10/27/79 We drove to Aitkin where we met the Kimballs and Ryans. On to Ryans’ house for drinks (at noon) and a good lunch. Visited until 3:00 p.m. with these great people and off for Duluth. K & R busy preparing for takeoff tomorrow. We will baby sit. (Mostly Layna).
10/28/79 Robin delayed his departure until 11:30. He and I put some good licks on his woodpile. I hope to finish it in next couple of day, alone. Sheila and Brad here for supper. Some hot argument covering woman’s lib after Brad said he wouldn’t serve in navy under a woman officer.
10/29/79 Karen left at 7:30 leaving the old folks in charge of kids. Chris and Sarah at Montessori School for 3 hours. No major problems when they were home.
10/30/79 Read from Seton’s Wild Animals I have Known. Read the book first at Buck Lake about 1919. Remembered some of it! Bobby walked alone across living room!
10/31/79 Sarah not feeling well so kids did not go to school. Some concern about Karen flying from Madison but she came about 4:00 - 2 hours late. Sarah recovered. Robin home about 6:30. All together again. A relief to know that we didn’t have any serious problems while babysitting.
11/1/79 K & R and kids all left by 7:00. We were on road soon after. It had rained 3” while we were gone. Out to Curtice dock to check on Cadillac. The water was up to back seat. Much bailing. To Thompsons’ to make preparation for hunting trip tomorrow.
11/2/79 The Thompsons here by 1:00 p.m. with a station wagon loaded and pulling a trailer - also loaded. Somehow we managed to get my gear aboard. In a hurry to get camp set up so we could look for deer signs on their 160 acres. I am not very optimistic. Last week’s 3” of rain has made a canoe country of most of their logging roads.
11/3/79 Erle and I in woods by daylight. I saw a small deer near my stand but didn’t shoot. No horns. Erle saw a doe and fawn in their field. That was it. Only plus was weather. Temperature up to 35o. Rather pleasant to sit and hopefully await a buck. Nothing. We have a snug hunting shack, however. Oil heat, electricity. Good food, good company. I tell myself that getting a deer is secondary. By the look of things, I had better develop that attitude.
11/4/79 At 10:30 I decided to attempt to follow “middle road” to where I shot buck in 1976. High grass, deep water - going tough. I gave up before playing out completely. It would have been difficult 20 years ago and near impossible now. I am developing a state of mind that says I can live with myself even if I don’t get a deer. I shot my first one 60 years ago and have had a full share ever since. No regrets!
11/5/79 I have made friends with a couple of Canadian jays, also on speaking acquaintance with several squirrels. The ravens keep raving, waiting for the deer guts that I don’t deliver. From the amount of shooting I hear, it is apparent that they (the ravens) aren’t doing too well. Heard a timber wolf howl today. He must be hungry, too.
[His reference to the timber wolf and his many references to being a boy at Buck Lake gives me a chance to tell a story about Dad when we were caring for him after Mom died. For his birthday, we had given him an audio tape of timber wolf calls. I was alone with him when he wanted to listen to the tape. As we got into it he motioned with his hand to stop the tape. His Parkinsons had seriously impaired his ability to talk and he could not compete with the tape. I stopped it and he told the following story.
When he was a young boy at Buck Lake, he walked 4 miles to and from school. One evening there was some kind of a program at school, and because neither of his parents were able to attend, he went alone. It was dark when he left home and about half way to school, he heard wolves howling behind him. He walked faster. Then the wolves began to howl on both sides of him. He walked faster yet. When he heard wolves ahead of him he stopped on a bridge across a stream and relieved himself. He told me, “I did that so that when they found my poor, picked over bones the next morning, they would say, ‘Look at that brave little boy, he didn’t even wet his pants’”. {BLJ}]
11/6/79 Another day in woods without seeing a deer of any kind.
11/7/79 Snowing hard but out in woods it was truly a “winter wonderland.” Visibility near zero but no deer sign, anyway.
11/8/79 Snow stopped during night after dumping about 3 inches. Temperature dropped to - about 10o above. A hard time keeping warm. In at noon to learn that Erle and Harriet had decided to call it quits. We packed our things - then decided for “one more chance.” When I came in I found out that they had changed plans. Now it looks like we will be here for weekend.
11/9/79 5o below zero when alarm rang at 5:30. I built fire in Franklin Stove and back to bed. We went out from 9:00 to 12:00 and damn near froze. Home to pack up again, this time for real.
11/10/79 Decided I needed a rest after strenuous hunting trip. Mostly I needed to thaw out. A lazy day, even watched college football game.
11/11/79 The Vikings hit an all-time low when they fumbled their way to a loss to Green Bay 20-7. A sorry performance and many fans are getting impatient. I think of all the entertainment they have given me over a period of years and am still loyal.
11/12/79 To see movie Fiddler on the Roof. The first non-TV picture in a long time. A great performance - not interrupted by commercials
11/14/79 Layna and I to the clinic by 9:00 a.m. We had an appointment for checkups. Blood, chest X-ray, blood pressure, prostate, ears. I told Dr. Walter about my problem with left hand and leg circulation. He didn’t discuss it with me but told Layna that my symptoms showed signs of hardening of the arteries. He didn’t elaborate but wants me to come back. He’s got me worried.
11/15/79 Dr. Walter has me worried. To see him. He flushed out my ears AND I CAN HEAR! I tried to get him to talk about his statement to Layna about hardening of the arteries and his only comment “That was a preliminary observation. Nothing until results of test are in.”
11/16/79 To Armstrongs’ in Fort Frances at 7:15 p.m. had a good visit before the Bill Martins and Alvin Armstrongs showed up. Gerry and Bill had done a lot of hunting in NW Bay and their stories revived many hunts in my mind.
11/17/79 Picked up Irene MacKellar at 5:30 and off for Signe Greens. A great evening followed. A drink, much talk about Iranian situation (they are well informed).
11/18/79 Buck and Dale home from visit with kids. Buck came after Snuffer. Damned if I am not getting attached to that independent little mutt. Buck gave a full account of their trip. It was good.
11/19/79 Ted Hall’s Chronicle carried an obituary of Gilda Dahlberg. It was a masterpiece. Pictures furnished by Don & Layna. He concluded by saying that the tears shed by the natives on hearing of her demise did not appreciably raise the level of Rainy Lake. How true!
11/20/79 Off for Duluth at noon. Karen and Robin home about 4:30 and we went to Somebody’s House for dinner. Much hullabaloo at table by 3 Monahan kids. The parents not too perturbed (outwardly), so why should we be? We kept calm (outwardly).
11/21/79 Robin to work but Karen and kids home. A good visit until 11:00 a.m. and on to St. Paul. Jernbergs all well and busy. Nancy home from Madison and seems well adjusted. Jimmy and Johnny back in hockey swim.
11/22/79 My stomach upset when I got up. Made an effort to ignore it but not successful. Halfway thru the Thanksgiving feast I left table, hurried to toilet down in basement and vomited. Then diarrhea. I was darn poor company after that. LaVone Bye and daughter Margaret for dinner. Bet they thought me an old poop. We mildly considered calling off trip to Memphis but decided to give it a try.
