1
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Hang on,

2
00:00:03,990 --> 00:00:05,030
and we are rolling.

3
00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,659
Back in the

4
00:00:09,660 --> 00:00:11,519
1940s, when we were in

5
00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,979
the midst of World War II,

6
00:00:14,980 --> 00:00:17,259
and I was all eight,

7
00:00:17,260 --> 00:00:19,219
nine years old, we

8
00:00:19,220 --> 00:00:21,659
always hired a

9
00:00:21,660 --> 00:00:23,379
man to work with us during the

10
00:00:23,380 --> 00:00:24,319
summer.

11
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And these young men, I don't know

12
00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:27,539
why they weren't in the army,

13
00:00:27,540 --> 00:00:29,239
because most young men were.

14
00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:31,439
But every summer, some

15
00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,609
young man would stop by.

16
00:00:33,610 --> 00:00:35,869
And this particular year,

17
00:00:35,870 --> 00:00:37,269
the fellow that stopped by, he must

18
00:00:37,270 --> 00:00:39,629
have been 18, 19 years old,

19
00:00:39,630 --> 00:00:41,489
he came driving into the yard

20
00:00:41,490 --> 00:00:43,449
with a Model T Ford

21
00:00:43,450 --> 00:00:44,610
Touring car.

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00:00:45,910 --> 00:00:48,169
Now most people know what a

23
00:00:48,170 --> 00:00:49,789
Model T Ford touring car is all

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00:00:49,790 --> 00:00:51,689
about. Today we would call it a

25
00:00:51,690 --> 00:00:52,889
convertible.

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00:00:52,890 --> 00:00:54,769
It had a soft top that you could

27
00:00:54,770 --> 00:00:55,989
put up.

28
00:00:55,990 --> 00:00:57,849
But this old Model T,

29
00:00:57,850 --> 00:00:59,869
and people who remember the Model T

30
00:00:59,870 --> 00:01:01,469
it has just this wonderful chug,

31
00:01:01,470 --> 00:01:03,409
chug chug sound.

32
00:01:03,410 --> 00:01:05,389
And he come chugging into the yard

33
00:01:05,390 --> 00:01:07,649
looking for work.

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00:01:07,650 --> 00:01:09,149
And this had been in April.

35
00:01:09,150 --> 00:01:11,649
My dad hired him.

36
00:01:11,650 --> 00:01:13,609
And he proved, his name was Henry

37
00:01:13,610 --> 00:01:15,649
Lackold, and he proved to

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be a really good

39
00:01:17,590 --> 00:01:18,590
fellow.

40
00:01:19,650 --> 00:01:22,309
His Model T just,

41
00:01:22,310 --> 00:01:23,929
well, it was something that my

42
00:01:23,930 --> 00:01:25,269
brothers and I thought was just

43
00:01:25,270 --> 00:01:26,869
amazing because he would give us a

44
00:01:26,870 --> 00:01:29,129
ride in this thing once in a while.

45
00:01:29,130 --> 00:01:31,089
And as the summer went on and

46
00:01:31,090 --> 00:01:32,949
it got hot in July and

47
00:01:32,950 --> 00:01:34,609
we were in the midst of haying

48
00:01:34,610 --> 00:01:36,049
season and all those sorts of

49
00:01:36,050 --> 00:01:38,009
things, Henry would

50
00:01:38,010 --> 00:01:39,909
say, how'd you

51
00:01:39,910 --> 00:01:41,889
guys like to go swimming?

52
00:01:41,890 --> 00:01:43,809
Because the lake, there was a

53
00:01:43,810 --> 00:01:45,249
lake just a mile and a half or so

54
00:01:45,250 --> 00:01:47,369
from our farm, and

55
00:01:47,370 --> 00:01:49,169
well sure, we would like to swim,

56
00:01:49,170 --> 00:01:50,949
but maybe we can go fishing as well,

57
00:01:50,950 --> 00:01:53,129
so I found

58
00:01:53,130 --> 00:01:55,149
the fork and went out back

59
00:01:55,150 --> 00:01:57,049
of the hen house and dug some

60
00:01:57,050 --> 00:01:59,569
worms and put them in a can.

61
00:01:59,570 --> 00:02:01,569
Found the 16-foot long

62
00:02:01,570 --> 00:02:03,449
cane poles that we had tucked under

63
00:02:03,450 --> 00:02:05,929
the corn crib heaves and

64
00:02:05,930 --> 00:02:07,969
tied them to the side of the Model T

65
00:02:07,970 --> 00:02:09,809
Ford and we all piled in and

66
00:02:09,810 --> 00:02:11,449
went chugging down the dirt road

67
00:02:11,450 --> 00:02:12,450
toward the lake.

68
00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:16,079
How could we do this so it would

69
00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:17,059
really work well?

70
00:02:17,060 --> 00:02:18,239
And Hank said, well, why don't I

71
00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,199
just back my car right into the

72
00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:21,379
lake?

73
00:02:21,380 --> 00:02:22,619
And so he did.

74
00:02:22,620 --> 00:02:24,539
He backed it in so that

75
00:02:24,540 --> 00:02:27,059
we could stand in the back of

76
00:02:27,060 --> 00:02:28,959
this touring car, and we could fish

77
00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:30,139
right off the back.

78
00:02:30,140 --> 00:02:31,599
And I tell you, it was wonderful,

79
00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:32,819
but the fish weren't biting.

80
00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:35,979
But we did bring our breathing suits

81
00:02:35,980 --> 00:02:36,980
along.

82
00:02:38,580 --> 00:02:40,559
So we put the

83
00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:42,489
fish poles aside.

84
00:02:42,490 --> 00:02:43,969
We pulled on our bathing suits and

85
00:02:43,970 --> 00:02:46,029
we began leaping off the back

86
00:02:46,030 --> 00:02:48,089
of this touring car

87
00:02:48,090 --> 00:02:49,089
into the lake.

88
00:02:49,090 --> 00:02:51,289
I mean, it was fantastically

89
00:02:51,290 --> 00:02:52,769
fun.

90
00:02:52,770 --> 00:02:54,649
And then as the sun began setting

91
00:02:54,650 --> 00:02:56,249
and Hank said, well, we probably

92
00:02:56,250 --> 00:02:58,769
ought to be getting on home.

93
00:02:58,770 --> 00:03:01,189
He said, I will crank up

94
00:03:01,190 --> 00:03:03,029
the T, the model

95
00:03:03,030 --> 00:03:04,249
T, and get us going.

96
00:03:04,250 --> 00:03:05,329
And of course, there wasn't any

97
00:03:05,330 --> 00:03:06,929
electric start or any of that sort

98
00:03:06,930 --> 00:03:08,169
of thing. He hand cranked it.

99
00:03:08,170 --> 00:03:09,429
You got it started.

100
00:03:09,430 --> 00:03:11,069
Chug, chug, almost had the exhaust

101
00:03:11,070 --> 00:03:12,689
pipe in the water and...

102
00:03:12,690 --> 00:03:14,529
My brothers and I got behind it

103
00:03:14,530 --> 00:03:16,449
and we pushed it out of the lake

104
00:03:16,450 --> 00:03:18,269
and we went chug

105
00:03:18,270 --> 00:03:20,249
chug chugging home just

106
00:03:20,250 --> 00:03:22,429
as it was the most wonderful

107
00:03:22,430 --> 00:03:24,249
thing the sun was setting

108
00:03:24,250 --> 00:03:26,349
and we could hear

109
00:03:26,350 --> 00:03:28,309
when we were down by the lake

110
00:03:28,310 --> 00:03:30,289
the whippoorwill was calling off

111
00:03:30,290 --> 00:03:32,509
in the distance and

112
00:03:32,510 --> 00:03:34,349
the bullfrogs and

113
00:03:34,350 --> 00:03:36,329
the lake, of course, giving us

114
00:03:36,330 --> 00:03:38,359
their bullfrog tune.

115
00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:39,819
So it's one of those memories that

116
00:03:39,820 --> 00:03:41,639
I've never forgotten and how much

117
00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:43,719
I appreciated Henry Lackold

118
00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,799
and his Model T Ford,

119
00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:47,739
who allowed us to ride in the back

120
00:03:47,740 --> 00:03:49,699
and to jump off the back

121
00:03:49,700 --> 00:03:51,579
of a car into the lake.

122
00:03:51,580 --> 00:03:53,519
Who would ever dream of backing

123
00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:54,799
their car in the lakes?

124
00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:56,759
You could jump off of the back.

125
00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:58,819
And we arrived at home,

126
00:03:58,820 --> 00:04:01,179
tired from the experience,

127
00:04:01,180 --> 00:04:03,379
crawled into bed, and 5.30

128
00:04:03,380 --> 00:04:05,659
the next morning it all started over

129
00:04:05,660 --> 00:04:06,660
again.

130
00:04:07,990 --> 00:04:09,909
That water feels pretty good after

131
00:04:09,910 --> 00:04:10,969
a day in the hayfield.

132
00:04:10,970 --> 00:04:11,970
Oh, yeah.

133
00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:14,199
That would be one of my shorter

134
00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:15,200
tails.

135
00:04:19,709 --> 00:04:21,449
So tell me about the big fishing

136
00:04:21,450 --> 00:04:22,129
trip.

137
00:04:22,130 --> 00:04:24,189
Well the big fishing trip,

138
00:04:24,190 --> 00:04:27,269
now this would

139
00:04:27,270 --> 00:04:29,109
also have been during haying

140
00:04:29,110 --> 00:04:30,589
season, a different year.

141
00:04:32,650 --> 00:04:34,509
And it started to rain that

142
00:04:34,510 --> 00:04:36,289
morning when we were supposed to be

143
00:04:36,290 --> 00:04:38,309
finishing up hang.

144
00:04:38,310 --> 00:04:40,149
What we ordinarily did on a

145
00:04:40,150 --> 00:04:41,689
rainy day would crawl up into the

146
00:04:41,690 --> 00:04:43,989
barn and

147
00:04:43,990 --> 00:04:45,949
listen to the rain drum on

148
00:04:45,950 --> 00:04:46,789
the barn roof.

149
00:04:46,790 --> 00:04:48,909
Wonderful sound, never forgotten

150
00:04:48,910 --> 00:04:50,149
it.

