Collections by Carol/ summervp

Collections by Carol/ summervp
a/k/a Prints As Art

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Carins and Cave Point County Park

Answer:  Hikers do it, bikers do it, religious people do it, they do it for luck or to drive bad luck or misfortune away, they do it for fun, they do it for relaxation, they do it to learn  about balance in architecture or about balance starting within themselves, they learn it to lose weight, to get past a bad habit like alcoholism, they do it just to mark the path or to leave their mark, or just because someone else did, they do it to create an alter, to mark a grave, to commemorate something to someone like celebrating a wedding or a spiritual experience, they do it for exercise or for learning patience....


Question:  Why Do People Stack Rocks?  What do they do and why....?  The ritual is ancient and it can be referred to as either building "carins" (literally meaning: "female") they usually include from 5-10 stacked stones like seen in these photos here) or "hoodoos" after their ancient predecessors: tent rock, fair chimney or earth pyramids to resemble the tall thin spires of rocks that protrude from the earths surface consisting of relatively soft rock topped by harder rock that is less easily eroded (literally meaning: "bad luck") for example:  Natural Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah (totem pole like structures that can range from 50-150 feet tall) 

Cave Point County Park:   

Traditionallyeach fall, over the entire growth of my  now adult children, we had made annual pilgrimages to Door County to experience all that is the "Pumpkin Patch Festival" to our family, in early to mid October.   Since the kids have grown and we no longer "do" that trip.  I hadn't realized that my mind and soul has missed the "mini vaca" that signified "fall" for us for so many years. I also hadn't realized I had mourned the loss of these annual treks.  So this fall I made sure to include one day to set aside everything else to "Do the Door".  And there is no place like Cave Point County Park, especially when the wind is strong off the lake. Then you will hear the waves crashing into Cave Point before you actually see it. It may be a cloudless day, but a sound like thunder will filter through the woods. Reaching the edge of the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan you get to experience the power of the waves pounding against the shore shooting spray high above the bluff's edge. Over eons, the waves have hollowed-out caves in the point increasing both the hydrodynamics and the noise level. You can feel the rock shudder beneath your feet. Cave Point County Park is one destination on this pleasant tour of the lake-edge forest and quiet farm roads of Door County.  It is often missed by many because it is a County Park and not a State or National Park. This does not mean that the view here is not spectacular because it is. It is known for its underwater caves and wave-worn limestone cliffs by fisherman, scuba divers, photographers and nature observers. It has picnic tables, cooking grills, fire rings, a well and new restrooms built in 2002. The road is blacktopped and the trails have had gravel put down for easy walking. Look for the signs on Highway 57. It is just North of Whitefish Dunes State Park. 



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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Guckenberg-Sturm Preserve, also known as the Stroebe Island Marsh



Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust purchased the 48 acre Guckenberg-Sturm Preserve, also known as the Stroebe Island Marsh, in Menasha, Wisconsin. The Preserve is situated uniquely; it is located along the west shore of Little Lake Butte des Morts and bordered on the north by Mud Creek at the point of its convergence with the Fox River as it travels northeast into Lake Michigan’s largest bay, Green Bay.  The preserve is also adjacent to, as well as on, Stroebe Island.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has classified Mud Creek, the Fox River, and Little Lake Butte des Morts as Areas of Special Natural Resource Interest (ASNRI) waters. Because of this, the Guckenberg-Sturm Preserve is recognized as important opportunity to maintain the health of the water flowing into Lake Michigan.
The marsh and surrounding floodplain forests represents one of the last remaining pristine, open cattail marshes found along the Lower Fox River drainage. This habitat type originally covered thousands of acres throughout the Fox River system, but the dramatic increases in water levels through dam construction and high speed motorized boat traffic, effectively destroyed over 99 percent of the original cattail marsh by 1965. This remaining high quality habitat is now very rare and continues to provide critical food and cover for a myriad of wetland species trying to continue their life cycles surrounded by the pressures of land development and severe habitat destruction.




