The news is that autumn returned this week, about two weeks ahead of schedule. The conifers have started dropping cones and needles; and the leaves on some of the more timid hardwoods have begun to turn colors. The red oaks and sumacs are part-way through color change. Other hardwoods will soon follow, as overnight temperatures have been unseasonably cool.
Autumn brings with it a natural rhythm of events, both human and natural. Young humans have returned to the rhythm of the school day, of riding yellow buses, of maintaining a regular schedule. Student athletes have resumed the rhythms of practice and game day. The new soccer complex in town has full fields after school, and all weekend. The cross country runners are practicing on the rural roads and golf courses after school, and holding their meets in parks Saturdays. The football players are on their field after school, and the grandstands are full on Friday nights.
Our part of the northwoods is lightly populated, so away games can mean an overnight stay. Some high schools in our conference are more than two hours away, and when snow threatens, the athletes bring an overnight bag in case the buses can't travel back home after the game. We haven't had snow yet, but it won't be long before we do.
Older humans are in their autumn rhythm, too. Hunters are building tree stands, truing the aim of their rifles, and practicing their bow skills. Bow hunting opens this week, gun season opens in November. Deer hunters are wearing their hunting clothes around town, a ritual that helps eliminate laundry scents that might spook deer or bear. Hunting clothes won't be washed now until after the season ends.
We are in our autumn rhythm here at the cabin. Our woodshed is only about half filled with cut wood, and I've called the woodcutter to deliver three cords.
The back half is still full, but we'll probably exhaust it over the cold months.
The firewood that we thought had been borrowed last winter during the propane shortage hasn't been replaced. I had hoped that the people who took it would replace it over summer but that hasn't happened. We aren't always here, and the firewood can't be locked up, so there is that risk, I suppose.
We got hit hard last winter by propane prices that increased more than four hundred percent in two months. Our autumn rhythm this year included pre-paying for a winter's worth of propane at prices that are locked in. We might be overpaying by $.20 per gallon, or underpaying by $4.00 per gallon, who knows, but at least our price risk has been managed. If prices again increase to $5.00 per gallon, I'm locked in at $1.75.
The other early autumn activities are done. The boat motor has been winterized, the touch-up caulking has been done, the insect poison has been sprayed around the buildings, a few trees have been trimmed, and a contract has been signed to tear off and replace the very old shingle roofs on two outbuildings.
Chet has plowed our drive for the last 20 years. He isn't sure if he'll do it again this winter because he's 81 and has had two hip replacements. He worries that if his truck gets stuck he won't be able to dig it out, or walk out for help. And he says "I ain't gonna get me one of them damn phones" to take with him in his truck. If he decides that he isn't going to plow, he'll give my name to one of his nephews who plows snow, and he'll keep the driveway clear.
More.
Monday was a clear, but chilly day. We rented a Harley Davidson from a local dealer and spent the day riding in the northern tier. Our bike was back home, and the urge to ride hit us, so we thought renting would be the thing to do.
One of my friends who doesn't ride and who doesn't understand my obsession with riding asked why I keep doing long rides when at my age *whatever the hell that means* people should slow down. The answer is simple: When I'm riding, I become 16 again the instant the wheels start turning. I'm 16, I'm free, and there's a pretty girl on the back seat. No aches, no pains, no worries, just motion, a machine I control, wind, and scenery. And I'm blessed to have a wife as addicted to it as I am.
Off we went. Lunch was a few hours away at Delta Diner, a cool small diner out in the middle of absolutely nowhere. And by nowhere, I mean nowhere. No other businesses, just forests and farms. Short version: Local guy does well in NYC, gets homesick, moves back home, buys an old diner in Jersey and has it towed to the middle of nowhere. Years of hard work and superb food causes it to grow into a successful enterprise.
That isn't us in the photo. It's two women in their seventies who rode their Triumphs over from Minneapolis for lunch.
The Delta Diner is about one quarter mile off of the Trans-Wisconsin Adventure Trail (TWAT) that runs from the Illinois/Wisconsin border on the south all the way up the state to the shore of Lake Superior without touching pavement. The entire thing has been laid out on logging roads, unpaved farm roads, and forest service roads. You'll enjoy the photos and stories about it here. The Diner is usually crowded with off-road riders and on-road riders, plus a few area regulars. It's friendly territory.
Todd the owner warned us that things may be different next summer. Guy Fieri of Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins fame found out about the Diner and spent two days there with his film crew. The show is set to be broadcast sometime this fall or winter, and next summer will bring the Diner the kind of huge crowds that fame carries. Same food, but a longer wait for seating.
