Tempting Hartman Creek

Hartman Creek State Park is a new one for me, it's not on the way to anywhere in particular and is 3.5 hours north of my home which is why it's taken me so long to check it out.  I was afraid I'd get there and be bored, but I found out that in addition to the IAT there is plenty of other hiking in and around the park.  Much nicer than fighting the crowds at Devil's Lake!

Hartman Lake

Ten miles of hiking trails give many opportunities for fall color viewing, including walks around some small spring fed lakes.

Before being established as a state park in 1966, Hartman Creek was a fish hatchery, where dams were built to create Allen, Hartman, Grebe and Middle Lakes.  The campground is located next to Allen Lake, but yesterday morning I walked around Hartman Lake and caught some great morning light.

Ducks and geese scattered on my arrival, used to having the lake to themselves at this time of year.

I scanned the water in the lake and the adjoining creek looking for some reflections or leaves to photograph, but the shore of the lake was lined with cattails and the creek was mostly shaded by the overhanging trees so I only got one shot.

.
After my short walk along the lake I made my way to the Ice Age Trail, picking it up from Winfeldt Lane which runs right by the campground.  There is a kiosk with information about the Ice Age Trail at the parking area, including explanations of the glacial topography in the park.

The picture below shows the outwash plain from the melting glacier in the foreground.  The higher ridge in the background is where the glacier paused, depositing sediment and forming the Elderon Moraine.

The spur to the IAT crosses a field and makes its way to the moraine, sharing the route with a bike path.

Before entering the woods it skirted a field full of Milkweed.

I try to resist getting a Milkweed shot every fall, but I just can't.

Nearby was a colony of British Soldiers that finally photographed the way I want.  I used the zoom lens that I had on the camera for the Milkweed shot instead of extension tubes and got a much better result.

In the woods the maples put on a great show with color in the trees and on the ground.

As I walked toward Emmons Creek Barrens State Natural Area the trail rolled gently up and down the moraine passing from deciduous forest to pine.  The sandy soil was springy no matter what part of the forest I was in, but the pine needles were a fragrant bonus.

I walked all the way to Emmons Creek Road and turned around for a round trip total of about 5 miles.  I was pretty tired after all the weeks I've spent lying around recently, but the views were worth it.

I worked 20 hours a week since we've come back from our trip, and with being sick and all the chaos surrounding the remodeling and Katrina moving out I'm a month behind on blog reading again.  How is it possible that someone who only works part time doesn't have enough time to get things done?

Any chance Judy will tell me what bird this is?

Maybe because I just can't resist the temptation to drive all over the state for days at a time?  In addition to hiking the park offers access to 12 miles of off road bike trails, places for horse riding, fishing, and even a beach on one of the lakes.  There is also Pope Lake State Natural Area to the east and Emmons Creek State Natural Area to the south. I think it's a pretty safe bet that I'll be back again.

Today it's more remodeling on the agenda.  While I was driving around earlier this week Wayne got the basement room we've been working on for Cory finished enough to start moving him down there.  We have walls, a ceiling and lights, now it's time to go shopping for a new bed and TV stand and get him all set up in his roomier digs!

Hummocky and Erratic at Hartman Creek

The fall color on the drive from Door County toWaupaca actually got less and less, and I was worried I'd be camping under a canopy of green but the trees at Hartman Creek State Park are just starting to hit their stride.

Site 9

The campground is laid out nicely, but I wouldn't say it's "big rig" compatible.  The shower building looks older but the showers themselves have been re-tiled and fitted with new shower hardware, including a faucet that stays on which is a rarity in our state parks.

One of the largest erratics on the entire trail

The Ice Age Trail passes through Hartman Creek State Park and is an example of outwash from a melting moraine that formed hummocky topography that wasn't as difficult to walk along as in the area of eskers.  Most of it was fairly level, with some hills making sudden appearances here and there.  The outwash included lots of erratics, and the IAT winds through them and the trees.