151
00:04:50,150 --> 00:04:52,209
The smell of sweet clover and

152
00:04:52,210 --> 00:04:53,510
drying alfalfa.

153
00:04:54,650 --> 00:04:56,409
The sound of the raindrops on the

154
00:04:56,410 --> 00:04:57,410
roof.

155
00:04:59,970 --> 00:05:01,989
I was afraid Pa was going to say,

156
00:05:01,990 --> 00:05:04,069
let's go hole the potatoes

157
00:05:04,070 --> 00:05:06,349
that stopped raining

158
00:05:06,350 --> 00:05:08,349
just a little drizzle.

159
00:05:08,350 --> 00:05:09,789
But he didn't. He said, you know,

160
00:05:09,790 --> 00:05:12,449
this might be a day to go fishing.

161
00:05:12,450 --> 00:05:13,849
He didn't say that very often in the

162
00:05:13,850 --> 00:05:14,869
summertime.

163
00:05:14,870 --> 00:05:15,989
We fished a lot in the winter, but

164
00:05:15,990 --> 00:05:17,309
in the summer time, there was work

165
00:05:17,310 --> 00:05:19,049
to be done. Always work to done.

166
00:05:19,050 --> 00:05:19,969
There was nothing else. We were

167
00:05:19,970 --> 00:05:21,549
hoeing potatoes and hoeing cucumbers

168
00:05:21,550 --> 00:05:23,749
and hoing beans and fixing fence.

169
00:05:23,750 --> 00:05:25,289
And all of a sudden he said, let us

170
00:05:25,290 --> 00:05:27,089
go fishing, so again, back of the

171
00:05:27,090 --> 00:05:29,149
hen We dug up a bunch of

172
00:05:29,150 --> 00:05:30,989
worms. Got the cane

173
00:05:30,990 --> 00:05:32,969
poles, tied them across

174
00:05:32,970 --> 00:05:35,149
the top of the 36th Plymouth,

175
00:05:35,150 --> 00:05:36,369
piled in the Plymonth, and drove

176
00:05:36,370 --> 00:05:38,149
over to Norwegian Lake,

177
00:05:39,150 --> 00:05:40,789
which is sort of halfway between

178
00:05:40,790 --> 00:05:42,269
Wildrose and Wautoma.

179
00:05:43,710 --> 00:05:45,649
And Pa knew the Andersons, who lived

180
00:05:45,650 --> 00:05:48,069
at a farm right by the lake,

181
00:05:48,070 --> 00:05:49,369
and they rented boats.

182
00:05:50,850 --> 00:05:52,829
And Pa stopped to check

183
00:05:52,830 --> 00:05:54,969
with Millie Anderson, who was

184
00:05:54,970 --> 00:05:56,749
in charge of the rentals.

185
00:05:56,750 --> 00:05:58,809
And the boat rental was

186
00:05:58,810 --> 00:06:00,629
a dollar a day.

187
00:06:00,630 --> 00:06:02,549
And a day was an hour or

188
00:06:02,550 --> 00:06:04,309
12 hours, whatever you wanted to

189
00:06:04,310 --> 00:06:06,809
call it. It was one dollar.

190
00:06:06,810 --> 00:06:08,269
And so Paul went in the shed and

191
00:06:08,270 --> 00:06:10,109
picked up a pair of oars.

192
00:06:10,110 --> 00:06:12,009
We drove on down to the lake and

193
00:06:12,010 --> 00:06:13,249
here were these, these were all

194
00:06:13,250 --> 00:06:14,069
wooden boats.

195
00:06:14,070 --> 00:06:15,669
They were, I don't know, somebody

196
00:06:15,670 --> 00:06:17,209
made them, I suspect.

197
00:06:17,210 --> 00:06:18,889
And they were sort of half sunk in

198
00:06:18,890 --> 00:06:20,949
the lake and we looked around

199
00:06:20,950 --> 00:06:22,609
to see one that looked like it would

200
00:06:22,610 --> 00:06:23,609
be halfway decent.

201
00:06:23,610 --> 00:06:24,969
Pulled it out, tipped it over,

202
00:06:24,970 --> 00:06:25,970
dumped the water out.

203
00:06:27,170 --> 00:06:29,539
All crawled in and we,

204
00:06:29,540 --> 00:06:31,459
I've got our fish poles in line

205
00:06:31,460 --> 00:06:32,939
and our worms and everything in

206
00:06:32,940 --> 00:06:34,899
order and we we rode out

207
00:06:34,900 --> 00:06:36,799
to where the Marl Hole

208
00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:37,599
was.

209
00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,019
Now a little side explanation.

210
00:06:40,020 --> 00:06:41,539
In this part of the country, central

211
00:06:41,540 --> 00:06:43,719
Wisconsin, many of the lakes had

212
00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:44,839
Marl bottoms.

213
00:06:44,840 --> 00:06:47,039
Marl is calcium carbonate.

214
00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,099
Thousands of years old

215
00:06:49,100 --> 00:06:51,179
from various seashells

216
00:06:51,180 --> 00:06:52,359
that have accumulated there.

217
00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:53,299
And it was dug out.

218
00:06:53,300 --> 00:06:56,119
Farmers used it to fertilize

219
00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,319
to change the acid level,

220
00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,079
acidity level of their fields.

221
00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:01,539
So there's a big hole in Norwegian

222
00:07:01,540 --> 00:07:03,859
Lake, probably 40 feet deep.

223
00:07:03,860 --> 00:07:05,899
And the idea was, no anchor

224
00:07:05,900 --> 00:07:07,699
was big enough, long enough to

225
00:07:07,700 --> 00:07:09,579
change a rope to drop down

226
00:07:09,580 --> 00:07:10,539
40 feet.

227
00:07:10,540 --> 00:07:12,579
So the idea is to row right

228
00:07:12,580 --> 00:07:14,479
up to the edge of

229
00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:16,299
this mile hole, because on a hot

230
00:07:16,300 --> 00:07:17,300
day in summer,

231
00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,039
the big bluegills and the big

232
00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:21,899
northerns are down deep

233
00:07:21,900 --> 00:07:22,900
where it's cool.

234
00:07:23,890 --> 00:07:25,829
And Pa knew this lake better than we

235
00:07:25,830 --> 00:07:27,849
did. And we're rowing, he's rowing

236
00:07:27,850 --> 00:07:29,229
and we're looking.

237
00:07:29,230 --> 00:07:31,189
And we see this,

238
00:07:31,190 --> 00:07:32,989
the bottom disappear.

239
00:07:32,990 --> 00:07:34,229
And Pa says, that's it, we're over

240
00:07:34,230 --> 00:07:35,049
the marl hole.

241
00:07:35,050 --> 00:07:36,429
Now we've got to back off just a

242
00:07:36,430 --> 00:07:37,709
little bit. We backed off a little

243
00:07:37,710 --> 00:07:40,009
but we dropped the anchor.

244
00:07:40,010 --> 00:07:42,409
And we started tossing our

245
00:07:42,410 --> 00:07:44,609
poles, our bobbers into

246
00:07:44,610 --> 00:07:46,489
this deep hole in

247
00:07:46,490 --> 00:07:47,589
the marr hole.

248
00:07:47,590 --> 00:07:48,589
And we hit it.

249
00:07:48,590 --> 00:07:51,069
This was the day to catch fish.

250
00:07:51,070 --> 00:07:53,429
Soon the bluegills were biting.

251
00:07:53,430 --> 00:07:55,609
I mean, my brother Donald's

252
00:07:55,610 --> 00:07:57,409
bobber went under and up came a big

253
00:07:57,410 --> 00:07:58,949
bull gill. My dad's bobbers went

254
00:07:58,950 --> 00:08:01,349
under another big bull, mine,

255
00:08:01,350 --> 00:08:03,189
Darrell's, and soon the

256
00:08:03,190 --> 00:08:04,129
bull gills were accumulating.

257
00:08:04,130 --> 00:08:06,369
What we did not pay attention to

258
00:08:06,370 --> 00:08:07,809
was that there was water

259
00:08:07,810 --> 00:08:09,809
accumulating in the floor

260
00:08:09,810 --> 00:08:11,629
of the boat. The thing leaked like a

261
00:08:11,630 --> 00:08:13,929
sieve. We didn't realize that.

262
00:08:13,930 --> 00:08:15,709
And I said to Pye, I said, Pye I

263
00:08:15,710 --> 00:08:17,609
think this boat's leaking.

264
00:08:17,610 --> 00:08:19,349
And he kind of looked down and he

265
00:08:19,350 --> 00:08:20,629
said, yeah but the fish are biting

266
00:08:20,630 --> 00:08:22,109
pretty, pretty well.

267
00:08:22,110 --> 00:08:24,029
Maybe one of you or both of you,

268
00:08:24,030 --> 00:08:25,589
we had a little pale along, you

269
00:08:25,590 --> 00:08:27,509
could dump some of the water out as

270
00:08:27,510 --> 00:08:28,510
it accumulated.

271
00:08:29,530 --> 00:08:31,029
And so we're dumping water and

272
00:08:31,030 --> 00:08:32,969
catching fish and just

273
00:08:32,970 --> 00:08:34,788
continuing to do that for about an

274
00:08:34,789 --> 00:08:36,749
hour, but we could not keep ahead

275
00:08:36,750 --> 00:08:38,769
of the water

276
00:08:38,770 --> 00:08:40,689
that was accumulating now up

277
00:08:40,690 --> 00:08:42,689
to our shoes and covering our

278
00:08:42,690 --> 00:08:44,569
shoes. And I said, Pa, this boat's

279
00:08:44,570 --> 00:08:46,429
gonna sink. We had no life

280
00:08:46,430 --> 00:08:47,729
preservers, there wasn't anything

281
00:08:47,730 --> 00:08:48,629
like that.

282
00:08:48,630 --> 00:08:50,529
And Pa didn't seem to mind that

283
00:08:50,530 --> 00:08:52,329
the boat might sink because the fish

284
00:08:52,330 --> 00:08:53,389
were really biting.

285
00:08:53,390 --> 00:08:55,489
I mean, we'd had 25, 30, 40

286
00:08:55,490 --> 00:08:57,389
bluegills. I'm not exaggerating.

