Valley Sentinel - 07-28-2022

Spring Green, Wisconsin

Thursday, July 28, 2022 | Vol. 3, No. 18 FREE, Single-Copy

Inside this edition

1858 Abortion Law Features Local Connection

Community Calendar: Live music, exhibitions, theater

New Series: Musings on a Dairy Farm

Pages 2, 3, 10

Pages 6, 7

Page 5

The Culture of Agriculture: Family, Farms, and Farming in A Changing World

Introducing ChamberFest, a two-day celebration of classical music and folk traditions

Erica Gentry, UW- Madison Extension

Zou Zou Robidoux, Chamberfest Artistic Director

On August 8, featuring the work of Daniel Smith and the unique culture of agriculture and farming, join this intimate and interactive event at Morrill Lecture at the Octagon Barn, E4350 Horseshoe Rd, Spring Green, WI. The event will start at 6:30 pm. Smith will read poems from his recently published book of poetry, ANCESTRAL. Then, American Players Theatre core company actors, Sarah Day and James Ridge will

Daniel Smith narrate three poems written from the perspectives of Midwestern farmers.

The evening will end with a panel of local farmers, Kal Maxwell, Dale Clark, and Yvonne Brown, responding to Dan’s body of work and discussing their perspectives on farming and the pressures of farming in today’s ever-changing world. The panel will be moderated by Joy Kirkpatrick, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension and Center for Dairy Profitability’s Farm Succession Outreach Specialist. This event is

free and light refreshments will be provided.

Daniel Smith’s ANCESTRAL draws from the thirty years he farmed his family’s dairy farm in Northwestern Illinois. With poetry grounded in the rural Midwest, ANCESTRAL explores a family’s deep attachment to the land, the physical work of farming, and the emotional disruption one endures when such a life is no longer sustainable. ANCESTRAL provides a powerful depiction of the changes impacting our family farms and rural communities.

Sarah Day has been a member of the American Players Theatre acting company since 1986. Born and raised in Madison, Sarah is a proud Wisconsinite. She has countless performance credits and fans can see her this year in Sense and Sensibility and Love’s Labour’s Lost at American Players Theatre.

James Ridge is in his 25th season at American Players Theatre. He has also worked with Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Next Act Theatre, Forward Theater, Madison Repertory, as well as Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Con Vivo. He will be performing this season in APT’s The Rivals and Love’s Labour’s Lost.

Joy Kirkpatrick has worked for the University of Wisconsin for 29 years. She began her Extension career as a county-based educator.

In 2004 she became the Farm Succession Outreach Specialist for the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Profitability. In this position

continued on page 10

The Spring Green General Store is proud to present ChamberFest, a two-day classical chamber music festival in the heart of the River Valley community. For its first season, ChamberFest will explore the connection between classical music and the traditions of folk music and storytelling with a roster of musicians and artists from South Central Wisconsin.

ChamberFest will take place on July 30-31 at the Spring Green General

Photo via Spring Green General Store

Store (137 S Albany Street, Spring Green). ● Saturday, July 30th at 12 PM: Folk-inspired Chamber Music Concert. This exploration of folk music through the classical lens will feature Piano Trio No. 39 by Joseph Haydn, the first three movements of Five Folksongs in Counterpoint by Florence Price, and String Quartet No. 2 by Anton Arensky. ● Saturday, July 30th at 1:30 PM:

continued on page 10

Page 2

Commentary/Opinion/Lte

Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022

The (not so) Plain and Simple Correspondent: Go Froth Katie Green, Columnist Our church service ends with a prayer that urges the congregation to “go forth in power and faith to live the words we say.” Last Sunday a typo captured my current state of mind about the condition of the world by saying “go froth” instead. Right.

Froth I do, a lot. How to keep one's cool when the earth temperatures are spiraling progressively hotter, tempers getting shorter, cooperation growing less, aggression breaking out all over?

Bodies are sicker, elected leaders and judges and captains of industry betray us and are celebrated for it.

We are drowning in plastic trash and/ or in floodwaters caused by climate change. The song I am tempted to sing is former Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman's latest cry, called “Women Hold Up Half The Sky.” Check it out.

A fellow resident of this apartment complex we're inhabiting now wrote an essay for the July newsletter extolling the wonderfulness of this country. She asked, “Have we lived up to the vision of the founding fathers?” She thinks so. It 's actually true. The First Guys, most of whom were slave-holders, devised a constitution that protected their owning human “property” and made sure neither women, nor men who didn't own property, could vote.

My patriotism is tainted with great disappointment, and while no one is more grateful than I to have been born in this country in the time and place I was, and even gladder to be a loved, well-nourished, and much-favored American dame, I don't see foregoing constructive criticism until the dirt clods land on my coffin.

I am blessed to have survived to be almost as old as the original flag itself and just as tattered. Who better than

On the cover Untitled (Scaffold) by Peter Krsko Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson

we geriatric specimens to press for a commonwealth of peace and prosperity for all, having been responsible for much of the increased intensity of the problems regarding climate and civil unrest. It is only right to be protective (belatedly) about the beings who will inherit this mess when our generation is gone. For the life of me, I don't see what's so frightening about equality under the law regardless of the random assignment one was made of race, gender, etc. Or wrong to guarantee a living wage for all workers. Without fear of contradiction, I can say we have not arrived at a pinnacle of equilibrium and harmony yet. One must wonder if it is humanly possible to get there.

This week a former high school classmate died, a chemist turned peace activist who was one of the famed “Chicago Seven” arrested at the Democratic Convention during the Vietnam War. All charges against him were ultimately dismissed. He went on to be very influential in setting workplace safety standards for the newly formed OSHA in 1971, thus helping prevent many crippling injuries and save many lives. How it must have agonized him as he lay dying to learn that the Supreme Court had undercut the efforts of his life's work by making it infinitely more difficult for the Environmental Protection Agency to do its job of keeping us all out of harm's way.

Poet and anthropologist Gary Snyder, one of my culture heroes, describes himself as an “engaged” Buddhist.

He admires and respects people who choose the ancient monastic approach of withdrawing from society, wherein a cloistered person eliminates from daily life and economy whatever he/ she thinks contributes to evil, but stays above the fray. Snyder says there's no

Correction In the print edition of last week’s Valley Sentinel, the cover featured the Arena Ace’s Home Talent baseball team. The pitcher was erroneously attributed as Ethan Wickman, the correct player was Nate Jennings.

Katie Green just look the other way and not have to worry that the planetary systems will come crashing down around your ears and life as it has evolved on this whirling speck of rock, sea, and greenery will cease.

Frank Lloyd Wright was fond of Jean Sibelius' nationalist hymn “Finlandia” with the words added later that retrofitted it into the perfect international cry for peace. Not just tolerance, but a loving recognition of the dignity and brotherhood of the world's peoples. Re-titled “This Is My Song”, it points out that “My country's skies are bluer than the ocean, and sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine.

In 19th century Wisconsin, abortion was common, sometimes deadly asked the historical society’s assistant Founder of Arena purported to be author of 1858 abortion law now in effect in Wisconsin Tamara Dean, Contributed

Art in the Woods July 24 through October 9 | Free, no tickets required American Players Theatre’s summer art installation, “Art in the Woods” returns. This free exhibit offers eight installations nestled into the the natural surrounds of APT’s 110-acre property. More information can be found at americanplayers.org/events/art.

In his reflection on the wood sculpture installation, “Untitled (Scaffold),” artist Peter Krsko said, “The material chosen for the construction represents the deconstruction of a tree. This composition creates a frame for the viewer to view the surrounding trees and nature. The audience is encouraged to view the sculpture from the outside as well as from the inside. It connects as well as contrasts human culture and nature.

It frames the space and creates a new environment within the existing environment.”

way to know if this does more or less good than those who confront what is directly in his/her path and share in the life of average folk around them – even if that means “you don't back off from taking things on, or getting your hands a little dirty, or quaffing a little poison, or running risks... Poverty, oppression, rank injustice right in front of you is yours. It's been given to you to take care of.” On alternate days I am attracted to withdrawing vs. engaging, how about you? It would be nice to

It might seem as if Wisconsin has always been divided over abortion. But around the time the state was admitted to the union, virtually everyone was in agreement about whether, when, and why terminating a pregnancy was acceptable.

I learned this while researching a 19thcentury cemetery on the rural Viola property where I lived until recently.

One woman buried in that cemetery, Nancy Ann Harris, died in 1876 at age 35 — of an abortion, a genealogist at the Vernon County Historical Society told me. “Apparently, she had a lot of them,” the woman added.

“Why would they put something so personal in the public record?” I

curator. She said, “It was a different time.”

I wanted to know what she meant.

And I wanted to learn more about Nancy.

In 1876, the county clerk had noted Nancy’s official cause of death — puerperal peritonitis — in the space provided. Then he added a long footnote that began, “Disease caused by abortion at 3 months this was perhaps her 10th…”

Surely, such a high number of abortions was extreme, I thought. Was the doctor who attended her death trying to make an example out of her?

Of all the 1800s death records at the Register of Deeds’ office, none were as long or detailed as Nancy’s. I found only one other record that mentioned abortion. But on every page of those volumes, women aged 19 to 47 were listed as dying from complications

But other lands have sunlight too, and clover, and skies are everywhere as blue as mine. O hear my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine.” It gives me tingles just to say it and singing it with a full-throated chorus brings on tears of yearning.

