Johnson Journals Part 227

• Don shows slides

6/11/70 Strong east wind, drizzle. I was nervous as a cat as we waited at airport for ADM plane to come in. Finally it roared in out of the haze. God, what a relief. Ralph at the controls and acted as tho it were a routine flight. Me - I was worried about landing the houseboat in the wind! Timmy and I did a great stroke of business when we fell big, dry white pine and worked it into lake with “come-along.” Tied it in front of rock work so waves won’t wash out flower bed. It will work if water doesn’t come up more.

6/12/70 We did it! Saw our last offspring walk off stage with a college diploma. Buck started school in 1933 making it 37 years we have had a kid in school. Now four college graduates! It sounds like a great achievement on our part, but what a great contribution each one made in his own behalf. We tried to show Karen how much we appreciated how she has pulled herself together by giving her a card with the following note: “In account with Karen Johnson Monahan. For all debts, real, imaginary and monetary - Paid in full. Dad & Mom” Her reaction on receiving it was worth the price.

6/13/70 Byrne and Jane had a 3 hour breakdown in Wisconsin, so were late getting into Duluth. They called to say they could not make it to island. Layna and I to house (265) to make beds and start furnace. I put Byrne’s big motor on alone and hooked up same. It took right off, much to my surprise. No trouble with 10 h.p. Johnson, either.

6/14/70 Byrne and Jane and kids at island by 9:30. A grand reunion. They are growing fast. It is only 5 months since we saw them and can see a definite change. The wind went down mercifully and they had no major moving problems. After dinner, Layna and I to visit Byrne and Jane. They are already settled.

6/15/70 Only 5 guests so Jim stayed in. His first day off for some time. Brian and Willie on their own. They had quite an experience. The rains came as they were cooking fish and the guests held tarp over them until they got the job done.

6/16/70 A maintenance day for me. fixed a half dozen screens. I rather enjoyed it. Damn poor weather for anything else.

6/17/70 Byrne, Jane and family over. Weather worsened and a wild afternoon developed. They stayed for supper of walleyes. A treat all around. Hauled gas. New method. Put tanks right inside Cadillac - worked fine.

6/20/70 To town at noon to meet plane. Slow going at airport and then we faced ? mile long line of tourists at bridge. Layna walked the gang over. Byrne hitch hiked back on Sabreliner with Ferguson. A good deal.

6/21/70 A full limit all around but many were small and found their way into the skillet at noon. More trouble at noon with stoves. Jim finally built wood fire to fry fish. Stopped to see both Spike and Wally. Not 100% in either case but not any crying. Home at 4 p.m. and out on houseboat by 6:00. I spouted off to female help saying they were rushing us out to get rid of us. Some truth but a bit of exaggeration.

6/22/70 Where, oh where are the bass? An odd one caught now and then but we are approaching the very best time of the year (supposedly) with no improvement. Tara has the mumps. I wonder how that will affect all. The rest have had them, which is a blessing.

6/25/70 No evening fishing so I showed slides. Well received as always. Layna and I in complete disagreement as to how to handle guides. She says they should stay on island or at least give notice when they go to town. I say they are big boys now, and altho I would love to be able to know where they are, we have no control over them after day’s work in. A ticklish subject.

6/26/70 Jim finally got some bass - 7 of them. Ashwander and Branstad the only fishermen. Very well pleased they were and Branstad now knows all the answers about bass fishing. I understand that kind of thinking in a kid like Brad but it is hard to reconcile in a grown man. Layna and I to Island View Lodge for dinner and off to see R.L. Players put on Odd Couple. Very, very good!

6/27/70 Layna, Jane, Tara & Sheila & I off for Spawn Inlet in Jim’s boat. Stopped at Wally’s for a few minutes. Flo away and Wally not too well. Eye gone, legs shaky. Not much left of our old buddy. Spike doing OK. Wife, kids and grandchildren to take care of him. He is approaching 77 - Wally 73. Fished enough on way home to pick up 7 walleyes. Tara caught two and was almost hysterical. Brad and Tim held fort at island. Good kids.

6/28/70 To town in a.m. to pick up shackles from George Esslinger. I forgot my Coast Guard troubles after hearing his. He has to change a day marker - and remove the concrete base! So far I have had nothing that bad happen to me. The Switzers and Hemstads here about 2 p.m. in Switzers’ new sail boat - a beauty. We took them on a tour of Dahlbergs, then on to Ober’s. Ober there - a very, very feeble old man. Back to our house to eat supper furnished by our company. A new switch for sure. At table, much good conversation. I commented that I thot Ober may have lived too long, but Hazel observed that he was still contributing to society in that many people loved to hear him talk. Maybe so, but surely he has had a bad go of it for some time now.

6/29/70 Layna to town before party to shop. Supposed to pick up Jim at bridge at 10 a.m. She came home without him. “Here we go again,” thinks I. It was unfounded. Jim waiting at Sportsman’s Service when we went in for party. Why in hell can’t I wait until something happens rather than worrying for nothing.

6/30/70 No serious problems on island. Bernice only one of crew who at times seems dissatisfied. She bitches very little, she does very little. Joan and Sue carrying the load, which bothers Bernice not at all. Timmy doing well as #1 dock boy. Fishing, especially the WE almost spectacular. Windy Island the best producer, altho other spot in Red Gut good enough. Bass very slow, altho some good ones brought in.

Special Data

Diet

March 11 - 187 X 41

May 1 180 X 39

June 6 170 X 38

July 1 167 X 37

Took off for Florida with a big gut and came home with a bigger one. 187# and a 41 inch waist for an all time high. I kidded myself for a while into believing that as long as I felt good - so what? Maybe it was the comments by square dancers that got to me. At any rate, both Layna and I tried a crash diet in March with the same old results. Quick loss, quick regain. I then decided to attack problem sensibly. I just plain cut down on all intake - food and drink. I also speeded up my exercising, which wasn’t hard to do once we were able to get to island. Results - I lost 20# in 3 lbs. months. Also 4 inches off my gut. Don’t know if I will lose more or not. I definitely plan to hold the line the rest of the summer.

7/1/70 Jim and I to town in boat and took fish into Gene Monahan. She is building a shack for her grandchildren. She really has stuff. Out for bass alone at 8 p.m. Not one goddamn strike. A beautiful bassy evening. Is it me or is it the damned fish? Starting our 42nd year on Rainy Lake.

7/2/70 Willie in town with sick baby so I took his boat with Jim White and Carl Anders. Jim never said a word, Carl never shut up.

7/3/70 We all went to Windy Island area for some very, very fast walleye fishing. A full limit by 11 a.m. Enough rain so that we almost hit for home. made a good decision and stayed. Rain held off for a full 1 ? hours while we cooked fish for shore lunch. We ate 30 of our small WE. Out again in p.m. and replaced them with better ones in about an hour. I never had it much better. We (11 men) caught almost 100 fish in 3 hours. It wasn’t any better in the “olden days”.