Whew! This old oak is making me work up a little sweat.

Another great day out here in the woods! A little woodpecker is happily tapping a carol. Merry christmas!

So quiet and calm out here in the woods today.

I did nothing wrong....

You can be mad at me all you want, that's your privilege, but just remember this; you made it everyone's business by posting the negative comments all over the place, over and over again. How did you think I was going to eventually react to it? To coin one of your own phrases; "this is me... this is who I ...am.... it's part of me....."

And the fact my very own sister, who claims to be so strong and tough, was whining and carrying-on like that....was just embarrassing! I expect that kind of behavior from the lesser people, but not from my closest family and friends!

By the way, I never deleted anything, quite the opposite, I SAVED everything. You did.

The old sled gets a new look!

This morning I took the tub off the old sled frame and built a platform and side stakes on it. I wanted to build it a little beefier, but I ran out of recycled lumber!


Still quite a bit of snow and now they just issued another winter storm warning for tomorrow. I think the snow is going to stick around for awhile.


It was an absolutely gorgeous day!


A nice little pile of dead white oak, the bark already falling off as I split.


And here is my improved(?) winter wood hauler, all loaded up. Hauls about twice as much as the old tub. It will be interesting to see if it lasts until Spring!


A few little snow-covered white pines and a white oak in the background with it's leaves on it yet.


A red pine plantation.


The sun setting over a stand of jackpine/white pine mixed.

Thanking God

As I had prayed for, the firewood has been selling very well. This weather is sure good for business. It is so nice to have a little extra income help ease the struggle to survive. I LOVE WINTER! Thank you, God, for giving us this weather in our time of need so that I might learn to work harder and more efficiently, and benefit from that labor!

An afternoon in the woods.

The road to work.


Yup, splittin' in that stuff.


The winter woods.


My workstation.


Loaded and ready to roll.


A bigger load than I normally like to haul in the old sled.


And....tonight's sunset.

Working in the woods in winter....

It was a great day to be outside in the woods! Getting ready to cut a tree:


The tree down and all cut up.


Vrooooom! Vrooooom!


Gotta eat food with a lot of animal blood in it to split with that baby in the winter!


That one little tree wouldn't have even filled my trailer, but it was two loads in the old sled.


Hauling the second load up.


This scene did a lot to raise my recently disappointed mood. There isn't much that makes me feel better than the sight of a nice row of firewood, covered in snow, surrounded by trees, with a beautiful blue sky in the background.


Even the sight of this snow-covered brush made me smile contentedly. Never mind that just a little while before some similar Hazel brush smacked me so hard in the face that it made my lip bleed. Not a big deal for me. When you cut wood in the raspberries and brush, something always ends up bleeding almost daily. I actually look fondly at all my scars, like they were battle wounds!


Mmmmmmmm.


Another self-portrait!

Hey! Here i am out in the woods, enjoying the day, cutting a little wood, and posting on daenabook! With my $8 phone.

Another gorgeous day!

As soon as I'm done with the laundry, I'm heading out into the woods! No calls for firewood so far, so I'm going to go run the saw a little bit. Maybe that will lift my spirits some. I doubt very much I will ever get back into the Christmas spirit within the next week, but I am going to continue doing the things I enjoy, even if lately every time I see the snow and feel the cold that I used to love, brings back memories of the barrage of b.s. and my failed crusade against the Total Downer Club over the last couple of months....

Solstice Lunar Eclipse - NASA Science

Solstice Lunar Eclipse - NASA Science

The eclipse begins on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, at 1:33 am EST (Monday, Dec. 20th, at 10:33 pm PST). At that time, Earth's shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disk. It takes about an hour for the "bite" to expand and swallow the entire Moon. Totality commences at 02:41 am EST (11:41 pm PST) and lasts for 72 minutes.

If you're planning to dash out for only one quick look -­ it is December, after all -­ choose this moment: 03:17 am EST (17 minutes past midnight PST). That's when the Moon will be in deepest shadow, displaying the most fantastic shades of coppery red.

Saturnalia

Today is the beginning of Saturnalia, an ancient Roman festival. The early Christian church may have adopted December 25 as the date for Christmas in part to counteract the effects of Saturnalia and other festivals.

Do not use religion as a crutch!

Maybe a little less reliance on Christ for everything, and a little more 'do it yourself', would strengthen some people's willpower and their ability to cope with uncomfortable and labor intensive circumstances?

I really don't like to take checks as payment around here.

The $25 check I got on Tuesday is still no good today.....

Old Goldie Walking

My poor old Goldie loves her walks so much, it just breaks my heart to see her like this...

Black River State Forest ATV Trail Conditions - WDNR

Black River State Forest Conditions - WDNR

Snowmobile and All-terrain Vehicle (ATV) Trails

We finished grooming the trail Wednesday evening. They need a day to set up and will open at noon on Friday, December 17. The conditions are very good. We may get some additional snow on Thursday. We recommend that ATVs do not use the trail system for the time being. There are areas of the trail with drifts more than 4 feet deep. If an ATV breaks through this, retrieving the machine may be extremely difficult. Once the trail base has hardened up, then ATVs should be fine.

Once trails are open, if temperatures get above freezing we ask ATVs to stay off the trails to protect the base.

Well ladies (and you fellas that are similar to ladies) check this out...

...I pushed my snow-blower over a mile through the woods to get to these wood stacks.

1/4 mile.


1/2 mile.


3/4 mile, almost there.


End of the trail...for now! I was testing it out with my ATV and I think I might be able to pull the trailer as needed, since the trail is wide enough. Although, if I can't get enough traction, I will make do with the sled, which only hauls 1/3 of a load.


There are some dead trees along my cleared path, so I can cut, even if they aren't the trees that I wanted to cut now.

INDIAN WINTER

It’s late Fall, and the Indians on a remote reservation in South Dakota asked their new chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was a chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky, he couldn’t tell what the winter was going to be like.

Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared.

But, being a practical leader, after several days, he got an idea.

He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, ‘Is the coming winter going to be cold?'

'It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold,’ the meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared.

A week later, he called the National Weather Service again. ‘Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?’

‘Yes,’ the man at National Weather Service again replied, ‘it’s going to be a very cold winter.’

The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later, the chief called the National Weather Service again.

‘Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?’

‘Absolutely,’ the man replied. ‘It’s looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters we’ve ever seen.’

‘How can you be so sure?’ the chief asked.

The weatherman replied, ‘The Indians are collecting a shitload of firewood.’

Two star clusters stand side by side, high overhead this evening. The clusters are at the northwestern corner of Perseus, the hero. Together, they are known as the double cluster. Binoculars or a telescope reveal dozens of individual stars.

80,000 competed in Wisconsin fishing tournaments

http://www.dnr.wi.gov/news/DNRNews_article_Lookup.asp?id=1622

Eighty-thousand anglers competed in 595 fishing tournaments in Wisconsin in 2010 and reeled in $3.9 million in prize money, according to statistics from the state's fishing tournament permit system.

