Johnson Journals part 233

10/16/70 Off for Falls by 11 a.m. Stopped at Red Lake to give goose to Chief Roger Jourdain. A good piece of public relations on George’s part. All well at home. Layna and I to Dr. Walter’s office at 2:30 and got out at 5:00. Layna’s blood pressure good. My pee pressure getting better. No worries at the moment. To dinner at Island View with Harry and the Belangers. Very pleasant.

10/17/70 To island early to check boats and pick up fishing tackle. At 11:30 Layna and I to Davey’s where we picked up Harry & Maude Will. A memorable day followed. Not a damn keeper of any kind caught altho we were hard at it from 1 p.m. to 5:30. On to Fort where Harry bought prepared fried chicken. On to his house for supper and 3 games of cribbage. Maude is definitely our kind of gal. Many, many good laughs during day. She, and Harry, have both had same severe blows at the hands of fate. Hope they can help one another recover. We would like to do our share too.

10/19/70 Indian Summer. Called George Finstad at 8:00 a.m. “How about houseboat?”. He said no action until Dr. Walter got his out. A frustrating morning but at noon he called to say all set. Layna and I to island and I had boat to Finstads at 2:00 p.m. No Dr. Walter! He came about 2:15. Buck and Cliff Blais to help. By 3:30 we had Walter’s boat out of way and ours out of water. By 5:30 it was blocked up and I said “How about Remer’s boat?” Away went Elmer and me with Clara to Rainy Lake Lodge and by 6:45 we had the Missabe up on ways. A great rush to get home, change clothes, eat and get to Spanish class by 7:30. Layna signed up, too. This looks good.

10/20/70 Off for NW Bay with Judys at 10:30. Everyone in good mood, full of anticipation because of good hunting reports. Well, it wasn’t that good and the Judys quite flabbergasted. We got a total of 7 but a lot of running to do it. Beautiful weather and I thoroly enjoyed being out. Not so much the others.

10/22/70 To town by 4:30. A total of 36 ducks and 4 partridge. I thot it pretty good but not my hosts.

10/23/70 To island early to pick up tools to take to Duluth. Picked up Karen at her school in Superior. She looks great! On to their house, Robin in soon after. Much talking and planning. They have a big job ahead of them - and we will help. It is hard to describe the warm feeling we have for those kids.

10/24/70 Robin and Karen’s 65 year old house shows it age as much as I do. Much to be done, and hard to set a starting point. They have already done a good stroke of work on their own bedroom - altho the damned Styrofoam cups keep falling off the ceiling!

PS What a helluva job to get carpenter work done with few tools. No nails except what we pulled out of old boards. We ripped the full length of the door with a 12 point crosscut saw! To see Catch 22. A far out movie from our old standards.

10/25/70 Rain stopped but cloudy and cool. We took a walk down beach, picking up small pieces of driftwood. Fun. Hundreds of mallard ducks on bay side of point. After lunch to Goldfines where I bought a rip saw for Robin and Layna a broom & dustpan. Said we “If we are to help, we need good tools.” Robin and I closed in closet in hall. Much measuring and planning in kitchen. I am committed to do one helluva lot of work.

10/26/70 I played with idea of bypassing Coast Guard but my better judgment said I should see Lt. Banen. Glad I did. Looks like we did something about my contract for marker #36. Also retirement. Met the new Chief - Mr. Coe, and he gave me a full tour of cutter Woodrush. Very, very interesting. Left Duluth about 11:30. To Falls at 2:30 to sit in Dr. Walter’s office until 5:30. Some consolation in having him tell me that my infection had healed up, a hormone shot for prostate and he turned me loose. One disturbing note in my mind. Banen did not seem as receptive to idea of Buck replacing me as I thot he should. I have felt for years that we had a family deal going, right on to third generation possibly. Maybe I did not read him right.

10/27/70 At 8:00 Buck, Cliff Blais and I took off. Still raining. A wet, cold, miserable but productive day followed. Fought wind, first from SE then SW all day. We kept at it despite all this and arrived at Christianson’s cabin at 4:30. Cold! A big fire in wood stove, 2 hot drinks, a bowl of chili and troubles forgotten. Blais and Buck made a great team.

