A lazy late summer walk

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Soon it will be the autumnal equinox (Sept. 23, 2007, 5:51 A.M. EDT), the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, from north to south; this marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Before long the garden will be ready to rest as we await the first seed catalogues around the latter part of December. The anticipation of once again popping a sun-warmed cherry tomato into my mouth will send wonderful memories and I feel sure extra salivations in my mouth. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Knowing that this year much work was to be done around here I did no canning. It was a joy just to gather the salad fixings and head back to the kitchen. Better still knowing what had NOT been on our foods. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today we plant the twelve trees that I got for my Sweetie. Ha I sorta knew he would not be back in time to help, tee hee. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tomorrow I will dig up the celery and dehydrate. HA now that I have room to set the dehydrator up on the deck once again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maybe next week I will at least can some Apple pie filling. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Directions for Making Apple Pie Filling

Patina, patina

Balusters and Copper Tops

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Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 37 degrees outside... and 43 inside…YUP need to call the furnace repair Doctor!

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ It is so lovely to walk about with no workers to interrupt my thoughts and working outside. I am looking at the new Copper Tops on the Deck posts. They look like wild slim psychedelic mushrooms.

@@@@@@@@@ September 16, 2007

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Balusters as it relates to the porches We have been told our home is of the Victorian style. We think it is just a simple farm home.

@@@@ ~~1840 to 1900

@@ What, exactly, is a Victorian? Many people use the term to describe an architectural style. However, Victorian is not really a style but a period in history. The Victorian era dates from about 1840 to 1900. During this time, industrialization brought many innovations in architecture. There are a variety of Victorian styles, each with its own distinctive features.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ After doing minimal research I conclude our home has few frills. But the frills it has suits the home and us. Folk Victorian houses usually have these features: Square, symmetrical shape Brackets under the eaves Porches with spindlework or flat, jigsaw cut trim Some Folk Victorian homes have: Carpenter gothic details Low-pitched, pyramid shaped roof Front gable and side wings

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Patina means: The natural weathering of copper is the result of the corrosive attack of airborne sulfur compounds. This leads to a gradual change in the surface color. the final color is different and depends on the location and local weather. Salt, moisture, sunlight and orientation can effect the final color. In general, copper changes in hues from a natural salmon through a progression of russet browns, grays and finally to a blue-green or green-gray patina.

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What is copper? Copper is a non-ferrous metal. Unlike stainless steel, copper will oxidize and patina, moving from a lustrous orange-gold, to a deep brown over time. As a consequence, it exhibits great depth and luster. It has been used for hundreds of years in Europe as a material to clad table tops and similar items. The copper that we utilize begins as a sheet product and is formed and pressed onto a substrate to achieve workable countertop surfaces. Our manufacturing process is proprietary, utilizing state of the art manufacturing technologies along with quality hand craftsmanship to yield a uniquely beautiful end product. A full patina does take some time to develop ( typically, a year or more).

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ HA Corina Corina came to mind! Corina Corina, Girl where you been so long

Corina Corina, where you been so long

I've been worried about you baby

Why won't you please come home

I got a bird that whistles I got a bird that sings

Got a bird that whistles I got a bird that sings

But I ain't got Corina and life don't mean a thing

Corina Corina Ah you're on my mind

Corina Corina you're on my mind

I think about you girl and I can't keep from crying

Quiet what is this strange commodity?

George is home and rather pleased with his new digs. The deck looks awesome. Today I hope to get the furniture back on the deck and porches. That is if the weather cooperates. A cool 48 at 7 am.

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Here: Mostly Sunny, High: 62 F, Low: 40 F

********* There: 28°F, Patchy Fog High 63, Mostly sunny, widespread frost

********** Venison Chili for dinner tonight… Yum O

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Venison Chili

** Categories: Wild game, Venison

***** Yield: 6 Servings

******************** 2 lb Venison, ground

************** 1 lg Onion, diced

********* 2 ea 16oz cans kidney beans

**** x Dash of Tabasco sauce

***** 1 c Celery, diced

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3 ea 16oz cans stewed tomatoes

************** x Dash of sugar

**** 2 oz Chili powder

****************** Combine the onion, 16-ounce kidney beans, Tabasco sauce, celery, stewed tomatoes and sugar in a large kettle; stir. Simmer for 1 hour. Brown venison and drain. Add the sauce and cook at a low heat for 1 hour. Add the remaining kidney beans and chili powder and cook at low heat for 1 hour. http://www.sailorrandr.com/recipes/

******************************************************************** I miss my Sweetie! ************************************************** It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Current Conditions

35 at 5:17 am Ely, Minnesota September 14, 2007

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Today Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of rain and snow showers in the morning. Highs 45 to 50. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Widespread frost after midnight. Lows 25 to 30. Southwest winds around 5 mph.

@@@@@@@@@@@ HA no mosquitoes!

