Thursday, July 5, 2012

A Governor To Trust


Warning!  This post looks innocent, but I think it's what we bloggers call a rant:) I wanted to delete it but the topics all connected together so nicely:) During our trip to Wisconsin, the big vote was happening.  Would Scott Walker be recalled or would he stay?  We decided to skip Illinois in case the borders were closed due to massive fighting between various sides of the recall.  We hid in a little village called Dodgeville and ate cheese curds and sausage sticks until the vote was over.  Thankfully everyone behaved and no one threw tear gas at one another.  We stayed in the Piney Lodge which felt more like a retirement home.   But what could we do for a day?  In recognition of the Governor and all the cheesehead craziness, we headed to Governor Dodge State Park.  It's one of the largest state parks in Wisconsin.  It has some of the best preserved prairie land around the state. 
Most people go to Governor Dodge for the waterfall, but you won't see that here on this blog.  BORING!!!  Well to be honest, my pics were kind of bad.  The lighting didn't work with me:) BUT the action was happening on the prairie grounds with the birds, butterflies, and crazy bugs!! Oh and let's not forget the fields of Lupine!!!!  What an incredible display of wildflowers all around!
Common Buckeye
Word has it that the bees are making a comeback again and the population is on the increase.  A mite was found to be passing the disease onto hives around the country.  Apparently a little strip inserted into a hive will keep this mite from infiltrating the colonies of bees all over the world.  I'd hate to miss out on pics like this one below. 
Desert dwellers are always shocked to discover the cute little chipmunks that live in Wisconsin forests.  If I had to sum up Wisconsin critters, I'd have to say that they are full of every type of rodent you can imagine!  My Dad discovered a Woodchuck for the first time and people are always trying to figure out the various rodents.  It's not uncommon to find people drinking beer and discussing what they may have seen in their backyard.  My father sat with his buddy Tex on the porch looking at the Woodchuck. Was it a beaver, muskrat, groundhog, etc etc?  It came down to the tail and after another beer, my dad was finally able to identify the critter as a woodchuck.  PS.  Tex is as colorful a character as his name suggests.  My Dad is recently retired and needs a hobby.  If I lived back home, I'd haul his butt with me on my walks.  I know he likes to do this stuff but he is um....not so motivated:)
And look at this nest below!!!!  I think it's made of spit from a bug, but I could be wrong.  I had forgotten about these alien constructions, but very cool to see out in the wild!
Gypsy Moth Nest
There are a lot of trails around the park and even a spot to go horseback riding!  But these are the boring details.  It's more about the experience, right?:)  While on our hike, I noticed a strong cigarrette smell.  Wisconsin loves cigs because everywhere I turned I could smell the nasty fumes!  I HATE smoking.  Most of my family smokes or chews tobacco.  We've done a good job at respecting each other's air space.  I just don't want to be around it and they are good about doing their nasty deeds in private. But it always shocks me to see smokers leaving their truck with a hazy cloud pouring out behind them as they get ready for their hike!!!  And then they walk by and smell terrible!  Please understand that I hate smoking and not the people who enjoy smoking.  Otherwise, I'd have to disown most of my family:)  I write this because in Tucson, you don't notice smoking as an issue much. In Wisconsin they have designated areas for you to smoke at nature centers, museums, etc and they will state this outloud to everyone on the walks/guides.  In fact, they seem to have figured out the stops where people can take a break and smoke. Very clever.  In Tucson,  it rarely if ever is mentioned. Smokers band together here and protect each other from the nasty looks and remarks from others. The attitude difference?  In Wisconsin, smoke away!  We've got a spot for you.  In Tucson,  you've got a serious problem and we will not acknowledge your issues:)  Again this is just a generalization, but they are observations from our trips:)  The teenagers with clouds of smoke around them on this day just made me sad.  Apparently they didn't get the message.  Is it the cold weather that makes people more willing to smoke?  Or was it the Marlboro man?  Because he's dead now.  Plus it's expensive!!  A year supply of cigs is like a round trip ticket to most places in the world!
And whether we agree with something or not doesn't matter because it will happen regardless.  We went to Madison(because I am a curious man) to see if the capital would have some protesting AND  we found them:)  They screamed, "Indict WAAALLLKER."  School trips were still going on and parents quietly walked their children away and went to the security and asked them to remove the protesters.  They were removed from the building and did the screaming outside.  There are many people that would still like to punch Scott Walker in the face.  I am a Tucsonan so I had nothing to do with the vote:)  But I will tell you about my own family.  There are 14 adults and it was split down the middle.  Educators, health care providers vs. the parents.  It was messy but my family moved forward after the recall.  A lot of families had the same issues around the state and it was really fun to hear the discussions going on between everyone at breakfast.  Both sides had their points.  And in the end Walker won.
When we came back to our own home in Tucson, my faith in our city was rewarded with the news that Ron Barber would take over for Gabriela Gifford and it felt good.  I loved Giffords very much and I hope Barber will be a great replacement.  As for Jan Brewer......well I'd much rather not go there:)  This post is all over the place.  And people wonder why we hike and enjoy nature:) Governors come and go....but Governor Dodge has been there the longest:)  It must be his universal appeal to everyone.  More tomorrow....

