The Winter of my Changing Neighborhood

I live near the Fox River and am just across the street from the houses and businesses that line the riverside. The view from my house to the west provides an uninterrupted view over the river and the sunsets can be breathtaking. Over the course of living here for thirty years the view has not changed much, but winds of development are blowing. 

There is a walking and bicycling trail, the Fox River Trail, along the river that bisects the properties facing the river. It is a rails-to-trails path and has been there for about 20 years. I use the trail several days a week, so I am aware of what homeowners are doing with their riverfront property. Lately, they are doing a lot.

One reason for all of the activity is that the water level in the river has risen in recent years. This has caused docks to be flooded and rendered useless in addition to the erosion of the riverbank. Another is the pandemic. Last summer people were home and either in their yards or on their decks and realized what was happening to their properties. The result was a wave of new docks and an a tsunami of landscapers installing all sorts of measures to deal with high water.  Once the other neighbors saw what was happening they jumped in and the work continued this summer.

In addition to docks and landscape improvements, the boom in housing has had an effect. Houses that have been there for decades, if not longer, have been demolished so new and bigger ones can be built. Empty lots, some seemingly too small for a house, have been filled with new structures. In the coming days a riverfront house not 100 yards from me will be picked up and moved three blocks east to be placed on a lot that has been empty for as long as I can remember. I am keeping a close eye on this as I don't want to miss seeing the house being transported.

In addition to all of this, the Village of Allouez  is considering giving a contractor a variance to build a condominium several stories higher than the current ordinance allows. This building will be a bit north of my view of the sunset, but will still be an imposing presence in the neighborhood. I spoke against it at the public hearing a few weeks ago and the business owners adjacent to the property spoke in favor of it. I believe the variance will be approved as the village leaders are looking to add more housing stock and increase the tax base. It has not been decided as of yet.

As I write this I can see the workers taking down the chimney on the house about to be moved. It won't be long now as I have already noted that the foundation for its new location has been poured. It is inevitable that change will occur, but I am holding onto hope that most of it is for the better.

Dr. Fauci and Canadian Fishing

The last time I was in Canada was in May of 2019. My fishing partners and I were returning from what had recently become a highly enjoyable week of catching fish, eating fish, and telling fish stories. We had left a deposit with our host and planned to return in May of 2020 for more of the same.

Of course, we did not return 2020 or 2021, and now this new Covid variant has me concerned about 2022. Its course seems to be the same as the original pandemic creator, Covid 19. A few cases here, a few cases there, and the next thing you know it dominates the news. The Delta variant, which fortunately seems to be vulnerable to the Covid 19 vaccines, started out much the same. The scientists are working furiously to figure out how to deal with the Omicron virus, as it's known, while the rest of us wait to find out how 2022 is going to begin.

One thing about the scientists that has me a bit concerned is this story about Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, getting into some type of talk show argument with Texas Senator and blowhard Ted Cruz. Dr. Fauci could win any argument with Ted Cruz with 90% of his brain tied behind his back, but the country needs 100% of his brain right now to solve this latest virus issue. I urge the good doctor, and everyone else, to ignore Senator Cruz and focus on things that are important, like getting my buddies and me back to our Canadian fishing camp in 2022. 

I have collected a few new lures that I am dying to try on the big lake trout, northern pike and walleye in northern Ontario. My Christmas list has a new St. Croix fishing rod on it. Our camp host has made some great improvements to the place that I have only enjoyed through photographs and a first hand report from someone who made it up there this fall. I will spend a good portion of the next few following the news reports of any virus activity and calculating how it will affect Canadian border crossings. At my age I cannot afford to miss another year of Canadian fishing.

EICMA 2021: An Alternative to Turkey and Football

As we in the United States stuff ourselves with turkey and overdose on football, the 78th edition of the biggest and most important motorcycle trade fair in the world is happening in Milan, Italy. The first EICMA event was held in 1914 and this year runs from Thursday, 25 November through Sunday, 28 November. Showrunners claim that it is the most visited event in the world based on exhibitors and attendees.

After having to cancel the event in 2020, organizers went ahead with it for 2021. Strict Covid protocols are in place to ensure the safety of everyone. Vaccinations and masking are required for all participants and visitors. 

