The Johnson Journals, Chapter 203

• Karen sets wedding date

• Don spends time with Owen and Margaret Miggins

• Byrne and his family visit

8/12/68 Byrne, Jane and kids here when we got to island at 3:30. A good evening followed. Their kids - all of them - are maturing rapidly. Etta a second mother to all, including her parents. Brad tries a little too hard to let us all know how superior he is but all in all I enjoy his company. Sheila is growing a new crop of hair and apparently has recovered from what it was that made her pull it out. A great little gal with a great big voice. Tara shows the most progress of all, probably because she has farther to go. There is much beauty and brains wrapped up in that little package. I like their parents too!

8/13/68 A unique day in the history of Norway Island. Neither Layna nor I stepped foot in a boat. We were alone on island and watched 3 - 4 foot waves pile in from NW. Water low enough so no damage done. Harry and Grace Davey along with Mr. & Mrs. Chuck Stubbs came sneaking around Keyes Island at noon in their new boat. A drink, short visit and off they went to find a calm bay and “one bass.” Byrne and Etta came shortly after. We made tentative plans to go out for dinner which fell through later because of wind.

8/14/68 A typical Indian Summer day - in the middle of August! I have always said that I like October the best of any month. This year we are getting it early. Byrne came over at 2 p.m. and we fixed top on Brian’s boat. We accomplishes something important but the real pleasure was working with Byrne. Nothing wrong with that head. Jane’s birthday so we took our kids to R.L. Lodge for dinner. At 8:30, as we finally got ready to leave, my sister, Beryl, called to say she was in Ranier. Some real scrambling but all well tonight. She looks good. Niece, Carol, is great. So is our family.

8/15/68 Karen called to say they had set Dec. 21 as wedding date. Goddamn but I am peed off tonight. Not a word concerning our plans, which we tentatively have built around a Mexican Christmas. Hall Templeton has asked us to be in Oregon in November. “Well to hell with that,” says our Karen.

8/17/68 Guests off for shore lunch at 8:30 so no one on island. Layna and I off for Hibbing at 11:30. Saw 3 hours of great parade before taking off for reunion of class of ’23. Many, many old faces (more ways than one). A great evening. My cousin-in-law, Don Mewhiney, a great jerk all his life, has not improved over the years. I am glad he settled in California. We had chance to drop in on old square dance group at Joe Cook’s for a few minutes. I hated everyone - they are dancing and we are not.

8/19/68 A memorable day in that I really got peed off at Bernice. At noon, Byrne and Jane and 4 kids came - just as bell rang for lunch. They said they had eaten a late breakfast. Jane to town with Layna and Byrne helped around place. Kids all here (Sheila fell in lake). Layna back at 5:45 to learn that table was set for crew but not for Byrne’s family! Christ but I was burned up. Layna had made reservations to fly to Mpls at 8:30 so too late for her to make supper. Byrne & family left. What a goddamn mess. I showed my feelings by not eating. Said Bernice, “Food’s on.” Said I, “I have lost my appetite.” This is not the end of this deal. I try to analyze my feelings and tell myself I am not mad, just confused. How could she possibly treat those 4 sweet kids like that, no matter how she feels or thinks? Took Layna to airport at 8 p.m. Home by 9. No Bernice. She is over at Dale’s spilling her guts. I hope she can’t get them back in.

8/20/68 Jim, Bumsey and I tore dock apart. Ran into some rotten timbers that has to be replaced. Well, it was built in 1950. No wonder it has some bad spots. Our lumber did not show from Mannila until 4:20. Jim and I went after it. He plans on staying on island for all of break. I think he considers this “home.” I hope so. We enjoy having him around.

8/21/68 Brian joined crew in a.m. and we all pitched in with a will on dock. We were finished by noon. A “gude yob” - one that would not have been done until next spring if we hadn’t had this break. Jim, Bumsey and I to see Lloyd’s “Museum” in Falls. A real treat. A small town boy had a dream and made it come true. Layna due in on midnight plane. I went down to house at 8:30. Felt pooped and napped off and on until time to meet her. We stayed at 265. Much talk, mostly about Karen and her plans.

8/22/68 At 4 p.m. I picked up Owen & Margaret Miggins with Bill and bride and on to NWI. We wined them, dined them and took them on a cruise on houseboat, landing them just at dark. This is something I have wanted to do since retiring. Owen was a good friend for many years who at different times must have been put off with me. He always was damned cooperative and I got a genuine glow at knowing he appreciated what we did today.

8/23/68 Byrne came over and I went over to help him on the Edwards dock. A pleasant afternoon. At 5 p.m. his family, Dale & girls came to NWI where we had a party for kids. Byrne and Jane packed up and plan to leave for Pittsburgh tomorrow. Buck joined group at 7:30. He has been on the go, go, go for some time. Karen home at 9:30. Good to have gang here if only for a short while.

