Lois in Wonderland (the U.P.)

My Christmas

2012-01-08T12:37:00.001-06:00

This was a good Christmas. I gave up feeling sorry for myself ... & drove down to Wisconsin. My son, Alan, had the party at his shop in Green Bay. Everyone turned up. It was just for me, my kids, their kids, & their kids. The only one extra was Maggie's friend, Dave & his dog.
The food was set up in their lunchroom, with the refer, microwave, & the popcorn machine.

2011-12-29T06:47:00.000-06:00

Somewhat overdue ... here's how things are going.

My birthday card from my daughter.

Need snow plowing?

my monitor wallpaper, larger attatched

MY CHRISTMAS CARD,

stamped with linoleum block on blue paper

L o i S

http://loisontheweb.blogspot.com/

http://loisontheweb.wordpress.com/

HERE WE GO AGAIN!

2011-11-17T11:06:00.002-06:00

9:19 PM 8/4/2011

Three pain pills today ... finally my back feels better. I finished mowing the lawn, got some stuff ready for taking the craft items to the horseshow. I'm still thinking of how to assemble the peg-board. How am I to get this stuff into the car???

I didn't get even a good start on getting things ready.

7:24 AM 9/16/2011

This is just great ... I had to beg the doctor at the pain clinic for another epidural for my back. They are trying to economize at the clinic. When he asked if the pain were "tolerable" with taking the pain pills ... (at least 3 per day) ... I said yes ... but, that was only because I would then go sit in my lounge chair, & watch T.V. I cannot get anything done that way!

7:16 AM 9/24/2011

This is just great ... I had begged the doctor at the pain clinic for another epidural for my back. THIS FEELS JUST GREAT; I DID GET ANOTHER EPIDURAL; I'VE ONLY HAD ONE OR TWO PAIN PILLS THIS PAST TWO WEEKS!

There is so much to get done "before winter". There is so much junk to get rid of ... free on Telephone Time or whatever.

7:40 AM 9/27/2011

My last epidural is still working. If I'm extra busy during the day, I will feel like taking a break ... BUT, NO PAIN!

10:41 PM 10/7/2011

Ah ... PAIN! I've been back to painting the house ... we are having a TRUE "Indian Summer", no rain & the weather is unbelieveably warm. My back still has no pain, but gets very uncomfortable ... so I've taken a few pain pills. BUT, I'M GETTING THE HOUSE PAINTED. I did get nephew, Craig, to help ... but, I shouldn't have given him the down payment on his help ... he's been invisible for the past few days.

9:27 PM 10/11/2011

HOUSE PAINTING ... if I needed anything less ... that would be painting the outside of my two story house! With, and without, Craig's help, the house is painted on three sides, leaving half of the north side ... the east side, only above the "sun porch" is left for 2012.. Most of that I did ... scrap, prime, and finish coat.

10:48 AM 11/17/2011

The house painting has been continued until next year ... for sure. We did have a great snowstorm last week ... but it has mostly melted away. It will be interesting to see who's prayers are more effective ... those like me, who keep saying, "I'm not ready for winter yet!" ... and ... those praying for "tracking snow".

But, my back ... for the past week, I "ache in every joint". From the pain clinic ... I did have a twice per week "Physical Therapy" session. Independent of that ... for this past week is this "ache in every joint" problem. I'm hoping that it is just because I ran out of my MSM (joint medication).

IT WAS NICE, WHILE IT LASTED

2011-11-09T08:24:00.003-06:00

Our Indian Summer was beautiful beyond belief ...
but ... some gusty winds denuded the beautiful leaves.
Here's how it looked for a while.

Here's my house, with the beautiful maple tree.

I sent this photo to a local realtor ... the owner said he might have to tear this log home down ... to save tax money of "buildings" on the property. His realtor hadn't been able to sell it.

How do you like this HALLOWEEN display in Crystal Falls.

Another photo from my ARCHIVES ... this is one of my favorite trucking roads ... Highway 17 ... running along the southwestern New York state ... it's since been turned into an Interstate 88, I think.

Today

Snow...possibly mixed with rain in the morning...then snow in the afternoon. Snow may be heavy at times in the afternoon. Snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches. Highs around 35. North winds 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation 100 percent.

Tonight

Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow. Lows around 30. Northwest winds 10 to 15

LOOKIE AT THIS!

2011-10-26T14:11:00.000-05:00

How would you like to see this one? It's a view from my patio door!

Hey, youse guys ... you don't need any corn yet! This is my lame deer ... she's been around many years now.

OH ... OH ... THAT LOOKS LIKE SNOW TO ME! is
Lo

2011-10-17T12:58:00.000-05:00

It sure got chilly ... I guess our "Indian Summer" is over ... we certainly cannot complain about it! I'm pretty sure that I won't get back to my house painting this year! I did most of 3 sides of the house ...scrape, prime, paint. I did have some help to get the North side done ..., but, he had other stuff to do, too. NEXT YEAR!

OLDIES, BUT GOODIES ... C.F.

IRON COUNTY COURTHOUSE

BELOW: NEW WATER TOWER

LOOK AT THIS ...
quilters ... each room at the Pain Clinic has a different quilt in it!

My chubby little friends ... little chipmonks ... stuffing his little cheeks full ...

Now, what should I do ... put all the paint stuff away ... bring all plants in for the winter ... gather water hoses & electric cords ... put things away that will get covered up by snow .... etc., etc

L o i S

http://loisontheweb.blogspot.com/

http://loisontheweb.wordpress.com/

Remembering Hilma Millimaki

2011-09-27T10:54:00.000-05:00

MATT MILLIMAKI, center

HILMA & 2 BROTHERS

MATT & HILMA WITH MARGARITE (L) & EVELYN

     Hillma Millimaki ... the eldest of four Haglund children in Republic, Michigan. Johan August Haglund, of Stockholm, Sweden, married a girl from Vaasa, Finland (his second wife;the first died). The Haglunds came to America, landing in Eagle River, Michigan.

     Hilma Willhemina Haglund was born in Eagle River, Michigan on November 10, 1892. She died at home in Republic on August 26, 1970.

     Hilma was pretty ... attracted a wonderful man... Matt Millimaki. When wrestling was a popular sport in the U.P., Matt was a very successful wrestler. He became a prominent businessman ... owning a grocery store/gas station in Clarksburg, Michigan ... west of Marquette. Later, Matt had a saloon in downtown Ishpeming, Michigan. But, Matt had a poor heart ... and died relatively young.

Grocery store & gas station, see the people...

Hilma returned to Republic & bought a nice house, a block off main street. Just guessing, Hilma had some mining stock, which declined in value when mining slowed.

When, Margarite's pre-school daughter, Lois, came to live with her ... Hilma lived in that home, but then moved to the Haglund homestead on Michigamme "Lake" (really a reservoir), where her brother, Bill Haglund was living, alone. His wife, Aili, had been sent to a sanitorium in Lower Michigan.

Hilma, after Margarite's divorce, moved to Arlington Heights, Illinois briefly so that Margarite could work. Then, Hilma moved back to Republic with Lois ... first to the house at downtown downtown Republic ... then to the Haglund homestead by Bill.

When Hilma didn't have Lois there, she supported herself as a cook, working at various restaurants, even a time at a Montana lumber camp. She also took in sewing.

Hilma loved to play Bingo ... was known as being lucky ... had many pretty dishes, etc. given as prizes. Some of these are now in her desk, which Lois now has. Hilma, maybe needing money?, sold off some things like the desk ... which Margarite bought and gave to Lois.

People used to bronze baby shoes. Hilma had one of the shoes in that desk ... E. H. Pratt had the other. When he died, his wife sent the other shoe to Lois. By that time, Lois had the desk, and the shoe. In the shoe that Hilma had, was a cut out photo, maybe destined to be inside a locket ... of Matt!

Matt and Hilma had no children ... but, was blessed with Margarite and Evelyn when Aili, Bill's wife had to go back to the sanatorium in Lower Michigan. Margarite was about 10?, Evelyn, 3?. There are photos of the girls, Margarite and Evelyn, at the grocery store/gas station and the Ishpeming saloon. Margarite identified the High School at Michigamme as where she graduated. She pointed to a home in Michigamme as where her girlfriend lived.

Hilma was a steady church goer and had many friends, including Lil Peterson, the Matriarch of Republic. Lil and Bob Peterson lived on a house in Republic overlooking the School Lake, the school, and the giant "bluff" ... which was later removed when the mine reopened.

Lil and Bob's eldest son, Bob and Marci stood up for Margarite and David Mocine when Margarite remarried David Mocine, at the Finnish Lutheran Church (which later burned down). Gene Peterson later married Evelyn.

When Evelyn & Gene lived in Marquette (he had the music stores there), Hilma got to enjoy her granddaughter, Kristine, and Kristine and Ken's children. Later, Kris and Ken moved to Lower Michigan.

