Late for The Fall Crawl, I thought all the good Artful Bowls might be taken. With 500 bowls at the start, there were still plenty of beautiful ones to choose from. Mine was lovingly made and signed by Ginger from Waukesha South.

Community members create all these wonderful works of pottery which are sold to raise money for Art Links, a studio serving adults with disabilities (many of the bowls were made by them). After purchase the bowls are filled with a soup choice or, new this year, ice cream donated by local restaurants. Though it would have been nice to be lured into a variety of shops with the offer of different soups or ice creams at each, I can see where it might've been a little messy or expensive. I enjoyed one warm bowl of vegetable and took advantage of the complimentary bowl wash.

I ate at a table already occupied by a mature couple. Their name tags told me they were helping with ACAP (Adaptive Community Approach Program), and their ice cream told me they were about done for the night. Turns out I was talking to the parents of a certain former county executive. Parents of a community-minded individual giving back to the community themselves as volunteers is a good reflection on them. They're likely a main reason Dan is as successful as he is. 

Speaking of parents of good kids... After soup at Art Links I walked up Main to see what else was going on, stopping at Martha Merrell's. Noticed a little display still up from a recent book signing. The last name looked familiar, yet just unusual enough to be rather unique to this area. The author, Bob Kascht, is from Waukesha and I wondered if he is the dad of Retzer's naturalist. Norm thought he was, but paging through the book we couldn't find mention or see a single picture of Larry. I bought the book. He is.

The book Good Genes, Luck, Lots of Prayers is a fairly humorous memoir of Mr. Kascht's life on the farm, as a doctor and everything in between. It's interesting to me because it gives a little background to a gentleman I greatly admire, Larry, and was written with much help from a Waukesha teacher I admire, Jackie. I haven't finished the book yet, but already know that dad has as much appreciation of nature as son.

Besides good parents raising good kids, another connection between these two sets of parents? Bob's son is a naturalist at Retzer and ACAP, of which Dan's mom is president, does a lot of volunteering at Retzer - they made the yummy caramel apples for Apple Harvest Festival.

Before heading home I wanted to check out the new art supply store at 375 W Main, Masterpiece Art Supply. There I found interesting tools, art kits and such, as well as donated items for the silent auction to support five art crawls a year. The mayor and his lovely wife were in attendance as was new, abstract photographer, Jennifer Anderson. She displays a mastery of her SLR digital camera and offers a wide variety of some of the least expensive, most beautifully framed artwork in the city. It was a pleasure meeting her and I'll be looking forward to seeing her work in a gallery someday soon.

The weather was Prima. Thousands of happy people came to Retzer Nature Center to celebrate the apple harvest with a Royal Gala... or a Honey Crisp, Cortland or Molly's Delicious.

We started the day by slicing hundreds of apple pies and crisps, and had people asking for it before we were done at 9:00 a.m.. After that it was a steady stream of customers, which soon stretched out the door and down the hall. I felt the prices were very fair for what they got, and happily took their money until I was relieved as cashier around 1:00. 

I bought a slice to experience the sweet taste of accomplishment, and it was good. It was nice to see everyone enjoying the pies that so many people worked hard to produce.(They were baked right there at Retzer.) Apple Jam also entertained the folk with folk tunes while they ate their caramel apples and pie slices.

The scarecrows this year were great!

Wagon rides only a buck.

I bought a selection of the largest apples I could find among the 50 or so varieties. All the apples could be purchased for 50 cents each, or by the peck or half-peck, except Honey Crisp were a dollar, and they sold out first. The largest apple I could find was the 20 Ounce Pippin, a good baking apple.

I'll be selling apple pie slices from 9:00 to noon next Saturday the 20th at Retzer Nature Center's 22nd Annual Apple Harvest Festival, and you're invited to buy some. Keep me busy.

