8/11/82 Layna to Falls to pay bills, etc. I stayed at 265, feeling sorry for myself. Will this bum leg ever get better? Les Cleveland and Ned for visit in p.m. looking for blueberries. Buck came in houseboat. When someone mentioned a drink he went to boat and brought up drinks for all. Les and Ned left but Buck stayed to talk about NWI. He thinks straight.
8/12/82 Layna and I spent most of day on storage shed. We made some progress but it sure is hard to do anything that looks like anything. Preacher Jo home with Karen. She is good company. Lynn Myers and son Rob came for a drink about 8:30. A storm brewing cut their visit short. Lynn shows no fear of running her boat at night.
8/13/82 Jimmy Jernberg and 3 friends arrived safe and sound. They had survived the big blow of last week. Karen hates to dine at island alone and hardly a day goes by that she doesn’t have someone in. Ruth Teeter and Jo Cassidy came today. Much talk about Women’s Lib. They tried to draw me in but I knew I was no match for such talent - with one leg, yet!
8/14/82 At 5:30 the Martins and Caldwells came aboard the Huck- a- Puk. All in a festive mood. We joined them on forward deck for a drink or two then off for Musket Inn. The path from dock to dining room long and treacherous. I made it without too much discomfort. John and Peggy most cordial and said they would repay us for parking and borrowed gas.
8/15/82 Our Canadian friends on deck about 8:30. Layna had pancake griddle hot, she served a Bloody Mary all around.- to prime their appetite. Another bull session after breakfast and by 11:00 a.m. they were gone. What fine people! Our neighbor, Ted Hall came with Rody and 2 more. A good visit. We were ready to call it a day when the Tessiers came. We sat on the terrace until the mosquitoes drove us in.
8/16/82 A restless night thinking about that damn storage shed. The only feasible solution was to hire somebody to haul whole damned works to the dump. Layna and I made fair progress till noon.
8/17/82 Jim and John good workers. The roof is on the shed tonight. Sam White picked us up at our dock at 5:00 p.m. We were at their place until 9:00. Nobody else there, just the 4 of us. A very memorable evening.
8/18/82 Rain! My knees aching - could it be the weather? Skies clear by evening. John suggested that we should store their gas can (half full) where it would not be used this fall! We have been hauling people back and forth all summer and have received not one damned cent of gas. Nor has Karen suggested payment for the many, many trips she has made.
8/19/82 Jim said he wanted to leave by noon. Also said that shed job would be finished. He made the take-off time but the job unfinished. I stumbled around trying to help and Layna and I made fair progress. It is 95% done. My knee the worst it has been since surgery. DAMN!
8/20/82 Layna becomes more and more protective as time goes on. It is a rare occasion if she lets me out of her sight. Yesterday I fell heavily, and altho she did not make a fuss, I could read her thoughts.
8/21/82 Karen home all day, one of the few this summer. Jo Cassidy and Pam Williams here for brunch but left early. My leg making me practically an invalid. The pain has moved up from the knee to include the hip. Several years ago I wrote about a sore back and said “My God - this diary had become a record of my aches and pains.” Now I guess so!
8/23/82 My leg hurting like sin in a.m. Layna called Clinic and got an appointment for 10:30. We did not wait long. Dr. Walter x-rayed leg, took a low blood pressure reading (both of us) gave me a shot and told me to check back Wednesday. We had lunch in town, Layna shopped and off for home at 3:00. My leg about all I could stand.
8/24/82 Not much doing on NWI in p.m. except for Layna who kept at the household chores all day. Dinner ready to be served when she and Karen broke into an argument over the kids. Much dirty linen came out of its hiding before we all cried and then made up.
8/25/82 Tara and friend, Karen Lumb, here. They drove from Waukesha in one of Brad’s VWs. A couple of lively, intelligent kids. They will be here a few days. We could have fun if my damned leg would quit acting up.
8/26/82 Mary Faegre’s husband, Dick bend, proved to be the best kind of company. We touched on many subjects - Kimball, Elmer Smith, J.B. Faegre, fishing, hunting, dogs, camping, David Mech and on and on. Mary and Karen close friends since early days on NWI. Some first rate conversation involving Mary and Tara (who held her own).
8/27/82 More talk with Dick when he casually mentioned that he not only knew David Mech, but also had worked with him on the wolf survey. When Mary kidded us for talking so much, Dick said, “we could go on for two more days.” How true.
8/28/82 My leg has been only fooling the past few days. Today I got the full blast. I almost called off our date to Wrights’ party for Goalie Newharts birthday. We went, but at times I had my doubts. Newharts, Sheldons, Wrights and Johnsons. A great feast of lake trout prepared by Ruth. Stew on the wagon but did not make a fuss about it. Home by 9:30.
8/29/82 Karen moves the kids down town to be with Robin at least until Xmas. In retrospect, I realize that I did little to entertain any or all of them this long summer. Most of my contact was hollering at them or threatening with my cane. They all gave me a messy kiss when they left so maybe all is forgiven. Gary here for dinner. He got into some serious talk with Tara - who held her own. Her ambition is to become president. Poor kid.
8/30/82 Back to Dr. Walter for more x-rays and blood tests. He seemed concerned, even described my knee ailment. It is arthritis. “Go home and soak it and come back Wednesday.” I fear for the future. We went to Island View for dinner - treated by Tara and Karen L. What kids. Already in dread of tomorrow when they leave.
8/31/82 A gloomy drizzly day. Tara and friend Karen left. If the future of our country falls to their kind, we have little to fear.
9/1/82 Got a good scare when I almost lost my balance when getting out of bed. To Dr. Walter at 9:00 a.m. He gave me a shot of cortisone and sent me home. Sun came out and we decided to go to island. Punky out for dinner. She came about 4:30 and talked steadily until we sat down to eat. She said, “My, isn’t it calm and peaceful with no kids around!”
9/2/82 I soaked my knee for 4 two hour stints. That took care of the day’s activity. Leg somewhat better. I am full of cautious optimism. The Clarks have been in the area much of summer but we have seen but little of them. Tonight we had them for dinner.
9/3/82 My leg should be ready to eat after the soaking (hot water) it has received the past few days. I have done little else. Karen and Layna joined forces and worked up a feast for dinner tonight. Loglands, their friends , Shotskys, Lynn Myers, Karen and Gary, Don and Layna. Much talk about the early days on Rainy Lake, especially about the Dahlbergs. They left with a glow in the western sky and a full moon rising in the west.
