Carolina roses and a teepee

In the morning my wife, my nephew, and I headed for Madison to get paperwork done for my nephew. On the way out the door I noted a Carolina rose in full bloom (Rosa carolina, Rosaceae also known as a pasture rose). Around this farm the plant is incorrectly referred to as a prairie rose, but the hairy stems of R. carolina are a distinguishing characteristic from the smooth stems of the wild prairie rose.

Out at 5944 Odana is the Last Square, a hobby shop with a focus on military miniatures but that also has some HO gear and an HO layout. Customer service may not be their strength however, as a manager interrupted a relationship building conversation I was having with a store employee. This is the first time I have run into someone who is not customer-centric up around this part of the world. Everywhere I go I have met incredibly helpful personnel, especially at Radio Shacks, Verizon, Sprint/Middleton, the Apple Store, and many other places.

After a stop at Yue Wah grocery store, lunch was teriyaki chicken at the food court in West Towne Mall.

While I enjoyed Madison, grandma took the kids to Darlington for some shopping and then to the Blanchardville pool.

In the evening the extended family, minus a Spanish teen, went to help set up a teepee at the home of Chuck and Christine Wellington in Monroe, Wisconsin. The teepee starts with three poles that the core of the structure. Other poles then follow in a specific order. Teepees were used by the native Americans of the plains. Those of this area often used other structures.

Shrue holds lines as Chuck makes adjustments.

The sticks are those that "sew" together the canvas above the door.

With a boost, my nephew inserts the last canvas pin - a willow branch.

Inside is a double skirt lining making the teepee warm and dry.

The smoke vent is closed with two further poles.

Seen in the fading light of late evening, a teepee on a southwest Wisconsin tallgrass prairie.