Letterboxing

I have never heard of this before, but in reading up on it I realized that something of this nature had to exist before geocaching. The history of letterboxing begins in Dartmoor National Park, Devon, England approx 150 years ago, and it's only been since 1998 that America has been involved. The main supplies you need is a compass, logbook, pencil, and your own personal stamp and inkpad.

Birdbrain

Of ALL of the birding sites out there, what I really would like is a database for birdbrains. It could look something like:

Q: where did you see said bird: (shore,marsh,woods,meadow)
A: shore
Q: what size was the bird (small, medium,large)
A: medium
Q: what color was the bird (black,white,brown)....
I think you get the idea. In researching Wisconsin Birds, you are led to well meaning sites that provide a ton of information...as long as you know the name of the bird itself. By the way, ever notice that your search results will vary even while using the same key words but on a different computer? The most helpful guide for birds is this little WI DNR made piece. It may look a bit daunting but the nice thing about pdf's is they are searchable and more user friendly than most of the birding websites I've encountered. I also recommend the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas

The extent of my bird knowledge is limited to a handful of the standard Wisconsin birds that most children know of: robin, hawk, cardinal, blue jay, geese; it wasn't until recently that I have been noticing other birds that don't fall within my 5 bird sphere: cranes, loons, vultures and startlingly White Pelicans. Say what? Long ago (ref to 'Distribution, Breeding Range), Pelicans were cataloged as far back 1884 as using this area for breeding. The most commonly known areas are at the Horican (National) Wildlife Refuge at Snag Island (Dodge Cty), but there is also Cat (not CAST) Island in Green Bay (Brown Cty).

This was a difficult post, taking over a week doing research and deliberating on the subject. Just shows how much I care, eh? My biggest obstacle was the title. I believe that if I would have come up with a decent title, that it would all flow together, and normally that is the case with me. Lack of birding knowledge made it difficult to drive the writing; just a bunch of random facts thrown together with very little personality, so I have to rely on the experts.

Here is a little bit of what studying Pelicans is like for one researcher:

After returning from the fishing grounds and lounging about the nests for a while the pelicans began to circle over the colony in a large company, rising higher and higher till they were almost lost in blue. By watching we could occasionally see the faint flashes of white as the snowy breasts reflected a gleam of the sun. For hours the sky would glitter with these great birds as they soared about Then It was thrilling to see some of them descend with rigid, half-closed wings. They used the sky as a big toboggan slide and dropped like meteors, leaving a trail of thunder. Several times when we first heard the sound we were deceived into thinking it was the advance messenger of a heavy storm and jumped up expecting to see black clouds rising from behind the mountains. - Mr. William L. Finley, Klamath Lake, Oregon (1907)

Last spring I witnessed a 5-6 bird flock that flew in a formation different than any bird I have ever seen. It reminded me of the Air Force Blue Angels in a diamond like pattern, turning only when the leader turned, flapping exactly as the leader would, flying so high you could not see their telltale bills. Always cruising, never landing. The author above describes a much larger group, which confirms to me that they had changed their migration pattern for a long stretch and their reemergence is still in the beginning stages.

This post is in no way a source of information either, and should not be construed as one. If I am to construe anything with this post it is out of ignorance. I am perfectly content to appreciate birds without getting excited over their plight, as I am guessing that even birds are unconcerned, being birds and all. As I do with anything that I discover, I research and discuss my findings like any pseudoscientist would.

As a final note, I want to share a photo I found that I found both humorous and touching:
Dr. Charles Kemper is a well known orinth....ornithologist and if you want to read more it will be found here.

Abandoned Homes - Death Watch

Taken  Oct 2011

Have you ever walked/driven past a home that is abandoned that you cannot get out of your head? I have reserved this post for when I snap a photo of this place that is in Fond du Lac (Fond du Lac Cty). This home is on Cty Hwy K off of Hwy 23 east out of Fondy (abbrv.), which incidentally is on the way to Rienzi Cemetery.

Sadly, the town/city has been developing the land around it and it stands defiantly, daring to even think about touching the property.

This home has been abandoned for at least 25+ years. I will contact the local historical/geneology group and see what I can find out. It may take awhile as they are moving their offices, so worst case I will head down and research it myself when/if I have time. I am guessing that the owners are not local members of the community.

Photo taken in 2001

I am absolutely entranced by this house, and I can't say that I really want to know why it was left to rot. Standing next to an abandoned home there is a sense of waiting, a substantive lack of spirit and.....something else that I cannot put my finger on at the moment. You know you are trespassing on someone's property and in normal circumstances it would be an act of voyeurism, but at an abandoned home there is no such confrontation. You are just peeping into a shell of a home. It is the oddest sensation.

**Update**
Sally from the Fond du Lac Historical Society sent me a letter with an article regarding this house, and she was willing to dig this out for me even in the midst of a huge move to a new location. The 1910 article was about the Ledge Homestead regarding the restoration of the old farmhouse and newspapers dated 1885 were found under a rug. This is actually a long standing carpetlaying tradition, my husband informed me. Always the front page, left under one of the corners. How else can these craftsmen stamp their mark in history? I found the practice fascinating and am curious to know if it is still being used and if this is purely an American trait or was this passed from our English settlers.

***Update***

The photo above was taken the last Saturday of March,2008 and from that trip I created my own Flickr account and placed those photos in a set called Death Watch. When I first saw this home I believed there was still hope for this house, and that was eight years already. Now when I visit this home I grieve that it is still standing while the city of Fond du Lac grows around it. At some point this old homestead will be taken down, and I am interested to know if the city has held off from taking it due to it's historical value (which is what I suspect), or if the current owners are still paying the taxes on the property. Sadly I probably won't know until I pass by one afternoon to find it gone. Will the elders of Fond du Lac swoop down to take the eaves and pick through the carcass for historical souvenirs?

The final chapter of this home is not quite ready to be told.

***Update***

Photo taken 2010!

As of 04/08/2015, this house still stands.  Here is a more recent picture. As I have time, I'll be updating the photos with newer versions. This house has provided me with the most satisfying experience in photography. With each picture I hope to show a different perspective.