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ BETTER NEWS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Painters are FINISHED! Whoooo Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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All the dudes are on the water now. Tonight around the campfire they will each open a surprise gift from me. The enclosed note for all: To ensure that you four have LUCK!

@@@@@@@@@@@ Fisherman’s Fancy Soap! Fisherman's Fancy Bar SoapSunrise Showers Soap Co. LLC850 Main Street.Delafield, WI 53018

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It's no fish story, not only does the anise essential oil in Fisherman's Fancy soap mask the human scent of the fisherman, but it also attracts fish. In addition, it is great for removing that lingering odor from hands after preparing fish, or cutting onions or garlic.

Take Off and Reflections

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Was to have been 9 am yesterday…they pulled out at 4 PM Seems the painters will be outta here Saturday Whooooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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As I began missing my Sweetie I honed in of some vines around the Koi Pond. Morning Glories, Cardinal Climber (Ipomea x multifida) and BLACK-EYED SUSAN VINE ( Thunbergia alata ). The Koi were so active that they made the reflections look so awesome. Hope you enjoy.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 8:30 am a call on September 13, 2007 location ~ Rice Lake, Wisconsin All is well at 55 degrees.

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Now I am off for the dentist…he is such a GAS, my dentist…Pun intended

Almost ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all are on Tenterhooks as we await the departure to the DEEP Wilds of the Boundary Waters.

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Essentials being gone over, making the list and checking it thrice…

@@@@@@@@ Packing, re packaging, and those beloved Chocolate kisses and patties.

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Weight is a huge consideration. They will take in all that they need and return with the containers. Low Impact Camping!

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Backcountry Polenta

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Ingredients

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1 cup—Just Mushrooms

1/3 cup—Organic Just Tomato Bits

3 cups—water

1-1/2 cups—coarse cornmeal (polenta)

teaspoons—Just Roasted Garlic

1 teaspoon— salt

2 teaspoons—each dried rosemary and oregano

2 tablespoons—extra virgin olive oil

1 tube—tomato paste (about 6 tablespoons)

2/3 cup—grated Parmesan cheese

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At Home:

In 4 self-sealing plastic bags, package Just Mushrooms

and Just Tomato Bits; cornmeal,

Just Garlic and salt;

rosemary and oregano; and Parmesan cheese.

Package olive oil in a well-sealed container.

Place bags, olive oil and tomato paste in backpack

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On the Trail:

Mix mushroom and tomato bits with water; bring to a boil.

Simmer until just rehydrated, about 5-7 minutes.

Stir in cornmeal mix.

Cook, stirring constantly, until polenta just thickens, about 8-10 minutes; set aside. In small bowl, stir together olive oil, herb mix and tomato paste, until evenly combined into a sauce.

Spoon mushroom polenta onto plates; top with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.

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Makes 4 servings.

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Do not forget...

Pilot biscuit - very hard-unsalted biscuit or bread; a former ship's staple, hardtack, pilot bread, sea biscuit, ship biscuit biscuit - small round bread leavened with baking-powder or soda. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

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Long May She Wave

Sap-Feeding Insects

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One day bummed out then TODAY I found the sense of humor…HA under da ROCK!

~~~~~~~~~~ I remember one year when our children were little and the Seventeen Year Locusts came out…we used the old Peanut Butter buckets to gather the shells. Of course there was a prize for the most found. But then they all got a prize of some kind.

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The sounds was deafening like a Chain saw conventions. A few years ago when they were due to emerge again our eldest son and I wrapped our newly planted trees as well as some other ones with aluminum foil. We were told if we put the shiny side out the Cicada was less likely to harm the tree. Well it MIGHT have helped a TAD… the larva was not on the young tree when we planted it… Still there could have been some drifters. ;(

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUGS Cicada Dog-day Cicada (Cicadidae family, superfamily Cicadoidea, suborder Auchenorrhyncha),

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Locust or Cicada

~~~~~~~~ Cicadas are related to leafhoppers and spittlebugs. In parts of the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States they are known as "dry flies" because of the dry shell they leave behind. The name is a direct derivation of the Latin cicada. (In classical Greek it was called a tettix, and in modern Greek tzitzikas.)

