SCUBA vs FREEDIVING

       "From birth man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to the earth. But man has only to sink below the surface and he is free." -Jacques Yves Cousteau 

  TO BREATHE, OR NOT TO BREATHE?? 
     Whenever I talk about diving and spearfishing I'm often asked if I use SCUBA, and then; "why not?" -with SCUBA you can breath underwater. Why wouldn't anybody that wants to hangout under water use SCUBA?? Depends; this ability comes at a cost.

    Definitely a personal preference, SCUBA (self contained underwater breathing apparatus) suits some folks. I can only speak to why freediving, also called breath hold diving, appeals to me.
 
    First of all, bubbles and noise from SCUBA are an unnatural phenomena to water creatures -not helpful if your goal is close encounters with live creatures.
   Heres a quote from a favorite book on this subject -DEEP by James Nestor; "It's no
 coincidence that many researchers are

Freedivers. I learned early on that Freediving was more than just a sport; it was also an efficient way to access and research some of the oceans most mysterious animals. 'SCUBA diving is like driving a 4x4 through the woods with your windows up, air conditioning on, music blaring,' one freediving researcher told me. 'You're not only removed from the environment, you're disrupting it. Animals are scared of you.'"
 
    I lean towards keeping things simple and relying on the body's abilities. The attention needed to the gadgetry that goes with SCUBA is a turn off to me, as is the restriction of movement.
    Freedivers generally use longer fins to enhance swim ability, that, and having no tank on your back, makes the freediver swim like a seal compared to a SCUBA diver.
 
 MAMMALIAN DIVE REFLEX  
   (Or what I call "Frogman Conversion")                                                             

   

   Diving mammals; Seals, whales, actually all air breathing creatures—but marine mammals rely on this reflex, have an automatic bodily response when they dive that enables them to hold their breath for freakishly long times. A seals heart rate drops from 100 beats per minute to 10, less oxygen is consumed, blood shifts from extremities to vital organs, the spleen contracts to produce more red blood cells.
    AMAZINGLY THE SAME THING HAPPENS TO US  as soon as we enter water and hold our breath. All you have to do is stick your face in water to initiate this response. (I just watched a guy on YouTube hold his breath, stick his face in a bowl of water and display a heart monitor. His heart rate dropped from 70 beats per min to lower 40's in a couple minutes).
    Its an amazing response and hugely contributes to the breath hold divers ability to enjoy, relax and stay below the surface longer.

   World record breath-holders: 

• Curvier Beaked Whale; 2 hrs 17 min.
• Elephant Seal; 2 hrs 
• Sperm Whale; 90 min.
• Dolphin; 20 min.
• Human; 24 min. This was done after hyperventillating with pure oxygen before the breath-hold. Though the Guinness book world record, I —and some others—consider this unnatural and illegit. 
• Human; 11 min 54 sec. By Branko Petrovic. Without the help of pure oxygen.
• Me;  4 min 45 sec  😵
• Overall record goes to a reptile —the Loggerhead Turtle; 10 hrs!

 
 FREEDIVING TAKES TRAINING     It takes time, practice and work to get better at breath hold diving —making it more engaging to me. You can get better after just alittle training, but it takes years to come close to full potential—an ongoing interest and joys of seeing improvement. Of course there are skills to learn and develop with SCUBA, but not to the extent of the breath holder, that relies 100% on the body's abilities.

 
   In the winter months—outside of lake diving season, I do two pool workouts a week focused on holding my breath; building my ability to handle oxygen deprivation and carbon dioxide buildup and staying relaxed as I move underwater—the main factor in longer breath holds.

FREEDIVING VS SNORKELING  
   A snorkeler is mostly interested in staying on the surface, breathing steadily through the snorkel while gazing underwater—love doing this too.
   The freediver uses a snorkel but spends alot more time below the surface on the limits of a single breath of air.
   To be an effective spearfisher—me, I need to get down to where the fish are and hang out with them a bit—without scaring them, i.e. breath hold.

      I like all of these dynamics of freedive/breath hold diving. Add the heightened awareness, "zoned in," effect of hunting fish in their element, and that underwater world is even more electrified—talk about being present in the moment!    

MAIDEN LAKE -"NORTHERN CARIBBEAN GEM"

 

 

 If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water." —Loren Eisely

ON THE HUNT AGAIN FOR CLEAR water lakes in Wisconsin. Maiden lake is in Oconto county in northeast Wisconsin; About 60 miles NE of Wausau. The nearest town is Lakewood.