A crew is out working re-routing the trail as you can see in the above photo, but I missed them for the day since I didn't get out there until almost 5:00.  That's okay with me, I prefer my forest quiet except for the rustling of the treetops in the wind and the patter of chipmunk feet as they run along downed trees.  I got in a quick hour hike before the end of the day, enjoying the fading sun peeking through the trees.  I tried to catch it so I could photograph the leaves backlit, but it just kept getting away from me!

example of "hummocky" section of glacial outwash 

And boy is it nice to go tramping around the woods without picking up ticks or hearing the whine of mosquitoes!  I wish fall lasted just a little longer....

Pumpkin Pals in Door County

I zipped on up to Door County yesterday, hoping to get some fall color, but it's a little early yet.  I'd say the area is running between 40-60% color, and it's better on the Fish Creek side of the peninsula than on the Bailey's Harbor side.  I was quite disappointed when I drove through Jacksonport and Bailey's Harbor, but secured a campsite at Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek before dark fell.

Some of the park's campgrounds are closed for the year, and midweek in October is a great time to have some elbow room here.  I got site 813 in the Nicolet Bay area, and no one was in the non electric rows except me!

In the morning I headed out of the park and drove down Hwy 42 through Fish Creek and Egg Harbor, stopping at an antique store where I got some craft and decorating ideas.  Those chenille pumpkins were adorable, and there were chenille Christmas trees and even hearts for Valentine's Day too.  I love the texture and patterns, especially the criss-cross one on the bottom shelf.

When I scanned those pictures earlier in the week I found a few that were from pumpkin farm visits.

Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty - 1977

The cousins made an appearance in 1979 at an Alice in Wonderland scene.

There aren't a lot of pumpkins on display in Door County, surprisingly.  But I did find a few cute ones in Egg Harbor.

pigs in front of Casey's BBQ

I helped the Pirate Mr. Potato Head guy up, he'd fallen over in the night.  Too much rum, maybe?

In front of another shop I spotted the egg that floated in the harbor during the Eggstravaganza in 2014.

But the bees stole the show, painted with a variety of facial expressions and even cool shades.

The eggs up by the visitor center are still there to amuse and delight too.

I'm heading out of Door County now, but not for home.  I'm determined to find that stunning fall color, I wonder where it is?

Apples Past and Present

I spent the morning scanning old photos from my mother's photo albums in to my computer and came across some fun ones, including this set of apple picking photos from 1979.

From Right: Me with little Melanie, Laurel and Shane

I'm not very good at remembering the past (Katrina picks on me all the time because I don't remember their first words) my brain seems to hang onto impressions and moods more than specific details.  I do actually vaguely remember going apple picking with my cousins, maybe it was the only time we ever did that so it stuck a little.  Or maybe it was just exciting to have someone along since they had recently moved from Missouri and I was no longer just an only child rambling on my own.

Yesterday this only child went rambling on my own since it's still what I do, stopping at Bong State Recreation Area after running a few errands.  I don't often go to Bong, it's used heavily by hunters and horse riders, but yesterday afternoon I didn't encounter anyone as I headed off down a horse trail from the beach area.

Fall color hasn't even started here yet, though there were a few trees getting an early jump.  There were more birds out than I would have thought, taking advantage of a crisp sunny afternoon while there are some still left.

Side trails to duck blinds are marked by numbers and I took one down to a pond to have a look.

Maybe more birds on their way south stopped in after I left, but just a few loners were hanging out.

Along the trail I spotted a flash of red and discovered an old apple tree being overtaken by brush.  A few apples were on the ground providing a feast for wasps, but I snagged a couple off the branches and pocketed them for later.  There were plenty more out of reach that will fall on the ground for the wildlife later.

