Quiet Elegance of Wisconsin's - Merging into Spring Time.

Each new day brings surprises

Dawn brings another day.  It is predictable that morning rises.  But with Wisconsin
Spring it might mean 40-60 degrees or then it might be only 17 above 0 degrees the
next morning.  It might be raining when you go to bed, and wake with a couple inches
of snow covering the day.  But in April that snow quickly melts in the central part of our state.

 

  With the snow melted away, the warm sun quickly starts to green the pasture fields.  The horses already nibble the new shoots coming up. The plowed fields are open and ready to dry out enough for the local farmer to set seed in the field we let him use.  Last year he put in soybeans, this year, well it could be corn, we never know.
      Out back in the wooded area the deer already have settled down to finding the perfect spot for her new fawn to be born.  There is a pond back there so no need to come to the creek that runs through our front woods.

 Domestic Crocus have pushed their way up through the thawed ground.  A hail
storm with a couple inches of snow did not defer it to wilt or die.
Spring growth have a toughness about it and seem to carry a
special glory of their own.  Rejoicing that our Great Creator
has released them from the tiny bulb beneath the
 frozen tundra of Wisconsin soil.

  

Wood hyacinths come in several

shades of blue, depending on how much sun they get.

As I walked through the woods with my camera late afternoon I noticed many things that were just as beautiful as the flowers were.

Fungus growing on a dead branch looked like sea shells.
The white compared to the grayish colored bark was stunning!

A close up picture shows the intricate artful texture.  Nature is God's smile in our world.  Only God could create this big wonderful world.  It certainly put a smile in my walking around the woods today!

I constantly took pictures at every turn in the path.

This picture was on a large tree.  The bark was rough and different colors.

As I turned around a group of new growth was pushing up, noticing in the wet area near the creek it was beginning to show the pointed beak of the skunk cabbage in the picture below.

Skunk cabbage was given the funny name because it smells horrid if the stem or leaf is broken off.  The red buds are the flower of sorts.  Pushes up through the leaves and very moist soil and turns green as shown in the middle of the two blossoms.  It likes shady areas and of course wet feet but not under deep water.

Red dogwood in the woods has turned this bright red and the growth from
 last year is a contrast on the lower  older gray stem it grew from. The brightness
is caused by the surge of new life from the warm sun.  I always watch during the month of March
 the dull red color of last years stem until they turn this bright red, a sure sign that spring is finely here!

 The Hickory tree bark is a lot more noticeable in the spring.  The shaggy bark is an art peace of its own.                                                                                                                                                                  

Looking up towards the top,on this cloudy day made it look almost spooky.

The soft almost lime colored moss looks nicely compared to the gray 

rock that surrounds it.  It is in bloom and oh so soft feeling.

Coltsfoot flowers coming up first, leaves are following, nestled in between
 twigs, and branches, they also love wet feet.  What is yukky for humans
to walk on, is heaven to the wetland plants.  These coltsfeet are near our creek
 that floods in spring therefore making perfect soil for their growth.  

Close up showing flower and leaves surrounding it as it ages.  The leaves will be
the size of a bushel basket by mid summer.

 Picture below shows where the creek flooded its banks and eroded the soil, making it mushy for the Coltsfoot to propagate and also it can move under ground by root connection. What one would think a catastrophe is what prepared the life giving nourishment and environment  for the life of the Coltsfoot. This process of the Coltsfoot is very slow so therefore not that aggressive and can be dug out to put in another spot that erodes.  It grows as tall as humans so also can be used as a privacy barrier.  We just let it do its thing the past 29 years and it is beautiful.  I first saw it at the Milwaukee Botanical Gardens and it took me a few years to finely discover a garden center that sold it.

The Virginia Blue Bell is close by to the creek but likes it a little dryer.  The deep black purplish green leaves are startling to see at first.

Sharing the same area Gingers soft fuzzy leaves 

just barely showing next to the Virginia Blue Bells

Hole at the bottom of this tree housed some critter
that hibernated all winter and pushed his way out of the hole not too long ago.

