It's Spring?!

Yesterday, my first day at home, was one of relaxation.  I checked all my mail, paid all my bills (that wasn't so relaxing!), browsed through the back issues of the paper, and started reading some of the magazines.  I did a wash and I went grocery shopping.  I sat on the deck.  And I drank a glass of wine, two glasses actually.  It was a day to recharge.

This morning is a different matter entirely.  It is raining outside which means I'm cleaning today.  But before beginning that task there's coffee to drink, breakfast to eat.  So there I was standing at the kitchen door looking out at the herb garden when I saw two robins scuffling on the ground.  As I watched longer, realization dawned on me.  They weren't scuffling, they were involved in their version of cattle sex!  I've never, ever seen birds do it but for the life of me, it resembled the second episode I mentioned in the earlier blog but in miniature.

The female was on bottom.  In her beak she had bits of straw, clearly for nest making.  He would hop up on her and flap his wings a bit and then slip off.  She'd hop a bit away but not too far.  He'd hop on again.  She'd hop away again.  Clearly she was a willing participant otherwise, she could have just flown away.  The dance went on for a few more times until he got himself squarely set.  The deed itself didn't take long.  Perhaps he saw me in the window.  Perhaps he had seeds yet to sew.  Either way, he flew off.  She stayed behind, fluffed her feathers a bit, jiggled her body some.  Through it all she never opened her beek but instead held tightly to her bit of straw.  Once her feathers settled, she flew off to line her nest, I'm sure. 

So, what do you think?  Does the saying about ruffling feathers come from the bird sex act?  And when they say that spring is in the air, what are they really referring to?  I wonder.

Home, At Last!

I made it home yesterday evening around 5:30 pm.  I made it all the way to Minnesota before the urge to get home set in strong.  I made it to Marquette before I hit really cold weather.  And I made it to the Marquette Branch Prison before anything in my planned excursion went wrong.  I had sent Tuwan a postcard from Spearfish, South Dakota telling him to expect me any time between Wednesday, April 21st, and Monday, April 26th.  (At that time I thought I might meander through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula not realizing the homing device in my heart was going to hone in making for beeline driving the last couple of days.)  Anyway, I got to Marquette on Wednesday too late to visit.  Thursday morning I went in only to learn that there was a "rumor" that there was going to be an alarm drill that morning.  I needed to call back around 9:20 to see if that was the case.  I did and it was.  That meant I would not be able to visit with Tuwan until possibly after 1:30. 

Now it's a long drive from Marquette to Ann Arbor and I knew that I would not be able to make the distance if I visited Tuwan that late.  I wanted to go home.  I wanted to see Roger before he took off for Minneapolis this weekend.  I wanted to sleep in my own bed.  I wanted to start on all the spring activities I put off the last three weeks.  And I didn't want to spend any more money on this trip.  So I left a message for Tuwan letting him know I tried and that I'd return sometime in the summer and started home.  I regret not seeing him and I hope he'll understand.

As my final pictures for this trip (though I will continue the blog if you're interested in checking in now and again), are beginning and end pictures.

The pear tree before I left and upon my return.  You can see the leaves are coming out now and joining the flowers.

The Tulip tree before leaving and after returning.  The tree has peaked and Roger was sweeping up fallen petals when I pulled in.

The azaleas before and after my trip.  Roger says that at their peak you there was no space not filled with purple.  You can see the petals are falling on the ground now.

Tulips were coming up and I could see the heads of some of my perennials.

The tulips are up.  The daffodils are pretty much done.  All that lush green you see are the various perennials that will entertain us throughout the summer.

It's a great time to take a trip and a wonderful time to be home! 

Cattle Sex

One of the most frequent sights on this trip was herds of cattle grazing peacefully in the fields.  Among these herds were numerous calves of varying size, a clear indication that cattle enjoy an active sex life, especially the bulls.  Most of the calves and their moms were grazing peacefully in their own fenced in area while the bulls were fenced in an area of their own.  However, there were exceptions.

