The Johnson Journals, Chapter 194

•  Don watches the Rose Bowl

•  Don vacations to Mexico

•  Don visits museums in Minneapolis

12/23/67 To Davey's for dinner. Reverend Buechler and family, the Dwight Austins, Johnsons and Daveys. A gut buster feed put on by Grace about 6:30. No drinks, Sir! Donna Buechler played organ and we sang carols until 8:00.

12/24/67 Dick Niemi here about 4:30 to see Karen. He stayed until 7:00 to talk to the old folks. Most interesting. He has been in the Peace Corp. (in Africa) for two years. Much to tell about what he saw, thot and did. He feels the hot breath of the draft board on his neck and it is not pleasant.

12/25/67 Layna busy with Xmas preparations with the usual minimum of help from me. Everything well lined up by time guests arrive. Karen called about 2 p.m. Despite the fact that she sounded so happy, poor old Dad went into bedroom and bawled when she hung up. Still not sure if this indicates a soft head or a soft heart. A full house by 4 p.m. Irene Case, Dick & Joan Williams with family, Buck & Dale and family, Cliff & Lou for a total of 17. Harry and Grace stopped in for a couple drinks. A big deal. Crawford's 20# turkey, along with all the trimmings made a real “belly buster” of a meal. Everyone but Irene gone by 8 p.m. Harry Oveson came about 9:00 and we played the recording of Jim DiOnne. Very fitting as this was the first Xmas he missed in many years. I miss him, the old bastard.

12/28/67 To the Davey's for a cocktail party. About 40 people milling around - the top brass in the mill plus a number of other big wigs. We knew most of them and held our own. A most pleasant evening.

12/29/67 A bitter cold spell in the making and it is a good thing that these old folks don't have to go out and face it. I walk to Martin's every day for the paper - Dick Williams says that they used to have Jim DiOnne to worry about and now it is Don Johnson. On a morning like this I think of the hiking across the lake years ago and know damned well I could not do it now. So what? I dreamed in Spanish last night!

12/31/67 Took down all of our Xmas decorations. This season is almost over. To MacKellar's at 3 p.m. for cocktail party of about 40 people. All Canadian except the Johnsons, quite an honor. On to see Sammy & Toots at 5:30. They were fine. On to Seegerts at 7:00 to join Moes for New Year's Eve. We ate, drank and talked until 2:30. It is interesting how much we, as three different type couples, have in common.

1/1/68 Volume XXIII. A year ago I faced the future with a great deal of uncertainty. My houseboat far gone and I had no idea what would replace it. Many problems resolved and 1968 looks more stable. This Old Man is not fooled. We shall wait and see. The last of the holiday parties today. We have attended 12 in the past two weeks. Some we ate too much, some we drank too much, some we did both. My belly shows it. To Burrocks with Moes and Seegerts. The Villaltas there too. Had several Tom and Jerrys and finished it off with a couple Kahluas. Watched Rose Bowl which spoiled conversation but it was fun. Harry Davey propositioned me to write a weekly column for his paper. I am taking it on a trial basis.

1/2/68 Practically the full day spent in preparing for Mexico. We should be able to take off by Thursday. We are encountering many problems concerning what to take. A month from now we will know how good our judgment was. Watched a full hour commentary on TV. Eric Severiad, the monitor. Five top notch journalists on panel. The war in Vietnam got most attention. A helluva thing for a layman to listen to the experts disagreeing so violently. What are we to believe? Nothing, I guess.

1/3/68 Wrapped up the last odds and ends of preparation. We got $750.00 apiece of travelers checks. When they are gone, we will hit for home. To Buck’s in evening to say goodbye. We gave him a list of things to do, knowing damned well that they will be taken care of. A restless night, something like the night before duck season when I was a kid.

Quotes and highlights from 1968 vacation to Mexico.

Morris, MN: “ ---  a grand reunion with the LaFaves.  Much talk, most of it about our former hunting partners, Carl Harrison, Ed Hall, Marvin Krosch, Dr. Oliver, Al Schneider - all gone.”

Kennedy, TX: “Stayed all night with Sharon Judy [Wayne & Opal’s daughter] and Harry Simmerman.  A good deal.  We have known her well since high school days. We stayed away from Voyageurs Park talk. ”

Laredo, TX:  “Custom and Immigration building in a big barn of a place with about a 30 foot ceiling.  The only heat from a bunch  of small gas burners scattered around.  Had every one in there lit their cigarette lighters it would have helped as much.”

Zacatecas: “ --- a mining town from pre-colonial days.”

Guadalajara: “--- had a fine dinner and great service. Maybe it was because I told the waiter we were Canadians.”

Tlaquepaque: “The whole Mexican trip worthwhile from having watched glass blowers, especially one making a fish. Bueno!”

Barra de Navidad: “--- got a cottage and after an hour decided we could stay here forever. What a beautiful setting!”

“ --- caught 5 fish that looked and acted like our small mouth bass.”

“ --- car to get washed. The kid wanted 7 pesos, Black said 5 was enough, and we settled for 10. We are great bargainers!”

