Caribou Coffee

Our local Caribou Coffee shop is going away sometime this spring.  Many of us are sad because, as a national chain based out of the Minneapolis area, it gave the international giant, Starbuck's, a run for the money and offered some much needed variety. However, Caribou will remain in most of their other strong markets, and word on the street is that the shop will be replaced by Peet's Coffee, another national/west coast chain.  It would be nice if Pewaukee could gain one of the the popular Milwaukee-based shops, such as Anodyne or Collectivo.  Time will tell.

It's interesting to note that Collectivo used to be called Alterra, but sold the name and brand to the Mars Corp. a few years back, with the promise that the Milwaukee market base would not be infringed upon. Again, time will tell.

Breakfast!

Every so often, we go out for breakfast at The Crossings, a cute little diner located where Pewaukee meets Waukesha meets Brookfield... at the intersection of Hwy M and Redford Rd. and the railroad tracks. It's only been around for a few years, but already has a loyal following. My "usual" is the Greek Gyros Omelet, loaded with feta, lamb, and tomatoes, served with a side of Tzatziki sauce. Highly recommended!

Butterfly - Part 2

In keeping with the "Lepidoptera" theme of a few days ago, I am posting a few images of some pretty, buttery yellow tiger swallowtail butterflies that we saw up on the Ryan Road hiking trails. The one above really enjoyed the pink clover. If you look closely at the photo of his fluttery friend below, you'll notice the poor guy's wing looks like it has seen a little rough action, but he still seemed to get around fine.

It's amazing how, at first glance they all sort of look alike, yet if you compare them closely, you can see lots of differences.

City of the Big Shoulders

We drove down to Chicago last weekend to see our son. He won a trip through his work (top regional sales!) and flew in from Phoenix for a 4-day visit. Saturday afternoon was the only free time he had and the weather was ideal: blue skies, sunny and warm, but not too humid. And talk about people! The streets were teeming with them, walking, skating, biking, site-seeing, and shopping. We stopped at a great little restaurant called the "Gage" - right across from Grant Park on Michigan Ave. and had a delightful lunch together. We sat near the front windows with a super vantage point for people-watching! Afterward, we wandered past the Art Institute of Chicago (our favorite), through the park, and enjoyed browsing an art show on the green. Next was a stroll down to Lake Michigan to watch the sailboats, and then back again through Millennium Park. All around us the skyline was such an interesting backdrop. I love the architecture in this city.

A perfect day - but much too short, as then we had to say our good-byes and be on our way. We'll see Seth again in October when he flies back home to Milwaukee for a GB Packers game. We'll be back down to Chicago, that toddlin' town, any other time the opportunity presents itself.

Could Always be Worse

Looks like March is coming in like a lamb this year. A very COLD lamb, but still - we'll take sunshine whenever we can get it! :-) It's hard to imagine that the corn will be "knee-high by the Fourth of July" in these fields.

Ruffled Feathers

While hiking on the Broken Hill trails, we spied this hawk perched high up in a tall tree. He was fluffing and preening his feathers in the cold, unfazed by the band of crows judiciously squawking at him from the grove of ash trees next door.

SkyWatch Friday: Women and Cats...

...are entitled to change their minds.

OK - I know, I said I was done posting here. But I just had to share this chilly sunset with jet contrails creating a sunburst design in the distance.

See all SkyWatch Friday entries here.

The Oaks

"The Oaks" is a small, but nicely appointed, subdivision near our house. The only issue I have is that they had to cut down a few giant oaks to build the houses there, only to replace them with the twigs below....

Hopefully they will be as mighty as their predecessors one day.

Winter Sun

As opposed to yesterday's Arizona sunset sky post, this is what a typical morning looks like around Pewaukee in January. If you click on the image for a larger view and look closely, you can see the faint, tiny outline of the sun trying to break through the clouds in the southeastern horizon of the sky.

Winter Trails

Another snowy, tree-lined path that Nik and I love to hike. This one borders the Broken Hill subdivision. Just lovely - however, we definitely got our exercise since we were the first visitors to blaze the trail, and the snow was still almost knee-deep in some places. I think I'm investing in some snowshoes for next year...and maybe a little sled for Nik!

Pan Am Graffiti

Another box car graffiti image taken while waiting for (a very slow!) train to pass the intersection of Duplainville Road in the City of Pewaukee.

Click the graffiti tag below to see all related images from this blog.

Don't Worry About It...

...Nik & I weren't planning on doing any trespassing or swimming at the pond on this day. With single-digit windchill temps, it was highly unlikely!

The Road Less Traveled

Another long, quiet, snowy driveway right off Swan Road. I can almost hear the bells of a horse-drawn sleigh in the distance...

High Bush Cranberry

Also known as Viburnum Opulus, the high bush cranberry shrub is a common sight Wisconsin woodlands. In the spring, fragrant white flower clusters adorn the bushes, and in the fall the leaves turn a beautiful magenta red. The berry clusters remain during the winter as food for wildlife. The berries of this shrub along Swan Road carried a mantle of snow after our recent blizzard, creating a pretty holiday postcard.

Theme Day - Waiting: Turkey Blind

This heap of what looked to be a giant block of hay first appeared around September in a nearby field. I've since learned it's a turkey blind - a small inner tent that is surround by hay, which is supported by sticks. Hunters can hide inside and shoot any hapless birds that wander by. Which is pretty likely, since this is the area where I've seen lots of turkey in the past.

But the key is patience...and lots of waiting.

Click here to view thumbnails for all Theme Day participants

Rusted Farm Implement

Saw this tucked back in an overgrown field during our walk the other day. Not sure what it is, but it appears to be a very old horse-drawn combine or harvester of some sort.

SkyWatch Friday: November Sunset

This sunset was taken while hiking last weekend on the Ryan Road trails. There was a slight haze to the air, which gave the sky a peachy color - a nice contrast against the bare trees.

See all SkyWatch Friday entries here.

Wild Apples

During a recent hike on the Ryan Road trails, we came across this gnarly old apple tree. It was still covered with pretty red apples, even though the leaves had fallen. The ground surrounding the tree was also covered with hundreds of dropped apples. I'll be making an apple pie for Thanksgiving, but not with these! I still have some from our last trip to La Crescent, MN - the "apple capital" of Minnesota.

Leaving Pewaukee

...and heading east into Brookfield down Capitol Drive. I took this recent shot on my way into work one cloudy morning. You can see the giant water tower straight ahead up on the corner of Capitol and Calhoun Roads.

Ugly Kids Can't Spell

...or at least that's part of the message someone left on this graffiti-laden box car. I'm not sure what the main message is supposed to be, either. One of many train cars passing by the Duplainville Road crossing in the city of Pewaukee.