In Nebraska, as I was driving on one of the back roads, I came across a memorable sight.  A bull was coupled with a cow.  At least I think he was.  He was standing on his back feet, directly behind her, with his chest resting on her back, his head barely held up.  He looked like he had just flopped down on her.  His front legs hung straight down limply on each side.  There was no movement whatsoever.  From all appearances the deed had been done and he looked exhausted, with no energy to support himself any longer.  She, on the other hand, looked totally disinterested as she just stood waiting patiently for him to get off her. 

Much later in South Dakota, I came across another herd of cattle.  This time an energetic bull was actively pursuing a mate.  He'd almost get himself positioned, his fore legs almost set on her back and she'd move.  He'd try again and she'd move again.  One time he almost got her to stand still but rather than directly behind her, he was off to one side making for a bad aim. She was having none of that.  He was persistent though and she didn't seem overly reluctant.  Maybe she just needed a bit of courting before standing still for him.  Either way, I suspect he finally managed to subdue her. 

I don't know much about cattle and even less about their sex lives but I do know a little about sex among humans.  Seeing these episodes made me wonder about the animal in us all.

Tuesday on the Road

I spent the night in Mitchell, South Dakota and this morning started my day at the Corn Palace and then an antique mall just down the street.  I was able to find two pop-up books to buy and two others that while really old were in very bad shape and exorbitantly priced.  Once that was done, I headed for Minnesota by way of a two lane highway.  The road was pretty empty except for the occasional semi.  At first it was a great road but when it entered Minnesota, the surface was drastically different.  At some point what was a paved, albeit patched and rough, road turned into a gravel road and then a dirt road.  Soon a fair haired girl holding a stop sign (why is it that the girls hold the signs and not drive the equipment?) redirected me as my road was closed for repairs.  It definitely needed some so no surprise there.  I finally got to Pipestone, Minnesota and then found the road to Hinckley which connects with the road to Duluth which will get me to Wisconsin which will get me to Michigan.  Can you tell I'm getting anxious to get home?  I am.  The only reason I'm even in Minnesota is because it stands between me and Marquette, Michigan, the last planned stop on my trip.

So there aren't a lot of pictures for this entry.  I drove farther and longer today than any before.  I could have stopped to take pictures of the fields showing how they differ from those in South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, or Kansas but I didn't.  My only other stop was a potty break at a MacDonald's.  My stop for the evening is in a little known town, Milaca, which is just a blink on the road.  The motel is nice though and I was able to walk to the restaurant across the street for a dinner of chili and salad.  I'm planning to take a soaking bath tonight and start off fresh tomorrow.  Hopefully I can get all the way to Marquette.

The Corn Palace was better than I expected.  I had thought that it was covered with kernels of corn, placed one kernel at a time like a mosaic.  A pretty impossible task, I know, but that's what I thought.  What it is, is covered with ears of corn, corn husks, corn silks, and any other part of the plant that will give the color needed for the mosaic.  It is redone each year with some new designs and some old.  Birds do eat what kernel corn is on the building throughout the summer.

There are only the two sides done in corn.  The other side is shared with another building and the back side, which faces a parking lot, is plain.

The Long and Winding (Oops, Straight) Road

It's been a very long but very exciting day.  I've covered lots of miles and have stopped for the evening in Mitchell, South Dakota.  As with the past few days, I won't be writing much, just offering some of the views I've enjoyed this day with a bit of commentary.  Another big day lies ahead of me.

I mentioned in an earlier entry that I would be driving the Spearfish Canyon drive one last time as I headed east.  The next few pictures will be an effort to let you see what I saw.

None of these pictues does justice to the beauty of this place.  I could have taken hundreds of pictures and still not have captured it.

There were cabins for rent off in the woods now and then.  I'd love to rent one for a week.  To see the sunrises and sunsets and the night stars would be awesome.

This is actually a waterfall.  I passed at least three on this canyon road.  The problem is that unless they provide a turn off, there is no shoulder to park on.  And even if there were, the ground is very soggy with spring melt.  Just know this is Bridal Veil Falls and it makes a marvelous sound as it crashes into the river.

It was early Monday morning when I made this last trip in the canyon.  I was alone except for one fisherman, one marathon runner (must have been as the road is almost 30 miles long), and two bikers.  They knew how to enjoy this territory better than I.  You have to get much closer to it and in it to get a true perspective.

This is what I drove into after leaving the canyon.  Miles and miles of grassland.

