Where Eagles Dare

I just came across these photos from one of our visits to La Crosse back in November.  The bluffs that line both the Wisconsin and Minnesota sides of the Mississippi River are home to a growing population of bald eagles.  It's always a thrill to see them soar over the wetlands and parks that surround La Crosse. This pair was taking a break high up in a tree in Pettibone Park.

Below is a close-up of the fellow on the left.  I sure wouldn't want to be the prey in his line of sight!

Autumn in Pettibone Park

The gazebo at Pettibone Park, located on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, was built sometime in the first half of the 20th century.  It's a popular spot for wedding and senior portrait photographers, and has housed many parties, picnics, and events over the years.

The Freight House

A century ago the railroad tracks were a busy place along the west side of La Crosse, Wisconsin.  The Milwaukee Road hauled freight -and occasionally passengers- up and down the Mississippi River from Chicago and other points south and east, to Minneapolis and other points north and west. The tracks have been rerouted through other sections of town, but the historic freight house building remains and has stood as a popular namesake restaurant for the past 35 years.

The "conductor" below is calling you inside to try one of The Freight House's delicious signature steaks!

Landmark Cannon

This cannon, located in La Crosse's Riverside Park, was dedicated in July 1918 as a memorial to the USS Maine, which was destroyed in Havana Harbor in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.

As teenagers, we used to get a dozen kids to sit on the front edge of the cannon and it would rock downward, allowing all the rainwater and candy wrappers to slop out... we called it "burping the cannon!"  I wonder if that still works? ;-)

Thatched Roof, Revisited

As promised last March, I am posting a summertime photo of the thatched roof with the goat weathervane from La Crosse's Friendship Gardens.  The hanging flower planter on the side of the shed was both beautiful and fragrant!

Really Neat Stuff

Kroner's True Value Hardware on Pearl Street is one of the few original businesses remaining in downtown La Crosse. It has that old-fashioned feel with creaking wooden floors and tall ceilings. The original tile sign above the door also has great Art Deco typography typical of the 1930s. It carries just about every type of hardware, paint, or tool you might need, along with lots of great cookware for the gourmet chef.

Since La Crosse is a cradle of Norwegian heritage, they also carry some wonderful Scandinavian cooking supplies. (See window display below.) Lefse is a very popular soft Norwegian flat bread made from potatoes -quite similar to a flour tortilla- and you must have very specific items to make it. Kroner's is the local go-to place to buy the required potato ricer, lefse iron, rolling mat, and flat "turning stick" needed to create this tasty staple found on dinner tables from Thanksgiving through Easter. We are purists and just roll it up with butter and use it in place of dinner rolls, but some people enjoy rolling it up with cinnamon-sugar for breakfast or dessert.

It's April, yet note the poor little gold Christmas ornament forgotten at the bottom of the display in this photo? (Hey! I think I actually want that stainless colander!)

Colorful Heron

I posted a picture of this heron a few years back, but here is another view of the "Pump House Heron" statue at the International Friendship Gardens in La Crosse.  I really like the painted promise of colorful summertime flowers contrasted against the bare and chilly spring background.

"Hiawatha"

Known locally as "The Big Indian" - this statue of the Native American, Hiawatha, towers over Riverside Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  As the sign below says, it was created by a middle school art teacher, Anthony Zimmerhakl (everyone called him Zim) back in 1962, and has been a landmark ever since for those boating up and down the Mississippi River.

Be sure to click on the statue image to see a larger version.

Thatched Roof

An ornamental thatched roof gazebo with a goat weathervane at the International Gardens in La Crosse.  I'll have to come back in the summer to take another photo when the grass is green and the flowers are in bloom. You can see more of the real thing here.

Garden Arch

The welcoming entrance arch to the "International Friendship Gardens" in La Crosse's Riverside Park.

A Norwegian Leprechaun?