The best and only church for many is out of doors. Across the street from where I live is an extensive prairie sanctuary established by an enlightened corporation on its property. The corporate headquarters have been relocated, so now the prairie path loop is only lightly used by homo sapiens. There are no tithes, creeds, and no membership qualifications for wandering around. However, it is heavily occupied day and night by critters that fly, creep, scurry, hop, sting, or sink their roots into the ground and they really own the place.

Most days it provides me with walking meditation, refuge, and delight, except for the annoying roar of freeway traffic nearby and insect bites in places it is considered uncouth to scratch in public unless you are a baseball player.

Everyone should be so lucky as to have a refuge in their own backyard. Barring that, arrange a few potted herbs on your doorstep or windowsill. As the Chinese reputedly say, “If you want to be happy for a short time, get drunk; happy for a long time, fall in love; happy forever, plant a garden.”

Katie is an author that, until recently, lived in Plain that has been writing for fun and profit, mostly the former, since childhood. Her writing is self described as opinionated, but meant to be in the interests of a more loving, better functioning world for all. She may be reached at: greengal2@charter.net.

of childbirth. There were more dead, fertile women than old men.

In Nancy’s time, abortion was a common means of birth control for women of every race, religion, and social class. Abortions were acceptable both morally and legally, as long as they occurred before quickening, the time when a pregnant woman can feel the fetus move (usually around the fourth month). They were often a safer alternative to childbirth. They were a way to limit family size, manage resources, and protect one’s health.

Abortions were so frequent, one Michigan doctor wrote in 1874, that “It is rare to find a married woman who passes through the childbearing period, who has not had one or more.”

Nancy was caring for two daughters, a son, and two stepdaughters. She must have known that another 10 children

continued on page 3

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Is there any hope?

Dear editor, Is there any hope anymore for a decent, truthful, honest, working government? Is there any hope that our Senators and Representatives will work for US, their constituents, instead of their large monied donors? Is there any hope that the Supreme Court will not allow a justice who lied at their confirmation hearing to be seated any longer ? Is there any hope that our Pledge of Allegiance will be true for all of our citizens, instead of one race, one party, one gender?

How will we ever return to a country that works together, instead of the cheating, lying, denying, that we have now? Will there be enough time for us to return to that forward thinking, first world country that we used to be? Will we ever be rid of those who work only for themselves and not for the good of the country?

I have to admit, I have never been as fearful for our Republic as I am now.

The Supreme Court annhiliated laws that have been in effect for decades, yet did nothing to help stop the mass

murders occurring daily in our country.

Their slant towards religion running the country is showing….shades of Iran….

I would so love to have some hope.

But I don’t. I think we are doomed, and our democracy, our republic, is going the way of the Roman Empire, the Greek Empire….greed and power toppled them, and will certainly topple our country.

Barbara Voyce Lone Rock, Wisconsin

Commentary/OpInIon

Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022 Page 3

Our Fragile Democracy — Part 1: How did we get here?

Beverly Pestel, Columnist “Our Fragile Democracy” is a series of thought-provoking columns by retired local professor Beverly Pestel exploring the history and struggles of our nation's form of government from its founding to our current social, cultural and political tensions — looking at solutions and means of learning to work with one another, in hopes of preserving our democracy. …

In Part 2 of this series I’ll address the fact that we are a “federal constitutional representative democracy” and what that means. But the first story to tell is the process of how we got there, and it was anything but smooth. Our Revolutionary War began in 1775, but it wasn’t until 1776 that a committee of five was appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence and a committee of 13, with one representative from each of the colonies, was formed to begin writing a constitution for a union of the colonies. The result of that second committee was the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.

This document defined what was little more than a “league of friendship” and legalized what the Continental Congress had been doing to execute the war. Issues arose, however, indicating that this document was not sufficient to meet the needs of an evolving union, and in 1787 (four years after the end of the war) the meeting which became known as the Constitutional Convention was convened. Thus began the formation of our new government and the

Constitution we now have – and the debates reigned supreme.

The first messy part was the fact that many of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention thought they were there to fix the Articles of Confederation, not devise an entirely new system of government. As things progressed, a major sticking point was the composition of the Senate. The disagreement was over whether the representation should give each state two senators or apportion senators by the state’s population. (This decision has turned out to have some significant ramifications.) A fierce debate involved the number of representatives each state would be allotted in the House of Representatives. This was finally set based on population by counting all free inhabitants of the state, but each slave as only three-fifths of a person.

The absence of a Bill of Rights was another highly debated issue with delegates arguing against it on the basis that the Constitution should not authorize the national government to potentially alter the rights decided by the states. After months of modifications and debate, a final version was produced and signed on Sept. 17,1787 by 39 delegates, 3 refused to sign. Fourteen delegates were absent – they had gone home. After additional debate within the colonies, the Constitution became binding when it was ratified by the required 9 of the 13 colonies in 1788. It wasn’t until 1790 that all 13 colonies finally ratified the document and joined the United States of America. A compromise had been reached, some votes for ratification passed with narrow margins, but the

Constitution had been written and accepted by all 13 colonies by 1790.

A few weeks ago, I was floored to hear one of the witnesses at the Jan. 6 committee hearings declare with

Beverly Pestel tear-filled eyes that he believed the Constitution was divinely inspired.

Given the degree of often heated debate, the fact that a number of delegates went home unhappy, and that few votes were unanimous, that seems an unreasonable position.

That position is also problematic in that it infers that it is a document set in stone and closed to revision and improvement. The fact that it accommodates Amendments negates that position.

The three Supreme Court Justices who recently wrote the dissent to the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade expressed their thoughts on the writers of the Constitution. They did not attribute it to God, but neither did they say it was written by “people” – they pointed out that it was written by “men.” This should not necessarily be interpreted as a criticism, but it does

put the whole thing into context. The Constitution is a product of the culture of the time, the mindset of the men who wrote it, and the compromises that were at times hard to justify.

It is important that we understand what this document was intended to accomplish and what it was designed to address for the future. The first 10 Amendments, commonly referred to as the Bill of Rights, were ratified four years after the Constitution was adopted. Seventeen additional Amendments were added between 1795 and 1971. So, our Constitution has a history of being a work in progress, not an immutable thing, and certainly not a perfect thing – just a more perfect thing – which was the aspiration of our Founders as stated clearly in the preamble to the Constitution.

So, in a nutshell, this is where our Constitution has brought us – but where is that? Is the state of our Constitution and Nation final and secure? We are experiencing cracks within the body politic that are exposing a fragility to our democratic form of government. It is worth looking into some of the debated decisions of our Founders to get an idea of the details of where we are now and why our democracy may be on shaky ground.

Beverly is a retired professor. She lives in a remodeled farmhouse and tends 40 acres of woodland in Richland County. When not in the woods she spends her time reading, writing and enjoying the beauty of the Driftless Area.

In 19th century Wisconsin, abortion was common, sometimes deadly continued from page 2 would have been far beyond what her husband’s income, their small cabin, her body, or her stamina could support.

Some of Wisconsin’s country doctors performed abortions. Midwives did, too. But rural women often relied on herbs and traditional wisdom passed down through generations. Maybe Nancy crossed the marsh between her house and my place and found what she needed — juniper, bloodroot, or black cohosh, a plant Native American women relied on— in the woods behind the cemetery. In the mid-1800s,

women were educating themselves.

They were becoming literate in increasing numbers. They were savvy about anatomy and how to manage their fertility. If they couldn’t grow or collect the right herbs, they could order pills or tinctures (some effective, some quack remedies) advertised in magazines. By 1850, the abortion business was booming.

At the same time, the birthrate among white, Protestant women was dropping. Abortion was part of the reason. Politicians and doctors raised alarms. They feared losing constituents,

losing power and influence. In rhetoric that might seem familiar today, they warned about outsiders taking over the country. One prominent physician and leader in the American Medical Association, Dr. Horatio R. Storer, wrote a book called "Why Not?" to convince white, Protestant women to forego abortion. In it he asked if the regions west and south of New England should be “filled by our own children or by those of aliens?” He told women that “upon their loins depends the future destiny of the nation.”

The movement Storer and the AMA

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started spread quickly to Wisconsin.

Although the state already had a law on the books, it applied to abortion after quickening and didn’t affect the status quo. It was a subsequent law, passed in 1858, that would punish women and providers for abortions at any stage of pregnancy. Women faced up to three months in jail and a $300 fine (about $10,000 today). The sentence for an abortionist was second-degree manslaughter. Neither the public nor the legislature had asked for the law.

EDITORIAL Legal Editor Gary Ernest Grass, esq.

CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS EDITION Graphic Designer Julianna Williams Commentary/Opinion Column Beverly Pestel

Commentary/Opinion Column Katie Green Commentary/Opinion Column Barb Garvoille

Have graphic design experience or interested in writing and becoming a community contributor? Let us know. Thank you to all of our contributors for believing in our community.

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Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022 Chris Hardie's 'Back Home' column

Commentary/OpInIon

Page 4

The beauty of the Buck Moon

The days of hay fever misery

Chris Hardie, Columnist bucks nibbling on the vegetation in our recently mown hay field.