Dave Mocine, Margarite Mocine, Hilma Millimaki, with Lois Mocine in front

Margarite and David resided for a time in Chicago, Arlington Heights, Illinois and for a time near Escanaba, Michigan ... thence to Wisconsin. Hilma had sometimes visits from Margarite's children, especially while the family lived by Escanaba. Later, as Margarite's children grew older and had their own children, sometimes they would come up from Wisconsin to visit.

"Grama Millimaki" with Jean Mocine, Cheryl Peterson, Sue Mocine, & Nancy Peterson

Hilma & Bill, before the house was moved to the "New Location"

When Hilma died, it was at home with Bill at the Haglund home. Bill said that Hilma got up early to let her cat, Mitzi, out. Hilma called out to Bill, who slept upstairs, for help, but, it was too late. She died in the bedroom.

It's getting COLD!

2011-09-17T18:48:00.000-05:00

In cleaning off my computor ... here's an e-mail that I sent out:

This has been a series of calamities for the past 4-5 months ... three deaths in the family, a trip to Texas to sort my Mom's stuff ... then, my septic tank quit ... it had never given me trouble before. That was during the two-week deer season here .... no septic company answered my phone calls. I've been battling with my old printer, & now the new one. That is hampering my genealogy project! Just when I thought things were looking up ... last week, on the coldest night of the winter ... like 25 below zero ... my furnace quit! When I woke up at 5 am ... it was in the nick of time ... some of the water pipes were ALMOST frozen, but finally started. I got some heaters going & started the clothes dryer so that the warm air would help protect the wash machine & water pipes there. That meant making some wet clothes to put into the dryer. The washer ALMOST didn't start!

AN EARLY MORNING VIEW ... THE SUN PEEKING OVER THE HILL BEHIND THE HOUSE.

A LITTLE BUDDY ... NIBBLING ON A BREAD CRUST.

LAST COUPLE OF NIGHTS ... IT'S BEEN FROSTING

I should have had this bright idea earlier this summer ... I've been painting the house ...

not going to go way up ... THIS IS A TWO-STORY HOUSE.

L o i S

DOUBLE FEATURE WEEKEND

2011-09-11T22:14:00.000-05:00

Saturday would have been Mom's birthday ... I did call my brothers & sisters ... It doesn't still seem possible that I cannot call my Mom every day!
I did e-mail the announcer on "FINLAND CALLING" to request he play "something by Victor Klimenko". Mom & I had gone up to Covington, to the church, for a concert. Victor is from Finland. We enjoyed it ... we even bought some of his CD's. I included a photo of Me, Mom, & Grama Millimaki (in Arlington Heights, IL).

Saturday & Sunday ... I mostly watched TV ... in honor of 9/11 there were so many programs. But, also, on both days, I was painting on the house. The south side & the east side had a lot of peeling paint. I scraped that off ... & went over that with primer (& over, & over the worst) ... then, the final coat. I was worried about falling off the ladder ... but, all went well.

L o i S

MUSING ...

2011-08-31T14:55:00.000-05:00

AH ... WHERE DID THE SUMMER GO??? ALL THE THINGS I WAS GOING TO DO ... WE HAD SUCH A LATE SPRING ... MY GARDENING WASN'T ALL THAT GREAT. SOME FLOWERS ARE JUST STARTING TO BLOOM. TWO RIPE TOMATOES SO FAR.

I'm just thinking what I have to get done today ... I did visit the Crystal FallsMuseum Saturday- their last day. I want to go to the museum at Amasa & & I have a coupon for the big Iron River museum.

It's not too late to get stuff done before Winter, tho. My washer broke ... & I need to freshen up the stuff I want to bring to St. Vinnie's. But, to get a different washer ... I then have to clear a trail in the basement to where the washer sits ... & find someone to move the washer here.

What I can do is go check the apple trees ... I do need to bottle some more "pink" applesause, made with the apples from a certain kind of apples. My stash of applesauce is getting low.

I joined the Republic Historical Club.

Above, it is in ... the "Pasco house"

Below is the old Haglund house. This house was moved to the new location. The people there are so nice- the Durfee's. I am making them a "history picture book".

HERE'S A PHOTO OF WHEN MOM & I WENT UP TO REPUBLIC IN 2006 ... TO THE ISLAND CAMP ON THE RIVER, WHEN BOB WAS STILL ALIVE. NOW, MARCIE IS IN AN ASSISTED LIVING HOME IN CRYSTAL FALLS ... THEIR DAUGHTER, SHELLEY, IS LIVING AT BOTH, SORTING OUT STUFF.

This is my new "Favorite Picture" of my Mom ... oh ... if only we could go back in time. Mom, the older girl, looks so serious; Evelyn looks so cherubic & her attitude hasn't been thru what my Mom has seen.

Interesting People

2011-08-26T09:33:00.001-05:00

MY SON, ALAN ... HIS DOG MOOCHING A TREAT.
Alan is a "fabricator" ... morphed from a welder from his nation-wide office in Green Bay ...
He still shoes horses as a side-line.

My "favorite" nephew, Craig, by his rented home in Crystal Falls. He's in pain ... his right shoulder needs an operation.

DR. LARRY ... MY CHIROPRACTOR
I go there once a week for my bad back.

HIS RECEPTIONIST...
We always have a nice chat.

Summer, Where Did It Go???

2011-08-22T11:36:00.000-05:00

SUMMERS ALMOST OVER!!!

Up here ... so many things close after Labor Day ... I gotta make a list of things that I want to see! I need to go to the museums at Amasa & Crystal Falls & Iron River. I wonder if I will go up to the Copper Country this Fall?

For days ... I was trying to catch a picture of this humming-bird ...

All of a sudden, he decided to make it easy for me.

That's him ... right in front of me ... hovering!

This is the FLORENCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE.

In Crystal Falls ... on a garage... this is very old ... when the owner was little ... this was on a beef animal ...

The Railway Espress Sign ... I'll have to ask the guy about that.

MIMI, are you comfortable in that pose???
She's my constant travel partner.

L o i S

HORSE SHOW

2011-08-11T11:34:00.000-05:00

Alan had another 2-day horse show ... near Green Bay. IT WAS REALLY HOT Saturday! On Sunday, the sky was full of raggedy black clouds ... it never got quite really rained ... but, kept us cool. At the end of the show, the sun began shining off & on ... we realized how lucky we were that it was cloudy all day!

Alan participated in several events, as did my daughter, Kathy, and my sister, Sue.

ALAN & HIS HORSE

MY SISTER SUE ... ON RIGHT

FAMILY WITH PONY

DAUGHTER, KATHY

ALAN & HIS HORSE

Picking up after the show, I gave Alan a ride around the neighborhood ... picking up the signs. He noticed that my brakes were "growling"... told me to bring my car into his shop & he'd have the guys work on that. Good thing ... an important bolt broke off & we needed a new one ... A RARE ONE! I drove his pickup around Green Bay for several hours, looking unsuccessfully for that one little bolt. At last, I found an acceptable substitute. At home, where I had an appointment at a local shop in Crystal Falls ... it would have cost hundreds of dollars, & I would have been on foot for many days (or weeks). THANKS ... ALAN!!!!

There are so many summer activities ... I'll have to decide which ones to pick. But, the bank account is again low ... gas costs $$$$, ect.

A TRIP

2011-08-04T11:13:00.000-05:00

     Last week, my cousin from Lower Michigan, came by to pick me up for an overniter to Green Bay. She was up in the Marquette area, invited to a class reunion by her late husband's class. The object of going to Green Bay was to visit a shrine east of town.
    First, we stopped in to see my son, Alan at his new location. To my surprise, it was his birthday ... I was determined not to forget it, which I had. He was leaving for out-of-town for 3 days after work ... this was God's way to have me tell him "Happy Birthday" on time!
     I should have taken pictures of the wonderful "Chinese buffet" ... the "Panda" ... where we ate. Great food for a low price!

Then, on to find the shrine ... Easy to find ... after Champion on County K east. It is at the site, in 1859 where the young girl began seeing the vision. At that point in time, many farmers were settling the wilderness ... churches were few & far between. She determined that she was being told to provide education for the area.

The Crypt ... under the Church ... at the location of the 2 trees where the first sighting occured.

THE NEXT DAY, BACK HOME ...

4th OF JULY!!

2011-07-07T22:27:00.000-05:00

BLUM'S VISIT ... on Saturday ... not wanting to give up their trailer-park spot by Rhinelander. drove up for the day. We took a carry-out from the local diner & had a picnic lunch by the boardwalk, on the river in Crystal Falls.

On the way back home ... I showed them some log buildings in Crystal Falls ... it's a really old city.

The picture with the dam is built upon the original "Crystal Falls". It provides auxiliarary power to the city of "Crystal Falls".