10/28/70 Raining hard when we got up at daylight. Damn! At 8:00 we were off for Kettle River. By 10:15 we were back at cabin. A good lunch, cleaned cabin, put on all the clothes we had on us and off for home. Lake rough. West wind. Rain stopped. We pulled the 8 buoys we left yesterday and got to landing at 4:30. What a great stroke of business under mighty trying circumstances.

10/29/70 To island with Buck at 8:30. Jim Banks there. We pulled out big Cadillac then helped Buck anchor his dock. Decided to make try for deer. Drove Dahlbergs, Camp Island - no soap. Back to town by 3:00 p.m. where we borrowed rowboat from Finstad and pulled last buoy. Had coffee with George and Clara. She is nuts! Home for lunch with George Williams and off for Red Lake by 5:30. Uneventful trip. Willie says ducks are gone. I believe him.

10/31/70 About 4 inches of wet snow on ground when alarm went off at 5:30. I reported same to George and we, using rare good judgment for us, went back to bed. A few ducks around and we borrowed someone’s boat and set up decoys. Poor. We finally got 7 ducks. Ducks refused to decoy. Don’t blame them. All set to slaughter the birds tomorrow. Not me. I am going home. Big feed put on by Murphy. All processed foods.

11/1/70 Home at 10:30. Glad to see Layna. George to church - I told him that he would never live long enough to make restitution for his sins but he has the Catholic happy philosophy that all will be well by going to mass.

11/2/70 Joan here at 5:30 to study Spanish before going to class. She is having a helluva time and considers quitting. I think we can keep her in the fold a bit more. Why is it that we all hate to show our ignorance when in reality that is what we have the most of. Layna getting along great - gaining confidence by the minute. Me - I am ahead of most of class - and why not? I have spent more time on it than Mrs. Turrene.

11/3/70 To see Dennis Nelson of the Social Security Office. My status looks good but he says Layna has not been self employed all these years. What a damned mess that will be if he is right - and he admits he could be. More of this later, I am sure. Election day. We voted in Ranier and by 9 p.m. learned that our Republican candidates were swamped 3 - 1 in that precinct.

11/4/70 Final election returns in and our Republicans did not do too hot. Ted Kennedy, in his victory speech, said he was for peace and got a great ovation. Now wasn’t that something? Harry and Maude Will out for duck dinner. Played cards until 10:30. First in a long time. A very pleasant evening.

11/5/70 Started floor cabinet after lunch and kept right at it until 10:30. Should have job completed tomorrow, if I don’t make too many boners. Layna invited by Lou Moe to have lunch with her at Holiday Inn. I am glad she (Layna) is getting some recognition from Lou for all the Scotch she has drunk here!

11/6/70 I put the finishing touches on the two cabinets for Karen - not without making the boner I always fear. It was ever thus. When I built the boat at camp, on numerous jobs at Dahlbergs, at the island, when I built this house, always I have the specter in back of my mind. When will I goof? Today I cut (after carefully measuring) the metal patented drawer slide too short. It necessitated making several back up changes including rebuilding the drawer. Goddamn. I almost blew a fuse. Layna calm thru it all although she was on thin ice when she mildly told me to relax. Well, it all looks great now.

11/7/70 Kept busy around house all morning but my thoughts were up lake. To Sandpoint, my old hunting grounds. Hunted Fawn Point. Some signs but saw nothing. It was getting dusk when I pulled into our island. Had to mix gas. I looked over to Iceslide Island and to my amazement saw two deer swimming from there toward Garbage Island. I took off and caught up with the big buck and shot him with 20 gauge. I let the doe go. I hooked onto buck and towed him back to island. For life of me I could not pull him up on low dock. Decided to go for help. Had supper with Buck & boys and on to our place. We dragged deer out, gutted it and hung it in fish house. How about that for a great stroke of business? Kept my string, started when I was 13 years old, unbroken.