It is unfortunate that some of the big manufacturers, BMW, KTM and Ducati, for example, decided not to send any of their motorcycles or representatives. Ducati will be particularly missed due to its being an iconic Italian motorcycle manufacturer. All three of these bike builders have decided to market their new wares through online presentations. Ducati, for one, has released a series of videos, several weeks apart, introducing their latest models. I have seen them all and they are very informative and even entertaining. 

As for the manufacturers who are there, many of the newest items are e bikes. Based on what I see on my local bicycle trails, e bikes have a future with all age groups. At first they were seen as bikes to keep people from aging out of the sport. But now I am seeing younger riders who may want to ride more challenging routes or using them to allow less hearty riders to keep up with stronger bikers. 

Harley Davidson, the biggest American motorcycle maker, showed up with its electric motorcycle, the Livewire. At one time it was seen as the future of the marque, but new leadership returned the focus to Harley's bread and butter, the big touring bikes. Harley has put its Revolution Max motor in a model called the Sportster S, while still making the traditional air cooled Sportster lineup. 

Adventure bikes continue to draw interest and even MV Agusta has come out with their version of an off road motorcycle. The Big Four Japanese manufacturers are there and the Suzuki Hayabusa's return is a highlight from the Land of the Rising Sun. All of the other major Italian bike builders appeared and are showing off their latest editions. Moto Guzzi will celebrate its 100th anniversary with introduction of its V100 Mandello, a new entry into the sport touring market. 

Much more information can be found at the EICMA website, www.eicma.it. The motorcycle press is covering the show in great detail of course, so your favorite cycle website can help to keep you up to date.

Riding Season Continues

I woke up in a Thanksgiving meal haze this morning to find snow on the ground and the thermometer hovering around twenty degrees. So even though I have been out riding my 2020 BMW R 1250 GSA twice in the last week I sense that the end of the riding season is near. Since my last post in September I have not gone on any epic rides but I have enjoyed some excellent fall riding experiences.

Most of my rides have been to the north of Green Bay. They usually included a few miles in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and a stop to eat my lunch or snack somewhere along the way. One of my favorites stops was the roadside park on US Highway 2 just east of west of Powers, MI. One day I took a side road to see Long Slide Falls County Park just north of Pembine, WI. It was a great place to enjoy lunch and there was this cool Halloween display. 

I saw a few other interesting sights during my rides, but sometimes they happened so fast there was no opportunity for a picture. On County Road W, just west of Crivitz, I witnessed a bald eagle cross right in front of me trying achieve liftoff with what appeared to be a black cat in its talons. After dragging the creature across the road, in my mirror I saw the big bird drop its prey in opposite ditch. As there was someone right behind me I could not slow down to see if the raptor went back after it. I counted one more bald eagle in a ditch and several flying overhead during my fall rides.

The highways in northern Wisconsin the Upper Peninsula allow a rider to avoid most towns, but sometimes it's interesting to stop and take a look around. One such spot was Daggett, MI. It seems like such an iconic name for a town in the north woods, so after taking a ride through the little burg I stopped for a picture. 

On the days I did not make it all the way up to the UP, I would usually ride over to the resort towns of Mountain and Townsend. That area is well connected with ATV trails and the local towns allow them to drive on the town roads. On Saturdays there are lots of them around and when they are not out raising huge clouds of dust they are gathered at local bars, restaurants and gas stations. It looks like fun, but I would not want to be eating dust, dirt and gravel all day. 

The Broadway District in west Green Bay commissioned a few artists to paint some murals. I took this picture one morning before I headed north for the day. The artist is Beau Thomas.

The weather forecasters are not predicting much snow for the next week and I see at least one day in the forties, so I am not giving up on riding a bit more this year.

A New Outlook on Riding

The latter part of this riding season has brought about a pleasant change. After 11 years of owning two motorcycles, in late July I parted with my Harley Davidson. I don't have room in my garage to comfortably store two bikes, so one of them had to stay outside in the summer and be put in a storage location for the winter. It was a workable solution, but I was ready for the change. It had begun to feel like I did not own the Harley, it owned me.