The height of summer often brings back That thought was not on my mind as I I see deer on nearly a daily basis on our many fond memories of growing up on was bending down to pull on my shoes farm, especially does and fawns this time the farm – building dams in icy creek at 5 a.m. on July 14. It was responding of year. It is the season of plenty for deer on blazing hot days, catching fireflies on to the call of nature from our elderly dog warm humid nights and falling asleep to Nessie that had our aching joints heading who find the apple trees and plants in our yard a delicacy to be enjoyed. But it’s the sound of the whippoorwill. out the door. been a while since I’ve seen a buck.

But the season of haying and the My aches and pains were quickly It’s also been a challenging stretch tasseling corn also brings back some forgotten as I looked to the western personally, riding the ups and downs of mighty miserable days where I found horizon. Just above the tree-lined hill a the month that my father died two years little relief from what English physician beautiful orange and yellow orb glowed ago and dealing with other family and John Bostock described in 1819 as a on the freshly minted azure sky outlined health issues. case of periodical affection of the eyes with purple and lavender clouds.

For many cultures the deer is a and chest, which he later called summer I went back inside the house to grab my symbol of spiritual authority. Deer are catarrh. It later became known as hay camera to capture the last few moments messengers and represent sensitivity, fever. of the Buck Moon going to bed before intuition and gentleness. Bucks Mayoclinic.org says hay fever – properly slipping below the horizon. symbolize speed, stamina and leadership. termed allergic rhinitis – causes cold-like The Buck Moon was the largest They have antlers symptoms like runny supermoon of 2022 and the second of nose, itchy eyes, three straight. Supermoons appear larger that grow closer to the sky and when congestion, sneezing than the average full moon and shine the antlers fall off and sinus pressure. It about 16% brighter because they reach and grow again, is an allergic response full phase near perigee – the closest it is a symbol of to what the body point to earth. The final supermoon of regeneration. defines as a harmful 2022 will be Aug. 11.

Not wanting to allergen.

Every month has a moon name. July disturb the two bucks For me, that is called the Buck Moon, but also goes that were less than was pollen. While by other Native American and cultural avoidance is one of a 100 yards away, I names such as Thunder Moon, Hay quietly crept out to the treatments, that is Moon, Berry Moon or Salmon Moon, our front porch for impossible when you among others. a closer view. Light live on a farm. From Buck Moon comes from the Native Chris Hardie fog was lifting as the the moment that the American Algonquin culture, referring trees budded in the deer enjoyed their to the time of the year when new antlers herbaceous breakfast, frequently lifting spring to the killing frost in the fall, my are rapidly growing on male deer. The their majestic heads to look around. spring and summer was the season of deer lose their antlers in the late winter agony in a phlegm-filled world.

I watched for a few minutes before or early spring but grow them back to full one buck, then the other, walked up Bostock – who suffered from hay fever size by mid-summer. our driveway, through our yard and himself – wrote about his symptoms A few minutes after taking the moon disappeared into the woods. and attempted cures. He tried bleeding, photos, I was sipping coffee inside the The night of the Buck Moon was over. purging, blisters, diet, bark, tonics, iron, house. I looked out our dining room opium, mercury, cold bathing, digitalis, I felt regenerated. window and as if on cue, there were two cold bathing and topical eye applications.

Bostock thought hay fever was a form of a summer cold, but suspected a link with grasses. “...an idea has been very generally prevailed, that it is produced by the effluvium from new hay, and it has hence obtained the popular name of hay fever,” he wrote.

It was another fellow hay fever-suffering British scientist Charles Blackley who in 1859 determined after many tests that it was not coumarin – the substance responsible for the smell of new hay – Photo contributed by Jerry Davis but rather pollen that was the cause.

The Buck Moon on the night of July 13 as seen in eastern Iowa County.

Thankfully my parents did not resort to purging or bleeding, but I did take WE'RE LOOKING FOR INTERNS AND COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTORS antihistamines. But even they were no match for the pollen that billowed out Looking for a challenge? of the hay. My dad’s solution to alleviate my symptoms was to have me unload the We are looking for interns/volunteers who want to be in the unique position to learn the nuts and hay wagons in the fresh air. bolts of a news media publication that started from the ground up.

It may have helped a little, but I would still be constantly sneezing, squinting You will have the chance to make an impact at the ground level of a startup and see the effect of Chris Hardie, Columnist

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

and snotting, wiping my face with the back of my hand as I unloaded the wagons. I looked demonic as it was normal for my puffy eyes to itch and burn and be fire red.

My worst enemy came mid-summer when the tassels emerged in the corn fields. The male flower of corn plants produce spikelets that grow anthers that contain pollen. A single corn plant can produce between two to five million pollen grains.

Once my developmentally disabled cousin got lost playing in the corn field.

We found her after a short search, but when I emerged my eyes had swollen shut because of the pollen.

In my early teens we decided to try immunotherapy as a treatment. The idea was to receive regular injections containing tiny amounts of allergens with the goal of getting your body used to them and decrease the need for medications.

The first step in this process is to determine what triggers allergies, which is done by injecting small amounts of allergens under the skin. If allergic, raised bumps or hives appear after 15 to minutes.

I was an allergy celebrity that day because the only allergen that did not evoke a positive response from me was dog. Mixed grasses swelled so quickly and grew so large that it overtook nearby injections. Nurses whispered in the hallway about never seeing anything like it before.

It was a small consolation that my misery was the cause of such medical excitement.

Immunotherapy was started – which can take years. It continued through high school and even into college before I stopped.

The good news – it worked. I am able to withstand the pollen season without many symptoms and don’t even take antihistamines much anymore. Unfortunately, the long-term allergies contributed to a couple of sinus surgeries, but I am no longer the sneezing, wheezing, mucus-manufacturer that I once was.

If only there was immunotherapy for getting old.

Chris Hardie spent more than 30 years as a reporter, editor and publisher.

He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and won dozens of state and national journalism awards. He is a former president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. Contact him at chardie1963@gmail.com.

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Photo contributed by Chris Hardie A lot of hay is full of mixed grasses, the source of hay fever.

Commentary/AGriculture

Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022 Page 5

Reflections from Lost Horizon Farm — Introduction Rising with the Herd: A Mooving Memoir from day, round the clock profession that a Dairy Farmer (1980-2000) Barb Garvoille, Columnist Each edition of this new series, retired dairy farmer Barb Garvoille brings her musings on dairy farm life from her own years of experience on Lost Horizon Farm, just north of Spring Green. This mooving memoir focuses on 1980-2000, join Barb as she rises with the herd. …

I am sharing a portrait of what life was like on our dairy farming operation.

You will "meet" my husband, Vince.

He moved to this valley farm just north of Spring Green in 1971 (with his parents and some of his siblings). After renting a smaller farm in Sun Prairie for many years, the Garvoilles were extraordinarily lucky to find and buy this farm. In great part, their find was facilitated by the vow of the Leo and Eva Lins estate to only sell their farm to another farmer. They waited over a year to find just the right farmer!

My becoming a farm wife began in 1980 when Vince and I were married.

We became the partners owning and operating Lost Horizon Farm.

Our children, Rebecca and Alyson, grew up on the farm. They learned to master various farm chores as they grew and matured. However, our mantra always remained clear: schoolwork comes first. River Valley afforded both girls an excellent K-12 education.

Straight away I called Vince, "Mr. Farmer." I found the moniker appropriate. Farm advertising often directed its spiel to "Mr. Farmer," in print and on radio and TV waves. Vince called me "Mrs. Farmer," or often just "Missus." Vince had the huge task of teaching me about farm life. After all, I was raised in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, went to university in upstate New York, and became an elementary school teacher. I knew absolutely nothing about farming, or what running a dairy farm entailed! In my defense, during high school, I did take the Kuder Preference Test, and number one on my vocational assessment was: FARMING! I really did think that dairy farmers milked cows twice a day and then sat in the house. You will read and learn, as I did, that farming with livestock is a 365-

can be very challenging. Fortunately, I learned quickly and had the greatest affinity for working with the animals.

I loved being between cows during

Barb Garvoille milking and being a "calf mama," caring for what farmers' affectionately call the "calfies." I especially liked milking at Christmastime because I could totally understand how Jesus had been born in the calming warmth of a barn.

Some innate sense made me quite expert in detecting when an animal was not well—lots of times prior to the appearance of symptoms.

Tractor work was never my forte. I was always fearful of equipment and the undulations in the land. As the years went by, I did pick up some knowledge of machinery parts. My long, narrow fingers were useful in gaining access to parts in tight spaces. To this day, I still wonder whether the people engineering equipment ever think about the person who has to get into the machine to make repairs?

My hope is that as you read my reminiscences, you will understand a bit more about farming and look at farms around the countryside with fresh eyes and know each home, each barn, each outbuilding holds stories of triumph and tribulation and reflects the people who lived and loved thereon.

Barb has called Lost Horizon Farm, just north of Spring Green, her home for the past 42 years. She is fond of all creatures (including snakes). Her joy stems from being able to be outdoors every day observing and treasuring the plant and animal life on her small piece of this planet. She loved milking cows and is proud to have been a dairy farmer.

