This is what I've Spotted Recently.

 We've been blasted with some hot weather the last week.  So, Marty and I have been up early in order to beat the heat.




We just finished up working up on the scaffolding, replacing the old windows at our friends Jerry and Gails

Jerry and Gail took Mart and Joan, Sue and I out on the Mississippi in their pontoon boat   to celebrate the completion on the job.

Susie and I  made a 24 hour trip up to Milwaukee to see her dad, Kendo.




Lots of dinner conversation about our trip to Maui.

I think we all would like to head back soon.









  Ken and Joan took us out to Spanky's Hideaway where we enjoyed a fish fry and the world/wisconsin famous Spanky burger and a glass of spotted cow beer from New Glarus Wisconsin.











A  quaint little brewery nestled on the outskirts of New Glarus, Wisconsin.  You know you're in Wisconsin when you see the Spotted Cow. Cheers!

 There's always some thing going on in Milwaukee.  Today we had our choice of hitting Germanfest down at the lake front or the Brady Street Festival.  We've always liked Brady Street.




In the 1960s, Brady Street became Milwaukee's very own "Haight-Ashbury" complete with flower children, peace and love, underground political publications and the infamous hippiefest known as Brady Street Days.



Today it is still known for its diversity with a unique mix of specialty retail shops, ethnic cuisine, cool coffee shops, chic salons and a vibrant nightlife.









 The lineup includes the Boys Will Be Girlz Drag Queen Show, performances by Dr. Chow's Love Medicine, Kings Go Forth

Division BMX caught some Big Air!







It looked like a blast! 

On the way home Susie got a chance to get some close up shots of one of her favorite subjects this beautiful appaloosa horse.

The Spanish introduced horses to North America as they explored the American continents. Eventually, as these horses found their way into the lives of Indians and were traded to other tribes, their use spread until most of the Native American populations in the Northwest were mounted (about 1710).

The Nez Perce of Washington, Oregon and Idaho became especially sophisticated horsemen, and their mounts, which included many spotted individuals, were prized and envied by other tribes. Historians believe they were the first tribe to breed selectively for specific traits - intelligence and speed - keeping the best, and trading away those that were less desirable.


During the Nez Perce War of the late 1800's, Appaloosa horses helped the Nez Perce avoid battles and elude the U.S. Cavalry for several months. The tribe fled over 1,300 miles of rugged, punishing terrain under the guidance of the famed Chief Joseph. When they were defeated in Montana, their surviving horses were surrendered to soldiers, left behind or dispersed to settlers.

Heading to Colorado on Monday for some Mountain time.    more later

LINKING LOGS

Mart and I finished up the park project this morning by putting in the three, 16' logs on their stone bases.

Marty works on the lap joint on the final stretch.

 me tinki.

Lap joint above.




View from the road side.

And, a parting shot of the backside from the ditch.



Get the pay check...lets hit the road and head for some water.

Stone City

    The lodge at Palisades-Kepler is a massive stone structure built in the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps. A huge furnace was used to heat the lodge  and  the heat was vented by duct work under the floor and out seven of these 6" X 28" grate openings.  Our other job at Palisades was to lay a base in each opening and fill it in with limestone block.

 So our next stop was the

 Weber Stone Company in Stone City, it has one of the largest production capacities in the Midwest to pick up 7 blocks to work up to slide in to the vent openings.

 Grant Wood captured the natural splendor of Stone City, Iowa. The wondrous beauty of this painting still remains in the valley of Stone City. The monumental buildings and rolling hills are as pronounced as when Grant Wood created this painting years ago.

Over a 80 years has passed since the CCC used limestone from Stone City to building of many park facilities. The roads, hiking trails, entry portals, lodge and other timber and stone structures.

After laying our final course of stone for the day at the parks entry way.  We decided to try our hand at facing the stone.



We marked a line about 1/2" in on the stone face and struck the stone flaking off the edge to create a bull nose edge on the stone. 







 We made quick work of job and we're set to go for the next day.






The camping and the food were some of the  best things about the job.

Mart, making toads in a hole or pop eyes for breakfast.

















Oh ya... the company that stopped by the camp  was GREAT too.








Back out to the job on Monday for some log work.