May 2019

The entire month of May was below average in temps and above average in precipitation---with a few nice days as teasers then more gloom.  Deciding to make lemonade out of lemons, Mark and Hilde got some inside tasks done and felt virtuous about it.

Mark tackled the wood shop, which, while fairly small in size, had been stuffed with STUFF, and so cluttered it was hard to reach or use the saw.  He really labored long and hard and ended up with a pickup truck of junk to take to the dump.  He devised better storage systems for the lumber remnants and extended the shelving and organized that.  Some of the STUFF had moved here from Point 30 years ago and never been touched since.  It will be much easier for him to work out there now and all the wood is elevated off the floor in case there is another record-setting spring runoff to flow through over the floor.  That, by the way, with sawdust and debris on the floor, was really a mess before he tackled his very own Augean stables.

Hilde continued the 'use all the fabric' challenge and finished a baby quilt (lots of little pieces of fabric got used!), found another interesting project to use the nylon plaid stuff and then put together another quilt top.  Now the focus is using the few pieces suitable for clothing and coming up with things for the grandchildren!

All month long, despite the wretched weather extremes, the summer birds arrived, although they were plainly disgruntled with the weather.  Many colorful bird come to the three types of feeders, including hummingbirds, Baltimore orioles, rose-breasted grosbeaks, indigo buntings, cardinals, house finches, woodpeckers (three kinds) and of course the regular visitors, like blue jays, chickadees and cow birds.  Having those flashes of color, birdsong and interesting interactions right outside the kitchen is a joy.

Down in the furnace room, the Henkels had eggs incubating this year, with Mark carefully monitoring the temps and humidity and turning the eggs regularly.  By May20th, 36 healthy, very active chicks had hatched from the cross of a silver-laced Wyandotte rooster and hens which were barred rock x rhode island red.  In a few weeks, it will be possible to see what the plumage will look like, but the chicks are very lively and adjusted to the move to the brooder house very well.  Mark did a fine job as a cluck!

With all the rain, the asparagus crop was very good and tasty.  For the first time, morels popped up in the far west of the Henkel yard which Mark and Hilde enjoyed very much, and hope they return, since a couple were left to reseed/spore.  The spring flowers were irregular this years, some just blooming for a day and others hanging on for long-term enjoyment.  The fruit trees were especially lovely, although this is the ‘off’ year for the main crop apples and pears, and the cherry trees were breath-taking.  The lilacs were really lush and fragrant.

Cool, rainy weather brings on the grass like a magical beanstalk.  Hilde was bundled up for the first cut and under the leaf litter, did not see the stump from last year’s thinning of the edge of the yard.  The result was a complete destruction of the mower deck, accomplished with horrid screeching and Hilde all but leaping off the mower.  The John Deere had only 12 years on it, but a replacement was necessary, at a rather hefty price.  The new mower works very nicely, and there was a nice dump cart thrown into the deal.  Hilde is watching very vigilantly for any mower-destructive items now!

Finally, at the end of the month, Hilde successfully provided the necessary documents and got her REALID driver’s license.  The challenge was getting a copy of the marriage license, which the couple had never received, but Waukesha County was organized and prompt.  The fact is they had never needed to prove the marriage in more than 47 years, and since Mark was in the military at the time of the marriage, mail went to the farm house and sometimes never caught up with us.

It was a chock full month with several trips to Horicon Marsh and the Lomira woods, and lots of pre-trial preparations for Mark.  Hilde is hoping the lawsuit set for July trial will settle, since three weeks away in summer is tough on gardens and taekwondo classes.  Those things often settle at the last minute, but most of the stray voltage cases do NOT settle.  This run-up to a trial date is always difficult, as preparations go into high speed, and many phone calls and final preparations. 

 

Turtles at Horicon Marsh