tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950530570754541202012-01-29T17:15:24.963-06:00You may have heard of leaf peepers (those who take pleasure in viewing fall foliage) or pie riders (those in search of the perfect slice of homemade pie), but we are shunpikers (those who prefer to meander on the backroads). In every season of the year and for thousands of miles each year, we take to the backroads. Join us as we share some of our backroads adventures with you and thank you for visiting our blog. Happy Shunpiking!Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.comBlogger1441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-50704756424340175582012-01-29T17:15:00.000-06:002012-01-29T17:15:24.974-06:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter For those who are not familiar with milkhouses, they are buildings used by dairy farmers for cooling and storing milk. They are also the place where the milking equipment is washed and sanitized. Milkhouse, Sauk County, Wisconsin When we were kids, we used to play in the barn and outbuildings, but the milkhouse was pretty much off limits due to the need to keep

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-91607305910247431862012-01-22T21:18:00.006-06:002012-01-25T06:48:33.654-06:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter In the spring of 2008, Joann and I set off on a 10-day trip to Missouri and Arkansas. We had so much to see, starting with portions of Route 66, including Gay Parita and Red Oak II and continuing into the Ozarks. Since the beginning of our travels, we have loved old mills. Luckily, the Ozark region has many of these old mills still standing. Wommack Mill,

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-7568208038680521442012-01-15T21:27:00.000-06:002012-01-15T21:27:01.439-06:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter In June of 2010, Ruth and I visited the city of Coleraine, Minnesota in search of a couple of old churches that were on the National Register of Historic Places. We weren’t exactly sure where they were, so in the interest of saving time, I stopped and asked a man who was tending to his flowers in the front yard. He kindly told me that the two churches were located

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-4918046280024875652012-01-08T20:15:00.000-06:002012-01-08T20:15:45.583-06:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Friday afternoon, as I worked at my computer, I glanced at the thermometer and was surprised to read 48 degrees! How is that possible in January in Wisconsin? We’ve barely had enough snow this year to make a snowman, although I have seen some small attempts by neighborhood children. Snowman Welcoming the New Year, Rock County, Wisconsin After several days, the

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-59001087539725326772012-01-01T20:36:00.000-06:002012-01-01T20:36:30.223-06:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter In early May of 2010, on our way home from our North Carolina visit, we had planned to spend our last day photographing on the back roads of Kentucky. The afternoon before, as we left West Virginia and drove into Kentucky, it became overcast and then began to rain. It rained all through the night and we left our motel in the early morning rain. Sunnyview Grocery,

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-23250317632853630722011-12-25T22:36:00.001-06:002011-12-25T22:59:10.087-06:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter The original mill in Clifton, Ohio was built in 1802 on the Little Miami River. The current mill is seven stories tall and the grounds now include a covered bridge and historic gas station. At Christmas, there is also a miniature village set up with amazing detail. Trains run around the village, and you can see movie clips playing on the outdoor theater’s screen.

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-18534302259649572372011-12-18T19:36:00.000-06:002011-12-18T19:36:37.298-06:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter Let me start out this blog post by apologizing for the lack of a story last weekend. For the first time in two and a half years, we were not able to publish our weekly story due to unforeseen circumstances. This weekend, we are paying tribute and saying a sad goodbye to our tried and true friend, Good Car (the left-most car in the photo below). Shunpikers at the

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-3334697562902290442011-12-04T18:18:00.003-06:002011-12-15T22:50:51.155-06:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter We first visited the Dougan round barn in 1998 and, at that time, we couldn’t figure out how to get any pictures from the road. I don’t remember what time of day it was, but for whatever reason, we didn’t drive in and ask for permission to take photos. Then, towards the end of October, 2010, I was on the phone with our youngest sister, when she asked me if we knew

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-86007594811581166422011-11-27T22:01:00.001-06:002011-11-28T06:30:41.484-06:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter Having recently completed our fall photography for the year, I am reminded of a number of “situations” that occurred over the past couple of years during fall photographing. As we’ve explained before, we are always drawn to the counties that are west of us due to the hills and valleys which offer the best photo opportunities. Wisconsin Countryside, Trempealeau

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-10579940040246628272011-11-20T21:11:00.000-06:002011-11-20T21:11:00.158-06:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter At many Thanksgiving tables this year, people will share those things that they are most thankful for. I’m thankful for my family and friends. And again this year, I’m grateful that my youngest sister Peggy and her family invite Joann and me to share their Thanksgiving table. But I am also thankful for our photography trips. Sometimes as Joann and I drive out into

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-81678132308162883502011-11-13T21:26:00.000-06:002011-11-13T21:26:33.959-06:00