THE FOURTH OF JULY ... An old fashioned 4th of July ... Alpha/Crystal Falls. Alpha is about 6 miles from Crystal Falls. This is where I brought Mom several years ago.

They started with a flag raising ... including the Crystal Falls High School band. The parade was lengthy ... police & fire department vehicles, classic car club, decorated kids bikes, etc. The Crystal Falls Lions Club, VFW's, etc.

There were kid's games, live music ... food & beer for sale at the pavillion. The fireworks were at dusk ... but, I had gone home & didn't want to go back.

HOUSE IN ALPHA ...

CRAIG ... JOHNNIE'S NEPHEW ... is renting this cute little house ... just across the alley from the bar (he finally gave up driving without a license).

MEMORIAL DAY

2011-07-02T23:52:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day, I went to Republic. There are 3 Haglund graves there, plus 2 little Olson girls I've "adopted". They died in 1902, several days apart. I put flowers on all. When I get ahead, I want to buy a grave there for me.

Uncle Axel Laxo, who died last fall.

Grama's home near down town

I had a crush on Jimmy Olander who lived here.

This was an opperating hotel; I stayed here with my first husband;
It was on the "main highway" then.

This house ... in the "New Location" ... is now a museum

I also went to Durfee's... who now own the Haglund home (I lived there in the 40's). The house was moved to the "new location", when they reopened the mine. They did such a nice job of keeping the home pretty much the same, while making it really beautiful.

L o i S

REMINISING

2011-04-16T11:46:00.000-05:00

Not nice outside ... we got a pretty snowfall overnite; I always say, "If it's going to be cold, it might as well be pretty!"

I've just been going thru my pix on the computer. Later, I think I'll MAYBE go out & check my maple trees. Most of them are done running sap.

HERE'S SOME FAVORITE PHOTOS UP IN MY WOODS ...

THE KISSING TREES:

THE "GESTURE" :

SEVERAL YEARS AGO ... MAGGIE & MY (LATE) MOM GOING THRU SOME OF MY PHOTO ALBUMS HERE, ON MY SOFA. MOM's DOG, "BABY DOG".

My back has been a torture the past several weeks ... I just have to call the Pain Clinic to see if I can get an earlier appointment date for an injection. It seems as though they are trying to economize with me only having Medicare & Medicade????

Today,

* I will write some real letters ...

* do some more sorting of "stuff" ...

* see who I can contact on my free week-end cellphone minutes

* figure out how I'm doing on my monthly budget

* go to Crystal Falls to get some more corn for the deer & turkeys

MAPLE SYRUP TIME

2011-03-23T09:16:00.004-05:00

DRIP, DRIP, DRIP

To see my maple tap in action, click here (another YouTube video of mine).

ANOTHER YouTube video ... From State U. NY ... on tapping maple trees & making syrup ... click here:

DRILLING A HOLE IN THE MAPLE TREE IS HARD WORK! I USED TO USE; a "brace & bit" ... hard work! Now, my son bought me a cordless drill ... makes it a lot easier to poke the holes in the trees.

GETTING UP TO THE NEXT TREE MEANS I'LL HAVE TO CLIMB OVER SOME ROCKS, TOO.

I use bright colors on my tools & my tool bucket so I don't lose any.

OVER THAT WAY, TOO! I CAN ALWAYS PICK UP A NEW WALKING STICK, THO ...
SEE MY LATEST LEANING AGAINST THIS TREE?

I save the heavy-duty milk jugs all year (cleaned & santized) for my
jugs. The little top keeps out rain, & dirt, &
BUGS. When bringing the jugs back to the house, I cap them
tightly so no sap gets spilled.

READ THIS FUNNY
ENTRY ON MAKING MAPLE SYRUP:

How to make your own Maple Syrup
BEST LINK:
How to make your own Maple Syrup (Has some humor,
MUST READ!)

Leader Evaporator Company,> Maple
Syrup Equipment and Supplies, St Albans VT

Maple Syrup here in
poverty patch

North American Maple Syrup
Producers Manual, Bulletin 856-96

How to Make
Maple Syrup 1

How to make Maple
Syrup 2

How to make maple syrup
3

How we make Maple
Syrup

Make Maple Syrup ...
Supplies

Vivísimo
- Clustered search on How to make maple syrup

"What Tree Is It" (So you
can figure out which tree to tap)

To Quote: To get started all you need
is a way to collect and a pan...
You can go as small or as big as you
want...A 16 quart pan on your kitchen stove will work...To collect all you need
is a 7/16 (or 1/2) drill bit, some taps and a few old milk jugs...Boil the sap on the
stove and keep adding sap till it gets to syrup...Watch out for the wall-paper
though cuz all that steam in the house will curl it right off the walls...
Many people make their own
evaporators...There are plans all over the net and even on eBay...You can buy a
barrel stove kit and turn a 55 gallon drum into an evaporator in a day...You can
makeyour own pans if you have access to 304 stainless sheets and a tig
welder...

BLOG-TYPE COMMENTS ...

I should just take the time to be a "voice crying out in the wilderness" ... to our elected politicians ... ENOUGH ALREADY! My message to them would be:

FOR ONE THING: WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON ANYWAYS? I think the terrorist's side?
Those people belong to a
different culture; they only understand force & threats ...
anything less, & they are emboldened.
For sure is stupid to put all our plans on the media so the enemy knows what we are doing.
For sure is stupid to give the enemy a date when we will withdraw; they will wait.
GET REAL!
When
we had George Bush, I would thank God that we had a President, &
some lawmakers who understand that, like being a good parent, leading a country is not a popularity contest,
and, you cannot do it while sitting on a fence. I don't think I
am the only person who has thus far been disappointed in our current
President!
FOR ANOTHER THING:
we are paying the politicians on all levels to work on government
business of improving living conditions for all the citizens! OF COURSE, THEY ARE TOO BUSY PUTTING UP MORE SMOKE SCREENS SO THAT THEM LOOK BUSY ... with all your hearings on everything else but bills & laws.
WE SHOULD FILE A REPORT & LET LAWYERS (that YOU pay) work on attacking public officials, & do
something real about Social Security, sex-preditors, improving schools,
making a REAL budget, illegal aliens, national security, disaster
preparedness ... etc., etc.

You can visit my area
EVERY DAY! ... The local radio station has a Monday thru Saturday
call-in program. Besides items to buy & sell ... even
real-estate, collectibles, etc ... people call in from all over to give
opinions, public notices, etc. It's a real slice of Yooper life.
Telephone Time! Like
"Yooper-Bay" Each morning 9- noon CST
Click here: WebStream | Listen live to The Bull - WIKB — 99.1 FMIron
River, MI

3DEATHS IN FAMILY & CALAMITIES

2011-02-17T09:54:00.001-06:00

Life goes on here ... it's slowly sinking in that Mom is gone ... I always said that "Mom will go straight to heaven because she's an angel on earth".I have thousands/millions of photos of my Mom ... I'll put together a photo collage ... LATER.

MY FAVORITE PHOTO OF MOM

My siblings have opted to have Mom cremated ... I thought that more recently ... she had changed her mind?? I had wanted her to be buried here in the U.P. ... in Republic, MI .... her birthplace & our family roots.

Oh well, they have planned to have her Memorial Service next AUGUST ... in New Mexico. I hope Jean has a better memory than mine ... (it would be a miracle if I found the photos I took of the mile-marker near Dave's Peak where we scattered Dad's (David Mocine) ashes. as he had requested.

ME WITH DAD, MOM, GRAMA, Arlington Heights, IL

WEDDING IN REPUBLIC, MI

5 GENERATION PHOTO

MOM ON MY DECK, KITTY IN LAP

AT MY HOME, TALKING TO HER PET GOOSE

ALMOST WINTER

2010-11-14T00:30:00.004-06:00

Look here ...
it's almost Winter

This was our first snow ... quite late for us!

The deer hunters are hoping for tracking snow for the start of gun deer hunting season on Monday.

They haven't called out that Finnlander :
"Heiki Lunta " yet to do his Snow Dance yet.

Winter Now!

by Lois Haglund

Shhoooooooohh…….

Like Quick-silver, the icy breeze slips

thru the trees and across the creek……

Now, stopping for a brief encounter

with a finger or a cheek…..

Now, flittering out in profuse ripples

to chill one’s deepest soul…..

Summer’s tattered shawl… blown away… as

Winter blusters in to assume his role….

Wait ! The word hangs frozen… suspended…..

Wait ! I’m not ready… not Now, Oh No !

Not Ready, to face the interminable days of siege

With a merciless foe outside my window !

Yes! It’s Time, for the quicksilver blade of a breeze

To now be an awesome, deadly blow….

I Know… and remember Why I fear and I dread,

I Must… I Can… I Know!