Since I am down to one bike I have changed my riding habits. In the past I felt a certain urgency to get out and ride on nice days and even not so nice days just to get some miles on each bike. That feeling is no longer there, so I set aside one day each week for riding my BMW. The planning is part of the enjoyment and I don't feel the need to look for other opportunities to ride. 

As you can imagine, this has given me more time to do other things. One is that I have done more bicycling over the past month. I have a newer road bike and an old hybrid from the mid-nineties. I turned over 10,000 lifetime miles on the road bike last week and am nearing that on the hybrid. Riding the bikes is an enjoyable experience in this area as we have a lot of trails and quiet county roads to ride on. 

I have also gotten into the winter time habit of having a book to read all the time. Over the winter I was reading through a list of "100 Books Every Man Should Read", but it went be the wayside in the spring. Currently I am reading "Travels with Charley" by John Steinbeck and it reminds me of the joy of travel, whether by truck or motorcycle. 

Over the past month my riding has been mainly north of home. The traffic is lighter and the towns smaller. During the height of the pandemic in the 2020 I always packed a lunch instead of looking for a local restaurant. Now, being fully vaccinated, I have no fear of going in restaurants. But I found packing a lunch and looking for a roadside or county park part of the enjoyment of the trip. So I continue to do that at the risk of missing out on some tasty local cuisine. At the same time I avoid the possibility of underwhelming meals and poor service. 

This last month of a new outlook on riding has been a blessing and I am looking forward riding far into the fall.

Ride to 2021 BMW MOA National Rally

I have not visited any more cheese factories since my trip to Kugel's, but it has been an eventful two months. In June I rode out to the BMW National Motorcycle Rally. Normally these rides are all about the good times, but one of my riding partners bounced off of a car and that changed the narrative and the emotional reaction to the trip. On 22 June I rode west with two other riders to attend the BMW rally in Great Falls, Montana. Before we had cleared Minnesota one of my riding partners had an unfortunate collision with a Toyota Venza. The rider and his bike were damaged but serviceable and we continued west. On the second day we visited the grave of Sioux Chief Sitting Bull on the west side of the Missouri River in Mobridge, South Dakota. Later in the day, the rider who had run into the Toyota experienced battery problems and left him, and us, in effect, stranded on the side of US 12 in eastern Montana. The situation was resolved in a most fortuitous manner and we made it to Great Falls on 24 June.

Sitting Bull grave in Mobridge, SD

The rally was as expected and we enjoyed our time volunteering at the pin and patch booth. It's a good way to meet a lot of rally goers and exchange information about our rides into Great Falls. My riding partner was feeling the effects of the mishap in Minnnesota, so we did not walk around the exhibits any more than was necessary. They were all pretty much as they are each year anyway. On the second day I took the opportunity to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls. Many of the cities and towns along the upper Missouri River have Lewis and Clark monuments, museums, or memorials, so it was nice to have the time to visit this one. The center's main focus was on the portages the expedition had to manage in the Great Falls area.

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, MT

After two nights of recuperation, we left Great Falls on a Sunday morning. We rode south on US 87 through the Lewis and Clark National Forest and then rode east on US 12. One unexpected delight was being stopped behind a cattle drive down the middle of US 12. After following the herd at a respectful distance for fifteen minutes, we followed a pickup truck through the herd and were on our way again. We rode east as far as Billings, Montana, before getting on the interstate toward Crow Agency.

Cattle drive on US 12 in Montana

We arrived that day, 26 June, at the Little Bighorn National Battlefield. Like most National Parks and National Monuments, the Little Bighorn Battlefield was busy. My riding partner could not walk too well, so I took a walk up to the hill that is the site of General Custer's famous last stand. I have visited the site more than once, but it is always and emotional experience for me. We continued on our way east to Broadus, Montana, to our accommodations for the night.

Little Bighorn National Battlefield Monument

We checked in at the office and were a bit surprised to learn that our rooms were a couple of blocks away. But we found them to be clean and comfortable and soon were on our way to the pizza shop, which was the only place to eat within walking distance. Seabeck Pizza offered an excellent pizza with service to match. There are no accommodations or restaurants within 100 miles east or west of Broadus, so it is commendable that the hotel and pizza shop are as good as they are.

