Savoring May Day

The May Day party - Maibock actually - is held at a small private park in one of the coulees off the Mississippi, north of LaCrosse. It is a pretty idyllic little park, especially at this time of year. The hills are just starting to green up while we are there and over the course of three days you can really see the changes.



The above hill faces north and gets a late start. The one below faces south.



A conservation group - privately funded - is reconstructing a trout stream that begins from springs very close to this next photo. The stream had become flat and meandering over the years (it was in a pasture), and not very suitable to Brook trout. The eary stages of the reconstruction are complete and still pretty obvious.



However, it seems like they did it properly, creating undercuts and pools. There were many trout in evidence (it was not stocked), and fly fishermen were working it just a little farther downstream.



I am anxious to witness as it naturalizes over the next few years. I am certain that the next generation will not even know that tinkering was involved.