Wildwood Ridge

Wildwood Ridge – An Introduction

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It has been nearly a year ago now when Cyndie and I moved across town; technically from town [Red Wing] to the adjacent township of Hay Creek.  This has been a long-time coming.  We were looking at bigger homes given that we had both been working from home since the onset of the Covid pandemic.  We were not in any sort of a rush really – just seeing what was out there on the market. 

Our realtor, RedWingHomesForSale.com really took the time to understand what we had been looking for.  It was one that ticked almost all the boxes of what we were looking for.  The only thing missing was a fenced in yard for the four-leggers.  The fence was something we could remedy in short order. The house was in an area we had driven through often, but never imagined that the development was within our reach. 

As it were, the couple that currently owned the house needed to move to Arizona in the Spring of 2023 for work.   They  just had a baby and were not wild about all the potential showings.  This set the stage for a perfect opportunity.  The asking price was fair and that is exactly what we offered; they accepted.  

Fast-forward to April 2023

There was much work leading up to moving day.  Prepping our old house for sale  seemed never-ending.  The some repairs, lots of painting, and moving our things out and staging them elsewhere for showing.  It was a tremendous amount of work, but well worth it.  

lots of offers photo

We were not really sure how quickly our old house would sell.  To say we were astonished by the number of showings once it was listed is an understatement.  We had 20+ showings in only two days which resulted in 10+ offers.  All well over asking; we could not have imagined a better outcome.  We were able to close on both homes on the same day which made this whole process that much better.  

Cyndie & Dan in front of new house

New house in South Oaks

Closing Day

The much anticipated closing day came and went. We were fortunate enough to close on both the old and new house the same day. That said, closing day was on a Friday and the movers were not coming until the following Monday. This gave us some time to get things cleaned, staged and ready. It was a flurry of activity. Everything went fairly smooth other than the late season snow and the hole in the wall at our old house the movers created while extracting the treadmill from the basement.

living room

We had our first dinner on folding chairs with moving boxes for a table. A delicious chicken dinner from a local establishment called Randy’s.

Views: 10

Destination, Drone, Photography, River-scapes

BAY CITY BAY- BAY CITY, WI

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BAY CITY BAY

I had not been to Bay City Bay since January to photograph.  Given the low water on the Mississippi River, I decided to go over and take a look.  The weather this Spring was oddly warm;  now the dog days of Summer have come and gone.  The weather appears to be taken a turn for cooler.  No complaints here.

We often hear about the “dog days” of summer but few know what the expression means. Some say that it signifies hot sultry days “not fit for a dog,” others suggest it’s the weather in which dogs go mad. The Dog Days of Summer describes the most oppressive period of summer, between July 3rd and August 11th each year. But where did the term come from? And what does it have to do with dogs?

The phrase is actually a reference to the fact that, during this time, the Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth and part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog. This is why Sirius is sometimes called the Dog Star.

In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun. On July 23rd, specifically, it is in conjunction with the Sun, and because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the Sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of sultry weather.

Thus, the term Dog Days of Summer came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the Sun—July 3 to August 11 each year. – Farmers Almanac

These photos where taken August 30th 2021.  You can really see how low the water is given the drought throughout most of the Summer.  The Algae is rather prolific as well.

Views: 1109

Drone, Panorama, Photography, River-scapes

MUD LAKE – HWY 63 PUCKETVILLE

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MUD LAKE

The recent rains have not made an impact on the water level on the Mississippi River.  The satellite image gives you a sense of where the water line typically is.  I haven’t seen the water this low ever.

Mud Lake

These image where captured August 23rd, 2021.

Views: 349

Destination, Drone, Panorama, Photography, River-scapes

SUNRISE – BAY CITY, WI

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SUNRISE – BAY CITY, WI

After consulting The Photographer’s Ephemeris and Skyfire app it appeared as though there would be a great chance for some color at sunrise this morning at one of my favorite locations – Bay City.

