St. Croix Bridge Toll

An article in today’s Star Tribune about funding options for the St. Croix Bridge boondoggle suggests the possibility of a toll.  Interesting.  The actual toll of this bridge won’t be realized until it is built.

From start to finish, this bridge is a bad idea, but we wouldn’t expect less today.

Let’s think like a politician…or more importantly, let’s think like a politician representing Minnesotans.

Pretty, isn’t it?

Lining up behind the untarnished wisdom and deep intellect of Michele Bachmann, no less, the Minnesota delegation pushed for an over-sized, high-priced bridge to Wisconsin.  The Twin Cities — the region’s economic hub — is in Minnesota.  The bridge offers little more than a conduit for Wisconsinites to evade taxes that support the economic engine that benefits them.  Good call, Minnesota!

It also sets up one of those classic (and misleading) scenarios where the “makers” threaten to abandon the “takers” by fleeing across the border to a lower-tax state.

The bridge essentially tethers Minnesota to Wisconsin in a tax-parity sort of way.  The problem is, western Wisconsin isn’t Minnesota.  Those people across the river enjoy the benefits and advantages that strong a strong economic and social center bring and Minnesota’s delegation is happy to buy them a way to benefit from it.  Dispersing our tax base seems like the right for a Minnesota politician to do.

Honestly, Amy Klobuchar‘s enthusiasm for the project cost her my vote this year.  It was the last straw.  I have only voted for her in the past because she’s a Democrat.  I am not a big fan.  She gives Milquetoast and cheerleaders a bad name.  When you’re a leader, lead.  Don’t follow the likes of Michele Bachman, for Christs’s sake, and come up with meaningful projects.  Boo hiss Amy.

I hate to say it, but the same should be said to Mark Dayton, Al Franken, et al.

And of course this bridge will bring about a toll of another sort.  Environment degradation.  When towns like New Richmond and St. Joseph become cities like Woodbury you can kiss your starry nights good-bye, but that’s not the worst of it.

Federal legislation to protect wild and scenic rivers was enacted precisely because environmental interests needed protection from economic interests.  Left to the short-sighted propensities of the free market, tomorrow’s resources will be squandered today.  And guess what…we disregarded that reasoning and the laws set to protect it in favor of purely economic interests.

Klobucharetown or Bachmannville?

Good job, Minnesota politicians.  I would expect this from Bachmann and (regrettably) Klobuchar, but where is the backbone from the rest of our progressive delegation?  Fail.

I have said it repeatedly here and elsewhere, rivers are more than that body of water flowing through a valley.  Rivers are the watershed that surround them.  Strip malls and suburban lawns up and down the Wisconsin side of the river do not bode well for the St. Croix River.

I need to cut this short (!) because I am heading out to Afton Alps to ski this morning.

When I was a boy the land from Newport to Afton was mostly farmland.  I know, I know…populations grow and things change…but what was once a mix of small growth residential and semi-rural landscape is now giving way to large tracts of suburban homes and hideous malls and office parks.  A few giant schools and churches, too.  (How can you know your classmates and neighbors in those things?)

If you don’t think that will happen in Wisconsin, then I have to ask…why build such a proportionately larger bridge to replace the smaller existing Stillwater Bridge?

Related articles

• Weekly Basket: Bridge on the River (St.) Croix (gloucestercitynews.net)
• Questions About a Proposed New Stillwater Bridge (alittletourinyellow.wordpress.com)
• Wrong Idea on Proposed Stillwater Bridge (alittletourinyellow.wordpress.com)
• St. Croix Bridge Plan a Mistake (alittletourinyellow.wordpress.com)

What the Hell is Wrong with KSTP?

Moritz Bergstein Shoddy Mill and Warehouse

KSTP seems to make a priority of highlighting conservative interests and here we go again.  Tonight — no surprise — it they highlight “wasted” taxpayer money.

The story is about the expense of moving a  historic building to clear the way for the ill-advised new bridge over the St. Croix River.  Taxes, you see, are the issue.  We need to stop spending taxpayer money on wasteful projects.

Of course no one thought about waste when government approved an unnecessarily costly and oversized bridge in the first place.

The KSTP website headlines the story as “Crumbling Historical Site to Cost Taxpayers Big” even though the story tells us that they don’t know the dollar amount.  It is rumored to be in the “hundreds of thousands” of dollars.  You know…I’ll just say it…so what?  As a part of a $700 million bridge project this works out to less than 1/1000 of the total cost.

