Bird Law

I was surprised to see that Bird Law has a Wikipedia entry. It not only references the comic twaddle I'm talking about but mentions the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918 which means I might have learned something.

I also learned that a bunch of turkeys is called a rafter, gang, posse or dole.*

What I mean by Bird Law is that you should pay attention to birds that are acting weird. And this gang of rafters on the dole were a questionable posse. They were hanging out near a grill and acted as if I interrupted an avian tailgate party. 

There were more wild turkeys creeping off to the side. Normally there's only one or two giving you the stink eye from the middle of the road. 

And the neighborhood cranes are still here instead of GPSing their way down to Florida. Which brings me to the ominous clouds percolating behind them.

I was looking for rocks on a humid still too warm for October Saturday because I thought Dane County ROCKS! which paints and hides rocks around the county would be a fun hobby for my 92-year-old mother and me. My cousin mentioned them when I posted about these girls selling rocks—notice the wellspring of product behind them.

After I drove past this camo turkey I wound my way back to the beach. To make a long story short (too late) a swift wind blew my glasses off the park chess table where I was texting my cousin about rocks and baseball as a tornado touched down seven miles away.

Bet you didn't see that coming and neither did anyone else since there were no sirens.

The thing about losing your glasses is that you need them to find your glasses. 

Crouching on the ground blindly taking pictures with my phone didn't work. Mostly because I panicked and tried to get to my car as fast I could before looking at the photos.

"As fast as I could" meant trying to walk to the path across the lawn. It also meant getting lost in "woods" about the size of my living room. 

I somehow Magooed my way out of the shrubbery, stumbled onto the walking path and back to the car.

I drove halfway down the walkway and schlepped over to the last place I saw my glasses using an old pair from the glove compartment and a dull flashlight I mostly keep because it matches my car.

The wind was picking up and it was threatening to pour.

Not a single warning siren went off and if one had I would have passed out. 

I decided the hell with it, turned on the brights and drove a few feet from the chess board and there they were, upside down and spotted with raindrops in the middle of the pavement. 

So I guess the lesson is to heed wild turkeys. Maybe I should have saved this story for Thanksgiving.

*From the National Wildlife Federation's Blog

We Got Lots of Them

I thought these girls were selling lemonade last Sunday, but to my delight they were selling rocks. My cousin and I would throw rocks when we were kids and it never dawned on us to go into business. In no way do I condone throwing rocks unless it's rock candy and then be careful because sugar can be dangerous.

So here's to these beautiful young entrepreneurs, long may they rock.

"Oh rocks, I got lots of them, they keep throwing and missing meeee."

Notice the tip jar

Happy to buy a rock probably found in her yard

If you live in Dane County there's a friendly group you can join called Dane Country ROCKS! that paints and hides rocks for people to find and rehide. Rock on.

Lowered Expectations

This crazy hot then pretty nice then a little less hot it will probably snow soon weather is confusing for nature. I drove 80 miles north yesterday and a whole lot of nothing— although I got the Badger game in for most of it. Honestly, I could see more fall color from my couch.
Sunday is airing out mum with a drive and a lady lunch day so I'll try again, maybe I'll give her the camera.
Meanwhile here's a shot I took with a kit lens a few years ago. I'll be trying to beat this photo, but on top of a monochrome fall, my camera is only working in auto settings.
Bitch, whine, whinge, kvetch, time for a new camera and cooler weather.

Booze Hound

Not to be outdone by a beer-loving Chihuahua or Great Pyrenees barflies, this hoppy I mean happy pup was hanging out near the Wisconsin Brewing Company offices. Since he was already black and white I thought grayscale would suit him. No, not the Game of Throne's Stone Men one, I wouldn't wish that on a dog.

Did you say, Stone Man or stoned, man, 'cause my owner smells funny

Overtime

It's really too hot for anything. The stifling weather doesn't seem to be helping anyone's driving skills and I'd kneel in protest if it weren't so hard to get back up.
Who was the one Steeler who stood outside the tunnel for the national anthem today—Alejandro Villanueva. Can you tell I'm writing this while watching football? I'm all for freedom of speech but must applaud someone willing to literally stand for what they believe in while everyone else is kneeling or sitting in sweet AC.
It wouldn't be the only time today the Steelers were in the locker room instead of on the field. Enough about politics and football which are one and the same today except to remind everyone that the Bears still suck.
And let me add that if you're foolhardy enough to wear a Bears jersey in Wisconsin the only acceptable number is 34. I'm talking to you, Bears jersey wearing waiter dude who forgot our menus, napkins, silverware and soup at the RodeSide Grill today. Why are you wearing a backup QB jersey anyway?

They say Ray Nitschke wore tulle in the offseason

Oh, you're Ray Nitschke fans? Go Pack? Have you tried the bratwurst?