Our accommodations in Broadus, MT

The ride home took us through South Dakota and Minnesota on US 212 without any additional drama. The only issue was the thunderstorm we rode through in central Wisconsin that has caused me to install the Pinlock in my Shoei Hornet X2. We rode 2700 miles over the seven days and were glad to be home after the unfortunate things that had occurred during the week.

Kugel's Cheese Mart in Lena Wisconsin

 Earlier this month I completed my quest to ride 100 of Wisconsin's 122 Rustic Roads. The others are still tempting, but I am putting that pursuit on hold for this summer. They are all more than a day's ride away and I have other plans for my overnight trips in the coming months. I was looking for another way to add some purpose to my day rides and much like Little Miss Muffet's spider, an idea appeared.

My wife and were on our way into Door County and stopped at the Visitor's Center just south of Sturgeon Bay. While my wife was asking the helpful young woman at the counter about where to find cherry blossoms I was perusing the rack full of travel information. I picked up some bicycling maps and travel brochures for Door County and Wisconsin. That evening I picked up the Wisconsin book and found just what I was looking for.

There was a page or two that highlighted small cheese factories around the state. At one time I worked in a big cheese factory and cheese manufacturing still holds a lot of interest for me. Although there were only a factories noted and a lot of others have closed, I knew that there were still a good number of them in operation. A new, and tasty, plan for the summer began to form. I would research cheese factories within a day's ride and try to get to them on the days they offered tours.

Kugel's in downtown Lena

 On a bright and warm Saturday morning I started north on US Highway 141. Since I was on my Harley Davidson Lowrider S and I planned to bring home some cheese, I had an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack in it stowed in my backpack. It also served to keep my apple and water cold. My plan was to ride north toward Iron Mountain and then stop at Springside Cheese Factory near Oconto Falls on the way home. It was one of the factories featured in the travel book.

One of the joys of motorcycling alone is the opportunity to change plans at a moment's notice and that is what happened on this ride. About 30 miles north of Green Bay I saw a sign for Kugel's Cheese Mart in Lena. I took the exit and found myself alone in downtown Lena and parked in front of Kugel's. 

According to their website, Kugel's has been a family owned business since 1952. They age and package locally made cheeses and also sell a variety of imported products. As I browsed around the shop I noted that they sell Wisconsin related gifts along with a few from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The hoodie with Kugel's Cheese emblazoned on the front was inviting, but how many hoodies do I need at my age? 

Marinette County Overlook

Once I got to examining the cheese case the friendly clerk asked if I needed any assistance. I felt like I wanted to try something besides the usual cheddar, so I bought about six ounces of hot pepper brick. The clerk cut a thin slice for me to taste and it had just the right amount of heat for me. It was creamy like a brick cheese should be and I knew I had made a good choice. As the young man was wrapping it up I told him that I had worked at Pauly Cheese in Green Bay at one time. He recognized the name and said that Kugel used to buy block cheese from Pauly and repackage it for sale in Lena. 

Trillium Time in the Forest

After a little more small talk I went out and took a few pictures before getting back on the highway and riding north. At this point I decided that I would save the visit to Springside for another day. About thirty miles north there is a turnout where visitors can learn about the local logging history and take in a beautiful vista. On this day the trilliums were in full bloom. 

I continued north to the intersection with US Highway 8 near Pembine. Here I turned west until I found a wayside to stop and enjoy a road snack. The facilities at the wayside were closed, but the driveway was open and it was a nice quiet place for a break. Delicious cheese, an apple and cold water were all I needed to feel refreshed and ready for more miles.

A Perfect Road Snack

Back on the road, I turned south at Laona onto State Highway 32. One thing I noticed on my ride was the number of ATV's on the trails adjacent to the highways. There have always been some, but there seem to be many more than several years ago. Most of the restaurant and bar parking lots have a good number of them and some have more ATV's than cars and trucks. 

ATVs Are a Popular Means of Transportation

The weather was perfect, in the seventies north of US Highway 64 and into the eighties when I got back to the south. I'm glad I soaked in the heat because the temperatures were in forties five days later. My first cheese factory ride was a success and I look forward to more.