My Summer Activities

2010-07-28T20:50:00.001-05:00

Recently, the Crystal Falls Court House celebrated it's 100 year birthday. HERE IS A COPY OF ITS HISTORY:

The Iron County Courthouse in Crystal Falls was built in 1890. It boasts granite steps, large oak doors, arched doorways, high ceilings,chandeliers, turrets, and unique ornamentation. Offices located within the building include the county clerk, county administrator, county treasurer, register of deeds, equalization department, and Michigan State University Extension.

Although the courthouse is the highlight of Crystal Falls today, it would not be there if Crystal Falls had lost its bid to become county seat.

According to Iron County Clerk Joan Luhtanen, the story of how Crystal Falls became the county seat is a colorful one.

When Iron County was carved from Marquette and Menominee counties in 1885, Iron River was designated as the temporary county seat. The permanent county seat would be chosen in the next election. The rivalry between Iron River and Crystal Falls was extreme.

Following a county board meeting in 1887, a group of Crystal Falls residents lured the Iron River commissioners to a high-stakes poker game. Frank Scadden, the Mastodon Township supervisor, and H.J. Hughitt, the county treasurer, used this time to steal the county record books from

Iron River and smuggle them to Crystal Falls. Iron River residents threatened to take the records back once the theft was discovered. However, Sheriff David Lockwood put a guard on the records. (IT IS RUMORED THAT THIS SHERIFF WAS AT THE POKER GAME.)

When the election to decide the county seat was finally held in 1888, citizens in both cities attempted to rig the vote. They registered lumberjacks from other parts of the Upper Peninsula, as well as dead relatives.

Crystal Falls ended up winning the election by a mere five votes.

A second election was held in 1889. Crystal Falls won again, this time by

almost 100 votes.

AT ALAN'S

Last weekend, I actually drove down to Wisconsin to Amy's wedding shower, then afterwards to Sue's & to Alan's.

Maggie & a friend drove up to visit for a week-end. I showed them the museum in Amasa nearby.

There are so many activities going on up here every weekend in the summer. The Humungus Fungus Fest is August 12-15, 2010.

Click here: Humungus Fungus Fest in Crystal Falls, MI

This next weekend is the professional rodeo in Iron River.

"We are pleased to announce that the 43rd Annual U.P. Rodeo will be held July 30th thru August 1, 2010. Plan now to attend the rodeo weekend which includes three PRCA rodeo performances, the Wild West Parade, Market Days, Art Round Up, Chuckwagon Breakfasts, the Miss U.P. Rodeo Queen Contest and the Friday night Rodeo Concert featuring the Kentucky Headhunters, Chasin' Steel and Jamey Johnson! "

Click here: U.P. Pro Rodeo - Welcome

This next weekend is also the "Black Bart Festival/all class reunion in Republic ... also a free Saturday night water ballet show near Spread Eagle. ..... How to chose?

Click here: "Black Bart Festival"

JULY

2010-07-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

HEY ... IT'S SUMMER !!!!

It doesn't seem possible that we are thru June ... now into July We finally caught up on rain ... it had been so dry that there weren't any burning permits issued.

I really went somewhere & did something ... I went to Crystal Falls to attend the outdoor music presentation at the "Board-walk" along the Paint River at the foot of the hill.

I enjoyed the musical "SOUTH PACIFIC" by the local theater group at the Crystal theater. The casting was so perfect, there were some outstanding singers ... costumes & dancing was great.

Mimi & I saw the antique car show in Iron River at the fair grounds.

Wow! ... I am really out of shape ... had to go back to the car for my walking stick. Thank Heavens I now have a handicap sticker so I got a really close parking place. I had the wrong setting on my camera, so all those car pix were blurry.

May Apple Blossoms

2010-05-21T08:46:00.002-05:00

APPLE TREES ARE IN BLOSSOM ...

TWO WEEKS EARLY!

Peek over the back stone fence ..

see an apple tree out thru the other trees.

AS I HAD TOLD MOM ... "THESE APPLE TREES ARE OLDER THAN WE ARE."

This house in Crystal Falls is part of a row of "COMPANY-HOUSES" FROM THE MINING DAYS ... Look closely ; you will see this house is of the same construction as mine ... made of vertical logs.

Crazy Spring

2010-04-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

CRAZY SPRING WE'RE HAVING !

February was the dryest/warmest February in decades .... almost NO SNOW. Then, another day, we awoke to a blustery day with anywhere from an inch to 7 inches. March also set records as to being so warm & lack of snow.

We've had such early spring-like weather that most places are getting sold out of TOMATO seeds. I wasn't able to get the yellow tomato seeds, but, did get some ROMA's & some yellow pear tomatoes. Now, I have planted the seeds in little styrofoam cups.

This is the first winter that, in addition to my little deer herd, I acquired a large flock of wild turkeys. The wildlife group gave me some bags of corn. Crystal Falls has a "new" feed store to make it easier (& cheaper) to get corn. I hope to be tapering off ... I don't put corn out after the new grass is available ... don't want to attract the BEAR!

I did can up nearly 50 pints of MAPLE SYRUP. It wasn't a really ideal season this year because of the weather .... & I only tapped some of the trees .... because I didn't know how my body would take the job. I had just finished six weeks of therapy on my knee .... & my back has been really bad for several months.

These trees are on a steep hillside, with huge piles of ROCKS to climb over.

I pulled some of the taps .... then decided not to pull the rest when the snow/wind came. It did warm up, tho so I could pull all the taps.

Now, I have all these jugs to rinse, dry, & cap for next year.

I have been putting that off ... maybe I can wash these outside if I wait for another nice warm day ????

Mimi is my helper....

Here's a picture of Mimi with my Mom, when we visited her in Texas last summer.

My Mom, back in Texas, gave us a scare. Her doctor sent her to the hospital there to monitor her dosage of meds ... then, would only release her to a nursing home. She's in her 90's. It is hard getting used to not being able to talk on the phone with her. I hate to rack up time on my sister's cell phone .... when she's visiting. For the past 10/15 years I had called her daily... then for many years before that, called her several times a week. I really miss that. I know that she's losing her memory; without the daily calls ... she's going to forget who I am. Her eyes have gone so bad that letters probably won't do any good , either.

VALENTINE

2010-02-14T17:05:00.000-06:00

HERE’S A VALENTINE FOR YOU

Have A Nice Day

L o i S

Dawn of a New Year

2010-01-05T01:28:00.000-06:00

IT'S REALLY COLD ... BELOW ZERO EVERY NIGHT ...

HAVE YOU MADE YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS YET?

I've really been going thru the corn now that the wild turkeys have invaded! Thank heavens I found out that the local wildlife group provides a feeder & some corn ... WOULD YOU BELIEVE THAT THEIR FEEDER IS MADE FROM A 55 GALLON DRUM! They are going to bring a feeder to me ... it's supposed to be somewhat deer-proof.

The holidays were a busy time. I really did get all my Christmas cards made & sent out. Christmas Day, I drove to Green Bay for a family get-together.

The plans were to brind Maggie back up here ... then go back down for another family dinner. BUT ... THE ROADS WERE SO ABSOLUTELY NASTY ON THE WAY DOWN THAT IT DIDN'T TAKE MUCH FOR ME TO BE PERSUADED TO JUST STAY DOWN THERE FOR THE WHOLE WEEK-END.

The local IGA carries LUTEFISH at Christmas time ... I'll have to dig up my blog entry on LUTEFISH .... It's something that one either Loves or HATES.

L O I S

Freezin'

2009-12-12T07:29:00.003-06:00

Ya ... it's really cold up here!

Thankfully, we didn't get as much snow as predicted, but the temps have been going way down ... way below zero at night.

So ... wouldn't you know ... my furnace quit! The first guy that came out couldn't find the problem ... he & another guy came out in the afternoon. They said it probably needed a part ... that might have to be ordered!

OH WELL. I could keep the upstairs liveable ... but didn't know if I could keep the basement water pipes from freezing. I've developed good cold-weather coping skills ... but this would be a real challenge!

By some miracle ... they did come back much later with the part! And, much to the surprise of all ... the furnace did start ... and is still running.

2009-12-09T08:51:00.001-06:00

SNOW'S FINALLY HERE!

     I guess instinct (God's guidance) prompted me to call my garage last week & make arrangements to get my snow tires put on yesterday morning. I made a quick trip to the IGA while I wax in town.

     The snow, as predicted, started later on Tuesday .... then predicted more snow on Wednesday ... then, Thursday will be really bad. Today, Wednesday, all the U.P. schools around here are closed. I hope I can get out to keep my weekly appointment at the Chiropractor.

     Yesterday, I did fulfill my ambitious plans to take my saw in the car, so that on my return from Crystal Falls, I put it in 4-wheel drive & ran up the hill to cut my Christmas tree. I had chosen & marked one some time ago.