By Joann M. Ringelstettter On September 1 of this year, I received a typical email from Ruth with a subject line that read, “How can we get this before it’s gone?” Inside the email was simply a link to an article entitled, “Hidden Places: Estonian Church Slowly Returns to Dust.” Estonian Ev. Martin Luther Church, Lincoln County, Wisconsin I looked at the photo that was included with the

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Thirty days hath September, Fall Flowers and Country Church, Richland Co., Wisconsin April, June and November; Paint Horse, Barry County, Michigan February has twenty-eight alone, All the rest have thirty-one Stone Foundation and Red Barn Door, Dodge County, Wisconsin Except in Leap Year, that’s the time When February’s days are twenty-nine. Pewit's

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-27816219132053027922011-10-30T23:24:00.000-05:002011-10-30T23:24:35.926-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter The ghosts and goblins prowl about The ghouls and gremlins scream and shout Halloween Ghost, Dane County, Wisconsin The spooks come out at half past four, It’s Halloween once more. The Grim Reaper, Dane County, Wisconsin The Jack-o-lanterns gleam and glow, The ghosts are lined up in a row, Pumpkins and Ghosts at The Steeple, Delafield, Wisconsin And

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-16657155792540398142011-10-23T21:33:00.000-05:002011-10-23T21:33:52.535-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter The most famous television barber was probably Floyd the Barber from The Andy Griffith Show. In the fictional town of Mayberry, Floyd’s Barber Shop was the gathering place where the men would read comics, play checkers, and discuss current events, along with getting a haircut. 1950's Barber Shop, Shawano County, Wisconsin On the old Hee Haw television show,

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-52851343710119415162011-10-16T21:59:00.000-05:002011-10-16T21:59:33.388-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter A couple weeks ago, Ruth and I left home early Sunday morning and photographed our way over to the Mississippi River, attempting to add some good photos to our autumn collection. Unfortunately, it was extremely sunny and warm on both Sunday and Monday, and the lighting was harsh, which doesn’t make for good photography. But we spent both days photographing anyway.

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-21345883668489765472011-10-09T20:18:00.001-05:002011-10-09T20:25:15.176-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Growing up, the fences we were familiar with were barbed wire and electric. They were made to keep the cattle inside, and there was nothing aesthetic about them. We still see those barbed wire fences as we drive around, but now we’re looking for a way to turn them into a good picture. The flowers next to the fence below, definitely improved this functional fence.

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-60911581120504863372011-10-01T22:59:00.000-05:002011-10-01T22:59:22.532-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter Last weekend was the beginning of fall photographing for us. We wait all year for the crisp autumn air and the changing of the leaves to brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red. Before we leave on a trip to capture fall colors, we usually put in our request to the Universe to provide us with the perfect weather. Overcast days bring out vivid colors, which is

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-8969498966166218982011-09-25T19:14:00.019-05:002011-09-25T19:14:00.369-05:00

By Ruth A Ringelstetter Joann and I love the rolling countryside of southwest Wisconsin. On one of our fall trips to the area in 2002, we stumbled on an old church quietly deteriorating along the roadside. The name on the front proclaimed it to be Bethel Chapel with a year of 1880. Abandoned Bethel Chapel (1880), Richland County, Wisconsin The steeple was already leaning, and the brush

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-45803719832132194552011-09-18T20:42:00.001-05:002011-09-18T21:57:57.313-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter In the spring of 2010, after 11 days of photographing on the backroads of North Carolina and West Virginia, Ruth and I were eager to spend the twelfth day on the backroads of Kentucky. Unfortunately, a short time after we crossed into Kentucky, it began to rain and it rained all that evening and into the next morning. Purple Irises Against Weathered Wood, Fleming

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-2825191090790187752011-09-11T21:45:00.001-05:002011-09-11T21:47:59.655-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter At the beginning of our trip to the Ozarks in 2008, we had kicked around on Route 66 and ended up visiting with Gary Turner at Gay Parita. When we were getting ready to be on our way, Gary gave us some ideas for more things down the road. We were watching the clock, though, and wanting to make sure we could make it to Red Oak II before the light was gone. Foxfire

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-63339569286437420082011-09-04T20:00:00.000-05:002011-09-04T20:00:33.610-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter Ruth and I enjoy picking wild berries in the summer, such as black raspberries (or blackcaps as they are sometimes called), blackberries, and elderberries (which might not be familiar to some people). Elderberries are small dark purple berries that grow in umbrella-like clusters on bushes along roadsides, marshes, and streams. Elderberries, Dane County, Wisconsin

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-77714777451897608102011-08-28T17:43:00.001-05:002011-08-28T20:17:41.119-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter On our spring photography trip to North Carolina in 2010, Joann and I stopped at Murray's Mill Historic District. We finished our visit with a late lunch near the old mill. Murray's Mill, 1913, Catawba County, North Carolina As we packed up from our picnic, Joann asked me if we would be on the backroads or if we would be driving on the highway for a ways. Sometimes

