To the Heartbeat of a Larch or the Larch in my Heartbeat



Larches lining Webb Lake, Wisconsin



The larch or tamarack is a stunning tree in autumn.  I didn't know this tree existed among other conifers until I was bombarded by a sea of gold last fall.  But then, I grew up in southern Wisconsin.  This tree is extremely cold tolerant, found on the edges of tundras, in mountains, near the arctic, and - to my delight - in far northern Wisconsin.  It's a deciduous coniferous tree, and I didn't know those could exist either.   

 I learned something new and now it's one of my favorites.



Sumac is also beautiful in autumn...





30 degrees and an October sunrise over Webb Lake



Running from the Wolves

I mistakenly thought I would get an at-home office week to prep for my "big" excavations of the season that have, for various reasons out of my control, been delayed week after week after week, and, hey, isn't it almost winter?  But instead, I find myself on another excursion to the Northwoods.  The north keeps calling me back, but what is it trying to tell me?  I start to think I'm getting things under control, dealing with life and all its unexpected changes, and then I'm required to make another 5 or 6 hour solo drive, alone with my thoughts and Martha Stewart Living Radio.  Is my boss aware of what a mindfuck these drives are?  How do truckers do it?  At least I have the fall scenery, but how many times can you drive one stretch of road and continue to call it scenic?  I'm a social creature, give me my crew back and let me excavate!!

All this forced time of being alone and reflecting, and I still have nothing figured out.  Maybe that's why it keeps happening over and over this field season.  I'm seeing the signs, but I don't know what they mean.  At a particularly low point of anger and frustration during my drive, a bald eagle flew low and crossed my path.  It doesn't matter how many times I see them, they floor me every time.  And just in case I didn't get the message the first time, a second one crossed my path, right after the first.  I've never seen two flying together like that before.  This site says that eagles symbolize power, healing, and wisdom, and also:

• Eagle represents a state of grace that is reached through inner work, understanding and passing the initiation tests that result from reclaiming our personal power. Eagle Medicine is the Power of the Great Spirit. It is the spirit of tenacity. It is the gift of clear vision with which one can truly see the things one sees. It is the patience to wait for the appropriate moment. It is to live in balance with heaven and Earth. Eagle reminds you of your connection with the Great Spirit. It tells you that the universe is giving you the opportunity to fly above your life's worldly levels, or above the shadow of past realities. Eagle teaches you to look above in order to touch Grandfather Sun with your heart, to love the Shadow as much as the Light. Eagle asks you to grant yourself permission to be free in order to reach the joy that your heart desires. 

I like that.  It seems fitting.  "Grant yourself permission to be free in order to reach the joy that your heart desires."  And now to reclaim my personal power...

Coincidentally, I've started running again.  Maybe another coincidence, I'm back at Heartwood, where I ran the trails all last autumn.  There is something completely liberating about running outside... so liberating that treadmills now make me claustrophobic.  I could have easily cozied up in my room all night, but couldn't pass up an opportunity to run these familiar trails.  I headed out just before sunset, even though I know there are wolves and bears on the property.  I don't mind that.  Knowing there are wolves makes me run faster.

Wolves - Josh Ritter

I still remember that time when we were dancing We were dancing to a song that I’d heard Your face was simple and your hands were naked I was singing without knowing the words But I started listening to the wolves in the timber Wolves in the timber at night I heard their songs when I looked in the mirror In the howls and the moons round my eyes

So long, so high!

Then winter came and there was little left between us Skin and bones of love won’t make a meal I felt my eyes drifting over your shoulder There were wolves at the edge of the field But I still remember that time when we were dancing We were dancing to a song that I’d heard Your face was simple and your hands were naked I was singing without knowing the words

So long, so high!

Then one day I just woke up And the wolves were all there Wolves in the piano Wolves underneath the stairs Wolves inside the hinges Circling round my door At night inside the bedsprings Clicking cross the floor I don’t know how they found me I’ll never know quite how I still can’t believe they heard me That I was howling out that loud

So long, so high!

At times in the frozen nights I go roaming In the bed she used to share with me I wake in the fields with the cold and the lonesome The moon’s the only face that I see But I still remember that time when we were dancing We were dancing to a song that I’d heard Your face was simple and your hands were naked I was singing without knowing the words

So long, so high!

I ♥ Eagle River

I absolutely adore Eagle River, Wisconsin.  At least the little I've seen of it.  I've been here twice for work so far.  Both trips have been for only two nights and so jam packed with work and crappy weather that I can only explore by car.  Still, it's enough for me to know that I want to spend more time here. 