     I have everything pretty much so put away or covered up .... tho I should burn trash while I can still get to the burn barrel (I even put a cover on that). I filled a feeder with dry cat food for up in the Gunta shed. I had my snow blower tuned up last spring ... I should give it a test start. & make sure I have enough gas for it. I put shovels, brooms, & ice choppers by each door. I bought a bag of ice melt.

     As usual for up here ... we have to plan for all emergencies ... even like getting stuck in the snow. I put a snow shovel, ice-melt, & a blanket into the car. It's a good idea to have snacks & a flashlite, too.

     This past week, they got socked with snow "Up North" on the Keweenau & all along Lake Superior ... They had to figure out where to put the two feet of snow, then the crews were out full force today, all day with all the equipment they have ... with an eye on the storm warnings coming up the next few days. No wonder the "Snow Birds" retreat every winter!

HERE'S PIX FROM PAST YEARS' SNOWS... I'll take more pix of the new snow ... later.

L o i S

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http://www.myspace.com/yooperlois

http://360.yahoo.com/loisontheweb

Now, It's December

2009-12-03T00:22:00.000-06:00

Not quite winter yet.

We've had snow, but only at little at a time; it keeps melting away. Went to the IGA ... admired this in the parking lot.

In a neighbor's yard ...

At home , Mimi is watching a little red squirrel on the plant stand ...

Last year, there was so much snow that I took the lazy man's way, & cut a tree in my ditch so that I only had to take a few steps in snow.

This year ... I didn't cut my tree yet ... but I did mark the one I want, so that I can go right to it. But, here are some of the other candidates, too.

L o i S

2009-11-27T08:18:00.000-06:00

THANKSGIVING ... a day for reflection & giving thanks.

I was looking in my (computer) archives for these pictures, used in a past blog. THEN, it dawned upon me that the originals were "real" photos, taken before I had a digital camera.

When we lived near Green Bay, WI ... we had a constant stream of people that visited or lived with us. Holiday dinners, we generally had a full table.

IN THE FIRST PHOTO ... Maggie was clowning around & put on my furry winter hat, which was way too big for her. Her dad, Johnnie, is wearing a paper Pilgrim hat that the little neighbor girls had made in school.

IN THE SECOND PHOTO ... I hate it when people think it's funny to make a silly face for the camera. Oh well, this is how we will see them for eternity!!!

September in the neighborhood

2009-09-23T05:18:00.002-05:00

MY NEIGBORS ....

Some have cranes on their lawn.

Some have turkeys on their lawn.

Trees are beginning to turn colors.

The Lutheran church ... flowers are still pretty, even tho we've had a few light frosts already.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

L o i S

SUPER-BUSY!

2009-09-10T10:07:00.005-05:00

After a long silence .... here's a quick update:

I went to Texas

I came home

Mom visited me

I went to the family reunion in Wisconsin

I went to Texas

I visited Mom

I had car trouble

I came home to Michigan

I went to my 50 year class reunion in Marion, WI\\\\\

I'm doing winterization/home improvement

I'm bummed out

BUSY SUMMER

2009-08-20T14:55:00.002-05:00

It's been a busy summer ..... we had a family reunion! This was in Wisconsin, where most of my family is. It was to have been the first time in over 10 years that all of us seven kids gathered ... but, my sister from Texas could not get away from work. That meant that I had to drive down there to bring our Mom up.

June is cool!

2009-06-14T08:47:00.008-05:00

COOL ... really cool ... like the coldest June so far ... on record! The local kids were supposed to begin swim lessons last week; they were posponed!

I went over to Escanaba in May ... where we lived in the 1950's. Our big barn has been torn down, & the towering elm tree is gone ... but, it looks pretty much the same.

(COOL ...Except for in my old refrigerator ... which died) Here's my "new" one.

I went up to Houghton/Hancock recently for an OPEN MRI for my back.
On the way, near Baraga ... here is a statue of Father Baraga ... high on a bluff overlooking the Keweenau Bay.

Lois

Merry Christmas/April Fools Day

2009-04-26T04:35:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas ... April Fools!

Earlier this past week ... people were calling into TELEPHONE TIME ... with the greeting "Merry Christmas"
. Further north, they had nearly two feet of snow; one lady
called in to say that a lot of her neighbors had signs on their lawns: "FREE SNOW".

Here's how it looked before the big snow

Here's some pix on AFTER

Now .. after some torrential rain ... most of the snow is gone again ... & here's what I found

LOOKS LIKE IT'S TIME TO TROT OUT MY POEM ON SPRING ... ENTITLED

" THE SMILE OF SPRING"

The Sun in Spring is a smile

That warms the heart & soul.

It's a PROMISE: in a short while,

We'll not fear Winter's threats!

GREEN grass & buds feed nature's pets.

GREEN tips of tulips, daffodils, and more.

GREEN thumb: twitches and frets.

GREEN: the Victor's colors; Winter is defeated!

GOLDEN Sunshine wraps us like a warm shawl.

Winter's breath still can chill!

GOLDEN Sunshine washes the air-cleanses all.

Breathe deeply of the new freshness.

April Showers bring us flowers in May.

Winter is lovely, but, spring is a joy!

The Nature that was asleep tumbles out to play.

Welcome - SPRING - God's Promise come true!

Is It Really Spring?

2009-04-06T06:52:00.002-05:00

ALMOST SPRING ... most of the snow is gone, but, it's still chilly.

.. WELL ... maybe I'm over my "pout" ... none of the four new blog spots are as easy & satisfactory as my deceased AOL journal ... damn them. Losing four years of illustrated diary entries is a great loss. It is also a loss that AOL also discontinued the free webpages; I lost all my links there. Of the four new spots ... BLOGspot is somewhat the choice.

L o i S

SO READY FOR SPRING

2009-03-15T07:11:00.009-05:00

I'M READY ... for spring ...

I liken the winter at this stage to an old
person ... getting more feeble ... the snow banks shrinking &
looking not so firm ... not so white & pretty. Winter,
at its prime, is vigorous, pretty, & impressive.

I had forgotten that our road(s) really are black in color ... my road
is about half black ... the latest snowfall morhped into a lot of ice
cover, tho. And, with the temps last nite going below zero again
... we are looking forward to the promised 40 degree temps this
week-end.

There is snowcover, but, remembering that the picnic table was
practically concealed with snow, I can see we're making progress.

Isn't this such a cute deer ... last year's fawn ... I call them my "Fuzzies".

Recently, I drove some friends to Green Bay, Wisconsin for a visit to a
clinic. While waiting, I drove around town a bit ... happened to
go past Packerland Packing Meats ... I had hauled for them a while when
I was a trucker. The place still looks the same.

Hopefully, some good news for the papermill at
Niagara (on the border of Wisconsin/Michigan) that was subject to one
of those old business schemes of "buy up a competitor- so that you can
shut them down-then you can declare a tax break loss" . So sad
for the village of Niagara. A local businessman offered to buy
the mill so that the employees/community could continue to run
it. NO DEAL. The machinery was stripped & shipped
overseas to make sure that the aggressor company would never have to
worry about competition for it's specialty papers.

A RECENT NEWSPAPER ARTICLE IN THE IRON RIVER DAILY NEWS HAS MORE DETAILS ON THE IDEA FOR THE MILL TO NOW PRODUCE A NEW KIND OF BIO-FUEL THAT WILL UTILIZE THE AREA'S WOOD PRODUCTION INDUSTRY. (The logging industry is about all that is left up here & even that has
been torpedoed by the slowing economy.)

Click here:
IronMountainDailyNews.com news, sports, business, jobs - The Daily News

( I THEN DID A NEWSPAPER SEARCH ON "Niagara mill")

"IRON MOUNTAIN - Wisconsin State Representative Jeff Mursau told The Daily News that a Wisconsin company has expressed interest in purchasing at least part of the NewPage Niagara mill to construct a biomass ethanol plant."

"NIAGARA, Wis. - New North Inc. has commissioned a study to determine the feasibility of producing cellulosic ethanol at NewPage's Niagara paper mill facility, New North Executive Director Jerry Murphy announced on Tuesday."

On TELEPHONE TIME ... someone called in to say that the maple sap
season is imminent. With the week-end temps in the 40's .... I
should be ready to rock & roll on this project ... but, I've had so
many crucial projects occurring that I haven't given this much thought.

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http://360.yahoo.com/loisontheweb

NEIGHBORS & FRIENDS

2009-03-01T10:43:00.003-06:00

My grandson, Bill, just had a birthday ... here he is with my daughter, Maggie.

Her dress is an heirloom christening dress. His suit is a
corduroy suit that I had made for my older son when he was little.

As you can see from this ... we have to stay alert when driving ... especially on my road .... STOP FOR THE TURKEY CROSSING!

They were just going to visit these neighbors.

These neighbors have their own visitors.