We turned toward home after lunch, taking the long way home through some national forests and state parks. Part way through the ride this came on the radio
Perfect. Tooling through the woods on a big motorcycle, girl on the back hugging me, happy, smiling, blue skies, colorful trees, fresh trees. Been a long time, indeed. Gotta keep the rhythm.
And maybe we've all grown older, but better. Much better. And we're keepin' on keepin' on.
44 comments:
Great post. That one lady leaving the diner didn't have the short stack! She can block out the sun! I would often have morbidly obese cheesheads blocking my surveillance footage when shooting in a crowd. Sometimes I could be heard swearing, but sometimes just laughing. No where in my travels do I see people as fat as cheesheads.
Some people really hate those family newsletters some people send out in anticipation of the December holidays.
Seems to me to be a nice thing to do.
But you want to know what does annoy me?
When you're on the internet and you get a pop-up thing and to get rid of it you have to click on "No, Thanks."
Though, in all fairness, it's pretty easy to see why they wouldn't provide the option "Fuck Off and Die."
Always enjoy those up nort' posts, Haz, thank you. I'm holding out for one more nice weekend with the boat, but we'll see.
Nick, I won't defend Sconnie obesity, but I see it everywhere I travel and I'd say at an equal or greater rate. Just back from NC where I watched hefty bubbas and bubba-ettes chowing down BBQ and morbidly obese 20-somethings cruising WalMart in the store-provided motorized shopping carts. Only in America is surplus an epidemic.
I switched to a pellet stove 20 years ago. Tending the wood stove was just too much of a chore, and too dirty.
Same guy has plowed my driveway for 25 years. Hasn't raised his price, either.
Another great post.
ndspinelli said...
Great post. That one lady leaving the diner didn't have the short stack! She can block out the sun! I would often have morbidly obese cheesheads blocking my surveillance footage when shooting in a crowd. Sometimes I could be heard swearing, but sometimes just laughing. No where in my travels do I see people as fat as cheesheads.
Isn't the midwest northern to southern corridor really nothing but fat people? That's been my experience.
Calypso and Methadras, If you go to the cream puff pavilion @ the Wi. State Fair there is no doubt. Yes, there are obese people everywhere. The northeast where I grew up has its share. The west seems to have the least obese. But, the Dairy State w/ the Dairy Farm supper table is not to be beat. Someone could do a hilarious video @ the cream puff pavilion. I pissed my pants laughing my first visit.
Another great post.
Ditto.
Fattest states? Wisconsin isn't even in the top ten, according to this.
If I had to identify one thing that the fattest states have in common, it would be "sweet tea".
It's two women in their seventies who rode their Triumphs over from Minneapolis for lunch.
With of both of them big and alive enough to ride their own bikes over for breakfast! That's livin' large in a way that has little to do with whether or not either had a short stack.
Haz, the south having the highest % of obese is not surprising. I think fried food is more than sweet tea. But, I'm talking block out the sun fat in Wi. The south may have more fatties but I think Wi. has BIGGER fatties. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Great post , Haz. You remind me of George Vukelich of "North Country Notebook" fame (a regular column he used to write).
And Nick, that was a great Titus impression at 11:15. You were channeling Titus, right?
@spinelli: I mean, it was titus-esque even in its misspellings.
Can I have a chime, Sixty?
My envy runs deep for that wood pile, and for the great country you have to ride in. My bike sits idle most of the time because L.A. traffic is just too much of a hurdle to get through to the mountains, and I hate to go anywhere without my dogs. That said, just because of this post, I will take my 1995, 1400, 4-speed Intruder for a ride tonight to keep the carbs clean. I'll just cruise along the beach highway and enjoy the sunset. Maybe I can get my ol'lady to ride with me. She's a little spooked right now, because last week a friend of ours died riding his Harley in the mountains with a group of friends. Apparently, he had a heart attack while riding and drove right off the road into a large bowlder without making any attempt to turn. It was at a safe speed, and there were riders in front and behind him who saw him crash. 51 years old with a brand new wife. Way too young, but old enough that the kids are grown, and young enough that the wife has time to start a new life. I'd say be careful out there, but sometimes it just don't matter, so at least make sure you enjoy yourself every day, because you never know what kind of surprise is coming or when.
You have an exceptionally nice wood shed.
High five, my Chicken Brothah!
How did this thread devolve into sweet tea and obesity? Are we all so freakin' fab, natch, that we run around mocking others like a diseased homosexual?
Heaven forbid!
Maybe this will be the year I get a wood burning stove installed in my house - I have some wood piled up, including some pecan - pecan good. Conifers bad. At least when it comes to fuel value.
I am Spartacus!
Sixty - Burning pecan for heat? Sir, you have caused offense to the lovers of fine bah bee que who revere adding a bit of pecan to the hickory and apple wood for wonderful flavah.
