SkyWatch Friday: A Fire in the Sky

The setting sun illuminated an overhead thunderstorm last weekend and made the horizon appear to be on fire.

See all SkyWatch Friday entries here.

Monarch

A monarch butterfly rests on the edge of the wrought iron shepherd's hook holding our hummingbird feeder. I had to rotate this photo to get a better angle, hence the gravity-defying sideways wire which is holding the feeder.

There Were Fireworks

...and the earth moved.

But of course, it was the Fourth of July.

Mr. PewaukeeDailyPhoto finally downloaded the pictures I took with his camera over the Independence Day weekend. Surprisingly, several shots of the fireworks actually worked out pretty well. As in life, timing is everything.

Slowly But Surely Wins the Race

This very large (snapping?) turtle was attempting to cross the road at the entrance to our subdivision last week. I saw him from a distance while riding my bike and at first thought it was a big hunk of a blown tire. When I came up to him, I expected him to "hide" in his shell, but he just looked up at me and blinked.

Just then a father and his two young kids came up on their bikes. After a brief talk about how he could easily get squashed in the road, "Dad" picked up "Tommy the Turtle" - as the kids had quickly named him - and set him on the grass. "Heavy sucker!"

He didn't really move & we didn't stick around - but later that afternoon, I drove by there and Tommy was no where to be seen. Hopefully, he made his way back down to the marsh which borders our neighborhood.

Taste of Lake Country

The park at Pewaukee Lake hosted their annual "Taste of Lake Country" this past weekend. The unpredictable weather kept many people at bay (see skies in the photos) - but during our visit, it thankfully stayed dry.

These happy people were glad to offer refreshments at the "Positively Pewaukee Pub" - and the plate of freshly spiral cut potato chips from the Butler Inn were delish along with a few of Milwaukee's finest.

We sat at a table on the beach and watched the swimmers and boaters enjoy the evening.

Walking the Dog on Lake Drive

Kate & Nik going down the steps to the walking path next to Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee.

Skywatch Friday: Sunset Over Broken Hill

A recent sunset over a nearby "high-end" subdivision - Broken Hill. Lots of very nice, big houses - but even more very nice unsold lots. On the upside: the quiet landscape makes it a perfect place to walk the dog.

See more Skywatch Friday pix here.

Constellation

Since I didn't post an entry in CDP's monthly theme at the beginning of July, I thought I would do it now. The theme was "empty" ...as in "my bowl is almost empty." Just a few random blueberries left floating in the milk - sort of looking like the Big Dipper stars. So, a SkyWatch of sorts, too!

See more Skywatch Friday pix here.

Grazing in the Grass

There is a small herd of black cattle on the farmstead at Weyer and Townline Roads. They seemed very content on this hazy morning. The dude below was sitting down on the job and chewing his cud. What a life. :-)

The Road Less Traveled

As a partly rural community, Pewaukee offers many side roads off the beaten path. This gravel trail is actually a driveway to a local game farm on Lindsay Road.

* In memory of Susan Campbell, 1955~2009 *

I repeat myself when under stress...

Didn't I just post a bowl full of juicy red, ripe berries? Ah, yes - but those were cherries. These are currants.

The red currant grows on low, woody shrubs and can bear light fruit one year, and be prolific the next. Guess which one this was? We have one little bush in our yard which yielded 6 cups, & I could still go back to pick another big bowlful! These little red gems (about the size of a pea) are super sour and pack lots of pectin, which makes their juice ideal for jelly. The flavor is closest to a tart raspberry.

Currants grow in tiny clumps and are nearly impossible to pick individually. You can try stripping the berries off the branch, which results in a juicy mess. Or, you can just use a scissors to clip off the clusters of berries.

It's easy to make the juice needed for jelly. No need to remove the stems. Simply wash the currants and place in a large saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of water to 6 cups of currants. Mash lightly to release the juices and simmer over medium heat until berries reduce to a pulp. Strain through cheese cloth and you end up with a sparkly red - albeit TART - liquid. Make jelly according to directions found in any canning cookbook. I freeze the juice now, and make the jelly in late summer or early fall when it's cool outside and I have a long weekend to spend in the kitchen.

We use the jelly in sauce and glaze recipes for roast pork tenderloin and ham. The sweet-tart flavor really accents the meat nicely. And it's yummy in good ol' PB&J sandwiches, too.