Last year the weather was great and a good crowd turned out for this applicious event. There will be all sorts of crafts for kids, horse drawn hayrides, planetarium show, over 50 varieties of apples and cider.  A couple of concerts are lined up: Folk group Apple Jam from 11:00 to 1:00 and Celtic ensemble Tairis from 2:30 to 4:30. There also will be Johnny Appleseed, scarecrows, essay and apple pie judging and a silent auction.

The fest runs from 9:00 to 5:00 and food will be available all day. Because the apple prices are relatively low, many varieties of those and the cider ran out last year. Get there early. 

Retzer is at the west end of Madison Street just before it intersects with DT. The number is 896-8007. Admission is $5.00, unless you're volunteering, (and they're still looking for a few of those too.)

Yesterday was almost perfect; the weather sunny and calm, many things are in bloom, not too hot or cold and no bugs. This is a great time to welcome the birds that were away for so long. There's cute baby bunnies hopping around the yard lately, and there's just a couple huge bees busily polinating around the house.

Once again I was able to avoid yard work so Sir Fido had time to take me for a walk. Of the three rummage sales we encountered, two were closing for the day, and we fortunately didn't come home with any more junk. He loves the walks as much as I do; while he's eagerly checking out every scent like a curious child, I'm enjoying the people I meet and nature I encounter. 

The Waukesha Farmer's Market opened for the season yesterday with live music, give-aways, police and fire departments and lots of delicious food. Because I put so much thought into some hanging baskets attracting more bees, all I left with was a sturdy cloth shopping bag full of fliers, however. The market has come a long way. When I had produce myself to sell 25 or so years ago, we just went down to the river on Saturday and set up a table. There was little advertisement and few customers. Take a look now and you'll see all kinds of food, plants, handmade things... and lots of community support and advertising. Many downtown businesses have taken an interest in the market now because, thanks to the BID and stall charges, word is getting out, there is variety and freshness, and people are coming.

The Pewaukee River Run was finally held yesterday - the water too high in April when it was originally scheduled. It was fun seeing canoes and kayaks full of people wildly paddling toward Frame Park on the Fox. Hopefully no one piled their boat into a river obstruction, of which there are quite a few.

North picked a great day for it's prom. At the grand march we saw hundreds of teens in their finest, my son and his girlfriend among them. The gym was packed with enthusiastic parents, relatives and friends for the introductions and prom court selection. After the march a dozen or more limos were among vehicles used to transport the juniors and seniors to the PAC  Milw. for a night of music, food and fun.

The best part of the day for me was waking up at 4:50 in the morning because that meant HOT AIR BALLOON SEASON HAS STARTED! Two balloons launched from a field next to Boomer's Pub in Pewaukee and headed south-west with me driving one of the chase vehicles. They both landed in the area of Wern Valley Sportsmens Club, a beautiful area with lots of birds and farmland. The couple in our balloon were a pleasure to meet - very friendly and funny - and it was their wedding anniversary. The light wind was so perfect for their flight, taking them over Retzer Nature Center and much wildlife. What a great way to celebrate 22 years of marriage.

I was enjoying a quiet walk in the woods at Retzer Nature Center today. It felt good to slow down and notice things that were buried under snow not that long ago. So many shades of green... It would have been a lot quieter had it not been for the howling wind and squeeks of bending trees rubbing against one another. I had stopped to listen to all the sounds and moments later heard something unexpected. A dead pine tree came crashing down in the area I had just come from.

It was the Earth Day Extravaganza at Retzer, one of my very favorite times to be there. The weather had been nicer other years and it kept the crowd down, but plenty of people still enjoyed the day's free activities.

After lounging in the comfortable planetarium chairs for the "Journey to the Stars" show, I joined many others for Ken Lonnquist's concert. Ken is not only a good singer, songwriter and musician, but he also involves and interacts with the audience in a unique way. He had whale songs and earth songs. Recycling, ridiculous and rhyming songs. After he sang a song about photosynthesis, one of the kids, who happened to be dressed in a "caped crusader" outfit, became "Photosynthesis Boy" for the rest of the concert.    

