White n black cows

[BernieD]

Colored margarine was illegal in WI until about 40+ years ago.  You could buy margarine but it was white and came with a packet of yellow coloring that you could mix into it to make it look more palatable.  In those days, any trip to IL included a buy of cases of colored margarine for your family and friends

And it is about the beer, but the cheese and sausage are better than the beer these days.

Ned

Originally, colored margarine was illegal in Illinois also, I remember the white stuff . IL probably legalized it to get all that business from WI residents to make up for all the beer and sausage we used to buy in WI. I also remember all those field trips up to Bobby Nelson's sausage and cheese shop on US 41.

 

[Ned]

Bernie,

The IL people were just north of the state line buying chees and sausage, and the WI folks were just south buying colored margarine

 

[Pat]

Karl:

Speaking of WI cows, I wonder how many people here have driven through Wisconsin.  Or better yet, bicycled some of the zillions of miles of rails to trails.  I may be among the few who have noticed that ALL the cows are a picturesque bright white with big black spots.  They all stand in brilliant emerald green fields and hills all day, except when they go home to spic and span clean white barns under amazingly blue skies with fluffy white clouds that should be illegal, because the rest of us don't have them.  I was driving my RV back to Chicago from the plant in Yakima a few years ago on I-94 or something, and I crossed into Wisconsin, and there again were the incredible skies.  It must be someting weather related.  I have spent upwards of a week to 10 days around the Sparta-Ellroy trail and never noticed a change. 

--pat

 

[BernieD]

Pat

You must have been time warped into the middle of a Gateway Computer commerical filming ;D.

We grew up in Chicago and spent a lot of time in the Indiana/Illinois/Wisconsin countrysides, and have been back very frequently. Last year driving thru WI we noticed that the barns are not as freshly painted as they used to be and that things are starting to look a little run down. We were speculating whether it was a generational thing, an economic thing or what that was causing the changes. No answer but very disappointed. :'(

 

[Ned]

The barns are worth more when sold off board by board than they are as, well, barns

 

[Lorna]

Pat

As Bernie said you must have been some vertual landscape, because I was raised on a farm in central WI and most of the barns looked rundown including ours until my dad decided to paint it red several years before they sold it.  Most of the small farms can't afford to spend money on paint instead of machinery. Priorities!!!  I tell you it is a great way to grow up but wouldn't want to make a living running a farm.  I give my dad a lot of credit for being able to do it and he only had a fourth grade education.

 

[Ron]

The barns are worth more when sold off board by board than they are as, well, barns

The more the wood is weathered the higher the price.

 

[BernieD]

The barns are worth more when sold off board by board than they are as, well, barns

And the weathered, unkept ones are probably worth more than the freshly painted. So they are growing "antique" boards ;D ;D

 

[Ron]

The barns are worth more when sold off board by board than they are as, well, barns

And the weathered, unkept ones are probably worth more than the freshly painted. So they are growing "antique" boards ;D ;D

Yep painted barns are worth less. Hmm That is unless you intend to use it as a barn for several more years. ;D ;D

 

[Pat]

Old barn wood hunting is big in IL, too.

Lorna:  Where in central WI?  I spent most of my down time in the Tunnel Campground between Sparta and Ellroy on the trails near there.  In Ellroy there's a little cafe that's open only till 3 in the afternoon.  They make pancakes the size of dinner plates.  I'd scandalize everybody by ordering two instead of the usual one, but I like the middles.  You have to make a hole for the syrup.  Great snack after biking the 35 mile Sparta-Ellroy trail.

--pat

 

[Lorna]

I was born and raised on a farm near Pittsville which hold the title of being the center of the state and is located between Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids.  I still have cousins and an aunt and uncle living up there.  My uncle will be 92 this June.  Longivity runs in my family.  A second cousin passed away two years ago at 106 and was a WWI vet.

 

[Pat]

Lorna:

Marshfield.  Seems to me I looked forward to that name on the way to Ellroy. 

--pat

 

[Pat]

Lorna:

Coincidence would have it, I was chatting with a fellow in the computer building today during my Sunday afternoon monitor job.  He's from Marshfield.  I tried reading and remembering his name tag, but my mind was into the conversation. 

--pat

 

[Lorna]

It is ok if you didn't get his name because I left the area when I was 14 except for summers at home so didn't go to high school there and don't really know to many people there anymore except for family and there aren't many of those left up there either.