  We're visiting this lake on a tip from a couple I met while exploring Big Newton lake near Crivitz. They spoke of this lake as their favorite; "a beautiful, white bottom, aqua colored, northern caribbean gem!"

BIRDS EYE VIEW 
    On our trip north, a high flying eagle would see less agriculture lands, fields and prairies and an ever increasing density of forests. Maiden Lake sits just barely in the southern tip of the Northwoods.
   Sandy soil, cooler temps, and shorter growing season are bad for the usual ag crops we see in the south  -like corn and soybeans, but good for pine & birch forests that out compete most other deciduous trees from here on and cover 75% of this Great North —giving us that Northwoods look, feel and smell!
   Glacier effect on this part of Wisconsin  has produced a soil and landscape that makes for plenty of bogs, swamps and lakes...MAIDEN LAKE! 
     
BIRDS (Loon's) EYE VIEW -Below the Surface
    This wonderfully clear lake does have a beautiful aqua-turquoise color and whiteness on the bottom due to the limestone, clay, marl sediment.
    Occasionally I see strange looking springs perculating from the bottom, looks like boiling cream of wheat. I swim down to get a closer look -very cold water pumping out. 
   I see a small northern pike, alot of smallmouth bass, bluegill, no crappie, and more rock bass than I've ever seen before. Rock bass is a fish I can shoot, under the limited list available to an underwater spearfisherman. They are a shore hugging fish so most of my shooting is done slithering through seaweed in a couple ft of water —weirdly fun.
    I see one extra large Snapping Turtle. They are the true predator kings of these waters. Snappers can get up to 76 lbs and can live a long time (up to 50 yrs). The little snapper you saw as a kid could be the same one you're straining to look at now through more aged eyes.
    Aggressive on land if bothered, they are relaxed and not a threat to a swimmer in the water. Their bite power is exaggerated —"snap a broom stick," they have about the same bite power as we humans —170 psi, but their sharp beaks make their bites fearsome with its cutting ability.

                         

 Surfaced at one point to find myself with a new fishing buddy.  A loon was about 20 ft away. Its head was underwater to get a better view of fish—exactly what I was doing, gave me a couple unconcerned looks, did a chattery loon laugh and dove out of sight.

     Loons and their mournful, wolf like cry, are a symbol of Wisconsin northwoods. They hang out and raise a family only in the northern 3rd of the state. Most other sightings south of here are migrants.                                                                     
  Awkward on land, they are awesome underwater -out maneuvering fish. They are the deepest diving birds & can dive down 200 ft! Wish I could have gotten an underwater view of it swimming—couldn't get close enough. 

  Storm coming meant I had to quit early. I enjoy being in the water when its raining—extra theraupic and I always feel like I'm getting away with something. Found myself suppressing a giddy chuckle as I surface and my first thought was; "yikes, I'm gonna get wet." Love seeing raindrop dimples on the surface as I look up. Boat traffic dissapears. But, the sound of thunder—lightning threat—meant it was time to head in. 

  At my takeout spot I met a kayaker that said he organizes kayak trips and this is one of the most popular lakes in this part of Wisconsin for paddlers.    
   
We stayed at WAUBEE LODGE —about a 20 min drive from Maiden Lake. We love this place. The view from the balcony overlooking Waubee lake is great. Whole atmosphere of this place suits me.      

WORTH THE TRIP?  

   Definitely! This is our 2nd time here. Athough it doesn't have the crappies I normally go after for our evening meal, the combination of clear water (Maiden lake usually makes the top 10 clearest lakes in Wisconsin—out of 15,000 lakes, that's saying alot) and all those Rock Bass make this one of our favorite lakes so far.    

   

  GET TO THE BOAT LAUNCH  by putting  15700 Maiden Landing, Mountain, Wisconsin  into your GPS.  This accesses the smaller inlet to Maiden lake; a big, fun "lagoon", tucked away from the main lake —perfect for underwater exploring.           

ALONG THE WAY; COOL THINGS ABOUT "BORING" SIGHTS

  

"The most ordinary things, The most common and familiar, if we could see them in their true light, would turn out to be the grandest miracles."  -Michel de Montaigne.