     As I leave the wooded area I walk up to the upper gardens that are domesticated and carefully placed.  They hold a more orderly fashion.  Groomed and pampered the past 28 years, still natural but 

hold an expected array of beauty.  I am not surprised with their growth, I have seen it many years, but it still gives me that smile.  Knowing what the flower will be, knowing I will have to wait for its summer month to bloom.  A contented feeling.  While in the woods I am like a child looking here and there for a thrill which only spring can bring me.  Summer the woods become deep shade, flowers are scarce. The domesticated gardens then are in all their glory full of bloom and beauty.  

Peonies stems poke through the soil, a bright crimson red.
Latter turning to the deep summer green.

Miniature Daffodils are the first to blossom in the formal gardens.

Columbine Stems pushing upward look like a
 flower in its lime green Spring dress up.

                                                           

The light blue hycine is a domesticated flower I bought out of a bulb catalogue.  It is very delicate and only a few inches above the ground.  Easy to miss if I am not searching for it.  I place it in a special place in the gardens to high light the other empty spots yet to be filled with sleeping perennials merging through the cold soil.

Luke our Airedale greets Miraculous.  They kiss greetings by rubbing noses.  Ginger our pony turns her butt to Luke ready for defense attitude.  Miraculous the little Painted mini horse shows her vulnerability by rushing to greet Luke, trusting he will not harm her.  I am like both some times.  Worry about getting hurt, put up defense mechanisms like Ginger, and other times take a chance and open myself to others in greeting, not worrying about whether they will like me, hurt me, just let things happen....

My Scripture in quite time was Matthew 6:27-28 this morning.  "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Blessing you all with

Faith

Love

Hope

Our Great God Hovers over you

Blesses you

and is closest to you in the pain 

of growing

Just like Winter leaving

troubles prepare us

for blessings

Flowers surge up from 

the frozen tundra

Christ also rose from death

is here in our midst

Trust Him

Love Him

His Grace is enough!

Love to you all!

Kate

Will Winter Ever Release Wisconsin ?

Another Day Of -9 Degrees Below Zero

This large deer is cutting across the back hill to get to the woods.

      Many deer come through at dusk, traveling through our land to get to the back area on our 21 acres.  It is amazing how they survive in this bitter cold but we missed the many blizzard's and 12 inch snowfalls that the center of United States got. So there is a lot more food available for them this winter, compared to the deep snow we had last year when the deer were terribly skinny.

These two stopped to eat closer to our home.  Our large Airedale's
barking usually keeps them from coming too close.

It was -9 degrees below zero again this morning.  One benefit is we have the warm bright sun shinning in our  many large windows, and it actually saves on heating bills.  We have electric heat here, it is also a benefit, because many gas users had to scramble to find sources to buy from up in Northern Wisconsin.

    

 Because Ashma keeps me inside during the bitter cold  Dick has been doing chores down in the horse barn and the chicken areas.  He never gets sick and loves the cold.  He would stay outside all day if he could.   

Looking Down From The House At The Barn Area And The Chicken Coop

    Not being able to breath in the bitter cold, staying inside is my only option.   I spend many hours keeping busy with writing my first book, quilting, and this winter I got out many, (24) old photo books to look through and search out pictures.  Putting some on flash drive to save by scanning the picture and transferring it to computer, then to flash drive.  That's a first for me because I usually save it on disks.  Good to make this old mind learn something new.  

     Actually it was easy.  First scan the photograph on my HP  Photosmart 6520 printer which has a copy devise on top.  There is a computer in it that tells you all kinds of things like ink is low, gets almost frantic when I ignore it and use up the ink to the last drop :)  It told me how to do everything step by step with the scanning devise.

Picture shows scanner open with picture facing down.  Closing
the top lid, and pushing scan on the little computer in front of machine,
brings up the directions that lead me to putting it on my computer.

      Then I tapped it where it said computer and low and behold there it came up on my screen with lots more good advice.

My computer with screen which has the beginning of this blog
on it.