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-76495453232586929792011-08-21T16:13:00.001-05:002011-08-28T20:10:47.162-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter “Hey, you know, everybody’s talkin’ about the good old days, right? Everybody! The good old days, the good old days, Well, let’s talk about the good old days… Come to think of it as, as bad as we think they are, These will become the good old days for our children.” (Spoken lyrics from The Way We Were/Try to Remember by Gladys Knight & the Pips) Lower Wilson Creek

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-65399042342359386532011-08-14T23:29:00.004-05:002011-08-21T10:29:21.195-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter I received my first copy of A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold for my birthday. It was a gift from my first boss. She said she thought the book was perfect for me. Little did I know that 25 years later, Joann and I would volunteer for a bird survey at the Leopold Memorial Reserve and we would meet his daughter, Nina Leopold Bradley. The Shack, Leopold

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-47894888503709480932011-08-07T13:17:00.006-05:002011-08-07T17:32:39.028-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter For the past several months, I’ve been working with one of my sisters on organizing our old family photographs. Among those photographs are a couple of images of an old stone chicken house that was on the first farm our parents bought when I was almost two years old. Chicken Coop, Richland County, Wisconsin The people who owned the farm before us had left an old

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-61458773451135859222011-07-31T19:39:00.001-05:002011-07-31T20:20:15.667-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Joann and I enjoy so many things about driving on the back roads of Wisconsin and other great places in this country. We laugh about a lot of things – mostly our silly jokes, puns, and memories, and our incessant teasing of each other. Sometimes we’re lucky enough to come across some animals out in the pasture, and some of the cutest and funniest we come across are the

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-83539664689471074012011-07-24T20:53:00.001-05:002011-08-07T17:11:48.563-05:00

July 24, 2011 Forsaken, but Not Forgotten By Joann M. Ringelstetter Last week, in her story about Grant Wood, Ruth mentioned that we had visited Stone City, where Grant Wood established an art colony. We did our photographing there before sunrise and then headed east to photograph a number of stone barns on a farm associated with the Anamosa State Penitentiary. On the way there, however, we

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-10185235100324118582011-07-17T19:58:00.000-05:002011-07-17T19:58:06.237-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Grant Wood was born four miles east of Anamosa, Iowa. One of his best-known paintings is American Gothic, which depicts a man and woman standing in front of a small white house. The man is holding a pitch fork. They look like a typical Midwest couple of the early 20th century when life was hard. Grant Wood's American Gothic Barn Mural by Mark Benesh, Linn County,

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-64927904335880959972011-07-10T16:09:00.002-05:002011-07-22T03:30:52.560-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter Yesterday morning as I was wondering what to write about, I looked out my window as I often do when I’m thinking. And suddenly, the perfect topic showed up a few feet from my window. Ask and you shall receive! Fawn, Dane County, Wisconsin As I glanced towards the stone steps that go up into the woods, I saw a doe walk from one side of the steps to the other. So I

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-12900704681264792982011-07-04T18:42:00.002-05:002011-07-04T19:17:39.604-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter A mere 100 years ago, the only roads that existed in the US were around cities. There were no planned routes between cities, and very few “improved” roads. A road was considered improved if it was graded and only a few in those days were gravel or brick. If you find any pictures of cars traveling on those first roads, you will often see them axle deep in mud and ruts.

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-86119159162576311112011-06-26T14:38:00.000-05:002011-06-26T14:38:03.441-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter Ruth and I spent last weekend photographing in Iowa and we met so many friendly and interesting people who shared their property, their knowledge, and their sense of humor. One of my favorite experiences was our visit to the Candy Kitchen in the town of Wilton. As usual, we began our day at 4:15 am and captured several historic structures in the East Village of

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-17904207866159993602011-06-19T17:00:00.001-05:002011-06-19T17:00:00.490-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter I know Irwin (our faithful GPS) thinks we pick on him too much and we don’t give him enough credit. Sometimes the things he does are funny; sometimes if we followed his lead they would be dangerous; and sometimes he’s just being a butthead with his directions. In the spring of 2009 on our trip to Ohio, we were looking for our motel in the dark. I think maybe you’ve

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-63362042034279079612011-06-12T18:19:00.000-05:002011-06-12T18:19:58.091-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter In February of this year, during a visit with our aunts and uncles (our dad’s brothers and sisters), somehow the subject of going to the outhouse came up. And, at one point, one of them began telling the story of how our Uncle George, one of our favorite uncles, had painted a funny message on their outhouse when he was a kid. Weathered Gray Outhouse and Old Clothes