L o i S

http://loisontheweb.blogspot.com/

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http://www.myspace.com/yooperlois

http://360.yahoo.com/loisontheweb

My Mom's going to visit!

2009-02-20T10:01:00.002-06:00

BIG PROJECT: EMPTY ALL BUT THE UPPER THREE BOOKSHELVES. Most of the books need to be put into boxes ... I'm trying to sort them so that one can find any certain one later. The remaining books are mostly going to be referrence/how-to ... special collections ... &
lots of picture books covering travel, history, etc ... coffee-table" type books that we can look thru.

This sorting project is something that,
really, only I can do. Then, I have to figure out where to store
my stuff; this is a small house ... no attic.

My Mom is coming up here next summer; half of my frontroom will be her
"room". Here's Mom on a previous visit, several years ago.

Until we can decide what to to about a ramp, or whatever ... I can
drive up to the deck ... then, there's only a few steps.

L o i S

http://loisontheweb.blogspot.com/

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http://www.myspace.com/yooperlois

http://360.yahoo.com/loisontheweb

MY VALENTINE FOR YOU

2009-02-14T11:47:00.002-06:00

This is for you for Valentine's Day ... I made up this & printed it out for friends & family ... also ... for my online friends.

L o i S

http://loisontheweb.wordpress.com/

http://www.myspace.com/yooperlois

http://360.yahoo.com/loisontheweb

FEBRUARY ... still winter

2009-02-08T11:01:00.005-06:00

MEET "Aino Chukinen"

... our local YOOPER Groundhog ... they interviewed him again (from west of Iron River, Kimpinnen's Rock-pile) on Telephone Time, Ground-Hogs Day.

Upper Peninsula has lots of snow ... especially on the Keweenaw Peninsula (lake-effect snow).

Click here: The Keweenaw Snow Thermometer

Are you aware that Jeff Foxworthy is now picking on Michigan? Read his view of Michiganders:
Click here: Outside My Window: Michigan My Michigan

SOME WINTER READING:

Michigan has an e-Library;
Click here: MeL: The Michigan eLibrary
History Resources at the site:

Click here: Michigan County Histories and Atlases
It looks as tho one might be able to look up old plat maps, too.

My winter project is to read all the books in the Crystal Falls Library on history of the Upper Peninsula.

I am almost done with the two huge volumes of history : "Superior Heartland, a Backwoods History" . It is Library of Congress number 89-90710, in case you want to obtain a copy thru your local library. The two volumes total 1559 pages!

There are many illustrations, including maps & old photos. Since he is from the Marquette area .... many of the items are from the "Heartland" area of Lake Superior shoreline .... lots from Marquette local.

L o i S

http://loisontheweb.blogspot.com/
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http://www.myspace.com/yooperlois
http://360.yahoo.com/loisontheweb

FEEDING THE DEER IN WINTER

2009-01-31T13:38:00.001-06:00

HERE'S AN IDEA THAT I GOT FROM A DIFFERENT BLOG ... I WOULD LIKE TO ASK
FOR DONATIONS FOR MY DEER-FEEDING PROJECT IN THE WINTER. The donations will be used for corn, hay, and minerals. I only feed the deer in the winter & spring.

You can donate safely via my Pay Pal account by credit card OR your Pay-pal account. It is a secure method.

I really cannot afford to buy the deer corn in
decent quantities. I'd like to buy some hay for extra munchies,
too. The economy has even affected the loggers; the price of wood of
all sorts has dropped so drastically that loggers aren't logging
much. WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH FEEDING THE DEER? The
deer just love to eat the nutritious buds & tender twigs from the
fallen tree tops; they will actually gather awaiting the next tree to
be felled in the winter!

I usually get quite a crowd; it is not unusual for a deer
to approach the house & peer intently at the door or window,
waiting for me to appear with at least a handful of corn to toss
out. I try to teach them to come at the end of the day as a group
(partly so I don't have to worry about attracting crows, etc.) .

NOTE: in some parts of Wisconsin &
Lower Michigan ... any sort of feeding of deer is banned because of a
recent disease. However, in our area, it is okay, but, a limited
amount per feeding & within range of your house (Recreational
Feeding).

Here's some deer camped out to be first in line for the next feeding ... looks like a two-headed deer, hey?

SEVERAL YEARS AGO, MY DAUGHTER MAGGIE CAME TO VISIT; IN THIS U-TUBE VIDEO, HERE SHE IS OUT FEEDING THE DEER:

CLICK HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdRrT0qIoZU

CLICK HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOHq6BuXFys

MORE OF DEER PLAYING:

CLICK HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE4Eeo2UfGA

CLICK HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXlsYfB-wck

A BURPING DEER:

CLICK HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjrw_jGGfUA

ELIZABETH, THE LAME DEER

CLICK HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95uWV_W4bvs

L o i S

http://loisontheweb.blogspot.com/
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http://www.myspace.com/yooperlois
http://360.yahoo.com/loisontheweb

WINTER ACTIVITIES

2009-01-26T07:30:00.002-06:00

Go'n to town ... to the IGA, FAMILY DOLLAR, ETC.

Michigan pays 10 cents deposit refund ... here's one of the ever--present recycle machines ... think of it as a Yooper ATM machine!

Maybe it is politically correct to encourage smaller cars ... but, with five months of winter here ... we NEED heavier, taller vehicles ... maybe with four-wheel drive ... if we need to get anywhere. Here's the parking lot:

Click here: SOM - Michigan Statehood Day, January 26

THIS IS FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN OFFFICIAL WEBSITE

TODAY ... JANUARY 26, it is Michigan's birthday

See ... I REALLY am a BLOGGER!

Join me in my "Puddit" Campaign ... when making a purchase ... read the label ... if it says other than "Made in America" ...

PUDDIT BACK! DON'T BUY IT!

If it says "Made in China" ... PUDDIT BACK! DON'T BUY IT!

The government does not have to make laws & trade regulations to try to save whatever is left of manufacturers in the USA!

AMERICAN FACTORIES CLOSING: IT IS THE FAULT
OF THE USA CITIZENS WHO HAVE INCREASINGLY VOTED WITH THEIR WALLETS ... ie ... people have been buying foreign-made products, which often are cheaper. These products are cheaper because of cheaper labor ... AND ... ALSO OFTEN DO NOT ADHERE TO THE SAME TESTING & STANDARDS AS AMERICAN PRODUCTS.

WE MUST TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES TO BUY AMERICAN-MADE PRODUCTS ... as much as possible. It would be great if we would devise labels to make that easier!

THIS IS A SITE THAT CAN HELP FIND AMERICAN GOODS:

http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/

My winter reading project is going thru the many books on history of the Upper Peninsula. I'm still wading thru this:

Superior Heartland, a Backwoods History" .
It is Library of Congress number 89-90710, in case you want to obtain a copy thru your local library. The two volumes total 1559 pages!

Mostly, this is an intricate compilation of short, individual pieces of history & biographies ... in chronological order. ... starting in the 1800's. There are many illustrations, including maps & old photos. It is an absolute "Bible" of the history of Marquettee, MI & nearby. You would be amazed; practically every important family of U.S. history loved to come to this area, or were linked financially! You MUST read this!

I actually finished the 850 pages of Volume One ... now, to tackle Volume Two!

Here is where some of his books are available online.

Click here:http://www.superiorheartland.com/

L o i S

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http://www.myspace.com/yooperlois
http://360.yahoo.com/loisontheweb

A Snowy Weekend

2009-01-19T19:56:00.013-06:00

Last Saturday, it warmed up (into the 20's) ... which usually means that it will snow. I needed to go to Iron River; my road wasn't plowed. This is what it looked like ... thank Heavens for my 4-wheel drive!

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER VIEW

Where I went: there was a great turn-out at the presentation: Mining: Past, Present, & Future at the West Iron county Library in Iron River Saturday, January 17 ... despite several inches of fresh snow on all the roads, plus many important local sporting & community events.

This was an all day event, so, I didn't get to the Winterfest at the ski hill. Thus, no pictures of the "card-board-sled" competition.

There were many speakers, many comments, and many questions for the speakers. The event was labeled: "MINING ... PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURE".

The history of mining in the U.P. & our area was quite interesting. As I expected, there were quite a few of the groups who have been opposed to the mining companies who want to start some new mining in the U.P.

Many comments were so negative, some not quite practical ... which prompted me to make a comment. I pointed out that part of the title of the presentation was the FUTURE of mining here. I asked, politely, if there could be input from people on both sides so that we could all work towards encouraging mining.

One side is opposed in varying degrees to any mining ... the other side has the belief that we in the U.P. are dismayed that the economy up here is decaying & hope for the upturn than mining would bring.

I drew from some comments warning about dealing with these mining companies ... & suggested that we use these warnings & have the local township & county boards make stringent guidelines for mining in their areas. I felt good that many people came up to me later ... praising my comments.