287
00:08:57,390 --> 00:08:58,909
Their bluegill were just big around.

288
00:08:58,910 --> 00:09:01,589
I mean they were just wonderful.

289
00:09:01,590 --> 00:09:03,249
I mean there's, Pa said there's just

290
00:09:03,250 --> 00:09:04,689
nothing better eating than a good

291
00:09:04,690 --> 00:09:06,989
bluegil and he was right about that.

292
00:09:06,990 --> 00:09:08,889
But if the boat sank,

293
00:09:08,890 --> 00:09:10,449
well, what difference would it make?

294
00:09:10,450 --> 00:09:12,209
And we're quite a ways from shore.

295
00:09:12,210 --> 00:09:13,769
We're a good 100 yards, maybe more

296
00:09:13,770 --> 00:09:14,639
than that.

297
00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:16,579
And we're bailing and

298
00:09:16,580 --> 00:09:18,539
still fishing and Paz finally

299
00:09:18,540 --> 00:09:21,379
says, I think we probably oughta

300
00:09:21,380 --> 00:09:22,499
hang it up for the day.

301
00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:24,559
We got enough fish and now

302
00:09:24,560 --> 00:09:25,899
the boat's got, I don't know,

303
00:09:25,900 --> 00:09:26,899
probably that much water in it.

304
00:09:26,900 --> 00:09:28,539
We just couldn't bail fast enough.

305
00:09:28,540 --> 00:09:30,279
We got the boat up to shore.

306
00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:32,419
We were there safe and sound.

307
00:09:32,420 --> 00:09:34,759
Got home, cleaned the fish.

308
00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:36,479
One of the things we had learned

309
00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:38,919
early in all of these adventures,

310
00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:40,739
never tell Ma any

311
00:09:40,740 --> 00:09:43,029
details of what went on.

312
00:09:43,030 --> 00:09:44,969
Because she would have chewed out

313
00:09:44,970 --> 00:09:47,529
my dad like you can't imagine.

314
00:09:47,530 --> 00:09:49,469
So we're all smirking as we're

315
00:09:49,470 --> 00:09:51,309
cleaning these bluegills and

316
00:09:51,310 --> 00:09:53,229
Ma's prepared with the great big

317
00:09:53,230 --> 00:09:55,269
old cast iron skillet on the wood

318
00:09:55,270 --> 00:09:57,349
stove, put in a big hunk

319
00:09:57,350 --> 00:09:59,209
of lard and put these fish in

320
00:09:59,210 --> 00:10:01,669
there and fry them up and crisp.

321
00:10:01,670 --> 00:10:03,549
And again, my dad said, there's

322
00:10:03,550 --> 00:10:05,589
nothing sweeter than bluegill

323
00:10:05,590 --> 00:10:07,309
caught in cold water.

324
00:10:07,310 --> 00:10:09,349
And we had a wonderful fish

325
00:10:09,350 --> 00:10:10,730
dinner and a memory.

326
00:10:11,900 --> 00:10:13,839
Are we going back to Norwegian

327
00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,159
Lake? And if we do,

328
00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:18,059
let's remember the boat that we were

329
00:10:18,060 --> 00:10:20,159
in and not select that one again.

330
00:10:25,810 --> 00:10:28,629
I mean, that's

331
00:10:28,630 --> 00:10:30,489
a hard balance to pick.

332
00:10:30,490 --> 00:10:32,539
I mean...

333
00:10:32,540 --> 00:10:34,599
Well, it's one of those times

334
00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,699
when you've really got to decide,

335
00:10:37,700 --> 00:10:39,739
is my life versus...

336
00:10:42,500 --> 00:10:44,439
And none of us could swim with a

337
00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:45,919
hoop. It was terrible.

338
00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:50,159
You know that reminds me, didn't

339
00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,139
you have a story about Daryl

340
00:10:52,140 --> 00:10:53,140
catching a turtle?

341
00:10:53,990 --> 00:10:56,009
Well, didn't we do that one?

342
00:10:56,010 --> 00:10:58,439
I don't think we used it.

343
00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:00,199
Because it's a great story.

344
00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:01,309
I mean, I can give you, that's.

345
00:11:01,310 --> 00:11:02,539
That was Norwegian.

346
00:11:02,540 --> 00:11:04,579
That was a different

347
00:11:04,580 --> 00:11:06,519
day, when the boat wasn't

348
00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:07,520
leaking.

349
00:11:08,460 --> 00:11:09,729
I mean, I'm happy to.

350
00:11:09,730 --> 00:11:11,289
I don't think we would outdo...

351
00:11:11,290 --> 00:11:12,689
I mean, we wouldn't tell two

352
00:11:12,690 --> 00:11:14,609
stories, but I remember you

353
00:11:14,610 --> 00:11:15,130
telling it. Yeah, yep.

354
00:11:15,131 --> 00:11:16,949
Yeah, it was, and what's so

355
00:11:16,950 --> 00:11:19,509
funny, I've

356
00:11:19,510 --> 00:11:21,309
probably 150 of these stories

357
00:11:21,310 --> 00:11:22,310
published,

358
00:11:23,310 --> 00:11:25,529
and one of the things,

359
00:11:25,530 --> 00:11:26,749
especially when your brothers are

360
00:11:26,750 --> 00:11:29,429
involved, I always share

361
00:11:29,430 --> 00:11:31,489
the story with them and say,

362
00:11:31,490 --> 00:11:33,429
what do you think about this?

363
00:11:35,010 --> 00:11:37,209
And the moral of the story is never,

364
00:11:37,210 --> 00:11:39,109
ever be in a family with

365
00:11:39,110 --> 00:11:40,569
an even number of siblings.

366
00:11:40,570 --> 00:11:42,709
You always need an odd number.

367
00:11:42,710 --> 00:11:45,869
Because somebody always disagrees.

368
00:11:45,870 --> 00:11:49,069
And in the case of the

369
00:11:49,070 --> 00:11:50,969
big turtle, the snapping turtle, my

370
00:11:50,970 --> 00:11:52,929
brother Darryl, who I made the hero

371
00:11:52,930 --> 00:11:55,029
of the story, and my brother Donald

372
00:11:55,030 --> 00:11:57,129
agreed that he was a hero,

373
00:11:57,130 --> 00:11:58,869
I wasn't even there.

374
00:11:58,870 --> 00:11:59,870
Oh.

375
00:12:01,050 --> 00:12:02,849
But I published the story because

376
00:12:02,850 --> 00:12:04,969
two out of three is

377
00:12:04,970 --> 00:12:06,438
how you do it.

378
00:12:06,439 --> 00:12:08,099
If there were four of you, there was

379
00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:09,299
an even split.

380
00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:10,839
Well, that's why you never want a

381
00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:12,819
family with two and two or three

382
00:12:12,820 --> 00:12:14,819
and three, if you're

383
00:12:14,820 --> 00:12:15,729
sharing stories.

384
00:12:15,730 --> 00:12:17,549
So talk

385
00:12:17,550 --> 00:12:18,849
about the big storm coming.

386
00:12:22,410 --> 00:12:24,929
In the 1930s,

387
00:12:24,930 --> 00:12:26,889
in central Wisconsin, especially in

388
00:12:26,890 --> 00:12:28,529
other parts of the country as well,

389
00:12:28,530 --> 00:12:29,949
we were suffering from a severe

390
00:12:29,950 --> 00:12:30,950
drought.

391
00:12:32,350 --> 00:12:34,269
And we were fortunate

392
00:12:34,270 --> 00:12:36,329
enough by then to have a

393
00:12:36,330 --> 00:12:39,869
gasoline engine

394
00:12:39,870 --> 00:12:41,749
that pumped our water, so we

395
00:12:41,750 --> 00:12:42,750
always had water.

396
00:12:43,410 --> 00:12:45,449
But the crops were drying up,

397
00:12:45,450 --> 00:12:47,829
the year would have been about 1941,

398
00:12:47,830 --> 00:12:49,649
toward the end of the

399
00:12:49,650 --> 00:12:50,849
drought.

400
00:12:50,850 --> 00:12:52,829
The crops by July

401
00:12:52,830 --> 00:12:54,989
were drying up, the pastures

402
00:12:54,990 --> 00:12:57,129
were slim, the old crop was

403
00:12:57,130 --> 00:12:58,989
not much of anything, the corn

404
00:12:58,990 --> 00:13:01,169
was withered, and it

405
00:13:01,170 --> 00:13:02,809
was really a terrible time.

406
00:13:04,010 --> 00:13:05,829
And every afternoon,

407
00:13:05,830 --> 00:13:08,109
evening when the chores were done,

408
00:13:08,110 --> 00:13:09,949
my Pa and I, we'd stand

409
00:13:09,950 --> 00:13:11,869
out by the barn and we'd look to

410
00:13:11,870 --> 00:13:14,169
the west to see if the weather had

411
00:13:14,170 --> 00:13:16,109
any hope of

412
00:13:16,110 --> 00:13:17,479
a rainstorm.

413
00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:18,779
And my dad was very good at

414
00:13:18,780 --> 00:13:19,979
predicting the weather. By looking

415
00:13:19,980 --> 00:13:21,219
at the western sky in the

416
00:13:21,220 --> 00:13:23,059
weathervane, wind direction

417
00:13:23,060 --> 00:13:25,559
in the cloud formations, he could

418
00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:27,179
predict the weather." Well, this

419
00:13:27,180 --> 00:13:29,059
particular afternoon, after night

420
00:13:29,060 --> 00:13:30,719
after, evening after evening, and

421
00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:33,399
not seeing any sign of a storm,

422
00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:35,259
he saw something I

423
00:13:35,260 --> 00:13:36,559
couldn't see. He said, see those

424
00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:37,979
clouds on the horizon?

425
00:13:37,980 --> 00:13:39,499
I could barely see them.

426
00:13:39,500 --> 00:13:41,359
He said I think we're gonna have a,

427
00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:42,519
it's gonna rain tonight.

428
00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:45,779
And we didn't say a thing.

429
00:13:45,780 --> 00:13:47,329
We don't argue with.

430
00:13:47,330 --> 00:13:48,330
Your father.