We are visiting relatives in La Crosse this weekend and during our morning walk down by the river we wandered through the "Friendship Gardens."  With the long winter coming to an end, it's still quite stark and gray this time of year - very different from the bright flowers and blue skies of summer.  This part of Wisconsin has a prominent Scandinavian heritage, and tucked among the evergreen shrubs and bare branches are several Norwegian "trolls" guarding the grounds. It's the closest I can get to an Irish Leprechaun. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Red Door at the Old School

Autumn brings back memories of walking to and from good ol' Harry Spence Elementary School in La Crosse, Wisconsin, back in the 1960's. Still looks the same, except they painted the main entrance doors red!

The Saving of a Landmark

This informative plaque outlines the story of how Granddad's Bluff in La Crosse was originally utilized as a quarry location in the mid-1800's and then saved from complete destruction by a group of area founders and businessmen in the early 1900's. Thank goodness for community activism!

Granddad's Sunset

Another dramatic sunset view from atop of Granddad's Bluff in La Crosse, Wisconsin. You can see across the Mississippi River to eastern Minnesota in the distance.

See all SkyWatch Friday entries here.

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If you arrived here via the "SkyWatch" link - thank you!  Feel free to peruse all my other photo posts by visiting the Pewaukee Daily Photo's home page. 

Another Mississippi River Sunset

Taken looking northwest over the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, from Riverside Park.  The clouds look like they are boiling up a storm.

Check all Skywatch Friday photo entries here.

The Back Steps

The backyard steps of this big, green house face the parking lot of the assisted living home where my mother used to live. The big pot of red geraniums reminds me of her, since she was an expert at over-wintering them every year at our old house.

She would have been 96 years old this month. Happy Birthday, Mom.

You can see for miles and miles

The above photo was taken on the way up to Granddad's Bluff point, off the right side of the road.  It's looking north towards Onalaska, Wisconsin, and westward to Minnesota.  You can see parts of both the Black River and the Mississippi River in the distance. It had rained earlier in the day and was still very warm so there was a misty haze illuminated by the sunset.

The image below was taken from the top of Granddad's (where the telescopic view finders are) and it also looks northwest, but with a closer focus.  The marsh at the bottom of the picture is part of the La Crosse River flowage, which goes through Myrick Park, and eventually meets up with the Mississippi River in downtown La Crosse.

Click each one to see the enlarged images. These seem quite appropriate for Skywatch Friday!

Gimme Shelter

Above is the remodeled shelter house on top of Granddad's Bluff in La Crosse at sunset. Below is the view of the fenced path that goes to the lower look out.  From this vantage point you can see up and down the Mississippi River valley, including areas of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. The last image is looking back up at the shelter from the lower level.

I'll post a few more panoramic sunset views tomorrow.

Wall-E

While visiting my old hometown, La Crosse, Wisconsin, a few weeks ago, I finally had a chance to drive up to Grandad's Bluff.  Bliss Road, the winding road leading up to the top, has washed out & crumbled over the past few years, and they finally have it (permanently?) repaired.  The visitor area at the top has been remodeled with a new shelter house, bathrooms, safety fencing, and robotic telescopic view finders - which as you see from the photo, are reminiscent of something out of the movie "Wall-E" !

I will post more vista views over the next few days.

Go Forward

A few weeks ago I attended a fundraiser in La Crosse for an amazing young man named Casey Davis.  His mother, Nancy, is one of my good friends from childhood.  Casey and his equally amazing wife Carolyn, are shown above.  His story is one of courage and determination that few of us could manage to achieve. Injured in a forestry accident, he suffered great injury and pain, resulting in the paralysis of both legs.  However, from what I witnessed at the event, it is not going to stop him from setting and attaining lofty goals in his young life.  I think the kids receiving wheelchair rides while others raced to catch up with him could attest to that fact!

When I first heard Casey's story, I recalled that a half-dozen years earlier - after the untimely death of Christopher Reeve's wife, Dana - I had donated to the Christopher Reeve Foundation.  One of the perks I received was a cool "Superman" dog-tag necklace.  I thought it was time to give it a new home with Casey - someone who possesses the true spirit and determination of a Superman! (He's wearing it, above.)