Nature's Notebook

 I have been using a new app on my phone called Nature's Notebook. This is a phenology app and I have joined a group set up by a biology professor at UMD. She had 3 places set up. One was at Bagley Nature Center, one at Boulder Lake Nature Center, and one at the Lake Walk near the Rose Garden. I volunteered at the Rose Garden since that location had the fewest observers. I was given a map, pictures of each plant, and information about each plant. Today I went for the third time. My route includes green ash trees, paper birches, spruces, box elder trees, and red twigged dogwood bushes. The trees have metal tags on the trunks. The bushes have metal tags on the branches. My job is to observe the trees for which I need to bring my binoculars because some spruce cones are way up there at the top of the tree. I answer a list of questions specific to each plant. For the spruces a question is if there are any new needles. New needles are lighter green than the old needles so that question is pretty easy to answer. The time has passed for the male pollen cones so that question is easy too. For other trees I am asked if the tree is fully leafed out. All the trees are fully leafed out now so that question is easy too. I am asked if there are any flowers. If there are flowers how many flowers. Most have more than 1000 flowers. Last week the dogwoods were all flowers. This week some of the flowers have turned into unripe fruit. So there I am, walking around the path, looking for my trees, inputting data into my phone, staring at the tree tops with my binoculars. Other people are walking or biking or skate boarding or riding scooters or walking dogs or sunbathing. This week I spent a lot less time trying to find my trees than the week before so I think I am headed in the right direction. Along the route, two of the ash trees died so they were replaced with younger ash trees. The emerald ash borer affects older trees and leaves the young trees alone. Although I don't like staring at my phone when outside, I think this app is a good use of my time.

Where The Grass Is Green And The Girls Are Pretty

 Lauren Weisberger is the author of Where The Grass Is Green And The Girls Are Pretty. This light read was easy to listen to in the car via audiobook. This author also wrote The Devil Wears Prada. The story is about two sisters. Peyton, the younger sister by a year, is a morning news anchor. Her daughter, Max, is about to go to Princeton in the fall. Skye, the older sister, is a stay at home mom of a girl in first grade. Skye volunteers at the school. Both sisters seem to be in strong marriages. Every time they get together, their mother calls. Everything in life seems great until all of a sudden things fall apart. The falling apart section seemed long and dragged out to me. I got a little tired of the hang wringing and worrying. Otherwise this was a fine book to pass the time on the road. 

Purple Finch Demands

Today a purple finch ruckus interrupted my piano playing. Two young birds begged their father for sun flower seeds. They flew with him to the feeder. As he perched to pull out a sunflower seed they buffeted him with their wings on both sides. Don't they realize that they could perch and take out their own food? Do they think all their food must come from their father's mouth? As the father finch grabbed a sunflower seed and flew away, they both flew with him. They came back four times for seeds within 20 minutes.

 

Tears Were Shed

Today I drove a long way to attend a funeral of a person I did not know well. People I  love knew her well and that is why I went; to show support; to demonstrate caring; and to check in. The funeral was at a Catholic church and this was one I had never heard of and never been to before. The church was nice with 14 stained glass windows (stations of the cross) and comfortable pews. The baptismal font was unlike any I have seen before. The font was sunken into the floor. The metal gate around the font had a gate. Steps in the water descended from the gate and the water looked to be about 20 inches deep. I am curious about how baptisms work at this church. I enjoyed talking with family during the wake. The priest had an European accent and he did a nice job considering he did not know the deceased. The funeral procession was not a procession. I carpooled with a nephew and we followed the row of cars out of the church parking lot but there was no procession. We lost sight of the hearse immediately. We followed the car in front of us that came out of the church parking lot but evidently they weren't going to the cemetery. He looked for directions to a St. Mary's cemetery but that was in south Minneapolis. After ten minutes of driving we gave up and came back to the church for the luncheon. We got back right before the people who actually went to the cemetery got back. We had a delicious lunch and then headed on our separate ways home. This woman had a good send off. She was obviously well loved by her family and friends. Tears were shed for her loss. 