Larger fishing tournaments have had to get permits since the mid-1990s, but a 2004 law directed the Department of Natural Resources to update rules as tournaments increased. DNR worked with an advisory group to revise the rules to establish limits on the size and number of tournaments on some lakes and rivers to minimize concerns such as crowding, the spread of invasive species, and indirect fish mortality.

In 2010, there were 637 applications for tournaments; all but one were approved, although some applications were withdrawn or the forms incomplete, and some events were cancelled. "Based on what we've seen so far, there doesn't seem to be any major issues with the capacity limits -- tournament organizers are getting the lakes and dates they wanted," says Jonathan Hansen, one of the fisheries biologists who works on tournament permitting issues.

Joanna Griffin, tournament coordinator for the DNR, said the permit system and database have helped reveal just how popular tournament fishing is. "What's interesting is where all the tournaments occur and how much money, time, and effort is devoted to them."
2010 Fishing Tournament Fast Facts

Of the 595 approved tournaments, 61 percent were so-called traditional tournaments. A traditional fishing tournament is one that was issued permits 4 out of 5 years between 2004 and 2008 for the same water or waters and time period.

* 61 percent of the tournaments were catch, hold and release.
* Fully one-quarter of the tournaments were ice fishing tournaments.
* Tournaments took place in 64 counties; Winnebago County was tops with 37, followed by Oneida County with 32 and Waukesha County with 30.
* Anglers spent 1.4 million hours fishing in tournaments, down from 1.67 million in 2009.
* The number of fish registered in bass and walleye tournaments decreased with the decrease in tournaments from last year, however registered catch of Great Lakes salmon and trout, panfish, and musky all increased.
* Bass were the target of 421 of the tournaments in 2010, followed by panfish at 324 tournaments and walleye at 204.
* 99 percent of the musky caught in tournaments were released and 98 percent of the bass were released.

Tournament permits are required when any of the following apply: the tournament involves 20 or more boats, or 100 or more participants; targets any trout species on waters classified as trout streams; has a catch-hold-release format with an off-site weigh-in; or the total prize value is $10,000 or greater.

A full copy of the 2010 report is available on the fishing tournaments page of DNR website.

Ice fishing tournament organizers reminded to apply for a permit

Organizers of ice fishing tournaments will want to apply for a permit for their 2011 event as soon as possible -- applications must be submitted at least 30 days before their event.

And organizers of all tournaments -- open water and hard water -- can apply for permits for 2012 events as soon as April 1, 2011.

That's when the open period for applying for 2012 events starts, and it runs through June 30, 2011. Organizers applying during that the open period have the best chance of getting their desired dates and waters for 2012 events, says Hansen.

After April 1, permits are available on a first-come, first-serve basis so there is the potential of not getting the day and water desired, although that hasn't been a problem in the first two years of the permit system, Hansen says.

All applications received during the open period will be reviewed by Aug. 1, 2011, and in the unlikely event that another tournament conflicts with an organizer’s choice of dates or waters, DNR fisheries biologists will discuss options with the tournament organizers, Griffin says.

Juneau County state and county funded snowmobile trails

http://www.wrjc.com/local-news/juneau-county-state-and-county-funded-snowmobile-trails/

Juneau County Forestry and Parks Department Administrator Brian Loyd says, “all state and county funded snowmobile trails are still officially closed due to drifting snow and ongoing trail preparation. Call the trail hotline or Forestry and Parks Office at 847-9389 for updates on trail status. Friday, December 17th, is the anticipated date for trails to open.”

The beginning of another day!

5:00 this morning, feet up by the fire, oh, it felt so good. I could have slept that way for hours. But, the cows were calling! And they don't have much choice.

Today. Hmm. Not sure. Now that I can get to most of my firewood supply that is stacked out in the woods, I'm set to cover sales again, at least for awhile. I might be able to get to a few dead trees next to the trail. Maybe I'll do some cutting, even if not exactly the ones I wanted to cut next. Those will have to wait until the snow settles some.

Goldie is still hanging in there. Her condition remains the same.

A long way to go!

Well, I started the snow-blower and walked behind it over a mile through the woods to get to my firewood piles stored out there.....and I did it! I was afraid that I might ruin it with a stump or a large limb under the snow, but I didn't. I did have one small limb wedge itself just right in the blower, squeal the belt for a second, then kill the engine. Took it out and don't see any damage done, then continued on. Not only can I get to the woodpiles now, but barring anymore large snowstorms, it might even be wide enough to pull the trailer. Which is great because my little sled only holds 1/3rd of a load. I still can't get anywhere else out in the woods to do a lot of cutting, but might be able to get to some dead trees right along the snow-blower path. And now I will be ok for selling wood again for a little while. Still not a lot, I will run out soon at this rate, but at least I can sell more than the couple loads I have left here in the yard.

Goldie is still about the same. She does drink, but doesn't really eat much. If she doesn't improve soon, I'm afraid she isn't going to make it this time.

A few pics from this morning.

Another day closer to Christmas.

Mrs. Quads took the Chevy to work this morning. -21°F below zero and that old Chevy started right up!

With my old dog Goldie being so dizzy from vertigo, she has a hard time walking. And on the linoleum floor it's almost impossible for her. Her toenails were a little long, so last night I thought if I trimmed them she might have an easier time walking on the slippery floor. Well, she hates to have her toenails clipped, and with her being sick I was trying to be so careful, but just as I was clipping she kicked with her foot and I trimmed one of them really short. It bled quite a bit. Was still bleeding off and on a little this morning. One more thing to feel bad about......

One firewood delivery I did yesterday, the people gave me a $25 check. The bank tells me that they don't even have $25 in their account.....

Maybe I will return to Facebook in the Spring. I was even kind of getting the Christmas spirit this year, not that we have any money for it, but I have been working my ass off outside to sell firewood in addition to miking the cows so that... we at least have enough to keep up with the bills and possibly save enough to pay our property taxes which should be arriving any day. But I'm not in the Christmas spirit anymore. I just get too much shit and whining about it from my girls, then I get on Facebook to see what all my friends and family are up to and lately it just depresses me so much. It's hard to read anything without seeing it. And that's fine, it's Freedom of Speech, and anybody can bitch about anything they want and if I can't handle it, then I can go away. And that's exactly what I am doing. I can be depressed all by myself without Facebook's help. And now with our old dog Goldie dying, and since I have to try to chip a hole through the frost and frozen ground, maybe I will just make it big enough so I can crawl in it with her. After all, I heard winter is the season for dying. Read it right there on Facebook even, while I was trying to convince people that it wasn't as bad as it seems. And when I say that, I speak from experience. Up until only two years ago, I not only always plowed my own driveway every time it snowed, and my Mom's driveway every time it snowed, but I always did Meri and Stephen's driveway too, for decades! And maybe I wasn't always happy about it when it snowed every other day, and I had three or more driveways to do, but I still did them. And now that they have their own snowblower.....Jesus Christ! It's like the end of the friggin world.