Photo by Taylor Scott, Managing Editor Lost Horizon Farm, as pictured in July 2022. No dairy cows, but still full of life.

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille The late Vince "Mr. Farmer" Garvoille.

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille Rebecca, calf and Queenie in 1984.

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille Alyson, with Wilbur, in 1989.

Page 6

Community

Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022

COmmunitycalendar Events for July 29 - August 11 Friday, July 29 OUTDOOR LIVE MUSIC: Beth Killle at Wild Hills Winery 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM . Wild Hills Winery, 30940 Oakridge Dr., Muscoda . wildhillswinery.com . Beth Kille is a 22-time Madison Area Music Association (MAMA) award winning artist from Madison. From the intimacy of house concerts and coffee houses, to rockin’ out with her band at summer festivals, her love for the stage and genuine passion for performance shine through in all settings.

Plain Fire & EMS Celebration 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM . Plain Community Park, 925 Park Ave, Plain . Food, Cold Beer, and Entertainment all weekend long! Youth Softball Tournament Starting at 6 - Contact Dustin Myers (608) 354-1720. Midnight Divas DJ 6-10.

Saturday, July 30 Spring Green Farmers Market 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM . S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Communitv Public Library every Saturdav morning. Pre-orders are recommended. Visit our Facebook or Instagram page or email SGFarmersMarket@gmail.com for a list of participating vendors and their contact into.

Plain Fire & EMS Celebration 9:00 AM - 11:00 PM . Plain Community Park, 925 Park Ave, Plain . Youth Softball Tournament Contact Dustin Myers (608) 354-1720 . Travis Studnicka Memorial Volleyball Tournament Contact Nic Studnicka (608) 574-8886 - $60 to play . Food, Cold Beer, and Entertainment all weekend long! Inflatables & Fun for the Kids. 9 AM: Youth Softball Tournament, 10:30 AM: Volleyball Tournament, 12 PM: Bean Bag Registration, 1 PM: Bean Bag Tournament, 4-7 PM: Live Music by Donnie Reyzek, 8-11 PM: Live Music by Cherry Pie. ART WORKSHOP: Sumi-e Art and Spirituality Workshop 3 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM .

Arts Lab, 143 S. Washington Street, Spring Green . artslabspringgreen.org . Sumi-e is a Japanese technique that requires a decisive brushstroke to capture the essence of nature with black ink on rice paper. The technique will be taught by visiting Mexican arist Marialoli Torres. Paper and Ink will be provided and students will be offered links to purchase a Chinese or Japanese brush. Masking may be required depending the prevalence of Covid in the community. Registration Fee: Per session $45, Drop-in $50.

LIVE MUSIC: ChamberFest 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM . 137 South Albany St, Spring Green . springgreengeneralstore.com . Folk-Inspired Chamber Music Concert and Open Mic. A chamber music concert featuring folk-inspired pieces by Anton Arensky, Joseph Haydn, and Florence Price, then floor will open to the River Valley community to share their favorite folk tunes in an hour-long open mic at 1:30 PM. If you would like to perform at the open mic, please email karin@springgreengeneralstore.com. Free event with $10-20 suggested donation.

LIVE MUSIC: No End in Sight 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM . Wisconsin Riverside Resort, S13220 Shifflet Road, Spring Green . www.wiriversideresort.com . Join us for live music outside on the river stage! Drinks specials, great food and even better views!

LIVE MUSIC: Bubbles Brown 7:30 PM - 10:00PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . slowpokelounge.com . Bubbles Brown is a singer songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and two-piece outfit from Chicago. Bubbles and Washboard Ben cut their teeth on blues, folk, soul and country, taking musical influences from anywhere and everywhere, digesting them, and producing a sound totally unique, inspiringly fresh, and thoroughly compelling. The pair brings an aggressive and modern electricity to create a sound at-once both nostalgic and distinctly progressive. the bubbles brown sound defies expectations, and their rich and reverent brand of music greatly exceeds the sum of its parts. $10 in advance, $15 at the door

Sunday, July 31 Plain Fire & EMS Celebration 9:45 AM - 4:00 PM . Plain Community Park, 925 Park Ave, Plain . 9:45 AM: Parade Registration (Back Church parking lot) Cash prizes for top 3 places!, 11 AM: Parade, 12 PM: Chicken BBQ (@ Plain Community Park Drive thru available on Bridge Road), 12:30-4:30 Live Music by Hank Kimball & The County Agents, 1 PM: Children's Pedal Pull, 3-4 PM Fire Truck Rides.

Family Day at the Farm 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM . 4239 Reeson Rd, Barneveld . Join us for live music outside on the river stage! Drinks specials, great food and even better views! Flowers, Dairy, Gelato, Meat, Jams, and other local goods! petting zoo,yard games, raffle, and much more! For more information, look up : B. Kurt Dairy” on Facebook.

Sundays in July - Working with Hands 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM . Unity Chapel, 6557 County Hwy T, Spring Green . unitychapel.org Head, Heart, and Hand Series #3.

Speaker: Marvin Joles III. Join Marvin as he shares how he - against significant odds started a thriving business while also creating a supportive community within his industry.

LIVE MUSIC: ChamberFest 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM . 137 South Albany St, Spring Green . springgreengeneralstore.com . 12 PM and 1 PM: Children’s Concerts! ChamberFest will conclude with two Children’s Concerts featuring a live storyteller accompanied by a string trio. APT’s Josh Krause reciting The Snail and the Whale. Free event with $10-20 suggested donation.

LIVE MUSIC: Jambidextrous 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM . Wisconsin Riverside Resort, S13220 Shifflet Road, Spring Green . www.wiriversideresort.com . Join us for live music outside on the river stage! Drinks specials, great food and even better views!

Tarot Readings with BillieJo Scharfenberg 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM . North Earth Crystals & Gifts, 124 W. Jefferson St, Spring Green . northearth.com . BillieJo Scharfenberg began her journey with The Tarot in 1996. She uses her proficiency and knowledge to help clients make better life choices via the unique format and interpretive insights the cards offer. She has read Tarot cards professionally, both for individuals and groups, for nearly twenty years. She brings her experience, a combination of study and practical knowledge, as well as a keen devotion to the practice, to each reading in order to help you navigate your life path. $50 per half hour session. Walk-in appointments will be taken as availability allows. Time slots fill up quickly, so please call 608.588.3313 to set up an appointment.

Monday, August 1 Free Family Flick 1:00 PM - 2:45 PM . Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . All ages are invited to enjoy a free, family-friendly flick at the library! This Week's showing will be of Atlantis: The Lost Empire. A young linguist named Milo Thatch joins an intrepid group of explorers to find the mysterious lost continent of Atlantis. Children under 6 must have parent or caregiver present. Popcorn and beverage provided. PG 1h 35m.

Trivia Night 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . slowpokelounge.com . Join us for a night of Trivia! Kyle Adams will host as we put teams together for a contest of trivia. Come for the prizes, stay for the fun! First Question at 7:00 - and it should last about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Tuesday, August 2 Toddler Storytime 10:00 AM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green . (608) 588-2276 . Join your friends for a fun and interactive storytime!

You can expect songs, stories, rhymes, puppets, crafts, and more. Activities are geared toward children aged zero to two, but all are welcome!

Summer Family Storytime 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM . Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . Join us on Tuesday mornings until August 9th for our Summer Storytimes. Programs are geared toward children ages 3-5, but siblings and friends are always welcome. All children must attend with an adult. For info contact Brittany at bsorg@kraemerlibrary.org. Open to all ages.

Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult. Popcorn and/or snacks included.

Open Play 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM . Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . Children 6 and under along with their caregivers are welcome to come to the library for an open play time on Tuesdays. Meet up with friends old and new. Various toys and space for unstructured play provided. Think of it as a play-date where no one has to clean their house! Open to all ages. Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult. Popcorn and/or snacks included.

The Power of Pollinators 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM . The Octagon Barn, E4350 Horseshoe Rd, Spring Green . xerces.org . Micah Kloppenburg of Xerces Society & Scott Weber and Muffy Barrett of Bluestem Farm presenting on the connections between people, plants, and pollinators in our landscape. Scott Weber and Muffy Barrett of Bluestem Farm will present on their 40+ years of experience restoring habitat, local native pollinators and the work of Prairie Enthusiasts. This event is free and open to the public.

Tutoring and Snack With Grandma Pat 6:00 PM -7:00 PM . 234 N. Broadway St, Lone Rock. . lonerocklbrary.wordpress.com . Open to River Valley k-2nd Graders who need extra help keeping up academically in the summer. Receive one-on one tutoring with local volunteers and a yummy snack!

Rec Adult Softball Games 7:00 PM . Spring Green Municipal Park, Park Dr, Spring Green . Every Tuesday at the North Park. This is just a relaxing, for fun adult softball game to meet people, stay in good physical health, and to enjoy life. Bring your glove, a ball, bat if you have one, helmet if you desire, and an awesome personality. Hope to see you there. For more info search “RV Adult Rec Sports” on Facebook.

Wednesday, August 3 Summer Storytime 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . (608) 588-2276 . Join us for a story read by Ms. Grace and a nature walk afterwards to learn about the plants and animals in the area!