33 comments:

  1. Beautiful critters and the great thing you are talking about.

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  2. I have trouble trusting any politician. We have those AWFUL caterpillars tents everywhere. The Gypsy moths really destroy the trees. I love your photos of the lupine, butterflies, the bees and the cute chipper. Hope you have a wonderful day.

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    1. Thanks Eileen for helping me with this. I remembered it to be a caterpillar but I don't see them here in the desert. When I saw this nest in Dodgeville, it triggered a lost lecture from college. We had an infestation of them at one point in my childhood. It seems like things may have calmed down now....but the 80's had a lot of them all over the place. Thanks for the share!

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  3. Quote:
    "Desert dwellers are always shocked to discover the cute little chipmunks that live in Wisconsin forests."
    _________

    Really, I didn't know David would have found that shocking. Just kidding. Couldn't resist.

    On the Lupine front. Over here in Sweden they grow like a weed. They grow in masses along roadways and fields and in multiple colours as well. Pinks, reds, yellows, whites, various shades of blues and purples etc. And all of them mixed together. My wife doesn't like them. She finds them a weed. That's what happens when you have so much of an over abundance of something (sun-rain etc) and it becomes somehow boring.

    I've got some beautiful pics of the deep red corn poppy fields we saw in Dänemark last week, but I have been so preoccupied with actual physical work of long days since I've been back that I'm to tired to even fire up the internet to view email, let alone post photos & text. Soon though.


    I hate smoking. I don't know about Arizona, but the smaking laws in San Diego have becomes even more strict. No smoking on beaches, public parks, in and around any public buildings etc. Europe is lax by contrast. Yes you can't smoke in a restaurant or public building, but that's about it. The Swedish city of Göteborg where I live spends annually 35 million Kronor(Crowns) on specialized cleaning equipment and manpower to suck up cigarette butts from cobblestone sidewalks because smokers believe they are harming nothing by through their used addiction tool to the ground. I seriously hate smoking especially in winter here. The winter frigid cold air suppresses the smoke from moving upwards into the atmosphere. If you are at a public bus or trolley stop and a smoker has been there 10 minutes ago the stench is so strong you'd swear they were still standing there smoking.


    Politics ---> I hate politics and have never participated in them, so I suppose there is no further comment on that.


    Nice pics as usual.


    Kevin


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    1. :) When I wrote Desert Dweller, I thought....wait....that's going to sound like David. I even erased the statement but decided to keep it in:) That's funny how you caught that:)

      I was wondering where you went. I'm going to stop by tomorrow. Both Ragged Robin and your works have a special routine. When you both write, I like envisioning and in my mind sketch out the connections of what you are describing. I put some music on, cup of coffee and enjoy the reading. It sometimes happens at night but I'll be out to dinner....so I don't think it's going to be tonight:)

      I love the Lupine. In some form, it grows here in our desert but not to the range that it grows in Wisconsin. There are fields and fields of it. The butterfly, bee show was incredible. That has to be beautiful in Sweden to see something like this.

