Is it Norfork or Norfolk

We moved to Norfolk, NE (well Madison actually then Norfolk) three years ago.
From day one I knew there was a problem.
Click on the link and you will see what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUWvw4WEldM

What I have come to learn in my short three years here is that,

for the most part, if you are not from Nebraska originally, you pronounce it Norfolk

If you have lived here a long time, you pronounce it Norfork.
There are very few people I know who pronounce it Norfolk;
Myself, my daughters, and my co-workers are the only ones I can think of off hand.
One of my co-workers lives in Wayne and one lives in Wausa.
No one really cares or notices. In my conversations with people
they say Norfork and I say Norfolk and it's all the same.
It is really just a matter of choice and there is no prejudice either way.
The only problem we all seem to agree on is when a fast-talking radio advertiser
came uncomfortably close to not pronouncing either the "l" or the "r".  Not good.

Anyway, come visit someday. You will see what I mean.
I have heard that the reason many people call it Norfork is because
the postmaster made a mistake (spelling error).
I Googled it and this is what Wikipedia had to say:

The original name of the colony was a variant of "North Fork", but accounts differ on the exact name: "Northfork", "Nor'fork", and "Nordfork"are all suggested. The name was submitted to federal postal authorities, and at some point was transmuted to "Norfolk". The pronunciation "Norfork" is still used by many Nebraskans.

Rylee and Tess

Rikki and Willow

Milkweed

Did you know that... Sap from milkweed was used by pioneers as a cure for warts? The airborne fluffy parachute of the seed was used by Native Americans to insulate moccasins? The dried empty seed pods were used as Christmas tree decorations by early pioneers? The boys and girls from Wisconsin schools collected 283,000 bags of milkweed fluff for use in military life jackets during World War II? It is used as an indicator of ground-level ozone air pollution? Find out how to conduct a milkweed check-up to check for signs of pollution. (facts courtesy of Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources)

Milkweed Bugs:
In the photo above you can see the orange milkweed bugs.
These orange and black bugs concentrate bad tasting compounds found in the sap of the milkweed plant.
Their bright orange color is for advertising their bad taste.  Inexperienced birds that taste their first milkweed bug won't be eating another orange and black insect any time soon.  There are other orange and black bugs that aren't bad tasting, but don't get eaten, just because they mimic the milkweed bug. 
Milkweed bugs are one of a small group of insects that have the ability to tolerate the toxic compounds in the milkweed plant. They are therefore important in regulating populations of this plant.

Monarch Butterfly:
The monarch butterfly is sometimes called the "milkweed butterfly" because its larvae eat the plant. In fact, milkweed is the only thing the larvae can eat! If you'd like to attract monarchs to your garden, you can try planting milkweed (if you live in the right area).
Adult female monarchs lay their eggs on the underside of milkweed leaves. These eggs hatch, depending on temperature, in three to twelve days.

Most predators have learned that the monarch butterfly makes a poisonous snack.  The toxins from the monarch's milkweed diet have given the butterfly this defense.  In either the caterpillar or butterfly stage the monarch needs no camouflage because it takes in toxins from the milkweed and is poisonous to predators.

This is a photo of a Viceroy:

The Viceroy is not a poisonous snack for a predator, 

but has evolved to look like the monarch so he won't get eaten either.

This is the Monarch:

The way to tell them apart is the Viceroy has a black stripe along the bottom if it's wings.



Saying Goodbye

Today was the last day of the intensified water sampling run
that Terry (my coworker) and I have been alternating weeks on since the first of May.
We have been handling this run as well as our regular monthly run
and it has been quite a challenge to say the least.
As Terry and I agreed, when I got back today,
it has been a love/hate relationship.
But, like all things that come to an end, we will miss this.
I wanted to take photos today in memory of this summer.
Not the flooding, not the mud, not the wind and the rain,
but a beautiful autumn day in the wonderful outdoors and up close with Nebraska's waters.

