Readers Write 2020

Winter 2020

BE OUR GUEST

I have let milkweed grow on the side of my house for a few years now. I start watching it intently for signs of caterpillars around the middle of May, just as soon as it starts popping up. It seemed to take longer than usual this year but by mid-June, these guys started showing up along with milkweed beetles. With just a handful of plants, I counted seven little guests all at the same time — even in the middle of town.

Pete Jaeger
Madison

SEVERAL HAVE GROUSE STORY TO SHARE

I was reading your article about a man who was hunting and was surprised a ruffled grouse came and sat with him. I was reminded of the ruffed grouse that befriended us the spring and summer of 2015. We named him “Nerd Bird.” He even sat on my husband Kerry’s lap when he was on the tractor planting.

Our uncommon friendship started when Nerd Bird followed us because of his, we assumed, attraction to the sound of our four-wheeler as we drove past him, almost the same sound the ruffed grouse makes. Slowly, we were able to get him to trust us, sit on our hand, and the rest is history.

Jody Smith (above with "Nerd Bird")
Loyal

 

I read with great interest the story about the friendly grouse in the Fall issue. For the past three spring maple syrup seasons, I have been greeted and accompanied from tree to tree by “my” grouse. From its behavior, it could only be the same bird year after year.

It joined me each season when I began tapping trees and grew more fearless with each encounter. For the past two years, it would fly over my shoulder, knocking my hat off, landed on my shoulder, landed on the rack of my four-wheeler and ate wild bird seed from my hand multiple times with each visit.

Alan White
Superior

 

Finally, a long-awaited revelation when I read Tom Prijic’s encounter with the flirty ruffed grouse while at his Amherst Junction deer stand! On a gorgeous fall day in 1992, my family and I were biking on the Root River Trail in southern Minnesota. My sons had surged well ahead of my wife and I, and eventually they stopped along a wooded segment of the trail to rehydrate.

As they awaited us, a ruffed grouse emerged from the entanglement, evaluated them and promptly roosted on one of their front tires. The grouse held fast even when the bike was rolled back and forth in frail attempts to dislodge it.

Being a veterinarian, I mentally began to formulate a list of differential diagnoses that might explain this strange, yet amazing behavior. Was there some form of neurological disease? Had this bird imprinted as someone’s pet? It sure did look healthy.

Eventually, we all went our separate ways, but I always wondered. Maybe these experiences indicate ruffed grouse have advanced their people skills as a means toward self-preservation and making the world a better and less foul place!

Arlynn Schwanke, DVM
Sun Prairie

Thanks to everyone inspired by the Fall “Your Outdoors” column to share their own tales of ruffed grouse adventures. Such “grouse encounters” seem to keep quite a few folks on their toes.

SNAPPER SNAPSHOT

I wanted to share this picture of the huge turtle (above) — a snapping turtle, I believe — which I caught sunning itself on a log at Zeloski Marsh, Lake Mills Wildlife Area. My husband and I had been hiking there almost once a week since 2012, when we moved out toward that area. It was one of our favorite places to see lots of wildlife. … In all the years of hiking, we’d seen lots of turtles, but never one this big. It was amazing.

Sue Varco
Sun Prairie

 

We walked into our driveway that had recently been re-stoned and saw a snapping turtle making a nest. We live on Huron Lake in Oasis, in Waushara County. I tried to photograph the actual depositing of eggs, but she was very private. We fenced off the area to keep predators away. We will see in two to three months if she was successful.

Rich and Nancy Macia
Oasis

DNR conservation biologist Rori Paloski replies: “Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) have a reputation for being very aggressive turtles, which they can be if you get too close, but there is a reason why they act like this. The plastron, or lower shell, on a snapping turtle is very small. So unlike other turtles, they can’t pull their head and limbs into their shell for protection. Therefore, they often resort to aggression, which is their only defense mechanism when they are threatened or feel their life is in danger. Best to keep your distance, like you did, and get a photo!”

SQUIRREL SURPRISE

My dad, Jack Hayek, living in Polk County near Amery, took several photos in 2018. He says he’s never seen any photos of flying squirrels in your DNR magazine over the years he has subscribed. If you’d like to print any of them, he’d be particularly pleased and also surprised, as he has been asking me for almost two years to send them to you.