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-14450377138746606382011-06-05T19:51:00.001-05:002011-06-05T20:11:36.282-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Growing up on a farm involves a lot of hard work. But we found the best part was the games we played when we had some free time. Joann previously told of our Moonlight Starlight game (see her post from October 28, 2009) that we played for hours all summer long. Another game we played often was ”Annie Annie Over,” which involved a ball, some kids, and a shed. This

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-10017935246701442382011-05-29T21:42:00.001-05:002011-05-30T21:46:40.982-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter Monday, May 30, 2011 is Memorial Day – a day to honor the men and women who served in the American military and died for our freedom. American Flag Blowing in the Wind, Sauk County, Wisconsin Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, as a result of a proclamation by General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic (a

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-7901691522062850932011-05-22T17:27:00.000-05:002011-05-22T17:27:55.279-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter About six months into our labor of love – this backroads blog and our photo website, we received one of our most gratifying comments. It was simply signed “Sheila K” and it said “Wonderful, amazing pictures and stories. Traveling the countryside with a sister and enjoying the beauty around you is a blessing. I look forward to Monday for only this reason - your blog.

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-17996207570269721832011-05-15T22:00:00.000-05:002011-05-15T22:00:07.932-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter Bicycle Crossing Sign, St. Louis County, Minnesota Saturday was a dreary day here in Wisconsin, but Ruth and I decided to do a little photographing despite the chilly wind and intermittent drizzle. So we headed to Richland County, which is our favorite county here in Wisconsin. At one point, we passed a home with a whimsical yard and decided to turn the car around

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-64057601917750798452011-05-08T16:32:00.003-05:002011-05-08T21:01:10.532-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Lately I’ve been getting emails from Joann with lines like “way to go Sherlock!” or something like that. I often send her emails of cool things I find in my research. It keeps us excited between the times when we can actually get out photographing. Usually this starts with an email and a subject line of “I wonder where this is”? Often it is followed shortly by

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-16954728208812871962011-05-01T17:57:00.001-05:002011-05-01T18:00:19.557-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter Today, with the rapid advancement of phone technology and a cell phone in almost everyone’s pocket or purse, the need for public telephones has diminished to the point of no return. Soon, public telephone booths will be only a distant memory for those of us who grew up with them. Antique Phone Booth, Filmore County, Minnesota When Ruth and I travel to the small

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-35533986982874914632011-04-24T16:32:00.002-05:002011-04-24T16:35:41.033-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter On our photography trip to North Carolina in the spring of 2010, Joann and I had one long day of travel to get out of the mountains and to the Piedmont area of the state. Towards the end of that day, we were passing close to the restored Murray’s Mill Historic District. Luckily we had time to stop and spend quite a bit of time there. Murray's Mill, 1913, Catawba

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-66360607384456604232011-04-18T00:32:00.001-05:002011-04-23T22:53:43.961-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter Yesterday was the start of the second half of April but here in Wisconsin, there have been only fleeting moments of spring. In fact, yesterday, it snowed steadily for about two hours where I live. And tonight they have predicted one to three inches of snow. I happen to love winter, but this winter has been one of the longest for me. It seems like spring will never

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-78533670478466118402011-04-10T20:29:00.000-05:002011-04-10T20:29:56.744-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter On April 21, 2010, Joann and I began our trip to North Carolina. I always make a plan for our trips and this one included a stay on the first night in Shelbyville, Kentucky, where we could have dinner with an old friend of Joann’s. We went out for Chinese buffet and had a great time catching up with her. The next morning we awoke with enough time to quickly load the

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-38089619898680089662011-04-03T21:11:00.000-05:002011-04-03T21:11:18.707-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter When we are out shunpiking on the back roads and through the small rural towns, we do a lot of looking at maps and research materials, craning our necks, straining our eyes, and turning the car around in hopes of finding whatever it is we’re looking for at the moment. Sometimes we find what we’re looking for and sometimes we don’t. LaValle Roller Mills, Sauk County,

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Sometimes, when Joann and I finally make it to our motel during our photography trips, we look for something relaxing to watch on TV while we make our dinner and unload the day’s photos. Sometimes we’re lucky and we stumble on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour shows with Jeff Foxworthy. His “You Might Be a Redneck” jokes always make us laugh. Sometimes we remember

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter In April, 2006, as Ruth and I headed towards home after spending a week on the backroads of Kentucky, we stumbled upon an old diner on Route 40 in Plainfield, Indiana. I was still shooting film then, and I was always very conservative with the number of times I clicked the shutter. I had three Canon cameras, each loaded with a different type of film. So I took one

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter So says the first slogan of Clabber Girl Baking Powder. Our mother was a baker (when she could sneak a little time away from farm chores) and we have many memories of homemade bread, doughnuts, and cookies. In these modern times of fast food and convenience items, our younger sister, Peggy, continues in our mother’s footsteps, baking everything she can from scratch.