       I cannot tell you it was easy to figure that part out.  I got a new Windows 7 professional mother board with office professionaly as an extra.  My what an advanced set up it is compared to my old windows xp.  :)

But with lots of trials and tribulation this old brain figured it out and BINGO  got the picture off the computer into the flash drive which was plugged into my computer mother board before I even started with it all.  I have transferred hundreds and hundreds pictures the past week or more.  I use the Windows Photo Gallery on the computer which has oodles of advice on  it to get all the stuff done on the pictures.  I did a lot of cropping of the photos, which were saved to the portable flash drive.  Took lots of tryouts till I got what I wanted but went so easy with the rest of numerous pictures!

  

My mother board of  my computer's lower half with the
 orange flash drive
plugged into it.  

      Besides working on the many photo albums I also take hundreds of pictures of nature through my many windows because I cannot go out in the sub zero weather.  Luke our Airedale dog also is confined inside,  he just got a haircut and ends us shivering out there.  His potty breaks have to be fast or his feet get so cold.  He is constantly looking out the windows and when he starts to wine or bark I go for my camera.  There is usually deer out there or a rabbit, cat, etc to take picture of. The tri-pod is always ready which shows in the picture below.   Of course the camera is not in there, it is in my hands taking the picture.  :)   

Quilting is another of my loves!  I do mostly hand stitching for my quilts.  There is something about having that quilt on my lap and experience it getting bigger and forming into what I dreamed it to be.  

I made my son and his bride a King size quilt all hand pieced and quilted for their wedding.  But....  it took me 10 years to finish.  I told them I sure was glad they stayed married all that time so I could finely give them their wedding present!  The picture of the quilt I am working on was started way....back in the 1980's.  My mom stitched some of the Gramma's Flower Garden octagons, and I did the rest.  It sat for a few years in my quilting area waiting to get the edges finished.  I was not sure what I wanted to do with them.  I did not want the uneven edges to finish it off.  Did not want to put a boarder on it, and this year I finely decided to make a pattern for the uneven edge and fill it in to make it straight.  

Streight edge after filling in with small peaces.

Picture of the uneven edge and the pattern and piece I made
to fit in.  When I get finished sewing them in all by hand it
will give me a nice straight edge to bind.  I will use just a very
light batting, because it will be used for a summer covering.
When that is all done, it will have to go on the wooden quilt stand
which will be set up in the living room (no other spot big enough).
The finishing step would be the hand quilting along each octagon.
Emmmmm   might take me another 10 years to do that.  Mean while
I will enjoy touching and looking at the many pieces mom and I made.
Memories floating around much the same as the stitches being placed.

     I loved my mom.  She was such a big influence in my life.  She taught me to enjoy the simple things.  Take life as is.  We had thirteen kids in my family so there was a lot to take.  I think I treasure the most was memories of her quilting.  She did machine quilting and it was usually the star pattern if I can remember right.  My those quilts we all had on our beds sure took a lot of wear and tear.  Just like the life we lived. 

But mom gave us spirituality besides all the stitching to hold us together.  Her eternal hope in all things and not giving up just because it was hard, helped me many times in my own marriage when things got tough.  If I would call her and complain she would say, oh Kate, just bake a nice apple pie and when Dick gets home everything will be good again.  I still chuckle about that....  I soon learnt that it took more than a pie to keep a marriage together.  :)  Mom also did a lot of Rosemal Painting and had a little business selling it all.  She  did lots of flower gardens like I do now.  Homemade baking and cooking always had our home smell so good when entering the doorway.  Mom passed away more than ten years ago, but the memories are as if she still is here with me.  We never loose the spirit of our loved ones.

"I will not withhold My power and My glory from any seeking heart.

They who desire Me, I will surely reward:  I will not fail.

I will fill every longing heart and satisfy every craving soul.

My grace will I pour out as a tumbling waterfall.  

I shall be glorified, and I shall be magnified,

and I shall rejoice in My people, in that day

when they yield themselves fully and freely to Me.  

Yes, when they give themselves utterly to Me and cut loose

from all besides.  Then shall I cast My love about them

as a cloak, and I shall whisper My words in the ears."

Quote from book Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts

Tullips are bought from the store.  Quilted piece was made last year.  

   

Peace My Friends

Remember Spring is almost here.

