A Gaggle Of Geese

Nothing is more beautiful than geese flying over a river. 

While on vacation in Wisconsin, we stopped at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay.

The day was warmer and a bit foggy with snow flurries.....but you wouldn't know it with all the geese around.

All you have to do is listen and you'll hear them squack somewhere nearby.  They live all over Wisconsin.

As they take off, they will fly en masse semi "V" formations.

These shots are iconic of a fall or winter in Wisconsin.  The above shot is my favorite.  Take a closer look and you'll notice all the waterfowl in the background on the river and along the shoreline.

Some people bring bread and corn to feed the ducks or geese.  If you do this, just remember that geese have a nasty bite!  And some of them can be quite aggressive:)

Also watch where you step....

as their "droppings" are hard to get off your shoes......

But there is no denying that these are incredibly beautiful creatures.....

.....just watch your head:)

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary

The Snowy Owl

I promised a live owl shot and I got TWO!  Although it's what I consider cheating:) You see we went to the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay and had a blast!  This past summer I took you to another sanctuary in Boquete Panama for a closeup on monkeys.  Today we visited this fantastic place to view some amazing animals and birds.  "Sanctuary" can mean many things.  Some people see these places as a hospital for injured animals or as an area protected for wildlife living in the area.  Well Bay Beach acts as both!  You'll see a lot of incredible wildlife around the park while visiting those that are injured. 

A male duck is known as a drake

There is a lot of food and protection here that provides a great habitat for birds of both water and forest.

Redhead(Really...that's the name of this duck)

It's a great way to view birds easily.  While admission is free, donations are gladly accepted.

Common Goldeneye

The sanctuary is a 700-acre urban wildlife refuge and is Green Bay's largest city park. The Sanctuary is open to the public year 'round with no admission fee.  You'll find a nature education center, an observation tower, along with several rehabilitation centers.  There are also lots of hiking trails around the area.  You could easily spend an entire day there.  It's great for families with little ones.

Hours will vary.  You can go online for more information at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.

It's home to more than just birds.  It's also a place that showcases several of Wisconsin's animals.

Bobcat

While the River Otter is endangered here Arizona, it still thrives in the waterways of Wisconsin.  I just hope they protect them from industrial pursuits.  Arizona didn't.

This is quite the contrast below.  The pine needles add color around the monotone greys, blues, and browns of the Wisconsin winter.

Due to keeping our schedules, I wasn't allowed more than a morning to walk around here, but I could've easily spent the day. 

White Breasted Nuthatch

They have several facilities for birds that require warmer temps.  The sand piper below is one of those birds that has an in house area to stay warm.

I love this iron statue.  Wisconsinites are really wonderful when it comes to conservation and I'm proud of my birth state for funding these very important places for our current and future generations of people.

These places give animals a second chance while educating the public about what lives around them near their house or in the forests, by lakes and rivers, etc.  It's really cool to watch a kid's face light up by feeding an animal or watching them fly around his or her head.

Barred Owl

Although I was hesitant, this person was not.  Several of the geese were a bit too close:)  You can purchase corn at the nature center.  Just be ready for the "crowds".  After a freezing day previous at the Woodland Dunes, it was great to get some warmer temps and bird shots.  I highly recommend this place for families, nature enthusiasts, and birders alike!!

PS. This shot is for my Wisconsin friends.  This is a drake Wood Duck.  I know how precious he is to many of you.  You talk about him all the time and how much you admire his color and form.  And he is a beautiful duck.  This guy was in the river near the sanctuary. 

So will I see an owl out in the wild on my own? Stay tuned for more.

Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve

Several Owls found around the Dunes

People ask me, "Where do you come up with all of this stuff?"  I honestly don't know, but this is the stuff that's in my head everyday and I have to write about it.  One of the biggest challenges with a camera returning back to my hometown is looking at my little town with fresh eyes. For me it was boring to take pictures of things that I grew up around and honestly, if it bored me, I didn't give it the time.  I LOVE Tucson, but I didn't always appreciate my hometown of Two Rivers.  In fact, I hated the place, but today, I love to visit and spend some time. My writing series in Wisconsin will focus on some interesting topics and photo shoots.  I truly have come to peace with my hometown now and have accepted the people for who they are.  It wasn't an easy childhood growing up in a factory town, but it certainly wasn't terrible at all.  As a kid, I found myself wandering our nature reserves and attracted to the people who helped educate our town about nature.  Today my focus is on the magical reserve known as Woodland Dunes.  