The Secret Keeper

 Kate Morton wrote The Secret Keeper, a historical fiction novel set in modern time and also the 1940's in London. The main character is Laurel, the eldest daughter in a loving family who grew up on the British sea side. She is 16 when the family is celebrating her little brother's birthday. Laurel is hiding from the family in the tree house planning her escape that night to visit her boyfriend at the end of the lane that evening. From her spot in the tree house she sees her dog growl as a man approaches the yard. Her mother, with her little brother in her arms, sees the man and talks to him. Her Mom is also carrying the special cake knife used to cut birthday cakes. The man grabs for the boy. Her mother swings around, puts the boy on the gravel drive, and stabs the man with the cake knife.  Now, in current times, Laurel is trying to solve this mystery of the man and if her mother knew him. The story is well told and the plot is convoluted. 

Wild Wolves We Have Known

I received Wild Wolves We Have Known at the Master Naturalist conference in May. I just finished reading it. Each chapter describes a favorite wolf by a wolf researcher. Some wolves were from Canada, Alaska, the west coast, the east coast, Montana, Wyoming, Mexico, Portugal and Romania. All these wolves had been darted with sedatives. Some were trapped and some were shot from helicopters or planes. All were tagged with GPS collars. All were examined. Their ages were guessed by the condition of their teeth. Some were trapped repeatedly. When a wolf dies the collar sends off a signal indicating no movement for so many hours. Researchers can go back and find the body for necropsy. Some wolves ate buffalo or deer. Others ate fish or beaver or rabbits, or rats that frequent the landfills. This series of interesting stories about wolves was put together by the International Wolf Center in Ely. Please let me know if you want to borrow it.

 

Mushroom foray

Today I went on a 3 hour mushroom foray with about 10 others. I think I am about 35 years older than the others in the group. The youngest was 5 years old. This is a conifer mazegill or conifor polypore.

We started at noon. The temperature was 55 and it wasn't raining. This is agaricineae.

We were told, "touch this, it feels weird." We all touch the witches butter.

I can't remember what this is.

This is a mossy maze polypore.

This is a shelf fungus.

This is our view from lookout point in Hartley Nature Center. Right around here were two trees with immature chicken of the woods. The chicken of the woods should be ready to harvest in 4 days. I might come back for it.

This is agaricomycetes.

This is an oyster mushroom growing on an aspen tree. We collected that.

This is violet toothed polypore.

This yellow mushroom had gills underneath. Now rain is coming down but we are so deep in the forest not much is landing on us. My pant legs are wet though from walking through the grass. I am glad I wore pants to keep the mosquitoes from biting my legs.

Another oyster on an aspen. The five year old is wearing the yellow raincoat and making friends with all of the adults.

I found this one right on the path. Later we found 8 more on the path. This is a brown birch bolete. Only the brown tops are edible.

This is pale brittlestem mushroom.

This is a milkcap. If you squeeze it or cut it a white latex substance comes out.

This is hymenogastraceae.

This is common bonnet mushroom hiding at the base of a tree. The rain has stopped now.

This is our haul. We split the harvest. I didn't take any because I wasn't going directly home. I enjoy walking in nature with people who know what they are talking about.

 

Opa!

 Today I walked up the hill to attend the Taste of Greece festival put on by the Twelve Holy Apostles church here in Duluth. The church members set up the tables and chairs, sound systems, food, raffle tickets and book sale. Food is offered outside under the tents and also here in the gym. Young dancers wear costumes that they have researched from their ancestors city in Greece. While I was having lunch (Greek salad and coffee) the dancers led a line dance that people could join. I had never been inside the Marshall high school before. A couple of Greek Orthodox priests were on hand to answer questions. While people ate a pair of toddlers danced together. This was a very crowded event. I had to wait in line for an hour to get my lunch. A lady next to me said sometimes they run out of food before the event is over on Sunday. A woman was selling church t-shirts told me that when the women of the church fold the pastries and cookies, they teach the children how to form the twists by experimenting with play dough. This was a very nice community event. The people were nice. The food was delicious. I enjoyed the music and the dancing.

