Garden break

I took a quick break from packing and getting ready to move (four days) to walk a bit through the town garden.  It is a time of transition everywhere, I guess, and I caught the garden between the tulips and other flowers of early spring and the later spring/early summer flowers.  I felt that the garden (and a lot of other things) are all on the cusp of being very different in just a few days.

It was a quick walk--I have a few things to do before I flee this place, but also because of allergies.  I haven't been too bothered by spring allergies for a few years and I had hoped that I was finally growing out of them.  Not so much it seems--apparently there is little hope of me ever growing up.

Catch-up

It has been a while and I have been busy.  After living in a town for three years, there is a lot to "get done."  Some of it is just practtical necessities.  You know, do I really want to carry this 700 miles away or can I get rid of/recycle/give away/sell/throw.  Someone I once knew said it was great to purge and essentially, happiness was a dumpster!  I am not sure I am that focused on purging, but I am not moving all this crap.  I'm just not.

In spite of my multi-page to-do-list, I took most of a day to go to Port Wing.  I had an important task--I wanted to plant flowers.  Yep, I drove 400 miles in one day so I could plant flowers on my land.  After scratching through the weeds,  lavender, sunflowers, daisies, and lots of other wild flowers were planted.  Well, at least seeds were sown.

I am hopeful.  I think that is why I planted the flowers.  There is pretty good empirical evidence that planting flowers on that God's little green acre was at best silly and maybe even futile.  I didn't have the right or best tools, and the soil was covered with sod that hasn't been tilled in 30 or 40 years.  The soil was cold, and in places it was too wet/dry/thick/thin or clay-like.  There were a million reasons not to take a whole day to plant flowers.  But I did take this risk because I do believe that it was worth it.  I AM hopeful. I want those flowers to grow.  Even if only a few flowers grow the time/effort/risk would be worth it.  I am glad I did it, and you know what?  I would do it again to be that hopeful.  I can't wait to visit to see if they are growing.  I am guessing about the end of June...

The photos are of some birch trees (now that is a surprise!) because they almost glowed in the spring light.  The beach scenes indicate that it might be a long time before people are swimming in Lake Superior--the ice will melt, but probably only in June.  The sunset is from a graduation cruise in Madison.  One of the best of things of Madison (well, anywhere) are the bookstores.  This is from one of my favorites, Paul's Books.

Little house in the big woods

After a while, I figured out a place to live.  The lake scene didn't work out--it was an estate and too complicated.  This will work out very well.  On a big lot, it is near a very large state park and about 25 miles from school.  Step by step I am transitioning to Michigan.

OK, just for the record.  I did not decorate the house or do the landscaping.  And the jockey waiting to hold my horse will not be on the lawn when I move there.  Geez

Life lines...

I am moving, and that always leaves time for reflection (and a bit of laughing).  I have worked at a lot of places in the last 20-some years of my academic professional life.  I have saved as many of my identification cards as I could from over the years.  I think I am missing a few, but these are pretty funny.  The question is whether or not if you knew me in 1991, would you recognize me in 2014?  Sadly enough, you probably would.

So let's go back.  If you knew me in 1966 through 1978, would you recognize me now?  I think the first picture is from kindergarten and the last is from my junior year--I will spare you the pain of my senior photo.  Still, I also apologize for the haircuts.  Unfortunately, I basically have the same haircut today, but I think I have a better bowl for a goal.

All-in-all, good fun.  I have way too many old photos and a scanner--watch out!

Deer

I drove through Putnam Park today and saw this deer.  I drove slowly as it walked along and browsed slowly on the new spring leaves.  We hung out for about 10 minutes and then it jumped over the road and disappeared.  Not exactly like seeing a panda in the wild but even though they are almost everywhere, it is still fun to see a deer

Throw back photo...

I am cleaning in prep of moving, and found this slide.   Watch out for more in the next few days.  This is me in 1983, I think.  I know that I looked much like this for a good chunk of the 1980s.  For that I apologize.  I am not sure that was a good look then, but I am sure it isn't today. That is a lot of hair.  I think that was before I became a 6'4" beach volley ball player.   Is it weird that I remember that it was  Nikon F3 with a 300mm 4.5 EDIF?   Perhaps it was really just a photo of the camera...

Michigan

I am officially a "Michigander."  I think.  A few things have led me to this conclusion. First, I killed a wild animal, albeit this time with my car.  The first victim was a turkey (probably named Tom).  There was a pack of them, probably on the way to dinner somewhere, that crossed the road for some reason and while I missed most of the herd, one got gobbled up by my rambling, rumbling Rouge.

I felt a little bad about this until I was a at a retirement party.  Three faculty were retiring, and between them they had hit about 15 deer and more of other things coming and going to work.  I guess my turkey was just part of my initiation.

I also feel like I belong because I think that I found a house.  On a lake.  With a view.  And with mosquitos.    What more do you need, eh?  It is about 25 or so miles from school so I will have a commute, but it is near roads that sometimes get plowed and only about three miles from a place where you could find food (that you didn't have catch or grow yourself).  I think it will work out.  Knowing for sure would take a bit of stress off this whole moving thing.

All in all, I fee that I am settling in.  People are correcting my spelling on my blog, telling me all the things that I need to know (and do) and generally treating me like normal. They certainly aren't intimidated or shy!   And that is a good thing, I think.

The weather here has been miserable.  The sun was out for a few minutes today, but this was the sunset, such as it was.  Everyone is tired of rain but tomorrow is graduation day.  The sun always shines on graduation, right?