Anyway, here is just a snippet from what popped up on my news feed the other day. See you all in the Spring, maybe, but you might have to dig me up from next to my old dog to find me:

"You can call me insane if you want. What's the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So is there anything that you really really dislike, and you know it's coming and just thinking of it makes you tense up, but you know you will have to deal with it anyway?

Daena Morgan That's one nice thing about snow....the potholes in Meri's driveway get filled! Even if only until Spring. :-) Meri Morgan I miss the potholes!

I have to go out and finish up everything now that Stephen is going to work. Why am I not allowed to hate this crap again?

Thanks, Kelli, I tell ya' this am I would've packed up all my animals and just kept driving until I didn't see any more snow if I could've!!!

It is the anticipation of the impending doom and knowing how bad it will make me feel......

We've done the driveway I think 4 times now because we have the drifting to deal with. I think I'm putting up a snow fence next year!

Yes, couldn't get out of the driveway because of the drifts and lack of tread on the tires. Tried to turn around the Honda, no go. Then took me about 20 minutes of trying to turn the truck around, needs new tires and some weight in the back. By then I gave up Seth and I stayed home. I'm done. Something's gotta give. Either (and/or) I get an SUV/we move south. I can't take it anymore.

I know, I would love to move, but I would have to take my favorite people with me and you all wouldn't come, so I must suffer for you all... :) I would love to live in Arkansas in the Ozarks, Hot Springs, around there, or in SouthWest Missouri. It's very beautiful there. Georgia would be good too, but maybe a little too south....

I think you worry more about this than I do, it's something I do. I get cranked up, swear, break something, maybe cry, *******but then I am over it and move on to the next day.******** I am not ready for a psychotic breakdown, this is me... this is who I ...am.... it's part of me.....Don't worry yourself so much about me, I will survive, my psyche isn't as fragile as you would have us all believe. I think I am just taking it a little too personally because of Hannah and the way things have turned out with that. I have no control over either, but the winter is here in my face and it can't fight back (so to speak) so therefore I choose to take my frustrations out on the thing that I can and doesn't hurt anyone. I think you are more upset about this than I am. I need some way to vent my frustration/anger/disappointment/whatever so I choose to do it to the winter, I can't hurt it, I can't say the wrong things to it and it will never speak to me again. It doesn't care one way or another what I say or do to it. In fact, it almost makes it harder for me having everyone think that I am losing it. I am in no danger of losing it. I have always had this personality, when I get upset about something I have no control over, I try to take it out on things that don't matter, the weather, inanimate objects. It helps me get out my anger and then I take a nap and I feel better. It's just the way I am. Love it or leave it, but you can't change it.......

Maybe when I go to sleep, I will sleep like Rip Van Winkle and wake up in the spring! Wish me luck, everyone! Good Night!

Yeah, well, I woke up and everything seemed to be going okay until I tried to turn the car around, no go. Then tried to turn the truck around, no go. They all need new tires.......so Seth and I are staying home until further notice (spring). I'm done trying....

If only there were room on my CC..... :(

Better bundle up and head out to feed the horses and finish the blowing! Fun!!

I am thoroughly depressed and disgusted so I am making homemade bread and cookies and cleaning the house. Stephen better blow the drive the way I want it so I don't have to go outside and get so mad I want to choke someone!

It's a terrible feeling, I don't like it, but just want to beat the snot out of someone!

I love winter storms soooo much, especially when I have to go out at 10pm to snow blow the driveway again so Stephen can get back home!! I can't wait!

So, looks like I will be watching It's a Wonderful Life, then going out into the blizzard! Hopefully it will put me in the right mood to do it!

Well, the plow went by and it's a big bunch of snow at the end. He has the Honda, but it's really not bad, but needs new tires in the front...

I love that rant! Sounds like one of mine. Like the rant I gave poor Stephen when he asked me to blow the driveway at 10pm!

I wish I had one then maybe I could have some fun...But not in the budget yet...

The impending doom of the storm I guess.

Or more powerful than God! Whatever happens, will happen no matter what as far as the weather goes and we just have to adjust. (But I don't have to like certain parts of it!)

I never left! I was just kidding! I must say how much I HATE this!

It sure seems like it's that much!! Sorry, Daena, but I HATE it!

Kathy Geisler Blaszczak I must add they are also DUMB!! Meri Morgan That's part of their charm and why they like any weather! :)

Yeah right!! I don't have anyone to do it, Stephen won't I will fall for sure, so I don't know.

Went to get Hung Low from across the street. Our driveway will be blown in again before morning. We have such drifting here.

Well, at least someone seems happy about the snow!

[brothers] You kind of get attatched to them even though they can be quite annoying at times.

I can flip off the snow all I want!

I bet a Hummer would get me in and out of the driveway!!

Oh, it makes me feel a little warmer just reading that! 81*!! Thanks!!

Penny Hams Sellhausen is going outside to find Jack Frost and Old Man Winter to kick them in the snowballs, enough with the cold weather already! Meri Morgan I'll help!!

I don't think that you will move either, why don't we just agree to disagree and not talk about winter anymore?"

Injured!

I was trying to get the old dog, Goldie, to come back in the house tonight when I slipped and fell off the back deck. Smashed my fingers, one toe, and tore my leg up. I guess I'll live, but it's no fun at the moment.

This morning I wanted to clear the snow from around where the Chevy truck was parked, but mostly I just wanted to see if it would start in such cold weather. It had been setting outside, covered in snow and ice, for days. There was even thick frost on the inside of the windshield. I had my doubts about the battery, but it cranked over and fired right up! So, since the roads have been a little better today, we took it to Portage tonight. I just wish it had a better heater.....

Hello again old blog!

I can't say that I haven't missed you! Facebook, in some ways, is a gigantic 'Praise the Lord I hate pretty much everything that I can possibly bitch about' bulletin board. [insert appropriate Bible verse here] I was perfectly happy with my Internet life until along came the Winter of Facebook! Holy shit. I have never seen anything turn a group of people into such a bunch of whiny bitches as quickly as the combination of wintertime and Facebook. WOW! All in the name of god. Despicable.

Anyway, this morning it was -22°F below zero. I started off with the firewood delivery calls already at 7:30am. Just yesterday afternoon I delivered 4 loads (three of which my customer hauled himself on his old truck all at one time!). I am almost out of the firewood for sale up here by the house and with the recent snowstorm I can't get to the wood that I have stacked in the woods. I tried to go out there today. I made it about 500 yards while practically carrying my ATV, then had a heart attack, turned around and carried it back, then had a stroke! I guess I won't be getting that firewood out of the woods anytime soon. When I'm out of wood to sell, then I will have to turn the customers away. I feel bad about it, but I guess I can't do the impossible.