The road was so straight and the land so empty that you could see the road as far as the horizon.

That is until I came upon the Badlands.  Here the terrain became other worldly.  The next few pictures are an effort to help you see what I saw.

In spite of the ruggedness of this terrian, there were animals to be seen.  And birds.  Wonderful warbling meadowlarks.  And bugs.  Lots of bugs.

Clearly this land is not for the faint of heart.  Those who live here and make a living off the land are made of stern stuff.  No wonder most of the people I see are either mountain men with scruffy beards and long hair or cowboys with big boots, big belts, and big hats, or bad boy bikers.  The women are few and out of sight except for those who are holding the Stop or Slow signs at the various road construction sights or those who are park rangers.

A Travel Observation

You know those red and white gate things that come down across the road to keep you from going onto the railroad tracks when a train is coming? Well those can be found in abundance in Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota but the majority of them aren’t to keep you off the tracks. They’re to keep you off the highway. They are so serious about this that the exit and on ramps have signs with flashing lights that say, “ Road closed when flashing. Return to _____.” The blank is filled with whatever is the closest city. And if you have any question of how serious they are, the amount of the fine for disobeying these signs should be enough to convince you to turn back. $750! These are found on the on and off ramps as well as periodically on the highway itself. I’ve no doubt that when the weather gets bad here in the winter, it gets really, really bad.




Another interesting thing about the on and off ramps… you cross metal grills at the entrances instead of concrete or asphalt. I know, or at least I think I know, these are to keep animals from wandering onto the roadway but having seen at least a half dozen cattle grazing outside of the fences built to keep them in, I can only wonder how effective this is. And of course, here like at home, there have been a number of dead deer lying off to the side of the highway and in one case, in the middle of the road. Metal grills at on and off ramps don’t seem to make much of a difference. Animals know no boundaries.

Spearfish, South Dakota

It's been an eventful day!  I drove through Spearfish Canyon, visited Deadwood (and it is dead on Sundays), checked out Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse.  I'm just getting ready to freshen up and go to an early dinner.  I thought I'd load some pictures and perhaps later tonight share more of the details.

You can see that spring is starting to green up the prairie.  In the distance are the Black Hills, named so by the Native Americans.  The hills are black with pine trees.

One view from Spearfish Canyon road.  You can see the sky was clear.  It was a gorgeous day.  I loved this drive so well that tomorrow when I head out I plan to drive it again!

The canyon has been cut over the years by this river which is currently running swiftly due to snow melt off.  I also hope to get better pictures of this fast rushing river tomorrow. 

I don't need to tell you what this is.  I took several pictures of this.  It really is impressive but not nearly as impressive as Devil's Tower.  That is a natural form in the middle of nowhere.  This is a manmade form in the middle of some pretty wonderful land.  By the way, notice that a few wispy clouds are forming.

There are many wonderful rock formations in the Black Hills, some massive and contorted shapes.  See that big cloud in the distance?

 
This view of Washington comes after you've left the actual park. 
 

The Native Americans considered the Black Hills sacred country.  It's easy to see why.  I had two antelope cross the road in front of me, a mountain goat leap down the nearby rock cliff, and there were signs telling us to watch for bighorn sheep.  There were a number of fishermen standing in what had to be icy cold water trying their luck.  If you remember how stark the land is not that many miles away, this seems like paradise in comparison.

Notice the cloud is getting bigger?

Crazy Horse is a private enterprise, entirely funded by tourists and donations.  That is why this has taken so long to complete.  The family is committed to not taking any tax dollars for this project.  By the time I left Crazy Horse, the sky was billowing with dark bottomed clouds.  No real wind to speak of though.

See those dark clouds?  This day was a mix of weather.  I drove in and out of rain, sometimes just a few drops and other times drops that looked and felt like buckets.  The most amazing weather though was what I can only describe as marble sized snow balls.  They weren't hard enough to be hail but they were certainly not snowflakes.  Maybe it was hail in the making.  The road became covered with them before I drove out of it and into the sunshine again.  Very bizarre.

On the Road Again, Part II

The last couple of days I've been visiting Jeana in Bozeman.  My time with her, Dave, Emma, and Mike was warm and welcoming.  Jeana took a day and a half off to play host to her big sister and it definitely paid off for me.  We had time to visit, share stories, hike, and antique. 