 

 Heading up to the Marquette County area of Central Wisconsin, about 45 min north of Madison- to check out one of the many clear lakes around there.

   Can't wait to get there. I always get so revved up for these lake destinations that I miss out on some of the joys of the journey.  Here's some cool things about common sights we see along Wisconsin rds.

   
STRAY BOULDERS  "Thats A Nice Boulder"  —Shrek's Donkey (or other comments of pretend interest)

    We occasionally see a seemingly misplaced boulder sitting by itself in a field. A little study and I learn they are indeed misplaced; lost children that got "kidnapped " by glaciers from the mother rock (geologists call it Parent Bedrock) and carried away —sometimes hundreds of miles—and plopped down in random spots by the receding/melting glacier.
    These displaced rocks are called erratics which means wanderers.
    How they got into these random spots was a head scratcher to rock heads for many years. Geologists now widely accept glaciers as the culprit.
    These "lost children" can be any size; many ton SUV size and bigger to pebble size. I find it amazing that some erratics in Waushara county Wisconsin -near Milwaukee—were diamonds. One was a 15 carat diamond!

   

GRASS  

   Not many sights more common than grass; grass along the road in endless variety, grassy hills, golf courses, even the corn and wheat fields are grass. I see so much grass that I definitely don't appreciate it.

•  Grass is the great ground gripper, keeping soil from being washed away. 
• Grass sustains the world more than any other plant; corn, rice, wheat & oats are grass. Cattle graze on grass -to grow up to become steaks and hamburgers. 
•  Grass is ultra important as cover and nesting for wildlife. 
• It is a prime factor in the life cycle of butterflies and moths, which are so important as pollinators for life giving plants.   
                

  In my attempt to perk up my weak appreciation for grass, we gathered seed from roadside grass and turned it into flour and made an amazingly delicious bannock bread out of it. Can't wait to have this with our next fish fry —add to the spirit of the meal.

TURKEY VULTURES 

   Often mistaken for eagles or hawks, these 6 ft wing span, high

flying black feathered birds are a common sight along our routes from spring to fall.

• Vultures are the best gliders in the world! They are the supreme experts at getting the most out of air currents to conserve energy  -you hardly see them flap a wing. 
• Turkey vultures are not birds of prey. They don't have killer talons. They specialize on eating what's already dead. Their naked,
  
  lovely, pink head is designed so that excessive bacteria doesn't cling to them after they've stuck their head into very "ripe" places -nice. They have a very acidic stomach to kill harmful microbes that are in their bacteria filled meals. 
• Turkey vultures smell good  - i.e. they are unique in the bird world for their smelling ability. They often fly low to the ground to catch the smell of decay. They've learned to cruise our highways in search of our next subject:

ROAD KILLED DEER  

   Sorry, not the sweetest of subjects, but how does such a wild and elusive creature, like deer, get hit so often by vehicles?

    In the grand scheme of time, vehicles and roads have only been on the scene for a short time —less than a hundred years. The divinely equipped ability of creatures to adapt & survive has not had much time to develop.
   To deer, vehicles must appear like non predatory creatures that mind their own business, staying on their paths, not at all threatening —totally lacking the appearance of any stalking ability.  Yet, they have an unnatural speed that is hard for deer to calculate a—like an elephant with cheetah speed, that is also not so good at sharing their trails. These trails/roads have been layed accross land that deer have travelled without problem for many centuries.
 
DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS 

   As hard as it may be for a deer to get along with vehicles  in daylight, at night things are worse.
   Deer can see in the dark much better than we can because of the extra photo receptors in their eyes. Shine a spotlight -headlight- in a deer's eyes and the blinding effect is much worse than it'd be for us; add that blindness to the difficulty of processing the speed of a creature that doesnt give itself away with footsteps—an oncoming vehicle must sound like an approaching gust of wind, not a pouncing predator. The results are disastrous.

WHAT HAPPENS TO WISCONSIN ROADKILL? 

   A roadkill cleanup business is contracted by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to do the job. They get paid bout $52 a deer.
    On rural roads animals are usually just moved off the road, pulled into the ditch a distance, and left to contribute their bodies to the ecosytem. On other rds they're brought to landfills.
 