I'm sure worried about our old dog Goldie. She has been having a dizzy spell since yesterday. She had one before, but this one has lasted longer. The poor thing, even when she is sleeping I can see her eyes darting back and forth. I'm just afraid she might not be able to pull out of this one. She is over 14 years old now. And just before Christmas. The girls will be even more distraught than they already are about winter. And what a great time of year to try to dig a hole in the ground. While I'm at it, I will dig it big enough for both of us so I can crawl in it with her. After all, I heard on Facebook that winter is the season to die so might as well make it a double....

Here is a picture I took on the way home this morning from a firewood delivery:

Mrs. Quads' Favorite Constellation

The small but pretty constellation Delphinus, the dolphin, glides high across the sky on summer nights. You need dark skies to see it. The dolphin is due east at nightfall, a little below the line linking the bright stars Deneb and Altair. It climbs high overhead later on, swimming alongside the faint glow of the Milky Way.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

29 Jun -2.0 21:14:16 W 45

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Summer Triangle

Summer nights offer one of the grandest star patterns in the sky: the Summer Triangle. Tonight, it is well up in the east at nightfall. Dazzling Vega stands atop the triangle, with Deneb to its lower left and Altair farther to its lower right.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

teapot

The constellation Sagittarius moves into prime viewing time this month. It rises around 10 p.m. and scoots low across the south during the night. Its brightest stars form the shape of a teapot, with the handle on the left and the spout on the right.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

27 Jun -2.3 21:57:17 WSW 49

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

beautiful lineup of bright planets and stars

A beautiful lineup of bright planets and stars slants across the western sky the next few evenings. The anchor is Venus, the "evening star." Moving to the upper left of Venus, the other members of the lineup are Regulus, Mars, Saturn, and Spica.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

the Short Night Moon

The Moon is full early today, so it rises not long after sunset this evening and remains in view for the rest of the night. But since the night is short, so is the time for moonwatching, so June's full Moon is sometimes called the Short Night Moon.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

26 Jun -3.3 21:29:41 SW 54

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

a "bite" out of the Moon

Earth's shadow will take a "bite" out of the Moon early tomorrow, creating a partial eclipse. The best part of the eclipse begins when the Moon first touches the dark inner part of the shadow around 5:16 a.m. CDT. The Moon exits the shadow at 8 a.m.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

25 Jun -2.6 22:38:48 WSW 55

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

24 Jun -3.2 22:12:25 SW 47

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

4th of July fireworks photography tips

The 4th of July is nearly upon us, and that means it's time to to go watch things explode violently and colorfully in the sky... and impressing your friends with the photos you take of said explosions.

Taking good fireworks pictures isn't actually all that easy, so I've cobbled together my favorite fireworks pic-taking tips -- something of an annual tradition now at Yahoo! Tech -- to help you on your way. After all, you only get one day a year (maybe two) to snap a big fireworks show.

Don't forget to charge your batteries and clear out some space on your memory card first!

Forget the Flash
You're shooting at night or dusk, and unless you change it, your camera's auto-flash setting will want to go off with ever shutter press. Turn it off before you get started: You can no more illuminate a fireworks display with your tiny flash than you can the moon. The flash will even work against you by slowing down your camera, causing you to miss shots.

Tripods Are Your Friend
Low-light photography means keeping things as still as possible during the shot. A tripod will help immensely here. If you're comfortable with manual settings, change the aperture to f/8 or f/16 and use ISO 100, which pros say are the best settings for pyrotechnics. (Many cameras also have a special fireworks mode, obviously also worth a shot.)

Try the Rapid-Fire Mode
Most cameras have a speed mode that lets you capture 5, 10, or more shots in rapid succession with a single shutter press. Give it a try when you know a big volley is coming up. You never know what you're going to catch.

Vary Your Angles
You'll naturally feel like zooming in on the explosions in the sky, but more interesting shots often include the environment -- the crowd, surrounding buildings or landscape, clouds, and anything else nearby. Consider getting a seat further away than you might ordinarily try for so you have this option. At the same time, ultra-close zoom shots of fireworks can yield very interesting and unusual results.

Experiment with Long Exposures
If you can leave the shutter open for a while -- a few seconds or more, even -- you can capture some really interesting and unusual shots of fireworks in motion. Don't even try it unless you have a solid tripod, though.

Have Fun
Get creative with your shots. That means capturing reflections of explosions in bodies of water, mirrors, and glass windows (consider the windshield of your car), and grabbing shots of audience members, including the faces of the kids seeing fireworks for the first time.

source....

ISS Tonight

23 Jun -2.9 23:20:33 WSW 63

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

horse and rider

A horse and rider gallop high across the north on summer evenings. They form the middle of the Big Dipper's handle. They are the stars Mizar and Alcor. Mizar is the brighter of the two, with Alcor just a whisker away. They are so close together that many long-ago skywatchers thought of them as a horse and rider.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Moon has some bright companions

The Moon has some bright companions tonight. As night falls, look for the planet Mars to the upper right of the Moon, the star Regulus to the right, and the planet Saturn farther to the upper left of the Moon.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

a beautiful triangle

The planet Mars stands to the upper left of the Moon as darkness falls tonight. It looks like an orange star. The true star Regulus is above the Moon, completing a beautiful triangle.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

beautiful pairing of the Moon and the planet Venus

A beautiful pairing of the Moon and the planet Venus highlights the western sky this evening. Venus is the brilliant "evening star" just above the crescent Moon.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

galaxy M81 is visible through binoculars

Under clear, dark skies, the galaxy M81 is visible through binoculars. Find the Big Dipper, which is high in the north at nightfall, then scan to the lower right of the dipper's bowl. M81 looks like an oval smudge of light almost as wide as the Moon.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

in the west the next few evenings

The planet Venus lines up with Pollux and Castor, the twin stars of Gemini, in the west the next few evenings. Venus is the brilliant "evening star." Pollux is to the right of Venus, with Castor about the same distance to the right of Pollux.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

the harp

Vega, the brightest star of Lyra, the harp, is in the northeast at nightfall. The remains of a star that was once like Vega stand to its lower right: the Ring Nebula. You need a telescope to see the nebula, which is thousands of light-years away.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

western sky at nightfall

The planet Mars stands high in the western sky at nightfall. It looks like a bright orange star. And tonight it has an equally bright companion: Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, the lion, which stands just a whisker below the Red Planet.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

a bright golden star

The planet Saturn poses high in the southwest as darkness falls this month. It looks like a bright golden star. A telescope reveals its best-known feature: its beautiful rings.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

The Northern Cross

The Northern Cross is one of the highlights of the summer evening sky. Look toward the northeast around 10 p.m. for six stars that form a cross that is lying on its side. The brightest star, which stands at the top of the cross, is Deneb.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Izar