He built a house for flying squirrels several years ago and has a pair who lodge there who he named Squirrelly and Shirley. Thanks, and wishing you well.

Anne Hayek
Amery

YOUNG HUNTERS CARRY ON WISCONSIN TRADITIONS

Ava is an incredible girl, and I am so proud of her story and her father who got her to her first 100% natural, no corn kill with a crossbow. Just check out that smile! She practiced, shot, killed, tracked, gutted and processed this beautiful deer with the help of family and friends. True grit in these Northwoods. Girls rule.

Jen Young
Hazelhurst

My 11-year-old son, Gabe, went on his first mentored youth hunt this year and shot a beautiful eight-point buck at 200 yards with a .243 rifle. This was his first shot at a deer ever and did it with one shot, right outside of Ridgeland in Barron County on Oct. 11 at 7:45 a.m.

I’m originally from Ridgeland. I live in Rice Lake and hunt on my parents’ acreage. My father-in-law and I took my two oldest, Gabriel and Madaline, hunting this year for the first time.

George Handorf
Rice Lake

Last year, I took two grandsons out hunting. Nick and Nathan, both 12, were able to get two bucks on the standard nine-day hunt in November. This year, I took two more grandkids out on the youth hunt — Rachel, 14, and Joe, 11. Rachel was able to get a nice eight-point buck. I am proud of my four grandkids. We hunt in Walworth County on private property.

Todd N. Hitzeman
La Grange Park, Illinois

MORE MONARCHS GOOD TO SEE

There seem to be more monarchs around this year, so maybe the habitat efforts are paying off. This one is on a State Fair zinnia on my farm, Moki Lane Farm in Winnebago County. For the record, the picture was taken with my cellphone, not an expensive camera.

Jim Zitzelsberger
Oshkosh

STORM OVER LAKE MICHIGAN

A photo of a summer storm meeting Lake Michigan in Milwaukee County in August. It looks like a watercolor painting! Seen from bikes on the Oak Leaf Trail, Sheridan Park, St. Francis.

Brenna Bellmer
St. Francis

WELCOME WAGON PASSES THROUGH

This albino red squirrel was in my backyard and in my big maple tree for about two hours. The really neat thing is that this sighting occurred the day before my granddaughter, Zoey Blaha, arrived into this world. Yeah, I kind of took this as a sign. I have not seen this squirrel since that day. It must have been just passing through.

Brad Blaha
Two Rivers

RIDING HIGH FROM READER PRAISE

I’ve enjoyed Wisconsin Natural Resources for many years, and the Fall 2020 issue is a terrific example of the unique service the magazine provides to Wisconsin citizens. The Fall issue contained interesting articles and photographs featuring the different ways Wisconsin residents enjoy the outdoors — hunting, 
running, photography and more.

Further, the issue had several articles thoughtfully addressing scientific issues in the outdoors — e.g., several articles on water plants and several more on declining bird populations — that simply cannot be found anywhere else. Thanks for all you do, and keep up the good work.

Tim O’Shea
Madison

 

Loved the Fall 2020 issue! I really appreciated the recommendations in Good Reads; I hope you can do that again.

Rita Schmidt
Madison

 

We got our Fall 2020 issue today in the mail. I LOVE the enclosed bookmark in this issue. I hope this is something you will include in every issue. In this day and age of e-books, I prefer the feel of a hardcover book and a beautiful bookmark, which you have provided. Thanks again.

Joyce Rasmussen
Waukesha

 

I think the Fall 2020 issue of the magazine is the best ever! I loved the articles about the women hunters, especially. I started bird hunting with my husband, Jim, the year I turned 40 and have had some great times. We have gone to South Dakota pheasant hunting every year since 2002.

We have hunted with guys from all over the country and in all that time, I have been the only woman hunting there. Our group agreed to cancel this year due to the virus. Keep up the good work!

Jane Leverance
Brooklyn

Thanks to so many readers who offered such kind feedback. We’ll continue trying to bring you the best magazine we can every quarter, with bonus items and special inserts when possible. Enjoy the NHC Field Notes and Friends of Wisconsin State Parks calendar in this issue, and happy 2021!

