1st landing photos.

These photos were taken from "first landing" looking north, northwest. The top photo is the start of a small city that will build over the next few weeks. It's only been in the last few days that these ice fisherman have been driving vehicles on the ice. This village is probably over 12-20 feet of water. The bottom photo is a view looking toward the northwest. Tetzner's Farm is prominent in the photo.

Great Grey Owl

Enjoy!

Hairy Woodpecker.

This Hairy Woodpecker was foraging in our backyard this A.M.

Our favorite feline pet.

As I mentioned in a previous post we have a "favorite" feline pet. This "can you see me now" pose is a typical pose when our "favorite" canine pet is in the house. The feline roams free and bold the moment the canine crosses the backdoor threshold. All that changes the moment the canine pet comes in. I can tell if canine pet is in or out depending on the boldness (or lack thereof) of the feline pet.

It's always a good natured contest when you fish with relatives.

Today I won the first fish and most fish. The other guy ...well he caught a fish to. Let me repeat I WON the first and most fish contest.

Thanks to nephew and D for the new fishing rod which I broke in today catching the first fish and the most fish. Did I mention that!

With this crowd I have to crow when I can. The opportunities are few and far between.

Wild turkeys.

These five birds were part of a group of seven that were just south of Grandview Wi.

Same birds different perches.

These two Rough-legged hawks have been regulars in the Bibon swamp area. Today however they had some unusual perches for them.

"New" Rough-legged hawk

This Rough-legged hawk was photographed along WI Hwy.63 Mason WI. Thanks to Ryan Brady for a comfirmation of my tenative ID.

Additionally Ryan offers this little nugget of great information about aging the Rough-legs.

Quote: "if you can close enough to take a decent photo without the bird flying it's an immature. The ones that flush quick are adults."

Gee and I thought it had something to do with my new 100-400 mm lens.

Family gathering this weekend.

Sunday morning before the slow members of the crew arrived. West side (front) view.



North and west side with some of the ants.....relatives at work.



North side just before quitting on Sunday.



South side striped and prepped for siding.




Finished west (front) and north side at quitting on Sunday.

We all gathered around this house and sided it (at least 95% of it). It was two long and somewhat cold days but it was a true family gathering. A barn raising 2007 style. At anyone time there were a dozen family members working on this "weekend project". It looked like ants on an ant hill..but less organized.

This house belongs to my nephew and his soon to be wife. They have been working hard to remodel it. This weekend was siding weekend.

When I arrived on Saturday morning at 8:30 or so (10:30) the house was still in prep. The green insulation board was on 1/2 of the house. The south side had most of the old siding still on. So with some major "wrecking" on the south side underway the construction started on the other three sides. Two days later give or take lunch breaks and coffee breaks (hey! wait! there were no coffee breaks) you have this nice sided home.

The top photo is how it looked on Saturday just before dark. The bottom four photos are how it looked today at quitting time.

Not bad for a bunch of amature's and two pros.

UPDATE (01/15/07): Here is three more daylight photos. So what do you think 95% done?



East side (back).



South side.



West side (front).

Our favorite canine pet.

In addition we have a "favorite" feline pet. The feline pet doesn't much care for our canine pet so your not likely to see them both in the same picture without a little Photoshop magic.

In town visitor.

As I have noted in previous post this has been a strange fall and winter. The lack of cold and snow have had an effect on otherwise normal wildlife movement. There have been very few "new" birds being seen. Day after day it has been the same landscapes and wildlife. Although I travel hundreds of mile each month I have seen very few deer along the roadside and in the fields. So after all of those mile I was surprised to see this young deer right in the center of town right along U.S 2.

What a difference a week makes.

Just over a week ago (January 2, 2007 see post below)the bay was mostly open water. Today it is cover from east to west and the colder temps are helping it make ice. These photo were taken from across the bay and are shot from east to west. Frequent viewer will recognize the landmarks in these photos. The lighthouse, oredock and marina / Chequamegon Hotel.

Bayfield WI trip.

The "inspiration" for the water front sculpture below.

Open water commerical fishing.

It's been a very mild winter in northern Wisconsin. In the last few days the temps have drop to seasonal norms and the bay has been "making ice". One advantage of the warmer temps is that the commerical fishing fleet has been able to continue fishing. Once the ice sets in the fishing become much more difficult. They fish with nets under the ice. In a future post I will try and get photos and explain the process.

Feels like April.

This picture was taken today just before sunset. Notice the open water and the ridge of push ice. This would be a typical picture for late April not early January. Under normal weather conditions the bay would be frozen and the ice would be covered with ice fishing shacks.




This picture was taken about 15 minutes after the photo above. It was taken from the westend beach area overlooking the sloughs at Prentice Park.



I've decided to call this hawk "old faithful". I can always count on it being somewhere along Hwy. 63 in the Bibon Swamp.