SOLD OUT – LIVE MUSIC: Shitty Barn Session 267: Radio Free Honduras7:00 PM .

506 E Madison St, Spring Green . shittybarnsessions.com . Doors open at 6 . Radio Free Honduras came together in Chicago in 2013 with the mission of supporting the artistry of Honduran folk music legend Carlos Barahona (aka Charlie Baran). While heavily influenced by the Punta-rock genre that Baran and his contemporaries in the Honduran music scene pioneered, this band performs a wide variety of styles that they generally refer to as Latin Americana. Advance tickets sold out. That sald, tickets often come up that people can't use. Check website or socials for the latest detalls about ticket availability.

Thursday, August 4 Summer Storytime + 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM . Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock . lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com . Join us this summer for stories and crafts! Geared toward ages 3-7, but all are welcome.

Sand Art 1:00 PM . Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain .

(608) 588-2276 . Think of the beach as you do a relaxing sand art craft. Kids can use different colors of sand to make an exciting underwater design. Sign-up is required.

Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM . Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green . springgreengeneralstore.com . The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome.

Wine & Yoga 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM . Wild Hills Winery, 30940 Oakridge Dr., Muscoda . wildhillswinery.com . Come for the wine specials...stay for a peaceful and rejuvenating yoga session with certified instructor Lara Carpenter. All sessions are held outdoors in our vineyard. Yoga sessions are $10 cash only.

Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM . Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. Spring Green . ninasdepartmentstore.com . Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm.

Friday,August 5 THEATER: APT’s Spring Green Night - A Raisin in the Sun 8:00 PM . American Players Theater, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green . americanplayers.org . Tickets are just $25 for River Valley School District Residents . On the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s, the Youngers have lost their patriarch. But with this tragedy comes a a $10,000 insurance payment that could change their lives. It soon becomes clear that everyone has different ideas about how the money should be used. A classic that examines the ways racism suppresses the lives and aspirations of Black families. Use promo code SG22 in person at the APT Box Office, by phone at 608-588-2361.

Saturday, August 6 Spring Green Farmers Market 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM . S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Communitv Public Library every Saturdav morning. Pre-orders are recommended. Visit our Facebook or Instagram page or email SGFarmersMarket@gmail.com for a list of participating vendors and their contact into.

ART WORKSHOP: Sumi-e Art and Spirituality Workshop 4 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM .

Arts Lab, 143 S. Washington Street, Spring Green . artslabspringgreen.org . Sumi-e is a Japanese technique that requires a decisive brushstroke to capture the essence of nature with black ink on rice paper. The technique will be taught by visiting Mexican arist Marialoli Torres. Paper and Ink will be provided and students will be offered links to purchase a Chinese or Japanese brush. Masking may be required. Registration Fee: Per session $45, Drop-in $50.

LIVE MUSIC: Eliza Edens Band with Katie Scullin 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . slowpokelounge.com . Eliza Edens weaves together disparate influences of people and place into her work to create mesmerizing sonic tapestries with guitar and voice. The resulting sound is a diverse palette of guitar-based, experimental folk-rock centered around Edens gently cradled voice and brimming at the edges with pockets of sonic whimsy. Katie Scullin, whether performing solo or backed by her band, Katie’s sound pulls from the influences of pop, rock, and soul, tied together by her signature rhythm guitar, broad vocal range, and newly infused keys. $15 in advance, $20 at the door

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Community Events for July 29 - August 11 Sunday, August 7 LIVE MUSIC: Concert at the Brown Church by the Quartessence String Quartet 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM . The Brown Church, 29864 Brown Church Road, Lone Rock . The Quartessence String Quartet with musicians from the Madison Symphony Orchestra, will be giving a concert at the Brown Church playing Classical and American Traditional Music. $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Harrisburg School & Museum Open House 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM . Harrisburg One-Room School House, E7646 Cty Rd. B, Spring Green . www.harrisburgtroyhistoricalsociety.com . Restored one-room school, veterans exhibit, farm equipment museum, area historical memorabilia.

SOLD OUT - Artist Speaker Salon: Andrew Pielage 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM . 5607 County Rd C, Spring Green . taliesinpreservatoin.org . This Speaker Salon is a great opportunity to meet the artist in person, learn about the curatorial thought behind the Photo Exhibition and view it through the lens of the artist and how Wright’s unique designs inspired his work. The show features over thirty photographs of Andrew Pielage’s work from a dozen Wright sites, with pieces selected to highlight Wright’s use of light, texture, and composition to create sanctified space. Audiences will leave inspired to see and view familiar spaces in a new and explorative way.

Monday, August 8 Morrill Lecture Series — The culture of agriculture: Family, farms, and farming in a changing world 6:30 PM . Octagon Barn, E4350 Horseshoe Rd, Spring Green . stef@rivervalleycommons.org . During this special event, James Ridge and Sarah Day will present poems from ANCESTRAL by Daniel Smith. Farmers Kal Maxwell, Dale Clark, and Yvonne BrownVon will share their stories in a panel discussion moderated by Joy Kirkpatrick. Daniel Smith’s ANCESTRAL draws from the thirty years he farmed his family’s dairy farm. It explores a family’s deep attachment to the land, the physical work of farming, and the emotional disruption one endures when such a life is no longer sustainable.

LIVE MUSIC: Acromusical 7:30 PM . Unity Chapel, 6597 County T, Spring Green . ruralmusiciansforum.org . Join us for live music outside on the river stage! Drinks specials, great food and even better views! Spreading the joy of the berimbau, the Afro-Brazilian musical bow. Admission is free. A $15 goodwill ofering is suggested.

Tuesday, August 9 Storytime at South Park 10:00 AM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green . (608) 588-2276 . Join us on election day at South Park for storytime, songs, and fun at the shelter by the playground!

Summer Family Storytime 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM . Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . Join us on Tuesday mornings until August 9th for our Summer Storytimes. Programs are geared toward children ages 3-5, but siblings and friends are always welcome. All children must attend with an adult. For info contact Brittany at bsorg@kraemerlibrary.org. Open to all ages.

Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult. Popcorn and/or snacks included.

Open Play 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM . Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . Children 6 and under along with their caregivers are welcome to come to the library for an open play time on Tuesdays. Meet up with friends old and new. Various toys and space for unstructured play provided. Think of it as a play-date where no one has to clean their house! Open to all ages. Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult. Popcorn and/or snacks included.

Ocean STEM Explorers 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM . Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . Each week a new set of STEM projects will be available for kids to explore. This week: The Wonders of water.

Wisconsin Concealed Carry Class in Spring Green 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM . Spring Green Community Center, 117 S. Washington Street, Spring Green . We teach a relaxed 2.5 hour class, with a focus on law. This class will give you answers to all your questions. Topics include things such as prohibited places, use of force, traveling armed, interacting with law enforcement as well as firearm safety rules, safe storage, handling, transportation. This class will allow you to get your Wisconsin permit to carry valid in 30 states. No pre-registration needed, just show up. Cost is $80 cash/check only.

Rec Adult Softball Games 7:00 PM . Spring Green Municipal Park, Park Dr, Spring Green . Every Tuesday at the North Park. This is just a relaxing, for fun adult softball game to meet people, stay in good physical health, and to enjoy life. Bring your glove, a ball, bat if you have one, helmet if you desire, and an awesome personality. Hope to see you there. For more info search “RV Adult Rec Sports” on Facebook.

Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022 Page 7

WHAT’S HANGINg ? ongoing art exhibitions

SACRED SPACES: FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT X ANDREW PIELAGE Open Daily 9:00 AM 5:00 PM Through August . Taliesin Preservation, Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Road C, Spring Green . taliesinpreservation.org . Meet the Photographer: Artist Speaker Salon: Andrew Pielage Sunday, August 7, 2022 5-7 PM at the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center. Registration Required.

Local Art at the Library: Sue Johnson and Paula Washow Hours Vary . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . Throughout July, Sue Johnson is exhibiting her paintings in the Community Room Gallery and Paula Washow is exhibiting her assemblage sculpture in the Glass Case Gallery at the Spring Green Community Library during regular library hours: Monday-Thursday: 10 AM - 7 PM .

Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM . Friday: 9 AM - 1 PM . “The origin of my eclectic art interests is the need for unnecessary pottery. Creating functional, utilitarian pieces of pottery is both practical and enjoyable. After my friends and family members’ cupboards were full of bowls, cups, spoons, plates, teapots and vases; creative sculptures spoke to me.

Sculptures allowed me the freedom to explore, design and express clay in a playful, creative way. Giving myself permission to create non-utilitarian art led to learning to make handmade paper from retired clothes/fabric in a Hollander mixer, which led to watercolor painting on the paper. The endless universe of creating art revealed itself.”

Local Art at the Library: Jill Metcoff and Ed Wohl Hours Vary . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . Throughout August, Jill Metcoff is exhibiting her photos in the Community Room Gallery and Ed Wohl is exhibiting his woodworking in the Glass Case Gallery at the Spring Green Community Library during regular library hours: Monday-Thursday: 10 AM - 7 PM . Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM . Friday: 9 AM - 1 PM .

