Category Archives: nature

A bit of color

April 5, 2020nature, wildlife, Wisconsinsusanmanzke

I’m trying to bring more of my regular life back. This has little to do with the virus, but more about living without Bob.

While raking and picking up branches, I came across a tiny bit of color.

Seeing this feather made me stop.

It’s from a bluejay, so it’s not one to collect. It’s one to admire. BTW: those are basswood seed pods, not rabbit droppings.

The blue of the feather was what caught my attention. There are a lot of bluejays here. They hung out at our feeder all winter long.

I keep the outside cats well fed so they don’t go after the birds that come to our feeder.

This feather was alone. It wasn’t found amongst a pile of feathers–I take that as a sign that a cat had not had a meal.

Feathers that can be collected are from birds that are hunted: turkey, duck, and geese. Bob often brought home a found turkey feather for me. The bigs ones were easier to find and pick up. I treasure the ones I have.

Just saying a bit of beauty can be found everywhere, even when one is breaking her back picking up branches after winter storms–the basswood tree is notorious for dropping branches along with leaves and seed pods.

I encourage you to look for the beauty that surrounds us. The big and the small. The sunsets and the feathers. Each is a treasure as are you.

Trimming trees

March 31, 2020nature, Odds and endssusanmanzke

No, I’m not trimming any trees.

Two weeks ago WPS notified me that they would be cutting trees close to the electric lines by Sunnybook Farm. Well, they showed up today.

I went and took a photo last week of the trees before the trimming.

before the trimming branches surround the electric lines

I was worried about these trees getting tangled with the electric lines and causing all kinds of problems.

There were a lot of branches that needed removing.

The biggest one was the basswood … after its trim

Now, after all the branch trimming, I feel better. Hopefully, a wind storm won’t knock out electricity on Sunnybook Farm

This is a good thing. Only professionals should cut near electric lines.

Still, I would love to take a ride in that bucket that goes so high in the air. It would be great for picking apples in the fall.

Decorah eagles nest

February 28, 2020naturesusanmanzke

I was working in the kitchen and thought I’d switch my computer to nature videos. That’s when I remembered the live stream video of the Decorah eagles. There are two different nests.

I watched one of the bald eagles on its nest. I don’t know if it was the male or the female parent. I understand they take turns on their clutch of eggs. All I know is that while that bird sat there it rearranged a few of the stick/grasses that made up its next.

Whoever was taking care of the live streaming zoomed in on the bird.

I had a bald eagle in my kitchen today. It was good company. I will check on it again … and again … and again. Just google Decorah bald eagles and you will find one or two live streams on youtube.

In anticipation of spring

February 19, 2020nature, Odds and endssusanmanzke

This morning I took a sweatshirt out of the back of my closet. It had hung there for a long time, still inside-out from the last time I washed it. It seemed like a good idea to wear a sweatshirt today as the windchill would be below zero today–and tomorrow too.

Anyway, when I turned it right-side-out, I found out that the front was very springy. That turned out to be my theme for the day.

When I went to a friend’s house, I carried needed things in two flowery bags. They seemed perfect for the day’s theme.

Now I am back home. The high for the day is 14 F with a feels-like temp of -1.

My trip to the mailbox and to my chickens wasn’t very spring-like.

Oh, well, I tried.

Early morning photo

February 11, 2020Bob, nature, Sunnybook Farmsusanmanzke

I was sitting at the kitchen table when I noticed the moon yesterday morning.

Besides the moon, there were ground fog, frost, snow, and bits of sunshine.

I tried capturing the sight with the moon peeking through the branches of our red maple tree. Can you see it?

That is a mirror in the top right. Bob put it there so he could sit by the table and see if a car turned into our driveway.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person