Marsh water frozen

The day we ventured here with my new camera lense from Santa was probably the coldest of my entire year.  It was difficult taking these shots without my hands freezing off.  This is a birder's paradise, but because it was so cold, the birds were hiding in the grasses staying warm:) We did hear several deer off the various trails and that was fun:)

The dunes are a very special place and have been fiercely protected by many locals from industrial development.   The history is well documented and Woodland Dunes has been constantly attacked by town leaders to take over several areas of the reserve for their own use.  Well, what can I say personally about all of this?  Here's what happened.  Many people were not educated over the past decades as they were used to working in factories all their lives. Some didn't even have high school diplomas!  Hey it was the culture:) Why go to school if you could work in a factory and make a decent wage?  Many children followed their parent's footsteps and also worked in the factories.  It was a hard life.  I only did it for 4 summers and hated every bit of it.  If anything motivated me to get my degree in a college, it was working in a factory.  Repetitive.  Boring. And extremely DEPRESSING!  For people working in the factory, it was all they knew.  And me being a bit different from the gang made it even more difficult for acceptance.  I didn't understand the things people would say.  They all had opinions on everything from race, politics, the environment.....yet none of them had ever left the factory environment.  How could people live like this?

Don't worry.  You'll see my connections:).  In the 90's, the Free Trade Agreement was signed and that was the death of my hometown.  Factories were shutdown and many people lost their jobs.  This past year, Hamiltons shut their doors. But the city of Two Rivers and Manitowoc were pushing to have areas developed for MORE factory work even though factories were shutting down.  It was called the Industrial Park.  As a child, I grew up playing in a forest near the Woodland Dunes.  A creek ran through the area and we would build forts and teepees and have our wars with local children.  Once and awhile we'd scare a hiker or two.  The Industrial Park would destroy the creek along with our little forest full of deer and other critters.  I believe it now runs in a tunnel of pipes underground.  The city eyed the Woodland Dunes for development and considered it a "block" in their progress.  Several years later,after factories shutdown, buildings would sit empty on the lot that once was a forest.  Today, large crumbling empty buildings(like Mirro) around Manitowoc and Two Rivers dot the cityscape. And NOW the large Beer Facility is gone!!  Huge structures that were mini cities of their own!  Instead of fixing the infrastructure and the crumbling factory buildings, they are developing shopping centers along the highway corridors.  The vacant older buildings sit and rot all around......factories, shopping centers.....wasted area that was "developed" for bettering the city.  Destroy a forested area and build something new.

Cold temps and freezing temps made for a chilly morning.  Here is frost glazing this stream.

The cities lack the funding to take down these old eyesores because they don't have the money.  Why?  No jobs.  And on top of that, the foreclosure rate in my hometown is really high.  I recommend buying a home in Two Rivers or Manitowoc as it is a beautiful area and prices are a real steal.  Without the industries of past, people moved to other locations reducing tax monies collected.  Instead of a city growing, it became a city that was disappearing with only an older generation remaining.  Today many buildings are purchased from people in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas as summer homes. The numbers seem to be leveling off now and the decline doesn't appear too drastic. But what hasn't changed?  Wages have gone down in my hometown.  A lot of people are at or below the poverty level. And it's hard to watch.  People in the cities or towns will tell you that it's getting better.  Some won't.

So why this write?  Why this connection to the Woodland Dunes?  As the cities try to redefine who they are, several people believe that cutting and clearing natural areas is the right thing to do.  Instead of fixing up the older buildings, they are looking to other areas(forested, shoreline property) to "create" more work or build suburbs.  The city of Two Rivers destroyed a natural area around the Picnic Hill area known to have a lot of wildlife which included some endangered birds for a "housing project".  The developers could get away with it because Point Beach State forest was located across the street from the suburb of homes and their thinking was that this bird could go to the forest and do its' business.  However, the land is quite different.  The development was created on a prairie type area.  The state park is forest and shoreline....entirely different vegetation. 