My envy runs deep for that wood pile
You have an exceptionally nice wood shed.
People never said that about me when I was younger and single.
In the past I have gathered all my apple, pecan and hickory chips and scraps and given them to people who smoke their meat.
Currently I don't know any, so into the burn pile it goes.
Maybe all the discoursing on morbid obesity and sun blocking was a brace against the visual onslaught of PIE at the Delta Diner link, which leads to the When Pigs Fly Baked Goods pics.
Those are some amazing looking pies. With some tuned in marketing at the Diner website to accompany the food and hard work.
A few years ago my brother rented a cabin on Delta Lake, a couple miles east of the diner. I don't remember eating there, but we did reprovision at Iron River, a town with about 40 on/off sale establishments, which comes out to 1 bar per 6 adults, not including, of course, the summer tourist population, of which we were 2.
I think way back when I had my first beer using a fake ID in Iron River. There or Solon Springs.
MamaM - the pies are the best I've ever had, and that covers a lot of pies. They are worth the trip.
The owner mentioned that Krista the pie baker receives several unsolicited marriage proposals every week as a result of her baking skills.
I have been to the Delta. I know the Delta, and that, my friends, is not the Delta.
Having written that now I have to watch O Brother again. So there.
That's looks like Patty Griffin on the side vocal.
Looks like my parents cabin in Rusk County in northern Wisconsin.
The cabin was on, as my father called it, "the mighty chip".
In the winter the road was closed and we had to snowmobile to the place.
Generator, outdoor toilet, bunk beads and wood burning stove.
I shot clay pigeons, fished, hunted and shit outside.
We would have friday night fish fry at Taylors Supper Club on Lake Amacoy. The owner, Duane Taylor, played organ, had six kids, and was a major fag. My mom said he walks like he is walking on egg shells.
He still lives up there and now owns the Wonderspot Tavern.
I left at the age of 17 and never returned, natch.
I have cum a long way baby.
tits and thanks.
I have cum a long way baby.
Distance decreases with age, Titus. Beware.
"Haz, the south having the highest % of obese is not surprising."
Ever been to a Mississippi Waffle place for Breakfast? That's one reason.
We would have friday night fish fry at Taylors Supper Club on Lake Amacoy.
I grew up on Friday night fish fry's. My favorite was at a now extinct place called "Marco's" on the corner of University Ave and Parmenter St. in Middleton. The building was razed to make way for the new Bank of Middleton in the 1980's.
I used to buy Mad Magazine at Blashkee's drug store down Parmenter St. towards Hubbard Ave. That's gone now too. Those buildings were made of Milwaukee cream brick which used to be common but are now protected species.
April - it is Patty Griffin. There is an hour long vid of the entire concert on YouTube. They were brought together by Buddy Miller, seen playing guitar on the vid.
Michael Haz said...
April - it is Patty Griffin.
I was just gonna ask - I thought it might be Maureen Dowd.
Patty Griffin.
I like Patty Grffin. Robert Plant has good taste in the female singer department.
Maureen Dowd. Holy cow NO!
Nice, Sixty -thanks.
You are welcome - that is one of my favorites.
April and Sixty - If you like roots music, then you'll enjoy listening to Buddy Miller, the man singing with Patty G above. Miller did tours with Patty G and other singers. He also put together the band for Robert Plant's two forays into Americana - once with Allison Kraus and once with Patty G.
This is my favorite Buddy Miller clip.
Sixty, O' Brother is like The Big Lebowski to me. The dialogue is so incredible I have watched both a total of 50 times or so and enjoy it every time. O' Brother has the music that makes it even better. That was my, and many folks, intro to that great music. Two Jews from Minnesota, who woulda guessed?
Sixty, I have the ability to look past an actor's politics and appreciate their skill. It's tough for me. Sean Penn is an exception. But, the biggest reason is I think his talent is overrated. Clooney has talent, he's a natural ala Jimmy Stewart. Not as good as Stewart, but a natural nonetheless.
It is almost impossible for me to ignore the damage these millionaire communists do on a daily basis.
Jimmy Stewart piloted bomber missions to defend this nation.
Clooney married an active muslim infiltrator bent on destroying this nation.
Too bad those pukes are so well insulated from reality.
Sixty, I read a pretty good book, When Hollywood Was Right. It covers the politics of Hollywood from the 20's to Reagan. There was a lot of Ca. state politics that I found boring. Jimmy Stewart comes across as a great man. The Duke, less so.
Yeah, the Duke only married illegals, so he got that wrong.
It was funny to see him in "Baby Face" - between the makeup and the lipstick he looked like a tall Tijuana tranny.
Aw man, that was major Trooper bait - but nothing.
Fabulous Duke!
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