You've got to love a bar where both kids and dogs are welcome. I Heart WI

Chihuahua trying to drink a craft beer, why not? That red thing is a pretzel

Secretly bet 50 bones on Cincinnati (he lost in overtime)

Dogtober

I'm not sure when Dogtober moved to Puptember but there were three canine fall fests last Sunday and we were beside ourselves.
It was tough to choose but I picked the one closest to New Glarus, one of my favorite places for festivals, bratwurst and fiberglass cows.
It turned out to be a great choice because not only did I get a close up look at Christian Rock fans waving their hands in the air like they just didn't careah—or careahed a lot, including a lady who had fallen backward off a picnic table bench—but there were free brats. FREE brats so I was in heaven (no pun intended). The gray-haired Christian rock fan was looked after and fine, waving about like an inflatable air dancer when we left.
Back to Puptember.
There were two Great Pyranese hanging out in the Wisconsin Brewing Company tap room and this pup was one of the most earnest dogs I've ever met. He had the grace of a white Bengal tiger with the welcoming manner of an employee at the Lake Mills Dollar General. High praise as I've become a dollar store connoisseur thanks to my mother.
There were dogs in costume, the best cream soda ever, music and a gift shop for my cousin to buy "growlers." Fitting don't you think? I didn't see any growlers or prowlers but plenty of jowlers and one or two howlers.
Here's hoping you like photos of canine cosplayers because I'll be posting a lot of them as well as pups going au naturel.

Have a cup of coffee.

And enjoy the only Halloween dog song I could think of. (Because the dog is named, "Boo!")

A tortoise looking for a hare, i.e, the other half of his costume. "Bet she's at the bar."

You know, Debra, we both made a commitment to this thing

Dog trolls, aka Drolls. I must have the Twin Peaks purse next to the unfinished beer (as rare in WI as escaping the Black Lodge)

Those better be stuffed in chicken, wrapped in bacon and rolled in dead fish

You got a real attitude problem, McFly

Who's hungry for Goldfish?

Hopes none of his friends see him here

How Many More Times

Will I embarrass my little cousin? At least once more. Look at him, isn't he cute?

Bug and the dog version of him, Roscoe

Bug Boy got a scholarship to play ball at a small college out of state where he did well. But it was his dream to play for the University of Wisconsin Badgers so he came back home. His parents had since moved and he hadn't gotten accepted to the university but took a shot.

Did you know Teddy Bears love Badgers?

That meant tech school, getting his grades up, working and going to school and what seemed like endless attempts to get a try out with the Badgers.

Barely putting up with me taking his picture

He got into the UW but they wouldn't let him try out. Semesters and football seasons passed and it seemed time to chalk it up to character building—being quite the character already he didn't really need it.

Photo by his brother, Vince

Out of the blue last week they said he was on the team. That doesn't mean he gets to play, and I counted 13 WRs on the roster, but hell, our little Bug Boy is one tenacious kid and today he got to suit up. I'm all verklempt.
This young man, forever a little boy in my eyes no offense, is a sweet reminder that we should not give up and even if we go down, to go down swinging. Preferably in the Duke Ellington sense, but you know, Rocky if you prefer.

Zeppelin may not be the obvious choice but Bug, his brother Vince and I had a car radio rule, we take turns selecting music unless Zeppelin comes on and then: We never turn off Zeppelin. 

P.S. Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!
P.P.S. Photos from his granny

Falling

I'm can barely wait for the luscious fall weather, but it won't come next week since we're expecting weather in the 80s. It would be criminal to complain so I'll content myself with a few premature fall photos from this week.

At the world's longest red light on Hwy 12

A fading corn field near Sauk Praire. That spec is a plane

The Dog Beach at Devil's Lake will undoubtedly see a last hurrah next week

We Got To Move These Refrigerators

Fully stocked refrigerators, complete with ginger kitties this week only. I hadn't noticed what a hillbilly fridge I had until I took this shot of Dexter checking off another item from his Not Supposed To Do list.

Looking For Corn In All The Wrong Places

I went on an *epic journey to find end of season sweet corn and although disappointing on the cob, it was okay stripped down and should be mighty tasty come winter.
Skelly's Market outside of Janesville was just starting to get their maze and pumpkin patch ready for some good clean outdoor weekend family fun, but they had crisp sour apples bagged and ready for sampling. My favorite though was all the autumn tchotches they had on display.
Funny how such a colorful season looks so rich in black and white.

I'd like to decorate my whole place like this till Christmas

Putting the "T" in Tart

There's some guy's arm in my corn

*Lost again and I wasn't even driving

Don't Bale On Me Now

I saw this golden opportunity on the way to one of the many festivals I visited this summer. A gleaming example of the approaching fall and of the summer I'm trying to preserve.

Hwy Q on the way to Waunakee

A little slice of heaven at Skelly's this week where, yes, I was hunting down corn