All My Children

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Number One (and so far ONLY) Grandson, Mackinley, using his blue death-ray sword to save us all from the forces of evil that are loose on our planet.


(So far our youngest) Grand daughter Piper, modeling the tattoos which she artistically gave herself (and the wall) while daddy was snoozing and mommy was away.


Grand daughter Kaeleigh grinning over her birthday loot.


And last, but certainly not least, my OLDEST child petting our vacation doggy, Cheney.

Because we ALL KNOW - - - the only difference between a man and a boy is the price of his toy. Fisherhubby is ALL boy, and he has LOTS of expensive toys.

I'm linking this little peek into my world,
The world of Central Wisconsin,
To YOUR world at Communal Global.

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It's 89 Degrees, I THINK It is Now Safe - - -

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To say "spring" and even "snow" on the Frozen Tundra without bringing that white stuff back down on our heads.

I THINK it is safe - - - after all, we DID have a frost last week.


As Fisherhubby and I trundle around our state, everywhere we go we see signs that spring is really and truly finally here.


Our summer friends, like this Sandhill Crane, which I call the Emu of Wisconsin, are back.

Wild turkeys are "frisky" in the fields.

The ground is covered with wild flowers

Like these trilliums.

Fisherhubby scratched his way into the undergrowth
To snap this close-up shot.

He is dauntless in the face of wood ticks.

I am not.

Even flowering trees are. (Flowering, of course.)

And as we drove up hill and down dale,

My eyes feasted on the palate,
The palate of a plethora of shades of green.

And so, with reckless abandon, I declare that spring, Spring, SPRING is.finally here and we shall see no more of snow until the next winter winds blow.

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Seasonal Sundays in My City, Er I Mean STATE

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I'm really late joining the SIMC and SS parties - - - but at least I came. Too bad everyone else is already leaving.

Azure Wisconsin Skies (finally)
Over blue, blue waters
Makes hubby's heart turn toward - - -

Fishing.
He said, "I've just gotta soak a worm."

So, while the bald Eagles dipped and soared over his head - - -
He soaked his worm,

And pulled up a couple of large mouth bass.

There's good reason why I call him Fisherhubby!

Then he texted his Indiana Fishing buddy
Just to say:
"Wishing you were here!"

PS - - - lest you be fooled,
That "G" on his cap is for
GREENBAY.
(As in Packers)

Thanks to Unknown Mami for hosting
"Sundays in My City"
To which I am linking this post

I'm also linking to
Seasonal Sundays at the Tablescaper.

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Hayward Lake, Duck Calls, and Creepy Crawlies

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Hayward Lake. That's what "they" call it - - - though I simply cannot think of it by that name for, having grown up in Hayward, I know it is simply a widened portion of the Namekagon River.

Nonetheless, "they" call it Hayward Lake. Situated right on its banks is this lovely hotel.


Fisherhubby and I spent last night there as a bit of a delayed anniversary get-away.


Of course, being Fisherhubby, he found time to do a little bit of this - - -


Followed by a whole lotta this.

While we were in Hayward, FH fished in three different spots and caught 6 fish. The following FH anecdote happened during ONE of his fishing excursions last evening:

Last Thursday, FH got a new iPhone. He has been experimenting with various ring tones to see which one he likes. At some point yesterday he set his ring tone to duck calls.

When he left the hotel to drive to another portion of the river to fish, he specifically told me, "I've got my cell phone, if you need me you can call."

After an hour or so of quality blogging time, I got very curious about the success he may or may not be having fishing, so I gave him a call. It rang four or five times and then went to voice mail.

I thought, "he's probably pulling in a big fish right now and can't answer - - - I'll call back in a minute." This I did three or four times with the exact same ring followed by voice mail response.

About a half an hour later he strolled into the hotel.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" I queried.

"It didn't ring." Says he.

"That's funny, I called you three or four times."

"Hnmmm - - - I wonder why it didn't ring???"

He checked his phone for a bit - - - then looked up at me with a sheepish grin.

"I had my ringer set to duck calls. I kept hearing ducks calling - - - but there were mallards all around me so I thought it was them. Once I heard one right above my head and looked UP thinking, 'how did that mallard get there without me knowing it?' - - - only there was no duck there! I guess it was my phone ringing the whole time!"

So - - - a word to the wise ourdoorsman - - - DON'T SET YOUR RING TONE TO WOODSY SOUNDS. Unless, of course, you WANT to ignore your wife, on your anniversary and all.

This was the view of the "lake" from our hotel window during the late afternoon.


And it was no less lovely as the sun began to - - -


And then did indeed go down.


The view a bit to the left - - -


Left view, sun going down.


View to the right - - -


Right view, sun going down.

We took a leisurely morning and then headed home.

At one point in the car, I felt a creature crawling on my wrist - - - looked down and there was a little tick.

Oh mes amies - - - I GREW UP with ticks. They never phased me a bit.

