10/12/75 Pete Brascugli made a “garden” in our back yard - a hazard to snow removal. I hauled about 10 wheelbarrows of dirt from it to our driveway entrance. I can feel it in my back. I am damned soft. To Pickle Barrel Pub for supper. Not bad - for $7.00! It sure helps to eat in a place that doesn’t serve hard liquor. As I raked the dirt in our driveway, my mind ran back 55 years to Buck Lake where as a boy of 14 I worked on county road for $2.00 a day. I made about $50.00. One half of it bought a shotgun from Oscar Lindberg (I still have it) and the rest my father helped me use to buy worthless stock in a lead and zinc mine. No wonder that we have our “fortune” in Savings and Loan.
10/13/75 I was shoveling last of Brascuglis’ dirt when Cliff came for supper at 5:30. We had tentative plans to go check on deer at Black Bay tomorrow but changed them in favor of a trip goose hunting on Wednesday. I am a little excited. Cliff stayed to watch Washington beat St. Louis 27 - 17 in a good game of Monday night football - despite Howard Cosell.
10/14/75 To island to pick up a few things for goose hunting tomorrow. Pulled out swimming ladder, don’t think I will be using it anymore in ’75!
10/15/75 I told Cliff yesterday that I would do some of the driving to Roseau but wasn’t quite prepared when he turned job completely over to me. No problems, didn’t even get too sleepy. Arrived at Pine Creek at 3:30, set up housekeeping in Cliff’s 12 X 12 hunting shack and off to Gilmore Flatten’s farm where we made arrangements to hunt and set out 34 decoys in field for tomorrow.
10/16/75 Alarm rang at 5:30. Our usual hunter’s breakfast of oatmeal not any better or worse than when we ate it last at Black Bay last deer season. We were in straw blinds overlooking decoys at the first sign of daylight. It was a long wait - until 4:00 p.m. to be exact. Not one damn shot at a goose. I took one shot at some high flying mallards. I took it all very philosophically - a box of super goose shells cost $8.50. The farmer charged us $5.00 for use of the blind. I reasoned that it didn’t take all day of not shooting to save enough on shells to pay for the blind! Made another tour of reserve area in late afternoon. Fewer geese than yesterday. I think they have gone south. Cliff a little in favor of trying to get a blind on “firing line” at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. I told him to go ahead - he could tell me about it when he came back. We will go there tomorrow and “observe”.
10/17/75 For years I have said that square dancing, sex and hunting are poor spectator sports. Today I changed my mind on the last. Daylight found Cliff and me sitting in a warm car where we could see 17 blinds where about 50 hunters hopefully waited for the geese to leave the refuge and get killed by them. Not many did, in fact we saw only 2 drop. The birds had been shot at enough so they knew where they were safe - and stayed there. We talked to 2 teenagers who had slept all night in their blind. They hadn’t fired a shot. We took off for home at 11:00 a.m.. So endeth a nonproductive but most interesting trip. I really enjoyed it.
10/18/75 Out to Buck & Dale’s to inspect their new deck. He is making good progress. He has good tools and knows how to use them. The finished product shows that. Nothing wrong with the design, either!
10/20/75 Cliff and I to Black Bay after lunch. He was in his “butcher shop” soon after. Shot one partridge, my first in two years. I then, about 3:30 found a comfortable seat in the balsams and sat for 2 hours. An interesting experience when a partridge walked up to within a few feet of me and veered off without recognizing an enemy. I didn’t shoot it. Back to cabin at dark.
10/21/75 Cliff and I out at daylight after our usual hunter’s breakfast of oatmeal. A handful of raisins were added for something special. Cliff to his butcher shop. I followed the Voyageurs ski trail for the full three miles. Back to cabin for lunch then cut wood. Then back to Cliff’s blind where we cut some trees. All this preparation for naught if Park Service closes hunting. The area is buzzing over talk of them doing just that. Carl Brown has given himself up as a test case. We, all hunters, holding our breath.
10/22/75 To island in a.m. to pick up my fishing gear. Took .308 along and sighted it in. It took some doing, however. I am satisfied that it is shooting straight. Now if I can find a buck to try it out on. To McIntyres at 5:00 p.m. The Shuffs and Einarsons there for a pre Rotary cocktail. Francis one of the better narrators of all time. (His wife, Joyce, said “bullshitter” but if that is what it is, it is a very high class brand). He told of their trip to Alaska - fascinating. On to Thunderbird where we joined group of about 200 people - all having a good time. High point of evening when girl quartet of Bemidji sang barbershop.
10/23/75 We were awakened by a phone call from Byrne at 8:00 a.m. He gave us a rundown on the whole family, including himself. All going reasonably well at the moment. We both appreciate these calls, especially Grandma. Too bad they are not more frequent.
10/24/75 To Gene Monahan’s at 2:30 to sit for our portrait. What a talented, enthusiastic person. We were there for 2 ½ hours and captured some of that contagious enthusiasm. To Bill Martins for dinner at 7:00 p.m. The Armstrongs and Ted ----- there. We sat down to a feast at about 8:00. We had just finished our desert, an hour later, when we got a call from Dale. “Call Police Dept. in Falls.” Did to learn that Opal had threatened to commit suicide. We were at their house in short order. Buck and Florence Vernath there and Opal had calmed down somewhat. Florence and Buck left shortly and we stayed until 11:30. Opal became quite rational after an hour of small talk. We then got to her problem. One thing led to another and she finally flared at Wayne - “What the hell have I got to live for?” None of us seemed to have an answer.
10/25/75 Jayme, Jill & Lisa here for visit in p.m. Three great kids and it was fun to have them. To landing about 4:30 to bail out boat. We have had about 2 inches of rain in past week. It needed it. Jean Eberle and Maude Will here at 7:30. They stayed until 10:30. Talk, talk, talk and more of it. Good. A couple of interesting gals, for sure. Jean created a “first” in history of #265 when she took off across lawn in leaving house!
10/26/75 To Gene Monahan’s at 10:30 to sit for our portrait. It is taking shape under Gene’s talented brush. At 3:30 when we took off for Rev. Anderson’s farewell party at the church. Many, many people - mostly parishioners, I assume, had lunch, visited, then stood in line to bid Virgil and Delphine a successful and happy move. We will miss them. On to Judys’ at 5:00. Opal in bed - she is trying to die, probably from starvation. We took Wayne to Rex Café for supper. He unloaded his worries to us. We are good listeners. To Ron Jonson’s at 7:30. They put on a supper for the departing Andersons. About 25 people, counting kids, there. We were the only “outsiders”. A good song fest ended the festivities at 12:15. A long, eventful day.
10/27/75 A bit groggy from all the food and drink of yesterday. To Gene’s again where we sat from 9:00 to 11:00 for painting. Ted Hall came and we traded lies for about ½ hour. Good. Home and called Judys. Not much change there. At 2:00 Opal called. “Come as soon as you can, Wayne is breaking up!” We went to find him sitting on bed crying. I put my arm around him and comforted him as I would a child - which he has become. He finally quit sobbing and we joined Layna and Opal in living room. A talk session of an hour followed. They were somewhat calmed down when we left.
10/28/75 I had used up most of my .308 shells in sighting in the rifle so bought a new box today. $7.50 + tax = $7.82! The license $7.50. I have a considerable investment in a deer that is still on the hoof. Took run out to Buck’s. His deck practically finished. He started this project without a permit from the zoning commission and both he and Dale are getting a certain amount of perverse satisfaction out of it.. Peetsie called us twice today. She is worried, as well she should be.
