Blankets and Archways

Last weekend saw card games, a winter thaw and many thoughts of loved ones. Too sloppy and slippery to spend much time outside.

Bobby Boy on recon mission to the kitchen

Waiting for beef tenderloin status report. Likes his medium rare

Motley Crew

WE GIVE YOU THE GIFT OF US

L to R: Roscoe, his brother Leo, Farty McBeezer aka Sassy Girl, Bobby Boy aka Mr. French, aka Bob Barker, aka Roberto Clementi, aka Big Rat and of course Oliver aka Little Rat.

Candy Christmas Tree

It's time to drag out this old chestnut candy Christmas tree how to I cobbled together in Final Cut Pro.
My talented cousin Jackie, my Godfather Phil2 and Bobby Boy make this one of my favorite videos.

Z is for ZOO LIGHTS

When did 32˚ after sundown become so cold?



Week's Favorite

The tracks were singing like an operatic contralto when I took this photo

Holiday

This will be our first Christmas without the sweet funny smart goofball drinking the mimosa

I love you more than a dog drinking water, more than green licorice, more than the idea I have for a swim up bar where every bartender looks like Brad Pitt from Thelma and Louise.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Kwanzaa and Festivus.

May the New Year be a better one, the last one set the Festivus pole pretty low.

Fat Tires

We had our third weekend of snow today and I thought it was brave (or stupid) to go out. Then I remembered where I lived.
A tip of the hat, you die hards.
Note the dead car in the driveway to the left.

This photo screams, "Madison, WI"

I hope a cold Flat Tire Ale and a hot basket of cheese curds were waiting for her.

Hoth

We went from showing how Nordic we are by grocery shopping robbing banks in our pajamas to consulting the wind chill index every time we leave the house.

An Icy Picnic

Some local sleuths dug up information related to a similar picture from my last post. Here's another look at the spot which started me thinking about a young boy who crashed a plane around this area at or near Camp Wakanda. Turns out there's an old photo of him as a lifeguard from only a week before the downed training flight. Someone on Facebook found a picture of him in his mother's photo album, amazing. Tom went to Wisconsin High, was an athlete, and died in the nineties. I'm still wondering how the crash affected the rest of his life.

And of course there's some guy walking down the jetty in a snow storm

Did the weather guy really just say, "That minus two might be closer to minus ten?" I can think of a minus one who'd love to be someplace warmer right now, like planet OGLE-2005-BLG-390 which has a surface temperature of minus 364.

Yer yeller, Rat Boy.Yer gonna end up carrying me, Dog Who Drives

Week's Favorite: Oliver refused to get out of the car in the underground parking garage last week because he didn't like the looks of the floor. I lost the standoff before it started. He's wondering why he spent all that time training me.

Leaving this up in December is either optimistic or lazy

I took this shot of the pier two weeks ago when we still hoped the lake wouldn't freeze over. It was finally pulled in on Saturday.

One of the most scenic paths has a big ol' No Dogs Allowed sign

I see this shot and remember Oliver and Bob whining for walkies two posts ago. Yeah on the cat walk, on the cat walk yeah, we did a little turn on the cat walk.

I wonder where the goats go in the winter

Since I worked so hard by getting in and out of the car (or rolling down the window) to take photos, I headed over to Endres Manufacturing to feast on their Christmas lights. Endres, by coincidence, makes piers.

Sans Goats

They also have a thing for goats which were probably not in this fanciful little house as I imagined.
I was able to use my new cheapo tripod without incident or frostbite, so I'd call this shoot a Festive success.

I find you and your crackers I mean conversation quite fascinating

If you're wondering what happened to Oliver, he got carried to the elevator and had a lovely visit with my mother who slipped him a cracker before I could stop her. 

I'll make you pay for this, I'll make you all pay

No Denying It

Picnic Season Is Over

I went out for milk before the snow got too serious yesterday and ended up taking photos. One of my favorite spots on Lake Mendota looked downright haunted. A plane did crash nearby in 1944 and the 17-year-old pilot was listed as seriously injured. I wonder what happened to him, I've sent inquiries. 

On a lighter note, this was also the location of a long time summer camp. Still creepy.

There are hills on both sides and I wouldn't try driving down there today. Or would I? I am a bit of an idiot

A Week In Dogs

We got our first snow fall on Sunday and now it's in the 30s. Here's a look back at a time (last week) when all we had to worry about was Sarah Palin making sense and lunatic Cubs fans endlessly making *Cubs Win Christmas cookies—All Work And No Play Makes Kris Byrant A Dull Boy.

Shish Ka Bob

Until last Sunday we still grilled out.