431
00:13:50,730 --> 00:13:52,669
I came into the house,

432
00:13:52,670 --> 00:13:54,369
lit the lamp on the table.

433
00:13:54,370 --> 00:13:55,549
It was just getting dark.

434
00:13:56,730 --> 00:13:59,029
We were all sitting around,

435
00:13:59,030 --> 00:14:00,430
Dad reading the newspaper,

436
00:14:01,610 --> 00:14:02,949
and my brothers and I fooling around

437
00:14:02,950 --> 00:14:04,669
with something or other.

438
00:14:04,670 --> 00:14:06,629
About nine o'clock, my mother said,

439
00:14:06,630 --> 00:14:08,229
well, it's time to go to bed.

440
00:14:08,230 --> 00:14:10,029
And so when we went to bed, we

441
00:14:10,030 --> 00:14:12,369
generally blew out the lamp and

442
00:14:12,370 --> 00:14:14,349
went up, took my lamp went up to

443
00:14:14,350 --> 00:14:16,209
bed and my little room was on the

444
00:14:16,210 --> 00:14:17,700
end of it. Of the house.

445
00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:20,159
Blew out the lamp, went to bed, the

446
00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:22,039
two windows in the bedroom

447
00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,039
were open, one to

448
00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,199
the south and one to east.

449
00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,079
Stifling hot in the bed room,

450
00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:29,799
I could hardly, nobody had any air

451
00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:30,839
conditioning, never heard of air

452
00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:31,840
conditioning.

453
00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,039
But I had hoped that

454
00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:36,980
Pa was right, that it might rain.

455
00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:39,419
And it must have been about

456
00:14:39,420 --> 00:14:41,479
midnight, and I didn't have a

457
00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:44,209
watch, I didn t know that for sure.

458
00:14:44,210 --> 00:14:45,869
But it must have been at midnight, I

459
00:14:45,870 --> 00:14:47,689
heard this growl, this

460
00:14:47,690 --> 00:14:49,929
thunder in the distance,

461
00:14:49,930 --> 00:14:52,169
that wonderful sound when

462
00:14:52,170 --> 00:14:54,029
it's dry weather, you listen for

463
00:14:54,030 --> 00:14:55,769
the growl of the thunder in

464
00:14:55,770 --> 00:14:56,770
distance.

465
00:14:58,570 --> 00:15:00,469
And then I got

466
00:15:00,470 --> 00:15:02,509
up and looked out the window and

467
00:15:02,510 --> 00:15:06,409
I saw a flash of lightning and

468
00:15:06,410 --> 00:15:08,229
another louder

469
00:15:08,230 --> 00:15:09,389
clap of thunder.

470
00:15:11,850 --> 00:15:13,709
And the sky was

471
00:15:13,710 --> 00:15:15,709
a menacing

472
00:15:15,710 --> 00:15:17,809
conglomeration of clouds

473
00:15:17,810 --> 00:15:19,929
rolling and tumbling

474
00:15:19,930 --> 00:15:21,769
and fighting with each

475
00:15:21,770 --> 00:15:23,469
other, which I could see with each

476
00:15:23,470 --> 00:15:24,650
flash of lightning.

477
00:15:26,570 --> 00:15:28,589
And then Pa called up the stairs,

478
00:15:28,590 --> 00:15:30,849
he said, boys wake up,

479
00:15:30,850 --> 00:15:32,389
wake up and come downstairs.

480
00:15:32,390 --> 00:15:34,409
He did that maybe once or twice

481
00:15:34,410 --> 00:15:36,389
a year when there was

482
00:15:36,390 --> 00:15:39,129
a bad storm coming because

483
00:15:39,130 --> 00:15:40,589
he wanted everybody dressed.

484
00:15:42,580 --> 00:15:44,599
In case the wind did something

485
00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:46,499
to the barn,

486
00:15:46,500 --> 00:15:48,279
lightning struck something,

487
00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:51,519
or if there was a terrific hailstorm

488
00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:52,899
tearing up everything, he wanted

489
00:15:52,900 --> 00:15:53,980
everybody dressed.

490
00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:56,940
And so we're all in the dining room.

491
00:15:59,150 --> 00:16:01,149
Watching out the window this

492
00:16:01,150 --> 00:16:03,669
storm this menacing storm and

493
00:16:03,670 --> 00:16:05,669
why in heaven's sake did the

494
00:16:05,670 --> 00:16:07,389
storm have to be so mean why

495
00:16:07,390 --> 00:16:08,530
couldn't it just rain

496
00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:13,020
My mother would ask that question.

497
00:16:14,820 --> 00:16:17,359
The storm got closer and

498
00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,099
as these storms were, there were

499
00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:20,199
three things we worried about.

500
00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,319
The wind and the hail and

501
00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:23,779
the lightning, those are the three

502
00:16:23,780 --> 00:16:24,780
things.

503
00:16:25,340 --> 00:16:27,279
And usually the wind was what

504
00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,019
you experience and the hailstorm

505
00:16:29,020 --> 00:16:30,020
first.

506
00:16:30,860 --> 00:16:32,759
And this gust of wind came

507
00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,019
and it shook the

508
00:16:35,020 --> 00:16:36,719
windows a little bit but it wasn't

509
00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:37,579
that severe.

510
00:16:37,580 --> 00:16:40,059
And immediately...

511
00:16:40,060 --> 00:16:41,799
The temperature dropped probably 20

512
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:43,619
degrees, at least 10.

513
00:16:43,620 --> 00:16:45,539
From 90 or what, 80

514
00:16:45,540 --> 00:16:47,059
to 75.

515
00:16:47,060 --> 00:16:48,799
I mean, it's nice, it was

516
00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:49,719
comfortable.

517
00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:50,859
And there wasn't any hail,

518
00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:52,960
and there wasn't any lightning.

519
00:16:57,710 --> 00:16:59,689
The rain came down and

520
00:16:59,690 --> 00:17:01,889
we, if you ever

521
00:17:01,890 --> 00:17:03,749
saw a family happy

522
00:17:03,750 --> 00:17:05,848
with an event that was as natural

523
00:17:05,849 --> 00:17:07,669
as rain, it was

524
00:17:07,670 --> 00:17:09,608
at that time,

525
00:17:09,609 --> 00:17:11,588
because farmers, if they had nothing

526
00:17:11,589 --> 00:17:13,629
else going for them, they

527
00:17:13,630 --> 00:17:14,690
always had hope,

528
00:17:16,150 --> 00:17:18,568
and the hope was, in this instance,

529
00:17:18,569 --> 00:17:20,549
was for some rain,

530
00:17:20,550 --> 00:17:22,429
because it would save the crops,

531
00:17:22,430 --> 00:17:23,929
it would saved the garden, we would

532
00:17:23,930 --> 00:17:25,229
have something to eat during the

533
00:17:25,230 --> 00:17:26,889
winter, the cows would have some

534
00:17:26,890 --> 00:17:27,890
feed again.

535
00:17:29,170 --> 00:17:31,069
And Pa said, you can go back up to

536
00:17:31,070 --> 00:17:32,329
bed now.

537
00:17:32,330 --> 00:17:33,989
He looked at his watch, it's three

538
00:17:33,990 --> 00:17:35,309
o'clock.

539
00:17:35,310 --> 00:17:36,949
You've got a couple of hours yet

540
00:17:36,950 --> 00:17:39,269
before you have to get up.

541
00:17:39,270 --> 00:17:41,689
And I went up to my room,

542
00:17:41,690 --> 00:17:43,789
and the most wonderful sound

543
00:17:43,790 --> 00:17:45,849
was the sound of

544
00:17:45,850 --> 00:17:47,729
rain splashing on

545
00:17:47,730 --> 00:17:49,630
the windows when I went to sleep.

546
00:17:50,750 --> 00:17:53,069
And sometimes today, people...

547
00:17:54,110 --> 00:17:56,049
Well they take that for granted or

548
00:17:56,050 --> 00:17:58,149
they ignore it or they find that

549
00:17:58,150 --> 00:17:59,709
something that's getting in the way

550
00:17:59,710 --> 00:18:01,229
of what they ordinarily would like

551
00:18:01,230 --> 00:18:02,569
to do.

552
00:18:02,570 --> 00:18:04,589
But for farmers in our community

553
00:18:04,590 --> 00:18:06,809
at that time that rainstorm

554
00:18:06,810 --> 00:18:08,809
was a lifesaver in more

555
00:18:08,810 --> 00:18:10,829
ways than not.

556
00:18:10,830 --> 00:18:13,709
And it answered the question of hope

557
00:18:13,710 --> 00:18:15,689
because most of

558
00:18:15,690 --> 00:18:17,549
all we were all hoping

559
00:18:17,550 --> 00:18:19,449
that times might get

560
00:18:19,450 --> 00:18:20,249
better.

561
00:18:20,250 --> 00:18:22,209
Times were tough in 1941

562
00:18:22,210 --> 00:18:24,089
in many ways.

563
00:18:24,090 --> 00:18:25,989
But this rainstorm,

564
00:18:25,990 --> 00:18:28,389
this heavy rainstorm without wind

565
00:18:28,390 --> 00:18:30,249
and without hail,

566
00:18:32,190 --> 00:18:34,129
gave us one more instance of

567
00:18:34,130 --> 00:18:35,130
hope.

568
00:18:38,190 --> 00:18:39,230
How bad was that?

569
00:18:43,860 --> 00:18:45,679
Did they catch a big fish or

570
00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:46,740
what? I don't know.

571
00:18:48,660 --> 00:18:50,159
Did you hear the people fight

572
00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,219
getting all animated over

573
00:18:52,220 --> 00:18:54,059
there? But I listened to just

574
00:18:54,060 --> 00:18:56,139
the live mic and I couldn't

575
00:18:56,140 --> 00:18:57,140
hear them at all.

576
00:18:58,340 --> 00:18:59,340
Are we still rolling?

577
00:19:01,570 --> 00:19:03,449
Why was your dad so concerned about

578
00:19:03,450 --> 00:19:04,450
the lightning?