   Can't leave the subject of whitetail deer without mentioning a couple outstanding facts about LIVE deer:

• Wisconsin has the biggest bucks in the United States! (the most in the Boone and Crocket record book).
• Bucks lose and regrow antlers every year. Deer antlers are the fastest growing biological tissue in the world.
• The most famous bow hunter of all time —Fred Bear, travelled the world hunting, says whitetail deer are the most elusive, difficult animal to hunt.

   
   

GOLDEN ROD   

   We see alot of these good looking bushy bursts of golden yellow flowers lining the roadside in late summer. Sometimes called "showy golden rod."

• Young golden rod leaves are edible. Native Americans chewed them to relieve sore throats & toothaches. We tried some leaves and they were amazingly terrible. I dont think they were young enough. 
• Leaves and flowers make a great tasting tea. We tried the tea made mostly from the flowers. With some sweetener added it was very good. Supposed to be good for kidney issues and have a general anti-inflamatory effect.
• You can make rubber from golden rod! Thomas Edison experimented with using golden to make rubber. His friend —Henry Ford, gave him a Model T that had tires made from goldenrod rubber. 
• Growing along side of and at the same time of year as ragweed, golden rod gets falsely blamed for causing allergies -"hay fever." But its pollen doesn't travel well in the wind -i.e. doesn't make it to our noses like ragweed pollen.

   
 "JUST A ROBIN"

  This story has stuck with me through the years. It comes from tracker/survivalist teacher Tom Brown Jr.

 Tom was then a young apprentice tracker to an apache indian that he calls Grandfather:
     "I once watched Grandfather gazing at a distant bush, thoroughly engrossed in some movement. He stood for the better part of an hour, silent and still, eyes glued to that bush. I could tell by the way that bush moved it was some sort of bird. And by the way Grandfather was paying attention, it must have been some exotic, exciting bird, I thought. I slowly stalked toward Grandfather, desperate to see what had so captivated his attention...Just as I was about to ask what type of bird he was watching, a common robin flew from the bush. Robins were as common as pine trees, so I continued to stare at the bush, but there was no longer any movement. I asked  Grandfather what he was looking at and, smiling; he replied "A robin." "But, Grandfather," I attested, "it's just a common robin. What's so interesting about a robin?" His smile broke to a frown of displeasure and he muttered, "Just a robin!" With that he took a stick and drew a picture of a bird on the ground and, handing me the stick, he ordered, "Show me where all the black marks on a robin are located." He then asked me what color the robins' feet were, the color of each feather, and excactly how they build their nests.
    Needless to say, I was humiliated, I had no answers; I didnt even have the vaguest idea how many black marks the bird had. I looked at Grandfather sadly and admitted, "I just dont know." "Then," he instructed, "it's not just a robin. No two robins are ever the same." he continued; "each is as different as you and I, and we can never exhaust the possibilities of learning something new each time we observe a robin. That is also true of everything else in life, every experience, every situation, every bird, tree, rock, and leaf, for we can never know enough about anything. "Finally," he continued, "you do not even begin to know an animal until you touch it, and feel its spirit. Then and only then can you ever begin to know."

CRYSTAL LAKE, THE AMISH & KEEPING IT SIMPLE

   

         "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" 

                                                                 -Leonardo da Vinci

                                              

  Our hunt for clear water and a fish dinner took us to Crystal lake in central Wisconsin near the town of Westfield in Marquette county about an hour northeast of Madison.

    Heading below the surface with my underwater version of a bow and arrow —a speargun, to sight see and to get a fish dinner. 
   My diving is simple and fits my minimalist personality —less is often more; fins, mask, snorkel, wetsuit and a breath hold. I dont use SCUBA. Bubbles scare fish and the extra gadgetry inhibits the natural fit I aim for as I enter the fishes world. I accept & even enjoy the limits of a breath hold.

Crystal Lake  

  Internet tip was that this lake is beautiful, very clear, lots of crappie and...hard to find. All true! When I finally found it I wasnt dissapointed! Public access is unmarked from the road. After finally finding it, a 300 yd trail to the lake limits public accesss to mostly carry in kayaks & fishermen.
 
Below the surface 

  Right away plenty of bass came in to check me out. They are the the most fearless fish in these waters but off limits to me (I'm only allowed to shoot panfish and rough fish —carp, sucker and gar). I see lots of bluegill and then the normally harder to find crappie —our meal of choice. Got to watch some "water wolves"—northern pike cruising the shallows for their own meal. Great water clarity. I can see decently 20 ft down. Generally the deeper I go, the less fish I see. Most the fish are in only 5-10 ft of water.