Every performer has stage presence, but with Ken half the entertainment was watching him interact with the kids. He ad-libbed unique rhyming songs for the kids and not only made funny animal sounds but made us repeat them. Ken seemed to really be in his element -- comfortable around crowds and nature. I'd recommend seeing him if ever there's another chance.

Before stopping for a couple toasted marshmallows I wandered the woods. I guess I never realized that the headwaters of Brandy Brook is in Retzer. Brandy Brook runs to Pebble Creek which joins the Fox River. The Fox River begins near Menomonee Falls and joins the Illinois river before heading to the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico.

I also never realized what an odd feeling it is to look up at swaying 100 foot tall pines while stumbling forward through the woods. Try it sometime.       

I have to compare yesterday's crane count to fishing. Sometimes you don't see any, but the day is never wasted. Plus, a bad day of crane counting is still better than a good day at work.

The weather wasn't too cold for the start of Earth Week and the 5:30 a.m. start of the Annual Midwest Crane Count, though a few raindrops fell. My son accompanied me and we saw lots of deer, some turkeys and even a bluebird. We hiked around in the woods and saw the sunrise together. Even though we didn't see any cranes, hanging out in nature is not something we do enough of and the day wasn't wasted. Today, the same son would have gone canoeing with me down the Fox if I hadn't totalled the canoe earlier and if the Wauk. Parks canoe trip hadn't been cancelled due to the danger of high water.

Because I used to work weekends, and because of the coordinator's ACT tests last year, yesterday was the first time we were able to get together with others for breakfast after the count at the Machine Shed. Sara and her family were there as were several other counters, including first time Waukesha counter Kathy, who used to count in Central Wisconsin. It was interesting to hear how long the others have been doing the count, where they count, how many they saw, and why they are doing it. Sara, our coordinator, has parlayed her experience and devotion into a $5000.00 scholarship to Northland College in Ashland and will continue to lead our count from there as she increases her knowledge of the natural world.

There's a nice front page article in today's Sunday Journal Sentinel on the quest to reintroduce a second migratory population of whooping cranes in North America. Whooping cranes are the rarest cranes in the world and what we're doing in our count somehow helps in their reintroduction. Wherever sandhill cranes live, so whooping cranes can. By noting shifts in sandhill populations due to food, development or whatever, we are also helping tell the International Crane Foundation how successful their efforts at reintroduction could be. We're not just counting sandhill cranes any more. Sure, we're watching for a rare whooper, but we're also watching for leg bands, radio collars, and certain behavior... Are cranes exhibiting mating behavior or are they all males?  Are they guarding their territory or are they passing through? It all means something to someone. Getting out in nature on an early morning means a lot to me. 

I squeezed in one last crosscountry ski trip to Retzer on one of my "spring" break days off yesterday. Still snow everywhere but of varying quality. Still beautiful though. One thing some people have realized, with Retzer's rolling landscape and open fields, it can be a good place to play in the snow.

Seeing a pair of sandhill cranes fly over Grandview Blvd. Saturday reminded me that the Midwest Annual Crane Count is just a month away. The crane count always coincides with Earth Week. Being at Retzer Nature Center reminded me to look into the free Earth Week activities - this year between April 20th and 26th. I also signed up for the April 20th Waukesha Parks canoe outing, where we sometimes see or hear cranes, on the Fox River this year but changing location next. Register for the canoe trip before 4/14 by calling 896-8007.

This year's crane count is Saturday morning, April 19th, between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m. (the snow might be melted by then). Cranes are a most interesting bird and the world's oldest known bird species. Last year 81 cranes were counted in Waukesha County, one or two by me. I'm looking forward to this year's count and will let you know how it goes.

As in the Bill Murray movie of the same name, this Groundhog Weekend was the same as last year's; Mom had a birthday and celebrated it at the Original Pancake House on Bluemound, went to Retzer's annual Wild Winter Night Activities, and wrote about both in the blog as I'm doing now. 

