The Country Commute

I have lived in Cornucopia for almost eleven years now. Friends and family still ask me if I get sick of driving all over for work or to different events for our kids. If any of them could just take a week to travel with me, they would understand that what I encounter on my drives is nothing like the traffic endured by living in a city.
Last Tuesday on my way into the office, I had the opportunity to stop and meet a great gray owl through the lens of my camera. What an amazing creature. Great Grays are so huge when you see them from 20 feet away with their yellow eyes piercing into your own.
Yesterday on our way to soccer registration and Kindermusik, my sons and I saw a bobcat eating on a road killed deer. Unfortunately, we only caught a quick glimpse as it dashed away from the kill and into the woods.
Maybe some folks don't mind looking at bumper to bumper traffic on their way to work. As for me, I will take the wildlife.

Iron Bridge Trail

Grandon Harris has brought to our attention that the Iron Bridge Trail in the City of Bayfield is in need of some care. BRC met with the City Park's Commission last fall to request some money for materials with the hopes that a volunteer work party could provide the labor.

It's quite a beautiful trail with boardwalks and benches built by Bobby Nelson's WCC Crew in 1984.

The trail leads up the bottom of the Big Ravine to a beautiful 4 ft waterfall. (This is directly below the Bayfield School.)

There's lots of work to be done, including rebuilding the trail where water runoff has created deep gullies.

As you walk back down the trail to the parking lot on Washington Ave in Bayfield, you can see Lake Superior.

Anyone interested in volunteering to help make repairs and spruce up this beauty spot?

Walking Group Explores Brownstone Trail

Linda Webster has organized a walking group through Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College this summer. Here is the description:



Spring mornings call! Slip on those walking shoes and trek the length of the BrownstoneTrail with friends and neighbors (2+ miles). Walk at your own pace and take in the scenic vistas and returning migratory birds. In case of inclement weather, meet at the Egg Toss Restaurant to discuss "A Northwoods Companion - Spring and Summer" (John Bates author). Class will meet 8:30-10:30 am on June 4, 20, July 11, 18. No class July 4.

To register click here.

Sand Bars at Pike's Creek

View of Pike's Creek from Highway 13 looking north to Port Superior and Pike's Bay Marina.

Marie Strum, an assistant chief for the Army Corps of Engineers based in Detroit estimates the lake will still be 14" down by mid-September.

Unfortunately, this season, there will be some northern pike seeking to migrate up rivers to spawn who will find estuaries too low to be of any use, according to Steve Schram, director of the hatchery at Bayfield.

Return of the Cranes

South Shore birders- the pair of Sandhill Cranes have returned to the Bark Bay Slough! I enjoyed seeing the pair with their two fledglings grazing in the field near the slough last fall as I would drive my boys to catch the bus. Yesterday morning, four wild turkeys were also hanging out along the road leading to the slough. The tom stood guard with his feathers puffed out as the three hens pecked their way through the grass.

Ebay Pancake Benefits BRC

The high bidder for our Mother Nature Miracle Pancake was Nancy Sandstrom of the Pinehurst Inn. Nancy won the pancake with her $86 bid!

The pancake appeared on the last griddle of flapjacks made by Ros Nelson at our annual Maple Syrup Pancake Breakfast March 31. The pancake seemed to have the likeness of Mother Nature, and not one to miss an opportunity to raise money for our conservation work, Ros posted the pancake on Ebay. Over 600 people viewed the auction and 42 people were watching the bids over the week of April 1.

Rick Olivo from the Daily Press wrote a hilarious story, "Miracle pancake or flapjack flap? eBay will settle this" that was picked up by the AP wire. The story took a life of its own and appeared in newspapers in St. Paul, Chicago, Madison, Eau Claire, Green Bay and Wausau.

The Sandstroms tell me that they are preserving the pancake (not serving it) for the future. Maybe it will make an appearance next year, for the good of the cause!

Frogs

The last of the snow is pretty much gone. Finally we are hearing the quacking of the Wood Frogs and the peeping of the Spring Peepers.

A great link to identifying Wisconsin frogs is found on the Department of Natural Resources website.