Blog archives
Seasons stories in our blog
Japanese beetle control: Grubs in lawn
August 3, 2011
Japanese beetles are destroying plants all over Racine, Wisconsin. The other 10 months of the year, they are white grubs in the lawn.
Blizzard of 2011: Snow storm video (Racine, Wisconsin)
February 3, 2011
A YouTube video summary of the Blizzard of 2011, as we experienced the snowstorm here in Racine, Wisconsin.
Blizzard of 2011 - Racine, Wisconsin: First video
February 2, 2011
Our first peek out the window at the results of the Blizzard of 2011 in Racine, Wisconsin.
Chicago Blizzard of 1967
January 31, 2011
Radio broadcasts and reminiscences recall the snowstorm that buried Chicago under 23 inches of snow in January of 1967.
Movie review: 'Spring Forward' (1999)
December 19, 2010
Ned Beatty and Liev Schreiber star in this little-known but outstanding movie about two guys working for a small town parks department.
The Krampus and St. Nicholas in Austria
December 5, 2010
See videos of the Krampus with old Saint Nick on December 6. Plus a Krampus Christmas song, Stephen Colbert on Krampus.
Leaf collection? Mulch leaves into lawn, garden beds
October 11, 2010
Fall leaf collection in Racine is bizarre. Dead leaves feed the worms, amend and inoculate the soil. Mulch them into the yard — not the pavement!
March goes out like a Silver Panther
March 30, 2010
Frost on lawns and rooftops this morning means March is going out like the most handsome animal.
Good day for the good old-fashioned fan
June 24, 2009
I’m enjoying summer like ‘The Greatest Generation’ with my World War II replica Vornado fan.
Free Coldplay, WMYX loses Jane Matenaer, original Twitter, morel mushroom festival
May 15, 2009
Four items spotted this morning on Twitter, including Jane Matenaer’s departure from WMYX.
Pancake Day / Lakefront Artist Fair in Racine
April 28, 2009
This all-you-can-eat event has been kicking off Racine’s warmer season for 55 years now.
Wisconsin has statewide tornado drills today
April 23, 2009
In southeastern Wisconsin, our mock warning runs from 1:20 to 1:25 this afternoon.
'King of Kings' theme: My Easter movie earworm
April 5, 2009
The 1961 film starring Jeffrey Hunter has always been my personal cheesy Jesus movie.
Etymology of 'Lent'
February 25, 2009
It’s related to ‘length’, as in the days getting longer in the spring.
Hummingbird babies webcam
February 6, 2009
Live Ustream webcam showing hummingbird babies in Sunnyvale, California.
Auld Lang Syne lyrics: Burns poem, Dougie MacLean song
December 31, 2008
Auld Lang Syne is an old song. Its Scottish lyrics are taken from a 1788 Robert Burns poem, and customarily sung on New Year’s Eve.
Traditional New Years foods for good luck
December 28, 2008
A look at a few of the events and the foods that have become New Year’s traditions.
When is the first day of winter? December 1.
December 21, 2008
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise: Winter begins on December 1.
Yes, we got some snow here
December 19, 2008
Documenting the foot of snow that fell here in Racine, Wisconsin overnight and into the day.
Bring back Indian summer
December 6, 2008
Here in southeastern Wisconsin, December has started off with snow, and more snow is coming.
Apple orchard near Burlington, Wisconsin: Brightonwoods Orchard
September 26, 2008
Brightonwoods Orchard near Burlington, Wisconsin offers a wide variety of unusual heirloom or heritage apples.
Fleece jacket by Patagonia is lightweight, warm in winter
January 18, 2008
Review: Men’s fleece jacket from Patagonia is lightweight, warm, available as a women’s fleece jacket, too.
A history of Christmas in America: 'The Battle for Christmas'
November 24, 2007
Why Christmas is commercial: All about Christmas in the USA and the rich men who made it that way.
Playing in the dirt
May 30, 2007
A roundup of our spring backyard gardening activities here in Racine, Wisconsin.
Summer festivals and events 2007
May 4, 2007
My own list of parades, festivals, and public events in our area.
'An Inconvenient Truth': The movie about Al Gore, global warming
April 27, 2007
There’s too much hagiography of Al Gore, but this is still a very worthwhile movie about the very survival of our planet.
Spring is sprouting
March 22, 2007
We’re going to try to grow many of our backyard plants from seed this year.
St. Patrick's Day with Irish breakfast, Racine parade, and Irish stew recipe
March 19, 2007
Since it fell on a Saturday this year, we could celebrate all day — from an Irish breakfast to the Racine parade to a homemade Irish stew.
Aloha from Siberia
February 15, 2007
Our Wisconsin winter was making us nearly suicidal, but the music and food of Hawaii and Barack Obama all give us the audacity of hope.
NOAA Weather Radios with SAME technology
February 9, 2007
One of these radios could save your life, or the lives of your loved ones.
Hummingbirds in Wisconsin
November 1, 2006
I did some reading, hung a hummingbird feeder, and sure enough — a hummingbird came to our window.
You've got weather
August 24, 2006
I recommend using Weather Underground and My-Cast to stay updated on weather conditions.
We are gardeners, and it is good
June 2, 2006
We have been reading a few gardening books, and now we’re planting some things in our yard.
This is for the birds
April 28, 2006
Moving from apartment to house has made it possible for us to attract a much wider variety of birds to our backyard.
