….consuming about two feeder refills a day. This photo doesn’t show the frenzy.
They like it here because we try to buy food with ingredients birds like, which is not cracked corn. Nobody likes corn except the bird seed suppliers, and they like it because it’s cheap.
Light snow all day, but that didn’t stop us from breakfast at Natalie’s. In other news, today I graduated from physical therapy—almost as good as new.
…but only about 3 inches, so shoveling not too difficult.
To Madison on errands in spite of the weather.
…to experimental chicken coop for a project being undertaken by Ellie. We picked up the hutch on the far side of J’ville this afternoon, and will deliver it soon.
Above, kindling and faggots ready for the chiminea. Above freezing all day.
The dory is almost completely planked—garboard, broad plank, sheer strake.
Mostly bright, with temp just high enough to help shake some of the accumulated winter slush off the truck.
A coating of ice along with a dusting of snow back in Whitewater. Driveway and sidewalk treacherous.
Now a few photos from the past few days.
The view from a table in the Backwater Bar, where we stopped for a burger on the way home from the ski races. Seen here is a bend in the Wisconsin River, which, btw, is 420 miles long, from the UP-Wisconsin border to the Mississippi by Prairie du Chien.
A view of the marsh alongside Squirrel Lake.
A rather scenic driveway.
…and Katy skiing fast.
Huge crowd, with cars jammed everywhere. Nordic skiing is big, and very interesting.
…from the Dam Bar, out in the middle of nowhere. Lots of sleds parked outside, and lots of folks inside. Good food. Almost stuck in the driveway even with 4-wheel drive.
Able to get out, with 4-wheel drive, to the grocery, by late afternoon.
In Minocqua for a visit and a few projects. Winter storm warning for tomorrow, so travelled today.
First project—group effort to set up the new air hockey table.
…viewed with friends, B and C, in St Charles.
Reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic (programming practice). And a little work on the dory.
Below bottom planks, stem and stern.
…that would be Bri’s new Formlabs office in downtown Milwaukee. Amazing work environment…and kids play place.
Board meeting
…but still good to get out.
Busy at the bird feeder. Had to refill it twice.
…and ready to go…
For next project. A three-boat kit, moving from easy to semi-difficult. Boat one, a plywood dory. Boat two, a lapstrake Norwegian pram. Boat three, a plank on frame Muscongus Bay lobster smack, also known as a Friendship Sloop, one of my favorite boats. This could be a fun learning curve to follow. (I really enjoyed last year’s Chesapeake Bay skipjack, which had a steep curve.)
A light dusting of snow last night.
…followed by a meeting with the radical old democrats. Both a little painful, but probably worthwhile in the end.
Juniper
Colder, and windy.
Using the Swift programming language and a learning supplement called Playground.
Learning to use commands, functions, loops, and conditionals…so far. In the shot above I used a loop to execute an if-then-else conditional to move the character up and forward and to toggle on any switches that were set to off (a condition that varied).
Rather addicting. And now on to the Sphero Bolt robot!
BTW, Swift can control the Bolt (at a rather advanced point in the learning curve).
Spring-like day. Knee able to make a full revolution. Fun to actually get rolling.
Mobility. Although the big bike is still out of reach.
…for lunch and viewing of the new watery Avatar.
Quick review: extravagant, excessively violent, overdone, and overlong.
Lunch was good.
…weather, fit only for filling the bird feeder. Good day for reading.
Sage
…mundane, get-out-of-the-house mini adventures.
Felt a bit like a trip in an alternate universe. Destination: Aztelan Bar and Grill, just a mile north of the ancient mound site of the same name. With the sun breaking out, the landscape seemed unfamiliar. And the bar…I expected a little rustic place with maybe a few farmers holding down the bar stools. Instead, a rustic place with a huge interior noisily jam-packed with all kinds of people. And this in the middle of nowhere. The sandwiches were okay, but I didn’t much like the Bloody Mary.