We are doomed.

Recent news from the city of South Milwaukee indicates that a new Walmart is coming. The goal is to plant it on Chicago Avenue just south of College Avenue. This section of Chicago Avenue is not wide enough to handle significantly increased traffic, meaning down the line - sometime soon probably - the homes and residential neighborhoods along this stretch will be traded out for high traffic runways.

What a disappointment. Between this and the recent election outcomes, moving to Iceland looks pretty good.

More Food Irony

Image from the FDA website.

Does anyone else see the irony of the US hosting an informational conference on food safety given our recent track record?

Are eggs on the menu? What about cheese? Sure to find some hydrolyzed vegetable protein stuck somewhere.... and I hope there's no frozen fruit for dessert.

Actually, it's going to be held in Cairo, Egypt. They're probably safe.

Oh, the Irony

Extra Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve by Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.

Does anyone else find irony in the fact that the cheese judged Best in Show at the recent American Cheese Society competition was made from RAW milk, and yet trying to buy raw milk by my own consumer choice is illegal? I'm dumbfounded by the prohibition on raw milk sales. You would think that allowing the sale is tantamount to forcing raw milk on everyone. It's called consumer choice. I would like to exercise mine; you know, take it out for a walk now and then. To buy some raw milk.

Photo from Wisconsin Cheese Talk, sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

Campaign Follies

Now that the primaries are over, the real races begin. To lighten your mood about the upcoming mud season, here's a video from CNN's Jeanne Moos showing some of the best, weirdest campaign ads out there. So far.

News and Views (i.e. TCD and Sculpture)

It's always exciting to learn new things about your hometown. Well, at least as long as those things classify as neato-keen. Today was gracious enough to provide two to check out.


The Third Coast Digest

Bannerhead courtesy of ThirdCoast Digest.

geekMan and I really enjoy exploring Milwaukee, so it's always nice to know we are not the only people relishing what this coastal cosmetropolis has to offer. The TCD is new to me and on first glance it seems promising as an alternative news-voice. I've plugged it into my reader, so only time will tell.


The Lynden Sculpture Garden

Bannerhead courtesy of Lyndon Sculpture Garden.

Previously called the Bradley Sculpture Garden, this collection was recently renamed and opened for public viewing. I never knew it was there before, so this is all totally new to me. I've heard of Mrs. Bradley in terms of her art collections and her generous donations to the Milwaukee Art Museum. I don't know the full history of these sculptures, but from what I can gather reading Eddee Daniel's blog Arts without Borders, the garden used to be opened only once a year to the public. Now it's open two days a week all year long. I'm keen to see this collection and how different pieces look now and after the snow falls. And in Spring. You get the idea.

Tree + Wind = A Big Mess

Mother Nature did some serious pruning in our yard yesterday. One of the very large trees in our front yard lost most of its crown yesterday in 50mph gusts. Of the three there, it is the American Linden (or Basswood) in the middle between a Northern Red Oak and a Norway Maple. They provide a lot of wonderful shade for the front of the house (well, they did...).

Tree crown in the yard.

We're really lucky that the tree didn't come down on the house. Or anything in the road for that matter.

Tree across the road.

The trunk looks pretty rotted through, poor thing. It was probably only a matter of time before it came down. There was another branch high in the tree I had expected to go, but it is still attached. According to the neighbors, the tree was fine until about 4pm.

What's left of the trunk. You can see the long gouge up into the branch I thought would be the one to go.

By the time I got home from work the tree was down.  I made a mad dash out to purchase a chain saw; it was so overcast, the light was fading and we had to get it out of the road. There's a streetlight immediately across the street that proved very useful. I don't recommend using chain saws at night, however. As a rule.

The front yard this morning. We managed to get it cut back and removed from the street and sidewalk last night.

We're going to see if we can find someone to use the wood. geekMan found some info online that said basswood is good for carving and making instruments, but not so much for burning in wood stoves. And of course, the rest of the tree will probably have to come out. It's like a bad tooth. It makes me sad  to lose such a mature and graceful tree. The two remaining trees will still provide a fair amount of shade for the house. The space will seem so empty though, I'm hoping we'll plant another tree. A birch would be nice...

Also, if anyone in the Milwaukee area is interested in the wood, give me a holler in the comments :-)

Tall ships in Milwaukee harbor

Yesterday driving home past the lake, I was excited to see several tall ships in the Discovery World harbor. Usually the only one you see is the S/V Denis Sullivan, a modern sailing vessel that's "the world’s only re-creation of a 19th century three-masted Great Lakes schooner." 

S/V Denis Sullivan; photo credit www.cleveland.com

The ships are still in port this morning (along with a ginormous cargo ship), and the harbor was wrapped in fog to great effect. I really wished I had my camera with me and the time to use it... fortunately, Tom Lynn one of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel photags captured the moment for everyone to enjoy. 

S/V Denis Sullivan in harbor; photo by Tom Lynn, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Not a bad way to start the day.