In the past, I had written many letters-to-the-Editor, raising the hope that mining could bring jobs & hope to the U.P. I even have a YAHOO GROUP comment blog. You can click on this link: upminingyes : 21st Century Mining In Da U.P.

Back home ... the deer are grateful for the corn that I give them ... I wish I could afford to give them a bit more. Here is my lame deer that I've been feeding for several years ... & her family. It's so neat to have the deer come up to the house & peer intently at the window... waiting for me to come out with corn. I put a little extra corn for "ELIZABETH" on the edge of the deck.

L o i S

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IT'S COLD UP HERE!

2009-01-16T09:05:00.007-06:00

SOME NEIGHBORS

WELCOMING COMMITTEE

It's really cold ... been cold ... it's supposed to warm up into the 20's this weekend???? There's a Winterfest over at Iron River on Saturday' a featured event is a sled race. THE SLEDS ARE TO BE MADE OF CARDBOARD! Knowing the mind-set of YOOPERS, it will definately be an interesting event. If I weren't so lazy ... I'd dream up a chile recipe to enter in the Chili Cook-Off. I just haven't been inspired to come up with a unique recipe.

The log trucks are still running steady; the loggers, their trucks & equipment are extra hardy ... even in all this sub-zero weather

L o i S

My THIRD Christmas

2009-01-12T11:06:00.003-06:00

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

GOING FAIRLY WELL

I finished up the last package of Christmas Lutefisk (see previous entry on Lutefisk). It was just soooo good! I
made it in a cream sauce with chicken broth, with tarragon, etc. This
made it necessary for me to eat this up for several meals/days in a row
.... but, it was just delicious!

With my not feeling well for several
weeks before Christmas ... I didn't gett all my usual
lights/decorations up ... mostly Christmas Eve.

We have maybe a foot & a half
of snow on the ground ... had lost some during a mild week-end (not
really a thaw as the got further south of us). Thankfully ... we
haven't had any real snowstorms, just FREQUENT (sometimes daily) little
snowfalls of a dusting to several inches at a time ... just enough to
make a mess .... not enough to keep us trapped.

I HAD MY THIRD CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION; Maggie (my youngest daughter) came up from Milwaukee to stay several days.

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER VIEW

It was too cold for us to do anything much outside ...
but we did some visiting, some shopping, & went to see a movie (my
first in untold years) in Iron River. We are glad we went;
"MARLEE" is a great movie! That's the movie that was made from a
book about a real family with a real dog ... from puppy to old age.

Years ago, I had bought her some items for a
Christmas Village .... beginning with a "FISH HOUSE" ... commemorating
the memory of her Dad, who was a commercial fisherman. I add some
items each year; we keep the village up here & set it up
here. She was patient enough with me to go thru the "tradition"
of setting up that village.

When we went over to Iron River ... I got a picture of this snow sculpture
along U. S. 2 Highway east of Iron River ... actually in the Bates
area, I believe. It is Frosty-the-Snowman.

HERE'S A USUAL SCENE FROM CRYSTAL FALLS,

THE EVER-PRESENT LOG-TRUCKS

(keep using real wood/paper products)

CLICK HERE FOR A LARGER VIEW

SOME WINTER READING:

My winter reading project:

I have to renew my library books today. I selected two huge volumes
of history : "Superior Heartland, a Backwoods History" .
It is Library of Congress number 89-90710, in case you
want to obtain a copy thru your local library. The two volumes
total 1559 pages!

There are many illustrations, including
maps & old photos. Since he is from the Marquette area
.... many of the items are from the "Heartland" area of Lake
Superior shoreline .... lots from Marquette local.

He tells of people, places, events .... fairly easy reading, even
tho some might contain lots of facts & figures.
He outlines the birth & development of this book from a
history project for a college assignment in 1942, 1950. He tried
gathering his reports into books in the 1950's & in the
1960's & in the 1970's. But, the task, even with the
help of many people, kept getting larger & more
unwieldy as time went on. Finally, in the 1980's , now,
with computers/word-processors, the first volume was published in
1989. He put his contact info in the front of
the book; it was self-published. I looked up his info .... he is
still in the phone book at this address.

Charles F Rydholm
221 Lakewood Ln
Marquette, MI 49855-9508

(906) 249-3814

Here is an open letter he wrote on a current U.P. topic

Download a PDF copy of this letter: A Sulfide Mine on the Yellowdog
Plains?

Here is where some of his books are available online.

Click here: http://www.superiorheartland.com/

Here is further information:

Click here: Clusty Search » "Superior Heartland"

Here is a Yahoo forum about mining:

Click here: upminingyes : 21st Century Mining In Da U.P.

L o i S

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RESOLUTIONS ?????

2009-01-06T00:31:00.003-06:00

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
I'm making up my list:

TAKE MY VITAMINS DAILY
WRITE SOME "REAL" LETTERS (not just e-mail)
Do more physical therapy

Go to Church more

When I call my relatives in states like Texas, Georgia, and Florida ... they
delight in bragging about their weather ... temps at least 50/60
degrees warmer than we have here. They don't get stuck in the snow,
either.

Another anecdote from Telephone Time:

"
A FELLOW CALLED IN, LOOKING TO BUY A USED SNOWMOBILE.
HIS HOME IS IN ALASKA; HE'S BOUGHT PROPERTY BY CRYSTAL FALLS & COMES
SOUTH TO WINTER HERE. WHEN HE RETIRES (SOME OF HIS WORK BRINGS
HIM ABOVE THE ARTIC CIRCLE) ... HE'S PLANNING ON MOVING SOUTH TO CRYSTAL
FALLS ... WE ONLY HAVE 5 MONTHS OF WINTER HERE!"

SOME WINTER READING:

My winter reading project:

I DID THIS LAST YEAR, TOO ... CRYSTAL FALLS LIBRARY HAS A WONDERFUL SELECTION OF BOOKS ON THE UPPER PENINSULA.

Some are history books; I like the books made for certain towns for the centennial celebrations. These have many old photos, family names, & history going way back. I'm sure that all libraries would have books of regional interest, too.

Others are by local authors past & present .... so
interesting .... ARE YOU WRITING YOURS, YET?

Especially for those who live in Michigan, some libraries have a system so that you can have your own library order a book from the Crystal Falls library for you for a reasonable fee. TRY IT?

Michigan has an e-Library;

Click here:
MeL: The Michigan eLibrary

History Resources at the site:

Click here: Michigan County Histories and Atlases

It looks as tho one might be able to look up old plat maps, too.

\

L o i S

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HEY NEW YEAR'S 2009

2008-12-30T08:29:00.003-06:00

HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH MAKING YOUR

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS?

We haven't had any terrible storms ... just
some terrible weather. It normally snows a bit every day, just to
freshen up ... but ... this winter, it is often several inches at a
time ... just enough to have to plow again. On the CLICK HERE: Marquette T.V. station,
they announced that they are anticipating the 21st straight day of
snow. This is a wonderful website; it's a great source of U. P.
information.

We've had several days of "warm" (high 30's)
weather ... not the freezing rain/thawing predicted. My
family members in Wisconsin & Lower Michigan got that ... &
lots of thawing.

I made a trip to Crystal Falls for several errands ... plus down to
Alpha &+ was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could buy some
deer-corn at the new General Store in Alpha at a reasonable price, plus
save myself 20 miles of driving.

Click here: Village of Alpha, Michigan

Click here: General Store of Alpha, Michigan

For snow removal on the main street of Crystal Falls ... the procedure
is to first move the snow into a big windrow down the center of the
street. Then, in the next few days, when there is more time &
available equipment ... they scoop this snow from the middle of the
street into dump trucks.

I did go to the Library ... resuming my winter reading project of going thru the many books on history of the Upper Peninsula.

MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO YOU

2008-12-25T10:14:00.002-06:00

My Christmas present to you ... click upon the small scene above: right
click upon the larger image ... choose "Set As Background" ...
THIS WILL PUT IT ON YOUR MONITOR AS A BACKGROUND (WALLPAPER)

This would be so appropriate for Christmas-time.

This scene is from a photo that I took on my road & made to look like a moonlight scene. This version is many shades lighter than the one that I printed for my Christmas card.

L o i s

A CHRISTMAS STORY

2008-12-17T02:57:00.003-06:00

ON TELEPHONE TIME YESTERDAY ... there was a most heart-warming saga. A lady called in to say that an elderly man needed some help in this cold weather. He was running short of wood, and was running some electric heaters to keep the house warm. She asked if someone had a heater to donate ... or ... some wood to give him.

I couldn't get a hold of her right away; she said that she had so many calls. ONE FELLOW WAS GOING TO DELIVER A FREE DUMP-TRUCK LOAD OF WOOD! A town official helped with his frozen pipes & some people offered to fix his plumbing. .... & other winterization.

