Winding Up

This is our last week here at Horicon NWR, so, I will go over some of the other things we have accomplished while here.

The vc needed a few things done for them. This defunct station with these buttons did not work any longer. We took all the buttons out which left holes...now we needed to come up with a plan as to how to cover up the holes.

Another display they wanted disassembled that did not work.

This was quite a large display. We took most of it apart, then rolled the bottom half out the door and down the stairs at the back deck.

Now look at that top part...perfect to fill the holes on the first display I showed!!!

This piece was the answer as to how to fix this display.

WHEW!!!

Now we are taking the back screen off of this airboat so the motor can be replaced. Our job was to remove all bolts, hoses and tie wraps so Mike could remove the motor.  Wallace also took off the radiator, which was not an easy job, but he got it done.

We drove into town to purchase two hoses, then Wallace replaced them since there was a leak in the hydraulics.

Now I can go to work.

There were all these old floats spread out, some were good and some were full of water (no good).

Wallace separated them and marked the bad ones while I picked them up with the skid loader.

I was told to deposit them off to the side of this trailer. I had them stacked neatly only to find out they had to be counted for replacement...they got spread out. Oh, well, so much for that! I had fun and practiced how to work the clamp and stack them.

In this photo, I am using the miter saw to make eight of these supports to go under two more wrought iron cattail panels for the front entrance which we hope will get done this week.

I finally got to mow with this ag tractor. Wallace used the fecon to chew up the trees...he really liked doing that.

I mowed three different plots while he took out some trees.

The fecon at work.

The way it looks now, after the mowing.

I mowed high and left a few of the wildflowers along the entrance at and down the trail as per instructions.

This field is at the parking lot on the tour route. I finished mowing here, Wallace is coming down the field with the skid steer with the fecon tool attached.

This area had many ditches and it was a little scary as the sweet clover was so high I could not see what lay ahead and it caught me off guard at times.

Saying Goodbye to the Marsh

One of the many beautiful sunsets out our back window.

I used to think the rays were where God was...maybe He is!!!

Until next time...

 

Cattail Panels on Deck

This is the before picture of the deck before the cattail panels were inserted.

We installed eight panels in this area.

Taken from a different angle, but you can see what they look like in place.

As you may recall, we also put together the two children's tables as well, and yes, there is a place for umbrellas.

With a little help from our friends...the fire crew and Frank.

They helped carry 5 more of the panels up the stairs, as they are very heavy. Kudos to them!!!

After we figured out to do those first few, the rest came fairly easy...bring em  on.

Wallace, using the table saw, made dados in the top of the wooden pieces, to insert the panel...then he would hold them in place while I screwed them down.

Mike left it up to us as to where they should be placed as the spaces were not evenly divided.

We chose to center these two under the interp panel above.

Next, we will be installing two more panels at the front entrance.

Until next time...

Pencil Museum Inc.

Having seen a picture on my Facebook, it renewed some thoughts about a couple we have not seen in three years. He does not post often, so I am glad I happened upon it.

Do you recognize one of those names, the sixth one from the top.

After seeing their post on Facebook, I kinda remembered they lived in Wisconsin and sure enough, not only do they live here, but not too far from where we are here at Horicon.

It would be so nice to see them again.

We communicated via Facebook and made a time to see them.

I remembered they run a pencil museum...googled it and found the address.

They live here at the museum, a fascinating place, right on Lake Winneconne.

Karen and Tom Schmitz surrounded by pencils!!!

Karen showed us all the pencils they have collected from many places...the latest being from Switzerland.

This collection is quite whimsical.

I told Karen I would never look at a pencil the same way ever again.

They boast of having over 20,000 unique pencils, 1884 slate ones, an 8 foot long one, drum stick ones, and bullet pencils.

Sooo interesting!!!

They treated us to a home made meal after our tour, which was very tasty.

Introduced us to another Wisconsin cheese which we liked.

Our captain, Tom, took us on this nice pontoon boat all around the lake. The dock is right behind their home.

A very nice leisurely ride on Lake Winneconne.

He was also our guide and told us all about the area. He grew up here and shared a lot with us.

We certainly did enjoy our afternoon seeing and visiting with these friends, and catching up on so much.



Tom told us one could travel by boat from their home all the way out to Saint Lawrence and beyond...wouldn't that be nice. I was already looking where I could pitch a tent on the pontoon and GO.

Thanks Karen and Tom for a wonderful afternoon!!!

Until next time...

Tables to TABLE

We have three weeks left to finish the projects that were put before us while here at the refuge.

Erin, volunteer coordinator, asked if we could put two children's picnic tables together, we said sure. We had no idea what kind she was talking about!!!

These two boxes had been stored for some time. I got the skid loader to pick them up and bring them over to our work area.

Anybody who has worked with this material knows how heavy it is.

We got one unpacked and went to work on it.

It did not take long...we were able to get the other one put together.

These tables are tiny but mighty.

They really are cute, and we got many comments on them.

I really dwarfed the table.

Oh, and by the way, we have one more large picnic table that needs to be  put together when you have time...allrighty then.

The two little tables were placed on the deck with help from our firefighter friends...I did mention, they are heavy!!! The large table is still in our work area waiting for its home, but it  looks like the one in this photo.

Until next time...

 

Kettle Moraine

What is a "kettle moraine," you ask? At least that is what we wondered.

After our little tour of Fond du Lac, we drove east to the northern section of the moraine.

This drive takes you through rolling hills and quaint towns with interesting names, and

beautiful old churches as you follow the green acorn signs.

In an earlier blog, I mentioned "The Ice Age Trail." Some of it passes through the moraine, which is in the State Forest where the National Park has this visitor center...a very interesting stop.

We learned a little more about this glacier and the effects of what it had on the landscape.

Some new words for us were Kettles, Drumlins, and Kames.

We climbed to the top of this tower for some amazing views of the wind farms, farms with barns and silos, and toward Holy Hill which is in the southern unit of the moraine, another place we plan on visiting in the future.

I thought this beauty of a scene was worth sharing. People take great pride in their land.

Everywhere we go, yards are as sharp as a pin.

The answer: a Kettle is a depression left from a glacier, some are dry and some hold water up to 200' deep.

What will our next post be? Work or play? We work 3 days and are off 4...time to explore!!!

Until next time...