I love my mom - Happy Birthday Mom! 

The Pancake House is great - friendly staff and best tasting, most generous pancakes and crepes. And I love Retzer Nature Center - there's always something new and interesting to see, hear, make, taste...

Unlike the movie, yesterday's visit to the Pancake House was not the same as the one before -- it was better. We were seated right away, and one person who knew us seemed disappointed we weren't seated in his section. I had the potato pancakes which filled the large plate and came with sour cream and apple sauce. I also enjoyed a side of bacon which was thick-sliced and not too fatty. No singing, no candles, just a good time. 

I love Retzer and often visit when it's free of charge, which is most of the time. I didn't mind splurging two dollars on the Winter Night Activities, however, because there's so much good stuff going on. I saw the planetarium show, made a craft, got a tattoo, ate a roasted marshmallow and drank hot chocolate, went on a night hike in the woods looking for owls, and could have had free use of snowshoes. The best part of the evening was seeing the dozen or so kids crowding around Larry as he dissected an owl pellet and passed out various mouse bones found therein to eager waiting hands. What a great teaching moment there in the middle of a dark and snowy pine wood!  How do they do it? Many friendly volunteers help make it possible.

Dug the cross country skis out to get a better look at the hoarfrost, or whatever it is, that covered every needle and twig today. Had such a good time at Retzer yesterday that I decided to do it again. I covered the same territory and trails as yesterday but had even more fun on skis.

As much fun as it was silently gliding through new snow, the best reward came when I was able to help someone who was lost. It was about 20 minutes till sundown and I was close to the woods after completing the outer hiking loop when I met him. A small boy of maybe 8 or 9 was heading south, alone, away from the woods. I looked around, knew he wasn't walking toward anyone because I just came from that direction. I didn't know if he couldn't talk because he was bundled up so tightly, or because he knew he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. At any rate, he kept walking and wouldn't answer my questions, though I did hear him whimpering just a little. However, he was smart enough to change direction when I told him to not keep walking in that direction.

OK, the kid's lost. Don't panic. Stay with him until he's found but don't frighten him any more than he already is. Start walking toward the Center. Stop. Listen. "Did you hear that?" Someone is yelling from the woods below us. Whistle. Is that them? Will they know it's us? Stay with the kid. Let them come to us. Yes, it's them. Hallelujah!

Being a parent myself who's lost track of children in stores, I was glad I immediately recognized the situation. Retzer close to dark in winter is no store. The good feeling I got from helping in a time of panic stayed with me the rest of the day. Please be careful.

Say what you will about all the shoveling, slippery roads and walks, but you have to admit yesterday's snow was beautiful. There was no controversy over closing schools. The main roads weren't too bad, the snow not too heavy. It wasn't too cold and wasn't blowing. It was perfect snowman weather and quite a few have been added to the neighborhood population.

With little wind, large flakes and temps in the low 30s, the snow attached itself to virtually every available surface, no matter how small. 

After taking the blog for a walk around the neighborhood this morning, I took the opportunity to visit Retzer Nature Center with my camera. The trails, including my favorite in Brown's Fen, were still covered in loose, deep snow and I wished I'd spent the $5.50 to rent snowshoes. Or at least wore decent snow boots, all I had were shortie boots. I got wet but not cold.

Today, Saturday, was a good day to be at Retzer. The landscape, beautiful. No hurries or worries. Listening instead of tuning out. Seeing instead of looking away. A good way to recharge after the two month commercial known as Christmas.  

An hour long laser light show set to clasic rock music for $4.00? At Retzer Nature Center? In the Planetarium? I couldn't believe it either. I heard about it after I picked up the Horwitz Planetarium event schedule while at Apple Harvest Fest. They made it sound good. "The Legends of Rock and Roll" Special Event. "Join us for a sound and laser light show experience featuring Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Van Halen, ZZ Top, Pink Floyd & more."