The constellation Bootes is in the east at nightfall. Its brightest star is brilliant yellow-orange Arcturus. To the left of Arcturus is fainter Izar. A telescope reveals that Izar is really two stars, one of which is orange, the other blue-white.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Saturn appears

The planet Saturn appears near the Moon tonight. They are high in the south at sunset, with Saturn above the Moon. It looks like a bright golden star.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Scorpius

Scorpius, the scorpion, is entering prime evening viewing time. Its brightest star, Antares, rises about an hour after sunset, with the scorpion's "stinger" following about an hour later. Look for bright orange Antares low in the southeast around 10 p.m.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Mars is in good view tonight

The planet Mars is in good view tonight. It stands above the Moon as night falls this evening, and follows the Moon down the sky. Mars looks like a bright orange star.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Plenty of bright stars

Plenty of bright stars twinkle across the sky tonight. As it gets dark, for example, Vega is climbing into view in the northeast, with yellow-orange Arcturus high in the east-southeast, and the twins of Gemini to the right of the Moon.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Corona Borealis

Corona Borealis, the northern crown, soars high across the sky tonight. It is fairly low in the northeast at sunset, but stands high overhead around midnight. Although its individual stars are modest, combined they form a striking semicircle, like a crown.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

evening star

Venus, the dazzling "evening star," stands to the upper left of the Moon this evening. A star known as El Nath, "the butting one," is about the same distance to the Moon's upper right. It represents the tip of one of the horns of Taurus, the bull.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

15 May -3.3 20:30:46 WNW 81

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

13 May -3.3 21:17:49 WNW 83

the combined light of millions of stars

Although it is the combined light of millions of stars, the Milky Way is so faint that almost any artificial light source blocks the view. To see the Milky Way, get away from city lights, then look low in the east not long after twilight ends.

ISS Tonight

12 May -2.2 20:53:07 NW 38

ISS Tonight

11 May -3.4 22:03:27 WNW 88

ISS Tonight

10 May -2.1 21:38:37 NW 37

Alkaid

The star at the tip of the Big Dipper's handle, Alkaid, is 100 light-years away, so the light you see from the star tonight began its journey in 1910. Alkaid is much larger, brighter, and heavier than the Sun, and has a bluer color.

ISS Tonight

9 May -1.7 22:48:44 WNW 34

ISS Tonight

8 May -2.0 22:23:47 NW 35

ISS Tonight

2 May -1.6 21:09:45 W 34

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

1 May -3.3 20:47:08 WSW 80

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight - Twice

30 Apr -2.6 20:24:17 SSW 33
&
30 Apr -1.6 21:59:22 W 33

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Arcturus

Arcturus, which is the third-brightest star in the night sky, is high in the east at nightfall and high in the west at first light tomorrow. The light from Arcturus that reaches your eye tonight has been traveling through space since 1973.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

29 Apr -3.3 21:35:42 WSW 80

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

28 Apr -2.6 21:10:54 SSW 32

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Venus, the "evening star"

Venus, the "evening star," is in Taurus, the bull, tonight. The orange star Aldebaran, to the upper left of Venus, represents the bull's eye. The dipper-shaped star cluster known as the Pleiades, the bull's shoulder, is to the lower right of Venus.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

27 Apr -3.4 04:23:39 W 58

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

26 Apr -2.5 03:59:55 NNW 49

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

The planet Saturn

The planet Saturn is to the lower left of the Moon as darkness falls tonight, and looks like a bright golden star. A small telescope will reveal the planet's glorious rings.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

25 Apr -3.4 05:07:52 WNW 61

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Farewell Orion

Orion, the hunter, is bowing out of the evening sky. He's low in the west at nightfall, and his stars begin dropping from view not long afterward. The constellation will be all but lost from sight by the middle of May.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

24 Apr -2.5 04:48:12 NW 51

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

22 Apr -2.4 05:34:50 NW 49

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Lyrid meteor shower

The Lyrid meteor shower is at its best the next couple of nights. The Moon will be out of the way for part of the night, providing dark skies for the few meteors that streak by.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

April 17, 2009: An Anniversary to Remember, but Not One to Celebrate

It was a beautiful spring day in Wisconsin. The sun was shining, there was light breeze, and the temperature was hovering around 75 degrees. Like many in Wisconsin this time of year, it was the first glimpse of summer just around the corner and people were eager to get outside and do some annual clean-up on their properties.

At around three o’clock in the afternoon, the smell of smoke filled the air and numerous DNR fire control and local fire department personnel, engines, and air patrol immediately raced to the scene of a reported uncontrolled wildfire. In the end, The Easton Fire burned 106 acres and four buildings on twenty-one different landowners’ properties in Adams County.

Not only did this fire change the landscape and the perspectives of local landowners, but it also changed the lives of two individuals who were responsible for allowing their fire to escape and falsifying information to the investigative authorities. Like all wildfires in Wisconsin, individuals found responsible may be subject to suppression costs (the Easton Fire alone incurred over $18,000), fines, community service, and even jail time.

Debris burning continues to be the number one cause of wildfires in Wisconsin and the Easton Fire started in typical debris burning fashion: the fire danger was elevated, coupled with a property owners’ failure to obtain a proper burning permit or follow the daily restrictions. In general, spring weather conditions make it a volatile time for the public to be debris burning. No matter what time of year, high temperatures, low relative-humidity, increased wind speeds and dead or dry vegetation is a lethal combination for anyone who intends to light a match in the outdoors.

In order to battle the on-going problem of debris burning, the DNR recently implemented an electronic burning permit system that allows the public to burn when conditions are safe. Those wishing to burn simply obtain their annual permit from a Ranger Station or Emergency Fire Warden then call a toll-free number (1-888-WIS-BURN) or check online on the day they want to burn. On April 17th, 2009, the Smokey fire danger signs in Adams County were set at “very high” and all outdoor burning was suspended for the day. One easy phone call or visit to the web could have prevented this fire.

“We are looking at ways to make it even easier to obtain a burning permit and check the daily burning restrictions,” states Trent Marty, director of forest protection at DNR. “It’s important to remember that anyone found burning without a permit or contrary to the permit restrictions will be held responsible for their fire if it gets away.”

Debris burning should always be the last alternative. Today, there are several environmentally safe methods of disposing yard waste such as recycling, composting or leaving debris in the woods for wildlife habitat. If burning is the only option, be sure to obtain proper burning permits and follow the rules.

Marty says, “As we all know in Wisconsin, the weather conditions change quickly. On a given day, it may not be safe to burn, but wait a day or two and burning conditions could change for the better. Having a little patience and following the rules is a proven philosophy that will protect lives, property and natural resources from the potential risk of wildfire.”