Northwoods Calm

The past month has been all about trying to find some inner calm and clarification... detoxing my body, removing toxic people from my life, and figuring out my future path.  To achieve this, I've been eating healthy, whole foods, spending copious amounts of time in a sauna when I can find one, speaking my truth to those who are dishonest with me, aggressively seeking out people and programs who can make my future come together more quickly, reconnecting with old friends, and indulging in some very necessary massage therapy.

Seriously, if you're ever in the Chippewa Falls area, seek out Martha at For Your Health Massage. She's an intuitive healer.  That woman has a craft!  She introduced me to Lomi Lomi massage, which took away a lot of my physical and emotional pressure, and left me smelling like toasted coconut.  I will be seeking out Lomi Lomi in the Madison area this winter, for sure.  Or maybe I'll make an excuse to go back and see Martha.  She's worth it!

A long drive across Wisconsin's northwoods for work also helped me continue with my catharsis.  The leaves are near peak and vibrant, it's so breathtaking.  The birch trees remind me of Finland.  Hopefully I'll get out to explore the Eagle River area after a day of research tomorrow.  Sunshine and bears, come my way!

Country Roads, Take Me... Oh, Wait, I am Home.

Catching up on some summer time field shots.

Richland County

Grant County

Near Binghampton, Outagamie County

(I adore supper clubs!)

Near Rosendale, not just for traffic stops!

Elkhart Lake

Greenbush hayfield, Sheboygan County

Home is Where the Food & Fiberglass Is

Apologies in advance to my friends in the area, for not calling or visiting (hey, this worked girl is overworked!), but I'm in my old stomping ground of La Crosse, WI for a brief couple of days.  These nice little jaunts close to home mean mid-week time with three of my nieces and nephews, and I'm very reluctant to share my time with anyone else!

One of my most favorite spots close to home is Ginny's Cupboard in Sparta.  Have I blogged about them before?  It's probable.  But I love them.  Compared to food prices in even moderately sized Wisconsin town's, Ginny's made-from-scratch soup and house-baked bread is the best bang for your buck in the area.  And yeah, the milkshakes are pricey, but they're so so worth it.  Sucks for me though, I'm still trooping through my detox.  Lucky for me, the white chicken chili had only a very minimal amount of cheese thrown into the entire pot (enough for me to pretend it wasn't there... it probably didn't make it into my mug anyways, right?).  I'll make up for it tomorrow!  Detox or no, it's pretty sweet to patron a place with so many cool antiques to look at.  Even in the bathrooms.

Another one of my favorite spots close to home is F.A.S.T. Corp, aka the Fiberglass Graveyard.  So what these pictures are from July.  And they weren't from a work trip.  And I probably won't make it there this trip.  They're still worth showing!  Apologies for another slide show, but they're just so damn handy to upload, compared to posting dozens of photos.  Oh, and check out these winter-time photos.  Maybe I'll trek out there this Christmas, they'd be fun to see in the snow!

The Wade House

There's a great website to take an interactive tour of the Wade House in Greenbush here.

More information about the 1850/60s hotel, 1847-1890s sawmill (dates vary), and blacksmith shop can be read here and here.

I've done this tour twice and really enjoyed it both times.  The carriage driver is a hoot, the staff and guides know an incredible amount of information about their posts, the sawmill guy is entertaining, the blacksmith is a bit odd, and the lady hotel guides are way into it in a good way.

Any questions on the photos, just ask! Click on the slideshow for a larger view.

Carriages, Sleighs, and Wagons, Hell Yeah!

Crafting carriages, sleighs, wagons, carts, etc. is a long lost trade.  Good thing Wesley Jung had the foresight to know the craft was dying and started his collection.  The colors, details, upholstery, woodwork, function... all so interesting to see in person.  This museum is just one of many gems at the Wade House in Greenbush, WI, between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan.  My personal favorites:  the sleighs and the historical photographs.  Especially the turkey-drawn children's cart.  Ch-ch-check this place out!

A more in-depth description from PortalWisconsin.org:

• The Wesley Jung Carriage Museum recognizes the contribution of a German immigrant to Wisconsin. In 1855, carriage maker Jacob Jung left his native country to settle in Sheboygan. The family carriage and wagon business he began in his adopted home operated until 1917, when the automobile's rise spelled the end of a traditional way of transportation. Jung's grandson, Wesley Jung, wanted to preserve these horse- and hand-drawn vehicles that were once so common on American streets. In 1968, his collection of vintage vehicles opened as a museum on the grounds of Wade House.The wagons and carriages are splendid and almost startling in their variety: a circus calliope, sleighs, children's wagons, fire wagons, hearses and much more fill the large building. Their designs are as varied as the purposes they were made to serve.