So, WHY am I feeling creepy crawlies that don't even exist all over me?????

C'est la vie!!!

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News From The Northwoods

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Hello to my bloggy peeps. Fisherhubby and I are on a little two day get-away in the north woods. I am using my new "toy" to post this all important information blurb to you. Nevermind the fact that I'm having trouble getting it to post pictures, change fonts, or even space for paragraphs. AT LEAST I'VE GOT THIS MUCH FIGURED OUT!!! And, besides all that I've figured out - - - all by my little old self - - - how to turn it into a WiFi "hot spot" and Fisherhubby was able to get online on his Macbook using my hotness. I've always WANTED to have hotness!!! OK - - - enough of one long run-on paragraph post. I'll have some pictures and more news when I get back to lappy. ttfn. Over and Out.

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One Third of the Way to 108!!!

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Today the Big Cheese, also known on this blog as Fisherhubby, and I are celebrating our 36th Anniversary.


He's celebrating it by working and I celebrated by getting a mani and a pedi!!!!


Thirty-six years ago today, in the tiny South Carolina town where we tied the knot, it was about 110 in the shade and 99% humidity.

I do exaggerate - - - but not by MUCH.


Since then we've managed to stir up PLENTY of heat - - - in every way you are imagining.

After we tied that knot, we brought four wee babes into this world and made a family. I will tell you that QUIET moments around our home were few and far between. Oh, but what fun we had - - - and if we didn't think so at the time, now as we look back on those days every one of the six of us ends up laughing at our past antics - - - laughing so hard that the tears roll down our cheeks.

Happy Anniversary, Fisherhubby!!! Here's hoping we have 36 more years together.

You may read a lovely tribute written by the oldest of our four babies here. Thank you so much, Keri!

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We'll Meet In the Middle, 'Neath That Old Georgia Pine - - -

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When Kamma and Papoo (you may call these folks grandma and grandpa but 'round these here parts that "ain't" their names) live more than 7 hours away from their grans it takes some extraordinary planning to get to spend time together.

A couple of weekends ago, in order to return our grans to their mommy and daddy we decided to meet in the middle - - - in this case "the old Georgia pine" was Exit 59 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois - - - a northern "burb" of the Big Ole Windy City.


Fortunately for all of us - - - all three generations - - - there was a Red Robin at the exit where we could share a little food and fellowship after our long car rides and before our next long car rides home.


Mama Keri was ecstatic to be reunited with her little "chicks," Mackinley and Piper.


We settled in to scour the menus for delightful morsels with which to assuage our budding appetites.

Around us was much ambiance.

Ambiance and atmosphere.

Mr. Red himself presided over all.

Then there was a carousel horse,

And even Miss Liberty waving her space-age torch.

The waiters had ready smiles
And the onion ring towers were feats of construction genius.

The food was OK - - -

None of us went home hungry that day.

I'm linking this little peek into my world,
The world of Central Wisconsin,
To YOUR world at Communal Global.

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Glittering Gold - - -

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Just a little eclecticity today about things that are golden to me - - - - glittering optional.


Thursday Fisherhubby and I drove over to Tomah to visit my cousin Doug and his wife Bonnie. We came home with this golden bounty.

This, dear bloggy friends, is pure liquid gold.

Maple syrup gold.


Cousin Doug has a sugar bush in his back yard and does all the back-breaking work of making syrup each and every spring.

When I say back breaking, I am NOT kidding. He must haul dozens and dozens of 5 gallon buckets of sap from the trees to his collecting tank BY HAND every single day while the sap is running.

It takes 200 gallons of sap to make 6 gallons of syrup. My math isn't perfect, but I believe that is 33.3 in adfinitum gallons of sap per gallon of syrup!

Doug's syrup is sooooo yummy that strangers knock on his door, having heard of him word-of-mouth, and BEG to buy it.

I was bequeathed this gorgeous jar just by virtue of being his FAVORITE cousin.

Oh I do kid about the favorite part, he has 20 other first cousins (on our side) that would argue with me about THAT one, but I do NOT kid about him giving me this jar.

It is a golden treasure and we shall dole it out accordingly over the next year.


Talk about a treasure! Here are our three grans enjoying a picnic on the lawn.

Ants optional.


And here is our FIRST baby with her LAST baby on a bike.

All you bloggy moms out there - - - remember how it felt when "they" placed your FIRST baby in your arms in the delivery room???? I STILL get that feeling every time I look at "my baby." It never goes away.

Pure gold and I think it does glitter!


And here he is - - - the ever dashing and daring Fisherhubby pushing the vacuum. He saw me with my camera and said if I didn't go away, he'd stop working.

But he didn't - - - at least not until he had vroom-vroomed our entire place.

And I am THANKFUL! I hate to vacuum, and I never cease being thankful to him for doing it.

The man may pick on me and tease me and joke with and about me - - - but he is a golden boy, and SOMETIMES, just sometimes he also glitters!

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