Weekend Fire and Bare Trees

Last weekend was so warm and wonderful. We headed up to our Airstream retreat and had one of those magical weekends full of love and life. The fire was warm and the firepit was filled with brown oak leaves.



The trees were bare and the geese flew in over our heads to their place just north of our property. Must be a nightly pit stop; we saw groups of geese converge on the spot from all different directions.



We awoke at about 3:00 in the morning to pee and the early morning sky was breathtaking, all glittering with stars and bright with a half moon shining to the northeast. Too cold for a picture, but I doubt that will leave my memory for a while.

I got very excited about bringing the little one up there to our retreat. Sadly though, the Big D had to prepare the boat for winter. The boating season is entirely too short up in this region. We only took the boat out a couple of times and the canoe only saw the water once. Hopefully next summer things will be different.

Rusk County Trains

We've been told that the town near our Airstream retreat is like a ghost town compared to just 10 years ago. Despite being the county seat, the town is quiet. Wa*lmart just moved into the area so a couple more businesses are gone. The year we moved out there, the area was hit with a tornado so many of the tall, old trees were taken off the main street. The community college closed down. The mine closed about seven years ago and that's when the downhill slide started on a slippery slope to oblivion. There are a few farms left and there is a wonderful river that runs through the town. Parts of the river are damned up so there is a deep reservoir lake on one end. The advantage to us is the the quiet. The lake and river are hardly ever busy, except for maybe some holiday weekends, but those are the weekends we usually stay in the city.

I believe there used to be a lot of logging in the area. Now the woods and forests near the river are managed by the state and logged based on a sustainable plan. Trains still pass through and at some places, there are huge stacks of cut logs awaiting transport.



I find it interesting to think that the train system was one of the first official, national grids. Having a train pass through a town brought along the postal grid and eventually, the electricity grid. Cellphone service just came to the area this summer. We now have cellphone access on our land, something we've lived without since moving into the area in 2004. I'm not sure how I feel about this development.



This train that I photographed was acquired by the town in 1980s. It ran through the area in the 1960s. It sits at the visitor information center which is designed like a train stop. We can view all this while eating at the local restaurant. I think about the images I want to take as I munch on eggs and bacon.



Note the American flag reflected in the windows. It was the perfect time of day to capture that image and it is fitting, I think. Makes me feel nostalgic. So many things that helped build this country are fading away, including this town. Certainly the main businesses such as the copper mine and the logging industry can't be remembered without a certain level of criticism. Now, these are failing industries and along with their fail rests the future of this town.



We ended up in the area because my father-in-law bought the land some twenty-five years ago. There were plans for building a large recreational community with a marina, golf course, horse stables, etc. That builder declared bankruptcy and the plots of land were sold off really cheap ($200/lot). A bunch of Minneapolis cops bought land here at the time. My father-in-law never did anything with the land and gave it to us when he realized how much time we spent camping. We searched and found a bargain classic Airstream and set up our retreat. We had a road and electricity put in, but no water which we bring in with us from the city. We started with two lots but have been lucky to buy three more adjacent to the land. We try to buy whatever supplies we need in town. We bought our DVD player there in an effort to support the local economy. It's a small effort, I know. It's heartbreaking watching this town die down.

Airstream Retreat Weekend

We had to leave the city this last weekend. We were having the roof re-shingled on our house and there was a lot of banging and power stapling. They had to add three vents to our roof so there was even some sawing and cutting. Our poor cats are really getting sick and tired of all the work we are having done to our home. We, however, were able to get away to our Airstream retreat.



OK. Alright. I'll admit it. I was too lazy (and cold) to walk away from the fire to get my tripod. So, the picture is a little shaky. Also, I want to try out the shake reduction feature on the camera. Not bad though, I must say, for shooting a shot of the Airstream trailer after the sun had gone down.

It'd been a while since we spent any significant time at our Airstream retreat. The mice moved in and made quite a home for themselves. They like to set up in the stove and poo all over the place, in the drawers and cupboards. Needless to say, the first few hours were spent thoroughly cleaning out the joint. Most of our stuff is stored in air-tight plastic containers which is a necessity if you've got a trailer parked in the woods and yet, the mice find plenty of space to mess up. When we bought the trailer, we had been warned of this from the previous owners and I was mortified, but it is what it is and we gotta deal with it. When we used to retreat more frequently, like every single weekend, the mess didn't get so bad. But, we hadn't been there in over a month and only visited a few times this summer. The place needed to be cleaned, so we cleaned like crazy.

We had the furnace fixed in September, which was an experience that requires a whole post of it's own! But good thing that we did fix it because it was cold this weekend. Nighttime temps were in the thirties. We were all snug and warm in our trailer and so was little mousey who we saw running around when we finally came in for the evening. We were thinking that next time we should bring one of our cats to visit. That might deter the mice from coming into the trailer.



