I took a quiet walk by myself this last Thursday, through the trails that I know by heart. As always, parts of it break off into the sand and river, as seen in the pictures that show the trail behind and ahead of me. The leaves were falling like snowflakes and the big fish were jumping like mad.
I took a walk with my husband this last Sunday morning. It was wonderfully foggy and these photos really don't do justice to the magic that is the Wisconsin River Valley.
Words to describe it completely escape me.
We walked amongst the sidetrails that I have walked hundreds of times before with Grandpa Anderson, so many years past. For the zillionth time, I told my husband that this is the river where I was born on a cold, winter night and that there's still no time between then and now. I thought about mentioning how I'm quite certain I was once a catfish and that I know what it feels like to skim along the river bed. I didn't. I have told him many times before then and I will tell him many times again.
© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
There's so much to do this weekend. Of primary interest are a) the local Cow Chip Festival and b) Taste of Madison. .
The former we do almost every single year, at least a bit or a piece of it, because it's so wonderfully kitschy and speaks of our community. It can also be an opportunity for some damn interesting photos once the shit starts to fly. Literally.
As for the latter, I am salivating as I type this. The downside is PEOPLE!!!! EN MASSE!!!!! Odi profanum vulgus et arceo. We may or may not go. If so, I'm leaning towards Sunday.
If you see me at either event, be sure to say hello. And, no matter what the stretch of days hold for you ... enjoy.
© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
On Friday, I spent a few hours at Polka on the Riverway. I didn't dance, but nostalgia was in the air and this took me back to my childhood.
If you're really bored (or really like polka), I've posted five videos. They are right at the top unless you're stumbling upon this at some point in the future, in which case I suggest clicking on the "local flavor" category.
The first polka of the evening can be seen HERE.
A few houses have been bought by the village and will be demolished to make way for a parking lot and a "grassy area". The downtown has more closed and/or empty businesses than open ones. I last counted eight vacancies.
The problem isn't parking.
Two of my many favorite creatures are crows and bullheads.
While at the river yesterday morning, X noticed a crow caught in a low tree limb, its head attached to the branch, somehow, by fishing lure. If we approached to help, the young crow became frantic and appeared as though a gymnast on the parallel bars, spinning and spinning.
We kept our distance and called the bird rescue lady. As we waited for her, we watched the corvid carefully work at that line until, only minutes before help arrived, the crow freed itself, flew to the top of a leafless tree, and cawed its freedom. It was quite the experience. (Low-quality photo of the situation HERE.)
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Bullheads and catfish.
Now is not the time for me to write about bullheads and catfish, about how I'm not so sure that I believe in reincarnation, yet how I wonder if I lived as one (or more) in the Wisconsin River, decade after decade, before being yanked out on a cold winter night so many years ago.
I spend a lot of time daydreaming about, but what feels more like remembering, skimming along the bottom of the river in the cold water, tongue-like skin, old and wise.
No, now is not the time.
© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
We headed to Devil's Lake on Thursday for a little escape from our neighborhood.
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There is a guy who has rented a house catty-corner from us for three years. He is a known thief and drug abuser. Our garage was broken into early Tuesday morning, which I reported on Thursday when we realized that quite a few items were actually missing. An associate of said neighbor's was arrested on Friday after being stopped by police and finding our new television in his possession. Because we had reported that and some tools as missing, he was charged with either theft or receiving stolen goods).
Knowing my rights as a photographer, I have been regularly taking photos of suspicious activity outside of this particular neighbor's home since he moved into the area. Apparently, he didn't realize this until Thursday, when one of his cohorts told him that he saw me taking pictures (and shooting video) as he was leaving.
Shortly thereafter, the questionable neighbor approached and attempted to verbally intimidate X, who is 17. (She was unintimidated and told me that it was more like being buried by question marks due to his bewildering behavior.) I saw him doing this and hollered, "Stop talking to my daughter." He then directed his gaze at me and proceeded with the same animated tirade. I had filed the report earlier that day, and the officer informed me that he was already being charged in another incident at a construction site early Tuesday morning. Because of that and the fact that I had two witnesses to his verbal assault, I wasn't the least bit shaken either.
I imagine that when he was again called in for questioning on Friday, he was probably pretty bummed to find out that I can record activity outside of his home any time that I like.
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We were at Devil's Lake, and not there to hike, so I snapped nearly the same photos that I do whenever we're just hanging out. The lodge on the north shore is my favorite indoor area. The chairs, oh! I love them. I hope that they are never replaced.
(Is it just me, or does it look like a boy has been run down by a bicycle in that last photo?)
Today, we went to the sand and oak barrens. X has always called it "the outback" due to her correlating it with the scenery and dialogue in the comic/animation, "The Maxx". (From Wiki, "The series follows the adventures of the titular hero in the real world and in an alternate reality, referred to as The Outback.")
I like the barrens because it reminds me of the property, almost 200 acres, where my childhood home was located, which contained woods, creek, and dry prairie dappled with oak groves, prickly-pear cacti, and sand dunes. (The landscapes of Wisconsin are incredibly diverse and varied.)
