From the Archives, Part I: Friday, November 22, 1963

I had to leave the office early.  Stop at JC Penneys at Capitol Court. They had ordered my new Leather Irish Setter Insulated Hunting Boots and called to announce their arrival.  None too soon since opening day of the deer hunting season was Saturday.  Next, I had an appointment to stop at Bayshore for a pre-season haircut.  Can't let the hair get in the way of your sight picture, so the time was now.

I arrived at Penneys and when the clerk brought out my treasured boots, my initial thought was they should be on my back rather than my feet.  The leather was a rather deep, dark red that I thought would better serve to alert the deer rather than keep my feet cozy.  It being rather late in my schedule, I put hesitation aside, tucked the treasured boots into their box and proceeded to my appointment with John, the barber.

I walked into the shop and John immediately motioned me into his chair.  I don't recall his next words but they were something like, "THEY KILLED OUR PRESIDENT".  It was coming over the wires that President Kennedy had been assassinated.

Thus began what was to be a series of events which cast a cloud of ambivalence over the entire 1963 Wisconsin deer hunting season.

As I recall, every activity following that event was interrupted by the painful thought of such a senseless action of person or persons unknown at the time.  All of our thoughts during the ride home, the gathering of necessary gear, the packing of the car and the departure for our hunting destination, Cecil, Wisconsin, were clouded and overwhelmed by the resounding cry "THEY KILLED OUR PRESIDENT".

But the hunt went on in Wisconsin, as it always had and probably always will.

Next, we arrive in Cecil......

What A Difference A Day Makes

A classic old ballad of decades ago, but we are not talking about a day or 24 hours, but of a change of seasons.

In not just a day, but three  weeks, these changes signify three "SEASONS" in one fell swoop. Like uncle ART use to say..."UP IN MINNESOTA WE HAVE ONLY THREE SEASONS: JUNI, JULI AND WINTER. It's true so far, except we have had all three in "yust" three weeks.

On our first visit, the lake was frozen over, the trails  were knee deep in snow.  Next stop the lake was  open and playing host to clouds of northern ducks  including bluebills and mergansers who probably found their favored northern lakes inhospitable (interpret frozen over).  Next, our beautiful guests were gone, the lake was open  and pontoons were meandering in balmy 60's and 70's. Who is going to figure it out?

It's obviously much too cool for those little wood frogs to emerge  for their annual pilgrimage so I thought I'd spend some time in a blind awaiting a turkey dinner.  Wisconsin is blessed with  many fine educational  institutions which probably supports my suspicion that turkeys can read quite well.  This conclusion was reached  since all came clean shaven, that is to say "without beards" and, therefore, remain unscathed, since regulations say "no beard, no shoot".*

Heavy ice and snow of the past season laid claim to some trees and branches, blocking the trail in some places, so out with the chain saw again.  The wood's loss is often the firewood pile's gain.   Nature's way of providing, I guess.

Back to watching the frog eggs.

*PS: as clarification, a feathered appendage hanging from a turkey's neck area identifies the bird as being legal to harvest during the Spring hunt

Mama Loon & Passengers

Non Firewood

Firewood

 

I Feel Rather Full Right Now