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter Anyone, who knows me well, knows that one of my most favorite movies is the Wizard of Oz. In the movie, shortly after Dorothy and the Scarecrow discover the rusted Tin Man in the forest, the wicked witch appears on the roof of the Tin Man’s cottage and threatens to use the Tin Man as a beehive. Bee Hives at Dawn, Rock County, Wisconsin After the witch disappears in

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter In early 2008, I was putting the finishing touches on plans for our trip to the Ozarks. I had read about the Elk reintroduction project in the Ponca Wilderness Area in Arkansas. As I talked with a friend at work and told him I planned to visit the area to see the elk, he laughed at me and told me there was no way we would see the elk. We’re not easily deterred, so

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter In the summer of 2009, my friend, Desiree, asked me if I had any photos of weeping willow trees. Now, if someone would ask me if I had any photos of barns or mills or even old GEM water pumps, I wouldn’t have to even think about it. I just know that I do. But weeping willow trees? Hmmm, after 30 years of photographing, I couldn’t think of one time that I had taken

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter As Joann and I have mentioned, we love to picnic on our photography trips. We have several reasons for doing this. The first is that we never want to go to a restaurant and waste precious time waiting for our food. The other is that we can enjoy excellent homemade food out in nature and be back to photographing quickly. We usually have our binoculars at the picnic

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter They say time goes by more quickly as we get older. Lately, I’ve been feeling this more and more. Sometimes I’m startled when I realize that an event that seems to have happened only a couple of years ago actually happened 10 or more years earlier. What really amazes me, though, is when I’m standing in front of some beautiful rural architecture that was built in the

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Every year on our photography trips, we try to hunt up as many mills as we can. In the spring of 2010, we took our trip to North Carolina. In my research, I had found that this was a land of many mills. And many of the mills had been or are still water-powered (our favorite). Some of the mills are still open and grinding flour, or have become historic sites and are

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By “Good Car” (the most extraordinary car in the world) Good Car here. At least that’s what Joann calls me, as she lovingly pats my steering wheel. We’ve been together for almost seven years now. And, since car years are like dog years, I’m getting up there in age. But I’ll never forget the first week after I left that boring dealership parking lot seven years ago. I was a brand spanking

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter It was the second morning of one of our trips to Iowa in 2008. The first day had been spent photographing barns. My plan for day two was to drive west along Hwy 30 and stop in the city of Belle Plaine for sunrise. We had stayed in Cedar Rapids overnight, and as we packed the car in the morning, the sky looked ominous. We decided we would try to drive away from the

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter Photography is certainly an artistic pursuit and I’m grateful to be able to use the creative right side of my brain when composing photographs as opposed to my analytical left-brained “real job” duties. But when we’re out on the back roads in search of a good photograph, there are other ways I find myself being creative. One of those ways is in quickly changing

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter It was the sixth day of our photography vacation to southeast Ohio in the spring of 2009. As Joann was photographing the S&K Dairy Cup, I was back at the car, picking out our next destination. As I was studying the map, I noticed what looked like a teddy bear racing around in the pasture behind the buildings we were parked in front of. S & K Dairy Cup, Highland

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter For the past 17 years, I have had the privilege of driving past and enjoying the festive row of lighted holiday trees along the 2700 and 2800 blocks of University Avenue in Madison, Wisconsin. And every year, I’ve told myself that I should take the time to photograph this beautiful scene, but never got around to it. This year, I finally took the time. University

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know Where the treetops glisten, and children listen To hear sleigh bells in the snow The famous Christmas carol, White Christmas, was written by Irving Berlin in 1942. We’ve enjoyed the song and the Christmas movie of the same name every Christmas season for years. Railroad Depot at Christmastime,

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During the winter of 2006-2007, Ruth heard about a pair of screech owls that someone had discovered in the opening of a tree in the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The interesting thing about this pair was that one was a gray phase (gray-colored) and one was a rufous phase (red-brown colored). We never know if we should “chase” this type of photo because we don’t know if the subject will still be

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-51748223404821170572010-12-05T20:54:00.002-06:002010-12-19T17:57:09.576-06:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter You might remember our previous blog entitled “I Think We’re Being Followed” about being followed in Arkansas. Part of our reason for visiting Mountain View, Arkansas, was to visit Mellon’s Country store. Mellon's Country Store, Stone County, Arkansas We love the old fashioned country stores. This one was built in 1991 by Don and Suzie Mellon in the style of a

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter ‘Twas the month before Christmas, and on Summers' farm, Everybody was working to create Christmas charm. The Christmas Shop was filled with gifts, wreaths, and bears, Ornaments and snowmen and other kinds of wares. Christmas Shop at Summers Christmas Tree Farm The Head Elf, Simone, was training her elves And Brenna, Elf in Training, was checking the shelves; With

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Joann and I really enjoy our trips on the backroads. We always find a lot to laugh about. Sometimes things seem really funny at the time, and later, when we have time to think about it, we wonder just what made it so funny. Sometimes it’s probably our long days and lack of sleep that make everything funny and sometimes it’s probably just our weird sense of humor.

