Photography By MsJudi

Kiss Me

2012-11-07T20:46:00.001-06:00

The Frog Prince is a fairy tale, best known through the Brothers Grimm's written version; traditionally it is the first story in their collection. In the tale, a spoiled princess reluctantly befriends a frog (possibly meeting him after dropping a gold ball into his pond), who magically transforms into a handsome prince. Although in modern versions the transformation is invariably triggered by the princess kissing the frog, in the original Grimm version of the story the frog's spell was broken when the princess threw it against a wall in disgust. In other early versions it was sufficient for the frog to spend the night on the princess's pillow.

Wisconsin Dairy Barn

2012-11-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

Dairy farming has been part of agriculture for thousands of years. Historically it has been one part of small, diverse farms. In the last century or so larger farms doing only dairy production have emerged. Large scale dairy farming is only viable where either a large amount of milk is required for production of more durable dairy products such as cheese, butter, etc. or there is a substantial market of people with cash to buy milk, but no cows of their own.

Texas Longhorn

2012-11-04T18:36:00.002-06:00

The Texas Longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to 7 feet (2.1 m) tip to tip for steers and exceptional cows, and 36 to 80 inches (0.91 to 2.0 m) tip to tip for bulls. Similar cattle were imported by Spanish colonists into other parts of North America, including California and Florida. Horns can have a slight upward turn at their tips or even triple twist. Texas Longhorns are known for their diverse coloring. The Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America and the International Texas Longhorn Association serve as the recognized registries for the breed. Texas Longhorns with elite genetics can often fetch $40,000 or more at auction with the record of $170,000 in recent history for a cow. Due to their innate gentle disposition and intelligence, Texas Longhorns are increasingly being trained as riding steers.

Vanishing Barn

2012-11-03T22:20:00.003-05:00

The man's barn is the man's worth
The cedar's pungency, the mow and the light
These legacies of line and scale
Thatch, shingle, gable and slate
From soil to shelter, from timber, honey coloured
Rubbings from hay and straw, now lichen covered,
This rhythm of the bays,
That faint hickory creak,
Those fiddler tunes,
In rafters where love once hid.
The vanishing barn, its simplicity bends slowly,
Geometry ages on the brace,
Beams hugged by dowels of oak
Where cobwebbed corners once held a song.
Quebec, Chester County, the pilgrim's grip,
The threshing floor, between cows and calf, came his step
On the echo of pigeons wings,
Beauty had this space -
Porch whispers, silence shape,
The earthy smell of harvests long past.

By Paul Kloppenborg

Little House On The Hill

2012-11-03T22:18:00.004-05:00

Abandoned house standing in the overgrown
path with faded (dull) gray sideboards,
that were once bright white with life.

Shutters hanging at awkward angles,
flapping in the wind,
banging against the house with creaking determination.

Darkened dusty windows,
looking sad and lonely,
yet forbidding entry
to passersby.

Door hanging ajar on it hinges,
as if the last exit was in haste.

Sagging roof with missing tiles,
hanging gutters,
proof of neglect
for many years.

Rotted porch,
sagging downward
with scattered broken furniture,
covered with cobwebs and debris.

Life has come and life has gone.
Time has gone by
with no one to tend it,
happiness in its past,
for it will never feel love again.

Anne Crawford

Red Counrty Barn

2012-10-31T12:10:00.004-05:00

A little red barn along the Wisconsin country side, this red barn looks to have been taken good care of and even has electricity to it.

Storm Sandy Effects Menominee Lighthouse

2012-10-30T14:52:00.004-05:00

Taken Oct. 30, 2012 at the Menominee Pier Lighthouse during very high winds from Storm Sandy that hit the east coast.

The Menominee North Pier lighthouse is located in the harbor of Menominee, Michigan. The station was established in 1877. The current structure and its still operational light was first lit in 1927, and automated in 1972. It is also sometimes called the "Menominee (Marinette) North Pierhead Light". The foundation is a concrete pier. The 34-foot (10 m) tall octagonal cast iron building is marked in a distinctive red, with a black lantern and white base. A Fourth Order Fresnel lens was originally installed, but was replaced with a modern 300 mm. acrylic optic lens.
The original lens is now at Sand Point Light in Escanaba, Michigan. The focal plane is 46 feet. The building originally had a diaphone fog signal structure attached, and it was later removed. The iron catwalk was removed in 1972 when the light was automated.