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conjunction

Venus, the "evening star," stands to the Moon's upper left at nightfall. The smaller planet Mercury, which is only a fraction as bright as Venus, is about a degree below the Moon, which is less than the width of a finger held at arm's length.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

15 Apr -2.2 04:23:40 NNW 35

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

The Moon is "new"

The Moon is "new" at 7:29 a.m. CDT today as it crosses the imaginary line between Earth and Sun. It is lost from view in the Sun's glare. It will return to view as the barest of crescents not long after sunset tomorrow.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

14 Apr -1.5 04:00:34 ENE 32

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Our stellar neighborhood

Our stellar neighborhood is thinly settled. Only 11 stars lie within 10 light-years of the solar system, and only one of them is visible from northern skies: Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, which is well up in the southwest in early evening.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

13 Apr -2.3 05:08:57 W 36

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

12 Apr -3.5 04:46:36 WSW 88

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tomorrow Morning

11 Apr -2.3 05:55:36 W 36

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Don’t prune oaks April through July to avoid oak wilt

People who value their oak trees should not prune them from April through July, according to the latest recommendations from state forestry officials. The reason? Spring and early-summer pruning makes oak trees vulnerable to oak wilt, a serious and almost-always fatal fungal disease of oaks.

Special care should also be taken to avoid wounding oaks from April through July, according to Kyoko Scanlon, Department of Natural Resources forest pathologist. Any action that might provide an opening into the tree, she says, such as carving initials into the tree or attaching a birdfeeder or clothes line, could provide an opportunity for the oak wilt fungus to invade and establish itself in the tree.

If an oak tree is pruned from April through July, a wound dressing or paint should be applied to the cut surface as soon as the wound is created. Even half an hour can be enough time for beetles that transmit the disease to land on a fresh wound and infect your tree, Scanlon said. While the risk of spreading oak wilt is low after July, she said homeowners should avoid pruning or wounding oaks until autumn, to be on the safe side.

“Oak wilt can spread from a diseased tree to a healthy tree through a connected root system as well as by insects,” according to Scanlon. “Very small sap beetles pick up fungal spores by landing on fungal mats found beneath the cracked bark of trees that died the previous year. The spores are then transmitted from the beetle body onto the fresh wound of a healthy oak tree while the beetle is feeding at the pruned or damaged site.” The beetle that transmits oak wilt disease is not capable of boring into a tree, Scanlon added.

If a wound is left unprotected, a new oak wilt pocket may develop in a location where oak wilt did not previously exist and will radiate to other oaks through the connected root systems. If no management steps are taken, Scanlon said the pocket could continue to expand year after year. Once oak wilt establishes itself in an area, control of the disease is both difficult and costly. The prevention of oak wilt is the best approach.

Scanlon said builders and developers should also be very careful as many oak wilt infections and deaths have occurred through inadvertent damage to roots, trunks, or branches during the construction process.

Oak wilt is found in all Wisconsin counties except Ashland, Bayfield, Calumet, Door, Douglas, Forest, Iron, Kewaunee, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Oneida, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Sheboygan, Taylor, Vilas, and Washburn Counties. Every year, the disease kills many oaks in the state by interfering with the tree’s water and nutrient-conducting systems, essentially starving the tree. Leaves begin to wilt, and the tree may eventually die. Trees in the red oak group, such as northern red and northern pin oak, are especially vulnerable, and once wilting symptoms become visible, the tree loses most of its leaves and dies very quickly, often within weeks. Trees in the white oak group – those with rounded or lobed leaves – are more resistant to oak wilt, and the disease progresses much more slowly, often one branch at a time. White oaks could live with oak wilt for many years, and some trees may recover from the disease.

“Besides oaks, pruning deciduous trees in general should be avoided in the spring, as this is the time when tree buds and leaves are growing and food reserves are low,” according to Don Kissinger, a DNR urban forester. “The best time to prune any deciduous tree is winter, followed by mid-summer -- after leaves have completed their growth.”

Anyone interested in learning more about oak wilt and other forest pests as well as tree pruning should visit the Wisconsin DNR Forest Health Web pages for more information. Additional information about proper pruning techniques is available from your community forester, a University of Wisconsin-Extension agent (exit DNR), or DNR urban forestry coordinators.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Kyoko Scanlon (608) 275-3275 or Don Kissinger (715) 359-5793.

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ISS Tomorrow Morning

10 Apr -3.4 05:31:49 WSW 88

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Sirius

Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, slides across the southwest this evening. The star is well up in the south-southwest as darkness falls, and sets by around midnight. It twinkles fiercely as it drops nearer the horizon.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Venus and Mercury

The planets Venus and Mercury are low in the west as night begins to fall the next few evenings. Venus is the brilliant "evening star." Much fainter Mercury is just a little to the lower right of Venus.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

New two-year utility terrain vehicle program to launch

All counties statewide eligible to participate

Under a revised pilot program, utility terrain vehicles, also known as lightweight utility vehicles or side by sides, may again be allowed on certain county all-terrain vehicle trails and routes statewide.

A previous pilot program expired in September 2009. The new program has been revamped and expanded, and is significantly different than the previous program.

Gary Eddy, Department of Natural Resources ATV administrator said the Legislature enacted another two-year pilot program, and the Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) Pilot Program was recently signed into law by Gov. Jim Doyle and is in effect until June 30, 2012.

“This law just passed, so we need to give counties time to digest the new law and determine whether they are interested in participating or not,” he said.

Interested counties must pass a resolution indicating they want to participate in the pilot program and file it with the DNR and any law enforcement agency within their jurisdiction. Towns within those counties may pass a resolution to opt out of the program if the town doesn't wish to participate.

Notable changes from the previous pilot program include:

* Different vehicle specifications, including requirements for factory equipped seatbelts and a roll bar, type device.
* ATV trails on state and national forest lands may not be participating.
* UTVs participating in the program will require Public Use - ATV registration, including for non-residents.
* All ATV laws will apply, except that operators age 16 and born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 must complete a DNR ATV Safety Education Course. Operators under age 16 are not allowed to operate a UTV.
* Driver's licenses are not required.

“It's important for people to know that they have to wait until counties opt into the program. Anyone operating their UTV on trails or roads not officially opened will be ticketed. Just because their UTV is registered, doesn't mean they can go,” Eddy said “Once the pilot program ends, the DNR will again review the data gathered during the program, consult with the counties and then forward the results to the legislature. This is a responsible approach towards a possible permanent, statewide registration program for these vehicles.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Eddy, All-Terrain Vehicle Administrator, (608) 267-7455 or Diane Conklin, Trail Grant Manager, (715) 822-8583

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Church expansion project may result in incidental taking of rare gartersnake

A church construction project in Oak Creek could result in the incidental taking of a rare gartersnake under an incidental take permit the Department of Natural Resources is proposing to authorize for the project. Incidental take refers to the unintentional loss of individual endangered or threatened animals or plants that does not put the overall population of the species at risk.