579
00:19:07,050 --> 00:19:08,909
In 1941,

580
00:19:08,910 --> 00:19:12,269
and way up into the 1950s,

581
00:19:12,270 --> 00:19:14,029
the Wildrose Fire Department

582
00:19:14,030 --> 00:19:15,710
remained in Wildrose.

583
00:19:16,910 --> 00:19:18,729
And if there ever was a fire, and

584
00:19:18,730 --> 00:19:20,330
a lightning fire was not uncommon,

585
00:19:21,490 --> 00:19:22,650
we were on our own.

586
00:19:23,770 --> 00:19:25,689
And the worst possible thing that

587
00:19:25,690 --> 00:19:27,969
could happen to a farmer in

588
00:19:27,970 --> 00:19:29,789
late summer, when the barn

589
00:19:29,790 --> 00:19:31,869
was full of hay,

590
00:19:31,870 --> 00:19:33,269
we had to have lightning strike it

591
00:19:33,270 --> 00:19:34,270
and destroy.

592
00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:37,179
The year's supply, the winter's

593
00:19:37,180 --> 00:19:38,539
supply of hay.

594
00:19:38,540 --> 00:19:40,799
So he was deathly afraid of

595
00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:41,859
fire.

596
00:19:41,860 --> 00:19:43,899
And lightning was one

597
00:19:43,900 --> 00:19:45,519
form of it, of course.

598
00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:47,859
We were fortunate, I don't recall in

599
00:19:47,860 --> 00:19:49,319
the years that I lived at home that

600
00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:50,639
the lightning struck anything.

601
00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:52,559
We had lightning rods on the

602
00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:54,559
barn, which helped.

603
00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:56,519
And the windmill occasionally was

604
00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:57,939
struck by lightning, but that was

605
00:19:57,940 --> 00:19:59,179
grounded, it didn't really hurt

606
00:19:59,180 --> 00:20:00,180
anything.

607
00:20:00,580 --> 00:20:02,639
But lightning was to be feared, and

608
00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:04,439
there was no way to handle it other

609
00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:05,440
than to.

610
00:20:06,150 --> 00:20:07,989
To call the neighbors on the general

611
00:20:07,990 --> 00:20:10,029
ring telephone to come and help.

612
00:20:10,030 --> 00:20:11,749
But if your barn caught on fire, it

613
00:20:11,750 --> 00:20:13,909
was gone. There was no way of

614
00:20:13,910 --> 00:20:15,409
saving it.

615
00:20:15,410 --> 00:20:17,489
So that's why he was so

616
00:20:17,490 --> 00:20:18,669
afraid of light.

617
00:20:18,670 --> 00:20:20,229
He was afraid of all fire.

618
00:20:20,230 --> 00:20:21,989
He wouldn't allow a candle in the

619
00:20:21,990 --> 00:20:22,990
house.

620
00:20:23,930 --> 00:20:25,269
And of course we have wood stoves.

621
00:20:25,270 --> 00:20:27,149
We had a lot of fire anyway,

622
00:20:27,150 --> 00:20:28,089
but no candles.

623
00:20:28,090 --> 00:20:30,149
Nothing that could

624
00:20:30,150 --> 00:20:32,089
in any way cause something

625
00:20:32,090 --> 00:20:33,369
to catch on fire.

626
00:20:39,870 --> 00:20:44,269
Yeah, and I

627
00:20:44,270 --> 00:20:46,789
was struck when you were

628
00:20:46,790 --> 00:20:48,689
talking about how

629
00:20:48,690 --> 00:20:50,669
wonderful the rain sounded and

630
00:20:50,670 --> 00:20:52,789
how much that meant to you.

631
00:20:52,790 --> 00:20:54,929
People who aren't

632
00:20:54,930 --> 00:20:56,809
depending on the rain

633
00:20:56,810 --> 00:20:58,729
for their food or for their

634
00:20:58,730 --> 00:21:00,809
living don't have that.

635
00:21:00,810 --> 00:21:01,990
But except they are.

636
00:21:04,220 --> 00:21:06,179
The irony of all of this

637
00:21:06,180 --> 00:21:08,779
is that somehow,

638
00:21:08,780 --> 00:21:11,039
a couple of generations away

639
00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:13,259
from the land has allowed people

640
00:21:13,260 --> 00:21:15,359
to not

641
00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:17,439
realize how dependent they

642
00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,559
are on something like

643
00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:20,560
a rainfall.

644
00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:23,579
They are.

645
00:21:23,580 --> 00:21:25,439
It determines, and

646
00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:27,599
of course a lot of food these days,

647
00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:29,479
crops are irrigated, but still

648
00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:31,399
so much of what

649
00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:33,619
our lives depend on today.

650
00:21:33,620 --> 00:21:36,119
For our animals and for our

651
00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:38,320
ourselves is dependent on rain.

652
00:21:39,740 --> 00:21:41,479
And again, for too many people it's

653
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:43,279
an annoyance.

654
00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:45,099
They complain about it.

655
00:21:46,460 --> 00:21:48,499
My father is afraid, never curse

656
00:21:48,500 --> 00:21:50,879
the rain. I've never forgotten that.

657
00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,279
I applaud it and

658
00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:55,119
celebrate it when it rains, which

659
00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:56,120
is what we did.

660
00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:00,520
Perfect.

661
00:22:01,530 --> 00:22:03,069
I wouldn't go that far, but...

662
00:22:04,250 --> 00:22:06,209
Alright, I am rolling.

663
00:22:06,210 --> 00:22:08,069
Okay, let's do the

664
00:22:08,070 --> 00:22:09,070
first hunt.

665
00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:10,760
First hunt?

666
00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:13,160
Well,

667
00:22:14,260 --> 00:22:16,859
in the fall of that

668
00:22:16,860 --> 00:22:19,379
I turned 12 years old,

669
00:22:19,380 --> 00:22:21,259
I was able to get a

670
00:22:21,260 --> 00:22:23,079
hunting license, legally, for

671
00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:25,419
the first time.

672
00:22:25,420 --> 00:22:26,759
Farm kids were hunting, of course,

673
00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,139
as soon as they could, were big

674
00:22:28,140 --> 00:22:29,759
enough to handle a rifle.

675
00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:31,459
But we couldn't deer hunt.

676
00:22:31,460 --> 00:22:32,839
Pa said, I don't want you deer

677
00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,719
hunting, especially in Adams

678
00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:36,079
County, because we didn't have any

679
00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:37,299
deer and we're share a colony in

680
00:22:37,300 --> 00:22:38,499
those days.

681
00:22:38,500 --> 00:22:40,379
So I'm 12 years old, and

682
00:22:40,380 --> 00:22:42,299
my dad and Bill Miller, the neighbor

683
00:22:42,300 --> 00:22:44,339
half mile away, had been going

684
00:22:44,340 --> 00:22:46,359
to Adams County for several years,

685
00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:47,299
because that's where there were

686
00:22:47,300 --> 00:22:48,139
deer.

687
00:22:48,140 --> 00:22:49,919
And they would come home, generally,

688
00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:51,359
with a pretty decent deer.

689
00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:52,819
And that was kind of amazing to all

690
00:22:52,820 --> 00:22:53,839
of us.

691
00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:55,679
But now, now, I

692
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,699
had the opportunity to go

693
00:22:57,700 --> 00:22:59,299
along. But what am I going to use

694
00:22:59,300 --> 00:23:00,540
for a weapon?

695
00:23:01,860 --> 00:23:04,339
And Pa had, from a

696
00:23:04,340 --> 00:23:06,349
widow woman who's Husband

697
00:23:06,350 --> 00:23:08,189
had died, she'd put an

698
00:23:08,190 --> 00:23:10,209
ad in the paper for sale,

699
00:23:10,210 --> 00:23:12,289
30-30 Savage deer rifle,

700
00:23:12,290 --> 00:23:14,269
20 bucks I think,

701
00:23:14,270 --> 00:23:16,549
and he bought that,

702
00:23:16,550 --> 00:23:17,809
the poor woman didn't know what it

703
00:23:17,810 --> 00:23:19,849
was worth, but he had this

704
00:23:19,850 --> 00:23:21,949
wonderful deer rifle.

705
00:23:21,950 --> 00:23:23,509
What was left for Jerry?

706
00:23:23,510 --> 00:23:25,329
Well, there was a 12 gage

707
00:23:25,330 --> 00:23:27,849
double barrel shotgun that

708
00:23:27,850 --> 00:23:28,850
weighed about,

709
00:23:29,810 --> 00:23:30,809
well it weighed a lot.

710
00:23:30,810 --> 00:23:31,810
Hahahaha

711
00:23:32,860 --> 00:23:35,019
and so i'm to use this

712
00:23:35,020 --> 00:23:36,999
it was a blunder buster thing

713
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:38,899
i mean it had a barrel

714
00:23:38,900 --> 00:23:40,819
you did never quit you could hardly

715
00:23:40,820 --> 00:23:42,699
see the end of it well this is a bit

716
00:23:42,700 --> 00:23:44,979
of an exaggeration and we had slugs

717
00:23:44,980 --> 00:23:46,279
anybody that knows about deer

718
00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:47,699
hunting knows that when you deer

719
00:23:47,700 --> 00:23:49,639
hunt you don't use fine shot to use

720
00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:51,639
slugs well when

721
00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:53,539
that shotgun went off i mean

722
00:23:53,540 --> 00:23:55,259
it if you're standing up out in the

723
00:23:55,260 --> 00:23:57,259
open it would drive you back two I

724
00:23:57,260 --> 00:23:59,189
mean it was wicked It was

725
00:23:59,190 --> 00:24:00,989
very much like a horse kicking you

726
00:24:00,990 --> 00:24:02,369
on the shoulder when the thing went

727
00:24:02,370 --> 00:24:04,549
off. So I was a little fearful of

728
00:24:04,550 --> 00:24:05,949
this big old shotgun.

729
00:24:05,950 --> 00:24:07,909
We drive to Adams County.

730
00:24:07,910 --> 00:24:09,749
It's a beautiful day in late

731
00:24:09,750 --> 00:24:11,569
November, the Saturday

732
00:24:11,570 --> 00:24:13,349
before Thanksgiving, which has been

733
00:24:13,350 --> 00:24:15,089
the tradition for deer hunting for

734
00:24:15,090 --> 00:24:16,090
years.