Art in the Woods Sunrise - Sunset . Throughout APT property, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green . americanplayers.org . FREE . Art in the Woods is a series of art installations displayed throughout the APT property. Art that evokes conversation, that intertwines with our landscape, that sparks your imagination. Art in the Woods is presented with major support from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

Taliesin Preservation Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Road C, Spring Green. Open Daily 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Through August taliesinpreservation.org

Local Art at the Library: Sue Johnson and Paula Washow

Wednesday, August 10 Storytime at Bakken’s Pond10:30 AM - 11:30 AM . Bakken's Pond State Natural Area, Kennedy Road, Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.org . Join us for a story read by Ms. Grace and a nature walk afterwards to learn about the plants and animals in the area!

LIVE MUSIC: Shitty Barn Session 268: Frank Catalano 7:00 PM . 506 E Madison St, Spring Green . shittybarnsessions.com . Doors open at 6 . $25. In 2022, Legendary Saxman Frank Catalano will be touring the USA, Europe and Asia extensively as well as releasing a collection of recordings from his many performances at New York’s legendary Birdland Jazz Club. These recordings feature Herbie Hancock Headhunters alum Mike Clark and will be Frank’s 5th album on the Ropeadope label.

Thursday, August 11 Summer Storytime + 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM . Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock . lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com . Join us this summer for stories and crafts! Geared toward ages 3-7, but all are welcome.

Movie Float-in 10:30 AM . Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . Ahoy Mateys! Live the life of a pirate by creating a ship and sailing through a showing of your favorite Muppet movie. Children under 6 must be accompanied. G 1h 40m.

Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM . Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green . springgreengeneralstore.com . The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome.

End of Summer Bash! 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green . (608) 588-2276 . Celebrate all your time spent reading this summer with the Spring Green Library! Enjoy games, prizes, ice cream and more in the community room and on the East lawn. Prizes will be for those who participated in the 2022 Summer Library program, but all are welcome!

Wine & Yoga 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM . Wild Hills Winery, 30940 Oakridge Dr., Muscoda . wildhillswinery.com . Come for the wine specials...stay for a peaceful and rejuvenating yoga session with certified instructor Lara Carpenter. All sessions are held outdoors in our vineyard. Yoga sessions are $10 cash only.

Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM . Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. Spring Green . ninasdepartmentstore.com . Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm.

Evenings Afield: Farming Systems for Healthy Driftless Soils 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM .

Zimmer Farm, 6679 State Road 23, Spring Green . driftlessconservancy.org . As residents of the Driftless Area have changed over time, so have agricultural practices.

See this evolution in action by exploring a farm managed by one of today's leading experts in farming systems focused on maximizing soil health, particularly in areas with diverse topography and hydrology. Leader: Gary Zimmer. Registration required.

Spring Green Community Library 230 E. Monroe St.

Spring Green

Open month of July

Local Art at the Library: Jill Metcoff and Ed Wohl Spring Green Community Library 230 E. Monroe St.

Spring Green

Open during August

ART IN THE WOODS APT property, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green JULY THROUGH OCTOBER, SUNRISE TO SUNSET

“The good stuff.”

Page 8

Community

Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022

COVID-19 Dashboard Wisconsin Summary Cases as of 7/27/2022

1,561,247 Positive Cases +23,931 from 7/13

13,215 Deaths +40 from 7/13

Updated: 7/27/2022

Vaccine Summary Statistics

covid case activity level

Updated: 7/27/2022

Updated: 7/27/2022 This map shows the current CDC COVID-19 Community Level for each county in Wisconsin. Community levels measure the impact of COVID-19 illness on health and health care systems in communities.

COVID-19 community levels can help communities and individuals make decisions based on their local context and their unique needs. Community vaccination coverage and other local information can also inform decision-making for health officials and individuals.

5,879,952

9,997,596

Pfizer doses administered

Total doses administered

3,772,979

Moderna doses administered

2,059,150

2,557,040

Total boosters administered

First Booster Administered

344,665

Johnson & Johnson doses administered

517,870

Second Booster Administered

Vaccine Data These two core measures are measures of herd immunity in Richland, Sauk and Iowa County.

We do not yet know what level of vaccination leads to herd immunity for COVID-19, or how current or future variants might affect herd immunity. We know based on other diseases that herd immunity is likely at least 60%, and if more transmissible variants become more common, that threshold may become higher, so the current target range is 60-90%. -Adapted from Madison Public Health and Dane County

county level weekly statistics Richland County 4,330 Positive Cases

+74 from 7/13

51 Deaths

+0 from 7/13

Richland

Target Range

Sauk

59.9%

65.5%

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

Iowa County 6,003 Positive Cases

+13 from 7/13

30 Deaths

+0 from 7/13

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

62.7%

57.7%

Percent fully vaccinated

Percent fully vaccinated

Sauk County

Target Range

Iowa

17,780 Positive Cases

+271 from 7/13

138 Deaths

+0 from 7/13

Updated: 7/13/2022

Target Range

70.4% Percent with at least one vaccine dose

67.8% Percent fully vaccinated

Cases per zip code

Percent of Wisconsin residents ages 5-11 who have received at least one dose by county

Cases as of 7/27/2022

Updated: 7/27/2022

Lower %

Higher %

Richland County Ages 5-11

19.2%

Iowa County Ages 5-11

Percent of Wisconsin residents who have received at least one dose

32.8% Sauk County Ages 5-11

Ages

26.3% Dane County Ages 5-11

Graphic by juliAnna Williams

60%

Updated: 7/27/2022

5-11 12-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

Data From: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm

28.6% 62.2% 61% 64.8% 69.7% 72% 78.3% 85.1%

SPoRtS/Community

Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022 Page 9

Home talent baseball Plain A's claim lead in eighth inning to defeat Cross Plains The Plain Athletics nabbed the lead late in the game in a 6-5 victory over Cross Plains on July 16. The game was tied at five with Plain A's batting in the bottom of the eighth when Will Jewell singled on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring one run.

Cross Plains scored three runs in the sixth inning, but Plain A's still managed to pull out the victory. Cross Plains scored its runs on a double by Drew Meinholz.

Plain A's scored four runs in the seventh inning. Plain A's's big bats in the inning were led by a walk by Logan Morris, a single by Brock Mahoney, and a groundout by Jewell.

Morris led the Plain A's to victory on the hill. Morris went five innings,

allowing one run on five hits and striking out one. Zach Cady and Jared VanBramer entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief.

Bryce Duhr took the loss for Cross Plains. The hurler surrendered one run on four hits over six innings, striking out eight.

Plain A's tallied nine hits on the day. Jewell, Foster Milanowski, and Mahoney each racked up multiple hits for Plain A's. Jewell went 3-for-5 at the plate to lead Plain A's in hits.

Will Doherty led Cross Plains with two hits in five at bats. Cross Plains was sure-handed and didn't commit a single error. Remington Lockwood made the most plays with eight.

Plain A's lose lead early in defeat The Plain Athletics fell behind early and couldn't come back in an 8-0 loss to Middleton on July 17. Middleton scored on a fielder's choice by Ross Hellenbrand and a single by Jacob Ross in the second inning.

The Plain A's struggled to contain the high-powered offense of Middleton, giving up eight runs.

Middleton got on the board in the

second inning. Hellenbrand hit into a fielder's choice, scoring one run.

A single by Quinten Bruno in the second inning was a positive for Plain A's.

Easton Zempel led things off on the hill for Middleton. The hurler allowed two hits and zero runs over six innings, striking out five.

Daniel Yanke toed the rubber

Photo by Tara Mahoney Starting pitcher Logan Morris throws against Cross Plains July 16. for Plain A's. The bulldog allowed six hits and five runs over four innings, striking out two and walking one. Justin Yanke and Jared VanBramerentered the game as relief, throwing two innings and two innings respectively.

Bruno went 2-for-4 at the plate to

lead Plain A's in hits.

Middleton racked up ten hits in the game. Zempel and Hellenbrand all had multiple hits for Middleton.

Middleton didn't commit a single error in the field. Ross had nine chances in the field, the most on the team.

hits and one run over seven innings, striking out six.

Daniel Yanke was on the pitcher's mound for Plain A's . Yanke surrendered five runs on five hits over four innings, striking out three. Brock Mahoney threw three innings in relief.

Plain A's tallied one home run on the day. Ryan Klein had a four bagger in the seventh inning.

Logan Morris, Klein, Mahoney, and Trey White each collected one hit to lead Plain A's .

Black Earth racked up 13 hits in the game. Barsness, Howard, and Watkins all managed multiple hits for Black Earth. Black Earth was surehanded and didn't commit a single error. Watkins made the most plays with six.

Plain A's lose lead early in back-to-back defeat The Plain Athletics watched the game slip away early and couldn't recover in a 12-1 loss to Black Earth on July 22. Black Earth took the lead on an error in the second inning.

The Plain A's struggled to put runs on the board and had a tough time defensively containing Black Earth, giving up 12 runs.

Black Earth opened up scoring in the

second inning, when an error scored one run for Black Earth.

Black Earth scored eight runs in the fifth inning. Tyler Krause, Casey Owen, Curtis Barsness, Danny Watkins, Mitch Howard, and Marcus Caminitti each had RBIs in the big inning.

