Crystal River Inn B&B, LLC

Thanks to my Dad who worked with us all day yesterday, we’ve finished the ramp and landing to the deck we’re adding to the south side of Little House on the Prairie. We have yet to put up the railings but we each walked on it

The ramp will be the primary access - into the living room of the Little House.

and it’s good!

This morning as I sat at the picture window overlooking the Crystal River two families of Canadian Geese were waddling toward the Inn. Four adults and a bunch of goslings – what a sight! I had to get a closer view so I walked out the front door on the  stone path to the road. They slowly turned and began ambling east down the road. This sight would put a smile on anyone’s face! I stood for a few minutes taking in the fresh morning air, the tapping of a woodpecker finding breakfast, the singing of many songbirds. Such a refreshing way to begin the day.

As they approached the bridge they slowly turned right and went down to the river.

We’ve begun in earnest the construction on the south side of the Little House on the Prairie – making a wheelchair accessible ramp and 14×8 covered and screened in deck. We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time and now we’re doing it ourselves! We’ve got some significant help from Terry Achten, Hammer City Carpentry, and his crew and friend, Florent who came last weekend to help make the holes for the posts.  After we complete the ground level Terry and Co will do the roof and other framing.  We’re really excited about our progress!

Here's Deb after setting the last of the posts (in 4 ft holes).

For Earth Week we realized a 5 year dream of planting an orchard! Yesterday, Friday, we put in one plum and two pear trees. Two years ago we planted two apples and two plums. A deer ate the plum to it’s demise. We then fenced off the other two individually. Last summer we had the “orchard” fenced as a whole so now we could confidently add the others we wanted. Now we wait patiently and look forward to serving our fresh fruit to guests and enjoying them ourselves!

Thank you Mother Earth!

Robert digging hole to plant the Toka Plum

We enjoy serving fresh, organic vegetables with oregano and chives from our garden – yum – and it’s so beautiful with quinoa and black beans. Robert loves to tie the chives as the Japanese do. He got used to many Japanese ways when he was at JPL collaborating with the Japanese space agency observing our oceans from satellites. Thanks to their work together we are better able to predict weather… What a wonderful life!

6 Monarch caterpillars feasting on milkweed at Crystal River Inn last summer

(From the Wild Ones Facebook page)

The Winter Population: Population estimates from the Mexican overwintering site indicate that Monarchs lost ground. Their population is down by 28% compared to the previous winter.

A big factor in decline is loss of milkweed. Dr. Karen Oberhauser (MN) co-authored research published in March showing that, in the past decade, there …has been a 58% decline in milkweed and an 81% decline in monarch egg production in agricultural fields of the Midwest. Half of Monarchs come from the Midwest where caterpillars feed on common milkweed. The study ties a decade-long decline in monarch populations to the loss of milkweed from the corn and soybean fields that blanket the region.
 
The losses of monarchs coincide with the rise in the use of glyphosate herbicide, which kill milkweed and other weeds, while leaving corn and soybean crops (genetically engineered to tolerate the herbicides) intact. They conclude that the loss of agricultural milkweeds is a major contributor to the decline in the monarch population. The smaller population makes the species more vulnerable to other conservation threats. Since this situation is unlikely to change, they encourage land managers and individuals to plant and conserve milkweed. Oberhauser said “it underlines the importance of putting milkweed in garden plantings, prairies, and roadside.”

To begin today’s meal we had fun serving our own homemade, organic (fat free) yogurt with organic bananas and blueberries. We picked some wood violets (WI state flower that’s edible) for garnish!

Travel Green Wisconsin is a certification program that gives you, as travelers, assurance that the business you’re patronizing is really a
green business. We hosted a seminar presented by Shelly Allness of the WI Department of Tourism, Program Manager & Liason for Travel Green WI. We were pleased to share our experience of certification with other Waupaca business owners. It was a natural! From the begining, our mission as innkeepers has been hospitality to guests and the natural world which is what being good stewards of our resources is about.

Robert and I love to bike and this spring has been magnificent! We have so many designated “Rustic Roads” and with the gentle rolling terrain and many trees and farm fields and parks, this really is a wonderful place to come for bicycling.

This glorious day’s tulips are so joyful! We’ve got nearly a full house of guests to enjoy them this weekend.