Johnson Journals part 279

10/17/73 No pep. Think my back is main contributor to my feeling of frustration. Layna says we need to take vitamins.

10/18/73 To Buck’s in a.m. to check on his progress. He is putting in a Franklin stove and doing his usual good job. Has built the chimney and ready to do actual installation. A beautiful day. I bought a couple dozen minnows and hit for island at 12:30. A non-productive, altho interesting p.m. followed. Fished hard for couple of hours without a nibble. Hunted partridge on Edward’s island - nothing. Ran into a few bays looking for ducks. NONE. Spent last hour before dark waiting for a deer on Deer Island. NOTHING. Sure would hate to be living off land nowadays. Back somewhat better.

10/19/73 Wrote to Gil and Jean Edwards. Not fun. How do you tell someone that his grandchildren have given you all the details of his illness and it is all bad? I didn’t, just wrote a newsy note, touched on Byrne & Jane’s troubles and let them know that we were thinking about them.

10/19/73 Harry and I off for Big Fork River at noon, Two canoes atop his car. Bern’s son-in-law, Art Blair and his friend Jim to join us there. We launched canoes and discovered that we had a mighty strong current to contend with. It took us about 2 hours to get 1 ½ miles upstream. We anchored and fished as we worked our way. Not a single strike. The return trip was a breeze. We never touched our paddles until time to land. A beautiful day to be “cruising down the river.” Home to clean up and out to Bernice’s. Leon, Ila, Buck, Dale & Avis there. Much reminiscing about days at Sprague Island - almost 20 years ago. I contributed little but a good listener. We sang, too. Fun. Home at 1:00 a.m.

10/22/73 Cliff and I to Black Bay via NWI at 2:00. We did a few chores around camp and out in woods by 4:00. Sat until dark. No game. A good gabfest in evening. We have much in common and little that we argue over. Talked about politics, money, retirement, hunting, fishing, health, sports - all pleasant.

10/23/73 Out at daylight. Cliff to his “butcher shop”, me to my runway at end of meadow. Both armed with shotguns - too fool wardens. At 8:30 I heard shot from Cliff. An hour later I went over and found that he had killed a big doe. On way over, I jumped a doe but couldn’t get a shot. We cleaned out deer and hung it to drain. At dark, we dragged out deer and hauled it to NWI where we hung it in fish house. A good stroke of business.

10/24/73 Out to Buck’s at 3:00 and we went to island. Pulled out Larson and brought 33 hp Evinrude to town. Only one boat left in water - SAD. Letter from Murphy. We will sail from St. Louis about Nov. 6. Good.

10/25/73 We did it again - another wild duck chase. Wayne, Opal and I off for One Sided lake at 7:00. Rumor had it that there were a few bluebills there. When we came to the mouth of Log river we saw a couple of hunters picking up decoys. One was Frank MacKibbage - “No birds,” said he. We ran down the creek and set out decoys and got 2 butterballs and a fish duck. Kee Rist, ain’t it awful! Home by 3:00. Layna came after me. We (Judy & I) set out the decoys in the same place where the Floback’s, Johnsons and Judys hunted about 10 years ago. At that time we quit after shooting a two day limit. “Those were the days, my friend, we thought they’d never end!”

10/26/73 Byrne called, about 2:30. George Ray had told him we were due in Chicago about Sunday the 4th. He seemed eager to see us. All is not well with our younger son. Jane still alone in Pittsburgh. He is making an effort to pull family back together but it has been a struggle. We will see him either going to or coming from St. Louis. Gene here for dinner. Much to talk about Ted Hall’s Rainy Lake Chronicle - Sounds mighty interesting. Buck finished installing his Franklin stove. A gude yob!

10/27/73 Harry Davey and Robin showed up at 9:15 and off for hunt up lake. Robin got a rabbit - first one I’ve seen in years. A pleasant - tho non-productive day. We ate lunch in guides room at NWI. It was a new experience for Harry to go island hopping hunting. About the rabbit. Now that I have almost finished the poorest hunting season in memory, I think back. No regrets as to deer and ducks but ain’t it a shame that we can’t even find a lowly rabbit?

10/28/73 Robin, Gene, Layna and I to Daveys in a.m. Robin interested in buying a piece of farm land and Harry might be interested to sell. Robin, Layna and I to Buck & Dale’s for dinner. Dale has had good training as a cook from mother and mother-in-law and shows it. A fine meal. Robin and Jayme left for Duluth about 5:30. We chewed rag until about 8:00. A good visit with Timmy and Buck while women sat in kitchen. Franklin stove performed beautifully and Buck is justly proud of his job. Karen in Moorhead but no direct discussion on that score with Robin. We have the feeling that the relationship is somewhat better lately.

10/29/73 Much indecision in my old head concerning hunting. We plan to leave here Saturday. Deer season in Minnesota opens Thursday. If I get a deer on Friday, how would I take care of it. The hell with deer hunting. To island. The 30 ducks that the Rahms have been feeding all summer were gathered around Buck’s dock to see me off. I invited them to NWI but none showed up while I was there.

10/31/73 Like an old fire horse responding to the bell, I couldn’t see this day pass without positive action. The last day to buy a deer license and I got one. It is good for 2 days. Times have changed. I shot my first deer at age 13 and haven’t missed getting one any year since. I am sure that this has been recorded annually in these books. Somehow it isn’t as important as it once was. What is?

11/1/73 Cliff & Leonard on time - 7:00 a.m. An hour later I was on blueberry ridge east of Cliff’s shack and had chance at huge buck. Another 3 seconds, I would have had him. Had good talk with Leonard out in woods. He is a bit peed off at Cliff’s selfishness. I tried to smooth things over but it is rather difficult when I know damned well that he is right. A perfect day to be hunting and I got the fever. Decided to hunt another day. When I ran over to Sha-Sha at 7:30 to tell Layna, she said we were due in St. Louis at Sunday noon! That settled it. Home to make final preparations for trip down river.

11/2/73 Rod Helsing called. Said there had been a mix-up on scheduling and we would possibly have to pick up our boat at Memphis. What a goddamned miserable shock! He said to stand by and he would call before noon. Layna almost in tears, me miserable. It only lasted for a couple of hours. He called back to say they had worked out a deal with another company - Valley Barge Line - and we would still sail from St. Louis. HURRAH! Lunch, champagne at Daveys and on road by 1:30.

11/3/73 Left Chippewa Falls at 7:30. Arrived Downers Grove 2:00. No problems. Ardys in fine fettle. George in soon after – he, too, excited about trip. Talked to Byrne and he wanted us to come in to Chicago. “No way, you come out here” - and he did, bringing Brad and Sheila with him. A good group but too many people for a good talk with Byrne. I did learn that deal with Jane far from satisfactory. We will learn more when we see them on way back.

11/4/73 I was a little apprehensive about finding Murphys but got a map of St. Louis and we had no problem. Arrived at 12:10. Dick and Nancy seemed genuinely happy to see us. A bloody Mary, good talk and at 1:30 Mike O’Daniel picked us up. Our boat, the Rita Barta, a little late. We toured the interesting waterfront, had a drink on the Robert E. Lee and boarded our boat at 3:30. Thrilled, by God! This trip has been 4 years in the making and I didn’t believe it was true until we stepped aboard. Poor Grace! All of us a bit overwhelmed by it all. Accommodations great. Friendly captain and crew. Good food. Liquor free. What more could you ask?