In a total aside, I must mention, I love google. I don't care that it wants to know all. In exchange it does the menial, menial task of organizing, a skill that escaped my head during that crainiotomy a year and a half ago. All my photos are neatly arranged by date and place, or I would be wondering when and where.
I will do this recounting slowly and sequentially. This is Mullen's, in Watertown, Wisconsin. You know who has thumbs up, and she and Ann head around the corner for ice cream and a supper, on Sunday. Ann grew up in Switzerland, so she landed fair and square in Wisconsin. As she says, there is nothing that cannot be improved by butter and cheese.
And so much for Sunday. On Monday, Laura and I went to The International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Here is my tour, which I was able to take thanks to a wonderful scooter. It had none of the joy of my motorcycle days, but it took me where I wanted to go.
These are only a few of the cranes we saw. It was a beautiful, cool and breezy day. The grounds are given over completely to meadow, for the attraction of insects; bees and butterflies. I've never seen so many varieties of milkweed, which caught Laura's attention. We tried to grow many species in the old garden, and have managed to grow one in our new garden.
I heartily recommend a visit to the cranes, if only to support the work of the foundation. We spent half a day, and that only on the paved trails among the crane enclosures. There are many more dirt trails to explore, but not on a scooter.
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteI'm a Google Gal too; say what you like, it is part of daily life now! These are wonderful images and am a little bit jelly green you got to see these elegant birds. MMMMMMM.... milk shakes..... YAM xx
This looks wonderful. I've seen sandhill cranes in Florida, and some cranes in Hungary whose more exact identity I didn't know. It is wonderful that such places exist and you and Laura were able to visit. Is this your own scooter? Did you rent it?
ReplyDeleteIt was available for the asking. Wisconsin is inexplicable.
DeleteThat scooter is a great idea
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about Google but it is here to stay and I am not.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are beautiful and it looks like you, Laura, and Ann had a wonderful time.
You got some wonderful shots of the cranes. I'm so glad you and Laura took the time to see them.
ReplyDeleteI love the cranes, they look so graceful and dignified.
ReplyDeleteIs there anyone in the world who hates ice cream? I can't imagine it.
I smiled when you mentioned your motorcycle days Joanne. I am not surprised that you had one! Bet it was fun!
ReplyDeleteThe cranes photos are great!
I bet they were very interesting to watch.
ReplyDeleteActually, I think we bored the hell out of them, though there actually was a plexiglass barrier up for the red billed fellow, who seemed aggressive, and had a bill long enough to damage a stupid visitor.
DeleteI never see cranes so it was nice to see cranes.
ReplyDeleteHow fast could that scooter go? Did you test it? :)
ReplyDeleteThe cranes are beautiful. Glad you had a nice day for seeing them.
Google is an indispensable tool, in my opinion. Just about anything you want is at your fingertips in a few seconds or less. Since I am not very interesting and have no vices beyond food, I don't care what information they gather on me.
I like the picture of the iron work cranes at the entrance. Thanks for including it here. I like my Google.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds absolutely blissful. Hooray for scooters making such things more accessible. Some day (soonish) I may have to invest in one.
ReplyDeleteWho knew there was an International Crane Foundation, and aren't those cranes fascinating?
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a fun day, ice cream, beautiful weather and lovely birds.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if any of these cranes are some of the ones who winter over here in Texas, down the coast a ways, not too too far from us. homemade ice cream sounds fine to me. and I agree with Ann.
ReplyDeleteWe did not join a regular tour, and so had no one to ask questions of. I gather they add local species, like whooping crane chicks, back to the indigenous population. Whooping cranes used to be an endangered species in Wisconsin, Ann said, and now "they" are considering permitting hunting again.
DeleteThe foundation also plays host to endangered crane populations of the world. I stopped and read a sign about hatching the first xyz(?) chick ever bred in captivity. I don't remember what or where it wound up. I've only briefly read their web site. Sorry to say, it was a fun visit, and cranes are nice to watch, but they didn't really capture my interest.
One of the most beautiful forms in Tai Chi is called "white crane spreads its wings." And that is a bitchin' little scooter they provided you with, I must say!
ReplyDeleteI thought so, too. It maintained a constant speed, uphill or downhill, so it had a decent transmission.
DeleteLooks like gorgeous digs. I'll bet Ann, being from CH, knows her cheese! I still miss being able to find the 'top shelf' cheeses at your garden variety supermarkets in Zurich.
ReplyDeleteWe went shopping the last day at a specialty shop in New Galarus, the original new Switzerland, for some esoteric cheese.
DeleteWhat a cool place with the cranes! If I'm ever up in that part of the country, it definitely would be on my place to visit!
ReplyDeletebetty
You look quite comfortable on that scooter. I have to confess I know nothing about cranes apart from the fact they are birds. I don't think we have any out here. Maybe in a zoo.
ReplyDeleteI hope the crane centre isn't like the alligator centres in Florida. You watch the creatures grabbing hunks of meat in a pool, or just lazing about, then you go to a restaurant and eat an alligator steak. On your way out you may wish to purchase an alligator hand-bag... Crane-flavoured ice-cream?
ReplyDeleteButter and cheese...what would life be without them? The cranes are so elegant looking....actually theyb look a bit like our Blue Herons. Probably the same family. Those scooters are wonderful inventions aren' t they?
ReplyDeletePlenty of herons here, but no cranes. I would really enjoy that! I'm assuming some were protected, eg. sandhill cranes? -Jenn
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ann,anything can improve with butter and cheese.
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun. So nice to get away and see something new. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteDear Joanne, have the cranes been injured in some way so that they can no longer fly and live in the wild? I've never been "up close and personal" with a crane. Such lovely creatures. Peace.
ReplyDeleteI don't think so, Dee. The purpose of the property seemed to be the preservation and increase of stocks of cranes in the wild.
DeleteYes, G just got me a little one that folds into the trunk of the toyota. Just perfect. We are about to head out to Comic Con where we will both ride scooters while we delight in all the costumes.
ReplyDeleteI meant to say....you look just perfect on yours.
DeleteI'd love a scootmobile and they're not really that expensive but I think that , once I succumbed, I'd never get back out of it!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had that scooter. Otherwise the walking.......
ReplyDeleteGood Grief Joanne! Don't know what else to say...
ReplyDelete