The Proper Names of Hills

 

So I have been doing some internet sleuthing and finally found names for the hills that Travalon and I had named ourselves, since we couldn't find the names on maps. The first one is what we call Berrigan Bluff out in Sauk, which I knew had to have a name. Three people live on one side of the bluff, and it turns out the other side is a state natural area. The bluff is called Lodde's Mill Bluff, but just because it's a state natural area doesn't mean that anyone can go there - you have to get permission from the Arboretum. The bluff is owned by the UW Board of Regents, and it has all sorts of rare flora on it. I discovered a blog by a guy who goes to state natural areas and takes photos, and he had some gorgeous photos of this bluff. Here is a link to his blog post. He says it needs some management to stave off an invasion of red cedars, so that sounds like a job for Prairie Man, if he wants to come out of retirement.

The second hill is the one we call Mount Wank, between Token Creek and Windsor. A bandmate said she found on a map where it was called "Big Hill," which just sounds like a description, but apparently that is its name. The Big Hill is a Wisconsin School forest owned by the DeForest School District and the Town of Windsor. There are trails on it, but to get permission to go there, you have to be a teacher bringing a classroom of kids to study the outdoors. There are volunteer opportunities there, but the website unhelpfully said to "look for bulletins in the local newspaper and in school newsletters," so they must not want outsiders volunteering, otherwise they would post things on the website. I don't get the paper (I'm not even sure which paper they mean), and I certainly don't get school newsletters. 

So there you go: Berrigan Bluff is actually Lodde's Mill Bluff, and Mount Wank is actually The Big Hill. I figured such stunning topographical features had to have names, but man, it wasn't easy to find them! And please - Big Hill is so prosaic. Maybe I'll just keep calling it Mount Wank.

Famous Hat

My Teenage Political Musings

 

Today Travalon and I took a hike on the boardwalk on Lake Waubesa to enjoy the beautiful weather, then we went to dinner at the Nau-Ti-Gal with our neighbor and sat outside. This unseasonably beautiful weather is supposed to continue through tomorrow, and then we'll get back to cold and dreary. Sorry, I have no photos of the boardwalk (although I thought Travalon took some), so enjoy a couple of photos of pretty bushes with autumn foliage in our neighborhood. The second one is the viburnum bush that has such fragrant blossoms in May. 

Our neighbor says blueberries are the perfect bush: fragrant bell-shaped white flowers in the spring, delicious indigo berries in the summer, and bright red foliage in the fall. She is from Maine originally, where they have lots of blueberries. I have never been to Maine, nor indeed any of New England, either Carolina, Oklahoma, or Texas. And I don't count Idaho, because that was at night on the train while I was asleep. Travalon has been to every state, and he was supposed to write a short blurb about each one, but he  hasn't yet, so here are my impressions of a few states:

Alabama: Montgomery has a lovely capitol building like we do, and I lost a fight with a luna moth there. Birmingham has a terrifying statue - not to look at, but to go up. When the elevator in the pedestal opened onto the balcony around it, I took one look at the floor that was grating you could see through, went, "Oh, HELL, no!" and got back on the elevator. When that guy in the middle of nowhere asked, "Y'all gone vote for Trump agin?" I wanted to say, "No, I can't wait to vote against him again!" but I should have said, "Bless your heart!" which is Southern for F--k you.

Alaska: Everything is so, so, so big. The Kenai Peninsula is like a magic fairyland, with the mist curling around the mountains. Fireweed honey ice cream is amazing. The taiga is cute little Christmas trees on a bed of springy moss. And, we have the same birthday!

Arizona: Really beautiful, if you're into deserts. Which I am. I love cacti.

Arkansas: Everything is closed on Sunday except churches, so I snuck into Johnny Cash's boyhood church to powder my nose.

