A perfectly phantasmagorical thunderstorm, unpredicted and unexpected. The whole house lit up by continuous, strobe-like lightning, brighter and brighter, with a slowly increasing, steady rumble, like a heavy freight train coming at you.
I unplugged the computer.
But then the rumble faded and the pulsing diminished.
Only to come back an hour later, this time with wind and rain. Quite a bit of rain, I think.
And so a light-show broke the drought.
…and very dry as well.
Acorn shrapnel being dropped by the many squirrels enjoying our oaks
Very hot and dry. Morning spent taking Pax to the vet in J’ville for a little more back-end or behind the scenes work. On the plus side, no big problems.
Having a little more free time, as a result of current conditions, I volunteered to help the grocery coop struggling to be born in WW. And, I was assigned to PR. Oh, well. Here’s my first puff piece:
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Whitewater Grocery Company Transplanting It’s HQ
by Jim Nies
GroCo is moving to new digs.
As the new UWW Community Engagement Center (CEC) has begun coming on line, and as the pandemic has forced everyone into a more virtual existence, it just made sense to the GroCo Board to take advantage of the new opportunity across town.
The new Community Engagement Center, in the former Sentry building, is designed to be a bridge between the university and the community. It will offer office space, meeting rooms, class rooms, a community board room, and even an art gallery. As life comes back to normal it will be a place of programs, workshops, and informational gatherings.
According to Gina Elmore, UWW Human Resources Development Coordinator and manager of the facility, the CEC’s mission is to listen to requests from the community and then try to meet them. “It will be a place of collaboration, a bridge between communities. We want it to it to be the hub of people coming together,” she said.
Perfect place for a growing organization like GroCo, says Lacey Reichwald, Whitewater Grocery Company Board President.
A convergence of events—expiration of the lease at the Innovation Center, a need to go virtual for a while, and the opening of the CEC—all led to the decision to move.
For now, GroCo does not have physical office space, just storage space. But, as a member of the CEC, it does have access to all the other features of the facility, and these will be increasingly used as conditions permit.
GroCo has what’s known as a Community Organization membership, and will be sharing the CEC with other organizations, such as the Small Business Resource Center (SBRC).
There will be benefits to rubbing shoulders (touching elbows?) with other community organizations, like the SBRC) according to Reichwald. “We can collaborate on events and workshops for the community,” she says. It will permit a closer connection with UWW students and faculty. And, it will “definitely help us increase GroGo’s exposure.”
All of which promises to advance the time until the grand opening of Whitewater’s very own grocery store.
Good move.
…lunch in the park and a look at the new house.
Massive silver maple
Very unpleasantly warm and humid.
Long and continuing dry spell. But nothing compared to wild fires and hurricanes.
On a trail in a small Whitewater park.
Urban sandhills?
Basil has been bountiful. With four portions frozen, and one in current use, we should be well pestoed for a good while.
Our little local party has gone big, with a billboard.
So, pesto pasta for dinner, along with local grown, grilled tomato soup. (And a bit of steak. )
…on Turtle Creek, well southwest of here, found by random ramble on the way home from a Janesville errand.
Here’s another You Make The Call
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T F — QAnon followers believe that there is a secret cabal of evil people doing abominable things who control U.S. government and media.
T F — This clique includes, among others, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, George Soros, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Pope Francis, and the Dalai Lama.
T F — QAnon followers believe that, in addition to molesting children, members of this group kill and eat their victims in order to extract a life-extending chemical from their blood.
T F — In 2016 QAnon claimed that Hillary Clinton was operating a child sex-trafficking ring out of the basement of a Washington, D.C. pizza restaurant. In December of that year a man who said he was on the hunt for proof of child abuse was arrested after firing a rifle inside the restaurant.
T F — QAnon is just a handful of wackos on the fringe of social media.
T F — One QAnon follower was arrested in April and accused of threatening to kill Joe Biden.
T F — Several QAnon followers have been charged with domestic terrorism and planned kidnapping.