Too sexy for his leash

We were outside not even a week ago and did a little turn on the cat walk, yeah on the cat walk, on the cat walk yeah, we did a little turn on the cat walk.

Too sexy for her vest

We didn't have to worry about snowmobiles or snow machines or snow blowers or Sno-cones and could concentrate on showing off our assets.

May have gotten into the late harvest

The gardens were green so we thought our gentle fall would never end.

He's so excited, he just can't hide it

When it got windy we danced with the willows.

Oliver pities the fool who runs out of hair gel

We stayed inside a minute so as not to disturb our 'do.

"Shia LaBeouf called, he wants his rat-tail back."

And most importantly we could still crack wise through an open car window.

*Available on Etsy

On the Rustic Road Again

I've been taking my mother on Rustic Road trips before the world as we know it ends or my car goes into a coma. There's a lot to see if you like cows.

Speaking of coma, although I've been trying to eat less candy, this old timey candy store exists a short and pleasant drive away.

B&B's in Montello, bumping dieters off the wagon for 47 years

And speaking of segues, did you know the owner of Segway drove off a cliff on a Segway in 2010? 

"I'm concerned about you."

What was I saying? Rustic Roads. Here are some furry red cows we found on Rustic Road 96 outside Cottage Grove yesterday. No, I don't know what kind they are, you're on the internet Google "what kind of cow is this" and let me know what you find.

Peeking out at RR 96

Tell me what these woolly bullies (or flossy Bossies) are and get a B&B's Country Store postcard with...my fondest regards. Oh yeah, that candy is long gone.

The 2.3 mile Rustic Road 19 is more like a long driveway

Is it wrong to crave a burger? Possibly. Is it wrong to think the Pack will pull out of their nosedive tonight? Yes. But don't say that to Preston, one of the sweetest Pittie mixes to wear a Clay Matthews jersey. Like the guy from Merrill who is wearing shorts until the Packers win, Preston represents that Cheesehead loyalty which says, "Slow news day."

Has Trump's popular vote for ya right here

It's Only Going to Get Worse From Here or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Don

Undercover

I finally peeked my head out to watch Trump's cabinet shaping up like The Simpson's Jury of the Damned.

Speaking of deals with the devil my Cub-loving relatives were still celebrating their victory last Friday at my Aunt Ginny's 95th birthday party.

Will never take off jersey

The two cousins in the middle are rabid baseball fans and the one wearing the Cubbie's jersey hasn't taken it off since the post...I'm guessing.

Aunt Ginny, 95 and still eating Black Jack Taffy, the Dempsey-Olson's Favorite candy

The real black cat was roaming around a crowd of loud Irish democrats wondering if this was his life now. Then he heard Jeff Sessions was part of Trump's Cabinet-in-Waiting and broke into someone's stash of medical marijuana. Maybe this is the real cat.

Worried this is now his health care

The little furball (not the one on the couch) is no stranger to Dempsey parties but has chosen to stay hoisted in mid-air for the next four years.

As the late, great Rik Mayall said, "Balls."

Although Black Jack Taffy brings back memories of my grandma and grandpa hiding them throughout the house I'm wondering if this basket of jumbo jawbreakers will stifle political conversation this thanksgiving.

Salmo Pond looking all I can't believe it's November and I live in Wisconsin

I think this incredible weather has been a last meal of sorts.

Have been taking my mother on Nature-centric road trips to soak up this end of days weather. Rustic Road 110

It certainly doesn't feel as if hell has frozen over, but I'll get back to you on that after this weekend. 

Plenty of vertical space, cats ok.

Can't swing Canada but am looking at other options.

Lazing On A Sunday Afrernoon

I'll go if you carry me

And all the leaves on the trees are falling

No, you're a foul shoe

We'll just watch from the shore

Does water look like leaves now?

Ninjas and Pink Flamingos

Pink Flamingos on UW Madison's Bascom Hill date back to a time when I could climb it while smoking a cigarette and drinking a Tab. Leon Varjian and the Pail and Shovel Party ruled campus when I first saw the hill filled with birds "blown in from Hurricane David."  Those goofballs made life more interesting and,  Mandatory John Waters Reference: It was Divine.
A fundraiser called Fill The Hill the Friday before Halloween brought the flamingos out again and an overwhelming sense of nostalgia brought Little Rat and me to campus.

His ascot was neither apricot nor ninja

We foraged for parking down by limnology first

Stop judging me, bird or I'll pee on you next—is that a tow truck?

Everyone loves me

I better get treats and walkies after this nonsense. What are you looking at?

Special Forces

I'm pretty sure ninjas don't have leashes. Is that a tow truck?

I'm a Hipster Ninja