I didn't know what to expect because it was so unlike a planetarium. I've never known the facility to be used for anything other than stargazing. My feeling was they were going to sneak some stars in there somewhere and there probably wasn't a real laser. Wrong! This was the most exciting laser light show since Blue Oyster Cult. Only there wasn't one laser - there were two.

We must have listened to and watched 20 songs, almost every one by a different band. The digital sound was great and the colors and choreography wonderful. The comfortable chairs relaxing.

The planetarium doesn't own the laser, it was renting it for shows during Apple Fest this last weekend. The laser rock show tonight was the last time it will be used before going back, but may be rented in the future.

The next real planetarium show is Thurs. Oct. 4th at 7:00 p.m. The program marks the 50th anniversary of Sputnik and, like the excellent movie I saw Sunday "In the Shadow of the Moon," reviews the history of the space program and the space race with the Russians to the moon. The program will be followed by an outdoor public skywatch. There's about 11 different programs and 6 public skywatches listed in the latest planetarium brochure, all of them interesting, but none as unique as tonight's laser show.

I couldn't imagine better weather than we had here for the last day of summer Saturday. Golden delicious! The delicious weather brought out thousands of people to Retzer Nature Center's 21st Annual Apple Harvest Festival. I was real glad to see the people too, even though it made for more work for me in the food tent, because some things are just too good to not share.

I must've poured a hundred cups of cider, constantly moving to restock all beverages, and never got stung by a yellow jacket, (wish some of the young kids in attendance could say the same.) Besides a game of tag with the yellow jackets, the children's craft area, scarecrow display and musicians were very popular. The wagon ride had a long line as did the apple pie area.

I guess one could judge the success of the fest by how much was left at the end. I really don't know what all was left at the end because I wasn't there and didn't ask, but in my brief survey of the situation I noticed the apple pie slices were gone, the cider sold out and the 62 varieties of apples down to about 12. And I was thinking about purchasing 4 gallons of cider!

I would've loved to help clean up after the festival ended at 5:00, but I put in my three hours and hot air balloons were calling. Since this is my first year regularly hot air crewing, I'm not sure how long the season lasts, or if there even is a season. I was just happy to have the opportunity to help on the last day of summer.

Crewing went just as great as Apple Fest. A total of four balloons launched together in Monches and floated an hour toward north east to touch down in Hubertus. An ultralight fly-in was going on in the area and they seemed to have the time of their lives flitting around the four huge colorful balloons. The hilly wooded area around Holy Hill, where we were chasing, is starting to get really pretty with the new color in the trees. It was a joy to be there and it was nice to be needed. It was nice to be needed there. My family understands.

It turns out the couple who went up in our balloon were celebrating their 23rd wedding anniversary that very day. A huge surprise. Scheduling around the weather and availability usually means flights don't necessarily go up when you'd like. Sometimes a year or two can go by if there's many weather cancellations. So we see a lot of first-time fliers but not a lot of birthdays or anniversaries unless by chance. This one was their anniversary. I don't know how they planned it that way.

There will be over 60 varieties of apples, not counting the music group Apple Jam, at the 21st Annual Apple Harvest Festival this Saturday the 22nd at Retzer Nature Center. In my last blog I mentioned that I'd happily grill for a big crowd again. I may get another chance as I'll be volunteering in the food tent from 11:30 to 2:30.

Apple Fest is the one time of the year that admission is charged at Retzer, and the $5.00 per car is well worth the money. There are crafts for kids going on all day. Horsedrawn hayrides from 11:00 to 3:00. Plenty of other entertainment plus vendors selling natural and handmade crafts and food. My favorite is the apple cider which is sold at a decent price, and the very large apples which I purchase individually to get the most variety.

If the weather is poor Saturday, come right out to Retzer. If the weather is nice Saturday, finish mowing the lawn, then come out to Retzer. Apple Fest is running 9:00 till 5:00. Retzer is at S14-W28167 Madison St. (Take Madison St. straight west from Waukesha until it ends at Retzer.)

