I appreciate the partnership with our new inspector, Reed Mc Roberts, Environmental and Public Health Specialist, who spent two and a half hours with me inspecting our licenses for: bed and breakfast, tourist room house, restaurant and campground. Don and I want to provide a safe experience for all our guests.

Buzz created a beautiful painting of Don’s trophy buck, doe and tree stand. What a gifted artist you are, Buzz!

Location: Justin Trails
Observation date: 6/23/10
Number of species: 54

Turkey Vulture 5
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Killdeer 1
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 2
Chimney Swift 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 10
Eastern Phoebe 5
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Yellow-throated Vireo 4
Warbling Vireo 3
Red-eyed Vireo 4
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 9
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 6
Cliff Swallow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 6
House Wren 9
Eastern Bluebird 3
Veery 5
Wood Thrush 7
American Robin 13
Gray Catbird 8
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 2
Cedar Waxwing 4
Blue-winged Warbler 4
Yellow Warbler 6
American Redstart 12
Ovenbird 15
Mourning Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 8
Eastern Towhee 5
Chipping Sparrow 5
Field Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 19
Scarlet Tanager 4
Northern Cardinal 3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 8
Indigo Bunting 6
Red-winged Blackbird 22
Brown-headed Cowbird 11
Baltimore Oriole 3
American Goldfinch 6
House Sparrow 10

We are renting 12 adult and 18 kid goats grown for meat from Ben Robel, Vegetation Management Services, to eat invasive brush and weeds on the back forty. The goats scattered after being released from the trailer. All were corralled when they were tired of running. Don toted water for them in a 55 gallon plastic drum on the Ranger. These goats like steep hillsides for grazing. The goats will be here for a week.

That forty is assessed as recreational land instead of agricultural. By grazing goats, we are using this for agriculture saving us considerable money on our real estate taxes and spending the money on restoring our land. That forty is assessed at 3 times the value of the ag land.

Ben Robel has a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology from UW-Stevens Point. Ben saw several goat grazing services in the west while working there. The goats help control weeds in orchards and vineyards, clear fields and parks and reduce wildfire fuel in a way that is environmentally benign and cost-effective and leaves fertilizer trampled in at the site.

Armund Bartz, Wisconsin DNR botanist, Cindy Ramseyer, Natures Keeper botanist, Don and I went for a three hour walk through the woods. Along the way we heard these birds: wood thrush, red-eyed vireo, redstart, blue-winged warbler, ovenbird,rose-breasted-grosbeak,veery, towhee, great crested flycatcher and scarlet tanager.

The skunk cabbage leaves are nearly as large as an elephant ear. We are seeing a huge variety of native plants around the rock outcropping. Heidi and George, our huskies loved the romp in the woods, too. We will pursue a Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program cost share application in November with the NRCS to help with removal of invasive species of barberry and buckthorn

Yesterday I guided a tour of the Coulee Region with our friends Barbara and Dale from California. We turned south on County J, drove on Mallard Ave. past acres of fragrant white trillium and pale blue/purple wild geranium to State Hwy 33 and headed west. State Hwy. 33 is being considered for Scenic Byway designation. The scenic overlook has a marker explaining “coulee” a French word describing narrow valleys with steep hillsides typical in Southwest Wisconsin. County F to the northwest took us to Granddad’s Bluff overlooking La Crosse, the Mississippi River and viewing MN and IA in the distance. Follow Bliss Road down to Main Street west to the Miss. River. More great photo opportunities at the International Peace Gardens, the Big Indian, the paddleboat La Crosse Queen and across the Miss. River to Pettibone Park where disc golfers were playing. Head over to the Peoples Food Coop on Fifth Ave. between Cass and King St. for a delightful deli lunch or head upstairs to Hackberry’s Restaurant.

Head north on Fourth Street to Interstate 90 West to the Lock and Dam # 7 exit and Tourist Information Area. A barge was locking through for more photo opportunities. This is a transportation project completed in 1937 which allows raw materials from the Coulee Region to be exported from April 1- December 1.

My favorite drive in the entire world is Hwy. 14/61 North to Winona, MN. This view includes miles and miles of hardwood forest covered bluffs, rock outcroppings, islands, the energetic Miss. River flowing south and many birds. More great photos opportunities appear with Sugar Loaf, a smaller version of the prominent rock outcropping Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro.