Love to you and yours!

Kate

Birding In Wisconsin's Harsh Winter

Lots of Action and Color 

Lots of action and color to keep us entertained with many  bird feeders.

With -20 below 0 degrees, snow, ice storms coming through weekly it is important to provide wild areas. Trees, shrubs, Sumac, growing close by to feeders give wildlife not only food, shelter from the winds but also from the wild hawks and predators such as the wild cat that roams our property the past two years.

Not knowing if the cat is a pet or something a city folk threw away last summer.  He was a kitten half grown, now a full grown Tom Cat.  He seems to be a survivor in all that nature throws at him during the winter months.  Way too wild to approach and wise enough not to be caught by other means.  He also visits our barn when we are up to the house and fills up with our barn cat's food.  We have learnt to accept him as part of providence here in our Nature Within.  

We planted an assortment of Pine, Spruce and other evergreens when we first purchased our property.

They too along with seeded out gardens, grasses, and wild areas some might call weedy have given the bird population and deer help in surviving while giving us entrainment.  It gets groomed back come spring. 

Scraping off snow and ice on tray, before filling with Sunflowers
Dick loves Wisconsin Cold and does not mind going out
to keep up with the fast disappearing, fresh feed for the birds.

Metal net feeder draws woodpeckers and Nuthatches,
Chickadees that like to hang on the side while
pulling out seeds.

Keeping This Small Feeder Full 

 This Large Feeder  Needs Filling Every Other Day

Metal Net Feeder Draws Woodpeckers Who Cling To Its Sides
Thistle Feeder Brings Finches Besides Numerous Types of Sparrows
Heated Birdbath Needs Fresh Water Besides Cleaning.

Hawks will swoop in at any time checking for inattentive birds in the area.  The picture of the downy woodpecker and the chickadee  are making a quick escape.  Because we have huge windows the size of a double sliding glass door sometimes they hit the glass.  They sometimes die but more often are only stunned.  Our Airedale barks and howls when he sees them on the deck and we gently gather the bird up into our hand and place it in a cardboard box with a soft terry towel in it.  Preventing it from dieing from the cold while it recuperates which takes about a half hour to an hour.

One day after a hawk attack we found a little downy wood pecker lying on the snow covered deck and brought it in.  Its wing looked broken or twisted.  Knowing nothing about fixing a wing we called our vet who told us to contact the DNR and they referred us to Marty Thompson who is a member of Wanakia Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center.  She said we should bring it to her (she lived an hour drive from us) in Richfield, Wi.  She looked the little bird over and said she thought it was not broken but sprained and thought they could help it.  Her web sight is wanakia.mysite.com and telephone 414-803-0388  They are a fantastic group that help rehabilitate wild life and let them go again.

Some days are ordinary like the little chickadee flitting in and out of our view.  The cardinals start showing up around dusk at our feeders.  They are very flighty and seem to wait until the other birds have left for their evening perches.  It is such a welcome sight against the graying sky seeing their bright red at our feeder.
     Deer also start about the same time to show up.  Our doe who has only three legs is again here.  This time she has no yearlings with her.  She is usually with another doe or alone.  She gives me strength and hope just seeing her.  I feel warm and happy that she missed another season of hunting not all that long ago.  This is the third winter  She puts her one front foot ahead of her and then balancing does a funny hop to bring her hind feet up with her next step.  She can even do a hobbling run if fear warns her there is danger.

This pictures shows the three legged deer.  If you look closely
there is only a rough patch where her leg should be.  She most
likely got shot there and survived it all and continues to live,
the third winter we have seen her.  Here she is in the woods
but often she is up in my gardens by the house forging for food.

2 Samuel 22: 7-37

"God is my strength and power,

And He makes my way pefect

He makes my feet like the feet of deer,

And sets me on my high places.

You have also given me the shield of Salvation;

Your gentleness has made me great.

You enlarged my path under me;

So my feet did not slip."

(20) verse "He delivered me because He 

delighted in me."

Peace to you all

May your burdens lighten

May your tears dry 

Joy fill you everlasting

love and blessings from 

Kate

January in Wisconsin Can Be Trying

January 6th In Wisconsin , 17 degrees below 0.