Cattail Reeds

2012-10-28T18:52:00.005-05:00

Typha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats. These plants are conspicuous and hence have many common names. They may be known in British English as bulrush, or reedmace, in American English as cattail, catninetail, punks, or corn dog grass, in Australia as cumbungi or bulrush, and in New Zealand as raupo. Typha should not be confused with other plants known as bulrush, such as some sedges (mostly in Scirpus and related genera). Their rhizomes are edible. Evidence of preserved starch grains on grinding stones suggests they were eaten in Europe 30,000 years ago.

Yellow and Black Garden Spider

2012-10-28T18:50:00.005-05:00

The yellow and black garden spider, also known as the Black and Yellow Argiope spider, is a common and harmless spider throughout the southern United States. With characteristic markings, it is a colorful addition to any garden.

Collapsed

2012-10-27T20:33:00.003-05:00

Landscape scenery in Wisconsin of a large barn collapsing in from the roof.

Train Boxcars

2012-10-27T20:31:00.004-05:00

A boxcar (the North American term; other terms include "goods van" (UK), "louvre van" (Australia), "covered wagon" (UIC and UK) or just "van" (UIC and UK)) is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads. Boxcars have side doors of varying size and operation, and some include end doors and adjustable bulkheads to load very large items.

Little Red School House

2012-10-27T20:29:00.003-05:00

One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural (country) and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room. There, a single teacher taught academic basics to several grade levels of elementary-age boys and girls. While in many areas one-room schools are no longer used, it is not uncommon for them to remain in developing nations and rural areas, such as much of the Falklands and Shetland.

The Little Red School House in Marinette County, located on Shore Drive(County BB rd.) by the bay of Green Bay between Marinette, WI. and Peshtigo, WI.

Cottage In Woods

2012-10-25T21:35:00.002-05:00

Originally in the Middle Ages, cottages housed agricultural workers and their friends and families. The term cottage denoted the dwelling of a cotter. Thus, cottages were smaller peasant units (larger peasant units being called messuages). In that early period, a documentary reference to a cottage would most often mean, not a small stand-alone dwelling as today, but a complete farmhouse and yard (albeit a small one). Thus, in the Middle Ages, the word cottage (MLat cotagium) denoted not just a dwelling, but included at least a dwelling (domus) and a barn (grangia), as well as, usually, a fenced yard or piece of land enclosed by a gate (portum). The word is probably a blend of Old English cot, cote "hut" and Old French cot "hut, cottage", from Old Norse kot "hut". Examples of this may be found in 15th century manor court rolls. The house of the cottage bore the Latin name: "domum dicti cotagii", while the barn of the cottage was termed "grangia dicti cotagii". Later on, "cottage" might also have denoted a smallholding comprising houses, outbuildings, and supporting farmland or woods. A cottage, in this sense, would typically include just a few acres of tilled land. Regional examples of this type included the Welsh TÅ· unnos or House in a night, built by squatters on a plot of land defined by the throw of an axe from each corner of the property. Much later (from around the 18th century onwards), the development of industry led to the development of weavers' cottages and miners' cottages. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term cottage is used in North America to represent 'a summer residence (often on a large and sumptuous scale) at a watering-place or a health or pleasure resort' with its first recognised use dating to 1882, in reference to Bar Harbor in Maine.

Peshtigo River Train Bridge

2012-10-25T21:33:00.001-05:00

Side view of the steel train bridge spanning over the Peshtigo River in Peshtigo Wisconsin.

Mossy Tree

2012-10-25T21:30:00.006-05:00

Botanically, mosses are bryophytes, or non-vascular plants. They differ from 'higher' plants by not having internal water-bearing vessels or veins, and no flowers and therefore no fruits, cones or seeds. They are small (a few centimeters tall) and herbaceous (nonwoody) and absorb water and nutrients through their leaves. Mosses have stems which may be simple or branched and upright or lax, simple leaves that often have midribs, roots (rhizoids) that anchor them to their substrate, and spore-bearing capsules on long stems. They harvest sunlight to create food through photosynthesis. Mosses do not absorb water or nutrients from their substrate through their roots, so while mosses often grow on trees, they are never parasitic on the tree.

Left Behind

2012-10-25T21:28:00.001-05:00

A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment. Barns are most commonly found on a farm or former farm. A barn meant for keeping cattle may be known as a byre. Older barns were usually built from lumber sawn from timber on the farm, although stone barns were sometimes built in areas where stone was a cheaper building material.

