Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Hodgepodging the American Bison


During the weekend, on one of Wisconsin's beautifully bright, sunny January days, we drove past North Star Bison Ranch north of Rice Lake. I don't know how many bison live on that ranch, but there were many, and they are such huge beasts! Hay had just been scattered on the snow and many were feeding on it. A few independents, of the you-can't-tell-me-what-to-do type, were using the hay for bedding, instead.  They must be the Alpha bison. In the summer months, North Star Bison has a chuck wagon at the local farmer's market and sells delicious bison burgers. You might want to pop in on a Thursday afternoon.


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She writes the questions;
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1. Are you ready for new? Is 2016 likely to be very different than 2015? Do you want it to be?

We never know what tomorrow might bring, which is why I'm often conflicted about looking ahead, rather than enjoying the moment God has graciously given me. That's also one of the reasons I'm making a better effort to enjoy winter, although it has less appeal to me than summer. And we do make plans, so one thing I'm looking forward to is the annual August family get-together at our place. I need to write to the family and remind them to get that on their calendars now. August 6-7, 2016. Although I won't be picking strawberries in June, I hope to be doing some good hiking by late fall.

 Strawberry Picker, Summer of 2015

2. January 6th is National Technology Day. Currently, what is your single biggest struggle or frustration when it comes to technology?

I struggle to see why people like Facebook or Twitter. I could get in a lot [more] trouble if I broadcast every thought immediately as it came to me.

 Green Beans, August 2015

3. It's that time again...time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words (or phrases) they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, and general uselessness) in 2016. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's top vote getters are-

So (at the start of every single sentence), conversation (as in hotly debated topics where we're invited to 'join the conversation'), problematic, stakeholder, price point, secret sauce, break the Internet, walk it back, presser, manspreading (common in larger cities where some men take up the entire bus or train seat by sitting wide), vape, giving me life (refers to anything that may excite a person or make them laugh), and physicality

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?


So, let's walk this back a bit. I don't see what's so problematic about using the word 'So' at the beginning of almost every sentence. I think that price point and stakeholder are legitimate, or maybe they're used in ways I'm not familiar with, but many of the others I'd never heard before. (Grammar police, please excuse my use of prepositions ending a phrase or sentence.) Conversation' has always bugged me, for often those who encourage us to 'join the conversation,' really only want us to do so if we agree with their perspective on things.

Oh, and one more thing...I hate it when I thank someone and they respond with 'No problem.'  Has 'You're welcome' disappeared altogether??


4. Share one of your current health related goals.

Walk, trot, gallop by late fall. But  sadly, with a different dog. 

 Past perfect

5. Let's talk fifty shades of gray. As in the color. Gray is currently a popular color in home decor, paint, wardrobes, hair, wedding party attire, and more. Are you a fan? Do you have the color in some variation in your home or wardrobe?  Gray hair, the old gray mare, gray matter, gray area...which gray idiom can you most relate to right now?


Gray has become one of my favorite colors. It's a matter of, 'if you can't beat them, join them.' I've discovered that when I wear gray, my gray hair doesn't stick out in stark contrast as much as it does if I wear, say, red. Gray is my friend, but light heathery charcoal is my favorite.

6. Certain foods are considered 'lucky' if eaten on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. Cooked greens to bring economic fortune, black-eyed peas or lentils also symbolize money, pork which symbolizes progress, fish for good luck, and if you're in Spain 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. Did you eat any lucky foods on the first day of the year? Is that a tradition in your home? Of the foods listed, which most appeals to you?

No. Of the above-listed foods, I would say that fish is the only one that would appeal to me, and it could only be considered lucky if I were eating it at The Cricketers in Canterbury or The Anchor in Cambridge. Any place else, it's just fish.




7. What's the single biggest time waster in your life and what, if anything, will you do about it this year?

I'd say that my biggest time waster would be hunting for things. Yesterday, it was when we were retracing our drive to Eau Claire because along the way, I'd stopped to take a photo of some darling little Highland cattle (coming soon) and later realized that my black leather gloves were missing. Sure enough, on the way home, nearly 5 hours later, there were my poor, cold little gloves, lying next to a snowbank on a county highway. I was so happy to see them, you'd think I'd just been reunited with a long-lost relative (one I liked).

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I'm including a couple photos of the pretty red barns near Frontenac, Minnesota.





Barn and silos, Wabasha County, MN



ALSO linking to:
Theresa's GOOD FENCES

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Judy

55 comments:

Arlene G said...