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~~~~~~~ Dog-day Harvest fly singing

~~~~ MINUSCULE - NAP TIME:

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here's the basic cicada life cycle: Hatch from eggs laid in tree branches; drop to the ground, burrow about a foot deep; hang out for 17 (or 13) years; climb back to the surface; fly around, make a lot of noise, mate and die. Rinse, repeat, ad infinitum.

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U S Midwest readies for emergence of 17-year cicadas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Seventeen Year Blues" to the tune of the Rolling Stones

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"Miss You" They've been living b'lo ground

Now they're nearing their rebound

Yeah, we miss you

By late May they'll all emerge,

Sooner if they feel the urge

Yeah, we miss you

By the zillions gonna swarm

Four weeks is bout the norm Oh, cada why you wait so long

Won't you come on! Come on! Is this real or hocus-pocus?

Are they cicada or locusts?

Yeah, we miss you

Ten plus seven they've had to wait

Just to court a bit, then mate

Yeah, we miss you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Song FUN!!!!!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ But as FOOD??? YIKES! Funny to eat what bugs ya! Cicadas as Food: Summer’s Low Fat Snack?

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Good Lord ON a SUNDAY?

It has been an awful summer, in that all this work has been going on. Granted work that was needed, buttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

--- It is taking its toll on MOI!

--- Here it is the last Sunday with my Sweetie before he slays the big kahunna fish in Canada.

--- All is quiet, and then I hear tippy toes then my Sweetie telling me the painters are here. YIKES, I sorta said, It’s Sunday and it is only 7 am! Groannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

--------------------------------------------- One day FREE of encroachment. ONE DAY!

------------ Yikes Ye GADS and I am torked!

----------- Looking for a rock to crawl under.

------------------------------------------------------------ Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ya YA it will soon be over…

---------------- BUT NEVER On a Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TOES and Team Spirit

Score: WVU - 48 – Marshall 23

********** Get ready for next Thursday at Maryland 7:30 pm.

************ Marshall got its wish, its first home game with West Virginia in 92 years.

******* West Virginia "Hail West Virginia" Let's give a rah for West Virginia And let us pledge to her anew, Others may be black or crimson, but for us it's Gold and Blue. Let all our troubles be forgotten, Let college spirit rule, We'll join and give our loyal efforts For the good of our old school. It's West Virginia, It's West Virginia The Pride of every Mountaineer. Come on you old grads, join with us young lads, It's West Virginia now we cheer! Now is the time, boys, to make a big noise No matter what the people say, For there is naught to fear; the gang's all here, So hail to West Virginia, Hail!

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(BTW, the black and crimson reference in the first stanza is toWashington and Jefferson, WVU’S first hot football rivalry.)

I am pixilated

Click on photos to see the pixilations

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Finally I am beginning to learn about my Photoshop Elements 5.0. I figure while Sweetie is catching all those fish I will be ready to enhance all the awesome photos he will bring back.

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Even better news, the painters are almost finished. Soon peace and harmony will surround us again!

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Heck I might even fire up the log Splitter…by the by it runs SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTHLY!

CRUNCH TIME

One week to go! Canada on the horizon… Maps everywhere, last minute items to re check…Boots to waterproof, tent seams checked…YUP That time of the year…the yearly pilgrimage to the DEEP WOODS and lakes…

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O CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! O Canada!Our home and native land!True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise,The True North strong and free! From far and wide,O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. God keep our land glorious and free!O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

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Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) and Canada's Quetico Provincial Park together cover over 2 million acres of wilderness. To some this area is called the North Country, to others it's the Canoe Country and to many it's called God's Country.

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In the 18th and 19th centuries, the main travel route between Montreal and Lake Winnipeg was the ‘Voyageur Waterway’. This historic route, forged by the fur trade, made possible European exploration and commerce in western Canada. The Boundary Waters segment of the waterway served as the most reliable route between Lake Superior and the prairies from the first arrival of French traders in the 1730’s until the demise of the fur-trade in the late 1820’s.

Remember Science days and

Praying Mantis on Vine Shibata Zeshin (1807–1891) 19th century Full-color woodblock print, ink on paper Pacific Asia Museum Collection ...

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Kingdom, Phylum, Class and Order? ~~~~ Animalia

~ Arthropoda

~ Insecta

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Mantodea

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The Chinese mantis is one of the praying mantids, so called because their forelegs are habitually folded together in a fancied attitude of prayer. "Preying mantis" would be a better term, however, since these forelegs are efficient "meat hooks” for securing a "half-nelson" on unwary insect prey, after which the victim is calmly devoured much as a boy eats a banana.Edward S. Thomas, Insect Life Stories, 1940.

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Praying Mantis

~~ The word mantis derives from the Greek word mantis for prophet or fortune teller. The preferred pluralization is mantids,[1] though there is some usage of mantes or mantises.

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Several years ago in a Garden Center close to our home this astounding event happened. I remember our youngest daugter telling the tale. A praying mantic captured and ate a

Hummingbird.

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The mantis is the only insect that can turn its head all the way around (180E) and look over its shoulder for predators. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Mantids are normally seen in late September and early October. Around this time, females are full of eggs and search for males with which to mate. Females often bite the head off the males after mating and may or may not eat him entirely. This happens between 5 - 31% of the time. Females lay a mass of eggs, an inch or so long, in a frothy, sticky substance that is glued to plant twigs or stems. A few weeks later, the female dies. The eggs, sometimes up to 1,000, do not hatch until late spring. These nymphs look like very tiny adults but without wings. They slowly develop, molting six to seven times, until they mature in August.

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A widespread MYTH ~~~ It is not illegal ~~~ check out SNOPES!