Week of 1/27/25

Unlike the previous weeks this winter when it would always start out cold and warm up some for the weekend this week started out warm and stayed warm. Good thing too as I had a cow give birth Monday morning. This is a very good cow that got out of sync with the rest of the herd. The rest of the herd will start calving after the first week of April. But she always keeps her calves even in the dead of winter and has the biggest calf in the fall at weaning so I keep her. After splitting some wood on Monday morning I delivered books to the bookstore The Hub in Potosi Wisconsin.

Tuesday it got even warmer with a high of 48 and sunny a most pleasant day. After taking hay to the cows I went to the woods and cut a mule load of wood. By the time I was done with that it was noon, and getting very windy, So in the afternoon I stayed out of the woods and took a short nap and then called a number of bookstores about carrying my book; some said they would.

Again Wednesday was a warm and sunny day. I went to the woods at 8 that morning and had a mule load of wood cut and split and put away by noon. In the afternoon I cut another load of wood. I was very pooped out by Wednesday evening but I also got some very good news. The CAT scan that I had got on my jaw had come back with results and showed no sign of the tumor returning.

Thursday was even warmer and sunnier with a high of 55. It felt very much like a spring day. After splitting a load of wood I went to Dodgeville to have lunch at the Dodger Bowl with my good friend Ken who is recovering from a stroke and who is also my former business partner in the feed and fertilizer store in Muscoda. A better man I have not yet met. The story of my time at the mill is in my book. Ruth and I then went on with our shopping and left a few books at McNeills Appliance Store.

Friday was still warm and sunny and was getting up to 44 degrees after a low of 28. That’s maple syrup weather if the trees were thawed out. I worked in the woods on Friday cutting and splitting. The barn is about full now and I can maybe get one more full cord in then there will be 24 full cords in it.

On Saturday I had a book signing in Boscobel at the Paisley Star. It went quite well and had a live interview that is on their Facebook, which should be quite interesting. On our way back home we saw a pair of large white birds on the slough between Boscobel and Blue River; maybe they were swans. We also saw a large flock of black birds. Its much too early for them to be coming north yet, so maybe they know something we don’t.

On Sunday Feb. 2nd it was Ground Hogs Day and the ground hog said we would see an early spring. We will see.

Till next Week.

Helmuth Krause