Fall 2020

Fall 2020

ADD ANOTHER 10 YEARS

A little blurb under “Dateline DNR” on Page 5 of the Summer issue acknowledges Interstate as the Wisconsin Park System’s oldest at 110, but then goes on to say it was established in 1900, which was 120 years ago. If 1900 is correct, then it is the oldest. But I have a T-shirt from Peninsula’s centennial, 1909-2009, which makes it 111 years old.

Kathy Kieper
Mercer

Indeed, our math was off. Interstate (shown here) was established in 1900, making it 120 years old and Wisconsin’s oldest state park. Land to create Peninsula was purchased in 1909. Good catch, Kathy. Sorry for the confusion — and the poor arithmetic!

MOTHER HEN AND HER POULT

Friends of ours who subscribe to your magazine encouraged me to subscribe as well and submit some photos I took for your consideration. I have attached images of a wild turkey hen who was in our field along with one of her poults. Thank you!

Kim Robel
Cameron

ROWDY DINNER COMPANIONS

I captured these photos of American white pelicans enjoying the spring walleye run on the Fox River in De Pere. Their fishing methods are fascinating. However, they’re not exactly into helping each other or sharing. They take cheap shots to steal from one another. I thought your readers might enjoy seeing them. Pass the tartar sauce.

Adam Jackson
De Pere

WITNESS TO A WATERSNAKE LUNCH

I was recently back home in Wisconsin visiting family and went fishing at Port Andrew on the Wisconsin River near Blue River. I was able to snap a picture of this snake and his lunch. We are subscribers to Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine and thought this would be a great picture for your publication.

Tim Degenhardt
San Diego

DNR conservation biologist Rori Paloski replies: “Thank you for submitting the photo! The snake is a non-venomous common watersnake (formerly called the northern watersnake). As their name implies, they can be found near a variety of water sources including rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and even Great Lakes shorelines. Although fish and amphibians make up the majority of their diet, you definitely have to be in the right place at the right time to witness a watersnake actually catching and eating a fish!”

EARTH DAY CONNECTIONS

I grew up in Madison and learned the term eutrophication in junior high. As a high school freshman, I remember the first Earth Day celebration. 1970 was a heady year as in May, anti-war protesters came to high school protesting the American invasion of Cambodia, and in August, UW’s Sterling Hall was blown up by anti-war protesters.

A friend of the family and a mentor of mine was Bud Jordahl. He was considered the primary man behind the scenes for Sen. Nelson, who created Earth Day. Many noted conservationists have connections to Wisconsin such as John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Ding Darling and Warren Knowles. I was blessed to have such an upbringing.

Dean Farr
Crystal Lake, Illinois

OWL UPDATE

So very thrilled to see that my story, along with photos, was published in the Summer issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine (“Your Outdoors”) — thank you so much! I am sharing one with my daughter and sending one to my parents, who live in an independent living facility, quarantined. I’m sure they will enjoy the entire issue.

The owls are still here but nested somewhere outside my property this spring. They have two young ones and are on the night shift already. I hear them call for food, many times at dusk and into the night. … Kind regards.

Lisa Vandervest
Mequon

PHOTOGRAPHY OUTINGS ARE 'PRETTY AWESOME' FOR MOM, TEEN SON

My son and I have been out honing our photography skills since “safer at home” took place in our state. My son, Keegan Knudsen, is 17 years old and has had a tough time not being in school or hanging out with his friends. With our love of nature, we took this time to explore the trails and state parks in our area.

Keegan is a natural at photography and locating wildlife. He has photographed a raccoon, indigo bunting, yellow warbler, red squirrel and barred owls, while I took photos of a deer with newborns and barred owls, including an owlet.

We have had a lot of fun searching and photographing nature together. This has been pretty awesome hanging out with him during this time and a wonderful bond we will continue to share.

Heather Landers
Kaukauna

EAGLE LANDS AT HALF MOON LAKE

I’ve been trying to keep an eye on the birds of prey around Half Moon Lake (Polk County) after a tornado last year. I wasn’t sure if their nests had been damaged and if they’d come back to roost again. Sure enough, they’re back — including this juvenile. I was able to catch it perching on a branch and making a less-than-graceful departure.

Leo Balestri
Milltown

AMERICAN BITTERN IN THE WILD

I wanted to share a photo I took of an American bittern. This is the first time I have seen one in the wild. I took the photo on May 24 near the Sandhill Wildlife Area in Wood County. We were on our way to the refuge area to view the swans that hang out there. Earlier that day, we saw a pair of swans within the wildlife area that had six cygnets with them — I was surprised to see that many cygnets with one pair.

