Hunting and Fishing

The seasons are changing, leaves are turning and geese are heading south.  Unlike the wise geese, we seem to be heading north through Wisconsin and into cooler weather.  The humans are envious of my fur coat and I worry some days that they may skin me.

Hunters have reappeared on the landscape and I think they are currenty after ducks and geese.
We visited our friend Nick who treated us to a variety of the outdoor activities.  We tried our luck fishing, but nothing was biting.

 This tall structure is where we can sit and wait, with our weapon, for creatures to stroll past.

 Nice view from on top.  The beauty of this property is a variety of wildlife is encouraged to visit.  There are adjacent corn fields in addition to plenty of water and a few other tasty plants on the property.  Successful hunting is not necessarily all luck.

 

All the visitors got to try and shoot a clay pigeon, Phil hit 2 out of 2.

 Nick got his goose!

I was grateful that no one spoke of bear huntning.

New Orleans with friends

Phil and Chris took a short run down to New Orleans and left me behind to keep and eye on the RV.  I think they were worried that I'd cause some sort of trouble down there in the Big Easy that would result in my arrest and them missing their train.

How can you really get into trouble in a city with signs like these??

But I am ahead of myself.

Phil and Chris caught the train from Chicago to New Orleans, a 19 hr ride over night.  They had a little roomette which converted into 2 bunks for sleeping and included their meals which were tasty.  They could sit in the room, relax in the lounge, get a beer or snack in the cafe car, sleep, read or eat.  It was a really relaxing trip and they hope we can travel this way again.

 They were at the end of the train (what happened to the caboose?) and had to reverse out of Chicago Train Station.

Phil enjoys the scenery in the lounge car.

North of New Orleans there is a lot of water to cross.  We've also crossed a lot of water to the west of New Orleans (in the RV).

Once in New Orleans they caught up with our good friends from Fremantle, Max and Kay.

They did all the normal Bourbon Street shenanigans as well as renting a car to see a few things off the usual tourist route.  Cabela's, the big outdoor, hunting, fishing, camping ect store entertained everyone for a few hours and then an outlet mall for some bargain shopping and a visit to Walmart rounded out the day.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is the oldest continuously operating pub in the US. It has been open since 1772.

 

Max found a rum distillary to tour, so the merry band of rum drinkers and wannabe pirates learned about converting molassas into rum.

 

Five days went by so quickly, and soon it was time to say farewell to Max and Kay and head back to Wisconsin.  Another nice train trip, but has the weather ever changed.  Time to find some warmer clothes!

 

Wisconsin Dells

I survived the torment on the Marsh tower.  It isn't easy being a bear at the mercy of every whim and mood of the Cuthbertsons.

We went to Madison to visit some friends and catch our bus to Chicago for the train to New Orleans.  We had time to visit the Farmers Market around the state capitol on Saturday morning.  Great time to be here with all the fresh fruits and veggies from around the state. 

 Yum.

While in Madison we took a side trip up to "the Dells", a very popular summer tourist spot in central Wisconsin.  We took a duck tour on these amphibious vehicles left over from WWII.

Here we are on the duck...ready for adventure.

A good variety of birds populate the area in the warmer months, and the rivers, lakes and limestone formations add to the beauty of the place. 

 

After our tour and a look around town we stopped for some tasty Polish food at the festival.

 

Is this the end of Buster??

We've been having a nice time getting together with friends and Chris's family here in Wisconsin.

The long, Labor Day weekend coincides with the Sheboygan County Fair, and we were able to attend on a couple of days and see the sights and some animals, listen to a band and catch up with some friends. 

The midway was full of rides and games, of which we didn't partake.

There were also plenty of foods to try, but we stayed away from the deep fried cheese!

These didn't tempt us either...of course when we did have our roasted corn and various other snacks, our hands were too messy for photos.  There were plenty of beer stands here too.

When we weren't catching up with friends at the fair we caught up with Chris's family and did some camping at the Sheboygan County Marsh.

The Marsh is a great spot for fishing, canoeing, camping or having a meal at the restaurant.  We enjoy camping here.

This is a tower we sometimes climb for a bit of exercise and a look over the whole area.

There is a camera up on top of the tower and I thought it was great to have proof that I actually climbed all the way up to the top.

Chris came up too.

Do you think I said something wrong???

Wisconsin revisited pt. 2

While in Green Bay, after the excitement of Lambeau Field and a night camping with friends, we visited the National Train Museum.

Phil and Chris looking forward to their upcoming train trip to New Orleans to meet some Aussie friends.

So many trains to explore and not enough time...but we did our best.

Phil trying to decide if he could bake cakes in the train's kitchen.

Chris with her favorite...the caboose.

Inside the caboose...this is where the off duty train workers ate and rested.

Maybe we could have done our USA road trip in something like this.

Wisconsin revisited

We returned to Wisconsin in early August.  This state may be ridiculously cold in the winter months, but it is well worth a visit in summer.

We camped in the Nicolet National Forest.  I wandered down to the river to find some fish.  It is about the time of year when the salmon run up the rivers.

Phil was keen to help with any fishing...

At the end of the day we settled for a beer.

A tour around Wisconsin is hardly complete without a visit to Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers.

Phil and Chris took a tour of the stadium and were down next to the field.  There are strict instructions not to touch, kiss or eat the grass...people actually will try.

The stadium currently seats about 73,000 fans but is under construction to increase that amount to over 80,000.  There is a huge waiting list (thousands) for season tickets.

 

During the tour, we also went along the sacred (nearly) tunnel that the Packers run through to take the field on game day.  The Packers are the only community owned US football team, and this may account for the dedicated fan base...but more importantly, they are the best team out.  Go Pack!!