We had some pieces of oak so the fire was wonderfully warm in the chilly Autumn night. The flames are so mesmerizing and I have been very pleased with the photos of the fire that I have taken over the years. Here are a couple more shots of the fire.



There have been some years where the leaves were a wide range of vibrant colors. A riot of reds and yellows. This year the conditions were not right for this; bright colors require warm days and cool nights. We've had just cold, cold, and some more cold. There were even some days with snow. So the colors were mostly brown and yellow. There were some red but that was speckled with brown.

When the temperature drops it helps to be strategic about cooking. While summer months are filled with outdoor cooking over the fire, winter cooking is mostly done in the trailer. I try to find recipes that require the use of the tiny trailer oven. Tiny it may be but it sure helps in heating the trailer. A pizza is quick and easy to whip up especially when I want to spend most of my time sitting by the fire.



I've found that things tend to burn less if I put them on the top rack of the oven.



It was a great night at the trailer. It's close enough that we can go for just one night. Yet, far enough away that we feel like we've gotten away from it all. And this weekend, getting away from it all was getting away from all the banging and pounding of roof work!

Alpacas

Alpacas are funny-looking creatures.



On our drive into Wisconsin on Saturday, we encountered several alpaca farms. They had been recently shorn. So, to me, they looked like overgrown poodles. So cute and in so many different colors. I was surprised by the variety. And, I had no idea that it was such a business craze in these parts.

Weekend Fire

It's been three months since I featured a weekend fire. And that really represents how little we went to the Airstream retreat this summer. The summer is coming to an end and I am left wondering where it went. I spent the summer in a fog of morning sickness and I distinctly remember thinking how wonderful it was going to be to have summer done and over with. But now that it's here, I am sad for the end.

The August weekend fires always have corn in them. This is my favorite way of cooking up corn. The corn has a bit of the smokiness from the fire and I love the process of peeling away the steamy husks. I had a friend who grew up on a farm and she always watched with disgust as fellow campers cooked up corn this way, muttering that cooked worm looked the same as a cooked kernel. I try not to think about that and when I did this year, I told myself "oh well, baby needs the protein."

Weekend Fire

It's been three months since I featured a weekend fire. And that really represents how little we went to the Airstream retreat this summer. The summer is coming to an end and I am left wondering where it went. I spent the summer in a fog of morning sickness and I distinctly remember thinking how wonderful it was going to be to have summer done and over with. But now that it's here, I am sad for the end.

The August weekend fires always have corn in them. This is my favorite way of cooking up corn. The corn has a bit of the smokiness from the fire and I love the process of peeling away the steamy husks. I had a friend who grew up on a farm and she always watched with disgust as fellow campers cooked up corn this way, muttering that cooked worm looked the same as a cooked kernel. I try not to think about that and when I did this year, I told myself "oh well, baby needs the protein."

Rasta Road

We call this trail the Rasta Road because of what we found toward the end of the road:



We take this drive frequently because the road leads to a secluded campground on the Flambeau River. There is a water pump at this campground. We have no water on our property so when we run out of what we hauled from the city, we take drive to this pump. The water is very cold and refreshing. It smells like it's loaded with minerals, but the taste is pure and clear.






The remains of logging in the area can be jarring. Yet, it is nice to see the area start the growing process again. It's also a good area to spot birds and other wildlife.




But, soon the road leads back into the thick of the woods. In just one week it seems like the trees popped into their leafy glory, causing the road to slim and the woods to darken. We actually saw a porcupine on the side of the road, but it was too quick and sneaky to get a picture. That was a first for me -- seeing a porcupine out in the wild and it seemed to waiting to say hello on the side of the road.




The river is just wonderful here. This is place where a lot of canoers stops for the night. We had the place to ourselves on the afternoon we wandered down to get the water.



It was one of those trips where everything seemed magical with an impossible array of green color everywhere.

Rasta Road

We call this trail the Rasta Road because of what we found toward the end of the road:



We take this drive frequently because the road leads to a secluded campground on the Flambeau River. There is a water pump at this campground. We have no water on our property so when we run out of what we hauled from the city, we take drive to this pump. The water is very cold and refreshing. It smells like it's loaded with minerals, but the taste is pure and clear.






The remains of logging in the area can be jarring. Yet, it is nice to see the area start the growing process again. It's also a good area to spot birds and other wildlife.




But, soon the road leads back into the thick of the woods. In just one week it seems like the trees popped into their leafy glory, causing the road to slim and the woods to darken. We actually saw a porcupine on the side of the road, but it was too quick and sneaky to get a picture. That was a first for me -- seeing a porcupine out in the wild and it seemed to waiting to say hello on the side of the road.




The river is just wonderful here. This is place where a lot of canoers stops for the night. We had the place to ourselves on the afternoon we wandered down to get the water.