T F — The FBI says QAnon poses a domestic terrorism threat.
T F — According to QAnon, Trump was recruited by top military generals to run for president in 2016 in order to break up the cabal’s criminal conspiracy, end its control of politics and the media, and bring its members to justice.
T F — Nineteen Republican candidates who have embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory have secured spots on the November ballot.
T F — Recently Trump called QAnon follower Marjorie Greene, winner of a House primary runoff in Georgia, a “future Republican Star” and “a real WINNER!”
T F — When recently asked asked about QAnon, Trump did not question the truth behind the claims of the conspiracy movement. Instead, he offered his help, saying, “QAnon followers are people who love our country.”
Late summer dry.
Photo shot yesterday, when we did have some cloud
…move your feet. Heard that African saying last night, and liked it.
Tonight’s dinner—from the Farmers Market
And, it is time to move.
As Michelle Obama said last night:
”We’ve got to vote early, in person if we can. We’ve got to request our mail-in ballots right now, tonight, and send them back immediately and follow-up to make sure they’re received. And then, make sure our friends and families do the same.”
For those of us in Wisconsin, go to MyVoteWisconsin. Click on My Voter Info (gray box somewhat upper left) and check to make sure you are registered and that your address, and all other info, is correct. (Note: if you are not registered, register!) Then click on Vote Absentee (gray box somewhat upper right) to request a ballot be sent to you!
Do this no later than tomorrow sundown. Remind friends, family, neighbors to do the same. Spread the word on social media. We need to vote EARLY to clearly avoid the voter suppression onslaught that is coming after us. We need to vote as if our lives depend on it, because they do.
…after a morning walk in the woods and some games of cards.
All told, an excellent week up north, and a fine substitute for the annual Canada gathering.
But still two days packed into one.
Thanks to Mimi for some of the photos.
..to evening show and campfire.
…to evening skinny dipping.
And almost everyone in bare feet almost all the time.
Katy, doing her George Washington impersonation
…pizza delivered by water.
Heading out
Bringing back the goods
And then after dinner, a bit of a cool down.
…on a beautiful day.
Lots of everything—lightning, thunder, wind, and rain. Pax spent two hours in the basement, while I watched the swirling maelstrom.
Otherwise, prepping for another visit up Flambeau way.
``````````````````````````
Another ‘You Make The Call’
Which should be abolished?
☐ Seat belt when driving requirement
☐ Public venue indoor smoking prohibition
☐ Covid mask requirement in confined spaces during pandemic
☐ Law requiring cars to stop at red traffic lights
☐ Age requirement to buy liquor
☐ Fines for public urination
☐ All of the above
☐ None of the above
…actually on the front porch, facing west, where I can hear and see all that’s coming, without getting wet.
Sitting under an overhang watching a storm is one of my preferred activities.
Earlier in the day, although conditions were still heated, I got in a long ride. Sometimes when I get going on two wheels (with battery assist) I just never want to stop.
…and once again hot. One of us did a lot today—two cars cleaned, heirloom table sanded and stained, garden watered, etc. (Hint: it wasn’t me.)
Phlox (Phlox paniculata). Phlox means flame in ancient Greek.
Been reading this odd and oddly shaped book (which I think is super-octavo size, and this size for a reason that I should, but don’t, know). At first I wondered why I was reading it (especially at my age—Thoreau is a young man’s hero), but now I can’t stop.
It’s that time of year already. Just a few fireflies still rising in the dusk, and mosquitos now landing less frequently.
Days getting shorter, providing relief from what has been a hammering sun.
Setting up for neighbor dinner
Weekly spaced-out neighbor semi get-together, with takeout from the Black Sheep, a little upscale from our usual fare.
…since Hiroshima.
Whitewater, not Hiroshima
Here’s a link to a WP article on John Hersey, and his book Hiroshima, which we used to sell in Brainard’s Bookstore. Hersey was an amazing person, and his book, A Bell For Adano, is one of my all time favorites.
I recommend the article and Bell. Hiroshima should be a college graduation requirement.