735
00:24:17,150 --> 00:24:19,229
And Pa says, Pa grew up

736
00:24:19,230 --> 00:24:21,150
in Adams County area.

737
00:24:22,490 --> 00:24:23,490
And he...

738
00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:26,269
Adams County.

739
00:24:26,270 --> 00:24:28,149
My father grew

740
00:24:28,150 --> 00:24:29,429
up in Adams County.

741
00:24:29,430 --> 00:24:30,489
He was born there.

742
00:24:30,490 --> 00:24:31,749
He went to school, went to

743
00:24:31,750 --> 00:24:33,429
elementary school there.

744
00:24:33,430 --> 00:24:35,229
So he knew the area.

745
00:24:35,230 --> 00:24:37,229
And he knew that the

746
00:24:37,230 --> 00:24:39,149
Russia Cree River, which ran

747
00:24:39,150 --> 00:24:41,269
through that part of Adams

748
00:24:41,270 --> 00:24:42,689
County, was a good place to hunt

749
00:24:42,690 --> 00:24:43,909
because that's where he and Bill

750
00:24:43,910 --> 00:24:45,849
Miller had come previous

751
00:24:45,850 --> 00:24:46,789
years.

752
00:24:46,790 --> 00:24:48,289
But he also knew, and I didn't

753
00:24:48,290 --> 00:24:50,369
realize this, but to make the

754
00:24:50,370 --> 00:24:51,889
hunt really work.

755
00:24:51,890 --> 00:24:53,629
It was good to have somebody walking

756
00:24:53,630 --> 00:24:55,489
through the woods to scare

757
00:24:55,490 --> 00:24:56,509
out the deer.

758
00:24:56,510 --> 00:24:58,109
Towards those who were standing on

759
00:24:58,110 --> 00:25:00,589
the other end of this big

760
00:25:00,590 --> 00:25:01,590
woods.

761
00:25:02,050 --> 00:25:04,229
And my dad had selected

762
00:25:04,230 --> 00:25:07,009
me as the novice

763
00:25:07,010 --> 00:25:09,109
to perform that role,

764
00:25:09,110 --> 00:25:11,149
he didn't tell me that,

765
00:25:11,150 --> 00:25:13,369
to drive out the deer.

766
00:25:13,370 --> 00:25:15,189
And so he dumps me off

767
00:25:15,190 --> 00:25:17,009
and he says, Bill

768
00:25:17,010 --> 00:25:18,869
and I are going to go on the

769
00:25:18,870 --> 00:25:20,489
other end on the woods about a mile

770
00:25:20,490 --> 00:25:21,609
away.

771
00:25:21,610 --> 00:25:23,009
And he said, now you won't get lost,

772
00:25:23,010 --> 00:25:24,909
all you have to do is walk along the

773
00:25:24,910 --> 00:25:26,009
river, way, which is true.

774
00:25:27,140 --> 00:25:28,999
So the Rancho Cree River is

775
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,719
a beautiful, it was, it's

776
00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:33,839
a big lake

777
00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:36,159
now, tourist area,

778
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:37,659
but it was a wonderful river.

779
00:25:37,660 --> 00:25:39,619
And I'm walking along the river

780
00:25:39,620 --> 00:25:40,620
and then I...

781
00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:44,979
Big blunder bus of a 12

782
00:25:44,980 --> 00:25:46,879
gage got so heavy

783
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:48,839
and I said dang

784
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:50,739
jeez I can't hear anything

785
00:25:50,740 --> 00:25:52,459
can't see anything I don't know

786
00:25:52,460 --> 00:25:54,359
where Pi is and I'm

787
00:25:54,360 --> 00:25:56,179
tired and it's we

788
00:25:56,180 --> 00:25:58,059
had to get up at 430 to milk the

789
00:25:58,060 --> 00:25:59,819
cows in order to get there and I've

790
00:25:59,820 --> 00:26:01,899
tired got this big old gun so

791
00:26:01,900 --> 00:26:03,859
I lean it up against a tree and I

792
00:26:03,860 --> 00:26:07,159
sit down I look at the river well

793
00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,039
lo and behold as I'm looking

794
00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:10,979
at the river here comes

795
00:26:10,980 --> 00:26:12,160
what Looks like a dog.

796
00:26:13,460 --> 00:26:15,299
Swimming along, just his head

797
00:26:15,300 --> 00:26:17,179
sticking out,

798
00:26:17,180 --> 00:26:19,239
and this creature sees me

799
00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:21,259
and it's, my

800
00:26:21,260 --> 00:26:23,419
gosh, I about jumped

801
00:26:23,420 --> 00:26:25,299
out of my skin,

802
00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:27,159
there was this slap on the water

803
00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:29,859
as loud as a rifle shot.

804
00:26:29,860 --> 00:26:31,599
Well, it was a beaver, of course,

805
00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:33,459
and his big old beaver

806
00:26:33,460 --> 00:26:35,379
pounded his tail on the water, which

807
00:26:35,380 --> 00:26:37,439
is the common way that beavers told

808
00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,179
the rest of the beaver that there is

809
00:26:39,180 --> 00:26:40,180
trouble ahead.

810
00:26:41,620 --> 00:26:42,559
And uh...

811
00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:43,899
Little did they know that the

812
00:26:43,900 --> 00:26:46,319
trouble was not any trouble at all

813
00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:48,139
because the gun was leaning against

814
00:26:48,140 --> 00:26:50,199
the post the tree and I'm not about

815
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:51,259
to shoot at a beaver anyway.

816
00:26:51,260 --> 00:26:53,099
I'd never seen a beavers first time

817
00:26:53,100 --> 00:26:54,739
I'd ever seen a Beaver and I thought

818
00:26:54,740 --> 00:26:56,779
well you know Pa's not gonna

819
00:26:56,780 --> 00:26:58,559
care if I spend a little time here

820
00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:00,019
watching these beaver's I didn't

821
00:27:00,020 --> 00:27:01,999
think and I look

822
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:03,619
upstream and I can see the Beaver

823
00:27:03,620 --> 00:27:05,499
Dam it's kind of a

824
00:27:05,500 --> 00:27:07,359
cloudy day the beaers are

825
00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:09,179
nocturnal they're generally No, I

826
00:27:09,180 --> 00:27:10,509
don't watch the daytime.

827
00:27:10,510 --> 00:27:11,689
It was a cloudy day and this old

828
00:27:11,690 --> 00:27:12,969
beaver was out and they're building

829
00:27:12,970 --> 00:27:14,989
this dam and I walked

830
00:27:14,990 --> 00:27:16,649
a little further upstream and I'm

831
00:27:16,650 --> 00:27:18,709
watching these beavers now work

832
00:27:18,710 --> 00:27:19,649
at this dam.

833
00:27:19,650 --> 00:27:21,649
It was this fantastic thing to

834
00:27:21,650 --> 00:27:23,609
see. I mean, it almost

835
00:27:23,610 --> 00:27:25,609
was better than hunting deer to

836
00:27:25,610 --> 00:27:27,509
be able to watch these beaver

837
00:27:27,510 --> 00:27:29,909
put together this wonderful

838
00:27:29,910 --> 00:27:32,649
beaver dam.

839
00:27:32,650 --> 00:27:34,669
And then I thought,

840
00:27:34,670 --> 00:27:36,529
I better get on

841
00:27:36,530 --> 00:27:38,539
doing what I'm supposed to do.

842
00:27:38,540 --> 00:27:40,719
So I picked up my old blunderbuss

843
00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:42,619
and I wandered on through the woods

844
00:27:42,620 --> 00:27:44,499
and after a half an hour or so I

845
00:27:44,500 --> 00:27:46,439
come upon Pa and he said,

846
00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:48,519
Where have you been?

847
00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:50,139
And I said, Well, I've just been

848
00:27:50,140 --> 00:27:52,059
taking my time. I would not admit

849
00:27:52,060 --> 00:27:53,819
that I was sitting there on the

850
00:27:53,820 --> 00:27:56,259
river bank watching the beavers and

851
00:27:56,260 --> 00:27:58,279
having a wonderful time.

852
00:27:59,940 --> 00:28:01,999
Pa said, You should

853
00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:03,359
walk a little faster if we're going

854
00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:04,559
to get any deer this year.

855
00:28:06,470 --> 00:28:08,549
And I have not forgotten

856
00:28:08,550 --> 00:28:10,449
ever that experience on the

857
00:28:10,450 --> 00:28:11,249
river.

858
00:28:11,250 --> 00:28:13,489
The first day of deer season,

859
00:28:13,490 --> 00:28:15,469
where I saw an area deer,

860
00:28:15,470 --> 00:28:17,549
but I did watch beavers build

861
00:28:17,550 --> 00:28:18,550
a dam.

862
00:28:23,260 --> 00:28:24,799
How many people get to do that

863
00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:25,399
anymore?

864
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:26,400
That's the truth.

865
00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:28,560
That's a truth.

866
00:28:31,430 --> 00:28:33,369
My brother Darryl, when he was

867
00:28:33,370 --> 00:28:35,189
introduced to hunting, chose to use

868
00:28:35,190 --> 00:28:37,249
the old double barrel.

869
00:28:37,250 --> 00:28:40,609
And we were out hunting squirrels.

870
00:28:40,610 --> 00:28:42,349
And my brother, Dylans says, there's

871
00:28:42,350 --> 00:28:44,309
one right up there, Murph

872
00:28:44,310 --> 00:28:45,989
was his nickname, Murphe, there's on

873
00:28:45,990 --> 00:28:47,369
right up here.

874
00:28:47,370 --> 00:28:49,289
And Murph takes that big old

875
00:28:49,290 --> 00:28:50,669
double-barrel and he points it at

876
00:28:50,670 --> 00:28:53,129
the squirrel and Ka-Boom!

877
00:28:53,130 --> 00:28:54,869
Darryle steps back two steps and

878
00:28:54,870 --> 00:28:55,870
falls on his back.

879
00:28:58,110 --> 00:28:59,390
Never let him forget that either.

880
00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:02,959
Did he get the squirrel?

881
00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:04,619
What? Did he got the squirrel.