                                          

Simple is better 

  Was reminded of this while leaving Crystal lake and ran into an Amish couple fishing. Enjoyed swapping fishing notes and  methods. Gotta picture of their "car" in the parking lot. We mainstream Americans often feel superior when we come across the Amish, more simple, "backwards" ways...even as we stress out in our own over buzzed, over scheduled, techno reliant lifestyles. I spent the next couple days learning bout "Amishness."

  Amish stress living quietly and in harmony with God, nature, family and the land; mostly craftsman and organic farmers caring for their animals and plants. Nothing is wasted or taken for granted. They emphasize self sufficiency and shun certain technology they see as detrimental to the best things in life. Sounds to me like they know how to live!

"It is not that we are against progress; it is that we are for the soul. If a thing makes the soul smaller while making the work faster, it is a poor trade." —Amish    

 In the evening we enjoyed a delicious lakeside meal; crappie fried in Louisiana Fish Fry seasoning, cornbeef hash, and fresh brewed coffee. Hungry and tired from the swim and the hunt, the smell and taste of the fish I got by my own effort hit the spot!

   

Worth a Visit? 

   Besides being hard to find, this would be a great lake for the kayak fisherman, or especially a swimmer with mask, fins & snorkel wanting to explore the 2016 Wis DNRs clearest lake in Wisconsin. We usually rely on GPS to get us to a lake, but not for this one. There is no address at the boat launch or nearby. From the town of Westfield take county hwy J east bout 1/4 mile to hwy E north. Follow E for bout 6 miles as it eventually heads east. Take hwy Y north for bout 5 miles until you pass Dakota lane. Be looking hard on the right/east for a driveway looking lane that leads to a small public parking lot & take the 300 yd walk in trail to the lake.                      

MY PELICAN "BRIEF"

 

"Was it through your know how that the hawk learned to fly, soaring effortlessly on thermal updrafts?...Did you command the eagles flight?...Who do you think gave weather wisdom to the ibis?" —Job     

 Pushing off from shore, camera in hand, head peeking just above a log built up

Photo by Gabe Parnell

with leafy branches, face streaked with mud. I'm letting the current carry me close to a group of pelicans around the corner. My floating debris disguise doesn't fool them at all. The whole group takes flight at first sight of me.

   Covid-19 has shut down some of our usual spring-summer searching for the clearest lakes in Wisconsin to freedive, snorkel and spearfish in.
   As my always inspiring sister Kathryn says, of any negative scene: "Turn that situation into lemonade."
    Still wanting to get my water fix, plan B (lemonade) has turned this spring into the "Year of the Pelican."
   Sparked by my interest in getting close to pelicans, I've taken to snorkeling in nearby murky waters to photograph them and other surface sights.

 Graceful White Incredible Hulk
    I don't know of a bird that looks so cartoonishly awkward yet flies with such grace as a pelican. Their "V" group sky soaring formations, fittingly called "squadrons", are impressive.
   But there's something breathtaking about their suspended glide as they come in for a landing on massive 9ft wingspans. (second only to the condor in North America. Eagles have a "mere" 7 ft wingspan).
   Seems the laws of physics are being violated as this hulk of a bird extends its glide for an endless stretch before finally dropping landing gear. Suspended animation. A type of magic!
   They also do this levitation trick when traveling longer distances over open water—inches from the water—expertly using updrafts.

  As I watch this great display of flight, my hat instinctively goes off to the Creator and the words to the opening quote come to mind.
   Found in the biblical Book of Job, this quote comes from the Creator's longest speech ever given to a person and most of it is about the wonders of creation and God's great enjoyment of it and care in creating/crafting every angle of it.

No Fake News Here!
   In our especially troubled times this might not seem relevant. But the soul satisfying, restorative effect of spending real (versus virtual) time in direct contact with the divine fingerprint, i.e. nature, can't be underestimated as a sanity reset; an escape TO reality; nothing photo shopped, artificially enhanced, smoke screens or hidden agendas.
   Here you find the perfect balance between beauty and effeciency.
No "fake news" to sort through...REFRESHING!

   Hard to find a more captivating natural wonder then this huge, white, eye catching bird—The American White Pelican.

