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Boathouses

These photos are from Bob Good Photography, taken at Lawrence Lake near La Crosse.

I look at these, walk down the dock and I can smell the scent of the water and fish, feel the slap-slap movement of the boards, know the calls of the birds skimming the water. For so many years summer life centered on the water and the boathouses there. Beer was kept by being dropped into the cold of the river. (Fish nets put to good use.) Many a beer, many a fish fry. Diving off docks, swimming against the current.

It’s where we lived, it’s where we played and slept. Then you could keep boathouses directly on the river and ours were docked just past and under the big Mississippi bridge that crossed over to Minnesota. When those were gone we were not allowed to replace them. Time moved on, faster than the current and quicker than a walleye jumping for a June bug.

Now these photos below of the lake are for a different story. The one that will be told of lakes and eddies where it’s still okay for the parking of the boats and boathouses. They’re not on the Mississippi; they’re not in the way of the main lane for the big boats, the new business of summer, the new Riverboat Queen.

And so it goes—another bridge built, another song. And I wonder how they keep their beer cold?

DocksGoodboatHousesGoodLake2goodLawrenceLakeBgood

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More On The Clouded

This is a P.S. to “In The Wild.” Thanks to the Smithsonian for the information and the photos. And I am quite pleased to learn they could chuff. Also for the explanation on how their limited vocalizations came to be.

Due to a different bone structure in their neck, the clouded leopard cannot roar like the larger cats, but also cannot purr because it lacks the fully ossified hyoid bone that allows small cats this ability. Vocalizations include growling, hissing and chuffing.

cloud4Cloud3cloud2cloudedleopard

What is most interesting and very sad is that there was a quick flash of “Cloud Leopards For Sale” as I clicked through places to get the desired information. This in light of these lovely creatures being in danger and protected. It seems once more that the greed of the human species is unbounded.

 

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Visiting La Crosse

‘Tis the first home, the foundation. This strange little city making its way along the Mississippi River. Here’s where the memories are stored. (Some of them might be a bit waterlogged.)

Bob Good Photography Studios  A few snaps from the bike trails between Downtown La-X and the Trempealeau Hotel. Some of the City trails are currently flooded out but the Great River State Trail was amazing!

Wood Bridge

Here’s the start up…an old wood bridge to begin the trail

more on bridge

Passing on to the green

GreeneryToo

Through the green

Pond

Passing by ponds

Swamp

And Swamps

The swamps will be filled with cat-‘o-nine tails come autumn

TheGoal

Ah, the goal—time for a brew

SunsetOnLake

And then the sunset

Is there a more beautiful place? Can there be?

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In The Wild

Clouded leopards are from the cloud forests of Southeast Asia and are one of the most ancient of cat species. But they are neither a true great cat nor a true small cat, because they can’t roar or purr.

HhistoryDdaily

History Daily

I worry about things like this as I don’t know how to find an answer. The question is this: How do such creatures then communicate with one another? I don’t mean face to face, body language will then work. But distances? How does one cat call out to another? Do they make any noise? Do they let out a loud piercing scream from great distances? This information is so incomplete.

I’m off now to do some google work that will likely get me lost and cost the whole day. But I do want to know more about this beautiful creature.

By the way, perhaps it is our definitions that are lacking if this is not a true cat? Maybe that should be revised. Sure looks like a cat to me!

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Yes, But

Tao&Zzen

Photo by Bent Schultz

“One night after a dharma talk, I asked Suzuki Roshi a question about life and death. The answer he gave made my fear of death, for that moment, pop like a bubble. He looked at me and said, “You will always exist in the universe in some form.” ~David Chadwick

Yes but. In some form certainly. Everything decomposes and becomes food or fodder, air or soil, ocean or pond…  Energy. Then isn’t the real question the one of consciousness? Even if there is reincarnation into a new being—either better or the worse for karma—will the you that is you now, the You asking the question, still exist? If not, it seems irrelevant to me as you, the current You, won’t know.