The bitter cold brings hardships, us humans grumble about it.

     Chickens are protected in a cozy Antique coop we bought from someone in Sheboygan Falls.  Had to have it trucked into its spot by a local farmer using his skiddster a few years ago.  The coop has protection from the winds most days by the woods and being at the bottom of a hill facing East also protected from the Northwest winds blowing out there today.  White smaller shelters in the outside pen Dick built them so on a warmer winter day the chickens can go out and sit there sunning themselves which they do.  Hay left over from the horses cushion, keep the chickens feet warm.  Inside there is a lot deeper bedding of clean wood chips they can scratch around in while their door is closed to the bitter cold and horrible blowing artic wind coming down from Canada this fridged Wisconsin day

Weather could be nicer.....

Miracoulous our little miniture horse is begging for a treat here.  Dick has been going down three times during the day making sure they have full buckets of unfrozen water.  It's important they are getting lots of hay and water in this freezing weather.  They would rather be outside in the pasture but with a wind chill of 50's below 0 we keep them in.  Their coats are heavy and warm.  Here Mira's mane is sticking up from growing it out where the bridel goes.  She is a pet and won't be worked here so no need for that.  They only get a halter on when a vet comes or their hoves are trimmed by the farrier who just came.  Dick took the pictures this morning so her whiskers are frosty.  She is so sweet and a perfect pasture mate for our little Ginger.....

Ginger wants to be outside but a lot better off not in the terrible wind chill.
She will have to wait until Wed.of this week, it will be warmer out.

.

Cardinal, female or young bird from last summers batch fills
up with sunflower seeds.

Little Finch sits on heated birdbath to keep warm.  

     Today I find my self tucked into my nice warm home looking out at nature instead of being amongst it. Birds do not seem to be bothered by the cold except fluffing up their feathers more making them look twice the size.  I never get tired of watching them coming and going and enjoy their flashes of colors.

Blue Jay taking off to sit on a branch and open the sunflower seed.

Three bird feeders of sunflower seeds, thistle and suit plus the heated birdbath are as crowded as the Christmas Shoppers were at the Mall.  Dick braves the task of going out there filling them up now that the last snow has covered most of natures food spots.  We saw a beautiful colored male pheasant out on the edge of our property through binoculars.  I didn't have my try pod set up to get a close up of him, missing this marvelous shot.  He was soon tired of the little tufts of weeds under the big spruce tree out there.  Wondered to the road looking at a better spot in the wild area on the other side.

Cardinal and Morning Dove share space.

We put away Christmas things yesterday.  Always a sad time for me.  I love the excitement Christmas brings.  Lots of warm hugs, food and laughter.  This Christmas with 24 adults and children opening their presents I went to put a box full of gifts my 5 kids and spouses, grand children had given me over by the Christmas tree and somehow stumbled and broke open a long gash in my very thin skin on my leg.  Twenty-five stitches and a couple hours later, I arrived home again just in time to say good-bye to the ones who had stayed to see that I was OK. Missed sharing the wonderful meal with all the goodies and all the conversations that it beholds.  Oh well,  there is always next year......

"Don't let the bumps in the race keep you from the award ceremony at its end."  Max Lucado

"We don't look at the troubles we can see now, rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen"   2 Corinthians 4:18

"Christ can turn your toughest days into an Easter weekend."  Max Lucado

Quotes from:  Book "Every Day Deserves a Chance by Max Lucado

Just received my book I ordered from Amazon called   "When God Whispers Your Name"  I keep giving my Max Lucado books away to others so always replenishing my library.  It is so good!  to read for this home bound nature lover!  Up lifting words  take away the grumbeling and replace it with hope.

Chickadee flying in for his supper,"there is always room for one more, "
words I use to hear when I was little and we were just sitting down for
a meal with visitors on the holidays.... There is always room for a fresh
new quote, uplifting thoughts, food for thoughts, reversing
negative to positive. I try to fill my mind with
new plans a new way each day.  

Winter is only temporary 

But love lasts forever!

peace 

and 

blessings

Kate