And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, Editor Emeritus

... that I made my annual trip to the orchards near Gays Mills, WI the last Tuesday of September. It was my usual search for a couple of heirloom apple varieties which I can only find there, and some years not even there. This year, I was able to purchase both at the first stop.
For a quarter century or more, I took my vacation the last two weeks of September and first week of October. The Mississippi River fishing was usually pretty good with the absence of the pleasure boaters who cluttered things up in the summer. And usually, the trip was timed to coincide with the fall color show. Sometimes, it was a little early. Sometimes, the show was almost over.
This year, I suppose due to abundant rainfall and warm September temperatures, there was scarcely a hint of color. I figure the show was about ten days to two weeks late this year.
Sadly, that extension did not apply to garden vegetables.
I had the last of my own tomatoes with a bacon, lettuce, tomato and onion sandwich September 28. Picked the first tomato August 6.
Picked the last cucumber August 28, and the first July 22.
There are still a few small peppers available, the first picked July 24.
As Shakespeare wrote, summer’s lease has all too short a stay!
Speaking of seasons, how about them Cubs? They had 97 wins, third best record among all 30 major league teams. Trouble is, it was also the third best record in the National League Central division, so forced the Cubs into a one-game playoff Wednesday in order to try to make the division playoff series. You Cub fans know by now how that came out.
If someone had told me in the spring that the Cubs would win 97 games, I would have laughed.
And, if someone had told me the Iowa Hawkeyes would win their first four football games then only score ten points against Wisconsin in game five, I would have expected a first loss. But ten was enough since Wisconsin only managed six!
I was amused over the weekend when a Wisconsin Public Radio station aired a show which made fun of all remaining Republican candidates for president, then threw in adverse comments about Wisconsin Governor Walker, who withdrew from that race. I don’t know who controls continuity for that station, but they should be fired, because those comments came just before an appeal for funds from listeners during fall pledge week. Nationwide, the parties just about split the total vote, so the Wisconsin outlet insulted about half of its potential listeners before asking them for money.
Slow learners, too. Wisconsin Public Television campaigned quite openly against Walker in three recent state elections, but he won each time.