The Welcome Rooster, Wisconsin Barns, and Good Fences

Greeting Passersby

Colfax, WI

If you wanted a great welcome rooster for your back door, you've missed your chance. This one was for sale at a store in Colfax last summer, but I see that the store is no longer in operation. How sad. How often does one come across a rooster like that? Wouldn't he look great, welcoming the visitors to your home?

Barn west of Rice Lake, WI

Most of the many barns in our area are painted either red or white. However, there is one, on the way to Birchwood, that is yellowish. I hope they got a great deal on yellow paint, because other than that, I can see no reason to paint a barn yellow. I love this classic Wisconsin barn.

Admittedly, our house is yellow. But that's a different story.

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Our World Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters

Wisconsin Barns and The Neighborhood

 Our barn. 

Check out the far right corner of the photo. That's what's zoomed in on above. Our poor barn needs a new roof. But, the house roof had to come first, and that was accomplished this fall. Maybe we could've done something to repair the barn if the big snow hadn't come so early in the season.

 Barn Roof, zoomed in

 The photo above is from this little block barn, which is probably actually a pump house.

And because of the great Wisconsin gun deer hunt, 

which opens today...

 Wouldn't you love to have lunch here.

But when you think about it, I guess it's no worse than

The King's Arms

or

The Queen's Head 
Which both sound pretty gruesome to me.

Vintage Coke Machine

Buck Snort Bar and Grill and the Coke machine are found in Colfax, WI

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Our World Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters

Wisconsin Barns - Scenes Near Colfax, WI

Always a Favorite Scene:

A barn, a fence, and flowers
(the ubiquitous corn field in the background)

As you may know, we live in the rolling hills of NW Wisconsin. There's some pretty flat land north of us, but going south, there are beautiful hills and valleys. I love the gorgeous farmland and views we see along the Red Cedar River. The photos in this post are from the Colfax area. 

Zooming out, the same barn, outlined in lilies

as viewed on a warm summer afternoon
Remind me to plant lilies. 
Remind me to read up on lilies so I don't waste my money.

Although the Harvestore silo seems to be the focal point of this photo, I was trying to get a somewhat panoramic view of the farm with surrounding hills.

A nearby hayfield and lots of wooded land.

Wisconsin has trees. Lots of trees.
Trees, hills, rivers - three of the things I love about Wisconsin

Red Cedar River, taken from a small bridge

NW of Colfax

I would have loved to get a photo of cows standing in the river, but I'm pretty sure that's now a thing of the past - pre DNR and EPA.

No idea why this farm is called 'Peek-a-Boo Dairy'
I cannot imagine anyone coming up with that name.
I'm sure it wasn't the cows.

Wild phlox beside a country road
Look at those beautiful white pines in the background.

I was thrilled to get this photo of a pair of 

Sandhill Cranes as they slowly meandered across a pasture.

Click HERE to hear the squeaky wood call of the Sandhill Crane.

I love the fun, distinctive sound they make!

There's lots more to see on a drive between our home and Colfax. Maybe I'll post those photos at another time.

***

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Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

This post may be linked to one or more of the following: Mop it Up Monday  and Get in My Tummy and  Cure for the Common Monday and  Clever Chicks Blog Hop and  Barn Charm and  The Marketplace  and  Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and    Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous and Get Your Craft On and Efforts and Assets and   You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Creative Showcase and Memories by the Mile and Crafty Texas Girls and  Tweak it Tuesday and  Coastal Charm Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday  and Love Bakes Good Cakes and Mom on TimeOut  and Adorned from Above and Wildcrafting Wednesday and   Cast Party Wednesday and  We Did it Wednesday  and All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday  and The Girl Creative, Thursday and  Creative Things Thursday and Be Inspired and Time Travel Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday  and  Friday Fences and  Thursday's Inspiration and  The Self-sufficient Home Acre and  I'm Lovin' it Thursday and Creative Things Thursday and   Mandatory Mooch   and Foodie Friends Friday and Freedom Fridays and From the Farm and   Anything Blue Friday and Junkin' Joe and  Serenity Saturday and Get Schooled Saturday  and Inspiration Friday(ThursNite) and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and Share Your Creativity and   A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and Sunlit Sunday and  Market Yourself Monday and  Saturday Nite Special

Anglophile Friday - Highland Cattle

A face only a mother could love...

In my mind's eye, I see these Highland Cattle on a farm owned by Fred Flintstone - with pileated woodpeckers hammering away in the nearby trees.

Highland Cattle. Yes, I'm straying a bit from my typically England post, but there is something so fascinating about Highland Cattle!  This past summer when my cousin was visiting, we were on our way to Colfax (in a big hurry, I might add, to get her to a dental appointment on time) and on Hwy M, north of Colfax, we drove past a herd of Highland Cattle. I SO wanted to get a photo of them. Since I didn't have time to stop and take the photo at that time, and even if I had tried on the way back, the sun would have been on the wrong side...I went at a later time to get the photos.

Aren't they gorgeous creatures! (in a strange sort of way).

Here's lookin' at you, kid!

From Wikipedia.org:

'Highlands are known as a hardy breed due to the rugged nature of their native Scottish Highlands, with high rainfall and strong winds. Highland cattle have been successfully established in many temperate countries and indeed in countries where winters are substantially colder than Scotland's such as central Europe and Canada.

Their hair provides protection during the cold winters and their skill in browsing for food enables them to survive in steep mountain areas. They both graze and browse and eat plants which many other cattle avoid. The meat tends to be leaner than most beef because Highlands get most of their insulation from their thick shaggy hair rather than subcutaneous fat. The coat makes them a good breed for cold northern climates and they are able to thrive in outdoor conditions that would defeat most other breeds of domestic beef cattle. As such, Highland cattle are able to produce beef at a reasonable gross margin from inhospitable land that would otherwise normally be incapable of rendering a profit agriculturally.

Whilst the UK domestic and worldwide popularity of Highland cattle has made trade in pedigree beasts occasionally the most lucrative - mainly on account of their handsome appearance - they are at their best agriculturally when used to produce beef in a cold climate from poor pasture and forage.'  Read More...

Posing for his senior portrait

Doesn't he look just CUDDLY???

and even more info. because enquiring minds want to know, right?  :-)


Wouldn't you like to find one of those under the Christmas tree? But I want to get mine when it's a cute little calf.

***

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Having nothing at all to do with Highland Cattle

Just in case you were wondering...

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 You'll find me at these linky parties:

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