Time to get my boat in the water. Driftless Wisconsin may be best known for its soaring bluffs and plunging valleys, yet it’s the tranquil rivers and streams that tame this rugged land; and offer its most popular recreation; boating and fishing. Boating, canoeing,...
The warm nights ahead are a great time to get to know the night sky. There are plenty of stargazers in the Lower Wisconsin Valley and beyond who keep telescopes and would be happy to share a look with you. If you have been meaning to explore our starry skies, this...
Spring has arrived in Driftless Wisconsin. Yes, the calendar has turned to April, but nature shows little obligation to schedules. We have seen winter sneak into April before. So we look for signs. Out for my walk up the hill, I found sufficient evidence of spring’s...
When it comes to stargazing, two eyes are better than one. If we imagine an astronomer, we probably picture a person looking into a thin tube mounted on a tripod. My experience is that many telescopes go unused because they are complicated to set up, difficult to...
Jupiter is at opposition on March 8 when it’s at its closest to Earth. It will rise in the east at sunset, pass high overhead in the south at midnight, and set in the west at sunrise. Jupiter blazes brighter than any star (twice the brilliance of Sirius) which...
“Kitty!,” my two-year-old grandson declares looking out the window. The excitement rises in his voice. Closer inspection by my wife reveals a squirrel bounding through the snow, perhaps lured out of its nest by the gathering warmth and light of late winter. Unlike...