The proposed Oak Creek Assembly of God Church construction project involves the expansion of the church building, parking lot, and stormwater detention pond. The expansion areas currently consist of paved parking lot, manicured lawn, and a managed stormwater detention basin.

The presence of the state-threatened Butler’s gartersnake (Thamnophis butleri) has been confirmed in the vicinity of the project site. DNR has determined that the species is likely present due to the presence of suitable habitat and that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some snakes.

The project will minimize impacts to the Butler’s gartersnake by conducting snake removals, installing snake exclusion fencing, minimizing habitat disturbance, creating additional habitat for the snake, and conducting habitat management in the future.

The DNR concluded that the proposed project will minimize the impacts to the snake by adhering to conservation measures; is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence and recovery of the state population of these snakes or the whole plant-animal community of which they are a part; and has benefit to the public health, safety or welfare that justifies the action.

The conservation measures to minimize the adverse effect on the threatened species will be incorporated into the proposed Incidental Take Permit. Copies of the jeopardy assessment and background information on the Butler’s gartersnake are available on the Incidental Take page of the DNR Web site or upon request from Rori Paloski, Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources, 101 South Webster, Madison, WI 53707, 608-264-6040. Public comments will be taken through April 27, 2010 and should be sent to Rori Paloski at the above address.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Rori Paloski, DNR, Bureau of Endangered Resources, 608-264-6040

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the five planets

Four of the five planets that are visible to the unaided eye are in sight at the same time early this evening. Venus, the "evening star," is low in the west at sunset, with fainter Mercury to its lower right. Orange Mars stands high in the south, with golden Saturn climbing skyward in the east. My favorite, Jupiter, is up in the east just before the Sun tomorrow morning.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Top 10 reasons DNR fire control officials ask the public not to burn yard waste!

Spring has arrived quickly leaving many areas very dry and at high risk for wildfire.

DNR fire control officials are asking the public to delay residential burning, on the ground or in a burn barrel, until conditions improve. The safest bet is to not burn at all or wait until trees and fields are green with new growth.

Fire danger conditions are updated daily during Wisconsin’s fire season. The department’s Web site also directs citizens through the burning permit process and offers tips for making a home survivable from wildfire.

“Warmer temperatures, the start of local farmers markets, longer daylight hours, and the anticipation of a big catch on the fishing opener all signal spring,” said Trent Marty, chief of DNR forest protection. “Spring temperatures and snowmelt also motivate residents and visitors to do annual clean-up around their yards.”

Forestry officials are asking the public not to conduct any residential burning until the fire danger improves. Here’s why:

Top 10 reasons not to burn yard waste right now.

1. SAFETY: Burning places firefighters and civilians at risk. Last year alone, during active wildfires, the DNR lost one of its pilots, 10 civilians were injured and five deaths occurred; mostly related to attempting to suppress escaped fires.
2. STRUCTURES: Burning places homes and communities at risk. On average, Wisconsin loses nearly 80 structures every year. Firewise practices help [www.firewise.org] (exit DNR) homes survive on their own without suppression efforts.
3. FORESTS: Unplanned and uncontrolled wildfires place natural resources at risk. Wisconsin’s trees and forests support jobs and the wildlife we love to see.
4. HISTORY: Statistics show that people cause nearly 98% of all wildfires in Wisconsin. Debris burning is the number one human-cause and typically the product of well-intended citizens who were “just cleaning up.”
5. WEATHER: More than 75 percent of all wildfires in Wisconsin occur in the months of April and May. This time of the year, vegetation is dead and dry; winds are dry and strong and humidity is low.
6. HEALTH: Burning can be smelly and unhealthy, and neighbors will thank you if you choose a more environmentally friendly option.
7. ALTERNATIVES: Composting, recycling, or leaving yard waste in the woods for wildlife habitat are smart alternatives to burning. Most communities have transfer sites or garbage pick-up and drop-off locations. Check locally before burning.
8. COST: Anyone found responsible for starting a wildfire is liable for all of its suppression costs. This could mean the cost of firefighters, fire trucks, airplanes and even the cost of damages. Visiting a transfer site or paying a minimal fee to dispose of yard waste and garbage is a worthwhile investment.
9. LAWS: It is unlawful to burn garbage. DNR burning permits are only good for the burning of brush, leaves, pine needles, grass, clean wood and unrecyclable paper or cardboard.
10. RESPONSIBILITY: It’s just not the right thing to do right now! Wait until the fire danger is LOW. Always obtain proper permits and check with local fire officials for the best time to burn and other tips to make your fire safe. Follow Smokey’s lead: “Only you can prevent wildfires!”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Koele, Wildfire Prevention Specialist, Wisconsin DNR; Robert Manwell (608) 264-9248

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Venus and Mercury

Venus and Mercury will be huddling close together for the next couple of weeks. Venus, the "evening star," is quite low in the west shortly after sunset. Fainter Mercury is a little to its lower right.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Can Science Explain Heaven?

Scientists try to explain near-death experiences.

There are those who believe that science will eventually explain everything—including our enduring belief in heaven. The thesis here is very simple: heaven is not a real place, or even a process or a supernatural event. It's something that happens in your brain as you die.

I first encountered this idea as I was researching my new book, Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination With the Afterlife. I was having lunch with my friend and colleague Christopher Dickey, who told me that his father, the writer James Dickey, had a fantasy of heaven in which all of his closest friends were sitting around a swimming pool, chatting. "There was nothing special about the pool itself," wrote Chris in Summer of Deliverance: A Memoir of Father and Son. "Nobody walked on the water. And he never told me who the friends were ... But what he took away from the dream was a sense of contentment, of being at ease with himself and the world, as if he had gotten a preview of heaven. He called that place 'The Happy Swimming Pool.' " Chris believes that everything we think we know about heaven happens in the moments before death. After that, there's nothing.

Science cannot definitively proof or disprove Chris's theory, but some scientists are willing to take guesses. And these guesses are based, in part, on a growing body of research around near-death experience (NDE). According to a 2000 article in The Lancet, between 9 and 18 percent of people who have been demonstrably near death report having had such an experience. And surveys of NDE accounts show great similarities in the details. People who have had NDEs describe—like some religious visionaries—a tunnel, a light, a gate, or a door, a sense of being out of the body, meeting people they know or have heard about, finding themselves in the presence of God, and then returning, changed.

Andrew Newberg is an associate professor in the radiology department at the University of Pennsylvania who has made his reputation studying the brain scans of religious people (nuns and monks) who have ecstatic experiences as they meditate. He believes the "tunnel" and "light" phenomena can be explained easily. As your eyesight fades, you lose the peripheral areas first, he hypothesizes. "That's why you'd have a tunnel sensation." If you see a bright light, that could be the central part of the visual system shutting down last.

