Carlin Lake Association

The day after

 

I just came home from our great Presque Isle library, and was intrigued by some news I heard there.

In yesterday's national election, of 611 total registered voters in our township, 562 of us cast our ballots.   I checked in at the Vilas County website, and was informed that equals 92% voter participation.    

Might you have thought that because we live in a small town, we also have only small town ideas?   One of the election judges told me that's definitely not true.   This morning, she summarized that we live in an area where "people really care," whether for local issues or for larger issues at the state and national level.  

The 92% figure has made me feel proud today.   And, I know that number doesn't even count those of you whose polling places are away from the Northwoods, where you are involved with another whole set of local issues.

 

Still curious, I googled to find an article from the Christian Science Monitor, telling that the average voter turnout in the United States, using the last six presidential elections, is 51.6%   Are you starting to feel even more proud??

Just wait!  The state with the third highest average voter turnout in the whole country is Wisconsin with 60.93% during those same six elections.  One factor the article mentions is a long history of "civic engagement" in our state.

_{OK, fairness makes me mention that the state with the highest voter turnout numbers is Minnesota, with 67.6% average.  I guess I can accept being bested in these voting statistics----as long as the Packers can still beat the Vikings twice in December!}

 

This morning's snow

 

 

Thanks to Jeannie for this photo of snow across the lake!   It's a pretty Election Day here in the woods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carlin's "pier group"

 

There are no signs of ice on the lake yet, but winter is definitely approaching.   As evidence, the pier at the boat landing came out of the water last Friday and is stored for the season.

In gray and 26 degree weather, lots of guys showed up to help, and to my surprise, had the whole project done in just a half hour or so.  

Here you see Scott, Danny, Bill H., Richard, John, Jim, Bill S., and Cecil, all in their "going to work in chilly weather" duds.    Give a click to enlarge and to see their faces.

 

I know major motivation comes from Jeannie's monkey bread!  Two varieties, one with pecans and one with walnuts, quickly disappeared, washed down by coffee and hot chocolate.  

----If you needed more proof that good bribery provides really successful motivation!

Boat landing chairman Ricks sent his thanks to the group, and said he was sorry to have missed the camaraderie and the monkey bread.   Many thanks to Jim for organizing, Jeannie for baking, and for all the guys who made short work of this annual task!

Bat populations

 

I think I missed my opportunity to write about spooky bats this week, as Halloween passed me by.   We all know, though, that bats aren't particularly spooky; in fact, they are beneficial to us in many ways, not least in the many insects they devour each summer.

Licia from the Discovery Center writes to thank local residents who participated in the Center's bat surveys this summer---125 hours worth, Licia reports.   She says she will be conducting training sessions again in the spring for anyone who would enjoy being involved.     Surveys may be taken by boat, as John and I did, or can be done by walking any trail or road way, to catch bats in flight electronically.

White-nose syndrome has not yet arrived in Wisconsin, but is knocking on the southwestern door, in the Maquoketa Caves in Iowa.   WNS infects the caves of hibernating bats, killing them when they become active in the winter, using up the fat reserves needed to keep them till spring.  

The DNR's studies estimate that 200,000 bats hibernate in Wisconsin each winter, with 97% of them being little brown bats.   (Most of the bats in the Carlin surveys, too, were little browns.)   So far, bats are safe in our state's caves, and researchers hope by collecting this baseline data, they can keep it that way.