Message Forum

Gordy,

From the CCC (California Custer Crew) -

I'm not sure "missing" 8 degrees is quite what we feel.

Merry Christmas!

12/25/12 11:20 AM

#802

Merry Christmas to everyone! And today Karsten is 71......("the new 51" ???)

Six inches of snow began falling last night as we sang our carols. The great thing about Boulder is that by the time the snow has had a chance to get dirty, it melts. In our area, the pile in the Walmart parking lot hangs around long enough to welcome back the Snowbirds.

12/25/12 02:28 PM

#803

Merry Christmas to you all! Wisconsinites, enjoy your 8° sunshine. We are in the CA Bay Area snuggled around the fire with 50° and rain outside, feet all cozy in my gift "muk-luks". I didn't know they still made them. Thanks for the great reunion pictures, Garry. Clearly, we didn't travel around the room enough - there were so many people I didn't get to say "Hi" to. WIshing you all a warm, safe holiday and all the best in 2013.

12/26/12 12:11 AM

#804

Garry Sellers

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, cold, snow, rain, or whatever. Terri, the ark will be on Homestead at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

Terri, I was aghast as I was putting together the Reunion photos at the number of people I had completely missed that weekend! When and how did they all get there and how did they manage to be in the same room without me even spending a minute with each of them? What a horribly wasted opportunity!!! Now that I see their individual photos I've got a million questions for each of them! Why is it that these pictures are so engrossing but while I was there I stayed within my own little group? We should have all stood up and changed tables every 15 minutes! I'd be happy if I had spoken to even half of them! Maybe some things don't change ... which would be very disappointing to admit.

12/26/12 09:57 AM

#805

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50IgzksUqpQ&feature=related

For the WI, MI, & MNers, here's a little link to what us out here in CA remember about your snow country:

12/28/12 01:07 PM

#806

Jim, in case any Youpers haven't seen it yet, Jon has posted the rusty Chevrolet link on the Menominee Class of '61 Facebook page. Very funny!

Happy belated birthday, Karsten!

Okay, the gopher-catching great blue heron is back. He is popular in our neighborhood, except for the people who have koi ponds. If you like, I could try to catch a pair of them to ship to your destinations to control your gopher populations :-)

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12/31/12 11:19 AM

#807

http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/TwoWolves-Cherokee.html

To you all:

12/31/12 12:51 PM

#808

Karsten Boerger

Love it, Jim .

And if we're going native, here's one of my favorites (tersely):

12/31/12 11:52 PM

#809

Karen Gerstl (LeDuke)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

01/03/13 03:21 PM

#810

Karsten Boerger

Nice photo, Sally - I'll pass it along to Karsten (he has yet to post a single response here).

What an elegant creature, the wolf! Several years ago I saw a documentary of a couple who lived in a yurt for years, filming and becoming close to a wolfpack. After leaving the pack for an extended period, they returned and were greeted with "kisses" and obvious signs of acceptance and friendship. It brought tears to my eyes.

01/03/13 07:16 PM

#811

Those are beautiful wolves, Sally. And I think I can tell which one is fed!

01/03/13 08:15 PM

#812

Ray Thompson

Does anybody know how the get together went on December 28th? Circumstances dictated I could just not make it. I feel bad missing a good time with old friends.

01/03/13 09:01 PM

#813

You all are right, the wolves are beautiful, majestic, and an important part of the environment. Unfortunately, WI doesn't think that anymore. In April, 2012, wolves were delisted from protected status and are now listed as a game animal, with their own hunting and trapping season.

01/05/13 01:09 PM

#814

Jim, I'm really sorry to hear that. Both for the wolves' sake, and for the inevitable explosion of the already-too-numerous deer population (or am I in error regarding this predator/prey relationship?)

Nancy

01/05/13 04:29 PM

#815

http://www.phillipfuneralhome.com/Obituaries/A_Biersack.htm

Agreed Nancy. Unfortunately, the deer population is kind of a problem in reverse. Every year after hunting season there is a huge hew and cry from hunters that the wolves are decimating the herd, and that's why they couldn't see or shoot one that year. (Overlooking beer consumption and shooting skills.) Deer hunting is a huge industry and economic factor in much of WI = lobby power.

The big bad wolves are also blamed for preying on livestock and pets. Farmers scream = lobby power. Guys that drive 1970 pickups and live in cabins, maybe with indoor plumbing, howl (pun intended) that wolves killed their $5000 hunting dog, and the state reimburses them.

Reality:

Numbers - as of 2011

Estimated deer population = 1.1 million, after the hunting season.

Estimated cattle population = 3.4 million

Estimated wolf population = 850 +/- 20

Wolf kills - 2012

A healthy adult wolf will take about 20 adult sized deer per year.

Dogs = 7

Goats = 4

Chickens = 9

Cows = 48

Total deer harvest by hunters 2011 = 347,711

What people know and believe about wolves is from Little Red Riding Hood, and they don't want to believe the reality. Besides, it gives them something else to hunt. Along those lines, WI also has a hunting season on mourning doves, the WI state bird of peace. Figures.

And, there are 20,000 deer killed by cars annually in WI, but they haven’t opened a hunting season on cars…yet.

01/06/13 08:13 AM

#816

Warren De Smidt

Sad to report that our classmate Cathy (West) Biersack lost her husband, Art, (Class of 1961) to cancer Thursday 1/3/13.

01/06/13 10:47 PM

#817

Garry,

You mean the wolf in Karsten clothing?

01/07/13 02:05 PM

#818

Marian Schopp (Bringe)

The wolves are beautiful. Better looking than the coyotes we have in our neighborhood. With all the rabbits they feed on, I wish they would leave the little doggies alone. We have several neighbors who have lost their pets to the roaming coyotes.

Happy New Year! Our family spent New Year's week in Purgatory, CO. -6 in the early morning but up to a sunny 25 in the afternoon. What a hoot and so much fun.

01/07/13 06:04 PM

#819

Wolves, wolves! Okay, Garry and Jim, I'm taking the bait.......

Karsten still has all his teeth, you reprobates. and, as you may have noticed, is better looking than ever. AND still has a full head of hair. And now than I finally have him broken in, I'm keeping him.

01/08/13 01:08 AM

#820

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1c1NfZtHck&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Jim's comments on the state of wolves in Wisconsin remind me of Farley Mowat's "Never Cry Wolf" about the wolf situation in Canada, which I read a LONG time ago. I guess some things never change.

A Northern Wisconsin cousin sent me this link a couple years ago of wolves at Pelican Lake. It's a homemade video, but amazing to me, because I hadn't known there were wolves there! Watch for the two "guard wolves" - one on each side of the pack. While the other wolves are playing, the guard wolves only need white shirts and black glasses to look exactly like secret service agents!

01/09/13 06:19 PM

#821

Thank you Wisconsin People!

The C.C.C. (California Custer Crew) (except it seems, Garry) really appreciates sending your Wisconsin teams (Badgers, Packers) out here to the Westside USA so we can watch them in nice, sunny, relatively warm weather.

Dankeschön! Muchas gracias! Merci bien! Dziekuje!

01/11/13 07:58 PM

#822

The interesting thing about the Packers-Niners game Saturday is that, with temps in the mid-40s, the Niners will think they are playing in an Arctic freeze. The Packers will think it's summer vacation!

01/12/13 08:09 AM

#823

Don't be too hard on Garry.

I've heard that in order to atone for his misguided and unfortunate attempt at humor, he has invited the whole Packer team and staff over to his house after the game, lose or win, for some wine, cheese, and solace.

Way to go Garry. There may be hope for you yet.

01/12/13 01:07 PM

#824