“Deep sea fishing We hooked 6 dorado. Layna landed a good one, about 35 pounds.”

“Saw 4 porpoises playing in bay. Not so sure now that I want to be reincarnated as a small mouth bass. Maybe a porpoise has more fun.”

“ --- to the Plaza in evening where we watched boys promenading one way and girls the other. Occasionally they paired off. We saw the results of 1966, 1965,1964, 1963, etc. All damned cute kids.”

“250 - 300 Air Stream trailers rolled into the area today. So far, we have not decided what we will do in the future. That is one thing we will not do.”

Manzanillo: “In a weak moment, I bought a pair of huaraches. They cost 18 pesos and tonight 1 peso will take them. If no offers made, I’ll give them away.”

Cuyutlan: “We met a Mr. and Mrs. Day from Baltimore. He showed considerable irritation with a Mexican bartender who was so dumb he couldn’t speak English. Oh, my dear countrymen!”

Mexico City: “To anthropology museum. We gave the Mexicans another million honor points in achievement.”

“ --- bought an Aztec calendar. Hope it holds together till we get home.”

“ --- bought another Spanish book. You need more study and practice, Johnson, not more books.”

Guanajusto: “This is the outstanding town of our travels - anywhere.”

Tucson, AZ: Visited Rainy Lake summer residents, Dan & Eileen Clark.  

Prescott, AZ: Visited Whitney & Rosalie Brown, former Falls residents and square dancers.

“MacFarland still writing for American Rifleman. Did not seem very sad when we told him about Jim DiOnne’s passing. He must have heard that Jim said he was a pee poor gunsmith.”

Albuquerque, NM: “We pulled up behind a Minnesota car from our district before we were out of town. We passed them and learned it was Barney and Toody Jensen from the Falls. We had coffee with them about 100 miles down the road.”

Sheldon, IA: “A small motel in a small town but entirely adequate - for $6.00 - the least yet.”

2/29/68 Slept in until 8 a.m. An easy trip to Sally’s arriving at 2:30 p.m. A grand reunion. Much to talk about both ways. Sally is positively beautiful - and a lot of it comes from within. What a gal we raised! The kids home from school and we learned that Nancy is getting over much of her shyness. Jimmy great. Little John full of hell. Jim from work at 6:30 to fill out this fine family. A joy to be with.

3/1/68 Layna, Sally and I (and John) to St. Paul to get tickets for Enrico IV. I am looking forward to this one. Spent an hour in museum and as usual, left knowing it could have been ten. The roller busted on their sliding door. We have it out. Now what? Took family out for dinner. Good. Hurried to make it to Howard Nissi’s by 8:30. Gloria and Jim there. Nissi assured us that ADM plans a big summer and fully intend to help us on the taxes. Back to Nissi’s’ for lunch and back to Sally’s at 3:30. What a day!

3/2/68 At 7:30 off to see Enrico IV in St. Paul. A great show. Sally and Jim fine companions. Met John and Florence Faegre in theater lobby. Had a good chat, much of it pure bull as happens every time John and I get together. I told him that Layna caught a 140 pound sailfish, which made him gasp.

3/3/68 Left Sally’s by 9 a.m. Off for home, stopping at Mildred’s and Ina’s. All well there. Pulled into our yard at 6:30. To Buck’s where we chewed rag for an hour or so. All well there. Back to our own diggings. What a relief to find everything very much as we left it. Even the mail did not contain anything very alarming. Thus ended our greatest, longest vacation. Gone two months, drove 7662 miles (the 62 by me) without a sour note of any kind, neither from people nor equipment. Some of this the result of good planning, much just plain luck! I am too fat.

3/4/68 We unpacked the car! Many, many articles taken out had never been touched in 60 days. Well, we took them along “just in case” and as it turned out, we did not need them. With fear and trembling I called MacKellar. I was greatly relieved to learn that he was still among the living and in fact sounded well and happy. To Spanish class in evening. Think I am going to get much out of this one. Karen called. She is in hospital in NH with a severe infection. Not at all happy. She may be home soon and I face this with mixed emotions. Is she really lacking in stick-to-it-ivness or has she landed in an intolerable situation?

3/5/68 Karen called in a.m. to say that situation had worsened and she wanted to come home. We went to town and sent her $125.00. All not well with our child. Will know more about this later.

3/6/68 Took off in Arctic Cat and out on lake. It was covered with sharp drifts, hard as rock, which made traveling rather difficult. Much relieved to arrive at island and find everything as we had left it. On way home decided to leave Cat at Bernice’s. I was almost in her yard when I got stuck in soft snow. There it sits now. Layna came after me and I went home to write column for Harry Davey on Mexico. It went well after I got warmed up.

3/7/68 Up at 6:30 so I could polish off my “Rainy River Reflections” and get it in to Harry by 10:00. Did. We began to worry about not hearing from Karen and were about to call NH when she called to say she was in Duluth. Will be home Sunday p.m. This could develop into a good deal for all concerned - and it could be a mess. Well, we will face it as part of our lives, one way or the other.