Why Are We Seeing More Pelicans?
   The pelican population in Illinois,
Wisconsin and the eastern midwest has increased dramatically in the last 15 years.
   Ornithologists say a lot of this has to do with a weird event that happened at the Chase Lake National Refuge in North Dakota.
   In 2004, 30,000 pelicans (North America's largest population of nesting pelicans) suddenly and for no apparent reason, abandoned their nests in the middle of the nesting season from this North Dakota refuge. An unexplainable migration to the midwest and east—happily toward us. This event, combined with the increased draining of wet lands in the western part of the united states for agriculture, causing pelicans to head east in search of other suitable waterlands, and the reduced use of pesticides, has caused the eastern midwest population of pelicans to skyrocket! From 2005 to 2013 the breeding population of Wisconsin pelicans has increased 275%! -& is still steadily increasing.
 
   By far, the highest population of pelicans to be seen in Wisconsin is in the east central area. They migrate through the whole state, but only nest in this area; besides a small number on the mississippi river in western Wisconsin.
   Prime spots to see them are from Beaver Dam Lake to Horicon Marsh area and Lake

Winnebago and Lake Butte des Morts area near Green Bay. 

   In Illinois, though they are seen in many areas, they only nest in an area on the Mississippi river, south of Savanna and north of Fulton.
 
Back To The Water
   With the increased sightings of such an awesome bird I've been trying to think of a way to get closer to them.
   Binoculars and telephoto lenses are great and less intrusive, but if you've read any of my other blogs you know I am a proponent of close personal contact with the natural world.
   After my initial floating debris failure I eventually came up with "Spy Goose." Couldn't find any pelican decoys or any suitable simulations. You often see pelicans hanging out near Canadian geese. So I turned a shell type Canadian goose decoy into my disguise.

 Snorkel, fins and my ruse has turn murky water into a cool playground for exploring and photographing.

   

  After getting pretty close to a great blue heron on my maiden trip on the Rock River

I knew I was onto something. I'm just beginning to explore its sneak potential, got more tweaking to do, but so far I'm liking the results. 
 You can see some of what I've got so far on  YouTube @Scottparnelloutdoors. (All shots are actual distance—no telephoto lens).

Bird Island -Midwestern Galapagos!
  Seeing all these pelicans turned into a quest to get a glimpse of pelican family life. After a couple failed searches for nesting pelicans in Wisconsin and Illinois, we—myself and my endlesssly patient, always encouraging wife Cheryl 😘 —found what I call "Bird Island." (I'm keeping the actual name and

location of this particular island a secret—my disturbance was enough).
   Bird island was to me one of my greatest ever wildlife experiences!
   Me and my Spy Goose friend/cloaking device/invisibilty blanket, got me to the edge of Bird Island.
   The smell of bird poop and the sound of squawking birds was overwhelming! Curiosity got the best of me. I Had to take a closer look.
   Exiting the water I was immediately torn between feelings of invasion of privacy and dumbstruck awe as I bounced between saying "Sorry" and..."Wow!"
   Trying to keep my intrusion to a minimum I put my camera on a long selfie stick to get closer shots and walked carefully. Pelican eggs and babies were everywhere, along with young

cormorants and some white egrets. Hundreds of seagulls we're flying above me. I took a few videos and left shortly. Must admit it was hard to pull away from this fantastic display of life!

"Get off that Island!"
   On a final note; there are rules about harassing nesting birds. I spoke with the Department of Natural Resources on the subject.
   Was told it is a gray area regarding what constitutes harassment; "If the birds are agitated by your presence then back off, use common sense, give them more comfort space." This is the reference they follow when doing a nesting consensus.
   I expected more of a reaction and would have backed off with a more adverse reaction from the pelicans. I advanced slowly. If my presence seemed too disturbing, I backed away.
  I was told that persistent presence of predators and human presence such as camping or frequent hikes can cause pelicans to nest elsewhere.
 
   There's a lot to see and enjoy from a distance in a boat with binoculars away from the nesting island. I'll confine future visits to such a position.

   I know I pushed the limits, trading some of their comfort to satisfy my curiosity. Definitely mixed feelings, but I believe my brief visit was within their tolerance level—causing no lasting harm.
 
Good Trade? 
   Maybe I gave them a good trade. They now have a story to tell future generations about the goose that came to the edge of their island, became a human, walked amongst them, returned to the water, became a goose again and swam away.