Wind Point Lighthouse - Racine, Wisconsin



Wind Point Lighthouse (or Windpoint Light Station) is a lighthouse located at the north end of the Harbor in Racine, Wisconsin. It is in the village of Wind Point, on Lighthouse Road, next to the Shoop Park golf course. The lighthouse stands 108 feet (33 m) tall. One of the oldest and tallest active lighthouses on the Great Lakes, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wind Point Lighthouse was designed by Orlando Metcalfe Poe and constructed in 1880. The beacon was originally powered by a three-wicked kerosene lanp, magnified by a third-order Fresnel lens. The light was electrified in 1924, and replaced by a DCB-24R airport beacon in 1964. The light can be seen for 19 miles. A signal house (horns removed, resonators still in place) remains on the grounds as well as a garage, two storage buildings, and an oil house. The Village of Wind Point has maintained the lighthouse and grounds since 1964, and uses the old keepers' quarters as a village hall and police headquarters.                                                        
                                                                

"Waterfest" - Oshkosh, Wisconsin - REO Speedwagon






"Waterfest" is a celebration of the quality of life enjoyed in the Fox Valley Area and the name was chosen to draw attention to our most valuable, unique and recognizable resource, our waterways.  The "Leach Ampitheater", where this event is held, is located at the mouth of the historic Fox River in downtown Oshkosh, and is home to the weekly "Waterfest Concerts" held each Thursday evening Memorial Day through Labor Day on the shores of the historic Fox River in Downtown Oshkosh. The City of Oshkosh is nestled between and on Lakes Butte des Morts and Winnebago. The recreational assets of these bodies of water provide great value and sense of pride to area residents, businesses and visitors. Opened in May 2005, the Leach Amphitheater can accommodate up to 7,500 visitors. And on August 30th, was host to 4 bands including REO Speedwagon.  Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and over the course of its career, the band has sold more than 40 million records and has charted thirteen Top 40 Hits, including the number ones "Keep On Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling".  ( Go to www.waterfest.org for more information.)












Olbrich Gardens - Madison - Wisconsin


OlbrichBotanical Gardens is located
in Madison, Wisconsin. Named for its founder, Michael Olbrich, the gardens are owned and operated jointly by the City of Madison Parks and the non-profit Olbrich Botanical Society. The gardens were officially established in 1952.  Noteworthy additions to the gardens were the Bolz Conservatory in 1991 and a Thai pavilion or sala, a gift to the University of Wisconsin Madison from the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the government of Thailand through its king. Opened in 2002, it is one of only four sala outside of Thailand and one of two in the United States (the other is located in Hawaii).  Stroll 16 acres of outdoor gardens featuring stunning landscapes and Midwest-hardy plants. Visit the tropics in the Bolz Conservatory, filled with exotic plants, flowers, orchids, birds, and a waterfall.  Outdoor Gardens are free and open daily. Voted one of the top ten most inspiring gardens in North America by Horticulture Magazine.  The gardens are made up of several separate garden areas. The Sunken Garden is in the form of a traditional English Garden. Surrounded by limestone terraces and hedges, it contains an 80-foot long reflecting pool – designed to connect the garden thematically with nearby Lake Monona.  The Thai Garden contains the sala and is joined to the gardens proper by a 155-foot  arched footbridge crossing Starkweather Creek. This garden has a shallow reflecting pool near the pavilion and is littered with small examples of Thai sculpture. The plants in this garden were carefully selected to give a tropical appearance to the garden in the summer, while choosing plants capable of surviving Wisconsin winters.  A Rock Garden is constructed of a rocky hill, designed to simulate a mountain slope. Plants here are mostly conifers or alpine and two streams flow through it, forming a waterfall and small pond. Here again, a wooden footbridge crosses the stream.  A Meadow Garden combines perennial grasses, wildflowers, and plants grown from bulbs. The grass in the meadow garden is mowed only once or twice a year. The small Wildflower Garden contains wildflowers, ferns, berries and native trees and shrubs. An Herb Garden is a collection of smaller gardens of herbs separated by use; they include medical, dye, and kitchen (spice) herbs, as well as 'touch' and 'smell' gardens. A perennial garden displays perennials and three ponds, with a waterfall. Aquatic plants are displayed in the ponds.  The Rose Garden is an ongoing project featuring more than 700 varieties and 125 rose cultivars, including hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, and hardy shrub roses.  The Starkweather Creek and Atrium Shade Gardens features a semicircular atrium and plants such as astilbes, hostas, lungwort, bishops' caps and ferns. The Eunice Fisher Hosta Garden features hostas hybridized by Wisconsin-native, Eunice Fisher.  The Bolz Conservatory is a greenhouse housing over 750 plants representing over 70 families and over 550 different species and cultivars. The plants are native to tropical and subtropical regions. The structure itself is a glass pyramid measuring 100 by 100 ft and rising to 50 ft  at the apex. The temperature is maintained between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, although the sun may warm it to 95 °F  in the summer. The relative humidity is maintained at 60% or above.  In addition to the tropical plants, the conservatory is home to species of birds including canaries, waxbills and coturnix. There is also a koi pond, featuring koi and goldfish, frogs, toads, and geckos are also present.


