Dark, it's so dark. sigh.

As yet another refulgent sun rises above the horizon there are clouds above my head with sadness. More on that in a second.

I noticed whosit1cassie had class yesterday? Wasn't it Labor day? Isn't Labor Day a Federal Holiday and a State Holiday in all 50 States? I smell a law suit. No seriously, school? Is Cassie becoming a nun?

BTW - Labor day originated in Canada out of labor disputes called the Nine-Hour Movement in the 1870s. Once again - Thank you Canucks
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Check out the temperature chart for the last nine days in Columbus. Everyday we gained about 1 degree for a high and 1 degree warmer for the low temp. We're in a rut for beautiful weather. It'll change in a few days. We could use some rain actually.

I've noticed that while trees have, for the most part, not started to change color, a lot of the road side weeds and shrubs are becoming more fall like and colorful.

Yesterday DJ and I drove up the to Horicon Marsh.

The Horicon Marsh is an extinct glacial lake and is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States. During the melting from the last glacial period, about 70,000 years ago (global warming), moraines (not "morticians" as the spell checker wants and would not make any sense) were created which formed a dam that held melting . . . . glacier which formed Glacial Lake Horicon. The Rock River slowly eroded the moraines and the lake drained forming Horicon Marsh.

DJ, Blake and I walked around a little and I took a few photos but after only 4 clicks, darkness befell my camera. The dreaded D-70 shutter lock Err. My camera is FUBR.

It seems after 15,000 clicks the shutter wears out and it will take 3 weeks to send the camera to like Malaysia or the Republic of Vanuatu or something and cost $300 which I do not have. So, I am depressed.

I did take two shots before my life turned dark. These were basically as I stepped out of the car.


Once the camera became an expensive paper weight their were great photo opps appearing around every turn including a pelican photo. I did not know that the Horicon Marsh had pelicans. So of course we are driving around and shot after shot strike my minds eye. Very frustrating.

We stopped at Mullins in Fox Lake and I could not even get a photo of the Fox Lake Mayor and myself.

Speaking of Mayors.

When DJ and I decided to move to Columbus I told the Mayor of Madison that we were moving and he placed a curse on us. He said in the village we would move to a pirate would come and go with much excitement but soon after the village would have massive floods and our football team would never win another game.

I, of course, thought he was crazy but then the Columbus Cardinals lost every game that season. Then Johnny Depp (the pirate) came and when he left we had massive floods and the next fall the Columbus football team AGAIN lost every game. hmmmmmm!

HOWEVER - THE CURSE IS BROKEN.

Columbus, this last weekend beat those tough, young, undersized, three divisions below, Fall River . . . PIRATES!! 55-0. YEA BABY!!! Take that Mr. Curse. All we had to do was BEAT a pirate.
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My weekly Udey Dam rant.

I saw a few Letters to the Editor this week comparing Udey Dam to the Fall River Dam. Have you ever seen the Fall River Dam? It's huge and it's a large chunk of cement with a beautiful park.

Here is the Fall River Dam

Here is Udey Dam

So I have to say that the argument is if we fix the doors on Udey Dam it will look like the Fall River Dam? If you think once the doors of the dam are fixed a beautiful park will appear. Think again.

I really do not give a shit (did I say that out loud?) which way we go. But if we fix it, 30 years from now we will be complaining that the doors are broken again and we'll go though this entire process AGAIN. Thankfully I'll be wearing adult diapers, drooling a lot and staring at the wall for entertainment by that time.

I have yet to hear a valid argument on why we should keep the dam and don't tell me anybody eats the fish caught behind the dam! Do their children have 4 eyes and tentacles? That water has 100 years of crap that has not been allowed drain. FREE THE RIVER.

A fish survey reported that the river's viable sport fishery could be improved by selective streambank and instream habitat restoration, the survey also suggested that removing the dam would improve instream habitat by narrowing and deepening the stream in its lower reach. Which WOULD HELP fishing.

Furthermore problems with agricultural nonpoint pollution, especially barnyard runoff and cropland erosion have degraded water quality. This CRAP hits the dam and sinks, for the last 100 years. This stream has the potential to be a high quality smallmouth bass fishery.

According to the DNR, Watershed Management staff should evaluate the feasibility of removing the Columbus Millpond dam if the opportunity arises.

I would love to hear reasons for keeping the dam, I'm open minded and I have no problem changing but so far, I have not heard any GOOD arguments.
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