Speaking of countrywide things, I feel like this election was decided for me when I was a teenager. That was when I came to hate Trump because he was so greedy and lustful. Joe Biden was running in the primaries against Dukakis, and I was too young to vote, but I liked him after reading an article that started: "He was born the oldest of four children in a working-class Irish Catholic family." I thought, "Hey, he's just like me! I'm the oldest, I'm not rich, and I'm Irish Cathopalian!" But when Ma Hat asked why I liked him in particular, I was all embarrassed because my reasons seemed so shallow, not having anything to do with his policies. Now I look at him as a deeply empathetic man who has suffered unimaginable loss: his wife, his baby daughter, and his grown son. Who better to empathize with people suffering from the pandemic? Trump never seemed to give a rat's patootie about anyone else suffering from it. Just because he survived with the most elite medical care that none of the rest of us have access to, we shouldn't be afraid of it. OK, weirdo. So glad you'll be vacating the White House in a couple of months!

Famous Hat

Beautiful USA Rosary

As much as I find the transition from summer to autumn depressing, it is enjoyable getting back to evening activities again. (Though it is sad that then I see a lot less of Travalon!) This week has been particularly crazy because Monday I had my second ukulele lesson (in which we learned some strumming patterns and the chord progression C-Am-F-G7), then last night I had my first Irish class of the year, and fortunately our teacher is easing us back into it, and then I went to Light Bright’s house to celebrate her birthday (which is actually today). Her baby (who is ten months old now) was in bed already, but she, her mother-in-law, and I had a great time just talking and laughing. They made a delicious dinner with vegetables from their garden, and I brought dark chocolate that we had after dinner with decaf coffee and red grapes. I gave Light Bright a sock monkey wine bottle cozy, and she LOVED it!! I figured it would be the right degrees of silly and practical. Tonight I have band practice AND choir practice, which isn’t uncommon on Wednesday evenings, but honestly I often skip choir practice. When you have been singing the same songs for two decades, sometimes practice feels a little redundant.

I love my beautiful new Ghirelli rosary, which was made in Italy but has a USA theme, with a crucifix that looks like the flag, a center medal that looks like the country, and the abbreviations for each of the fifty states on the Hail Mary beads. It is extremely well-made, especially considering its incredibly reasonable price. I was not expecting something so heirloom quality for what I paid! I have been praying for each of the states as I do the rosary. Speaking of which, there will be a guest blogger at some point: Travalon writing about his impressions of each of the states! Now that he has visited them all, I asked him if he would be willing to write something for the blog, and he said sure. This is a very beautiful country, and I have been lucky enough to visit quite a bit of it myself. I am missing about ten states: Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, the two Carolinas, and most of New England. I did go through Idaho on the train but was asleep both ways, so I’m not sure if that really counts either. Anyway, watch this space for Travalon’s summary of the fifty states.

Famous Hat

Geography Lesson

Agent Toque McToque is sending me information again, this time about an explosion in the chemistry building. Apparently one person was hurt, but not seriously, so this is good news. Toque and I discussed when we had taken chemistry classes, and how we always feared some of the not-so-bright people in our classes would take out the entire class with their misunderstanding of chemistry. Toque says she is not sure about the intellects of some of the students here on campus, she has seen more than one address a letter to Washington, DC this way: District of Columbia, WA. She claims Americans are terrible at Geography, we know nothing about Canada, and I said that may be true, but how much do Canadians know about the US? She said they would at least know the capital, but most Americans think the capital of Canada is Toronto. Now I may not be 100% sure how to spell Ottawa (I always think it’s Ottowa), but I at least know of its existence. I did a survey with a sample size of one (my office mate Light Bright) and asked her what the capital of Canada was. Her response? Montreal.

Famous Hat

Alternative Map of the USA

This came from Toque McToque, and I don't know who to give credit for it, or even what to make of it. It is labeled "Teabagger Nation" but would appear to be a map of the country as drawn by a Nebraskan. Anyone who wants to hazard a guess of what connection there is between Nebraska and the Tea Party can feel free to leave a comment.

Famous Hat