by Greg Koelker
It was all cool sunshine Tuesday when I pointed the Ridgeline down the driveway. We were headed along the Great River Road. Traffic was light. The bald eagles were busy making a living along the road and in the river. At one point near Ferryville, there was a line of a dozen or so fishing boats. I told Ellen that it looks like the panfish or perch must be in along a weed line. We saw many pumpkins and squash for sale. Just before we turned east on 171, we could see another line of fishing boats. The crops, corn and soy beans were the only color this morning, but they are turning yellow. The rolling valley along Copper Creek is beautiful and will only get better with fall colors. The road is smooth, making for a fine ride in the country. Once two bald eagles flew right ahead of us in the opening between hardwoods. As we climbed to the summit of Mt. Sterling, there was a pickup in traffic – two cars behind us and an older farm tractor ahead of us. On Highway 27, a semi pulling a flatbed trailer loaded with giant marshmallow-like wrapped hay bales sped north. There were rows of pumpkins in town.
Mt. Sterling is picturesque with fabulous views in every direction. We kept on 171 through more rolling hills crossing the Kickapoo River into Gays Mills. There was some road maintenance going on. Line painting I believe. We went east up another steep hill past the Gays Mills Orchard historical marker. The marker tells a story about the history of the start of the Gays Mills apple industry. It says that there are over 1,000 acres being used to produce apples in the area. There is a spectacular view from the pull out by this marker. We headed east toward more orchard country.
Our plan was to meet sister and brother-in-law Barb and Chuck at Sunrise Orchard, shop, and then have lunch at McCormick’s in Rolling Ground. We were early and had a sample of Honey Crisp cider. Good stuff Maynard! We put two boxes of huge Honey Crisps in our shopping cart. Then I meandered over to the bakery and got a warm apple cider doughnut. Um, um, good. Diabetes be damned, I had to add two dozen doughnuts to our cart. Barb and Chuck hadn’t made an appearance yet, so El suggested we check out. We were taking our loot out to the truck when here they came. Then we ran into Jamie Ploessl of Chaffie Hollow, and cousin Sharon Reynolds of Cassville and visited a bit.
We drove over the ridge to Rolling Ground and McCormick’s Rolling Ground Bar & Grill to wait for Barb and Chuck. McCormick’s is nice, with friendly people, and good food. I had maybe the best reuben sandwich I have had in years.
After lunch I felt like exploring and turned onto 171 east to see where it would take us. Okay, full disclosure, I spaced it and turned the wrong way. That said, I am glad I did. 171 east from Rolling Ground is another idyllic drive from Rolling Ground to Boaz on Highway 14. The road is good – if you aren’t in a hurry. It swerves and rises up and falls down and around pleasantly. It’s surrounded by hardwood hills, farm fields, and the occasional orchard and farm or home. This will be a good fall color ride, soon. We didn’t see many other vehicles. The wrong turn drive was 30 miles out of our way home, but we agreed it was worth it.
We had 4.5” of rain Friday night and another .5” Sunday morning. The sun is out now. Anyway, I suppose I’d better get to work cleaning up behind the creature from the fur lagoon.
Speaking of cleaning up, is anybody else sick of political ads yet? Every time I see one, I get the urge to take a shower. Thank goodness for the mute button.
Tip: if you want to stream something on You Tube and a commercial comes on, you can press the back arrow and immediately reselect your chosen video. It might take twice, but it works.
Until next time, get out – how about them Brewers?! So much fun. 97 wins as of Saturday night. Even the Badgers put together a couple wins now; beating Penn State and Iowa might be a stretch, but who knows? Green Bay needs to rise above an embarrassing 4th quarter melt down – again! 7 losses in a row if you count last season – ouch!
We shall see. Okay, we saw! Heart attack ending, but after a chaotic start a 20-17 win in OT is good. We have a streak of 1 win!
Peace.
Greg Koelker is a lifelong resident of the Driftless region along the Mississippi River. He is the acclaimed author of the “Grouse Hollow Journal,” a column that celebrates rural life, nature, family heritage, and the traditions that bind communities together. While technically focused on the “outdoors,” his writing often explores broader themes of community values and education.
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