It was one of those trips where everything seemed magical with an impossible array of green color everywhere.

Sap sucker

We have lots of woodpeckers and sap suckers in the area (at the trailer in WI). It's the sap suckers that leave the rows of holes in the trees.




These holes attract hummingbirds too! But I didn't get a shot of one, but here's a shot of the sap sucker.

Sap sucker

We have lots of woodpeckers and sap suckers in the area (at the trailer in WI). It's the sap suckers that leave the rows of holes in the trees.




These holes attract hummingbirds too! But I didn't get a shot of one, but here's a shot of the sap sucker.

My concrete workspace

I've taken up concrete as my art medium. Man, that sounds pretentious, doesn't it? I spent ten years doing mental labor, now I'm moving on to more physical things. The urge began with the need for garden pavers. The effort resulted in an art project for the front slope of our lawn. Now, I'm experimenting with the concrete and my workspace. We spent the holiday weekend at the trailer and so I had plenty of time to work on my concrete projects.

I love my gloves! I always have to have a pair of gloves when I'm working on a project. These are pretty, but not water proof, so I gotta rethink my gloves.




When we arrived at the trailer the Big D noticed a tree that had fallen. He likes seeing things like this so that he has a reason to pull out his chain saw. This time he had to pull out the wedge and the ax, too. So, while he was in woodland chopping bliss, I was setting up my workspace.




It is so much easier working out here in the woods then it is working in the city. I don't have to worry about getting dye and concrete on the patio. The dirt road is not effected by the drips of concrete. I'm experimenting with concrete colorants and was recently surprised to see there are blues and greens available. Today, I had only brown and red.




My view! I had one of those moments where everything seems just absolutely perfect. The bugs were around but even all the mosquitoes didn't bother me. I kept checking my cargo pants for wood ticks. Not so many this weekend. Whoo hoo! The only thing I can't stand about this time of year is the woodticks which to me bear a sign of evil. But, this view, it was incredibly peaceful.




My plan was to make little holders for tea light candles. I want to line the path to the fire pit area with tea lights and usually I do this by putting the candles in a plastic cup. I decided to use the cup for a form.




I made quite a few, but the results were not so good. Choosing brown wasn't the best idea as they turned out to look like piles of shit. With the next batch I tried the red dye, but the form wasn't working out for me. They are usable, but not so pretty to look at.




I decided to move on to the next experiment and I was mighty pleased with the results.




I learned so much about this craft this weekend. I learned to use a wet cloth to smooth out the top of the concrete. I went crazy with all the leaves and such to imprint on the concrete. This might have been the last weekend to find leaves small enough for the concrete forms as I'm assuming they will just continue to grow.










This experiment turned out much better than I had hoped or expected!

My concrete workspace

I've taken up concrete as my art medium. Man, that sounds pretentious, doesn't it? I spent ten years doing mental labor, now I'm moving on to more physical things. The urge began with the need for garden pavers. The effort resulted in an art project for the front slope of our lawn. Now, I'm experimenting with the concrete and my workspace. We spent the holiday weekend at the trailer and so I had plenty of time to work on my concrete projects.

I love my gloves! I always have to have a pair of gloves when I'm working on a project. These are pretty, but not water proof, so I gotta rethink my gloves.




When we arrived at the trailer the Big D noticed a tree that had fallen. He likes seeing things like this so that he has a reason to pull out his chain saw. This time he had to pull out the wedge and the ax, too. So, while he was in woodland chopping bliss, I was setting up my workspace.




It is so much easier working out here in the woods then it is working in the city. I don't have to worry about getting dye and concrete on the patio. The dirt road is not effected by the drips of concrete. I'm experimenting with concrete colorants and was recently surprised to see there are blues and greens available. Today, I had only brown and red.




My view! I had one of those moments where everything seems just absolutely perfect. The bugs were around but even all the mosquitoes didn't bother me. I kept checking my cargo pants for wood ticks. Not so many this weekend. Whoo hoo! The only thing I can't stand about this time of year is the woodticks which to me bear a sign of evil. But, this view, it was incredibly peaceful.




My plan was to make little holders for tea light candles. I want to line the path to the fire pit area with tea lights and usually I do this by putting the candles in a plastic cup. I decided to use the cup for a form.




I made quite a few, but the results were not so good. Choosing brown wasn't the best idea as they turned out to look like piles of shit. With the next batch I tried the red dye, but the form wasn't working out for me. They are usable, but not so pretty to look at.




I decided to move on to the next experiment and I was mighty pleased with the results.




I learned so much about this craft this weekend. I learned to use a wet cloth to smooth out the top of the concrete. I went crazy with all the leaves and such to imprint on the concrete. This might have been the last weekend to find leaves small enough for the concrete forms as I'm assuming they will just continue to grow.










This experiment turned out much better than I had hoped or expected!