Johnson Journals part 286

3/16/74 Wrote to George and Maria. Somehow my heart was not in it. Did my talk with Shuff yesterday dampen my ardor for Mexico? Have we already reached the stage where we think only in terms of what “used to be?” At any rate, we have been extremely happy in our little home this winter. Some people might say it is a bad sign.

3/17/74 Harry and I off for Manitou Rapids about 1:45. There was a fair path down to the river but it was a new experience to stand knee deep in snow along the bank and cast out. On to Harry’s farm on Big Fork. He has sold it to Larry Crandall who was there working like mad with wife and his parents. Well, it will take a lot of work and I am glad it is not Karen and Robin doing it.

3/18/74 The Watergate mess gets worse and worse and this is the first time I am beginning to worry that the news media is going to be successful in their efforts to “get” Nixon. Did something about it. We sent $10 to “Americans for the Presidency, Inc.,” an organization to help Nixon. Read Florence Page Jacques’ book Canoe Country. Liked it a lot better than first time about 30 years ago. Maybe I’m not so critical now.

3/19/74 I have put off doing the income tax long enough so dug into it today. Made good progress. Was sorely tempted to forget about the $771 interest that we collected from cashing our US saving certificates last January but lost my guts. A combination of honesty and fear (mostly the later) made me declare it. To see Chariot of the Gods. It followed the book closely. An outstanding job of presenting one side of a controversial subject. I am not convinced - but I’m thinking.

3/20/74 Layna to Weight Watchers for second meeting. She left rather dejectedly but came buoyed up by fact she had lost 2 ½ pounds. We will stay with it.

3/21/74 In looking for material for Superior talk, I ran across old Dawson Report (in French) containing set of old maps. Fascinating. It will take some doing to get this lecture where I want it by next Thursday. After dinner, Harry called to say they were celebrating the unveiling of a Judy Blais picture that he bought for Bern. We went in and it was worth it. Beautiful!

3/22/74 I read all of Sig Olson’s Open Horizons. Our early experiences much alike and I leaned positively, what I suspected for many years, that our paths crossed near Buck Lake about 1918. What a man he developed into! His academic background, geology, biology, zoology, botany sharpened an already keen sense of awareness and appreciation to make him tops in his field. I have disagreed with some of his preservationist views for many years but now I am wondering. Had I met him to preach me conservation instead of the ranting of Oberholtzer, I would have had a different perspective - and a different life.

3/23/74 We have heated house comfortably for past month with one burner on furnace plus fireplace. It was 54o in house when I got up at 7:30. I built a roaring fire in fireplace and lit other burner. It took until noon to get the place comfortable. When Layna says “I don’t know where the winter went” I can answer “it ain’t went!” A perfect time to read, and read I did. Almost finished Sig Olson’s Lonely Land. My admiration increases. Peggy and John Lynch stopped in. Peggy 3 days out of hospital after giving birth to a 5 ½ pound baby. It was rushed to Duluth by ambulance because of a respiratory defect but they say it is getting along now. John described the elaborate laboratory techniques and equipment at St. Mary’s to keep this little one’s body and soul together. A paradox in a land of legal abortion.

3/24/74 Another cold day. The natives are getting restless. Jayme and Lisa here about 2:30. Layna helped Jayme make case for his mouth organ and much good talk as job progressed. Norman and Vi Seegert stopped in at 7:30. They were on their way to see Last Tango in Paris at 9:30. A good visit. When the time came to leave, we impulsively decided to go along. What a goddamn sordid experience. I tell myself that I am broad minded but this was sickening. Poor young people exposed to such rot!

3/25/74 Made application for drivers license and learned I can still see. On to Judys’ to finalize plans for tomorrow’s fishing trip. Not much to do, he has it organized. What a guy!

3/26/74 It was 3o below and a light wind blowing when Buck picked me up at 8:15. It would have been easy to say “Let’s put off this trip until it warms up.” We both hated to disappoint Wayne who has been planning for a month despite his poor eyesight. He had everything packed and off we went. A very pleasant day followed. Wayne unable to get minnow on hook and couldn’t see to get line back thru hole. He saw the bobbers go down a few times and landed 2 crappies. I think he was happy.

3/27/74 168 X 38. I worked practically all day on my Superior talk. I am about as ready as I’ll ever be altho I still have a few qualms. Cliff and Lou stopped in at 5:00 for a farewell drink. They are off for Florida on Sunday. Cliff wants to take two lake trout with them because fish is 3 or 4 dollars a pound in Florida!

3/28/74 To Park Point by 2:30. Dick Nelson and Chris picked us up soon after. Robin came along and off for Superior. Karen there. The lecture started at 4:00 sharp as per schedule. Some cotton in my mouth. Karen must have sensed it because she brought me a glass of water. That settled me down and I talked steady for 35 minutes. Later answered questions and discussed books. All in all a gratifying experience. To dinner with Nelsons and Monahans. They said enough to let me know I had done a good job.

3/29/74 A mixture of snow and rain coming down as we left Duluth at 9:30. Fog, too. We got home at 2:30 and heavy snow began soon after. Called Dale, Harry and Wayne. They all seemed happy that we got home safely despite travelers warnings on radio. So were we..

3/30/74 Last January we told people we were going to stay home this winter and sort our pictures. Today I worked on it about 3 hours and now it is very evident that we will have to stay home next year, too, if we want to get the job done. We went to Bob Hilke’s to see slides of his trip to Nueltin Lake with Ober in 1963. Gene Monahan, her friend and Senior Hilkes there. He then showed some of Turtle River. Brought back memories of my time there with Ober in 1940. After showing we had lunch, sitting around table. We carefully avoided two controversial subjects where we were in the minority. The Hilkes, both generations, are serving an injunction on Frank Bohman to prevent him from making marina. Gene is very unhappy with the relationship between Harry Davey and Ted Hall. She said a few things that would not have gone undisputed in our house, but we were guests of Bob’s and felt obliged to avoid an argument - or was it cowardice?

3/31/74 Last night at Hilkes, Gene said that Harry was instrumental in stopping Christianson from helping Ted Hall. I got Harry’s version out of him which was considerably different. I was flattered that Ted Hall reprinted my article on John Erickson in today’s Rainy Lake Chronicle.

4/1/74 Put in practically a full day sorting slides. I have literally thousands of them. Didn’t finish job but ended up with 140 beauties to show at Al Holt’s tomorrow.

4/2/74 Layna drove me out to hospital where I visited with Dick Secrist who has had his prostate taken care of. Learned that Frank Johnson was across hall so dropped in on him. He had cut his foot badly while helping Johnny Kulokoski put up ice. Marvin Bolstad picked me up at 7:00 and off for Al Holt’s where I showed Rainy lake slides to Men’s Garden Club. They were well received. Byrne called for an early “Happy Birthday!” His situation with Jane unchanged.