I love the pictures of barns that you post Judy!! We do not typically have silos here in the south so I love a good silo and a red barn. With out cold temps this week I am looking forward to spring. After Christmas, I am done with winter.lol. Usually by the end of February it is warming up here and the days are longer.

Deb said...

I'm sure that photo of you and Bridger is a cherished one. Lovely. I have a favorite spot for fish, too, but lucky for me it's one hour away. :)"Happy New Year, Judy"

Preppy Empty Nester said...

Judy... You and I are a lot alike when it comes to wasting time looking for things. I don't even have to go out of the house to lose things. I spent 2 hours looking for my car keys last week. Beautiful pics of the barns. Enjoy your week.

Joyce said...

I just love a pretty red barn. I'm so glad you found your gloves. I know that feeling of relief in discovering something you thought you'd lost. The bison are interesting. Back when I was in college and used to drive up I-81 from TN to NJ there was a buffalo ranch near Harrisonburg Virginia. I loved passing and seeing these enormous creature. It was sold and I think there are just cows now, but it was a crazy sight back in the day. Happy New Year!

MadSnapper said...

I took a moment to look up waste of time in the free dictionary and it says 'devotion of time to a useless activity".. I had intended to say reading and computer time, but neither of those are useless.. my answer is there is nothing i do that waste my time.

so sorry you have to walk with a different dog, hurts my heart for you. I agree with you on FB and Twitter. i just don't get it. on TV yesterday a doctor was talking about the health issues that are showing up do to FB and Twitter and others. he said take time, turn it off, leave it home. I would so love to meet those bison, but after that i would not be able to eat the bison burger.

Paula said...

I spend too much time looking for things as well. When I tell my husband that something is in spot "A", he immediately asks me where spot "B" is, since it most likely won't be where I thought it was. :)

I like to wear gray tops and sweaters, but I find gray washes me out. I've been trying to add a pop of color with a scarf. I am in total agreement with you about FB and Twitter. I think that those of us still blogging just for the fun of it are most likely the ones who aren't active on social media. I could be wrong about that.

Thank you for sharing your lovely pics, and enjoy the rest of your week. :)

Elizabethd said...

What a lovely post! I laughed, thought deeply about words and so enjoyed all you wrote!
Words I would like to see disappear are 'like' as in 'I'm ,like, longing to be home', and 'Enjoy'as in when a waiter brings a dish to the table.
Like you, I wouldn't touch Facebook and cannot see the need for it, opens up too many problems from what I have read.

A Joyful Chaos said...

Having to look for things really bugs me. Right now our daughter's French curriculum seems to have vanished into thin air. We spent half an hour last evening looking for it to no avail. Not sure where I should look for it next.

Love pictures of barns.

Carla from The River said...

Hi Judy,
I am with you regarding FB and Twitter. And what I find ridiculous is people believe what is posted on FB and Twitter, and do not check for facts!!

I seem to be misplacing items as well. At this time I have three items I can not find. I lost my favorite letter opener during the second week of December. I think I may have tossed it in with some envelopes for trash. {sniff, sniff, poor favorite letter opener}

Great photos :-))
Carla

Susie said...

Hi Judy, One of my health goals is always wanting to lose weight or maintain it. Sure do not want to get heavier. The internist told me last year to lose 20 pounds. I lost half that. Sugar being my weakness . Those bison are huge...People may not realize till they see one for themselves. Blessings for a healthy new year. xoxo,Susie

Stephanie said...

Good morning, lovely Judy! Oh, what a delight to pop in for a visit :) Your photo of the bison is quite lovely! They are such magnificent creatures.

While I was scrolling down I noticed your photos on the sidebar of you and Mr.C - the "Take 1" is adorable :)

I am with you about Facebook and Twitter. I don't have a Twitter account and I don't have a personal Facebook account, just one for my blog. I think it's not neccessary to tell everyone that I'm doing laundry now :)

Blessings to you, dear one. I hope your New Year is extra lovely and sepcial. Hugs!

STILLMAGNOLIA said...

Love, Love, Love the photos. I am a sucker for old/new barns and old interesting churches. The bison shot was great. When we went to Yellowstone one stuck his head in the window of our car on my side while we were looking at something on the opposite side. I nearly came undone. Have a blessed New Year.

April said...

I have a thing for barns, so your photos are greatly appreciated, Judy! I'm not a real fan of Twitter, but I like FB because it allows me to keep abreast of what my family and friends from afar are doing. BTW, my girls are enjoying your wonderful soap!