So many people offered real help so this man could stay in his own home with dignity ... instead of causing trouble for him because his home (at his age) becoming unfit ... or telling him to just give up & go to a nursing home. It just made me cry ... thanking that woman for being such a wonderful Christian ... & doing what she could to help. I just praised her over & over again!

THIS STORY WAS ESPECIALLY POIGNANT BECAUSE OF AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WENT TO CRYSTAL FALLS RECENTLY.
The temp was around zero as I did some errands in town & headed north on the highway. There wasn't much traffic because of the cold. There was an elderly fellow walking with his grocery bag ... I stopped to pick him up ... never dreaming that he lived another five miles up the highway.
I have no doubt that eventually someone else would have given him a ride. He had hitched a ride into the grocery store with a fellow coming down from Houghton. BUT ... HE LIVES AT LEAST A MILE DOWN A GRAVEL ROAD IN OFF THE MAIN HIGHWAY; SO, MUST HAVE WALKED OUT TO THE HIGHWAY WHEN HE WAS HEADED FOR TOWN.

So many older people don't have transportation .... live alone ... even if they live way out in the boonies. Grocery stores are closing up here ... lucky to be able to get something at a gas-station.

L o i S

YA GOTTA LOVE LUTEFISK!

2008-12-10T08:12:00.006-06:00

See ... I REALLY am a BLOGGER!

I am making this entry .... because ... some of these treats that can be ordered online have to be ordered this week in time for Christmas. LUTEFISK is often only available at Christmas-time. Our local IGA grocery stocks it then. WHAT IS LUTEFISK? You either love it or hate it. The smell is overpowering ... like some cheeses are especially stinky. Basically ... fish (cod) is dried until it is about like a boot sole. To make it edible again ... it is then soaked in lye for several days to make it edible again. It needs lots of rinsing; the texture becomes really soft/gelatinous ... sorta like fish jello. It must be cooked gently. My Mom always cooked it in a casserole dish in the oven, in a buttery milk sauce, with cracker crumbs on top. That's how I do it ... sometimes with a Bisquick crust on top ... with chicken soup base for flavor ... maybe some grated cheese, too.

Some of the links below are for more data on LUTEFISK ... SOME HUMOROUS ... SOME WHERE YOU CAN BUY IT.

It is said that about half the Norwegians who immigrated to America came in order to escape the hated lutefisk, and the other half came to spread the gospel of lutefisk's wonderfulness.- Norwegian-American saying

SOME SCANDINAVIAN CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

LUTEFISK STUFF

Where to buy Lutefisk

"We at Mrs. Olson's love to poke fun at this Scandinavian culinary oddity (see link to humor page).

CLICK HERE:Mrs. Olson's Lefse- Potato Lefse &

Scandinavian
Products Check out Mike's Fish and Seafood in Glenwood,
Minnesota. He will ship it right to your door!
Contact Mike's
at:Phone: (320) 634-5146

Email: info@lutefiskmike.com

Web Page: CLICK HERE: www.lutefiskmike.com

Tell them Mrs. Olson sent you!"

Click here: Lutefisk, Lyefish, Lutefisk History and Recipes
PHOTOS & MUCH INFO

Click here: Lutefisk Recipes

Click here: Finnguide: Finnish Lutefish / Lutefisk Recipe : Lipeäkala : Finnish foods, Finnish baking, Finnish cooking : Finni

Click here: Baked Lutefisk Recipe Recipezaar

Click here: Lutefisk, Lyefish, Lutefisk History and Recipe

Click here: Lutefisk Recipes

Click here: Finnguide: Finnish Lutefish / Lutefisk Recipe : Lipeäkala : Finnish foods,

Finnish baking, Finnish cooking : Finni

WE GOTTA HAVE SAFFRON BREAD OR BUNS!

Click here: Clusty Search » "saffron bread" OR "saffron buns"

xClick here: Swedish Saffron Buns - Allrecipes

Click here: RecipeSource: Swedish Saffron Bread

MY MOM, & GRAMMA, USTA MAKE IT AS A "POUND-CAKE" RECIPE ... LIKE A COFFEE CAKE. Saffron is so expensive now ... I always simmered the heck out of it to extract all the flavor ... then added to my batter.

EVERYTHING THAT YOU EVER

WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SAFFRON

Click here: Spice Pages: Saffron (Crocus sativus)
NOTE: I hear that, since saffron is so high priced, they are trying (somewhat successfully) to talk farmers into ripping up their drug-making plants & grow SAFFRON instead.

"Saffron Seen as Alternative to Opium"
A new initiative to plant the precious flower may help wean northern farmers away from poppies".

"Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world and India is set to cash in on the potential for profit.The farmers in the area are keen to grow saffron as the spice fetches a high price of nearly US $400 per kg. However, the quality of saffron depends largely upon the process of drying the stigmas and styles of the flower and you need 150,000 flowers to make 1kg of the spice."

Click here: Crisp bread - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AT OUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET, I BUY THE MODERN, PACKAGED VERSION OF THE TRADITIONAL SKANDINAVIAN "CRISP-BREAD" ... SORTA LIKE "RYE-CRISP" . This product is baked in Finland.

Click here: www.vaasan.com the Finnish bakery
USA DISTRIBUTER

Liberty Richter/World Finer Food

300 Broaddacres DriveBloomfield
New Jersey 07003USA\

www.libertyrichter.com

L o i S

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YA ... IT'S WINTER NOW

2008-12-06T03:33:00.005-06:00

I STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT ANY OF
THE NEW BLOG-HOMES THAT I AM TRYING. I like to do an entry over
the course of several days, using elements from past entries ... making
up an htm version to just copy when I am ready to post. Each new
blog site treats these differently ... as to font size, photos,
spacing. I HATE IT!
Blogspot seems to have improved a lot ... I have been able to add a lot
of junk in the other column that makes it unnecessary to put some stuff
into each individual entry.

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I made a trip down to civilization ... down to Green Bay for a visit to a
dental clinic. Here, in the U.P. it is rather a "survival-of-the-fitest". I usta live near Green Bay; most of my kids still do. So, I got a little visiting in, too. I
returned home with a new lower denture; now will get used to eating in
a normal way.

Mimi's boyfriend ... he's so handsome
... and comes to visit her. Hopefully, this week will pass ... he won't show up until next "time".

TIME TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL OF LUTEFISK .. I'll make a special entry on just LUTEFISK soon.

Lutefisk is dried cod that has been soaked in a lye solution to rehydrate
it. It is boiled or baked and served with butter and salt and pepper. The
finished lutefisk usually has the consistancy of Jello. So, imagine a hot, fish
flavored Jello and you can understand why Norwegians love it so much. It is
traditionly served in the U.S. for Thanksgiving and Christmas and avoided the
rest of the year.

Click here: Olsen Fish Company Links

Click here: Swedish Recipes, Food, Cookware, and Dictionaries

Here's a poem that I wrote many years ago ... I trot it out at this time every year:

Winter Now!

by Lois Haglund

Shhoooooooohh.......

Like Quick-silver, the icy breeze
slips thru the trees and across the creek......
Now, stopping for a brief
encounter with a finger or a cheek.....

Now, flittering out in profuse ripples
to chill one's deepest soul.....
Summer's tattered shawl... blown away... as
Winter blusters in to assume his role....

Wait ! The word hangs frozen... suspended.....
Wait ! I'm not ready... not Now, Oh No !
Not Ready, to face the interminable days of siege
With a merciless foe outside my window
!

Yes! It's Time, for the quicksilver blade of a breeze
To now be an awesome, deadly blow.... I Know... and remember\
Why I fear and I dread,
I Must... I Can... I Know!

See ... I REALLY am a BLOGGER!

I am going to concoct a "Letter-to-the-Editor" ... About anti-anti-logging. Locally, I saw a bumper-sticker that I just love: "IF YOU ARE
AGAINST LOGGERS ... TRY USING PLASTIC TOILET PAPER". In Crystal Falls, every day, every hour ... there are log trucks ... empty &
loaded. This means that the truckers are working, where they buy
fuel benefits, where they get truck repair or parts are
benefiting. This means that loggers are working & where they
also where they buy fuel benefits, where they get truck repair or parts
are benefiting. The loggers buy chain saws, etc. benefits.
The truckers, loggers, & the local businesses where they
spend money ... are more viable & these people in turn can spend
more money locally. We have so few ways to earn money in the U.P.
... it is great that we can count on logging. CUT A TREE ... SAVE
A JOB ... SAVE A FOREST!

ABOUT THE SIMPSON VERDICT: I hate O. J. ; I
hate this verdict. He's found that he gets ignored if he files a
complaint; what he & his friends did was stupid, but sorta
necessary to retrieve his own possessions from a greedy dealer.
At the most ... he should have gotten a year in prison. This case
was just so overblown.

Click here:Ghost Towns of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from the copper mining of the 1800s

L
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