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter I’ve always been drawn to bluegrass music. Maybe it’s because I love the pure and simple sound of acoustic instruments. Maybe, though, it’s because bluegrass has its roots in the rural areas of our country, which is where my heart leads me when I go out to photograph. In 1949, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, and the Foggy Mountain Boys recorded a bluegrass instrumental

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-44650721993924120652010-11-07T16:42:00.000-06:002010-11-07T16:42:26.163-06:00

By Ruth A Ringelstetter I hate to admit it, but sometimes Irwin is right. In September of 2009, Joann and I took our semi-annual trip to Iowa. We used Irwin to find the addresses of some farms we were trying to find, but for the most part, I left him turned off and just used the map. Early on the second morning of our trip, we left our motel intending to find a round barn for first light. I

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter The Wizard of Oz is one of my all-time favorite movies, and the Scarecrow is my favorite character from the movie. When Dorothy asks him what he would do if he had a brain (instead of only straw), he sings a song entitled “If I Only Had a Brain.” Scarecrow: "I could while away the hours Conferrin' with the flowers Consultin' with the rain. And my head I'd be scratchin

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By Irwin (the most magnificent GPS in the world) Irwin here. I’d just like to set the record straight. Don’t believe everything they say about me. I can hear them talking and laughing at me. They get me out of that dark box in the stuffy bag whenever they need something from me. I plan the route (rather quickly if I do say so myself), and then tell them where to turn. Sometimes they won’t

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter Tom T. Hall is one of the best loved country music storytellers of our time. When we were kids, we used to watch him perform on Hee Haw, the country music variety show that aired every Saturday night. In 1973, Tom recorded his most successful single – a song entitled, “I Love.” It’s a simple song about loving simple things and it reminds me of some of the things I

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter On our first night in North Carolina this April, we stayed in Boone so we could be close to Valle Crucis and the Mast General Store. It was our first planned stop in North Carolina. Before bed, I set Irwin (our trusty GPS) to the address of the store, and double-checked how long it would take us to get there at dawn. We set our alarm for 5:00 AM and went to bed. The

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-78793053842152326312010-10-03T21:20:00.006-05:002010-10-18T19:10:14.700-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter In April of this year, after spending over a week in North Carolina, we crossed a small section of Virginia on our way to Mabry Mill. It was a beautiful sunny morning in the mountains and we had been photographing some of the area’s tobacco barns, which are quite different from the tobacco barns we’re used to seeing here in Wisconsin. Log Tobacco Barn, Stokes County,

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By Ruth A. RingelstetterJoann and I are law-abiding citizens for the most part. Oh sure, we exceed the speed limit on the highway occasionally, and we do step onto lawns or into fields for the right angle for pictures. This one, for instance, could not have been gotten from the road, but it was perfect from the edge of the field.Autumn Farm Scene with Wavy Strips of Corn and Alfalfa, Sauk

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter Last week, I told you about our visit to the Whipple Company Store in Fayette County, West Virginia. We had intended to stop there for a few minutes, but we were there for an hour or so, and probably could have stayed all day listening to the wealth of information Joy and Charles Lynn had to share about the coal miners and the Company Store. Fayette Feed Company, (

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter “You load sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter, don’t you call me, ‘cause I can’t go; I owe my soul to the company store.” In 1955, deep-voiced Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded the number one hit “Sixteen Tons,” a song about the hard life of a coal miner. West Virginia has a rich coal mining history and our West Virginia

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter Several years ago, at the start of my internet researching, I stumbled on a picture of the Rabbit Hash General Store. After seeing that picture, I couldn’t wait to see it in person. When we started planning our spring 2006 trip to Kentucky, I tried to figure out how I could fit a stop at Rabbit Hash into our itinerary. We always try to get the most “bang for our buck,

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter When we were little, we lived on a small dairy farm north of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. There were numerous outbuildings, one of which was an old outhouse, painted red to match the other farm buildings. The outhouse stood very close to the back of the machine shed, with the door facing the shed. There was basically only enough room to swing the door of the outhouse open

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter In the spring of 2008, Joann and I decided to visit the Ozarks for our annual photography trip. As always, I planned the route to have stops every couple of hours to allow us to get out of the car for a while. My plan was to take us through Illinois and across the Mississippi at St Genevieve, Missouri. But Mother Nature had other plans and southeast Missouri had major

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter In the spring of 2006, Ruth and I took our annual photography trip to Kentucky. On one of the last days, we headed for Gravel Switch, a town in central Kentucky that was probably named for the trains that stopped there to pick up gravel from the creek. A short distance from Gravel Switch on a lonely dead-end road is an old weathered general store that has been owned

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter I don’t remember the first time I saw a picture of the Star Barn in Pennsylvania, but right then, I knew that I had to see it in person some day. I love barns, so I can see the beauty in most of them, but this barn was gorgeous! I had to show Joann the pictures of the barn, and she was as excited as I was to actually stand in front of it and to photograph it.