KSTP has a knack for melodrama, especially if it involves public policy and taxes.

The “crumbling” property that KSTP deemed necessary to highlight is the Moritz Bergstein Shoddy Mill in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, a historic building dating from the 1890s.

KSTP helpfully advised that people can petition to remove historic status protecting buildings.  So you can count on people who who worry about money — time is money — wasting time to “petition” this building from preservation protection.

What’s going to happen to Phil’s Tara Hideaway up the road on Highway 36?  It should be preserved, too, and it also has a place on the historic register.

One person’s priority is another person’s waste.  When we pay taxes, we collectively invest in our services and future, unless, of course, you’re paying interest on an enormous debt caused by underfunding our government then you’re paying for the past, but that is another issue.  Not all things your tax dollars cover will be things you support.  However that’s the way it is.  Government could not serve the common good if we had to please everyone.

So what is “wrong” with KSTP?  Well…ok…I’ll admit my anti-conservative bias.  If something is wrong with KSTP then something is wrong with media generally.  Don’t expect news to be objective.  If you want facts and information, dig and think.  Common sense doesn’t have to contradict the facts.

Related articles

• Why We Need Free Media (occupywallst.org)
• City May Sell Historic Landmarks (baltimore.cbslocal.com)

St. Croix River Bridge Plan Is A Mistake

Proposed Bad Idea for New St. Croix River Bridge

Today the US Senate unanimously approved legislation — supported by Minnesota senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken — that would let a proposed bluff-to-bluff interstate-style bridge be constructed in violation of the Federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

Former Vice President Walter Mondale helped write the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act when he served as Minnesota’s senator.  Ironically now Klobuchar and Franken will help weaken that law.  We have come to expect simple issues and solutions from Klobuchar, but Franken has been a bit more thoughtful and determined in supporting smart policy.  The proposed St. Croix bridge is neither smart nor thoughtful.

First of all, let’s remember why the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was passed in the first place.  It exists to protect the scenic and ecological value of the America’s rivers from political and economic interests that would compromise the river’s natural value.  Precisely because people will want to build projects like the proposed bridge is the reason for the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

What we do today has a permanent impact on the river’s future and let’s face it, we don’t always make the best choices in the here and now.

But on a more practical level this bridge does not make sense.  The proposed bridge is needed, supporters claim, to replace the aging Stillwater Lift Bridge.  If this is true, then the proposed new bridge does more than replace the existing bridge, it goes well beyond the service of the current Stillwater bridge.  Designs for a bridge that would in fact replace the service of the current Stillwater bridge exist.

Designs for a smaller bridge respect the tenor of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.  The law was passed in 1968 with the intent of preserving designated rivers from further degradation.  The Stillwater Lift Bridge existed in 1968.  Replacing that bridge with a similar bridge stays within the intent of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

And the smaller bridge designs cost less.

 

A Better Idea for a New St. Croix River Bridge

In this era of austerity, it is ironic that small government people like Michele Bachmann support a bridge that will cost $700 million and more.  Investing in infrastructure is a smart move during an economic recovery, but we have many projects on existing roads and bridges that need attention and which would benefit more people and a stronger economic base.  I won’t call the multi-lane bridge proposed now a bridge to nowhere, but it does connect metropolitan Minneapolis/St. Paul with relatively undeveloped west central Wisconsin.

If the bridge does spur more growth in west central Wisconsin it will add another layer of threat to the St. Croix River.   Rivers are more than the main river channel, they are watersheds.  What happens miles from the river’s banks impacts water quality.  More development in the watershed is a quality management risk.

It isn’t too late for more thoughtful ideas to prevail.  Representative Betty McCollum (D-St. Paul) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minneapolis) and a growing list of state and local politicians oppose the plan are clear-headed voices opposing a bridge that requires circumventing Federal law.

Better ideas exist, let’s support those ideas and in turn support the river and respect the law.

Related articles

• Wrong Idea on Proposed Stillwater Bridge (alittletourinyellow.wordpress.com)
• A Better Stillwater Bridge Solution (alittletourinyellow.wordpress.com)
• St. Croix Bridge Clears Senate, but Prospects Still Uncertain (startribune.com)
• New bill calls for less costly St. Croix bridge (stillwatergazette.com)

Wrong Idea on Proposed Stillwater Bridge

Proposed St. Croix River Bridge Design

Senator Amy Klobuchar‘s legislation for a new bridge across the St. Croix River south of Stillwater in violation of the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act appears to be moving closer to making that bridge possible.

Proponents of the idea argue that they existing lift bridge in Stillwater is old and out of date, even dangerous, they say.

Opponents argue many points.  The bridge violates federal law, for one; it is a threat to the environment is another; and it isn’t economically the best choice for infrastructure investment at this time is yet another.

I want to support a middle ground that has already been proposed.  Rather than build a bluff-to-bluff interstate style multi-lane bridge, build one that truly replaces the function and purpose of the aging Stillwater bridge.  If the real motivation in building a new bridge in violation of federal law is a matter of replacing a worn out existing bridge, then stick to a plan that matches that bridge’s impact in the area.

One of the issues that the opponents raise when arguing against the current new bridge design is it’s environmental impact.  The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is in place to protect the environmental quality of the river and opponents of the plan have a valid point.

Protecting a river involves more than protecting the primary river channel.  A river draws from many, many miles within a watershed.  Building a bridge larger than the current Stillwater bridge will encourage development in the region that might not otherwise happen.  Development, more than the span of a new bridge, is the real threat to the quality of the river and its environment.

A Better and Compromise Plan

Moreover, the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is the sort of law that we put in place precisely to protect natural assets from the risks of “pragmatic” excuses for doing things that might harm those natural assets.  It is hard to monetize the value of a public good like a wild and scenic river.  These things certainly would not exist in an entirely free market society.  The federal act is in place to protect the river against harmful, but otherwise popular, ideas and activities.

So if we are going to cave in and give up the literal intent of the law, we might as well try to preserve the tenor of the law.  When the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was passed, the current Stillwater lift bridge existed.  The impact and its potential impact were already a part of the region and its future.  Replacing the bridge with one matching its capacity and impact will maintain those conditions.  What is wrong with a compromise like that?

This is a very costly project.  It doesn’t need to be as costly as it is.  Other proposals offer a solution at a third less the cost.  Before we make such a large investment, should we be certain it isn’t a reckless one?  It seems to me that the strategy has been to defeat the federal law then take advantage of that victory with as much structure as possible.  More modest ambitions would be sufficient and prudent.

NOTE:  You can still contact your representatives and voice your opinion.  There is word that there will be a “summit” next week among congressional representatives and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss these plans.

Related articles

• Bachmann’s bridge project could draw Republican rivals’ fire (thehill.com)
• Is Michelle Bachmann’s Plan to Violate the Wild & Scenic Rivers the Green Move? (treehugger.com)
• Is This Bridge Worth It? (nytimes.com)
• Stillwater bridge plan opposed by 30 Minnesota, Wisconsin legislators (MinnPost)
• St. Croix bridge has $8 million obstacle (StarTribune)

Late Fall Color

For all the fuss over peak autumn colors, you would think there would be something to it.  In truth, “peak” fall colors is a matter of opinion and regardless of opinion deep bands of color still highlight the countryside.  Go out and take a look.

The St. Croix River valley in particular seems rather colorful.  Unfortunately my camera doesn’t get it all, but the oaks are in perfect maroon shades and many maples still have enough color to shine.  And scattered everywhere are late autumn yellows and golds.

But what makes it all so much more beautiful are the bare trees and branches that unclutter the forest’s colors.  Those branches already stripped clean by the wind do a lot for the landscape’s texture.  It is quite nice.

I was back at the Arcola Mills Site again on a very bright and still day just over a week ago while the site was still open to the public.  This time no October thunderstorm interrupted me and I had time to poke around more.

There are some amazing old buildings on the site other than the restored old house, including one that would have been a perfect retreat.  Unfortunately it is falling in upon itself and is mostly beyond repair.  I can easily imagine enjoying whiskey cocktails on the old porch of that place.  It is perfectly elegant in its old simplicity.  Such a shame it is in such bad shape.

Autumn is the best time of the year.  In fact I have mostly forgotten about all the foolishness happening all around us because I enjoy fall so much.  These little St. Croix junkets keep my head on straight.  There is a lot of foolishness happening out there these days, though…so I suppose we can get back on politics and common sense and start solving the problems of the world…one at a time.

Until then, scroll down through this blog and find something better to read.  You won’t have to look far.  Tell your friends and family to do the same.

National Park Service Hosting Arcola Mills Open House in October

Arcola Mills

What a great find.  The National Park Service is hosting an open house at the historic Arcola Mills site on the St. Croix River north of Stillwater through October 30.

Driving south from Marine back toward Stillwater I noticed a new sign pointing to a scenic view of the river on the Arcola Trail.  I often take that route when heading south to Stillwater anyway, so I turned in to check it out.  I had no idea what to expect.  As far as I knew there is no place along the Arcola Trail that could have been turned into a place for a public river view.

But I didn’t know about the Arcola Mills Historic Foundation.

I have been driving by the site for years and never paid enough attention to even wonder what was down the road.  Many years ago — before my time, in fact — my family had river property here and I have poked around some hoping to find some lost sign from the past.  So it isn’t as if I haven’t been looking around.

And I know the Arcola Mills site from the river, but have only seen it a few times that way.  Out of site and out of mind.  Perhaps until now it really hasn’t been marked well.  I don’t know.  Whatever the case, I’m grateful for the cooperation between the park service and the foundation.  Go check it out.

St. Croix Boom Site Junk Dump

My visit today was a welcomed break in an ok day.  Earlier I stopped at the St. Croix Boom Site just north of Stillwater to make some calls and finish some paper work.  I like to get out the lawn chair and take in some fresh air for those tasks.  I noticed someone had decided to dump some of his junk there since I was last there yesterday.  I’m sure it all looked just as nice in his front yard or wherever it was being stored.  I’m not sure why it had to be moved.  But there it is.

I drove north then to see a client or two.  This also gives me an excuse for stopping at the general store in Marine for a sandwich.  I also loiter a bit.  I like the town and hope maybe I’ll end up there if I if I give the place enough chances to claim me.

The sky was growing very dark and stormy; brief bursts of gusty winds signaled an early October storm rolling in so I loitered a bit longer.  My phone was in the car so I missed the chance to share pictures of the sky, but it was that very deep slate blue kind of sky that always means business.

When I got back in the car and headed south I drove slowly, much like old men do, watching the leaves fall in dense waves on the highway.  In fact I think I took extra notice of the new sign because I was puttering along a bit more slowly than my usual leisurely pace.  Needless to say — I’ve already told you — the sign caught my eye.  A new view of the river isn’t something to be missed.  I had to check it out.

I pulled in and parked in the wrong spot first, but this wasn’t without its thrills.  The wind was kicking up more and thunder added more to the wonderful weather.  I managed to work myself up a little, too.  Recall the opening scene of Night of the Living Dead when Johnnie and Barbara are leaving flowers in a remote cemetery…a storm rises up and a zombie appears.

River View from Arcola Mills.

The weather today felt precisely that way.  I was certain zombies were in the woods.  (I won’t say anything about the legend of the ghostly woman seeking her lover on the bridge a mile down the road.)  So I headed for the big white house (naturally) for both its historic significance and safety.

(Of course I am referring to the 1968 Romero original Night of the Living Dead…It felt like that today.  I don’t care for the remakes…the last remake I tried was Willy Wonka.  My fault.  I should have known…)

So about that big white house.  It is indeed historically significant and would be awfully cool even if it were not.  I snapped a few quick photos before the storm arrived and I’m afraid I did not frame them well.  Plus…as I like to point out…I’m only using a camera phone.    The people at the Arcola Mills Historic Foundation have some good photos on their site.  Take a look at those.

In fact, check out the links I have posted here.  If you enjoy the history of the St. Croix River Valley — as you should — then you should really take advantage of this free public access t0 the site.  Good people there will guide you through some of the area’s history, too.

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Questions About a Proposed New Stillwater Bridge

Stillwater Lift Bridge. High water, Late Summer 2010.

I believe I have made up my mind regarding whether I will support a new bridge crossing the St. Croix River near Stillwater, but I wouldn’t mind hearing some discussion about questions I have about the bridge.

First, I question why anyone in Minnesota would support this bridge other than for altruistic reasons.  Economically it doesn’t seem to make much sense for Minnesotans.

The proposal considered most often has a current price tag of $690 million.  Understanding how these things work and with inevitable delays, the price almost certainly will rise above that estimate.  So we are talking about spending nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars for a bridge that will punch another hole in a natural economic boundary that benefits Minnesota and the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro.

Building this bridge will further dilute the economic core that centers around the Twin Cities by enabling more development in Wisconsin.  Therefore does it make sense for Minnesotans — and Minnesota’s political leaders like Governor Mark Dayton and Senator Amy Klobuchar — to support a new bridge? 

Even in the best of times this does not make a lot of sense, but today we are trying to close a nearly-$6 billion budget gap in Minnesota.  Diluting our state’s tax base, which would be the result of more Minnesota workers moving to Wisconsin, hardly makes sense.  What are the economics supporting a bridge? 

Highway 36

Supporting businesses in downtown Stillwater doesn’t add up.  Literally.  Furthermore, building a bridge a mile south of downtown Stillwater will mainline them onto Highway 36 and right past Stillwater.  People in Stillwater should be careful of what they wish for.  Ask residents in Long Lake, MN, for example, what happened when Highway 12 was re-routed past them.

Second, let’s consider the environment.  A lot of arguments for and against a new bridge focus on what will happen directly at the proposed bridge site, but what happens there is only part of the story.

Activity miles away from a river impact a river.  A river is more than the wide flow of water we cross with bridges, it is the entire watershed.  A river is a system of many rivers, streams, ravines, and groundwater.  Building another bridge across the St. Croix River into Wisconsin will only encourage and accelerate growth.  That is not a good thing…

Sadly, we still are not very good at smart land use planning in this country.  Even as we lose more and more natural resources, especially land, we don’t manage what remains very well.  The very Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was a response to this fact.  The very reason that legislation passed was to ensure that economic interests did not trump the long-term value of precious natural resources.  Now we have a potentially dangerous precedent in making.  If we can ignore the law here, why not elsewhere?

What are the environmental considerations being discussed beyond the river’s banks? 

A multi-lane interstate bridge downriver only a few miles serves west central Wisconsin very well.  Let’s agree that the Stillwater Lift Bridge does not serve Stillwater as well.  The complaints center around traffic problems in downtown Stillwater.  Does that justify building yet another multi-lane bridge across the river?

If the trouble is an aging bridge funneling traffic into the heart of a congested downtown, then shouldn’t the solution be a new bridge that does not do this? 

Luther Dale, chair of the Sierra Club North Star Chapter, proposed a sensible answer to the bridge question and one that I think addresses legitimate concerns I am raising here.  There are legitimate concerns about a “lower and slower” bridge solution like the one Mr. Dale proposes, but again that seems to take into account the impact of a bridge right at the bridge site.  Any new bridge will have impact well beyond the crossing point.

 If we make a mistake here, there is no turning back. 

Related Articles

• Tea Party’s Bachmann Finds Plenty to Like in $690M Bridge Proposal (nytimes.com)

Grand Plans In Tennessee

Honest to god, why do people fall for this crap?  And why would they want it in the first place?

In today’s New York Times a story tells of a grand plan to make Spring Hill, Tennessee, an economic and entertainment destination (“In Tennessee, Grand Plans for a $750 Million Theme Park Raise Great Doubt). 

It appears to be nothing more than a wannabe scam.

But why do people fall for this?  Why would people want this??  Cut up 1500 acres of open space for acres of pavement, hotels, and a theme park?  Think of the development that would follow a venture like this.  Bigger, more congested roads and highways; strip malls and fast food joints; and a service industry to support it.  For an example, look at central Florida surrounding Disney World.  Soon the only orange juice you can buy will be at McDonald’s.

Of course this nightmare of land misuse would only occur if the plan succeeded.  Many of these schemes don’t add up, and sadly that isn’t discovered until the damage has already been done. 

I smugly say misuse of land resources because it is both telling and unnerving that the mayor of Spring Hill would start to promote this plan without knowing much about the people proposing it. 

It appears that the developers haven’t the experience or resources to do much.  Which probably is a good thing because if the local government does so little checking and planning before any real plans are drawn, do you expect them to be smart planners down the road?

Sadly it seems that we learn by bad examples.  Our cities and landscapes everywhere are littered with poor development choices.  It is suburban sprawl, but it also can be misguided industrial and commercial development incentives plunked down in the middle of nowhere in the name of economic growth. 

Minnesota’s former governor, Tim Pawlenty, had his failed JOBZ, for example, but he was not alone among political leaders for proposing government sponsored waste and mismanagement.  Tax incentive “enterprise zones” are common examples of bad planning that plague the country.  (Some of these incentives DO make a lot of sense, however; they tend be in urban areas where infrastructure and people exist to fill an economic void.  Many cities, large and small, have used this tool effectively.)

We have a responsibility to use our most valuable resources — our natural resources, such as land — more responsibly.  Economic, blindly pursued, is not inherently the best choice for our resources.  Cheaper is not always better.  Moreover, sacrificing a resource because it does not optimize a profit can be very short-sighted, indeed.  We seem to be slipping back to a frontier mentality when it comes to land resources in this country.

Here in Minnesota there is a push to build a new bridge across the St. Croix River connecting the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Area more conveniently with west central Wisconsin.  Many people in Minnesota are pushing for the idea, including many politicians concerned about Minnesota’s economic health.  It isn’t yet clear to me how a bridge encouraging growth in west central Wisconsin will economically benefit Minnesota, but what do I know?  (I’m still waiting for someone to tell me.)

Economics is one issue and it is closely tied to another, our environment. 

Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who as a senator in 1968 co-authored a bill to protect America’s rive

Late Summer High Water. Stillwater Lift Bridge. St. Croix River.

rs, correctly argues that the bridge circumvents the environmental law.  The law is in place, in part, to protect the river from economic interests.  The private market has no incentive to protect the river when it becomes more profitable to pursue economic interests that outweigh the economic opportunities possible from protecting the river. 

We choose to create these laws because we recognize that our natural resources are shared resources which will outlast any of us.  These resources are our true legacy for future generations.  We need to be stewards of them, not destroyers. 

On the one hand I am confused by people who don’t share my aesthetic and values when it comes to land, land use, and planning.  I suppose that’s a matter of values and experience.  But then I don’t understand how people can be so gullible to fall into a boondoggle without any apparent forethought or fact-checking whatsoever.  I believe if we were smarter and more cautious, regardless of your values, the better off we would all be in the end.

Field Near Big Marine Lake.

What Would Stephen Dedalus Do?

Looks Much Better Larger

Eye have lost my eye.  I took a lot of pictures today.  All of them miserable.  I have a pretty basic composition style that works and a natural eye for … Hey!  I just noticed my homophone up there…”Eye” for “I”.  Maybe I really am losing it. 

But back again to where I began.  I took a lot of bad photos today.  Generally I have a decent handle on composition and a natural knack for the Rule of Thirds, but I wasted a lot of time taking bad photos today.

The first photograph here looked absolutely sublime when I took it.  I’m not sure what happened that didn’t go right, but I muffed it.  I completely missed the narrative that I saw and flubbed the composition entirely.  Plus the color is washed out.  (I am using a camera phone, however.  I’ll give myself a break on that.)  I don’t know…I saw Brighton Beach (or do they call it a strand?) and instead I got a wall of concrete blocking my view of the river.

I loved this scene so much I clicked off a few more pics.  I was reading a somewhat winsome, but still dark, story in these views.  I was thinking Anne of Green Gables meets Stephen Dedalus.  That was a good start.  I wasn’t sure where the story would go, but if there were ever a place for those two to meet, it was on the shores of the St. Croix River today.  It seemed to be working.  It all looked correct.

A man of genius makes no mistakes.  His errors are volitional and the portals of all discovery.

Looks About Right As It Is

But look at these pictures.  What can be said about this one?  I see Stephen running down the strand, wet from a good manly swim, racing toward Anne who is, of course, properly attired in pressed broadcloth and lace.  The two will meet somewhere at the focal point of the photo and…and then what?

I’m not sure, but the idea was working for me so I kept taking pictures.  I got very involved in the quiet beauty of it all.  I took many, many pictures and with each I felt certain I was capturing a story…

(Having a camera is a lot like having a notebook.  Photos work as well as pen and paper, often work better.)

…and then I took this photo.

This is all that I need to see that my game was off.  Isn’t that big hulking tree trunk a bit much in the foreground?  I lopped off the top of leafless branches in the background.  And I used another large trunk to complete a claustrophobic box.   Even that I didn’t do well.  You can see a modern ramada there on the right.  I don’t like it. 

Too Large at Any Size

But still I can see Stephen and Anne coming together right there in the foreground…if that damn tree were not in the way.

I am just disappointed, that’s all.  When I stopped at this park along the river everything was perfect.  The sky, the water, the sand, grass and snow…it all worked so well together with all of those majestic trees lurking about.  The place was loaded with contradictions that the camera completely missed.  Here was a space empty and still and all I could see was life and activity.  I’m being a bit silly about Stephen and Anne, but the beach did feel like a stage.  What else would you do with space like that?  Perhaps it is the perfect widow’s walk.  There would be a story in that, too.

I will try again tomorrow.

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Regrouping: Day 3

St. Croix River Valley. October 2010.

Day 3 — and today, Day 4 — of my plan to regroup hasn’t really given me a hell of a lot to write about.  Software issues occupied much of Day 3.  A real struggle.  When they finally called for the van I believe I was twitching on the showroom floor of a boat dealer and speaking in tongues.  I refuse, however, to let the little laptop they gave to me at the office win.

Thankfully the boat dealer is a decent guy and the place was mostly empty anyway.  Kids are in school and most people are having their boats hauled into the dealer’s back lot for winter storage.  I trust that my breakdown went mostly unnoticed.

Eventually I did get away and had some time left in the day to get back out along the St. Croix Valley.  Whatever was ailing my laptop was repaired — temporarily, you can count on that — and I went out in the world feeling happily medicated.  Peace. 

I managed to get through a dozen doors, give or take, and make about a dozen more phone calls.  Give or take.  People were in a genuinely good mood yesterday.  And boy…did I have the charm working for me.  That’s not easy for a guy with a mug like mine to do so I am especially proud when I get people to like me.  The result was a small number of appointments for the next week.  These would all be new clients which is exactly what I need at this point.  Some fresh leads in the pipeline.  I’ll talk about the importance of strong pipelines in a moment, but first…

Look at this car!  I saw it down IN the river at Stillwater last week.  Luck stays with me.  I saw it again in the parking lot at the Boom Site public water access on the river.  I had some time to talk with the men with the car. 

Amphicar and Driver

It is called an Amphicar.  The guys who own this one tell me only a few hundred remain and of those only a few get into the water anymore.  As a kid I an old guy in my grandpa’s neighborhood had one of these.  I mentioned it to the two men with this boat and they didn’t know anything about it.  That was quite a while ago and they, like me, were only children then. 

A ride in a Amphicar would have been a treat, but they didn’t offer (obviously) and were waiting for a girlfriend who was much more appealing than me.  Yes, three adults can ride in an Amphicar and it still floats.  I didn’t get any pictures of it going into the water (stupid) and three adults does make it run a bit slower in the water.  The Amphicar churned up a lot of water with three riding.  But it works!  Really cool.

I also found some great trees while admiring the Amphicar.  Unfortunately the color on these trees is not as brilliant as it could be.  And while we have had a lot of rain recently — the St. Croix is still in flood — things are getting dry.  Autumn leaves look best when the air is damp.  A rain is good for bringing out color, too, and I believe autumn leaves look sharpest on wet overcast day. 

Nevertheless, there are some wonderful oaks and maples out there.  Look at this beauty.  Weak colors, but a beautiful tree.  That, friends, is an ideal Northern Red Oak.  Sturdy solid branching and a classic oak crown.  Anything better than this is merely a matter of opinion.  Unfortunately my photo didn’t capture the color well. 

Gorgeous Red Oak

But back to sales.  I didn’t have any.

We’ll call Day 3 a prospecting day and for that it was good.  I have a sodding company, a veterinarian, and a few small contractors willing to look at what I have for them.

But let’s get back to the point of sales.  It is selling.  If you don’t have ink on a contract you don’t have a sale.  If you don’t have a sale you don’t have commissions.  And if you don’t have commissions you can find your check book in trouble in a hurry.  This is the stressful side of my work.  It is easy to take insults and rejection (kind of), but there isn’t much that takes the sting out of a puny pay check, especially if you deserve it.  One might argue that I spend too much time chasing squirrels and photographing trees, but sanity is essential to successful sales, too.  Imagine, if you will, the success you might expect if you were to meet prospects all disheveled and crazy.  People don’t trust raving lunatics.  In fact, I am told, they have a hard time trusting refined and respectable professionals.  Maintaining mental balance and health is important.  So as I regroup I will likely continue to walk through the park looking interesting examples of both flora and fauna.  It is good for you.  Try it.

It would be much, much easier to sleep tonight, however, if I had a few more sales salted away this week, however.  And tomorrow is Friday.  (I am one day behind on my five day regroup report.)  Not a lot of time left. 

Related Articles

• Amphicar rescued from Red River (cbc.ca)