Bryce Hopwood was on the hill for Black Earth. The pitcher allowed four

Paulus's walk-off seals the deal in Plain A's victory over Waunakee The Plain Athletics took their game in dramatic walk-off fashion July 24 for their season closer, thanks to a walkoff home run at the end of the game to topple Waunakee. The game was tied at four with Plain A's batting in the bottom of the ninth when Zach Paulus hit a solo homer.

Plain A's earned the victory despite allowing Waunakee to score three runs in the third inning. Waunakee offense in the inning was led by Dana Luebke and Riley Ripp, all knocking in runs in the inning.

Plain A's got things moving in the first

inning, when Zach Cady singled on a 1-2 count, scoring one run.

Plain A's knotted the game up at four in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Brock Mahoney homered on a 0-1 count, scoring two runs.

Logan Morris took the win for Plain A's . The righty lasted three innings, allowing four hits and zero runs while walking zero. Cady threw four innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Blake Bieri took the loss for Waunakee. The pitcher allowed ten hits and five runs over eight innings, striking out 14 and walking zero.

Jared VanBramer started the game for Plain A's . VanBramer allowed two hits and zero runs over two innings, striking out two and walking zero Plain A's socked three home runs on the day. Mahoney had a dinger in the eighth inning. Paulus went for the long ball in the seventh and ninth innings.

Plain A's racked up ten hits in the game. Paulus, Will Jewell, and Mahoney each collected multiple hits for Plain A's. Paulus led Plain A's with three hits in four at bats.

Waunakee tallied 12 hits in the game.

Luebke, Misha Capoul, Ripp, and

Howie Rickett all collected multiple hits for Waunakee. Luebke went 3-for-5 at the plate to lead Waunakee in hits.

Waunakee didn't commit a single error in the field. Rickett had the most chances in the field with 15.

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The Plain Athletics finish out their season with a record of 4-9 on the year.

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Commentary/arts

Page 10 Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022 Founder of Arena purportedly author of 1858 Wisconsin abortion law in effect continued from page 3

abortions in large numbers. It’s The man who drafted and promoted it impossible to know how many were was William Henry Brisbane. He was a performed by doctors, midwives, stern, bearded physician, [state senate or women themselves or how many chief clerk], and Baptist preacher proceeded safely and successfully. An who moved to Wisconsin from South 1879 report by the Wisconsin Medical Carolina and founded the village of Society stated that “Where one living Arena, about 60 miles southeast of child is born into the world, two are Nancy’s grave. Brisbane is noted in done away with by means of criminal the Wisconsin abortion.”

Historical That was Society probably an archives as exaggeration. an outspoken Nationwide abolitionist. surveys put But his name the fraction of doesn’t appear pregnancies in a search for terminated “abortion.” during this This gap in time closer to the historical one-third. record could Laws were lead one to leading to assume that changes by the 1858 the end of the antiabortion 19th century, law was the though. work of a Midwives statewide and doctors movement, or a who induced political party, miscarriages when it was started to be Dr. William Henry Brisbane more like one prosecuted. man’s crusade.

Inquests into Brisbane admitted to Storer, his AMA women’s deaths from abortion exposed colleague, that his law likely couldn’t them. Churches, which hadn’t opposed be enforced. But, he wrote, its existence abortion before, joined the antiabortion “would probably have a moral influence movement. Women’s conversations to prevent (abortion) to some extent.” went deeper underground. Traditional It didn’t. For a long while, women wisdom was lost as elders died. ignored Brisbane’s law. None would Nancy’s generation would have known be punished for breaking it in the 19th more about abortion than the next century. After all, women took care of three generations of women. Then, a their private matters privately. No one century after her death, the passage could know for sure that a woman had of Roe v. Wade improved access to had an abortion unless she died from it. and information about abortion again.

Across the country, politicians and It made the procedure more easily AMA physicians, fueled by perceived available to a wider group of women threats to their power and professional than it had been since the turn of the status, pushed for more antiabortion 20th century. legislation. The 1873 Comstock Act, As in Nancy’s time, abortion is still which regulated obscenity, forbade safer than staying pregnant or birthing ads for abortion services, tinctures, a child in the U.S. A 2012 analysis and pills. By 1880, every state had of data from the Centers for Disease passed laws to prohibit terminating a Control and Prevention revealed pregnancy intentionally at any point that between 1998 and 2005, women after conception. were 15 times more likely to die from Nevertheless, women kept seeking childbirth than legal abortion.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Brisbane’s law and other, subsequent prohibitions on abortion are in effect again in Wisconsin. But also as in Nancy’s time, restrictions on abortion don’t lead fewer women to seek abortions. Restrictions do, however, present significant obstacles — and risks. For rural, underresourced, Hispanic, and Black women especially, making abortion illegal or difficult to access increases threats to pregnant women’s health.

I’m sure Nancy’s family and neighbors found her death tragic. The women who stood by as her casket was lowered might have thought, Poor dear. Or, It could have been any of us. But they wouldn’t have considered the reason for her death immoral, any more than young women today would think less of

a friend for being on the pill. Although the doctor’s footnote to her death was exceptional, Nancy Ann Harris was simply an ordinary woman, like any modern woman doing what’s best for her well-being and circumstances.

Tamara Dean has written for Orion magazine and The Southern Review, among other publications. The author of the book "The Human-Powered Home," she now lives in Madison. Her essay “Slow Blues,” published in the Autumn 2020 issue of The American Scholar, was a National Magazine Award finalist. Reprinted from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel with permission fromt the author. A version of this commentary first appeared in The American Scholar and The Guardian.

Photos via Wisconsin Historical Society Brisbane's residence in Arena, still standing today.

The Culture of Agriculture: Family, Farms, and Farming in A Changing World continued from page 1 she collaborates with colleagues to provide educational programs and information on farm succession planning. Kirkpatrick has extensive

experience facilitating farm succession discussions with farm businesses and farm families. Joy is honored to work with farm families on some of their most personal issues when working on

farm succession planning. Since 2016, Kirkpatrick has also focused on farmer wellbeing and mental health and is a certified adult Mental Health First Aid trainer.

This event is partially supported by UW-Madison Division of Extension, the UW Center for Dairy Profitability, and a CHS Farmer Health and Wellbeing grant.

Introducing ChamberFest, a two-day celebration of classical music and folk traditions continued from page 1

Photo via UW-Madison Extension People gather at the Octagon Barn in Spring Green for an event.

Open Mic. Following the folk-inspired chamber music concert, ChamberFest will open the floor to the River Valley community to share their favorite folk tunes in an hour-long open mic. ● Sunday, July 31st at 12 PM and 1 PM: Children’s Concerts featuring Josh Krause from American Players Theatre. Krause will recite Julia Donaldson’s charming story The Snail and the Whale with a live string trio underscore featuring works by Scott Joplin, Edward Grieg, and more. These fun and inclusive concerts will invite music lovers of all ages to learn more about the instruments, ask questions about the music and featured composers, and enjoy the art of storytelling with a live

soundtrack.

All ChamberFest events are free with a $10-$20 suggested donation. You can make a tax-deductible donation to ChamberFest through their fiscal receiver, Create Wisconsin, at www. mightycause.com/story/Chamberfest.

Cash and check donations will be accepted at all concerts.

Additional details can be found on the ChamberFest page on the Spring Green General Store website: springgreengeneralstore.com/ chamber-fest ChamberFest is supported in part by grants from River Valley ARTS, Sauk County Extension Education, Arts & Culture Committee, and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.

Community/Outdoors

Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022 Page 11

The Sauk County Gardener Harvesting Vegetables Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener

“The delicate sweetness of just-picked vegetables is always worth savoring.”

- Samin Nosrat This past week was a busy one.

I spent a good amount of time in my gardens prepping them for our upcoming Garden Tour. I also spent some time in the Sauk County Master Gardeners Association’s booth at the Sauk County Fair promoting the Master Gardener Volunteer program.

Even though I was quite busy, my vegetable garden didn’t stop growing.

My beans are starting to come in nicely, I’m harvesting the last of my peas, several pepper plants are ready to be picked, some onions are ready to be pulled and I think my garlic is also ready. Yes, it’s that time of year when the vegetable garden starts to really

share its bounty.

Here's a short refresher course on when to harvest some of your vegetables.

Basil – harvest it as soon as the flower buds appear but before they open.

Beans (pole or bush) – pick when they are pencil thick before the seeds bulge.

Beets – harvest when 1-1/2 to 3 inches in diameter to prevent them from becoming tough or woody. Eat the leaves when they are at 4 to 6 inches long.

Broccoli – cut the heads when they are dark green, the buds are compact and before they start to flower or turn yellow. Don’t pull the plant as many times you will continue to get smaller heads after the first initial cut.

Brussel sprouts – harvest when they are about 1 inch in diameter. Don’t strip the leaves as they need them for

How to Maintain and Keep your Gardens Producing in August Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener

“I love borders. August is the border between summer and autumn; it is the most beautiful month I know."

- Tove Jansson This past weekend I visited the gardens on the SCMGA-sponsored Annual Garden Tour. It was quite impressive to see what these gardeners had done with their gardens despite the challenges some of their properties had. There were numerous variations of vegetable gardens in addition to the beautiful annual and perennial gardens. It was wonderful seeing gardening techniques I’ve read and learned about put into practice. I’d like to give a big shout out to all the garden hosts and local sponsors for making this event a success. If you didn’t attend this year, you really missed out.