Places like the Woodland Dunes and Point Beach State Forest are important for our cities and if we destroy these spaces, we will have wiped out some of the most pristine and natural areas of our city. Luckily, they are now protected by many environmental groups and the city won't be able to touch them.  I believe that these places will be the key to defining the lakeshore area and bring in future international revenue.  They already are popular destinations for many people!  Some battles are won and some are lost. But when we talk about the decline of the Amazon or other areas in this world, all we need to do is look in our own backyards. I have a big topic coming up in several days that I hope provokes some thought and opinions.

As I wrap up this particular write, I'd like to mention one other strange thing that has happened in our community. And this should probably have its' own write, but I don't have pics to go with it. Over the past years, the nuclear power plants have done two things for our communities....added jobs and protected miles and miles of shoreline property from development.  These "havens" are off limits to locals and all people which has allowed mass populations of flora and fauna to flourish in large numbers.  The power plants have cameras everywhere and will shoot to kill if a human comes near the area, and animals/birds have figured this out.  There have been unconfirmed reports of mountain lions, bobcats, bear and wolves returning to the area.  I'd love to have that job.....monitoring the woods at night.  Although I'd get fired for watching the wildlife instead of monitoring for a potential terrorist attack:)  Essentially these 2 large facilities have created a large island of land that is harboring natural populations that once existed around the lakeshore areas......and that makes me smile.

Now back to the Dunes.  Many people from around town, which include several members of my own family, believe that global warming is not happening yet there is no denying that over the span of decades in the Lakeshore area, we are seeing birds that normally migrate staying longer or all year round.  My own Grandma reported that the hummingbirds stayed until the end of October which was a first for her!! Birders are documenting all of this and find it quite fascinating.  If you'd like some really great sightings, head to the Manitowoc Zoo area and you'll see A LOT of birds around the river areas. But I also noticed the changes.  Perhaps people in my hometown would like global warming as it will reduce their winter:)  It's cold there.

Woodland Dunes is a great place to spot birds which include many owls.   In fact, in October the Woodland Dunes has an owl release program during the evening.  They band the birds and release.  The general public is invited.  It's a 1200 acre wildlife preserve.  It has 6 miles of public nature trails.  Two barrier free boardwalk trails.  There are also nature programs and workshops.  The trails are open from sun up to sun down and admission is free although donations are appreciated.

So while I didn't get to see many birds on this shoot, I did get a lot of great iconic shots around the dunes area.  If you are interested in visiting the Woodland Dunes Nature Center, call 920-793-4007.  It's located off Highway 310 right outside of Two Rivers. For more information, check out their website.  A special thank you to Bernie Brouchoud for the wonderful visit.  If you are in the Lakeshore area, check out this very special gem.

Okay, I lied:)  I got 1 shot of a cardinal:)

Huddle

 Cold.  Frosty.  I'm in Wisconsin visiting family and with it, I come with an agenda.  I have been given the gift of gifts......a zoom lense that puts all zoom lenses to shame.  This is not using my new zoom lense or tripod, but it will be the beginning of several photo shoots, environmental issues, and places to check out around the Lakeshore area for this week.  I have hope of getting a picture on an owl, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.  Today's theme is on the frozen waters of Lake Michigan.  There were snow flurries.  The sky was grey.  And it was cold.  So cold, that the waters partially froze in the nearby rivers.  Here we witness several shots of ducks and seagulls huddling close together enduring the freezing temps.

 This shot captures the front views from my parent's house. I always wonder how life can survive during our winter months.  Everytime I come from a visit from Arizona, it gets more difficult to endure these terrible temps.  The wind whipped up a storm here and my ears and hair froze.  Note to self, I will need gloves, scarf, and hat if I am going to survive these photo shoots.   

Seagulls are a common bird in the Great Lakes area.  Things have changed here as some birds don't migrate like they used to in the past.  Because of warmer temps, some birds, which include geese, have been hanging around the lakeshore area all year round.  Two Rivers is a beautiful town and a place I'm proud to call my hometown.