I have taken photos of 8 of the 10 sites.
The two sites I didn't photograph are the Elkhorn and the North Fork of the Elkhorn at Norfolk.
I didn't take photos of these because I won't be missing them, as they are right here
and one of them I will still sample on the monthly run.

I also listed today's highlight of each area. 

Location:
Pebble Creek, SW of Scribner, NE

Highlight:
The only highlight here was the cardiovascular work out I got climbing back out.
The mud here is so slick!
Emergency life jacket left in truck - check.
I hope my dad won't be reading this.
He has always been a stickler for me dying
and leaving him to "raise my brats". 

Dead Timber Lake, north of Scribner, NE

 

Highlight:(s)

You have no idea how much I appreciate this!



This was actually the highlight of the whole day!

Location:
West Point City Lake, West Point, NE

Highlight:
Cherry trees.  Man did I want to pick these!

Location:
Elkhorn River at West Point, NE

Highlight:
The highlight of this site is always the ease of access.
I liked the fishing gear hanging off the bridge also.

Location:
Rock Creek, SW of Beemer
I took this photo from the bridge.
Again, no easy way in or out of here.
I have been known to crawl out on hands and knees.

Highlight:
I reached out to grab this tree for leverage and saw this nest.
It makes me wonder how many times Terry or I have passed this tree
and never noticed what was right next to us.
It happens when one is overly worried about falling in the creek.

Location:
Pilger Reservoir, Pilger, NE

Highlight:
Again, it has to be ease of access.
Maybe you're getting an idea of how much we appreciate "ease of access".

Location:
Maskenthine Lake Beach, Stanton, NE
One of the things we sample for here is toxic algae.  If it were found, the beach would be
closed to swimming.

Highlight:(s)
The biggest highlight is that no one was swimming in the water.
I really hate sampling when people are there.

This is a very beautiful lake and very well managed.

Sometimes I think they go too far.

Location:
Union Creek, SW of Stanton, NE

Highlight:
Milkweed!  I had to drag myself kicking and screaming away from photographing the milkweed.
It was so cool!  More photos of milkweed to come in another post!

On the way back to Norfolk, I decided to turn on a road I always look at, but never take.
It held a few highlights of it's own.

Cows and pumpkins were a nice change from cows and corn.

I love Herfords!  Angus is the big deal now, so to me, seeing a Herford bull was a real treat!
I just wanted to go up and scratch his curly head, but he was giving me his "I dare you" look.

So that's it.  About 170 miles round trip, 10 sites,
six hours from the time of the first sample is taken,
until it has to be in the incubator at the lab.
It has been a good summer and although I am glad not to have to do this run anymore,
I will miss the beauty and the challenge it has offered.

Fallen Giants

I felled the giants today.

I hated to do it, as the garden really looks empty now.

I am going to make some sort of trellis out of the stalks.

They are amamzing!

We will be planting lots more of these next year.

'

These always make me think of Reese's Peanut Butter cups.

'

Find

Do you see that big long building in the photo above in my blog title?

The one that looks like it is two buildings put together?

We call it the shop.

I cleaned it today.

By myself.

All of it.

5 hrs.

 I am sure to come down with some 

horrid new disease.

I ingested more ancient dust and bug parts

than legally allowed.

And even though I set off three bug bombs

in this tomb two weeks ago,

in anticipation of this event,

I still got the heeby jeeby's

every time a spider web touched me.

 I think Alex found this amusing.

She stayed high up and out of the way of the spiders.

As far as why the jeans are hanging there -

you will have to ask the girls.

Maybe to scare the spiders.

But, I digress.

I wanted to show you the only interesting thing I found.

I always wanted one of these.

I watched a scary movie when I was a kid called 

'The Other'.

A boy in the movie carried around one of these

and inside was a finger.

It made me a little afraid to look inside this one,

but it was nothing compared to 

the spiders.

They make it sound like a health food.

No Surgeon General warning here.

I am happy with my find.

And my clean shop.