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By Joann M. Ringelstetter I’ve been photographing with expensive cameras, lenses, filters, and tripods for about 30 years now. I’m always very careful with my equipment, but no matter how careful I am, unexpected things happen. These things are sometimes due to traffic, sometimes due to the forces of nature, and sometimes due to equipment failure. As much as I hate to admit it, though, these

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter When we were young, we lived on a small farm several miles outside of Sun Prairie. Sometimes after haying was done, Mom and Dad would take us all to the Dairy Queen in Sun Prairie for a treat. We were always given the choice of a small cone or a Dilly Bar. When Joann and I were in middle school, we moved to Lake Mills. They had an A&W Drive-in, which we were

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-37803252195821649842010-07-18T20:24:00.007-05:002010-09-03T05:40:26.734-05:00

By Joann M. Ringelstetter A recent article in the Wisconsin State Journal reported that “thanks to the warm and notably wet weather in southern Wisconsin, there are a gazillion mushrooms out there right now.” Hunting for and eating edible mushrooms can be a bit of a risky venture, unless you really know what you’re doing. Photographing mushrooms isn’t as risky, but it also carries some

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-33302666961357608272010-07-11T16:58:00.003-05:002010-08-23T22:43:49.289-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter The first blacksmith shop that I remember visiting was many years ago on a day trip with our family to Old Wade House historic site in Greenbush, Wisconsin. First there was a tour of the house, and then we got to go outside to the other buildings. That was much more interesting to me than the tour of the furnishings and the women doing rosemaling in the kitchen of the

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-61053597285697765342010-07-04T15:25:00.006-05:002010-07-04T15:52:03.290-05:00

By Joann M. RingelstetterLast week, we showed you a picture of one of our favorite blacksmith shops with a promise to expand on that topic this week. However, because we’re celebrating Independence Day this weekend, we have decided to share some displays of rural patriotism. We’ll return with the blacksmith shops next week.The above photo was taken on a beautiful sunny day last autumn. It was

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We are taking a short break before posting our next story about blacksmith shops we have found in our travels.Blacksmith shops can be small and unassuming or large and imposing. Sometimes there is signage so you know that is what you are looking at, and sometimes there is nothing to indicate the type of building. In our travels, we have seen all of these.Next week, we'll talk about some of our

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By Joann M. RingelstetterYears ago, in the early days of our backroads photography, Ruth and I spent all of our time meandering on country roads as far away from the city as we could get. We even tended to avoid small towns, especially after spending “a week in Burlington one day,” which I’ll explain in a minute. This story will feature photos from various small towns we have photographed (none

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By Ruth A. RingelstetterWhen Joann and I decided to make North Carolina our photography destination this spring, I knew this old mill in Guilford County had to be on our list of stops. I had stopped at the mill on my first trip to North Carolina in 2003 and I knew that Joann would enjoy it. At the time of my stop, the late Charlie Parnell was still running the mill. When I entered the mill, he

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-2101841909345263072010-06-06T21:02:00.003-05:002010-06-06T21:30:42.056-05:00

By Joann M. RingelstetterA few years ago, on a trip to photograph in Iowa, we noticed a Bull Durham sign on the side of a building as we drove on the highway past Dubuque. We ended up seeing it on several more trips to Iowa. Finally, we decided that we’d better photograph it before it faded away.Seeing an advertising mural from far away or in someone else’s photograph is one thing, but getting

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-64060326803355866312010-05-30T19:43:00.004-05:002010-08-23T22:39:36.846-05:00

By Ruth A. Ringelstetter While Joann and I were in North Carolina on our recent photography trip, we were travelling down a road behind a prison work crew bus. (If you’ve read our April 2010 blog story entitled “A Case of Mistaken Identity,” you’ll notice this prison work crew thing is sort of a theme for us, and we encountered them twice on this trip!) Finally, the bus turned off on a

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By Joann M. RingelstetterOne of the most interesting encounters I had on our recent trip to North Carolina was with a man and his dogs. It was our third day in North Carolina and we had just entered Alamance County. As we drove down a country road, we passed an old red and white Chevy automobile with a “For Sale” sign on it. It was early afternoon on a very sunny day, so the lighting was

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter We’ve been to Moonshine several times now, and every time is different. The first time we went, we were on our way to Kentucky. As I planned the trip, I was looking for some stops along the way. I had torn an article out of the paper that was about a tiny town in Illinois with an old general store that was becoming famous for the hamburgers they served. They named

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-20127071587534352332010-05-09T11:34:00.003-05:002010-05-09T12:13:17.236-05:00

By Joann M. RingelstetterRuth and I just returned from a two-week photography trip to North Carolina. This is the first of a number of stories we will share from the trip. On the tenth day of our trip, we left North Carolina, crossed the corner of Virginia, and headed into West Virginia. Our plans called for us to reach Babcock State Park by evening.Within the boundaries of Babcock State Park,

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-26999563004804143252010-05-02T19:31:00.004-05:002010-05-02T20:24:35.933-05:00

By Ruth A. RingelstetterThe pace in Amish communities is slower, and maybe that’s part of what draws Joann and me to those areas. They can’t go faster than their horse can take them anywhere, and the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves is very soothing, at least to us. I’m sure if you’re riding in the buggy it’s a different story, but the Amish we encounter always seem very cordial and happy as

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-3916528916877916712010-04-24T20:06:00.004-05:002010-04-24T20:40:32.223-05:00

By Joann M. RingelstetterLast September, on one of our dusty trips to Iowa, Ruth and I had the privilege of visiting a farm with a large red barn and an interesting history. When we pulled into the driveway, the owner, Robert, came out to greet us and offered to give us a personalized tour of his barn.As we stood by the car talking, I noticed a small kitten on the steps of an old shed that was

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By Ruth A. Ringelstetter When we were young, we lived on a small farm near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. We don’t remember going to the movies then. The closest thing we had to the movies was having popcorn and “pop” on Sunday nights while we watched Bonanza on television. When we were in middle school, we moved to Lake Mills, and we were excited to learn that our new hometown had a movie theater.

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-87587668745727781332010-04-11T21:56:00.002-05:002010-04-11T22:17:39.309-05:00

By Joann M. RingelstetterOne of my favorite things about backroads travel is that we encounter all kinds of animals along the way. These animals provide us with some great entertainment as we watch them….or rather, they watch us. Cows are always curious, dogs are often playful, llamas are just plain silly, and sheep….well, sheep are interesting for a number of reasons. Let me explain. A number

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Ruth A. Ringelstetter In the spring of 2006, we took a photography trip to Kentucky. I had seen pictures from Spring Mill State Park in Southern Indiana, and had always wanted to go there. So, when Joann said that she didn’t want to take the tollway (boring), we decided to go south on I-39, and then cross over into Indiana via Moonshine, Illinois. Granted, this was not the most direct route,

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-88705788018877028682010-03-28T11:06:00.004-05:002010-03-28T12:33:35.724-05:00

By Joann M. RingelstetterSince our three-day autumn trip to Minnesota in 2009, I have shared what I consider to be several wonderful blessings of that trip. This is the fourth in that series of blessings.Years ago on a photography trip to Minnesota, we passed through a small town that had an old restored gas station. When we returned to the area last October, we decided to visit this quiet

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-74304529309610498562010-03-21T19:14:00.004-05:002010-03-21T19:45:19.995-05:00

By Ruth A. RingelstetterThe calendar declares spring is officially here. Even though there are not many signs yet, we’ve been feeling it coming for several weeks. Warmer temperatures made everyone want to get outside after the long winter. And even though we awoke to snow covered grass yesterday, it melted quickly and reminded us that this is Wisconsin and the weather changes rapidly. Spring

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By Joann M. RingelstetterPhotographing on the backroads can elicit a wide variety of reactions from people. The reactions range from curiosity to suspicion, or even anger in some cases. Because I always use a tripod, I have been mistaken for a surveyor more times than I care to mention. As you can imagine, this causes a bit of angst for some people until they find out there aren’t any plans

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-19211561666500411932010-03-07T15:09:00.004-06:002010-03-07T17:54:26.665-06:00

By Ruth A. RingelstetterHere in Wisconsin, and in every state we have visited, we pass old buildings with interesting architecture. Usually, one of us will ask the other what that building might have been. Since our backgrounds are far removed from rural architecture, we are never sure, but often we have some sort of a guess.On our trip to Ohio last April, we came upon several old buildings

Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-25403247133836531452010-02-28T10:00:00.002-06:002010-02-28T10:29:34.740-06:00

By Joann M. RingelstetterAs Ruth and I prepare for our annual “hard-core” photography trip, I am reminded of last year’s trip to the Ohio River Valley. There were so many wonderful rural scenes to discover, but we were also on a mission to capture as many Mail Pouch Tobacco barns as we could during the 8-day trip. Ruth had done hundreds of hours of research prior to our departure, and she

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