882
00:29:04,620 --> 00:29:06,439
Oh, get the squirrel, the squirrel

883
00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:07,919
couldn't be found, they're little,

884
00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:09,389
little pieces.

885
00:29:09,390 --> 00:29:10,390
Ha, ha, ha.

886
00:29:11,500 --> 00:29:13,259
Hit it with a 12 gage and there was

887
00:29:13,260 --> 00:29:14,260
nothing left.

888
00:29:16,740 --> 00:29:17,740
Oh boy.

889
00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:19,560
So.

890
00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:23,859
The lake freezes

891
00:29:23,860 --> 00:29:25,259
when you go fishing.

892
00:29:25,260 --> 00:29:27,119
Yes, one of the things that we

893
00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:29,399
always look forward to uh...

894
00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,339
Right around Thanksgiving time

895
00:29:32,340 --> 00:29:34,659
was the lakes would freeze over

896
00:29:34,660 --> 00:29:36,219
and of course the fall work was

897
00:29:36,220 --> 00:29:38,239
pretty much done

898
00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,299
and Paul would say I think we

899
00:29:40,300 --> 00:29:42,239
should go ice fishing

900
00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:43,699
he loved fishing and ofcourse we

901
00:29:43,700 --> 00:29:44,839
didn't have much time to do it in

902
00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:46,839
the summer and

903
00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:48,739
I think this year we're going

904
00:29:48,740 --> 00:29:50,639
to work on Mount Morris

905
00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:51,640
Lake.

906
00:29:52,070 --> 00:29:54,729
Which is about halfway between

907
00:29:54,730 --> 00:29:56,730
Wildrose and Wautoma.

908
00:29:58,210 --> 00:29:59,489
It's a kind of a chain of lakes.

909
00:30:00,930 --> 00:30:03,049
And so we go over to Mount Morris

910
00:30:03,050 --> 00:30:05,249
Lake and discover

911
00:30:05,250 --> 00:30:06,969
that some of the rest of our friends

912
00:30:06,970 --> 00:30:08,729
and neighbors are there as well.

913
00:30:08,730 --> 00:30:10,669
Jim Kolka, whom I

914
00:30:10,670 --> 00:30:12,509
knew from my days at

915
00:30:12,510 --> 00:30:14,109
the country school, he was there and

916
00:30:14,110 --> 00:30:16,249
his brother Dave was there and

917
00:30:16,250 --> 00:30:17,649
the Nelson boys were there.

918
00:30:17,650 --> 00:30:19,369
They lived just down the road and

919
00:30:19,370 --> 00:30:20,289
we.

920
00:30:20,290 --> 00:30:22,189
Greeted them and we went to work

921
00:30:22,190 --> 00:30:23,729
to the shore of the lake and in

922
00:30:23,730 --> 00:30:25,589
those days you could do what I'm

923
00:30:25,590 --> 00:30:26,809
about to tell you about.

924
00:30:26,810 --> 00:30:28,629
We built a really nice little

925
00:30:28,630 --> 00:30:30,470
campfire right on the shore.

926
00:30:32,190 --> 00:30:33,529
And my uncle Wilbur, I noticed he

927
00:30:33,530 --> 00:30:35,129
was there and Wilbur was one of the

928
00:30:35,130 --> 00:30:36,529
best storytellers that ever came

929
00:30:36,530 --> 00:30:37,869
down the street. My mother claimed

930
00:30:37,870 --> 00:30:39,869
that he was more of a liar than a

931
00:30:39,870 --> 00:30:41,489
storyteller but that's something

932
00:30:41,490 --> 00:30:42,589
else to be discussed.

933
00:30:43,740 --> 00:30:45,479
And so Uncle Wilber came over and he

934
00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,419
sat down on a log by the fire

935
00:30:47,420 --> 00:30:49,379
and Jim Coke is there on the log by

936
00:30:49,380 --> 00:30:51,020
the fire, and Dave is there, and

937
00:30:51,021 --> 00:30:52,899
we're, Dad is there and

938
00:30:52,900 --> 00:30:54,819
we put a little more wood on it and

939
00:30:54,820 --> 00:30:56,339
it's just really nice.

940
00:30:56,340 --> 00:30:57,759
And we're looking out on the lake

941
00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,219
and we've got tip-ups set up.

942
00:31:00,220 --> 00:31:02,219
Little wooden devices that have a

943
00:31:02,220 --> 00:31:04,039
flag that goes up if

944
00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:05,940
a northern pike takes the bait.

945
00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:08,339
But in the winter time everything

946
00:31:08,340 --> 00:31:09,159
slows down.

947
00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:11,399
People slow down, the

948
00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:12,999
fish slow down.

949
00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,339
And it's a good thing, because when

950
00:31:15,340 --> 00:31:16,679
you're ice fishing, you don't have

951
00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:18,659
to be in any hurry to do

952
00:31:18,660 --> 00:31:20,099
anything. You can spend a lot of

953
00:31:20,100 --> 00:31:22,139
time just thinking about the life

954
00:31:22,140 --> 00:31:24,019
you're living or

955
00:31:24,020 --> 00:31:24,879
not.

956
00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:26,979
You can swap some stories with your

957
00:31:26,980 --> 00:31:27,980
friends.

958
00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:30,379
But then every so often a flag

959
00:31:30,380 --> 00:31:31,440
will go up.

960
00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:34,779
And everybody runs out

961
00:31:34,780 --> 00:31:36,619
on the lake

962
00:31:36,620 --> 00:31:38,439
to watch, whomever it

963
00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,279
is. They were so fortunate to

964
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,429
have a northern pike take the bait.

965
00:31:42,430 --> 00:31:44,249
And then the advice,

966
00:31:44,250 --> 00:31:45,789
the advice comes from every

967
00:31:45,790 --> 00:31:46,689
direction.

968
00:31:46,690 --> 00:31:49,269
Let him take line,

969
00:31:49,270 --> 00:31:51,209
pull him in.

970
00:31:51,210 --> 00:31:52,489
Contradictory to be sure.

971
00:31:52,490 --> 00:31:54,429
The poor guy doing the

972
00:31:54,430 --> 00:31:56,689
fishing has got this heavy green

973
00:31:56,690 --> 00:31:58,849
line that's half frozen as

974
00:31:58,850 --> 00:32:00,709
are his fingers and he doesn't

975
00:32:00,710 --> 00:32:01,949
know what he should do.

976
00:32:01,950 --> 00:32:03,429
Should he let this northern pike

977
00:32:03,430 --> 00:32:05,269
have more line because

978
00:32:05,270 --> 00:32:06,989
it maybe hasn't swallowed the minnow

979
00:32:06,990 --> 00:32:08,869
yet in his hook? Or should he yank

980
00:32:08,870 --> 00:32:10,259
it and set the hook?

981
00:32:10,260 --> 00:32:12,459
And maybe not catch anything

982
00:32:12,460 --> 00:32:13,359
at all.

983
00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,179
And finally, finally he

984
00:32:15,180 --> 00:32:17,119
uses his own good knowledge

985
00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:19,079
and he yokes it and yes the

986
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:20,779
fish is on and he starts pulling.

987
00:32:20,780 --> 00:32:22,679
Everybody is now all excited and

988
00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,519
they're standing around and is

989
00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:26,239
it a big one or is it little one?

990
00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:27,939
Northern pike could get to be 20

991
00:32:27,940 --> 00:32:29,779
pounds, 40 inches

992
00:32:29,780 --> 00:32:30,779
long.

993
00:32:30,780 --> 00:32:32,059
Does he have one like that or does

994
00:32:32,060 --> 00:32:33,359
he have a little two pounder?

995
00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:34,379
What has he got on?

996
00:32:34,380 --> 00:32:36,869
It's a big on I can feel it.

997
00:32:36,870 --> 00:32:38,989
And the line is shaking like

998
00:32:38,990 --> 00:32:40,469
that, and we're all looking, we're

999
00:32:40,470 --> 00:32:41,769
all standing around, and he's

1000
00:32:41,770 --> 00:32:43,949
pulling it in one

1001
00:32:43,950 --> 00:32:45,809
foot after the other, and the line

1002
00:32:45,810 --> 00:32:47,669
almost freezes as soon as

1003
00:32:47,670 --> 00:32:49,009
it hits the ice, and he's putting it

1004
00:32:49,010 --> 00:32:51,029
in, one after the others, and then

1005
00:32:51,030 --> 00:32:52,489
we're all looking down in this fish

1006
00:32:52,490 --> 00:32:53,369
hole, which is about this big

1007
00:32:53,370 --> 00:32:55,489
around, he looks down, and here's

1008
00:32:55,490 --> 00:32:57,349
here's this enormous,

1009
00:32:57,350 --> 00:32:58,529
they all look that way,

1010
00:32:59,910 --> 00:33:01,869
enormous northern pike, its mouth is

1011
00:33:01,870 --> 00:33:03,709
wide open, and it nearly,

1012
00:33:03,710 --> 00:33:06,399
the mouth nearly fills the hole.

1013
00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:07,439
The fish hole.

1014
00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:09,179
And what's going to happen?

1015
00:33:09,180 --> 00:33:10,919
One of the guys said, I'll help you,

1016
00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:12,299
and he's got a gaff hook.

1017
00:33:12,300 --> 00:33:14,239
A gaff is a device where you can

1018
00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:15,999
hook it into the fish's mouth, yank

1019
00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:17,399
it out of the water, fish it, yanks

1020
00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:18,219
it out of water.

1021
00:33:18,220 --> 00:33:20,039
Oh my gosh, it's probably five

1022
00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:21,659
pounds, which is about 28 inches

1023
00:33:21,660 --> 00:33:22,939
long, a very nice fish.

1024
00:33:22,940 --> 00:33:24,799
Everybody slaps him on the

1025
00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:26,699
back. Oh, good job,

1026
00:33:26,700 --> 00:33:29,099
Joe, you did it just fine.

1027
00:33:29,100 --> 00:33:30,839
And Joe is now the hero of the day,

1028
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:32,819
and we all walk back and sit

1029
00:33:32,820 --> 00:33:34,639
down around the

1030
00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:35,640
fire.

1031
00:33:36,610 --> 00:33:38,649
And retell the story

1032
00:33:38,650 --> 00:33:41,429
of Joe's fish and

1033
00:33:41,430 --> 00:33:43,449
retel it again.

