Attribution: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along cold weather survival tips from the keeper and Phyllis: *Though authenticated cases of someone actually “freezing their ass off” are not all that common, do not take unnecessary chances by venturing out. *In responding to the question “Is …
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Category:Wisconsin
Kickass and Isabella POWS
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper and Phyllis were honored to host Isabella Lyste and her parents Lacy and Dave from the keeper’s hometown of Barron as part of Isabella’s UW Superior project of researching the history of German POWs in Wisconsin toward the end of …
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Kickass and Fresh Snow
Attribution: –Stöhrfall (talk) 11:31, 6 May 2010 (UTC), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog notes the keeper’s evolving lifetime reaction of waking up to a fresh snow cover: *Oh Boy! Let’s get out there and make snow angels and a snowman! *There will be a skating party somewhere tonight. …
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Kickass and Christmas Memories
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, pauses on this Christmas Day to paw through a few memories with the keeper. The keeper goes first: A cold backseat ride in a rattling old Model A Ford through a brittle, star-lite night from Grandma and Grandma Helgeland’s farmhouse, after lutefisk and lefse …
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Dialogues on Rebuilding the Canadian Pipeline: Enbridge Too Far
Attribution: USEPA Environmental-Protection-Agency, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Featuring The Fabulous Dadbots: Mark M., Dave S., Mark O., Dennis C., and Geoff Carter Bots, You may have heard of the controversy over Enbridge Line 5. Or not. You may not even be interested! But here goes. Sorry, this is lengthy and the payoff is not …
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Kickass and Norma’s Birthday
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper would wish his younger sister a happy 92nd birthday today but he knows she would bring up the occasion of his telling her that if she held the tennis racket in front of her face it would protect her from the …
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Kickass Talks to Deer Hunters
Attribution: English: NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, endorses the keeper’s message to Wisconsin deer hunters at 6:45 am on this opening morning of Nov. 23, 2024: “Deer hunters: “Good morning to one and all out there in the blaze orange brigade. It looks to be an overcast …
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Kickass Gets Ready for the Hunt
Attribution: National Archives at College Park , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper’s dilemma in waking up with the strong sensation that he must spend the day preparing for something, but it was not clear just what that was. Finally, it dawned on him that this was …
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Time of the Season
The Pen in Hand Blog
Illustration by Michael DiMilo
Kickass and “On Wisconsin”
Attribution: Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper and Phyllis’s post-election survival as they note that the sun came up and moved in its usual path over Wisconsin’s Capital dome, pausing briefly to shine on the state motto of “Forward,” and lighting up the new …
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Kickass and Tree Lane
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, napped while the keeper and Phyllis strolled up Tree Lane next to Vista West on an unseasonably warm late October afternoon, stopping often to identify uncommon tree species, and marveling at the trees’ spectacular demonstration of another season of growth and life in the …
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Kickass and Prom Election
Attribution: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, allows the keeper to use a personal example of the importance of a single vote in determining election outcomes. The year was 1948 and the election was for junior prom king at Barron High School. It pitted Eddie …
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