Newberg puts forward the following scenario, which, he emphasizes, is guesswork. When people die, two parts of the brain, which usually work in opposition to each other, act cooperatively. The sympathetic nervous system—a web of nerves and neurons running through the spinal cord and spread to virtually every organ in the body—is responsible for arousal and excitement. It gets you ready for action. The parasympathetic system—with which the sympathetic system is entwined—calms you down and rejuvenates you. In life, the turning on of one system prompts the shutting down of the other. The sympathetic nervous system kicks in when a car cuts you off on the highway; the parasympathetic system is in charge as you're falling asleep. But in the brains of people reporting mystical experiences—and, perhaps, in death—both systems are fully "on," giving a person the sensation both of slowing down, being "out of body," and of seeing things vividly, including memories of important people and past events. Does Newberg believe, then, that visions of heaven are merely chemical-neurological events? He laughs nervously. "I don't know." He laughs again. "It's, um … I don't think we have enough evidence to say."

Since at least the 1980s, scientists have theorized that NDEs occur as a kind of physiological self-defense mechanism. In order to guard against damage during trauma, the brain releases protective chemicals that also happen to trigger intense hallucinations. This theory gained traction after scientists realized that virtually all the features of an NDE—a sense of moving through a tunnel, and "out of body" feeling, spiritual awe, visual hallucinations, and intense memories—can be reproduced with a stiff dose of ketamine, a horse tranquilizer frequently used as a party drug. In 2000, a psychiatrist named Karl Jansen wrote a book, Ketamine: Dreams and Realities, in which he interviewed a number of recreational users. One of them, who called himself K.U., describes one of his drug trips this way: "I came out into a golden Light. I rose into the Light and found myself having an unspoken interchange with the Light, which I believed to be God." Dante said it better, but the vision is astonishingly the same.

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Moon and Saturn

The bright Moon keeps company with a bright planet the next couple of nights. They are in good view in the east by 8 or 9 o'clock. The planet Saturn stands to the left or lower left of the Moon tonight, and looks like a bright golden star.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

a beautiful grouping

The Moon, the planet Mars, and the twins of Gemini form a beautiful grouping the next couple of nights. Tonight, Mars is to the left of the Moon as darkness falls, with Gemini's twins -- the stars Pollux and Castor -- above them.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

The planet Saturn

The planet Saturn is putting on a good show this month. It lines up opposite the Sun, so it rises at sunset and remains in view all night. It is at its brightest, too. The golden planet outshines all but a handful of other planets and stars.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

Spring In The Necedah National Wildlife Refuge

Prerecorded 3/14/10:

It was a great day for a ride! First time we hit 60° since the beginning of November.


The Yellow River has some water in it today! There is a bridge up ahead, but we won't be going any farther this time. Rough road or not, I'll have to take the sign's word for it.


Look at Mrs. posing for the picture!


Camping, boating, fishing, all at the same time! A recipe for the perfect vacation.


Mud.


Scenery break.


Bigfoot! Where are you? Not here, not today.


Saw the first robin today and the pussy willows are blooming.


Nice.


No ice.


Ridin' the wave. The camera was swaying slightly because I had it attached to a post that had water rushing around it. I guess the post was a little loose.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

ISS Tonight

21 Mar -1.8 19:35:30 WNW 34

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

EQUINOX SKY SHOW

Northern Spring begins today. To celebrate the occasion, Nature is putting on an equinox sky show. Look west after sunset for a close encounter between the crescent Moon and the Pleiades star cluster (Seven Sisters). It's a beautiful view, and a nice way to experience the equal night.

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

State Parks, trails and forests offer variety of new and traditional activities

Wisconsin state parks are gearing up for another summer season which park managers anticipate will be busy. A number of new and updated facilities and programs will greet park and trail users in 2010 including an entirely new campground at Harrington Beach State Park, additional new campsites at Willow River State Park, more sites equipped with electric hookups across the state and all new activities for the Wisconsin Explorer program for kids.

“Wisconsin state parks attracted nearly 14 million visitors in 2009,” said Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank. “State Park System properties are great destinations and activity centers for families seeking healthy outdoor recreation opportunities.”

Wisconsin has more than 4,600 campsites available in state parks, forests and recreation areas offering camping in a variety of habitats from deep forest to unglaciated hill and valley with spectacular overlooks. Many campsites are reservable.

Camp site reservations are continuing to trend upward and were up close to 2 percent through the end of February compared to 2009 according to parks officials. 2009 reservations saw an increase of 6.6 percent over 2008. The number of campsites is expected to grow again in 2011 when an all new campground will be ready for visitors at Governor Thompson State Park.
Trails

Wisconsin state parks offer more than 3,000 miles of recreational trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and other activities. Mountain bikers visiting the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest will want to check out new trails on this unit of the forest and horseback riders will find improved roads, an improved campsite and shower building and renovated stables. Bikers visiting Blue Mound State Park will also find a new feature for riders, a bike camping site just off the Military Ridge State Trail.

Other completed trail projects include reopening of two washout-resistant trails in Wyalusing State Park. The two trails were washed out by floods in the spring of 2007. And, ATV riders can look forward to rebuilt trails in Richard Bong State Recreation Area opening in June 2010.
Get Outdoors Wisconsin DNR

State parks are a popular family-friendly recreational opportunity within easy reach of nearly all Wisconsin citizens. In addition to traditional activities such as camping, picnicking, hiking and swimming, the Get Outdoors Wisconsin program is entering its third year with programs that encourage kids and families to explore the natural environment offered by a park and the nature near their home. Many park properties will also offer guided hikes, explorations and skills demonstrations through the season as part of the Get Outdoors Wisconsin program. Information on events and activities is available online.

The Wisconsin State Park System lists 104 properties including 48 state parks, eight southern forests, six recreational areas and 42 trails. Additional properties open to the public for recreation include northern state forests such as Northern Highland-American Legion, Brule River, Flambeau River, Black River, and Governor Knowles.
Other things to do, other places to visit

The DNR maintains a searchable database of properties including wildlife areas, boat launches, shore fishing access points and state natural areas and a unique automobile based statewide nature trail, the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail, which highlights easily accessible high-quality nature viewing locations

“Wisconsin offers literally hundreds of public properties featuring a wide range of land and water-based outdoor recreation,” says Dan Schuller, Director of State Parks and Recreation. “There is something for almost every kind of outdoor adventure from newer activities such as geocaching to traditional pastimes like camping, hiking and picnics. If you visit one of our properties please let staff know) your thoughts. We value visitor feedback as we continually work to improve our facilities.”

Nationally, state parks provide a tremendous economic benefit to area communities estimated at $20 billion. Approximately 6,000 state park units attracted more than 725 million visits in 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Wisconsin State Parks (608) 266-2181

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ISS Tonight

19 Mar -2.1 20:21:20 WNW 35

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill

MOOOOO!

Prerecorded 3/9/10:

The cows are happy that some of the snow is melting and now they have a place to run. Not that they run very often anyway!










- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill