Brief Report: Pelicans are still in Pool 8 on the Upper River. Suspect a few Tundra Swans have been filtering in, but temps are still warm enough to keep them up north. I look for the first sheets of ice as the harbinger of the main Tundra Swan migration!
Fall Foliage Hot Lines from greatriver.com
Mid-October seems to be the month when Fall Foliage really POPS along the Upper Mississippi River. You can follow its southward march with the contacts below. Weather is perfect, enjoy the drive!
Arkansas. 800-628-8725; www.1800natural.com (late October to early November)
Illinois. 800-226-6632; www.enjoyillinois.com (early October)
Kentucky. 800-225-8747; (late October)
Minnesota. 800-657-3700; www.exploreminnesota.com (late September to mid-October)
Missouri. 800-778-1234; www.missouritourism.org (mid-to-late October)
Tennessee. 800-697-4200; www.state.tn.us/tourdev/ (early November)
Wisconsin. 800-432-8747; www.travelwisconsin.com (early through mid-October)
And don’t leave home without the indispensable guides to Mississippi River and Great River Road travel! Every volume of DISCOVER! America’s Great River Road is filled with a variety of fascinating Mississippi River fact and lore. Photos, maps, charts! All Volumes contain info on birding, wildlife viewing hotspots. Each highlights Geography, interpretive history and natural history attractions along the Great River Road. SAVE $10!!! Purchase ALL FOUR VOLUMES of Discover! America’s Great River Road… St. Paul, Minnesota, to Venice, Louisiana, individually signed by the author. Four guides for $62.
How cool is this? We just discovered that Our favorite hand painted Mississippi River maps can now be purchased online as tote bags, wood signs, T-shirts, coffee mugs, yoga mats and more! Click image below to purchase our coffee mug for yourself or as a gift!
Driftless Region Map on your coffee mug! $14 at FineartAmerica.com Click image to choose your favorite mug!
Click this link to search ALL LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS, each with your favorite hand painted Mississippi River map! Choose your map, your product or gift options, sizes, colors, orientation and more. Choose from stretched canvas to throw pillows to T-shirts
Don’t see your favorite map in our product catalog?? Call 888.255.7726 and we will help you find it, or get it posted for you! Looking to license an image for your commercial product? YES, we do that!
Kari Anderson (karipearls.com) recently shared this story of her visit to a fascinating Pearl Button factory which once operated in Muscatine, Iowa! Thank you, Kari!!
Muscatine once had the title of “Pearl Button Capital of the World!” and this pearl button factory is actually a time capsule of that long-past era. In 1956 the owners said the last good byes to their employees and locked the door!
With flashlights in hand, Kari climbed the dark stairways. At least 2 floors of the Schmarje building were dedicated to the Ronda Button Company and the Schmarje family had the foresight to leave this factory basically untouched for over 60 years – what a blessing! for those of us interested in this local history.
At least 2 floors of the Schmarje building were dedicated to the Ronda Button Company. The Schmarje family had the foresight to leave this factory basically untouched for over 60 years – what a blessing! for those of us interested in this local history.
Button Cutter
These machines zipped through tons of shells, cutting blanks for buttons. Muscatine also has a local pearl button museum which has a movie visitors can watch showing workers quickly slipping shells into shell cutters so blanks can be cut out from them. (It looked dangerous…)
The new type of button cutting machine, featuring a carbide-toothed saw operating on a vertical shaft enabled workers at the Ronda Button plant to produce top grade blanks at a faster rate than was possible by older methods.
The local pearl button museum has a movie visitors can watch showing workers quickly slipping shells into these cutters so blanks can be cut out from them. (It looked dangerous…)
I saw how shells would arrive at the plant by the tons in burlap sacks.
Here I am sharing for Pechkucha Night at our local museum about my pearling adventures.
The current president of China, Xi Jinping! As a young man he was an exchange student here. His presence here in Muscatine, has developed a unique relationship between Iowa and China. Our former governor, Branstad, is now the ambassador to China.
God bless,
Kari
Greeted Sunday by getting up early to enjoy the valley!
Watched a “V” of geese go by… learned from birders yesterday that about this time Canada geese begin to flock up and continue to migrate northward. These are the geese that have not fledged any young this spring. Birders call it the “molt migration” as the geese will now begin to molt their breeding feathers. Preceded by weeks of loud honking as they begin to gather up. Usually occurs about June 1. The geese with hatchlings are now quite silent in order to protect the young.
Dan Jackson, who probably hears and sees every bird to pass through the Coulee Region has a reported several oddities of interest. Most recently (about May 16) he reported seeing this “white-faced ibis!!” His comments follow:
“The White-faced Ibis that was first seen about a week ago is still hanging out in the Halfway Creek Marsh. This marsh is on the north side of county ZN about ½ mile west of Midway and between Midway and the Visitor’s Center of the La Crosse District of the Upper Mississippi River NWR. This is west of Hwy 35 and County ZN can be reached by exiting on OT from that road. In Midway, take ZN to the west and watch for the small parking area on the right (north) side of the road after you go around a major corner. This is east of the RR tracks.”
WHITE-FACED IBIS
Another interesting report was of the WHITE ROBIN Dan photographed this spring, which I cropped to show here! Dan has been posting his sightings at https://www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
White Robin
A New Map of Lake Pepin by Lisa Middleton … Order Today!
Or Call 888-255-7726
Steamboat ports from around the USA…new custom Map design from Great River Arts |
 |
Save 40% UNTIL APRIL 26 on any of TWO of our $19.95 books at GREAT RIVER ARTS! Order on line and use the Discount Code FOLKS at checkout. (No other discounts apply) Order to 888-255-7726. Or Phone your Order to 888-255-7726.
“Mike’s Railroading books are for people who love to immerse themselves in the days of Steam. They are colorfully written, well-edited and take one through a gamut of emotions. You will read them more than once!” ~ Purchaser comment
This is a great opportunity also to Purchase all FOUR of our DISCOVER! AMERICA’s Great River Road series and SAVE 40% over the regular individual pricing! 1000+ pages of fascinating information about the Heritage and Natural History of the Mississippi River. A first class collection for Traveler and resident alike by River Author, Pat Middleton. Order on line at Great River Arts and use the discount code FOLKS or phone 888-255-7726 to order by April 26! We have never made an offer like this! Save more than $30!
Larger format FINE ART Prints (18×20 and larger) of ALL Lisa Middleton Maps are available for 40% off at greatriverarts.com when you use the code FOLKS, at checkout. 
This is an amazing opportunity for those who prefer a larger format of any map from Great River Arts. Only until April 26!! Check this out today! Or call 888-255-7726 to ask about having a CUSTOM MAP designed!
SPECIAL MAP OFFER for our river buffs: Purchase 2 of our newest custom designed maps and save 40%. Get BOTH MAPS for just $35. This is a special $62.50 value from Great River Publishing! Available by phone only. 888-255-7726
The DRIFTLESS Region map (above) captures portions of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois anchored by the Mississippi River.
Its corollary is the ICE AGE TRAIL that follows the moraines of the last Ice Age from Door Count, Wisconsin, to the St. Croix River and Minnesota border.
Perfect for Dad, a brother or other MAP buff in your family! Or keep one for yourself! Each map includes extensive historical and geologic notes.
Had the pleasure of greeting several big mobs of Pelicans the day before another winter storm moves across the Mississippi River. In one swoop of the binocs, between Goose Island and the Stoddard Dike, I saw Pelicans in rich white circular clusters, our 8 Trumpeter Swans feeding in last year’s rice beds, and a large loose flock of migrating Tundra Swans in a sheltered open pond.. Also Lesser Scaup, a puddle duck easily recognized by its grey-white back coloring. My guess is that the Tundra swans recognized the front of incoming snow and stopped to rest. Didn’t see them today as the river was engulfed in a whiteout of snow and fog. A good day to stay off the road!
For more on the recent history of pelicans on the river, CLICK HERE for our archive, or use the SEARCH box above.