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Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival - Crook and Whistle Dog Trials



I went to Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival in Jefferson Wisconsin to see the ‘Crook & Whistle’ Stock Dog Trials...because ever since I've seen the movie "Babe" I've wanted to see the "Wolves" in action and I really didn't want to pay for a trip to Ireland to get see them.  I had no idea that this event existed or that it could be right here in Wisconsin.  Early in the day we met one of the competitors Steve Kunkel and his dog Coon.  Steve was kind enough to walk us through several of the trials and explained what they were doing out on the field.  It was fun knowing more because you truly understood the frustrations of the man and dog team in herding the sheep in and around the gates.  The event is huge, it takes place at the Jefferson County Fair Park over three days and in addition to the the trials there are, Wonders of Wool Fiber Arts Classes, Beginning Shepherd Classes, Newborn Lambs, Hall of Breeds, Used Equipment Sale, Sheep Shows, Shearing Demonstrations, Make It With Wool Competition, Shepherds and Silent Auctions (on wool and products alike) kids activities and two barns full of wool products for you to shop.  I would definitely go again....it was well worth the two hour drive from Fremont.  Want to know more: 

http://www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com  


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Keeping it Rural - National Register of Historic Places Pictorial



Settled in the 1850's by pioneers from New England, the entire Village of Rural is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is located along one of Wisconsin's most beautiful Rustic Roads.  Visitors to this small village, located along the Crystal River about six miles south of Waupaca, were encouraged to walk along the streets to see the Greek Revival-style homes in a rare example of Yankee architecture in the Midwest (one of only two such places which exist in the state).  The  Rural Historical Society held its "Rural House Walk" on Saturday, Sept 22nd along the Crystal River, which I've been told only takes place about every four years.  Each of the homes owners, with the help of  about 75 Rural Historical Society volunteers, dressed the part in period costumes and became interpreters of their own estates for between 4 to 500 people.

Sam Ashmun House  -  Built in 1854 by James McCrossen.  Home of Margaret Ashmun from 1933 - 1940.  Currently owned by Dean and Carmen Sondrol.

Radley House - Built by James McCrossen with lumber hauled by team and wagon from Wausau, WI sold to WW Radley in 1887.  Now owned by Bruno and Vicki Rohner.

Dake House - Built in 1860. Greek Revival. Purchased in 1989 and currently owned  by Jeff and Pat Fletcher.

Halfway House -  Built in 1952 by James Jones as lodging for travelers between Stevens Point and Berlin.  Named after Andrew Potts, the first white child born to early settlers of Rural, WI  on Sept 19, 1853.  Now owned by Art and Wendy Lynn.

Andrew Potts House -  Built in 1853 four generations of Potts families lived here until 1987.  Currently owners Robert and Deborah Benada purchased it and the 11 original acres of homestead  in 2006 and created Rural's first bed and breakfast  "The Crystal River Inn" complete with a Wisconsin native plant garden, butterfly garden, rain garden, along with 4 acres of tall grass prairie with a mowed walking path, and a mowed Labyrinth in a short grass prairie. 

The Millinery Shop - Built by AA Hyatt in 1857 getting their supplies from Oshkosh, WI.  Purchased by John and Barb Skoglind in 2006/

The Weller Store
- Built in 1930's by the Weller family still owned today by Charlie and Ellen Weller.  The Weller Store is well known for its bottled soda and 25cent ice cream cones.




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