TexWisGirl said...

smiled at the badger t-shirt. :) we have a bison farm near here and i took pics of their gate to post someday. glad you found your gloves! i have done the 'no problem' thing too many times to count and i try to catch myself but it is difficult...

Red Rose Alley said...

Judy, my husband saw the American Bison in San Francisco recently. They are the largest living animal native to North America. There used to be millions of Bisons, but sadly not as many today. They are amazing animals, aren't they? I love the picture of this sweet little guy picking strawberries, so cute. Is that you walking your dog? What a wonderful picture, and one to be framed. And I always love the red barns that you share with us. Don't see them enough around here.

I hope the new year is being good to you so far, Judy.

~Sheri

Debby@Just Breathe said...

The Bison are gorgeous. I remember seeing some at Cody State Park years ago in South Dakota. I enjoy Facebook. Twitter I don't care for at all. So glad you found your gloves.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Hi Judy
Number 3 hit home with me, many people now are replying "I'm good" in these parts instead of thank-you. I just know I'm going to lose it and say something one of these days...
Nice to see herds of bison, they sell the meat at a specialty farm north of us but I've hesitated to buy it so far - rather expensive.
I found an explanation about why barns were/ are painted red, should send it to you to use in a post some time. :-)

podso said...

Beautiful barns. You could do a photo book with your barns.

I tend to start sentences with "so" when it's in a social occasion and I'm being chatty. I like to change subjects with a "so" for a bit of humor--only with good friends of course. I'm not a big poster on fb but I like keeping in touch with old friends. We used to write long epistles to each other, then got tired and busy, but now we can see what we are up to, and especially gaze upon each others' grandchildren, so for that I find it a good thing. And yes, love gray. I have a gray guest room I love. And since my hair turned gray, I can wear more colors. Hubby always says "it looks good with your hair."

There's such wonderful relief when the lost is found.

Akash1 said...

This was a really great read, appreciation for taking the time to put it together! Touched on some very good...

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Terri D said...

I always love how you fill your Hodgepodge with such great photos! I rarely think to include a photo or two. Have to make a note to myself!! I enjoyed your Hodgepodge answers today!

The Cranky said...

YOLO, if I hear it again I may start ranting... if you want to state the obvious then say 'you only live once' instead of tossing a silly acronym around!

Loved the barns but the handsome wee strawberry picker really stole my heart. =)

Chatty Crone said...

I hope you can learn to enjoy winter more! It sure is pretty there no matter what season it seems to be. I don;t know about wearing gray - I have a feeling I am to white or light to wear it and I just wash out. I am guilty using the word so! Enjoyed your answers!

Tammy Enjoy Life said...

Great pictures of the red barn. So glad you found your gloves.

Capri K @ No Whining Allowed said...

I spend a lot of time hunting for things too. Sometimes I even have to go back to where I was standing so I can remember what I was hunting for! Glad you found your gloves!

Joanne Noragon said...

I dislike "No problem," too, but when I complain about it I am astounded at the number of people who like and have adopted it. As for technology--I am getting too old to understand the new programs that are prefaced by "intuitive." Four more years until I retire--again.

Theresa said...

I'm with you on the "no problem". Just as bad is "yep" in response to thank you. Sometimes when I'm at the store and say thank you I get no response. I sometimes start saying to myself "you're welcome, have a nice day". I mean I don't get it, I am the customer giving their place of employment business which means they have a job. Okay, that's my rant and probably a good reason why I'm not on FB ;) Happy New Year!

Sue said...

Great Hodgepodge, Judy, Like you I have wondered where 'Thank you" went! as have so many other polite responses!
Bison are beautiful creatures, we saw our first ones up close in Montana!
How lucky you were to find the gloves, I so related!
Thanks for visiting me, and taking the time to leave such a sweet comment!.
Happy New Year to you and your family.
Blessings,
Sue

Linda said...

Thanks for visiting me, Judy...and by the way...blog feeds and blogs are not showing up and when I saw you posted/commented---I was like..whoaaaaaaaaaaa....because you and others have not been showing up...sigh...Blogger...I enjoyed your answers...Many Happy New Year Blessings to you.

Buttercup said...