While driving from Red Wing to Bay City, my optimism for color was not increasing.  When I arrived at the Bay City campground, there was a bit of color on the horizon out over the bay.

iPhone photo

As you can see from the above photo, the cloud cover was dominating the scene.  Even though it was in the single digits and quite cold, I stuck around.  Clouds can shift and conditions can change rapidly.  I capture three different [mostly gray] panorama via my drone.Bay City Sunrise

Bay City Sunrise

Bay City Sunrise

I am always fascinated by the patterns in the snow and ice.
Bay City Sunrise

It didn’t look like the sunrise was going to amount to much.  I put my drone away, but hung around a little longer.  The sun tried a bit more to break through, but didn’t really completely.  I took a couple photos with my iPhone and then there was nothing but gray.

Bay City Sunrise
iPhone photo

Bay City Sunrise
iPhone photo

How Skyfire app works

skyfireSkyfire forecasts are displayed as a map overlay with varying colors to indicate the type of conditions and forecast probability of a colorful sunrise or sunset. Colorful conditions arise when there are clouds in the sky that are underlit by the sun when it is near the horizon.

Although it is possible to see colorful clear skies, these colors are typically associated with twilight conditions (such as the ‘Belt of Venus’ or the deep blue/orange colors of nautical twilight). Skyfire forecasts do not cover these phenomena.

Clear skies, that is, where there are expected to be no clouds to underlight, are not assigned a color. Cloudy, overcast conditions, where the extent of the clouds precludes the chance for underlighting, are shown as white.

When cloud cover is broken, or lies at the edge of a weather front, there is a chance of colorful underlighting. The probability of a colorful sunrise or sunset developing is indicated on a color spectrum ranging from blue/green to red, where the redder the color, the higher the probability, as shown in the table below:

Clear Clear skies forecast
Cloudy Overcast, with little chance of underlighting
50% (blue) Clouds with some chance of underlighting
70% (yellow) Clouds with a good chance of underlighting
90% (red) Clouds with a high chance of underlighting

Views: 267

Destination, Nature, Photography, Travel

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK – SPRAGUE LAKE #COLORADO #RMNP

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK – SPRAGUE LAKE

Sprague Lake is a scenic lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, located on the south side of Glacier Creek, about two miles south of the Hollowell turnoff. The half-mile walk around the lake is wheelchair accessible and features boardwalks and bridges with views of Flattop Mountain and Hallet Peak. The lake is popular for Brook trout fishing.

The area is named after Abner Sprague, who started a homestead there in 1874.  Later, he opened a lodge for dude ranching, hunting, and fishing. To improve the fishing, he dammed the far end of the lake. The area became part of Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915 and continued to serve guests as the Sprague Hotel. In 1919, guests paid $6.00 per room with a private bath, and $1.00 for regular meals. The hotel, which no longer exists, stood near the present-day parking lot.
~Wikipedia

Sprague Lake Loop – rockymountainhikingtrails.com

Panorama of Sprague Lake

2020 CO Wildfire Map

Our recent visit in September 2020 was not typically.  Wildfires were burning in several areas across Colorado; including in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).  We were in Denver a few days prior waiting on the snow storm to roll in an hopefully dampen the fire some.  I think it helped, but no near enough.  We were not entirely sure we would be able to enter the park as result.

My wife and I really enjoy our visits to Colorado.  We are fond of RMNP and the Sprague Lake area.  Since being married here in 2013, we make every effort to return whenever in the area.  This last trip wasn’t all that different than the November day in 2013 when we both said “I do.”  There was more snow this time and the

lake wasn’t frozen over.  The trail around the lake is very easy to navigate and the views are beautiful; even with the clouds obscuring the view of the mountains.

Views: 273

Destination, Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK – DILLON PASS | YELLOW MOUNDS OVERLOOK #EXPLORESD

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DILLON PASS | YELLOW MOUNDS OVERLOOK

This overlook is placed within the most colorful portion of Badlands geology. Yellow, purple, gray, and striped reddish beds display the sequence of Yellow Mounds, the Interior Paleosol, Chadron, and Brule formations respectively, from bottom to top. ~National Park Service

The yellow mounds were formed when the sea drained, leaving the black ocean mud exposed to air. These formations are some of the oldest in the park. Both sides of the road offer jaw-dropping views. Catch a sunset here to watch all the colors light up.  ~https://www.midwestliving.com/

This is one of my favorite overlooks in the park for all the reason mentioned above.  Our visit to Dillon Pass in September 2020 during the pandemic was extra special.  Shortly after we arrived  we discovered there was a coyote on the hunt.

