Last time we met with friends Bob and Cathy was in March, 2020, at Yerkes Observatory. We were new to the idea of masks and social distancing. Today, a long walk to view sculpture in a park and then on the way home a stop for a Guinness at McNally’s(on the patio).
For dessert after lunch we had homemade Dutch baby.
…blowing away on a cold north wind.
But the daffodils remember warmer days and know better days are coming.
To Cedarburg to connect up with Abby, Katy, and Will as they swept down from their northern spring break for Will’s casting call.
…right here in the back yard. When we sit out on the back patio of an evening we share the space with sparrows, juncos, downy woodpeckers, chickadees and cardinals. Not to mention squirrels, our resident chipmunk, and the occasional rabbit, at a distance.
Earlier today, a gaggle of white pelicans on the Rock River.
A wonderful bird is a pelican.
His bill will hold more than his belican.
He can take in his beak.
Food enough for a week,
But I'm damned if I see how the helican.
—Ogden Nash
…and hang on to your hat.
A mostly enjoyable semi-hemi-bi-annual chore, always interesting. The most amazing thing is the contrast between the vast input and the very different and very small output three years later.
In the wind department—another vast blast, but this time from the direction just opposite of yesterday’s gale, and, being from the south, bringing the warmest temperature in many months.
…March winds. Cold and eye-watering up wind, delightful down, jarring from the side—when riding.
…otherwise known as CRISPR. An ancient way for bacteria to fend off and immunize themselves against viruses—and now the basis of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system that has given us the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
All of which is the basis of the new book I’m reading, The Code Breaker, by Walter Isaacson. A bit of a mix of People Magazine and Scientific American. The pure science is fascinating. The competition to commercialize and the patent wars, not so much. The bio-ethics or gene editing and designer babies stuff mind bending.
I think the last few chapters could be the best part—where RNA meets Covid 19. We’ll soon find out.
…part 3. The chickens are fine! No bumble foot! Just poopy foot. And after a clean-up and a good soak in chlorhexadene all is well.
…you check them out. Apparently today’s chickens have bumble-foot, a bacterial infection, and need to be returned to the vendor. Moral: ???
Last night’s blog included a photo of the baby chick tub at the local True Value, where I went to grab a bag of potting soil for my 30 shagbark hickory seeds. Little did I expect that anyone would find the photo to be of interest.
However, Abby, the chicken expert, noticed it, and immediately asked me to go buy some. Apparently covid has disrupted the baby chicken supply, and chicks are hard to come by. Her standing order has been pushed back into late April.
So at 8 a.m. this morning I was at the hardware store shopping for birds. I bought four of them. I think I bought two buff orpingtons, one ameraucana, and one silver-laced polish—though the last one was supposed to be a silver wyandotte, or something like that.
Next step was to keep them alive and deliver them to the chicken farm in Cedarburg.
Note: the birds were alive and chirping when delivered.
…and a powerful March wind.
Whitewater Lake
True Value Hardware. I didn’t buy any.
And 30 shagbark hickory seeds planted in peat pots. The nuts were locally gathered, chilled in the garage over winter, and passed the ‘float test.’ (They all sank.) I am therefore, optimistic we will have seedlings to spare of these great native trees.
…and damp, and and now, a little much needed rain.
…with the Nies kids, then a picnic lunch at Fowler Park.
And then, there was ice cream!
…on the second day of spring. Even though we are quite dry in these parts.
The prairie could use a burn, but too dry and windy for such a thing today.
And, speaking of basketball, my bracket is totally busted. The Big Ten has bombed out.
Daylong gathering and then evening party at the Janowiec’s in Cedarburg.
Afternoon of hauling stuff from O’wock Nies abode to storage unit.
Photo taken yesterday at Roger’s barn
Because…a rolling stone…
…in fact, rather extreme March winds, dropping branches here and there.
Blowing in the wind
Meanwhile, iceboats to the barn for their long summer’s nap.
…toward their summer home on a chilly, rainy day.
Photo above by a fellow named Baumgarten and sent by Murray and Elaine.
NCAA tournament brackets filled out.
…to snow on the driveway. On the up side, we missed the snowfall, and it will be gone tomorrow.
Hellebore does not mind a little setback, either.
…as the giant white pine is affectionately known. And then, 3 big red pines proving that some trees enjoy close company.
Sal and Glenn off this morning after world famous waffles, and with vivid memory of last night’s Sequence match in which one gender failed miserably.
At the Little Bohemia Lodge, where the Dillinger gang met the FBI, in Manitowish Waters.
And this evening a couple of pizzas from the Flame restaurant around the flame here in the cabin.