8/24/68 It took most of morning to get Byrne’s family off for Pittsburgh. A minimum of confusion in contrast to other years. The kids are maturing - and so are their parents. They plan on driving straight thru. Well, not for me. Our weather, which has been mostly horrible all summer, took a turn for the worse after we picked up our guests at airport. Wind howling out of north, light rain (almost snow) and temperature in 40’s. Well, no fishing anyway.

8/26/68 Met Lt. Comdr. Fred Clausen at 8 a.m. and off for Kettle Falls. A get acquainted trip. It was this kind of a deal last fall with Mr. Hall that started all of our troubles. Now this guy is here to take a second look and maybe repair the damage.

8/27/68 Layna and I to Bob Monahan’s for a sauna. It is about 50 years since I took them at Buck Lake. I rather enjoyed it. For certain, I enjoyed the evening with the young Monahans. Good people.

8/28/68 Bob Faegre called to say that he and Whitmans due to rent houseboat for week beginning Sept. 15. He wants Bill, Gerry or me to guide. Maybe we will all be “too busy”. I have mixed emotions concerning those people. They treated us good while the Mando operated but they sure let the whole community down with their dealings with Boise Cascade. I try not to be to critical. Maybe there was small choice. Karen in stew over wedding date. Still wondering when Robin will get out. A bad kettle of fish - all this frustrating waiting.

8/29/68 Made quick run to town and ran into Irene MacKellar. She said Fred still in hospital and due to come out. What a helluva long siege he has had. Strike still on in Fort with no end in sight.

8/30/68 Layna’s second annual party at R.L. Lodge for her crew. A fun deal. We gave them a drink here and another at the Lodge. Hope our boys can take it.

8/31/68 To Nancy Burrocks wedding - and a big deal it was. A lot of pagan ritual mixed in with the pomp of the Catholic church. We were up and down a dozen times in the time it took the priest to get the wine drunk and the job done. The Seegerts home with us for lunch and then back to Country Club for reception. I don’t know who we should try to impress with a show like that. Hope we can keep Karen’s a bit more simple.

9/2/68 To see MacKellar at 7 p.m. He looks awful! There is an imbalance of fluid in his system. He looks 8 ? months pregnant. Spirits reasonably good but we left at 9:30 feeling that all was far from well.

9/5/68 Had chance to talk to Buck. Much cooking in their department. Deal almost made for Thomas’s house. Union Oil to furnish them a car. They sold old one. Strong indications that he will be #1 on island next summer - no Curtice! Now that is news - and good!

9/7/68 Back to island at 5 p.m. and in great rush to go to Island View Lodge to attend big do for Associated Press of Minnesota put on by Harry Davey. John Fery gave a good talk about BCC and their plans for area. Much about National Park.

9/8/68 Layna and I to Island View in houseboat. It developed that Buck could take everyone in his boat, 27 all told, and we joined the party. What a ship, and what a captain. Back to I.V. at 11 a.m. where Harry propositioned us to take the 5 remaining delegates for a ride after lunch. We agreed on condition that no word of pay was uttered then or ever. We had an interesting and interested group and had a great opportunity to talk National Park. Took 4 Catholics to church and as always have trouble analyzing the drive that makes people give up everything and go. A big day. Robin called Karen - coming home.

9/9/68 To town at 10:30 so I could see Sappington and Ed Johnson before they took off for Kenora with Harry Davey. A fun reunion. We had lunch together and off they went. Karen outlined her plans for a wedding, to take place in Duluth about Sept. 17 - 18. It made sense. We shall see.

9/10/68 Most beautiful day ever! The Coast Guard sent up new day markers last May and said a man would be along to put them up. Now they say I should do it. Bumsey and I replaced #10 today. We made 2 trips to town and 3 to island before we worked out a system but it went well. The rest should go much faster.

9/11/68 And another! Met Jay Hjortlands and Miami Margarine people at 2 p.m. A great group who truly love this area - and our set up. I took three women to end of Angling Island. Much to my amazement, I caught 3 big crappies! We added 4 WE to that for a good evening’s fishing. Good Lord, how we do appreciate and enjoy this beautiful weather.

9/12/68 And another! Said Bumsey to Layna in evening “The weather was good, the fishing great, the people wonderful - I don’t want any pay for today!” He came in with a full limit of WE and 8 bass - all good ones. I was pooped but extremely happy until finishing chores at dark to learn that Layna down in dumps. She would not explain and I got peed off enough to go to houseboat for a nap. When I returned at 10:30 I learned that Karen had called to say that wedding is off until next spring. NOW Layna has something worthwhile to feel sorry about.