Uncle Tungsten

 Oliver Sacks, the world famous neurologist and writer, wrote a memoir/chemistry book called Uncle Tungsten. He came from a large family and one of his Uncles got him interested in chemistry. His uncle worked with tungsten at his factory where they made the filaments for incandescent lights. Sacks grew  up in England. During world war two he and one of his brothers were evacuated to a school out in the country to be safe from the bombings. Although the headmaster had a good reputation before starting this school, he became sadistic. The children were not given enough food to eat. Food sent to the children by their families was confiscated for the headmaster and his family. Sacks and his brother never complained but other boys did and the school was eventually closed down. His parents were both physicians. Sacks went on house calls with his father. He observed births with his mother who was a gynecologist. As a boy, encouraged by his uncles, he got obsessed with chemistry. He would go to the local museum where they had a  huge periodic table of elements on the wall with samples of each element on display. Sacks would sit and stare at that table for hours trying to make sense of it all. I actually had to skim through some of the chemistry which has never been an interesting subject to me. I think Oliver Sacks is a fascinating fellow and it was interesting to hear about his early path in life.

Roughing It

A couple days ago we had a discussion about camping. I was volunteering at an ESL class with a local teacher, a geologist from Poland, a young man from Mexico and a woman from Thailand. We walked about the definitions of motorhomes, camper vans, camping trailers, and sports utility vehicles. We also talked about tents. All of us had been camping and saw the value of being immersed in nature. The lady from Thailand enjoys camping at Devil Track Lake campground north of Grand Marais. She does not like tents but would use a camping trailer. The man from Poland enjoys camping in Poland along rivers but he is married to a woman who would not appreciate roughing it. She even told him that if they were stranded in the desert with only a liter of water, she would use the water to clean herself. The man from Mexico used to work on a ranch with cattle and he had to camp as part of his job. Now he would use a tent for 2 or 3 days but any more than that  he would prefer a camping trailer. The man from Poland was totally unfamiliar with marshmallows and might go to the grocery store to try them out. He knew much information about the storks that live in Poland atop the chimneys in the parts of the country that have the least pollution. The man from Mexico was telling us about scorpions that live in the desert. He said they prefer that shade so being a construction worker on a home in the desert is a very dangerous business. I was asked why I prefer roughing it to luxury. Spending more time fixing food or cleaning outside takes my mind off my troubles if I am outside listening to the birds sing and watching the clouds go by in the sky. Even the sound of rain is pleasant from inside a tent. Getting wet by the rain inside a tent has happened to me and that was not fun but the discomfort was temporary. The five of us were all from very different backgrounds and I really enjoyed hearing their opinions.

Happy Summer Solstice

 

My Happy Place

 I spent my entire afternoon and evening out on Park Point. I walked for a couple hours and I was dressed just right for that. I spent an hour carving walking sticks for my grand girls. And then I went sailing from 5:30 to 8 p.m. My life jacket kept me warm but I wished I had brought along my fleece jacket. I had it in the car but I didn't bring it. My first said was in the blue sail boat and the second sail was on this beauty which is larger and has a cabin with a table and chairs and some sleeping areas. This week we had more of a breeze so we could really get going. Being on the water with the noise and smell of a motor is my happy place and it was made even better by being with other people who also enjoy sailing.

The Whole Town Is Talking

 I love Fannie Flagg as an author and here I found one that I had not read yet. This is the fourth in the series about Elmwood Springs, Missouri, but it can be read as a stand alone book. The title is The Whole Town Is Talking. The story is about a Swedish farmer who puts an ad in a Chicago newspaper looking for a Swedish wife around 1850.  Lordnor Nordstrom marries his Swedish bride, Katrina, and together, with their farming neighbors, organize a town. Everytown needs a cemetery and theirs is called Still Meadows. Lordnor and Katrina are nice people and they work hard. Not everyone who lived in Elmwood Springs between the 1850's and the current year are nice nor hardworking. For example, there is a hairdresser named Tot who married a good for nothing husband and now has two good for nothing children. The town of Elmwood Springs peaked from about 1900 to 1940 and now has gone downhill. The cemetery lied abandoned with the monuments knocked over. I listened to this story of audiobook and enjoyed every dang minute of the story.