So enjoyed the visit. Biggest time waster is probably Facebook and random internet reading. One story flows to another and an hour has just drifted away. More writing, more walking, more reading is my goal for 2016.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

I always love reading your hodge podge Wednesday posts, Judy. You are so lucky to have found your favorite black gloves. Good for you! And your little strawberry eating fellow is just adorable! Of course, the photos of English Pubs...make me sigh! There are many blessings waiting for you this year, dear Judy! xo ♥

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I always enjoy these questions and answers too! I don't like when someone needs to get past me in a store or somewhere and they say 'I'm sorry'. What are they sorry about? Why not say, Excuse me? lol I love your new banner and the new look of your blog. Nice for the new year. Hugs, Diane

Rose said...

I did enjoy reading this...amen to people only wanting to talk if you agree with them.

Also, how can a person lose something without ever moving from their seat? I do that quite often.

Cheryl said...

I always enjoy your HodgePodge posts, Judy! I, too, wonder what happened to "You're welcome." Not long ago, I thanked the cashier after a transaction and she replied, "No probs." :)

"Think before you type," should be the rule of thumb for Facebook posts. Thinking twice would be even better. Psalm 19:14 would be best!

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Loved reading the whole post and seeing the Bison. Agree with you on the FB and Twitter. So grey is the in colour. That's good, I bought a grey dress/ jumper.

Christine said...

So i'm going to join the conversation and say I like grey more and more as I age (gracefully)! But I'm definitely against joining in on FB or Twitter - what a waste of time.
I enjoyed seeing the bison in the snow and the barns are great. Glad you found your gloves!

Unknown said...

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EG CameraGirl said...

I very much like the photo of the bison. We have a similar farm near us byt the photos I took are far from awesome. I need to go back and try again. Glad you found your gloves!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Judy, you know I always love photos of England, barns, etc. But my favorite part of this post was your answer to question 1. I struggle to be in the moment and must work at not looking either back or ahead too terribly much.

Lea said...

A very interesting post with great photos!
My favorite: the bison
Have a great day!
Lea

DeniseinVA said...

A very nice read Judy. Love your photos.

Vee said...

What a great reunion with your gloves! That was quite amazing. I think that that is also my biggest time waster...misplacing things...they may even be my glasses on my head. Oh. Clarity. My biggest time waster is a tired brain.

Ida said...

Interesting read today. - I really enjoyed the photo of the Bison and that adorable strawberry eater. - Nice barn/fence shots today as well.
I agree it's good to "live in the moment" as much as possible.
Also I have to admit to using the phrase, "No Problem" instead of You're Welcome. Guess I'll have to work on that this year.

Lowcarb team member said...

Oh Judy, I just love the photo of those bison.
Great post to read too, thank you.

All the best Jan

Lois said...

Love seeing the bison. I have never seen one in person before!

Debby Ray said...

I've never tasted bison but I'm sure I would like it :) Great hodgepodge answers too. One of these days I will join in :)

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

"What's the single biggest time waster in your life?"

The internet, of course! Love your photos.
~

Gayle said...

Wonderful Hodgepodge post. From losing things to Facebook I relate with you and the other comments.
Sidenote: with the impending elimination of Friend Connect, will you be opening a Google+ account?
I have an account but find the format, like Pinterest, to be like walking down the the cereal aisle at the grocery store where one can only hope to find what they're looking for. ;)

Lorrie said...

A fun HodgePodge read. I like bison meat - our local grocer often carries it. Some of those words that the college wants banished are ones I've never heard used, as in "walk it back." I wonder if some are regional?
I like Facebook for staying in touch with friends from overseas and family who live far away.

Have a good weekend!

Butterfly 8)(8 Bungalow said...

Your little strawberry picker reminds me of the little prince on the way to school this week.
I don't care for Facebook either. That's hilarious, but it is good to be your own filter.
xoxo

eileeninmd said...

Good morning, the bison farm is nice. I have never tried a bison burger. The Strawberry picker is a cutie and I love the dog walking shot. I like facebook, but I am not one to post everything I do. I do like to stay in touch with friends and family on FB. Great post and images. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Enjoy your weekend!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Bison are such noble creatures. Too bad for them that their meat is low fat and tasty.

carol l mckenna said...

Lovely shot of the bison ~

Wishing you a fun weekend ~ ^_^

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

What a fun post Judy! I love the bison .... I don't do those challenges (answering posed questions) but if I could write as well as you do, I would! (You're welcome :>))!)

Anonymous said...

Glad you found your gloves! Nice bison shots. I've never tried it.

A Colorful World said...

Great Hodgepodge! Enjoyed your answers, shares and photos. I forgot to eat blackeyes peas and hogjowl (well, ham!) this new year's day! Hope that doesn't mean I won't be prosperous and lucky. :-)

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