Teotihuacan

Amidst the chaos of Mexico City lies the ancient ruins of the Aztec Empire. Unlike the Mayans who are still visible in Southern Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Honduras, the Aztecs slowly vanished after the Spanish conquest of August 13th, 1521 with the help of the Tlaxcalan warriors. Where did they go?  Well today, the Aztecs can be seen everywhere in Mexico as they were absorbed into the culture.  Some still call themselves 100 percent Aztec but it's a very small percentage.  But what remains of the Aztec empire is quite impressive.  Today we travel to Teotihuacan outside of Mexico City.

It's rather easy getting here with the buslines and metro station.  For those of you who have been following this blog, it's no secret that I love all things ancient. If you're new, you can catch up by taking a hike with me to Machu Picchu in Peru or visit Tikal in Guatemala.  If you live in Arizona, you may want to check out our own fascinating history on Cliff Dwellers.  I've been to Teotihuacan twice in my lifetime....once while I was in high school and the last time several years ago.  These pics are from the latter trip. Surprisingly they are still making a lot of discoveries and it was a surprise to see how much they had excavated since my first trip. You can walk the ruins and even climb the pyramid of the Sun or Moon.  The steps on the pyramid of the Moon are a little narrow so I didn't go up the last time.  Here's a rather interesting theory that I have for people interested in visiting.  My friends and exchange family live in Tlaxcala....which has another site with Aztec ruins known as Cacaxtla.  If you look from the ruins at both places in Tlaxcala and Teotihuacan, there are several large and irregular "mountains" that surround the area.  They stick out like a sore thumb.  All of these miniature mountains have homes on them, but it is my theory as well as several of my Mexican friends that there may actually be pyramids buried under these hills.  But unfortuneatly we'll never know because thousands of homes were built on top of them. If you go, look from the highest hill in Tlaxcala and you will see these 3 irregular mounds.  And if you are at Teotihuacan, look to the north from on top of the pyramid of the sun....and you'll see what I'm talking about:)

I recommend going early morning because it does get hot by midday.  Wear a hat.  Bring water.  And use sunblock or you will have sunburn and that will make your journey to Mexico City uncomfortable. While you're there, you should check out Xochimilco which is relatively nearby afterwards.  There have been several colored paintings discovered at these Aztec sites and you'll be able to see them.  I took this shot without a flash:)

Most people either spend half the day there....and by mid afternoon, the place will be buzzing with a lot of tourists.  In fact, this is generally true for most of the ruins you visit.  My recommendation is go early before the annoying crowds get there. You'll be glad you did.

The pic below is from my first trip.  We are all grown up now.  That little squirt in the photo is a Dad!!!  They both are!  How did this all happen?  It feels like  it was all just yesterday.

We stayed at the very cool Holiday Inn at the center square in Mexico City known as the Zocalo!  Most capitals of a country are rather boring, but I think you'll find Mexico City to be one of the coolest cities in the world to visit.  I lived there for a summer and rented an apartment with my friend where we got into a lot of trouble and had so much fun.  But here are several things to consider before going.....I think right now is probably not the best time to visit this city with a drug war going on.  If you are okay with that potential risk, here are some helpful hints.  Always travel with someone.  Travel during the day and keep it close to your hotel or friend's home at night.  Mexico City is incredible but it can also be very dangerous.  Some Spanish is helpful....but not because a lot of people don't speak English, but because it's good for you to understand conversations spoken around you.  Keep your eyes open at all times and watch your things.  This was the rule back then and it is the same rule today. Obviously lots of people travel and vacation in Mexico everyday. Everyone, including Mexicans, have to watch their personal belongings. My other half loved the day trips around town, but Pat didn't like all the conjestion in the streets.  There are definitely crowds.  After all Mexico City is the 15th largest city in the world....and that doesn't include the surrounding areas.  So be ready for lots of people:)  But the city is worth the effort and provides a lot of fun for people risking the visit.  Get ready for several weeks of photo shoots around Wisconsin and beyond.  I start this series tomorrow and I'm hoping the photo shoots will catch your eye.  They were exciting to capture!

