Super Bowl Weekend.

 Friday I helped judge cupcake wars.  I told the kids I'm spoiled with great baked goods at home but as long as they're trying I'm ok with that.

 Then it was up to the smoke stack for a democratic fund raiser for Abby Flenkenauer running for first district congressman/woman and this guy form maryland who is planning on making a run for the white house in 2020.

 She was a dynamic speaker who is a big union backer.  Then we ran into our future neighbor in down on the east end of DBQ,Falisha. A former student down in Maquoketa.

 After a little mexican and a brew down at Jubecks we were back at the townhouse for our first night in Dubuque.  We hit the farmers market early and then headed back down river to Bellevue. 

 After blocking up a good load of boxelder and hackberry I stopped in to see what Jace was up to.

Timing is everything.  High noon and Josh had some ribs on the the grill.  Cheers!

CAT SITTING.

For the second time this week the swans were out feeding in this field just East of the Hurstville Nature Center along the Maquoketa river.

 As the sun set the temperatures started to drop down to 13 *F

The babies were hungry for some food and attention.  Each winter when Mart and Joanie head South.  I help out with cat sitting duty and I make it a point to hike several different parts of the farm.

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 I hiked out to owl pellet ridge.  A cedar crested ridge with a beautiful South Western exposure.  Just where I would take a nap if I was a big buck.

I stacked a little brush that Mart had cut a while back.

Even though my hands were cold, it was great to get out and hike the point.

BEWARE!

Joan and Mart made it down to Little Corn.

A Full Day of Adventure

With temps. in the upper 40's and no taps out yet, I took the pups for a long walk. 

 Two deer trails diverged in the woods and I took the one less traveled or at least less traveled by any bucks dropping sheds. (frost?)

 I found this skull last spring and it hasn't moved too far from where I last saw it

 I can't believe Beau and I didn't pick up these stones twenty some years ago when we gathered rock from a nearby foundation

 But at that time we went for the easy pickins.

 Beau with the pry bar along with Zali 

Beau and I made many trips back and forth from the old foundation to the truck and back to the house to unload and then do it all over again. 

 Maxine checks out the smells all around this fallen oak I just wish I could get it out of the timber and to the woodlot to block up for next winter.

The Ohlert's and I gave the North fork a try now that the ice has gone out.  No luck.

Here's a shed hunting up date.... Susie found a chewed fork.  She's on the board with one.

Unstable Geniuses

 Susie and I got a team together with Julianna and Ron for Riverridges first ever trivia night.  With our collective brains I figured the "Unstable Geniuses" would clean up

 At the end of the first round....  common knowledge, we were only 2 pts. off the lead.  But, then came the second round.  Music, Ok we got this.  Play a short blast name the artist and album title. 

Then we find out that all songs are from 2010 to today.  Needless to say, not our wheelhouse.

 Second half killer was, name  the character and who voiced them.  Guess who got Miss Frizle.

Final score: fun, friends and beer. 

Rats!

Today a boy asked me if I trap?  I told him not sense I was your age.  I told him the pelts weren't
worth much money these days and that I would rather see them out in the wild.  I hit the Rat creek today after school.  I call it that one because I don't want everyone to know my hot spots and two iI  saw five muskrats out gathering food.  With  temps around 48* and the sun shining, conditions were good for wetting a line.  After fishing about 3/4 of a mile I finely got a strike.

A nice little rainbow.

BACK AT IT.

 With the fridge weather, much of the new year has been spent indoors.

 This time of year I always look forward to Wednesday nights Fatman's basketball and the Legion afterward. 

Ace is back at it after his surgery to remove two golf ball sized fat tumors.

 Jace and I managed to find a stretch of water that wasn't froze over.

 No luck today but I think this little beaver  pool will hold a few small brown trout in the future.

 Along the ridge overlooking the stream I spotted this limestone shelf.

 I don't mind taking the time to explore these little outcrops to look for artifacts from other fishermen who had spent time in this valley. 

and catch a few rays while Jace catches up with me

 I have yet to break the ice and catch a trout in 2018 although I've had nice browns take swings, flash. bump and break my line.   You know this week I'll make the time to get back at it.

 Around the yard I've started to prune the fruit trees.  

Before

After 

 Even the bees were active with the warm temperatures

 Footwear up grade this year 

some Salomon X ultra's for hiking and yesterday I just got my Vasque Arrowhead's for snow and it's in the forecast for Monday.

 We hit the Mill last night and Susie got to spend some quality time dining with the boys.

Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo’s

2018 IS GOING TO BE A GREAT YEAR.

 Christmas break was cold and the cabin fever hit hard.  The one day I did get out on the trout stream I took a miss step and went in over my boots before I had a chance to stir something up.

 Now that I've got a new phone, Ryan was able to get a hold of me and we we're able to get together on the ice.

 Ryan had a few tip-ups out with some nice shiners on with no luck.  He did catch one nice bluegill and another small one. 

I broke the 2018 ice with this little pumpkin seed.  Bigger and better things to come in 2018!