Daniel Morzewski
Wisconsin Rapids

FROG FITS FOR SURE

I snapped this photo of a gray treefrog warming itself up on the roadway at Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls. I moved him to a nearby rock out of traffic. Not sure if it would fit in with your Readers Write section or not.

Sean Kitchell
Stanley

In fact, it fits in perfectly — thanks for sharing!

WATCHING WAXWINGS

My husband, Jim, captured photos of cedar waxwings at Regner Park in West Bend and Ziegler Park in Mayville. Here’s a favorite. We enjoy walking and bird watching at the local parks. We also enjoy sharing our joy!

Bonnie Halper
Kewaskum

GEESE GET THE SPOTLIGHT

Here is a photo I took at Sobieski Flowage in Rusk County. I would really love to get it into your magazine!

Haven Pearison
Hawkins

Wish granted!

BONDING OVER RECYCLING, RESOURCES

My father-in-law, Tim, is a longtime subscriber to WNR and recently got me a year-long subscription to the magazine. Since I first met my husband and began bonding with his family, my father-and-law and I have bonded over our mutual appreciation of Mother Nature.

One of his first gifts to me was a backyard composter. On Saturday mornings when he would take all of the recycling to the center in town, I would ask endless questions about what could and couldn’t be recycled, and Tim would describe the intricacies of the process to me. When he came back, we would birdwatch from the kitchen window and he would tally any new species in his bird book.

I wanted to share that as a Wisconsin transplant and longtime lover of the outdoors myself, I really have enjoyed your publications. Thanks for connecting readers to our state’s amazing natural resources and each other!

Emily Schuler
Milwaukee

The timing of Emily’s letter couldn’t have been better, coming just as magazine editors were planning content for this issue celebrating anniversaries of Wisconsin’s recycling and e-cycling laws. Check out the coverage found in the Fall issue here.

Summer 2020

Summer 2020

TWO GREATS IN ONE FRAME

Great egret and great blue heron in Menasha.

Harold W. Boccheciamp
Neenah

ALL DRESSED IN RED

Just a few of the many cardinals at the feeder in February.

Karen Grunewald
Jefferson

SYMBOL OF THE NORTHWOODS

I’m a photographer based in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I’m reaching out because I wanted to submit some of my photos for your magazine. Thank you so much for your consideration!

Kristen Carlson
Tomahawk

Thanks for sharing your photos, Kristen. Because of its symbolism, we chose this one of the common loon with its prominent red eye. Loons are icons of the Northwoods and known for their haunting calls, described as wails, hoots, tremolos and yodels. They are among many migratory waterfowl that live in Wisconsin during warm months. The Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at Northland College in Ashland oversees LoonWatch, a program to protect common loons and their habitats through monitoring, research and education. Check northland.edu/centers/soei/loonwatch to learn more.

REMEMBERING DON THOMPSON

While reading your Spring issue (“Back in the day”), I was disappointed that you gave no facts about the career of Donald R. Thompson on page 47, under the heading of “Conservation Update.” You printed only that Don wrote the article.

Don was an excellent employee of the former Bureau of Research (Wisconsin Conservation Department and later, the DNR). Don and I were students at the University of Illinois; we both had Dr. Kendeigh (noted ornithologist S. Charles Kendeigh) as a teacher.

Don was a fellow biologist of mine when I worked at the DNR’s Nevin Hatchery from 1967-80. He helped me several times with his knowledge of surveys, statistics and ecology. Don also was one of Aldo Leopold’s students and deserves more recognition.

Chuck Pils
Madison

Thanks for the letter, Chuck, it’s always good to hear from a former longtime DNR employee like you (33 years of wildlife management service before retiring in 1999) to remind us of the dedication and knowledge of so many here before. Indeed, Don Thompson spent his entire professional career at the Wisconsin Conservation Department/ DNR, especially instrumental in overseeing then-emerging forms of data collection through species and habitat surveys as a tool for wildlife management. Thompson was chief of the Technical Services Section in the DNR’s Bureau of Research when he retired in 1982. He continued his involvement in outdoor pursuits and shared his knowledge through numerous volunteer activities until his death in 2014 at the age of 94.