      I like your comment on politics.....no comment:) It was fun for me to hear Wisconsites discuss it all during breakfast...that and cleaning out their closets and feeding the cows in the rural towns. It was exciting to watch people become energized about an election....and it gave Wisconsin a little spotlight.

      I know people smoke but it's like you said with the cold weather.....lots of childhood memories that have now made me angry. I had cough attacks when I was younger and today can't always breathe properly with smog etc. I feel like I could pass out. I had the scar tissue checked out several years ago and it was in part due to heavy smoking around me as a child. This will be the only time I write about this on the blog. I feel bad because I know some readers smoke, but I also have to journal my memories and connections with these trips or they aren't valid. My intent is not to make anyone feel bad but to give a little background on my dislike of smoking:)

      Hope all is going well. I'm hoping to go up into Mt. Lemmon this weekend for some birds, relaxation, hike, and maybe the Broadbilled Hummer:) Talk to you soon.

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  4. I was glad to hear Ron Barber got elected also. I kind of wanted to take up residence in Tucson so I could vote for him. :)

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  5. I like your ranting... I just heard about the cards sent by Jan Brewer concerning vaccinations...

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  6. I like your photo's very much..... very well done again.

    Greetings, Joop

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  7. I have been seeing many more bees around my place. Such a good sign. I adore the shot of the lupine (my favortie flower) with the bee. Perfection!

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  8. I'm with you all the way on smoking Chris! As someone who suffers with chronic chest problems I hate smoking with a passion! It is only in recent years that it has been banned in public here so until then, for many years, I was unable to visit restaurants, pubs, cinemas etc. the smokers complain about the loss of their 'rights', where were my rights for so many years? Ok, rant over! I could go on :-)

    I love that Common Buckeye, what a beautiful butterfly! We only see Lupins in gardens here, they don't grow wild at all, you are lucky!

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    1. I suffer from the same symptoms. They had banned smoking in Ireland and Italy first to see if the most extreme places could handle it. When it did, everyone began passing the laws:) I remember in France when all of this was going on.....and holy moly....in Spain, EVERYONE smokes. I was trapped in tubes without windows and buildings without moving air. There were times I nearly passed out because I didn't have fresh air.

      We have a desert lupine that is quite striking. But the ones I found in Wisconsin were so purply:) And I have more butterfly photos that I will post in the future. They just didn't fit with the theme of this post today:) Hope you are well. I heard you had some sun today....so that is good news. We had some rain here and that's making people smile:) Take care.

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  9. great news about the bees, the critters making great photos and sending good vibes, in contrast to the political stoushes. They do hold fascination for me but up close I can't take the aggro. Smoking I agree with your rant - quite stringent laws here against cig companies, plain packaging, no advertising and now even starting to talk about no smoking in public places outdoors. Thanks for stimulating rantful post Chris, cheers, catmint

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    1. It's really interesting. Australia was exporting a lot of bees to Europe and North America because of the bee death toll. It had everyone's attention because it affects the food choices.....SOOOO people are seriously studying to get the issue resolved. They have found this mite to be a cause and this year we had some good news about the bee population rising back up again. It's nice to have that news. There is also another concern about a certain pesticide used that they are currently researching....but the mite was causing this "Colony collapse" Good news for everyone everywhere. Hopefully they'll be back to their numbers again like they were a decade ago.

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  10. I think the smoking thing depends on where you are in Wisconsin. We don't see that much smoking here, since it's banned from everywhere. When we went out west a couple of weeks ago we were surprised by all the smokers there (Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana) and the fact that people could still smoke in bars and restaurants in some of the states. There cigarettes are not $9 a pack like they are here, they were around $3-4. You would think the higher price would deter people but I guess not.