Stop in for a piece of pie and say hi.

I was curious enough yesterday to ride my bike to Retzer Nature Center for the last showing of "Hubble Vision II" at the Charles Z. Horwitz Planetarium, part of the Earth Day Extravaganza activities. The sky show was educational and the Hubble pictures superb, but even more curious was seeing Mrs. Horwitz there also. It kind of felt like buying a telescope and running into Mr. Hubble. I learned from her as much as I could about her husband and discovered we both had lived in the same neighborhood for over 20 years. What's more curious; learning they lived in the same neighborhood, or living there 20 years and not knowing?

Had an interesting conversation with a craft demonstrator when at Machine Shed for brunch today. I'd never seen a demonstrator there - and he said he's been there Sundays for six years in the off-winter. He asked if I'd seen the Waukesha section of the Sunday Journal Sentinel. Curiously, that happened to be the one section of the paper that I had right in my back pocket. Laurel Walker had done a column on the Intergenerational Folk Art Fair offered by Waukesha County's Retired Senior Volunteer Program today. The artist I met, Tom Hill, was mentioned in the column along with his wife Betty. Tom and Betty create beautiful baskets out of pine needles and sweetgrass in the Seminole Indian tradition. Tom taught himself the skill about 10 years ago and knew the answers to all the questions, as one would have to when teaching children as they do.

My kids have been to these Intergenerational Folk Fairs at school in the past and have loved them. I can see their point. Tom is warm and knowledgeable and has an interesting skill with a pretty good story. He makes beautiful and inexpensive baskets that would make great Mother's Day gifts.

If you'd like to know more about Tom and Betty's baskets, send me an email and I'll put you in touch or stop by the Machine Shed any Sunday.

The St. William spring rummage begins in two hours, 8:00 to 6:00 today and Friday, and 8:00 to 3:00 Saturday. I'm stopping after work today because I saw something I must have, but the usual day I prefer is Saturday when everything is discounted.

Fiday, May 4th, from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m., will be St. William's 50th Anniversary Sock Hop. With music provided by the Doo-Wop Daddies, the $15.00 tickets include free beer, soda, and pizza. The Waukesha Old Car Club will make an appearance, there will be a silent auction and a raffle. Children's tickets are only $5.00.

Also, I know they asked people to register, but the free Birds of Prey show at Retzer Nature Center is tonight, Thursday, starting at 7:00. Many more things are happening this Earth Week at Retzer, especially Saturday, so if you want to get outside and have a good time, at no cost, give them a call at 262-896-8007 or stop by.

Hope to see you there.

You can't squeeze environmental awareness into one day so, around here, Earth Day stretches between two weekends and probably more. There's the canoeing today with the county park people and lots of stuff during the week and next weekend at Retzer Nature Center. Also, I can't fail to mention what Waukesha County citizens do for the earth every day, or at least should. Recycle.

The weather was beautiful Saturday and there were at least three things I wanted to do; Les Paul look-alike judging at the Waukesha County Museum at 9:00; open house at the Waukesha County Recycling Facility at 10:00; and the Pewaukee Area Arts Council's Showcase of Art at Steinhafels at 11:00, so I rode my bicycle.

I would encourage everyone to tour the recycling facility on Prairie Ave. if they have the chance. Our tour group was eager to learn all we could. We were told everything about recycling, from tipping the truckload of commingled bottles, cans and paper to seeing finished products made of recycled material. One interesting fact I learned is that iron ore is such a limited resource that all the steel products we see today contains at least a bit of recycled.