It reminded me of all the berry picking I did in Newfoundland, and yes, I still have a few more posts coming from our time there last month.  They will be filled with photos old and new, and stories of how my family was affected by the arrival of the Americans at Argentia.  Before it's ready I'll be trotting out some more of the photos from the past that I uploaded today to go along with my current adventures, and perhaps I'll even tickle the memory of other family members for a story or two.

To Butler Lake on the Parnell segment

If you missed my short post about the finished bathroom remodel make sure to go back and take a look because I'm looking for opinions on what we got charged!  Today I zipped out of work at 3:00 and made it north to Kewaskum and the campground at Mauthe Lake by 5:00.  I haven't even walked around the block in the past 2 weeks due to my struggles with a cold virus and fall allergies and I couldn't wait to get outside again.  I picked up where I left off last time I was in the area on County F heading toward Butler Lake on the 13.9 mile long Parnell segment.

I only traveled a little over a mile each way, but climbing up and down the sides of the esker is quite the workout.  I spotted an exit hole that was probably made by a chipmunk alongside the trail that shows all the glacial till that the esker is made from.

The fungi is going strong, including one that was bigger than a dinner plate!

I had to really hustle to get out and back before dark with only an hour to do it.  Luckily I caught a break in the trees and at least got a peek at some stunning clouds.

Dinner was cheese and crackers with some grapes and now it's time to snuggle down in my tent with my Kindle as the temperature drops in to the 40's.  Wayne is enduring even colder than that on an ATV trip with his buddies farther north in Tomahawk, and the lucky duck is probably seeing lots of fall color up that way too.  Maybe next weekend we'll get to check it out together!

Remodel Results

Boy, looking at this picture of what our bathroom looked like before the remodel is difficult.  It's amazing what you can choose not to see in your own home if you put your mind to it!

Our remodel on the bath included a new tub, shower doors, and tile from the floor on up.  The sink, vanity, and toilet were not replaced but I did replace the faucets in the sink and tub.

If you remember, I didn't have any bathroom plans, the remodel was a spur of the moment decision just a few weeks before we left for our trip.  I rushed out and chose tile, tub and faucets in just a few days.  I'm mostly satisfied, but not crazy about the shower doors which were Wayne's idea.  Being a bather I'm not thrilled about my tub being imprisoned with hard metal, but the tub itself is amazing for soaking.  I chose it with care, getting a porcelain coated stainless steel tub with a good slope for my back and boy does it hold the heat!  Twenty minutes after soaking I have to be careful when I stand up because my heart starts thudding harder than when I hike the mountains.

The natural stone mosaic border was one area Wayne and I were quick to agree on.  All those stone tiles remind me of the rocky shorelines we visit, especially the shale shores of Lake Superior.  The color of the tile is a little less yellow than the pictures make it look, the color is more true in the first picture.

The half bath was in desperate need of a new floor, sink and vanity and had been since we bought the house 10 years ago.  The hardwood that was inexplicably placed in there was rotting around the toilet and the sink was marred by burn marks, the faucet corroded, and the vanity an oak model that had been covered with cheap primer.

The updated version isn't fancy, but a tile floor is much more practical and the new sink, faucet and vanity are simple but clean looking.

We will most likely be selling in 5 or 6 years (or maybe less?) and updating the bathrooms was the last thing on our list.  Since we moved in 10 years ago we've now replaced the roof, gutters, siding, driveway, and put new cabinets and fixtures in both baths and the kitchen. We've also replaced all but the two large windows in the house and earlier this year added that extra detached garage.  Kind of crazy to sell after all that work, in a way, but the road calls to us...

Okay, here's the bill.  The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Anyone think it was too much or does it seem about right? Besides the fact that they accidentally added an extra "0" on the balance line, I mean.

I was shocked at over $5,000 for labor for such a relatively small job, especially since I did all the running around picking up supplies (except Durarock and related subfloor supplies) and choosing everything on my own. But we've always done our remodeling jobs ourselves until this year so I may just be naive.  Perhaps the demo work on the floors and removing the old tub increases the cost more than I would think?  Please share your thoughts!