Barbara noted there are discs for disc golf for sale at the local gas station. Winona sports three disc golf courses. Driving through the downtown business district of Winona past beautiful old historic buildings caused Dale to comment that we must not get earthquakes here seeing that we have all these old beautiful buildings.

Cross the Miss. River on Hwy. 43 to Wisconsin 53 south along the edge of the Upper Miss. River Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge. The migrating birds are beautiful and the wetlands pristine on this warm sunny May Day. We wish we had started earlier to spend time at the observation area in the Refuge to watch the birds. South of Galesville we slowed to follow a farm tractor pulling a corn planter.

We picked up I-90 east to Sparta and south on Hwy. 27 to return to Justin Trails Resort and a timely visit to our friend Beth and her happy cows. We all agreed it was a gorgeous day in God’s Country.

Kevin and Patsy Alderson, a local historian and artist, are writing the book “Round Barns of Vernon County” which will be released July 4, 2010. There are 12 round barns beautifully illustrated in full color by Patsy. Kevin and Patsy are step on guides for motorcoach tours and personal vehicle tours. Contact them at 608-625-4258 or 608-343-8262 to schedule an appointment.

Many of the barns were built by Algie Shivers, an African-American. More information is available at: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/wisconsin/106343/1.
Cheyenne Valley was an integrated community of Native American, Caucasion and African American. More information about Cheyenne Valley is available at: http://csumc.wisc.edu/cmct/cheyenne/cheyennemapprint.html

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May 2010
Plan a get away to the Gorgeous Driftless Region of Southwest Wisconsin.

The flowers are blooming, breezes are gentle and the sun is warm for a great spring time outing to beautiful Justin Trails Resort.

Saturday, May 8 hunt mushrooms with Cindy from 10-12. Mushroom & wild rice dinner $15/person.

May 8-9 Handy person special. Help cut box elder trees or drag branches to chipper. 2 people work 4 hours in exchange for a night in your choice of available lodging for $50. The night stay may be this weekend or another time. Lunch and dinner provided for volunteers.

May 14-16 Westby’s Norwegian folk festival Syttende Mai includes a Heritage tent with Norwegian food, music and costumes, bike tour of 30, 60 or 100K, run/walk, book signing by Jerry Apps and Glen Jensen, concert with Eric Nofsinger, kiddie parade and more.

Trout season opened on Saturday in the Driftless Region’s world class trout streams. For more information www.driftlessanger.com or contact Mat Wagner at the Driftless Angler in Viroqua at 608-637-8779. The cold water first class trout streams make this a fisher person’s paradise…along with a stay Justin Trails Resort.

The famous Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail is open with Gina’s Pies in Wilton sold to Pettra’s Country Thyme Café. 608-435-6541.

Deb Moore, owner of Ginny’s Cupboard, has opened a cute shop Maiden Wisconsin across Water Street with all products made in Wisconsin.

RedRock Trail Rides is open. Dawn, our daughter, Don and I went for a great ride two weeks ago on Trail # 5. Kathie has a well-cared for stable of riding horses and beautiful land to get a world away from work.

The Amish greenhouses are bursting with beautiful, healthy plants at most reasonable prices.

Thank you to Marty Evanson, Craig and Laurie Bartholomew for identifying 44 species of birds on April 30 in 2 1/2 hours. See the list at www.justintrails.com/blog/

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Charles and Cindy Ramseyer for leading Amanda and Chris Knowles, Amber & Matt Brantner, Tony Pillow, Valerie Reeb, Eric, Vanessa and John Glindinning, Jeff Justin, Mary Kuppe, Cheryl, Tim & Scott Schoeler, Maria and Danica, Will Vigil, , Doug & Steve Elsen, Gary & Conrad Olson, John & Alysia Ryan, Andreas Pessl-Bauer, Matt Scott, Jeremy Olson, Brian & Deb Zucker, Rosemary Klein, Joseph Korish and Don & Donna Justin in a holistic restoration of our woodland.

Picnic during control burn April 2010

4 quart corning stovetop casserole
stainless steel stock pot
trailer for hauling Dixon lawnmower & Polaris Ranger
vounteer gardener
Portmeirion The Botantic Garden dinnerware 8-10 place settings and serving pieces