Paper or plastic? I'm not picky when asked that question at Pick 'N Save so I have a little fun and say "whatever makes you happy," or "whichever is more environmentally friendly," I reuse both type bags at my home. When the bagger chooses it's almost always plastic. Plastic is cheaper to produce and transport and a lot easier to carry groceries in, especially when it's wet out, but it doesn't break down easily in nature and it's made from petroleum. Paper is made using petroleum but it doesn't cause a problem with the machines at the recycling plant and it breaks down in the weather. Paper or plastic? As long as both are offered, there's still a place for both, but don't add plastic bags with your other recyclables, it just causes problems.

Waukesha County's Materials Recycling Facility is profitable. I just read in yesterday's Freeman that this year the participating communities will get back $725,000 for the waste that would have gone to a landfill if we didn't have the facility. I got 75 cents a pound for my aluminum cans the last time I turned them in myself. The recycling facility sometimes gets up to 90 cents a pound for aluminum. And it really doesn't take many cans to make a pound, maybe fifteen or so.

It's a great time of the year: more daylight and less cold, grass greening and spring flowers trying to bloom. Yesterday we saw or heard finches, robins, crows, sparrows, bluejays, cranes, ducks, geese, swallows, red-winged blackbirds, turkeys and, because Nick and I canoed North Lake, a loon, heron and gulls. And those are just the few that we can identify - there were many others.

When I'm freezing in winter I think about this time of year. Next Sunday is Earth Day or, to be politically correct, "Environmental Awareness Day," and we'll be joining many other canoeists and kayakers for a Waukesha County Park System-sponsored paddle down the Fox River if the weather cooperates. A week from next Saturday, the 28th, Earth Week is celebrated in an extravaganza at Retzer Nature Center. A major ingredient to the festivities at Retzer in the coming weeks is most everything is free. The hikes, concert, planetarium, smores around the campfire. All free.

Even more than Earth Day, I look forward to the weekend before or, more specifically, yesterday. For the last seven or so years I've taken part in the Annual Midwest Crane Count, which was yesterday, the 14th. Hundreds of counters in several midwest states are at specific sites from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. on the same day. There's seventeen sites in Waukesha County and I've had the same one every year, which is OK with me because I think mine is best. I also think everyone probably thinks their site is the best one too.

I first got involved with cranes in 1999. I spent a week trying to identify some unusual sounding birds I'd seen flying over the house. I called the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, stopped at the library and talked to several people. As soon as I determined the birds I'd witnessed were cranes there was a Sunday Journal article on hunting them. Now, I know there's a lot of meat on a crane, but I thought it ridiculous to hunt a bird so rare that I didn't even know what they were and many people I talked with didn't know for sure either. In the article, the justification for hunting these magnificent animals is that they eat seed corn. Of course the article was side-by-side with another article picturing a huge pile of corn on the ground because the farmers were producing more than they could store in grain silos or buildings.

We've been lucky with the weather for the count. It's always chilly but every time it's rained it's always stopped by sunrise. This was the first year snow was still on the ground.

One doesn't have to be good at math to be a crane counter. The most we ever counted at my site was three or four. Sometimes I'd only hear them and one year not even that. (This year we saw one and heard another.) Being out in nature is never a total loss, even if we don't see or hear cranes there are lots of other critters to entertain us. Yesterday we saw seven deer as we left our car and saw many additional. Turkeys are also fun to watch and listen to.

One memorable year? Up to last year I was getting up at 1:30 a.m. to deliver Saturday Journal Sentinels, head immediately to my site to count, then to deliver the Early Edition Sunday Journal Sentinels. (Getting up to count was always easy for me because I was already up. Staying up was harder.) Several years ago on the route I stopped to break up a fight between a man and woman at 3:00 a.m. in front of a huge apartment complex and ended up getting a chain to the head. I escaped before he could do more damage but returned when I heard sirens. I gave a statement, had my head photographed and learned what I should have done instead. All I could think about was "I hope I'm not late for the crane count". So it wasn't a good day. Get hit in the head, irritate guys with guns - I had scared away turkeys while walking my site which, unbeknownst to me at the time, open season was on - and deliver early Sunday papers with blood caked in my hair because there was no time to shower before.

