long in the hardware store on a penny.

Disappearing

The Big River is another small river flowing to the Mississippi. It's origins lie in a series of pothole pasture lakes south of town, and it meanders for fifteen miles or so before it goes under the Highway 35 bridge. This antique bridge sits just north of that. It is one of those old bridges that should be forced to stay forever, but will probably be gone within a decade. Don't tell anybody, but the Big River is top-of-the-line fossil hunting grounds. Just let it be our secret.

Bonus Shot

My eight-year-old daughter was making some griping noises about not being featured on the Kinnickinnic Daily Photo Blog. Here she is with her winnings from a crane machine in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. She owned that machine, feeding in ten quarters, losing only twice. One time, she picked two animals at once. It might be her number one talent. When she loses, it usually means the machine is rigged with weak claws.

Music in the Park

We are a small college town, population 12,000 or so, with a great community sense. Friday nights are "Music in the Park" nights, and last night was the last night for the season. Temperatures are feeling fall-like, leaves are starting to change, birds are coming through on their way south. My favorite time of year by far. Good sleeping weather and the last respite before winter (and winter sucks).

Nip and Tuck

School starts in three days, and THEY said the bridge would be completed by the time school started. It is going down to the wire.

Mixed Emotions

State fair time across the border in Minnesota (we get nothing but Minnesota news way out here in western Wisconsin, so technically it is our fair). Combining the culinary train wreck that is Spam with the gift of the gods, cheese curds, could be a top ten historical sin. Did not try them, out of protest more than anything. They were probably good, for it takes more than congealed pork fat to ruin manna (depending on your Biblical interpretation, meaning "best choice of foods" in this instance).

Academy Playground

School building that houses the Renaissance Academy, a bunch of civic organizations, and the River Falls Public Montessori, a premier learning institution.

Like Midwesterners say...

..."There are only two seasons-winter and road construction." Some sort of concrete artifact from the Maple and Main construction projects.