Steel Train Bridge

2012-10-25T21:25:00.002-05:00

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Side view of the steel train bridge spanning over the Peshtigo River in Peshtigo Wisconsin. Done in Black and White.

Steam Saw Mill Remains

2012-10-25T17:44:00.002-05:00

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Peshtigo Harbor, at the mouth of the Peshtigo River, was first settled about 1839 when a building was constructed to house men handling lumber for shipment from the mill operated by J. H. Levenworth in Peshtigo. After William B. Ogden established the Peshtigo Company and a railroad was extended to the harbor, a company town was created there. This village was extant from 1867 to 1897.

Old Ice House

2012-10-25T16:13:00.004-05:00

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Ice houses are buildings used to store ice throughout the year, commonly used prior to the invention of the refrigerator. Some were underground chambers, usually man-made, close to natural sources of winter ice such as freshwater lakes, but many were buildings with various types of insulation. During the winter, ice and snow would be taken into the ice house and packed with insulation, often straw or sawdust. It would remain frozen for many months, often until the following winter, and could be used as a source of ice during summer months. The main application of the ice was the storage of perishable foods, but it could also be used simply to cool drinks, or allow ice-cream and sorbet desserts to be prepared.

Peace Lilies

2012-10-25T11:20:00.002-05:00

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Spathiphyllum ( Peace Plant ) is a genus of about 40 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas and southeastern Asia. Certain species of Spathiphyllum are commonly known as Spath or Peace Lilies. They are evergreen herbaceous perennial plants with large leaves 12 to65 cm long and 3 to 25 cm broad. The flowers are produced in a spadix, surrounded by a 10 to30 cm long, white, yellowish, or greenish spathe. The plant does not need excessive light or water to survive.

Boa Constrictor II

2012-10-24T23:46:00.004-05:00

Boa constrictor is a species of large, heavy-bodied snake. It is a member of the family Boidae found in North, Central, and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. Ten subspecies are currently recognized, although some of these are controversial.

Last Leaves

2012-10-24T23:43:00.006-05:00

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Autumn or fall is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere) when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier.

Stuck In The Crowd

2012-10-24T23:38:00.006-05:00

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Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normally green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn season, one or many colors that range from red to yellow. The phenomenon is commonly called fall colors and autumn colors, while the expression fall foliage usually connotes the viewing of a tree or forest whose leaves have undergone the change.

Aces and Eights

2012-10-24T23:34:00.002-05:00

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A full house, also known as a full boat, is a hand such as 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 6♣ 6♥, that contains three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. Between two full houses, the one with the higher-ranking three cards wins, so 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ 4♠ 4♣ defeats 6♠ 6♥ 6♦ A♠ A♣. If two hands have the same three cards (possible in wild card and community card games), the hand with the higher pair wins, so 5♥ 5♦ 5♠ Q♥ Q♣ defeats 5♣ 5♦ 5♠ J♠ J♦. Full houses are described as "Three full of Pair" or occasionally "Three over Pair"; Q♣ Q♦ Q♠ 9♥ 9♣ could be described as "Queens full of nines", "Queens over nines", or simply "Queens full".

Dead Man's Hand

2012-10-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

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The make up of poker's dead man's hand has varied through the years. Currently, the dead man's hand is described as a two-pair poker hand consisting of black aces and eights. Along with an unknown "hold" card, these were the cards reportedly held by "Old West" folk hero, lawman and gunfighter, Wild Bill Hickok, when he was assassinated.

What is considered the dead man's hand card combination of today gets its notoriety from a legend that it was the five-card-draw hand held by James Butler Hickok (better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok) when he was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall on August 2, 1876, in Nuttal & Mann's Saloon at Deadwood, Dakota Territory. Reportedly, Hickok's final hand included the aces and eights of both black suits. One Hickok biographer, Joseph Rosa, put it: "the accepted version is that the cards were the ace of spades, the ace of clubs, two black eights (clubs and spades), and the queen of clubs as the 'kicker'." However, Rosa said no contemporary source for this exact hand can be found. The solidification in gamers parlance of the dead man's hand as two pair, "aces and eights", didn't come about until after the 1926 publication of Frank Wilstach's book, "Wild Bill Hickok: The Prince of Pistoleers" 50 years after Hickok's death.