County Fair Season

We've been stuck in "work-mode" most of the summer. Consequently, we haven't done a lot of traveling and visiting - but there has been time for some. Had we been back "home" in Washington, we would have been involved in the county fair there. County Fairs have been a part of our life for many years, and fairs are something that one does during fair season if you are at all interested.

We managed one visit to Rochester MN to visit with Dave's daughters, Amy and Lyn. Adults, LtoR: Dave, Brian Swancutt, Amy Winkler Swancutt, Lyn Winkler Everly, Joe Everly, grandkids Brady Swancutt, Brian Swancutt, Noah Everly. The Everly's live near San Francisco CA.

Our son, Steve Taylor, making eyes at a Brown Swiss at the Jackson County WI Fair.

Some of the vegetables on display at the Jackson County Fair.

Pat Examining some of the quilts on display at the Jackson County Fair.

Pat & Dave in the machinery section of Jackson County Fair.

Steve's kids, Daniel, Malwina, & Maciek comparing their heights to some of the Wisconsin corn on display at the Jackson County Fair.

A typical 4-Her on barn duty at the Jackson County Fair.

The summer seems to be winding down. Today is a rainy day, which allows some time to get a blog posted without feeling guilty. Whatever summer weather we had is probably history as there is already a feeling of autumn in the air.

If you build it, they will come

Here's Dave grilling brats at Hixton KOA. Grilled and served over 200 in one hour. It was a cooperative promotion sponsored by Johnsonville Sausage and KOA. Many of our guests this weekend were here for the barefoot waterskiing event at The Blue Moo. Read on.

Remember the Kevin Costner film, "Field of Dreams"? The voice kept telling him, "if you build it, they will come." The phrase can certainly apply to this facility located in west central Wisconsin, surrounded by corn fields, and little else. It's the BLUE MOO, and it's the site of championship barefoot waterskiing contests. Maybe you have to see it to believe it, but trust me, it's real, and it's working to attract members of the sub-culture of barefoot water skiing.

Imagine this - you dig a trench in a corn field roughly 100 feet wide and about 3/4 mile long. Berm the edges to make for wind shelter and then fill it with water. Invite barefoot waterskiers to come and use the facility.

Many of the skiers stay at the KOA campground where we are working. It's within walking distance. Who knew!?

Not championship form - this is more of an "oops"

Coming off the ramp, just before the "oops"

Skiers are moving at about 40 mph

You can see the full width of the trench and the cornfield beyond

Entrance to The Blue Moo

Our KOA is located on Silver Mound and attracts many hunters of Indian arrowheads and artifacts

That's all for today. Check back often. See ya.

Dave & Pat

More from Wisconsin

It's summer in Wisconsin and we are still at the Hixton/Alma Center KOA, working. It's really quite beautiful here, green, quiet, and comfortable. In spite of it being the second coldest July on record, it's been enjoyable. So our furnace runs most nights - we're ok.
I've mentioned previously that there is considerable wildlife here, and just Wednesday this week there was a black bear who paid a window-peeking visit to one of the other Workampers. She screamed, her dog barked, and the bear high-tailed it out of the park, as black bears usually do.

Sumac in bloom. Lots of that here.

Granddaughter Sabrina Morrison with her pail of loot from the Hixton July 4th parade.

One of the many trails through the woods at our KOA. The campground is located on the east end of Silver Mound, a designated historical site. Lots of Indian arrow and spear heads here.

The new bath house that Dave has been working on. It's now all finished and in use and the flowers in the boxes are doing well and adding a lot to the appearance.

Pat in the pool being held by granddaughter Meghan Taylor. Daughter Melanie, right, is expecting her fourth in September.

Each Saturday, right after the ice cream social, there is a wagon ride through the woods. Dave usually drives the tractor for the 20-minute trip. Some weeks it requires 4 or 5 trips to handle the waiting crowd.

And here is some of that crowd stocking up on ice cream and stuff. Granddaughter Sabrina helped by putting cherries on the sundaes.

More of the crowd. Pat organizes this event. Sometimes Dave helps dip ice cream, as in this shot. That's Jim Rankin, one of the owners, collecting money at the door.

Life on a campground, fulltime, is quite pleasant. It might not be a lifestyle for everyone, but it suits us quite well. If there are problems in America, or economic concerns, we're kind of shielded from them by being here.

Next week Dave goes to the VA clinic in Tomah for a physical. Finally able to cash in on some of those military benefits that were earned so many years ago. Could not get into the VA system while living in Washington state because, according to the VA in Spokane, "we made too much money." That's not the case any more, so I have been accepted and will be able to use VA facilities wherever we are in the future. No problems at this time, but Dave is due for a regular check-up.

If you can't leave a comment on the blog you can email us directly at dwink@supersat2.net.

Check back often. See ya. Dave & Pat

Alma Center Strawberrry Festival

We've been busy. And our computer/internet hasn't been the greatest lately, so that's why it's been so long between posts. At least that's the story I'm giving - in case anyone is paying attention.

This past weekend was the Alma Center (Wisconsin) Strawberry Festival. Alma Center advertises itself as the "Strawberry Capital of Wisconsin". That's a fair boast for a town of less than 500 people. And the only producer of strawberries that we found has a Merrillan WI address, which is five miles away, and with a modest 17 acres. Hmmmmmm, Bold marketing, but it works. Their festival is THREE days long (all you festival promoters, take note) and draws thousands of visitors. We went the afternoon of the third day and there was standing room only all over town. It was a packed house. Alma Center is 3 miles from our KOA.

