9/22/74 Built fire in new stove in backroom. Read instructions carefully first and was amazed to read #10. “Caution! - do not touch the heater until it has cooled!” Much activity around NWI preparing for tonight’s dinner. My duties, as usual, minor compared with Layna’s. All set by 4:00 p.m. when I took Starcraft to dock and picked up Daveys and Bern Minter. Secrists, Buck & Dale, the Lynches and Les Cleveland arrived on own power. A good group. Not too much drinking, plenty of good eating. Fun conversation. All in all a fitting end to the 1974 social season on R. Lake.
9/23/74 Wayne called to say they wanted to go to Footprint Lake and close up Robin’s Nest tomorrow. I agreed to go along. It will be an overnight deal. Layna not concerned about staying alone on NWI. Wrote long letter to Osbergs. Many happy memories flashed thru my mind as I did it.
9/24/74 I called George Williams in Minneapolis to say we had agreed to accept his invitation to be in San Miguel for Xmas. Didn’t tell him how much soul searching I had done before reaching the decision. Opal picked me up at 9:30 and we stopped for Wayne and off for Footprint. Did a little pickup around cabin and sun came out about 5:00. Wayne and I out for an hour and I caught a 6# jack. Home for drink, supper, 3 games of dominoes. Wayne could see spots!
9/25/74 Opal froze out at 6:30 so all hands up after she built fire. Much scurrying around getting place put away for winter. Much excitement when Wayne and I were to butcher my jackfish and it flopped off dock. A good laugh all around. Back to Falls by 1:00. Layna picked me up and on to island. Our pictures back from Vancouver trip. Not spectacular. To Amidons for cocktails at 4:30. We stayed until 7:00. What great company they are!
9/26/74 A warm, clear day, temperature in 70’s. We made good use of it. First ran over to inspect Buck’s development. They are doing well, but much to be done. Home to really get at job of putting island away. Layna cleaned and packed then cleaned and packed some more. I pulled out Starcraft single handed. Just as we sat down to eat last of my 18# jackfish, Dave & Jill Austin pulled in. We are glad to see them anytime. Little Heidi put on quite a show, even went to potty. What a fuss we make over our natural functions! They left at dark. Good kids, we are proud they make an effort to come see us.
9/27/74 Indian summer gone! Strong N. Wind - 44o when I got up at 7:30. Yesterday’s sunshine gone. Layna came down to help me and we covered Starcraft. Last year’s material under big cabin and I hauled it by boat. I hauled a big load of stuff to 265. To dinner at Thunderbird with Harry & Bern. They told us that Dr. Walter is buying their house. They will move to Brainerd where they are building. We will miss them.
9/28/74 To Bern Minter’s house at 10:00 a.m. She has asked me to reroute filler line and vent pipe for her oil tank. Considerable fooling around but made it. She definitely has a serious complex about building on her house - maybe she is nuts - but who is to say? “We are all daft.” Home about 3:00 to drain plumbing at big cabin. Put much stuff away. Layna almost done packing. She must be bushed.
9/29/74 Due to be at Moes at 1:00 p.m. to watch football game. Scurried around island and got two loads of stuff hauled before going there. Raining hard the second trip. A good visit with Cliff and Lou during and after game. Cliff and I full of plans for hunting deer at Black Bay.
9/30/74. A terrific NW wind threatened to blow our Happy Shack off the island during the night. Snow flurries in early morning, temperature in 30’s. Time to move off island, for sure. Layna cleaned main cabin and our cabin and packed all loose ends. I finished draining plumbing. We won’t know how thorough I was until I hook it up next spring. Wayne called to say he had some magazines and stuff for me. I went in to learn he had decided to give me his beautifully inlaid 16 gauge shotgun! I choked up badly when I accepted it. Said Wayne, “There is one stipulation, it stays in Johnson family.” It is Buck’s birthday. I called him and told him the story. He choked up, too!
10/1/74 Off for Gun Lake at 10:30. Harry and I in one car, Bern and Layna in other. Stopped for picnic at Long Lake. Fun.
10/2/74 Kimball came shortly and we were set up in Gun Lake rice bed by 10:00 a.m. Hunting fair. We got 7 by closing at 4:00. Zeke saved the day by retrieving 4 ducks, absolutely lost. What a dog - and master. We chewed rag on various subjects. Delightful.
10/3/74 Up at 5:00 a.m. and out on marsh by daylight so we could greet ducks when they got up for morning flight. There were lots of them. We had more than our limit by 10:00 a.m. Layna & Emmy Lou suggested we clean our 16 ducks and we did. Off for Duluth by 4:00. Arrived at Karen’s at 6:15. Jayme there. a good visit. Robin involved in labor relations at St. Lukes. Karen showing her pregnancy. They seem very happy.
10/4/74 All of us plus Leslie Rud to Duluth Hotel and Dinner Theater. A good meal, then saw I Do, I Do!. Excellent entertainment.
10/5/74 A rather cool, windy day but we took harbor cruise on Vista Queen. Quite an experience. Have thought of it for years - well worth the waiting for. To the Dick Nelsons for dinner. They are interesting and interested people, fun to be with. Jayme with us to Nelsons’. We can be proud of him.
10/6/74 Karen and Robin full of plans for remodeling their living room. Part of this is installing a big window in east wall. They, mostly Karen, think I should help (do) job. I am afraid they were disappointed when I told them it was a job for a professional. Off for home at 10:00 a.m. It rained and snowed all the way.
10/7/74 Layna took me to landing at 10:00 a.m. and picked me up again at 4:00 p.m. Pulled out water lines, bailed out Cadillacs. Fixed cover on Starcraft, hauled load of stuff from deep freeze. I piddled about every hour all day. Must do something about it.
10/8/74 Had planned to go to island but stayed home to hear and see President Ford on TV at 3:00. He proposed his program to fight inflation and revive the economy. I was rather disappointed. I suppose I was like millions of other Americans in that I expected some earth shaking pronouncements. He made none. A rather feeble program which will be emasculated by congress in this election year.
10/9/74 Was cleaning up in shop when I heard a partridge hit window in fish house. I looked out door and could see the bird, a bit stunned, sitting on ground. I was afraid it would take off so carefully shot it from inside shop. My first one in two years! Had tools loaded in boat by 10:30 so ran over to Buck’s. They are making good headway on kitchen.
10/10/74 To Dr. Talsness at 11:00 a.m. and sat until 1:00 before called. He examined my prostate, looked in my ears, found nothing startling, gave me a prescription and sent me home. Don’t know if I should be elated that he found nothing wrong or depressed because my ailment escaped him. I still think I pee too often. Supper at Daveys as Layna was attending dinner meeting for RLWC. Layna in at 10:00 to say meeting had dragged out far too long. Irv Anderson had talked for an hour. He must be running scared.
10/11/74 Wayne and I off for NW Bay at 8:45. No guns. We went to repair damage done by vandals. Made a short duck swing - didn‘t see a single one. Had lunch sitting on step of Happy Shack. Both were thinking “Is this the end?”
10/12/74 Drove around Gold Shores road. I hunted deer on that point many, many times from 1929 to 1945 and some after that. I could see deer peeping out from every tree and white tails going in all directions - all in my memory and imagination. There are a dozen or more houses there now - and NO HUNTING signs all over.