Sun and Moon Jars

Greetings gardening friends,

I have been experimenting with solar lights this year to add some visual interest in the garden at night.  I've incorporated several lights in two areas, but I have to use caution because I had several lights stolen from an area.  Basically, any solar lights we use in the garden must be woven around structures and placed out of reach for people who unfortuneatly like to steal.  Today, I'd like to report on an interesting solar light idea known as the "moon jar".  This is a pretty cool idea and I have enjoyed playing around with this jar in the garden.  I have a hook that rises above human reach and that is where this jar went:)  There are several color options...there is the sun jar(yellow), the moon jar(blue), pink moon(pink), and the dragonfly jar(white lights that slowly flicker on and off).  And the last one is the one I purchased.  The video is below and it's really cool to watch....and very relaxing. There are 2 power options.  There is the solar panel located on top of the jar. One runs on the solar option and the other runs on regular battery power.  You choose your switch on how you want the jar to operate. The jars can be a bit pricey at around 25 bucks, but I had had a couple glasses of wine when I made the online purchase:)  Bad idea, but cool little gadget.  These items can be found on Amazon or at Think Geek.  My next purchase will be the Moon Jar:) And to make this post a little more personable, here is a story to share. I was a kid when all this happened.

One of the best things about Grandparents is that they are way cooler than your parents.  They are more patient.  They don't yell at you.  And they spoil you and love you unconditionally.  Sometimes after a weekend with my Grandparents, I didn't want to come home to all my 5 siblings and raging parents:)  I am going to take you to some very special places this upcoming month from my recent trip to Wisconsin.  I will feature several stories from this Great Lakes state and from my last surviving Grandma along with several nature highlights that you won't want to miss. Anyhow, back to my story with my Grandparents who lived out in the country.  I used to collect fireflies as a kid and trap them in a jar.  Don't worry.  I released them.....in their house!!!  One of the things that I love to do is play practical jokes on people.  One of the irritations my Grandparents had with me was this evil little joke I'd play on them.  I had two options.  The first one was to release the fireflies in their room during the day, but that sometimes backfired as the fireflies headed to the front door and back outside or in the kitchen where Grandma was making dinner.  The best time to do it was at night when both of them were asleep.  I crept into their room and opened the jar and let them buzz about....and I'd run back to my bed laughing my ass off.  Why?  They would flash their little abdomen lanterns in their room and my  Grandma would wake up screaming my full name.  I'd pretend to sleep and I knew they wouldn't wake me up(because you never disturbed a child while they were sleeping:), but I'd hear about it in the morning.  Grandpa would sit me down and have a stern "chat" with me about releasing fireflies into the house.  I would lie and say that they got out by accident and Grandpa would say, "Okay, but just don't let it happen again."  But it would and I'd be labeled a "little s#$t" by my Grandma....especially when I couldn't keep a straight face at my little prank. I'd then have to capture them all and release them back by the river. But it was worth it....just for their reactions:)  That's how big families operate.  We show our love by playing practical jokes on one another.  My Grandpa taught me everything I know:) When I look at this firefly jar, that memory surfaces in my mind and I smile.  No fireflies were hurt in the writing of the post:)  Stay tuned for more....

Tucson Plant Guide

Continuing on with gardening and planning for your Tucson landscape this spring, I thought I'd introduce a very helpful tool for desert gardeners....and landscapers!  Right now is the time to begin your investigation on plants for your front or backyards this spring. Last year, while planning for our fountain area, our landscape designer Pete gave me a sketch and design for our courtyard utilizing a very important guide to help place appropriate plants into our landscape.  It's a wonderful guide offering you tips on how to be water wise for your desert landscape.  In this booklet, you'll find suggestions for shrubs, trees, groundcover, and other plant ideas.

So where can you find this booklet?  At your local Water Conservation Office in Tucson, Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler, Peoria, Scottsdale, Mesa, Goodyear, Glendale, and in other places around southern Arizona. For more information contact, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association at 602-248-8482. This is a great way to get a head start for your spring plans.  More tomorrow....