Tom McMahon: Wisconsin

06/06/2010

Snapping Turtle Laying Its Eggs Along The Side of the Road

Snapping Turtle Laying Its Eggs Along The Side of the Road

I saw it when I was driving into work (on Barker Road, for the Milwaukee folks), so I turned around and snapped this photo.

06/06/2010 in Fotos, Wisconsin | Permalink | Comments (1)

05/15/2010

The Lawn Stryper Lawn Striping System from S and B Lawn Systems of Waukesha, Wisconsin: Mow and Pattern Your Lawn At The SAME Time! Designed For Walk-behind Lawn Mowers! Pattern Your Lawn Like The Pros!

The Lawn Stryper Lawn Striping System from S and B Lawn Systems of Waukesha, Wisconsin: Mow and Pattern Your Lawn At The SAME Time! Designed For Walk-behind Lawn Mowers! Pattern Your Lawn Like The Pros!

$80 from Hammacher Schlemmer. You attach it to your lawn mower like this:

The Lawn Stryper is Available in Orange, Green, or Black

I would imagine for some Dads would are would-be Major League groundskeepers, this would be the perfect Fathers' Day Gift.

05/15/2010 in GiftIdeas, Wisconsin | Permalink | Comments (5)

05/10/2010

May 10, 1990: Milwaukee Gets 8 Inches of Snow!

May 10, 1990: Milwaukee Gets 8 Inches of Snow!

The summary:

Unseasonably early and late snow - October 19-20, 1989 and May 10, 1990. The winter season of 1989-90 was bracketed by 2 heavy, wet snows in eastern and southeastern Wisconsin. Milwaukee recorded 6.3 inches of snow on October 19th and 20th that coated power lines and trees still full of fall foliage. The weight of the snow dropped trees and power lines, cutting off power to eight thousand residents. The same situation occurred on May 10th, 1990 when 6 to 8 inches of snow fell in a band that extended from southern Oconto county, to northern Racine and Walworth counties. Trees, with their spring leaves sprouting, caught more of the snow than if they had been bare. Again, the weight of the wet snow, accompanied by 35 mph winds, snapped tree limbs and power lines. 30,000 customers were without power for two days, with damage totaling $4 million dollars.

It wasn't one of the heaviest snowfalls in Wisconsin history. And to be totally accurate, Milwaukee got only 3.2 inches at the airport, with a swath of heavier snow in the range of 6 to 8 inches falling mainly in northern Waukesha and southern Washington counties.

One person remembers:

Ugh. I looked out the bathroom window and there was white stuff all over the grass and road. The apple trees were covered in white blossoms. Wait, no, that white stuff is S-N-O-W, not blossoms. What on earth was it doing there? Was I dreaming? Was I having a nightmare?

Was I in the Twilight Zone where the earth was moving into an orbit further from the Sun, into a zone of eternal winter? Couldn't be, I did not hear any dee-dee doo-doo music.

Down to the breakfast table for a quick bowl of Cheerios (is it ok if I say a brand name? I'm not selling anything, honest!) What a surprise this was. Dad had to go out to clear the sidewalks of the wet, heavy stuff, which was still coming down in big, gloppy flakes. It would be instant slush downtown where I worked.

It seems like they were cleaning up the broken branches until the 4th of July. A truly unforgettable experience!

05/10/2010 in Wisconsin | Permalink | Comments (0)