     

LAKESIDE COFFEE

                           

                    HOT COFFEE!

  

  These two words strike a perky, comfy feel for many people. Say "HOT CAMPFIRE COFFEE" and it rings even better. Say "HOT LAKESIDE CAMPFIRE COFFEE" and...too many words ruin the vibe. But that's what we're after—hot lakeside campfire type coffee.
    I especially love a steaming hot cup of coffee after spearfishing in a cold, clear Wisconsin lake. I get out of the water tired, hungry and usually getting a bit chilled. I peel off the wetsuit and get into warm, dry clothes. If we want a great lakeside fish fry, then I've got work to do-—fish to get ready (I fillet 'em, Cheryl cooks 'em). Need strength, need...Coffee!  
   COFFEE is all about busting up the magic coffee bean to release its stimulating properties, then getting those properties past the palate in a tasty way, & into the blood stream for the perk. Here's some ways of doing that:

• Use Your Portable Grinder —your teeth. Chew a handful of beans. This is the hardest core minimalist instant coffee. I don't like the concentrated taste. Each bean has about 6 mg of caffeine. 15 beans gives about same amount of caffeine as one brewed cup of coffee. Practical, but of course misses the full enjoyable process of brewing.
• Cowboy Coffee. Boil water. Throw in
  ground coffee -no filter- let the grounds
  
  settle to the bottom and drink. Pick out grounds stuck in teeth with toothpick, -not the wife's favorite.
• Instant. Scoop a spoonful into hot water. The easiest method of all and I think tastes totally fine. Lacking just abit in rich taste & the brewing process satisfaction. 
• Drone delivered latte. This is on the other end of the what I'm after and scores a 10 on the "coffee snobbery" scale. It's an actual thing. Make your phone call and with GPS coordinates set up delivery. Cool for bragging rights, but lacks the satisfaction of my own effort.

  From here on there's an endless variety of filtering methods—all getting at the same thing; making coffee bean soup minus the grounds.
   The French Press is a more unique method -using a plunger/syringe type mechanism to separate grounds from water. It's suppose to give a richer taste and retain more of the healthy oils and  antioxidant properties in coffee. (Curiosity has got the best of me; I'm gonna break off finishing this post untill I've tried the French Press....⏱ Ok, I've tried it. I do love the simplicity of it. Might use it for lakeside coffee—not sure).

Here's How We Do It:
   I prefer a perculator. I like the ambience added by the action and sound of the perculation, followed by the smell of coffee wafting through the air. I usually fire up the Coleman stove. (making it not officially "campfire" coffee). Fill our little perculator with water. Add a heaping teaspoon of coffee per cup. Set it to boil. Watch the clear bubble on top 'till the perculating water is dark brown -about 10 minutes.

   We've tried many flavors and types of coffee, but for the most part I'm more suprised by the similarity than differences amongst coffees. Maybe my taste buds are not as refined as others. The only coffee that really contorts my face is coffee that is too weak or way too strong—most other coffee flavors and roasts are fine.

    If we were to pick a favorite flavored coffee it would probably be the Gevalia brand in the Mild Chocolate Mocha flavor, Creme Brulee coffee & blueberry flavored Door county coffee.
 
  Some people add cinnamon or chocolate to the grounds for added flavor, a little salt or crushed egg shells to reduce bitterness, butter instead of cream, amongst other coffee connoisseur tips.

  We've also found cost is no predictor of what coffee we like (we prefer Great Value—about the cheapest brand—over most other name brands, and even preferred instant coffee over Starbucks coffee).
    In blind taste tests cheaper coffees scored higher than the more expensive brands. Remove the name status and packaging attraction and your true taste preference is free to decide.

   

 

CAVE POINT COUNTY PARK -DOOR COUNTY

Near water, but especially in water, our bodily senses —touch, pressure, temperature, motion, position, balance, weight, vibration—are truly alive."   —BLUE MIND by Wallace Nichols

 After a spring-summer of exploring Wisconsin's inland lakes we're ready for our annual Lake Michigan "ocean" trip to Door County.
   Heading to Cave Point County Park -—right next to Whitefish Dunes State Park, just south of Valmy and north of Sturgeon Bay.
   This is our third trip here. Its become one of the highlights of our Door County exploring and considering the droves of people, its a favorite place for many others.
   Besides the amount of people, it has what we like; clear water, it's free, & as a public park it keeps the Wisconsin attitude that allows recreation to thrive -adventure friendly, the option to explore at your own risk: "So you want to jump off a cliff? —Go ahead."