Because of the route, this was the first year we could join the others for conversation and breakfast at the Machine Shed after the count. Of course, this was the first year they didn't get together because our coorditators were taking the ACT tests. We went anyway.

One or both boys started going with me three years ago and they seem to enjoy it at least as much as I do. They are proud to usually be the first ones to spot any birds and I'm proud that I can take them out in nature and not have them hate it. It's definitely one of the better things we do as father and sons.

for more information on Earthweek events visit www.waukeshac

Had a bowl of guilteeos this morning so I thought a confession would help to digest it.

I volunteered as a runner for the Waukesha Catholic Auction Friday at Country Springs Hotel. While moving one of the silent auction items I broke it. The hand painted terra cotta flower pot made by students at St. William was beautiful but I now know that the overflow dish under the pot wasn't firmly attached. Sorry.

Saturday was my mom's birthday and, while we were waiting impatiently for our table to open up at the wonderful Original Pancake House on Bluemound, I was kinda yelling at my son for something he didn't do and my mom kinda yelled at me for wrecking her birthday. Sorry Mom.

Later Saturday, at Retzer Nature Center, Channel 4 taped me for their newscast. I said I was glad to see the cold and not more of the "December" stuff.  Oops.

Sunday I rooted for the Bears. Well, at least the first minute was exciting.

Today, Even though is was 13 below outside and all the surrounding ones were closed, Waukesha schools were in session and I didn't send my kids. I know, I know. Shame on me.

Lastly, I really feel guilty for sending Sir Fido to the groomer in the middle of winter. brrrrr

I'm starting to feel better already.

Just got back from a family event at Retzer Nature Center. It was the promise of toasted marshmallows that got us there but we were also interested in stargazing and night hiking. We wanted to see the hardy souls that would come out on such a cold night and there were actually quite a few. 
The snowshoeing and campfire were cancelled and we got there too late for the hike. Still, there were things to do. We had a good, if cold time on a hike of our own. Channel 4 was there so we may see ourselves on the news at 10:00. Hot cocoa was good and chocolatey. The planetarium was showing a program.
temperature when we got there: -6 degrees
windchill temp at top of Observation Hill:  -20 degrees
price of admission for this event: $2.00
having something to blog about: priceless

Rode my bike downtown to the beautiful Milwaukee Center Building from my job in Walker's Point Friday for my first listener session with WHAD radio. The weather was still nice around noon for the 10 minute ride and I was able to park just a couple steps from the front entrance. The view from the 23rd floor was spectacular and I had plenty of time to enjoy it while several of us waited for the rest to find parking for their autos. Once the hour long feedback session got under way the twelve of us discussed the usual; likes, dislikes and program changes. We also had time to talk about the future, especially digital radio. An hour passes too quickly though and my hope is Gene Purcell, Ben Merens and crew got as much out of it as I did.

My next listening session was on Saturday for the Veterans' Day ceremony at Veterans Park in Waukesha. The brief ceremony was nice, I'm sure, with representatives from the different branches of service in attendance, but no one could hear it. The sound system they were using was so inadequate it wouldn't have been loud enough even without the constant vehicle traffic in the background.

The 3rd listening session was at the Milwaukee County Zoo for a Family Free Day. It was fairly quiet at the zoo Saturday afternoon. The trains weren't running, most of the animals were indoors and the normally vocal peacocks were silent. We saw many of the animals being fed and we saw a small primate called a goeldi living in a Journal Sentinel newspaper tube. We saw amazing fish and tigers and watched as a huge mass of long dirty hair crawled across the ceiling - an orangutan. Because the crowd wasn't bad at all and because we had a great time too, I'm highly recommending the next Family Free Day, December 2nd.

And finally, the last listening session of the weekend was during a long hike at Retzer Nature Center Sunday where we heard what we came to hear - nothing. A perfect way to recharge after a hectic week and spend time with the kids where the loudest thing we heard was the crunching of snow underfoot.