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    1. You are right. It's the most bizarre thing. In some communities around Madison and Milwaukee, I didn't see much of it at all, but in Two Rivers/Manitowoc, everyone does it! The hard part is watching teenagers light up. I've watched too many people die from this and as teachers, it's one of my things that I "try" not to preach about...but I have too many negative things happen to me over my life from that nasty stuff.

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  11. i wish we had chippies here. and i'm with you on the smoking. how can anyone afford it?

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    1. I know....it's sooo expensive! My Grandma told me how much a pack was and I couldn't believe the cost!

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  12. Well I can't make much comment on your local politics but I'm very happy it seems to have gone the way you were hoping. I didn't know about the bee problem and so glad to hear they have found a solution..Loathe smoking with a passion, if my Mum hadn't smoked when she was young she would still be with us so it's pretty hard to understand why anyone still does it. It's pretty much banned everywhere here in Perth, so yay for that. and by the way, loooooved your images!!

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    1. It all works out somehow:) Our world is a very complex place sometimes. It's not just "one" thing anymore. It seems that there are always a bunch of factors at work and somehow we either pull forward, stay the same/go nowhere, or go backwards and repeat history. But what is forward? Much too complicated:) The images were meant to sooth the rant a bit:) Thanks for dropping by:)

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  13. Hi Chris, First of all, you ruffled my feathers today when you said that a waterfall was BORING.... Hey There--dem's fightin' words!!!!!!! ha ha

    I hate smoking and have never smoked. My Daddy smoked but quit after 50 yrs (which was too late). Emphysema killed him... We don't have much smoking around here --thank goodness, and none in restaurants and most motels. BUT--when we go to South Carolina, it is EVERYWHERE... Gag!!!!!

    Betsy

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    1. LOL:) I thought of you when I wrote that....Betsy is going to kill me!:) I know how much you love them. I actually do love them as well but the truth is that I took pics and they didn't turn out and I didn't feel good about posting them on today's work:) Your waterfall shots are much much better!

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  14. Oooh...you and I need to talk. :-) Not a fan of smoking. When we go back home to visit, my husband's family all smokes. Yuck! As soon as we get home we have to wash all of our clean clothes. And Illinois just added a $1.00 tax to every pack of cigarettes. Dem Damn Dems. :-)

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    1. They love adding taxes in Illinois!!! We were supposed to go but I didn't want to deal with all the tolls to get to Chicago:) Wisconsin is so much cheaper in some ways. I think it's a cultural thing. Cold winters, warm smoke. I remember going out when I was younger smelling all nice and coming home with cig smoke in my hair. I'd put my head on my fresh pillows and the following night I'd smell that lingering cig smoke:)

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  15. Great critters, especially the chipmunks which we don't get here. I can see the smoke coming out of your ears, get it all out!

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    1. I've had health issues....some scar tissue on my lung from an early breathing attack. I spent years in a stationwagon with the windows rolled up. It was pretty bad and now it's become a personal issue for me.

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  16. I think you made the right move staying out of the politics and getting into nature instead.

    Wonder if that "bug nest" could be like our Western caterpillar tents.

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    1. :) I'm not a fan of politics or religious debate as people have definite sides:) That's all we heard about while we were in Wisconsin. Big deal for many people.

      I was wondering the same thing about the bug nest. Someone said something that triggered an old memory...gypsy moths? I'm going to check that one out. I remember studying the issues with that caterpillar in college, but it's been awhile.

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  17. Governor Dodge State Park looks like a beautiful place to explore, I love your wildflowers and critters pics!

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  18. Great photos Chris - the butterfly is truly beautiful. Good news too about the strip in the hive to help save bees from the mite :) I love the posts when you speak from the heart on issues.

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  19. great shots!
    we have those tent caterpillars all over the place too...a while back (last year i think) i had posted a video i found online of a time-lapse of the caterpillars emerging from the tent!! it was kind of creepy & crawly...literally!

    love the Buckeye...we have lots of them here too...beautiful butterfly!!

    and don't get me started on the political scene...i TRY not to talk about all that...it's too disturbing...

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  20. I'll stay neutral on all matters except that lovely shot of the bee and lupine. :)

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