Spring 2018

Spring is all about water and renewal.

In early April we started getting temps in the 40's and thought that a long winter was finally ending, but nature was just playing with us. On April 15th we got 20" of snow. Then in about 3 1/2 weeks we went from 3 feet of accumulated snow, to the snow and ice all gone, and 70 degree temperatures. Everything burst into bloom at an incredible pace. It was like the north woods was smiling.

We had a bumper crop of butterflies. 

In late May we resumed our waterfalls tour. With all the melting snow, the water flows were very heavy.

This is Yondota falls near Marinesco in Michigan's UP. 

My friend Angie says waterfalls look like root beer poured over ice. That’s very true. The velocity of the water is often so strong that the air bubbles create a froth much like carbonated water. 

This is the lower part of Yondota Falls. 

If you go be prepared for a moderately rough hike. The trails are not well marked and the only parking is along the road, but it's worth the effort to get there.

This is Interstate Falls near the town of Bessemer. Generally waterfalls are in a public park so you don’t see any development on them. Interstate Falls is different in that it had several houses along it. Being able to look out your living room window at a waterfall would be totally cool.

The crescendo for Interstate Falls. That looks like a root beer float!

This is Potato River Falls near the town of Gurney. The total drop is about 90 feet making it one of the tallest waterfalls in Wisconsin.

To get to the bottom you go down 139 steps. Of course, the problem with going down 139 steps is that when you leave you have to go up 139 steps.

Dragonflies are one of the good guys of the insect world. They are highly carnivorous but don't bite people. They primarily eat mosquitos and some other bugs. In prehistoric times they were far larger with wing spans up to 30".

One day in early June, we had a porcupine sleeping in a tree right in front of our deck. Many people don’t like porcupines because their dogs get curious and end up with a snout full of quills. One of our friends tells us it’s happened to his dog 3 times. It costs over $1000 to get the quills removed so it’s easy to understand how that gets old real fast. It’s not the porcupine’s fault, they aren’t aggressive, they are like a sloth and just want to sit in a tree and munch on small branches.

Eventually he woke up and meandered off.

Porcupines aren’t the only animals we get in our trees. Some of the raccoons are huge.

Wait!! What’s that in the ditch on Murphy Lake Road?

Here's a close-up.

The crocodile’s not real, the weather here is much too cold, it was planted by a practical joker. People will see it and tell others “you won’t believe what I just saw!” 

My brother in law tells me he's seen a remote controlled shark fin. That may be something I need to invest in...

In late spring, the painted turtles start laying their eggs. One day, when we were out walking, there were 5 of them laying eggs in the gravel along the walking path at Pipke Park. 

This cute little guy is from last year’s brood. He is around 10 months old. Barb’s sneaker gives a size reference. 

This is a snapping turtle. They are more than twice the size of painted turtles. This one was around 12” diameter but I’ve seen ones as big as 18” diameter. They always look like they’re in a bad mood.

This is a baby snapping turtle. It's also probably around 10 months old. It was only about 2” long from its head to the end of its tail.

My friend Joel told me about this bridge in Ramsey Michigan. At 44 feet long and 45 feet wide it is one of the largest stone arched bridges in the country. It was built in 1891 and is still in excellent condition. It was originally a railroad bridge but has been retired and is now limited to foot traffic. It spans the Black River.