NEVER TOO COLD TO HANG OUTSIDE

I greatly enjoyed reading through the Spring issue. However, one item stopped me short. In the “Earth Day 365” article, the author said Wisconsin’s winter weather was “not always practical” when it came to hanging laundry outdoors. I beg to differ.

On bright and sunny days, during the coldest of winters, I will hang sheets out on the line. The scent and freshness of the winter air is beyond all comparison. I learned this from my mother-in-law many years ago when she asked me to hang out her sheets in 30-below wind chill. I loved my mother-in-law dearly, so I did as she said.

After I brought them back into the kitchen, she said she loved the fresh scent that came from hanging them outdoors. This became one of my many great memories of her. Thank you for your great magazine.

Jeanne Bifulk
Albany

EARTH DAY, YES, BUT SNAKES — NOT SO MUCH

Hello, I just wanted to take the time to congratulate you on the Spring issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources. Wow! My husband and I have enjoyed a gift subscription to the magazine for many years. This issue is hands-down the finest one I’ve seen.

Thank you for the many articles celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and its founder, Gaylord Nelson. Wisconsin, the USA and the world were blessed to have had Gaylord Nelson looking out for us and the environment. His inspiration lives on. Regarding another reader’s letter: I must agree with Maggie Christens. I, too, am terrified of snakes and photos of them. I just turn the page quickly. Unfortunately, that also means whatever article is on the page doesn’t get read. I thought you could use a chuckle today.

Thank you again for publishing such a high-quality magazine.

Donna VanGrinsven
Appleton

NO FORGETTING WISCONSIN WINTERS

My Winter issue just arrived and the wonderful article “Masters of Mother Nature” has been devoured. It brought back memories of gathering goldenrod galls for ice fishing, shoveling a 5-foothigh drift to get to the bird feeders, taking students on a winter nature hike at the Audubon Center in Milwaukee (Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, Bayside) and much more.

One winter when I took the advanced biology class from Nathan Hale High to the Audubon Center on Lake Michigan, the wind chill was minus-25. It was an eye-opening learning experience when the kids saw that a small bottle of liquid on top of the snow had frozen in an hour’s time, while one buried a foot under the snow was still liquid.

Thanks for this interesting group of stories. We had a cold snap here in Arizona recently — it reached 32 degrees, and a medium weight jacket was sufficient to keep me warm. I did look at the double jacket from Wisconsin days hanging in the closet and wondered if I would ever need it again.

John F. Knight
Sun City West, Arizona

John, now retired, was a longtime biology teacher at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis, making him quite familiar with the ways of winter in Wisconsin.

SHEDDING LIGHT ON BULBS

Great historical recap of Earth Day and Gaylord Nelson’s role, in the Spring magazine. Your “Light it up” recommendation on page 30, however, is off the mark.

CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) are a thing of the past. They were a transition option as more efficient LEDs (light-emitting diodes) came down in price and offered multiple form factors. Plus, no mercury to deal with. Your picture shows LED bulbs, but your words are six years behind the times.

P.S.: LEDs have been a key part of my net zero retirement home.

Don Hoffman
Black River Falls

SNOWY OWL ON A RAINY DAY

I am always out taking pictures of Wisconsin’s nature/wildlife. I came across this beautiful snowy owl on March 29 at 6:15 p.m., just north of Ladysmith, in the cold rain and wind.

Scarlet Nagel
Ladysmith

Spring 2020

Spring 2020

REWARD FOR THE EARLY RISER

I was camping in Armstrong Creek with my wife and her family, and my dog woke me up to go potty at 6:30 a.m. I was not happy about that, but because of that I happened to see this amazing image of a guy fishing from a dock that I was able to capture with my phone. 

Francisco Guazzone
Green Bay

COLORFUL TREEFROG

While working among my zinnias, I noticed what I believed was a piece of dirt or leaf on one of my blooms. I almost brushed it off. After taking a closer look, I discovered I was looking at a tiny green frog. It was only the size of my thumbnail. I did a little research and think it may be a European treefrog. I can only guess or imagine how this little frog came to be here among my zinnias in Wisconsin. Can you verify if this is correct?

My husband and I both enjoy Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine and look forward to your many interesting stories in each issue.