SkyWatch Friday: Summer Sky

Clouds building over a field near Good Hope Road in Menomonee Falls, WI.

See more SkyWatch Friday posts here.

Making hay while the sun shines.

This tractor is mowing the grass next to the Stony C. Halquist Quarry in Sussex, WI. (Gotta love the name.)

Milkweed

Milkweed pods are those wonderful brown crackly brown pods that burst in late summer and blow those puffy little parachutes all over the neighborhood. The caterpillar of the Monarch butterfly loves this plant. Not many people get to see the actual plant in bloom, so here is a pretty specimen. The flower-heads are about the size of a softball. There are lots of them along the Ryan Road hiking trails.

Mail Call

These cute little tin-cut birdies watch over a mail box on Lindsay Road.

Pink Elephant

Another evening shot equalized in PhotoShop to emphasize the contrast in colors. Couldn't resist this elephant-shaped cloud lumbering over the trees on the horizon.

Life is a Bowl of Cherries

We have a Montmorency sour cherry tree in our back yard & this year it was prolific! They usually begin to ripen around the Fourth of July and harvest lasts a few weeks. At first we were battling the robins, cedar waxwings, finches, and other birds who were pilfering the fruit, but once we started picking, we realized there were more than enough for every one.

The Montmorency cherries are indigenous to the upper Midwest and are the preferred variety for the standard cherry pie. Judging by my freezer, I cannot tell a lie... we are looking at lots of cherry pie this year!

Scoff-Law

I think the picture says it all. Oh, the dejection!....perhaps this is where the expression "hang-dog" look comes from?

Nik and I often walk up to Balmer Park, and if no one is around, we'll stroll the perimeter. The majority of space is given to playground equipment, tennis & basketball courts, a soccer field, and a softball field, but we avoid those areas and stick next to the woods along the road. (And I am very diligent about picking up after her.) After all, as she says, dogs are people, too.

Coral Bells

I know this blog is technically supposed to depict "Pewaukee" - but after working full-time all day, and then having to walk the dog, I haven't had much to time to just drive around and "snap" the scenery as much as I'd like. The long Midwest winter makes us especially happy to see signs of blooming life & so that's mainly what I find during my long walks on the back roads, in the parks, and around the yard.

These coral bells are perennials with long pink and red stems of flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. (The cat likes to park under a nearby shrub and watch...at nearly 15, she's just too lazy and unmotivated to make an attack.) I took these shots in the evening, hence the flash illumination.

Shroom

Lots of mushrooms have been popping up lately around our area. This flat top "toad-stool" specimen was growing in the mulch under our neighbor's arbor vitae trees. I took this shot in the evening and the flash gives the image a spooky feel.

House Guests

We're in a battle of wits with the robins who have been tenaciously trying to build nests in our garage - right on TOP of our garage door opener. We'll take one down, shut the door, and think that's the end of it. Nope. Next time we're working in the yard and have the door open, they take advantage & try it again. Haven't they heard of the great outdoors?

Meanwhile, this sweet mourning dove has built her nest in our front maple tree, completely un-fazed by the fact that the dog's tie-out is around the base of the tree.

His and Hers

A while back, some neighbors on Swan Road cleaned out their garage and put this matched set of old-fashioned bicycles up on the road hoping someone would take them. The next day they were gone... Hopefully they found good a good home!

Independence Day

A very large American flag flying against a stormy sky over the Bergstrom Chevy dealership on Good Hope Rd. & Hwy 45. Irony can sometimes be patriotic.

Hope everyone has a very happy & safe 4th of July!

Barn Swallows

I recently went into our local Kohl's department store. It's a new stucco and brick building, similar to others in the area that are encroaching upon the natural rural habitat of our wildlife. Without barns and large old trees, these swallows had to resort to the next best thing. It was dusk, and I wasn't able to get a super good shot of these active little birds with my dying camera, but you can still see the amazing architecture of their "adobe-like" mud nests.

Barn swallow colonies are made of mud pellets and fibrous material (bits of string, dust, etc.) and are often built under eaves, bridges, or other man-made structures. They prefer unpainted, untreated surfaces, and the nests must be protected from rain, which will compromise the mud dwellings.