"No, no, NO!" -Saw this sign near
a lake in Illinois. Not the vibe
 we look for.😕

  People come to take in the rugged beauty of the cliffs and clear water, to scramble along the rocks, hike the trails, kayak the shoreline and cliff jump (or watch others jump) into that shockingly cold water. After working up the nerve, here's my experience with the jump: 

  Absolutely invigorating! —you jump into the freezing water, feel the full force of it, climb out thinking you can't stand but a few seconds of it, then a warm —almost hot sensation rushess over your whole body and you want to do it again.

 
The Immersion Factor
  We were amazed at the nonstop flow of people visiting this park. Seemed the focal point was the cliff jumping. Fits with my

views on the longing we have to engage in creation —the less spectating the better and the more satisfying and permanent the memory.
   To each his own mode of exploring, but the "immersion factor" is what biases me towards my gig as a freediving/snorkeler/spearfisherman; taking that cliff jump, participation factor, and staying in it —lingering in a full immersion.
   On my last trip, diving amongst all those kayakers and shore explorers, I'd surface and feel the urge to yell out; "hey, you're missing out, the real show is below the surface!" —So many cliff caverns, rock formations, swimmable crevices and life forms that you don't know are there unless you slip below the surface.
   After a couple hours I'm tired, hungry, and getting a little chilled, but deeply content and relaxed. Feel like I've journeyed far from home. My divinely imprinted need to explore satisfied.

The Search For Door Counties' Clearest Water
   On our first visit to Door County we spent alot of time looking for the clearest water to explore and find fish for underwater spearfishing (our method for getting a fish dinner), from the Green Bay side, north to Washington Island and down the eastern —Lake Michigan side.
  We sorted through alot of internet tips from other divers. Most diving info seems to focus on finding ship wrecks. Our interest is in fish and all things natural wonders.

   We learned that the east side of Door County is more clear than the Green Bay side (called green bay for a reason), but this east, "lakeside" clarity relies on a west wind. Was hard pressed to find other helpful ideas. The best tips on understanding and finding Door County clear water came from professional freshwater fish photographer Eric Engbretson (http://underwaterfishphotos). Here's some of what I learned from him:

• Very clear water is everywhere offshore in Door County. Its all about having the right wind to bring this clear water close to shore to dive in.
• On the Green Bay side a north or northeast wind is best. 
• As far as the Green Bay side goes, the theory is that dirty water from the Fox river flows into Green Bay—clouding Green Bay until near Little Sturgeon, where it becomes clear enough for diving and gets increasingly clear as you get to Gills Rock—top of the Door County pennisula.
• As water clarity improves as you travel north from Little Sturgeon, the fish variety drops! Variety is best in the murkier water. Up near the top of Door County you mostly see only smallmouth bass and gobies.
• But...as much as you think you have the formula down, it can still be very frustrating to consistently find Door Counties' clear water. "It all looks good on paper, but I still couldn't find clear water with any reliability. I found it maddening." —Eric Engbretson

   Lack of fish variety was quite noticeable to me on my 1st diving visit to Cave Point. I saw tons of gobies, some smallmouth bass, trout, schools of shad and one big carp—all fish I

Goby

can't shoot or don't want to.
  Cold water & the superb clarity has its impact on fish populations. Clearer is not always better for fish. For the last 20 years Zebra and Quagga mussels —food vacuum cleaners, have further cleared the water and reduced fish populations.
   For these reasons I stopped carrying my speargun here and have just focused on the joy of exploring and taking pictures.

Getting To Cave Point
    GPS address for Cave Point is 3275 Clarks Lake Rd. Sturgeon Bay, Wis. 54235

   4 1/4 hrs from Chicago
   3 1/2 hrs from Madison
   2 1/2 from Milwaukee
   2 1/2 from Wausau
   1 hr from Green Bay

One more note of interest
   Found a very cool, HUGE relief map of lake michigan in —of all places, a McDonalds, near Kewaunee, in Door County.
   On this map I saw that the deepest point in lake michigan is straight east and a bit south from Cave Point. From here you can look out towards water that is nearly 1000 ft deep! Somehow adds to the mystique of this place.