Bozeman has grown up since I last visited and perhaps, so have I.  The location is lovely and the town has all the flavor of a college town with a Western bent.  I've stories to share but will do so over time.  Tonight I'm just going to upload a few pictures and then go out to eat.

On the road to Bozeman

Walking in Bozeman

Some of the snow left from the six inches Jeana called me about.

                                One of the many wonderful views seen from Bozeman.

                                We hiked a bit in the Missouri Headwaters State Park.

Beaver dam seen on our walk.

One of the three rivers that will join to create the Missouri.

To give you an idea of the plant life just before spring makes its presence fully known.

This is a buffalo jump.  Native Americans would drive buffalo herds over the cliff and thus secure their food for the winter.  This was before they used horses, bows and arrows, and guns to hunt these animals.

I'm back on the road heading east.  This is a view of Wyoming just before I turned off to see the Devil's Tower.

You can actually see the tower from farther away.  It looks eerie as from a distance it's the only thing that sticks up on the horizon.  Totally out of place.  But then, as you drive closer, you find yourself in a wonderful valley with pine forest and live stock grazing in fertile fields.  It looks more like my idea of Colorado near Boulder than it does the scenery only 37 miles away.  Again, to see the pockets of beauty in this land, you need to go down into the valleys.

This view is across from the view of the Devil's Tower below.

I got here late in the afternoon so didn't do much exploring around this.  I wanted to get a room in Spearfish before it got too late.  I'm thinking I'll stay in Spearfish two nights.  It's also close to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Deadwood so I can make a day and evening of it tomorrow.  Deadwood is not the deserted town I thought it was but rather is a hot night spot with casinos in the saloons.  Truly a Wild West experience, I'm thinking.  Stay tuned...

More of Wyoming

I've stopped for the day and thought I'd write a bit and upload some pictures before heading to the brew pub down the way for imbibing and dinner. 

Last night I checked out the bar in the hotel.  Sat with four men -- one a good ole boy, two in process of becoming the same, and one wannabe.  They didn't pay much attention to me and while I tried not to look interested in them, I did listen in to their conversation.  It's hard to say exactly what they do for a living but travel must be part of it.  The good ole boy handed out his hard earned wisdom to the two in process.  They listened respectfully.  The wannabe kept interupting and making jokes.  His was the only laughter.  At one point, they talked of Jackson Hole and though they didn't use the word, I believe they were discussing prostitutes.  Favors and payment were mentioned.  Here the good ole boy definitely had the ears of the other three.  He told of his exploits and explained how to choose a partner.  I think they may have finally recognized that I was within earshot as there was a sudden lowering of their voices and I could hear no more.  I wonder what tonight will bring.

The drive today was definitely out of the wild west.  I saw three different herds of deer grazing.  Horses and cattle abound.  Ranch complexes are few and far between.  The grazing land goes as far as the eye can see.  On my left were snow covered mountains; on my right, the scruffy rolling land I think of as western.  I stopped a number of times to take pictures or to check out a historic site.  Tomorrow I will be in Bozeman and visiting with Jeana.

I checked out Fort Laramie, closed until May.  Pretty desolate place.

This must have been a busy place in its day.  Wagon trains came by here and counted on the soldiers stationed here to keep them safe.

I went miles without seeing a tree as I drove across Wyoming.

At first the only snow I saw was on the distant mountain tops.  As I drove along and went higher, I found patches of snow on either side of me, only in gullies or what must have once been high drifts but snow, nonetheless.

Ever heard of a Jackalope?  I saw one.

In this country, sometimes you have to go down to find the best sights.  I checked out Ayres Natural Bridge which rather than being on level with the scenery in the earlier pictures, is at the bottom of a ravine.  This was sighted on the way.

Ayres Natural Bridge.  Just me, nature, and the caretaker who was readying the park for the upcoming tourist season.

More of the park.  Do you see the Indian face?

I've been talking about cattle.  Thought I'd show you a few.  I've also seen alpaca and emu but not nearly as often.

It's time to head to the pub.  More tomorrow or as soon as I find the time.