Marion Runge
Wind Lake

DNR conservation biologist Rori Paloski replies: “That’s a great photo! The frog is either a gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) or Cope’s gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis). These two species are physically identical and can only be differentiated by their breeding call, DNA or chromosome number. Interestingly, the gray treefrog has four sets of chromosomes, while the Cope’s gray treefrog has two sets. These species are also unique in that they can change color based on their surroundings, most often seen as a shade of green, gray or brown. Although this frog hasn’t turned pink to match the flower, the green coloring is probably an indication of all the green vegetation in the area!”

POSSUM POSSE

We recently saw this mother opossum strolling through our yard carrying 11 little ones — five on the right side of “mama” and six on her left side. Seems like a heavy load. She apparently was moving them to a new location early in the morning when we saw her and took pictures. We haven’t seen her since then, but know they are usually seen during the night, rather than daytime.

We thought the photo might be of interest to your readers. We get your magazine and enjoy it so much.

Dick and Jan McLeod
Rochester, Minnesota

MUSSEL BOUND

My grandson found this in a small creek in the township of New Denmark. His name is Nolan Larsen. I thought it very large for such a small creek. Is this unusual?

David Larsen
Denmark

DNR conservation biologist Lisie Kitchel replies: “Very cool — great find!  This is called a giant floater — scientific name Pyganodon grandis. As the name implies, they can get quite large and occur in all kinds of waterbodies from small streams to big rivers to lakes.”

DOUBLE THE FUN

My wife and I took our twin 9-year-old grandsons (Austin on the left and Hunter, right) out for the 2019 youth deer hunt. We are from Beloit, and we travel to the small town of Babcock in Jackson County every year for deer hunting. This year was the first year our grandsons were available to participate in the youth deer hunt but it won’t be the last. The boys had a great time and both harvested their first bucks on Oct. 5. A big “thank you” to the DNR for giving us this opportunity.

Ben Brockman
Beloit

TELEMARK MEMORIES

I really enjoyed reading the article about Tony Wise and his Telemark Lodge in the Winter 2019 issue (“Back in the day”) as it brought back lots of special memories of time spent there many years ago. My wife and I spent several short winter vacations on the cross-country ski trails including the Esker Trail that was one of our favorites. There were also a couple of very large hills on the many available trails that we had to challenge from time to time, albeit not always successfully. We always enjoyed ending a day of skiing by relaxing in front of that huge stone fireplace just inside the front door of the lodge.

Norm Hanson
Roseville, Minnesota

GASPS FROM ASPS

While I always enjoy the entire magazine, I just had to write this time and tell you how much my husband and I enjoyed the “Masters of Mother Nature” (Winter 2019) article! So much good information in short but informative pieces. Wish you could cover more animals and nature.

One other thing, and I’m sure you can’t do this, but I would love a warning on the cover or inside page if there are any pictures of snakes! I’m so terrified of them and hate when I turn a page and there it is. I swear every issue has at least one picture. Thanks for your excellent work!

Maggie Christens
Pound

Thanks for writing, Maggie. While we can’t promise a “snake-free” edition, we always appreciate hearing from our readers and even more so when we know we’ve given them content they find interesting.

SHELL GAME ON THE GREEN

Given the recent rash of publicity referencing “please help migrating turtles cross the road,” I thought your magazine might want to take advantage of an image I took at the WIAA State Boys Golf Tournament (last June). Consider it my gift to the DNR.

Mary Langenfeld
Madison

BEAUTY AND THE BEES

In September, my wife’s flower bed filled with cosmos flowers seemed to be a really big hit with the bumble bees. Must be 50-plus swarming the flowers!

Doug and Karen Kurschner
Lower Turtle Lake

ROCK ISLAND TREASURE

Our family has been longtime subscribers of the Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine, and we love reading it from cover to cover!  Our sincere thanks to you and your entire staff for your endless energy in putting everything together to create such a beautiful magazine.

After reading the Fall 2019 issue, “Of lands and lighthouses,” I wanted to share this picture with you and your readers. This is a photo of our oldest son, Jordan, taken in 1988 on Rock Island. The blue sky, dotted by a few white clouds, the crystal clear water and gorgeous sand beach made for an incredible photo 31 years ago! My husband and I and our three children have been visiting Rock Island and Door County every year since, and we treasure every moment we spend there.

Liz and Karl Klessig
Cleveland, Wisconsin