It should have been 100

From my friend Mary's house, to my house, it's just about exactly 100 miles, 2 hours of driving.  My route was considerably longer, and I wish I knew how far I drove.

Since then, I have installed an app on my phone that tracks my travel, so if I ever get a wild hair to take the long way home again, I'll have better info.

When I finally got on Highway 27 headed South, and decided to avoid Hayward, I turned West on Hwy 77 to catch US53 at Minong.

Now I had a straight show home, it was getting later in the day and I was ready to get home, unpack the sewing equipment and make some supper.

As I came into Rice Lake, almost to the exit for County O, I noticed an Osprey Nest just off the highway, accessible from a city street.  All the times I have driven this stretch, I have never noticed this nest before.

As I was driving by, I saw the adult Osprey land on the next and 2 little heads popped up to eat whatever Mom had brought for them.

I couldn't resist going to see the next up close, it was only a few blocks out of my way, which was nothing after the route I had taken to this point in the trip.

So, I found the street, and there was a spot to pull off the street in a soybean field, 

and I walked down the pavement to get a view with the sun to my back.

Just as I walked out far enough to see up into the nest, Mom arrived.

 Dropped off the groceries, and off she went again.

Then I got a view of the juveniles.

 They didn't seem to happy to see me.

 But they kept their eyes on Mom

Mom circled overhead, and then way out over the field of soybeans, almost to the freeway.

 Eventually she circled right over me and gave me the eye.

That's when it dawned on me that I was disrupting their activity, so it was time for me to leave.

As I was headed back to the car, I noticed that the Osprey leave quite a mark on their 'hood.

This splat was big, a coffee cup full at least.

So, that ended my big day of 'you gotta see' this or that.

It was a fun day with Pentax but I was happy to see my driveway and arrived home at about 6:30pm.

Life is Good.

Homeward Bound after Colton Flowage

Okay, so I left the flowage, heading back to County Road G, which I thought I could take South to Rice Lake.  I decided I might as well continue on the road less traveled.

So, I'm driving along, when I see this road sign for Wozny Road.

This wouldn't mean anything to anyone else, but a couple of my pals who are really good wildlife photographers, have often talked about Wozny road and I've seen some of their photos.

I never knew where it was, and I actually thought it was up near Gordon, 

but here it was, right on my way.

So, without knowing what I was getting into, I turned down Wozny Road.

Wozny is gravel, average speed was about 10-15 mph, and it weaves through the Totagatic Wildlife Area, heading East.  I'm not sure of the exact length of this road, but I think it was about 15 miles.

It was secluded and woodsy and pretty, but the deer flies were fierce.

My first stop was at yet another little flowage.

This time the 1 land dam was on the Totagatic River.

This was a pretty area, so quiet and wild.

From this point on, I hopped out of the car a few times, 

but the flies were biting hard, so my photos from this long, slow, scenic drive are few.

A well camouflaged butterfly on the road.

There were many of these along the drive on Wozny.

Mother Nature got this coloring just right.

I'm working on the identity of this beauty.

A stand of trees looking like Aspens.

Bee Balm and Barb Wire

Finally, I got to the main road, Hwy 27 and headed South.
One more stop at yet another dam on the Totagatic River,
I didn't walk out on this dam as it was busy with people enjoying the day.

These Cone Flowers were growing in a flower bed right by the parking lot,

I thought they were eye catching.

I knew I didn't want to drive through Hayward on a July weekend,

so headed South until I got to Hwy 77 and 

then headed back West to Hwy 53 for the remainder of my drive.

I took this photo, thinking to myself, just stay on the Dam road and go home.

And I almost did.

A memory of Dad

A few years ago, Dad gave me a highball glass that he had kept for many years.  

It was etched with a the first verse of "The Children's Hour", 

a poem by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Back in the '60s, Dad worked on cabins in the Balsam Lake area and became friends with many of the cabin owners.  According to Dad's story, in the afternoon, the word would spread as to which cabin would be hosting The Children's Hour.   

Along the way, one of the cabin owners had highball glasses made for those who were regulars; 

Dad kept his all these years.  

Now, I use it occasionally to sip a Manhattan on the rocks, in Memory of Dad & Ev.

The Children's Hour, it's a nice way to say time for an adult beverage.

Between the dark and the daylight,

When the night is beginning to lower,

Comes a pause in the day's occupations,

That is known as the Children's Hour.

Between the dark and the daylight,

When the night is beginning to lower,

 That's about the time that these two show up.

It was worth the drive

After my visit with my new friend Tom and his girls Maya & Leah, I decided I might as well try to find this flowage that he raved about.  It sounded pretty easy to find and by this time, I was kind of into the mode of 'why not'.  So, I took off, on what would be a very long drive.

The drive was pretty much country roads, Red Lake Road was nice.

The only landmark I was looking for was an old school at Chittamo.

It would have been hard to miss.

Nearby there was a marker with the history.

Sad to see an old building like this going to rack & ruin.

Next to the school marker, at the edge of an open area that had been mowed, was another marker.

This marker talks this being a burial ground for pioneer settlers and Indians.

Somehow, I didn't realize the road I wanted was right at this intersection, eventually, after several tries, I came back to this spot and found the road to Colton Flowage.

The road said Dead End, it was gravel, but off I went, hoping for the best.

I was beginning to doubt whether this drive was worth the trouble, then around one corner, I came upon a county forest.

Only 24 more years until this will be cut, and then what?  Replant?

It was a pretty sight, to be in the shadow of these giant pines.

Straight and tall and impressive.

Finally, I came upon a still and very pretty lake.

There were signs of life here, the first I had seen on this road.

A few houses, a couple of boats on the water and there was a loud rushing sound as I got closer to the one lane bridge.

The flowage was, as promised by Tom Mitchell, very spectacular.

My photos can't really show how loud, and fast the water was moving down this rocky bed.

I'm not sure what to do with photography of rushing water, I took many shots, none of which wowed me once I was home in the peace and quiet of my living room.

But standing on the little one lane bridge, hearing and feeling the power of the water, 

that was a thrill.

There was a little parking area on the far side of the dam, the road continued on to some houses/cabins, but it was remote and it was a dead end road.

You don't see this flowage unless you are driving on this road to see this flowage.

I was glad I took the time to see this place.

Since I knew I had to backtrack down the same road, I had to move.

My road home to Rice Lake was getting longer as I explored Wisconsin.

Leaving Colton Flowage, I thought I was headed straight back to Rice Lake,

but that isn't exactly how it went.