Here's Pat with some of the strawberries we purchased. You can believe that Grandma is going to be canning jam this week! Strawberries is what the festival is all about.

Great old car show at the Strawberry Festival. This old Studebaker is one example of the quality of the old cars on display. And the reason we can be here is because it's only 3 miles from the KOA campground we are working in for the summer. We always try to work in a little play among the work. Does that make sense?

Pat couldn't resist making her own KOA earrings to wear while on duty.

And here she is, on duty, in the Office/General Store of Hixton/Alma Center KOA. Doesn't she look just great?!

When we look out our dining room window we can see the KOA pond. I estimate it at 50' wide by 100' long. It really did have a 30" musky. It started out as a little fish that just couldn't stop eating everything else in the pond. It was almost in danger of being the ONLY fish in the pond and starving to death. Now that it's been caught, and eaten, the smaller fish are doing better.

This is part of the Comstock Strawberry Farm. U-pick, or pre-picked. Great, fresh strawberries.

Mr. Comstock and one of his sons at the Alma Center Strawberry Festival.

Old tractors as well as old cars were on display at the Festival.

Aren't these beautiful berries?

Pat and Robert Comstock looking over strawberries. Eight quart containers makes one flat.

A neighboring community, Black River Falls, has a Blue Butterfly Festival.

The Alma Center parade lasted just over one hour. Pretty good for a town of less than 500 people. Many neighboring communities offer support.

Look at "the wave". If you don't know what Spanferkel means, you're just not into Wisconsin life. It has something to do with pork, and it's another excuse for a festival. Notice it's three days. We'll be there, you betcha.

Can you believe these girls were doing the chicken dance? Here they believe in making their festivals out of whatever is available. In Eleva, it's chickens. I note, with sadness, that we have once again missed the Testicle Festival in Montana. Well, you just can't get to all of them.

Some of the Lion Club volunteers putting the dinners together on Sunday. We had the 1/4 chicken dinner (all white meat) for a mere $5, including beverage. People were lined up for a block or more waiting to be served. And it was a good meal.

The Alma Center Community Park, as seen from across one of the many fields surrounding the town. It's kind of the middle of nowhere, but just jam packed with people having a good time.

This is Sunday wear in Alma Center. Notice the button collared dress shirt. Yah, well, we just fit right in 'cause we dress to blend - and that's comfortable.

Stay with us. There's a lot more summer coming. See ya.

Dave & Pat

Family Stuff and Hixton KOA Happenings

We've been at Hixton KOA for one month as of today. So far we've been kept pretty busy and haven't had much time off. We did manage to squeeze in a couple of trips to Saint Paul, one together and one by Pat alone. Some of the family events are included in this blog. Melanie and her girls came to the campground for an overnight visit as well. So, one month down and about 4-1/2 months to go until we head back to Texas for the winter. We will have some days off during the summer to do some more local visiting.

Melanie and Isabel contemplating their S'Mores.

Bailey, Pat, Isabel and Melanie making S'Mores.

Mother robin feeding her baby in our yard.

Baltimore Oriole at the orange feeder.

Bailey and Meghan helping Grandma serve ice cream at the KOA ice cream social.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds at our feeder.

Daughter Lori, her son Dominic and Pat at Dominic's 8th grade award ceremony. Dominic received three awards from Maplewood Middle School. Good Job!, Dominic.

Bailey, Meghan and Dominic watching Melanie light up the candles on her birthday cake.

Come back often. We'll have new news each time.

Dave & Pat

Hixton/Alma Center KOA, Wisconsin

It wasn't quite a straight line from Texas to Minnesota as we made week-long stops in Mascoutah, Illinois (already blogged), Rockford, Illinois, and Saint Paul, Minnesota. Our destination for the summer was the Hixton/Alma Center KOA, where we are now, for a Workamper job. After having the entire past year OFF we felt we could use a little structure and responsibility for a few months. We'll be in Wisconsin until some time in October, and then head back to the Texas Gulf Coast for another warm winter in the sun.

This is Melanie's oldest, Meghan, at a dance recital in Saint Paul.

Pat and daughter Angel beading during the week we were at Rockford IL.

Angel and her girls, Sabrina, left, and Erika, right.

Here is daughter, Melanie with her Brownie Scout troop in Saint Paul.

Pat got to help the Brownies with a cookie sale survey during their meeting.

Dave's major project at Hixton KOA has been the finishing of the new bath house and construction of the surrounding deck and rails.

Pat's major projects have included planting numerous gardens around the campgrounds.

The CG is on 88 acres of wooded land. Golf carts are used to get around just about everyplace, and when it's not busy with campers Molly and Annie get to go along sometimes.

We'll have more photos and reports soon. There is a pond about 50 yards from our rig, and the birds here are both plentiful and exotic. As I write this I'm watching 3 Baltimore Orioles feeding off a half orange I put out late yesterday. Next time I'll have a bird list and photos for you to enjoy.

As usual, we can be reached by our usual email address, dwink@supersat2.net, or on our cell phones, 509-936-2557, Dave, and 509-671-3007, Pat. Our mailing address for the summer is 9657 State Hwy 95, Alma Center WI 54611. If you're in the area, come see us. The KOA is only 3.5 miles north of I-94 on Hwy 95 - Exit 105. That's 15 miles west of Black River Falls WI.