Feisty Chihuahua

 The last two days of dog walking have gone much better than expected. Only one loud encounter with a feisty attitude-holding chihuahua was not too bad.

Her Heart For A Compass

 Sarah Ferguson is the author of Her Heart For A Compass. I didn't realize the former wife of Prince Andrew wrote books. This book is about herself and a namesake ancestor, Lady Margaret who lived when Queen Victoria was the Queen of England. The story is about Lady Margaret's refusal to do as her father bids her to do and marry an older Scottish man for the political gain of her father, the Duke. She is the eldest in her family and her father doesn't like her thwarting his authority so he punishes her by sending her out of the country. Eventually Lady Margaret realizes there is nothing she can do that will please her father and turns to works of charity instead. She establishes schools for poor children in Ireland and eventually is New York City. Sometimes she attends parties with high society types. The author says the story is based on her own life and the facts she learned about her ancestor. She has no idea if her ancestor had a fraught relationship with her father but she did organize charities for poor children. I enjoyed reading the description of the cities and countries and the clothes and the food. I also enjoyed the ever changing relationship between Lady Margaret and her parents and siblings and friends.

Cat Wearing A Bowtie

My job this weekend is to house sit, dog sit, and cat sit. I don't have any pets at home and now I temporarily have three. Dogs need exercise and so do I. We had an unfortunate meltdown near here when one of the hounds went to sniff the hostas on a property only to find a big gray cat wearing a bedraggled bowtie inside the hostas. We pulled the dogs away. The cat with the bowtie had attitude and came out of the hostas and onto the sidewalk. We still pulled the howling hound dogs away and the bodacious cat with a bowtie followed us down the sidewalk looking for a fight. Howls were so loud. Adrenaline was flowing in dogs and humans and probably the cat with a bowtie too. After following us for six sections of sidewalk the cat walked off into the yard. The dogs kept howling for another half of the block. Later one of the hounds caught an English sparrow in the back yard. Oh man, having pets is hard. I forgot. On the bright side, English sparrows are an invasive species.

A dying English sparrow after being caught by a hound dog.

 

A Dangerous Business

I have been a fan of Jane Smiley's writing since I read A Thousand Acres. This time I read A Dangerous Business which is set in Monterey, California during the gold rush of 1850. The story is told by Eliza Ripple, a young widow who grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and moved to Monterey with her abusive husband. When he died in a bar fight Eliza was relieved. In order to support herself she goes to work for Mrs. Parks in a brothel. She makes friends with another woman from a different brothel. They hear about 5 young women who were murdered in the town and no one seems to be investigating. Eliza is reading a book by Edgar Allen Poe about a detective. Together Eliza and her friend start investigating these murders. At times I thought Eliza was over reacting and thinking all men were suspicious. The story was well told. I would consider this more of a historical fiction than a murder mystery. Eliza is a very likeable character.

Lupine Season

 

Sailing

Tonight I got to go sailing in the Saint Louis River estuary. In terms of excitement, on a scale of one through ten, I was at a ten. This is the sailboat I was on. I left my phone and keys in the equipment shed during my ride. Now the boat is taking a second load of participants from the Courage/Kenney program. I was with two professional sailors and two participants. The weather was perfect. The temperature was in the upper 70's and the sky was mostly clear with a touch of smokey haze. At one point during our sail the wind died completely down and we had to use an oar to get some momentum. After that the wind picked up again. On the water is my happy place.

One of the participants I sailed with agreed to try a solo ride. Here he is after taking off from the dock. He was so happy. Later I told him I was impressed with his courage. He said he had quite a night. I didn't realize he got stuck on a sandbar and the fishing boat with a motor had to come and pull him out. On his way back in he parallel parked that sailboat like a pro.

