I saw them for the first time last night when I met Katrina at Milwaukee Street Traders for a latte and a stroll around downtown. They had a great menu full of gluten free and dairy free options so I went a little crazy and ordered two different soups and two different kinds of pound cake.
I had a few more of Katrina's things from the house to bring to her and it was a good place to meet since it's only 20 minutes from her new place in Waukesha and only 15 minutes from the Ottawa Lake campground and great hiking at Kettle Moraine...but we'll get to that later. For now you'll just have to enjoy the pumpkins carved by kids from local schools.
The night before the town had them all lit up. I bet the local kids had a great time carving them and then coming out to see them. Of course Katrina like the ones carved to look like kitties.
I thought whoever came up with the bleeding pumpkin was pretty clever.
But my favorite one was The Winker.
Even though the shops were closed we walked around looking in windows and saw enough to bring me back this morning when the shops open. That's saying a lot since I'm not much of a shopper. There were a few scarecrows scattered around downtown too, including this fella who looked like he had a few too many apple ciders.
We even used a strategically placed railing to get a shot of the two of us, something we don't do that often and probably should do more, right?
Katrina had to get back home, but I walked around a little more, exploring a footpath behind the shops that led me to the Bark River.
My wandering led me to a little millpond with some nice reflections.
Here's the story on the millpond:
The DNR ordered the property owners in 2008 to either remove the dam or repair and rebuild it to meet DNR dam safety standards. Zerwekh opted to remove the dam because she did not want the expense and burden of rebuilding it and she preferred that the Bark River be allowed to return to its natural course, running through the Nemahbin lakes and southwest to the Rock River.
Neighbors who lived along the dam millpond, including at one time a city alderman, objected to Zerwekh's plan.
They argued before city officials, DNR officials and numerous judges that removing the dam - and consequently, the pond - would significantly reduce the value of their property and deprive them of the advantages of living on a lake front.
To make a long story short the dam removal has happened and efforts to restore the area are underway. The 93 year old woman who owns the property that the dam sits on fought court battles for 10 years to allow it to be removed.
On the way out of town I even caught the moon framed by oak trees. What a great way to end an illuminating meet-up!
You know that would not be allowed to happen in the UK as it is of historic value
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add that in addition to the dam needing costly repairs there were also pollution concerns. In the U.S. safety and ecological concerns often outweigh historical value. In the case of historical buildings sometimes they get moved. Besides, it could be argued that the Bark River's natural pathway has historical value too! I hope it all works out for the residents and that there aren't too many hard feelings.
DeleteWhat a perfect fall day activity with a friend! I love all the pumpkins together. I can just imagine how neat they looked all lit up! The scarecrow are so cute. Sure looks like to the town embraces the holiday and season.
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