The layers of sediment are fascinating and natural colors quite beautiful.

YELLOW MOUNDS OVERLOOK

Further along the loop just past the Conata Basic Overlook we were treated to an encounter with Bighorn sheep.

Beautiful views from Burns Basin Overlook.  I always enjoy this park; even though this was just a drive through-quick visit on our way home from Custer.

EXTRA

Views: 412

Drone, Panorama, Photography, River-scapes

WIND RIVER – Diamond Bluff, WI #greatriverroad

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WIND RIVER

The Wind River is a minor tributary of the Mississippi River in western Wisconsin in the United States. It flows for its entire 9.0-mile (14.5 km) length in western Pierce County. It rises in the town of Trimbelle and flows southward through the towns of Oak Grove and Diamond Bluff. Wind River joins the Mississippi near the unincorporated community of Diamond Bluff, which is within the larger jurisdiction (the town).   ~wikipedia

Wind River Map

I’ve driven past Wind River on Highway 35 thousands of times and never really gave it much thought.  It’s rather small and not particularly picturesque from the the highway.  You can bet a better look at in along 1005th Street.  The view from the air provides an entirely different perspective.  There are so many of these little pristine spring-fed streams and rivers feeding into the mighty Mississippi.

Wind River
Horizon to Horizon Panorama

Wind River
Wind River Delta @ Mississippi River

Wind River
Vertical Panorama

Wing River
The view from Wind River Valley facing South; beyond the main channel of the Mississippi River toward Sturgeon Lake and Treasure Island

Some additional view of sandbars in the backwaters of the area

Views: 265

Drone, Panorama, Photography, River-scapes

DIAMOND BLUFF – WI, Sunset #greatriverroad

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A French settler, Monte Diamond, named the community after the area’s limestone bluffs.  The unincorporated community of Diamond Bluff is located along highway 35, the Great River Road, on the mighty Mississippi River.

Looking West from Diamond Bluff.  Treasure Island Casino and the Prairie Island Nuclear Plant is off in the the distance.

diamond-bluff

Looking East at Diamond Bluff

diamond-bluff

Mid-river views

Vertical panorama, up river with post sunset colors on the horizon

diamond-bluff

 

 

Views: 220

Food, Marinade

Marinade – Soy-Lime-Garlic

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Soy-Lime-Garlic marinade

Great for:

PorkBeefLamb

Base
2 cups Soy Sauce
2 cups Water
6 limes
1 cup BBQ Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)
2 cups Brown Sugar

Optional
Jalapenos to taste and heat; I add 4 whole to this mix
Garlic to taste; I add 2 whole cloves, minced
Green Onions; I add 6 chopped, but was out of them this time.
3 whole sweet bell peppers

Views: 116

Food, Marinade

Marinade – Soy-Ginger-Garlic

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Soy-Ginger-Garlic marinade

Great for:

fishChickenShrimp

Base
2 cups Soy Sauce
2 cups Water
2 cups Apple Juice
1/2 cup Ginger Tea
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Brown Sugar

Optional
Jalapenos to taste and heat; I add 4 whole to this mix
Garlic to taste; I add 2 whole cloves, minced
Green Onions; I add 6 chopped, but was out of them this time.
3 whole sweet bell peppers

Other
12 oz Whole Cranberry Sauce, happen to have it on hand; why not toss it in there

Marinade - Soy-Ginger-Garlic Marinade in blender

Add all base ingredients in  the bowl.  Add options ingredients to a food processor prior to adding to the bowl with the base ingredients.   Too much volume to all fit in a standard size blender, but could blend in two batches.

Marinade - Soy-Ginger-Garlic Chicken Thighs in Marinade

The finished product 4X thighs and legs

Grilled Chicken Chicken Legs
Grilled Chicken Chicken Thighs

 

Views: 94

DAN TRAUN – Photographer