This is one of the larger sailboats with a motor. I thought it looked so pretty with the sun behind the sail.

A guy with paraplegia went sailing. His electric wheelchair waits for him to return. He was hoisted into the boat on a Hoyer lift. I admire his courage in trusting people to transfer him safely to go sailing. He looked like he had a good time.

Tonight was a magical night.

 

Dance Of The Reptiles

 I have read several of Carl Hiaasen's novels about wacky things that happen in Florida but Dance Of The Reptiles: Rampaging Tourists, Marauding Pythons, Larcenous Legislators, Crazed Celebrities, and Tar Balled Beaches: Selected Columns. Besides being a novelist, Carl is a columnist at the Miami Herald. This collection comes from 2001 to 2013. He reminded me of some of the crazy things that happened in his state. One idea he had was to have a separate jail for law breaking tourists. I imagine living in a high tourist area can be annoying when some people come to visit with the mentality that "anything goes." He writes about the BP oil spill. He writes about the election of George Bush. I had forgotten all about Katherine Harris, the hanging chads, and the supreme court decision. He writes about efforts to have the manatee delisted as endangered and saving the ecology of the Everglades. He writes about the Terry Schiavo case, the woman who was in a persistent vegetative state, and how her parents took her husband to court because he wanted to stop the tube feeding. Politicians from around the country used Terry Schiavo to push their political agendas. He wrote a very snarky column about Sarah Palin that had me laughing out loud. This author is not a fan of the Republicans. I thought it was strange and yet somewhat comforting that the political issues that were a problem twenty years ago are still a problem today.

The Psychopath Test

 I finished reading The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through The Madness Industry by Jon Ronson, a British author. The book was published in 2011 and was a best seller in Britain and also here in the United States. As research the author visited known psychopaths, psychologists and psychiatrists. He visited jails and mental institutions. There is a diagnostic checklist called the Hare Psychopathy Checklist which has 20 items to score. He visited Robert D. Hare who wrote the checklist. He visited Scientologists who don't believe in mental illness nor the psychiatric treatment of mental illness. He visited one psychopath in a mental institution who doesn't believe he is a psychopath but the doctors disagree so he stays incarcerated. The story was interesting but I thought the presentation was a bit haphazard. This was definitely a light read and not a scholarly look at psychopathy.

Foraging

Today I went to a class on foraging for food and medicine at Hartley Nature Center. A young naturalist led our group. We looked at burdock, Golden Alexander, daisy, valerian, cat tails, ostrich fern fiddleheads, basswood, June berries, and mustard. She recommended some books too. We tasted a few plants. If you pull cattails out by the center leaving the outer two leaves intact, you can pull the stem out. The tender inner leaves on the stem taste a little bit like cucumber. Cattails clean up the water so be sure to pull from clean water. Cattails in a ditch along a busy road might have high lead content. Tea can be made from raspberry leaves, strawberry leaves, and valerian. Milkweed can be edible. In the spring you can eat the shoots raw like in a salad. The seed pods can be eaten when they are newly formed and they taste like a combination of green beans and asparagus. While looking at the milk weeds we found 7 plants with Monarch butterfly eggs and first stage instars.

 

Thirsty Deer

This is the view from Inspiration Peak. I love this spot. The bald top was nice because the mosquitoes were attacking me fiercely as we walked up and down through the oak woods.

This is a sculpture made out of lawn mower blades near Vining. I liked the great blue heron eating a fish. The thirsty deer in the background on the other side of the pond was a bonus.

 

Phelp's Mill

We visited Phelp's Mill near Amore, MN the other day. The scene was full of life. Look at all the barn swallow nests under the mill roof. The barn swallows (mill swallows?) were swarming eating all the dragonflies that were in turn eating all the gnats hovering above the Ottertail River which flows from Ottertail lake towards the Hudson Bay.

View from the bridge which is now only for pedestrians. The water flows swiftly.

Downstream anglers were catching sunfish and northern pike.

The anglers fish from both sides of the river close to the dam.

We have to go past the Corner Store on Ottertail Lake.