Johnson Journals part 115

1/3/76 Karen and Robin left at 9:30, taking Little Chris with them. We will miss them all, but mostly Chris - a real gem. Jayme stopped for short visit - another gem (our family is full of them!). To see Judys in p.m. Much talk with Wayne but nothing accomplished. Said Layna when we got in car “I feel that we should just drive away and never go back.” We agreed that we just couldn’t do that - but what?

1/5/76 Started Richard Adams’ Shardik. It promises to be as good, or better, than his Watership Down. Sharon Judy called. All quiet on that front at the moment. Said she “This fighting has been going on for 51 years. You have been lucky to miss it at its worst.”

1/6/76 Layna began tearing into old boxes, bags and trunks to clean up basement. She got deep in memorabilia and I soon joined her. I got stuck on the pictures and letters - some of them written in 1925. A masterpiece of ten pages from Buck telling of their trek to Oregon in 1949. A letter from Sally to Byrne, full of sisterly advice. I could go on and on, my head is full. Are we living in the past? If so, it is fun!

1/7/75 30o below. Cold and windy - wind chill factor this a.m. was 56o below. Wow! Buck called to say he would pick us up for meeting and we went at 7:30. It was called by Minnesota Highway Dept., a follow up of the last August meeting on improvement of Black Bay Road. Maybe I am old and naïve but came away with feeling that they are well aware of the beauty of that area and will do all possible to preserve it. A bunch of hot heads, Carl Brown, Vic Davis and Jim McCarthy very vociferous but cooler heads prevailed.

1/8/76 Still reading Shardik. I am not quite as involved as with Watership Down. Layna to RLWC in evening. Her heart is not in it.

1/9/76 To Pickle Barrel Pub for dinner at 8:00. We put up with a tough steak and greasy chicken knowing that at 9:00 Johnny DeShaw would start playing the piano, and we could sing. It was fun early but the place soon filled with people more interested in shouting at one another than singing. We had enough of it by 10:30.

1/10/76 To Judys in a.m. Everything going smoothly enough. We had coffee and chewed the rag for 1 ½ hours. Peetsie good company. She has her parents on a fairly even keel - at least for time being.

1/11/76 Jim Kimball’s column today was devoted to the use of wood as a fuel. If I keep my health for a few more years and the damned fuel oil keeps rising, I may put in a wood furnace and log off the south 40. (Only a dream!) I finished the toy box for Christopher Robin, even gave it a priming coat. It looks good, maybe my best effort in wood working - at least since we built the house.

1/12/76 We have had “light snow” for the past few days with a total accumulation of about 2 ½ inches. To quote Buck “There is not enough to start the blower for and too much to leave on the ground.” I answered that by shoveling the whole darn driveway. The Judys took Layna, me and Fred Boeckh to the Rendezvous for dinner. All in all very pleasant.

1/13/76 Buck picked me up at 7:00 p.m. and off for Coast Guard Auxiliary meeting. I ended up by accepting job of teaching class next spring. I’ll be sorry! No one but Buck could talk me into a deal like that. Cliff to Esox (without me) and Lou out for drinks and dinner. She is less opinionated as she gets older and we enjoy her company. Maybe we are getting more tolerant.

1/14/76 Every day we somehow work into the subject where we will go this winter. It is difficult to make a decision when we are so comfortable here. Took a hike on snowshoes south of house. Snow soft and deep. Exhilarating. Started to read Centennial.

1/17/75 Off for Duluth at 12:15. A pleasant 3 hour trip. By 3:30 Robin, Jayme and I for hike on Park Point. Walked from small airport to old navigation light - about 4 miles round trip. Invigorating. On way home, Robin took ice at newly plowed speedway - about a two mile run where he had VW near wide open. Exciting. Much comment about the toy box - even Chris was thrilled. A birthday dinner for Robin - Holidays, Helds and Robison. A good group, enjoyed food, drink and talk. Fun!

1/18/76 Super Bowl day and we left Duluth at 9:10 so we could get to Sally & Jim’s in time to watch it. Did. The favorite, Pittsburgh, won over Dallas 21 - 17, but not before they had a few darn good scares, including a last minute flurry. A good game, even without the Vikings. Sally, Jim, Layna and I sat for an hour discussing Byrne’s family problems. A mess!

1/19/76 I bought Sylvia Porter’s Money Book. Hope I learn enough from it to get back the $16.00 I paid for it. Sally, Jim, Layna and I to Red Lobster for sea food dinner. Layna treating on her social security. An interesting place.

1/20/76 The Raymans picked us up at 7:00 p.m. and off for the Guthrie Theater where we saw Private Lives by Noel Coward. Excellent! On to Lincoln Dells where we had the poorest Margaritas of all time but followed by a superb cheese cake which evened thing up. Much talk about Mexico but we gave them no definite answer. I’ll bet they wish that we could make up our minds.

1/21/76 Sally, Layna and I to Fridley to visit John and Dorothea Rosenberger. Dorothea and I were in kindergarten together in 1912 and thru the 6th grade when I went to Buck Lake. John and I played football together in 1921. Much of conversation like this “What do you know about so and so?” - “He’s dead.” - “Too bad, how about so and so?” - “He’s in bad shape!” - on and on. Well, there were four of us left in fair condition.

1/22/76 Said goodbye to Jernbergs at 9:10. It had been a good stay. Off for Brainerd arriving at 12:30. The welcome mat out at the Daveys. We joined the Kimballs for dinner in Deerwood. We received no Xmas card from them and a bit apprehensive that something may be wrong in our relationship. Our warm reception dispelled all that.

1/23/76 Talk, talk, talk, read, read, read, eat, eat, eat, drink, drink, drink. An hour’s sightseeing - what a fine way to spend a day.

1/24/76 Much talk about wolf controversy. The Federal Fish and Wildlife are considering making a giant refuge for timber wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The report said that if there are not enough deer to feed the wolves they will shut off the season for hunters. That stirred up a howl.

1/25/76 Much kidding about fact that our 3 days (when guests began to smell bad) were up at 12:30. We took off by 10:00 a.m. What a good visit we had! Saw wolf near Big Falls. To Judys by 2:30 and found them in fine fettle. They invited us for dinner. Home for couple of hours and back to find Opal had cooked ducks - from 1972. It was their last in freezer with small chance of ever having more.

1/26/76 Started old “Look” diet. We are both fat and out of condition.. Checked our finances against last year and found we are doing well, despite inflation.

1/27/76 Layna to town and I outdoors for some fresh air and exercise. Shoveled snow, including path to woodpile. Filled wood box, then took off for hike. Made the loop - about 2 miles. Felt good, altho badly out of shape. Read from Money Book. Much good information. Hope I can assimilate some of it.