Bliss in Elkhart Lake

I don't have any visuals to share, my work experience this week is completely kinesthetic.

Most of the time, we get to stay in moderately decent hotels while doing archaeology fieldwork away from home. Sometimes we're stuck with a dive, other times there's hot waffles and maybe a waterslide. It's up to the hotel if they choose to accept the rate for State employees, which is somewhat reduced from their standard rate. Lucky for me, Plymouth, Wisconsin's Baymont Inn, a traditional stand-by for my co-workers, decided they don't want to accept the State rate anymore. This initially pissed me off, because it's a decent hotel and we've literally patroned them for months on end during the past 5 years. Lucky again, a co-worker knew of an absolutely incredible establishment less that 7 miles from our project area at the Wade House in Greenbush. No way would I ever normally be able to afford accommodation like the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake. I am having an A-MAY-ZING week!

Although we have to dig endless shovel tests in rocky clay loam (tearing up my back and shoulder!), I get to recover in the evening with one of two saunas. I cannot rave enough about saunas, they're one of my big loves and something I don't get to experience enough. Why haven't more Americans realized the benefit of a sauna? My sore, laboring muscles LOVE sweating out all the tension from yielding a shovel and hiking through marsh grass all day long. The girls and I tried out some yoga moves in the gigantic sauna this evening, and I can't even explain how good it felt.

On the walk to and from the sauna is Osthoff's private beach. It's definitely still summer here, and it's so warm and lovely to lay in a beach chair and stare off meditatively over the beautiful Elkhart Lake. Tonight the sky and lake were a rosey pink during the sunset. It makes me so happy to be in Wisconsin at this moment.

And if that's not being spoiled enough, I have the most beautiful bathroom I've ever seen! The whirlpool bath is so giant, I float. My shoulder tendinitis feels manageable with whirlpool jets pummeling at it. With my lemon/sage foot scrub and clay ionic mask, I don't need to drop $135 at the hotel's spa... not that I could afford to anyways. I feel good.

Oh, and there's food here. If I feel like blowing the bank tomorrow night, I'll try Lola's on the Lake, the resort's 3-star restaurant featuring local and organic cuisine. Last night we had Otto's, touted as casual, but definitely sheeshy, and definitely tasty. I may have picked a bad week for my semi-annual detox attempt (wheat-free, dairy-free, alcohol-free, caffeine-free, sugar-free, processed-free, red meat-free), but at least there's plenty to choose from with the local organic produce on the menus.

If you want to just RELAX, I recommend this place -- especially if you get a discount!

"It's Gotta Be In Ya To Do It."

Three hours of research, two courthouses, a WEIRD lunch in Ladysmith, and over 4 hours of driving along USH 8 across northern Wisconsin. Where am I now? Oh yeah, Tomahawk. It's pissing rain. Because of that, along with the humidity and those bastard aggressive mosquitoes, my trek up the rickety fire tower at Wisconsin's Highest Peak, Timm's Hill, didn't happen. Next time, northern Wisco, it's not like I won't be back!

Perhaps even better than Timm's Hill was a visit to the Wisconsin Concrete Park. If you've read Weird Wisconsin, you know what I'm talking about -- absolutely FANTASTIC folk art, off Hwy 13 in Phillips. It rivals the Prairie Moon Sculpture Garden by Herman Rusch in Cochrane, WI. Both are from the same era, were created by a single individual during his retirement, and were restored by the Kohler Foundation. I was able to visit Prairie Moon last field season, and loved the variety of creatures in the garden. Fred Smith's creation in Phillips featured mostly people - miners, cowboys, soldiers, Native Americans, as well as deer (with real antlers!) and horses. Much of the glass in the concrete was from beer bottles from the neighboring tavern that Fred Smith ran in his retirement. Old beer bottles are soooo cool. The gift shop in Fred Smith's former home was also open. It contained a lot of handmade item like knitwear, braided rugs, quilts, antique silverware wind chimes, and jewelry. They also had a small selection of antiques that were SO under priced! Man, if only I had ROOM, I would've walked away with a turn of the century wood and leather trunk for $40. As a concession, I got a pretty sweet amber glass barrel beer mug that advertised Wisconsin with a big burly lumberjack. That is something to smile about.

Fred Smith lived by his motto, "It's gotta be in ya to do it." I can't help but wonder if, because he tended bar in northern Wisconsin, men sipping their Schlitz elbow-up at the bar thought, "That's what she said!"