The event will be held again next July 22, 2023, so mark your calendar.

With August’s arrival, vegetable harvesting continues in earnest.

Keep beans, peppers, and eggplants picked to encourage more production and allow younger fruit to develop.

If you can, freeze, pickle, or use any other type of food preservation, visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation at https://nchfp.uga. edu/ for current research-based and SAFE recommendations for home food preservation methods. Pick herbs before they blossom for best flavor. Keep zucchinis and summer squash picked before they develop into baseball bats. Don’t be in a rush to pull up your onions. My onions have fallen over but the tops are still green.

Let the tops brown and dry out so they store well over the winter. Plant late crops of radishes, lettuce, spinach, and beets.

Maintain consistent watering for tomatoes and peppers to help prevent blossom end rot. If your tomatoes or peppers develop blossom end rot, you can’t rid of it on the fruit itself.

You can, however, prevent it from developing on more tomatoes. Develop

a consistent watering plan and test to see if your garden needs more calcium; add if needed. Inconsistent watering or a calcium deficit in your soil are the most common causes of end rot.

Consider letting some of your heirloom plants go to seed. Then harvest and save some of the seeds for the next growing season. Heirloom seeds stay true to their characteristics year after year. I like to save the seeds from heirloom tomatoes that I find to be most delicious. If you decide to not plant another succession crop, plant a cover crop in areas of your garden that are not in use. Consider using them to add nutrients back into your garden and help suppress weeds until you are ready to use the space next growing season.

Attend to berry patches by tip layer to expand your black raspberry batch and fertilize your strawberry patch based on the type you are growing. Visit https://barron.extension.wisc.edu/ files/2021/09/Growing-Strawberriesin-WI-A1597.pdf for more information on growing strawberries.

In your perennial beds, there’s not a lot that needs to be done other than deadheading and weeding. Keep your garden phlox deadheaded and not allowed to go to seed if you want their color to remain true. Believe it or not, but it’s time to order spring-blooming bulbs for fall planting.

Register now for “Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening” through the UW Wisconsin Horticulture – Division of Extension. The course runs from September 11 – December 10, 2022. Students learn key concepts for selecting, growing, and maintaining plants in Wisconsin. For more information, visit: https://hort. extension.wisc.edu/foundations-ingardening/.

If you have any gardening questions, please contact the Extension Sauk County by emailing to trripp@ wisc.edu or calling the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County office at 608355-3250.

growth.

Cucumber – harvest when 6 inches long or as soon as they are big enough to use.

Garlic – check the bulbs to see if they are big enough when the leaves are 1/3 brown. If you’re satisfied with the size, it’s time to harvest. Once the leaves are a half to two-thirds brown, they need to be harvested, no matter what.

Kale – leaves should be harvested when they are about the size of your hand to prevent toughness.

Onions – pull when the tops turn brown and fall over.

Summer Squash and Zucchini – pick when they are 6 to 8 inches long.

Tomatoes – leave them on the vine as long as possible for the best flavor. The perfect tomato should be slightly firm and plump, have glossy rich-colored skin, and smell amazing.

Registration is now open for

“Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening” through the UW Wisconsin Horticulture – Division of Extension.

This online introductory course runs from September 11 – December 10, 2022. Students learn key concepts for selecting, growing, and maintaining plants in Wisconsin- from trees to houseplants to vegetables. The course is open to the public and is the first step in becoming a future Master Gardener Volunteer. For more information, visit: https://hort. extension.wisc.edu/foundations-ingardening/.

The Sauk County Master Gardeners Association’s 2022 Annual Garden Tour is Saturday, July 30 from 9 am to 3 pm. Day of event tickets are $15 and can be purchased onsite at either Baraboo Community Gardens or the Pioneer Log Village.

Celebrate grasslands with a

POLLINATOR PARTY! Bloomfield Prairie 3149 County Farm Rd, Dodgeville Saturday, August 13th, 10am - 2pm We're having a pollinator party! Head out to the beautiful Bloomfield Prairie for a fun day of learning and exploring.

Photo: M. Roelli

All Day: Come Explore!

Go on a story walk across the prairie Find resources on supporting pollinators on your own property Enjoy delicious snacks!

Morning Session: Take a Deep Dive

10:30 – 11:00: Join a tutorial on WiBee, the easy-to-use Wild Bee App 11:00 – 11:30: Learn what makes great pollinator habitat in a planted prairie 11:30: Take a hike with a WI pollinator expert from the Xerxes Society

Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Afternoon Session: Catch the Buzz

12:30 - 1:00: Kids and parents alike can learn lots from our familyfriendly pollinator presentation 1:00: Stroll through the prairie and see amazing plants and animals with Driftless naturalists

Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Questions? Contact Emilee Martell at emilee@driftlessconservancy.org

Sponsored in collaboration with The Prairie Enthusiasts by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

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Outdoors & Recreation

Page 12 Thursday, JuLy 28, 2022

An Outdoorsman’s Journal Mark Walters, Columnist

Lucky Cat

play on top of it while I paddled along.

Tonight, the current was very powerful.

As I am most of you are aware I am Blaster had been playing on the top for taking a month off from my travels a few minutes. What she would do was as I go through the process of taking chase bugs. care of everything required due to My canoe was a solo (one man), so I my beautiful girlfriend Michelle would sit in the middle. I was talking Chiaro’s unexpected death. to a man who was fishing from the This week’s column is one day’s shoreline. I would just hold myself in account in 1987 of my larger attempt one spot by lightly paddling forward. to paddle up the entire Mississippi I had been talking to him for a few River. minutes when I noticed Blaster was Thank you to all of you for your gone. I looked over the side of the patience! canoe and there was Blaster being *** taken away by the current. I scooped This is a story of a canoe trip I took her up and that was that. on the Mississippi River in 1987. I Now, this is not something I have told started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a lot of people, but Blaster and I had canoed 230 miles to the Gulf of a way of communicating that worked Mexico and then turned around and really well. I would meow to her, and headed north, canoeing against the she would meow right back and come current with Lake Itasca in North to me right away.

Central Minnesota being my goal. I Blaster was playing on the back of the am able to write this story because of canoe chasing bugs that came out every the daily journal I kept. night. Sometimes she would jump six *** feet to get on some of those bugs. They June 9, 1987 were huge - three to four inches long.

Day 15, River Miles: 159-196 When she ate them they would really crunch. Seems like she liked bugs a lot Life has become very interesting. more than dry cat food.

The river has risen four feet in the I was canoeing along in what was one last two days. It makes for a lot of of the most dangerous stretches of current and a lot of danger. The river I have ever paddled. There were only way you can canoe against the deadfalls laying everywhere, their roots current is to stay very close to the still holding most of them to shore. The shoreline. This part of the river has ones that drifted free were not much a very steep bank on a very large trouble in the daylight, but canoeing percentage of the river. What I mean after dark, they cause a lot of trouble. by this is the bank very often goes I was paddling along; it was pitch dark straight up for 10 to 30 feet. and I was in trouble. There was a lot My kitten, Blaster — who was along of current and I couldn’t go more than for the trip, chose today to be a real 50 yards without paddling around a pain in the butt. I had a cover made deadfall. for my canoe. At night, Blaster would My kitten Blaster was all white. All of

Photo contributed by Mark Walters Mark Walters about to leave his family home in Poynette back in 1987 for his attempt to canoe up the Mississippi River.

a sudden, for some reason, I thought I had better look behind me. I did and I saw a very nasty sight. Thirty yards behind me, and disappearing fast, was Blaster. I guess she took too big of a jump after that last bug. All I could see was her head. I thought it was risky to try to get her.

The trouble with deadfalls and a lot of current is if you get caught on one, the first thing that happens is your canoe gets pushed under the deadfall.

Then you become separated from your canoe. While underwater your lungs fill up with water, you get hung up on a branch underwater and you die.

I had this thought on my mind as I watched Blaster disappear. I did something that about broke my heart. I gave her a “meow” and she “meowed” back and started trying to swim towards me. It was hopeless. There was too much current. In current like this you can’t just turn around.

I started paddling backwards, getting closer and closer to Blaster. The problem was, we were both getting closer and closer to a deadfall. I started meowing and she kept on meowing back. We were both going to die or we were both going to live. Well, the Big Guy in the Big Sky was watching over us that night. Just before we ran into that deadfall, I scooped her up and got out of Dodge. Blaster was as limp as a rag, but I think I became her hero.

I paddled on. I made my 37 miles. No one died. This ended up being my biggest upriver mileage day.

That night I had real bad pains in my arms, shoulders, wrists and elbows. The 426 miles I had paddled were taking their toll! I will say this, my self-confidence was at an all-time high. And as I think about it, Blaster never chased bugs on the top of my canoe again.

Have a nice week, Mark Follow along the adventures of Mark Walters, a syndicated outdoor adventure columnist who began writing his column, An Outdoorsman’s Journal, in 1989. It includes hunting, fishing, lots of canoeing and backpacking.

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Photo contributed by Mark Walters Mark Walters spent a couple of weeks practicing in Baton Rouge for his 1987 attempt to canoe the Mississippi River.

Check out previous weeks’ columns at www.outdoorsmansjournal.com

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