1034
00:33:43,450 --> 00:33:45,369
Joe tells it and somebody else tells

1035
00:33:45,370 --> 00:33:47,249
it. I mean, there aren't that

1036
00:33:47,250 --> 00:33:48,289
many fish caught.

1037
00:33:48,290 --> 00:33:50,469
You got to work the story

1038
00:33:50,470 --> 00:33:52,269
as well as you can.

1039
00:33:52,270 --> 00:33:53,270
And then Jim says,

1040
00:33:54,570 --> 00:33:57,249
I think I'm going to go exploring

1041
00:33:57,250 --> 00:33:58,250
a bit.

1042
00:33:59,470 --> 00:34:01,049
And Pa says, well, you be careful.

1043
00:34:01,050 --> 00:34:02,889
There's a river that runs into

1044
00:34:02,890 --> 00:34:05,009
the lake right over there.

1045
00:34:05,010 --> 00:34:06,349
And if you get too close to where

1046
00:34:06,350 --> 00:34:07,929
the river runs in, the ice is thin

1047
00:34:07,930 --> 00:34:09,209
and you're going to fall through and

1048
00:34:09,210 --> 00:34:11,229
you'll probably drown." And

1049
00:34:11,230 --> 00:34:12,988
Jim said, I haven't drowned yet and

1050
00:34:12,989 --> 00:34:14,349
I've been doing this sort of thing

1051
00:34:14,350 --> 00:34:15,350
for years.

1052
00:34:16,130 --> 00:34:18,029
So Jim heads off toward the

1053
00:34:18,030 --> 00:34:20,069
direction of where the river

1054
00:34:20,070 --> 00:34:21,409
is running into the lake.

1055
00:34:22,750 --> 00:34:24,209
The tip-ups are still out there,

1056
00:34:24,210 --> 00:34:25,448
kind of ignored now.

1057
00:34:25,449 --> 00:34:28,169
All attention focuses on Jim

1058
00:34:28,170 --> 00:34:30,129
because the truth be known, this

1059
00:34:30,130 --> 00:34:31,468
is a stupid thing that he's doing

1060
00:34:31,469 --> 00:34:32,689
just now.

1061
00:34:32,690 --> 00:34:34,259
Most of us know that.

1062
00:34:34,260 --> 00:34:35,979
Jim doesn't care.

1063
00:34:35,980 --> 00:34:37,899
Jim is someone who wants

1064
00:34:37,900 --> 00:34:39,519
to do something that no one else

1065
00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:41,419
will do because it'll make a

1066
00:34:41,420 --> 00:34:44,479
good story and how right he is.

1067
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:46,619
He's getting closer and closer and

1068
00:34:46,620 --> 00:34:49,079
then there's a big crack and

1069
00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:51,138
a yell and Jim is

1070
00:34:51,139 --> 00:34:52,979
falling through the ice.

1071
00:34:52,980 --> 00:34:54,899
I mean, how deep is the water

1072
00:34:54,900 --> 00:34:56,718
there? We are all concerned.

1073
00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:58,599
This might be the end of poor Jim.

1074
00:35:01,350 --> 00:35:03,409
Well, the water was only

1075
00:35:03,410 --> 00:35:05,589
about waist deep.

1076
00:35:05,590 --> 00:35:07,689
There stands Jim.

1077
00:35:07,690 --> 00:35:08,469
Cold.

1078
00:35:08,470 --> 00:35:10,589
It's colder than blue blazes.

1079
00:35:10,590 --> 00:35:13,109
I mean, it's zero.

1080
00:35:13,110 --> 00:35:15,010
And Jim is standing in the water.

1081
00:35:16,150 --> 00:35:18,129
And Pa yells, crawl out of the

1082
00:35:18,130 --> 00:35:19,449
ice.

1083
00:35:19,450 --> 00:35:20,389
Crawl back on.

1084
00:35:20,390 --> 00:35:22,429
He tries, and the ice keeps breaking

1085
00:35:22,430 --> 00:35:23,430
off.

1086
00:35:24,450 --> 00:35:25,949
Somehow, Pa knew what to do.

1087
00:35:25,950 --> 00:35:27,789
There was an aspen tree, a

1088
00:35:27,790 --> 00:35:29,279
popple tree growing nearby.

1089
00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:31,399
And we had an ax along because

1090
00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:33,599
we were always keeping our

1091
00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:34,719
campfire going.

1092
00:35:34,720 --> 00:35:36,119
You pop quick chops off the trees,

1093
00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:37,979
about 20 feet long, and a couple

1094
00:35:37,980 --> 00:35:39,819
of us go out onto the

1095
00:35:39,820 --> 00:35:41,699
lake with this

1096
00:35:41,700 --> 00:35:43,579
long pole, which we pushed

1097
00:35:43,580 --> 00:35:45,559
toward Jim and

1098
00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:47,339
had said, grab the bit.

1099
00:35:47,340 --> 00:35:49,619
He's already experiencing

1100
00:35:49,620 --> 00:35:50,659
hypothermia.

1101
00:35:50,660 --> 00:35:51,579
We didn't know what the heck that

1102
00:35:51,580 --> 00:35:52,759
was in the day.

1103
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:54,119
We thought you'd just freeze to

1104
00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:55,120
death.

1105
00:35:55,810 --> 00:35:57,309
We push the pole, he grabs hold of

1106
00:35:57,310 --> 00:35:58,549
the pole. We pull him up on the

1107
00:35:58,550 --> 00:36:00,969
water, pull him toward us.

1108
00:36:00,970 --> 00:36:03,149
Take him over to the campfire

1109
00:36:03,150 --> 00:36:05,049
and say, and Jim

1110
00:36:05,050 --> 00:36:06,929
is just shivering like everything.

1111
00:36:06,930 --> 00:36:09,149
I mean, he's got hypothermia

1112
00:36:09,150 --> 00:36:10,109
big time.

1113
00:36:10,110 --> 00:36:12,969
We take him over the fire and

1114
00:36:12,970 --> 00:36:14,589
thankfully, I guess thankfully,

1115
00:36:14,590 --> 00:36:15,909
there are no women around.

1116
00:36:15,910 --> 00:36:17,749
We say, Jim, you've got to take

1117
00:36:17,750 --> 00:36:19,329
off all your clothes.

1118
00:36:19,330 --> 00:36:21,649
I'm not going to do it!

1119
00:36:21,650 --> 00:36:23,009
Well, he did.

1120
00:36:23,010 --> 00:36:24,869
He hung his clothes all around the

1121
00:36:24,870 --> 00:36:26,349
fire, and there he stands bare naked

1122
00:36:26,350 --> 00:36:28,589
trying to warm up.

1123
00:36:28,590 --> 00:36:30,869
Jim is still alive today,

1124
00:36:30,870 --> 00:36:32,689
interestingly enough, and does

1125
00:36:32,690 --> 00:36:34,689
not like and will not like to

1126
00:36:34,690 --> 00:36:36,669
hear the report of this

1127
00:36:36,670 --> 00:36:38,849
story that goes way back

1128
00:36:38,850 --> 00:36:40,749
when he was this adventurous

1129
00:36:40,750 --> 00:36:42,569
young pup trying to show off

1130
00:36:42,570 --> 00:36:44,149
to the rest of us when the fish

1131
00:36:44,150 --> 00:36:46,109
weren't biting that maybe he

1132
00:36:46,110 --> 00:36:48,309
could do something of interest and

1133
00:36:48,310 --> 00:36:49,579
brag about it.

1134
00:36:49,580 --> 00:36:50,979
He didn't want to brag about what

1135
00:36:50,980 --> 00:36:51,980
happened that day.

1136
00:36:54,470 --> 00:36:56,829
You know, the contradiction

1137
00:36:56,830 --> 00:36:59,329
in these stories is

1138
00:36:59,330 --> 00:37:02,429
so

1139
00:37:02,430 --> 00:37:04,709
thought provoking,

1140
00:37:04,710 --> 00:37:06,529
the fact that water is

1141
00:37:06,530 --> 00:37:07,910
essential to life,

1142
00:37:09,190 --> 00:37:11,369
and pleasurable, and yet

1143
00:37:11,370 --> 00:37:12,529
it's not to be taken lightly.

1144
00:37:12,530 --> 00:37:13,530
It'll kill you.

1145
00:37:15,420 --> 00:37:16,420
Yeah,

1146
00:37:17,730 --> 00:37:19,709
the sinking boat has the

1147
00:37:19,710 --> 00:37:20,989
same message.

1148
00:37:24,070 --> 00:37:25,889
I guess all elements are like that

1149
00:37:25,890 --> 00:37:26,550
to some degree. Yeah.

1150
00:37:26,551 --> 00:37:28,509
Yeah, that's absolutely right.

1151
00:37:28,510 --> 00:37:31,469
Fire up especially, you know.

1152
00:37:31,470 --> 00:37:33,349
No, that

1153
00:37:33,350 --> 00:37:36,129
story has remained in

1154
00:37:36,130 --> 00:37:37,889
the group forever.

1155
00:37:37,890 --> 00:37:40,249
We remind Jim of it often.

1156
00:37:40,250 --> 00:37:41,549
He's not in very good shape these

1157
00:37:41,550 --> 00:37:43,429
days. He's six months younger than

1158
00:37:43,430 --> 00:37:44,929
I am, but he's in terrible shape.

1159
00:37:49,430 --> 00:37:52,289
So what was the story before the

1160
00:37:52,290 --> 00:37:53,329
dance hall?

1161
00:37:54,450 --> 00:37:55,409
I'm missing one.

1162
00:37:55,410 --> 00:37:56,489
I don't have it.

1163
00:37:56,490 --> 00:37:58,749
I don't have the script.

1164
00:37:58,750 --> 00:38:00,629
People say to me often, how do you

1165
00:38:00,630 --> 00:38:01,689
memorize all that stuff?

1166
00:38:04,530 --> 00:38:05,530
Cool.

1167
00:38:11,890 --> 00:38:12,890
Oh, what?

1168
00:38:13,630 --> 00:38:14,630
The flood.

1169
00:38:15,470 --> 00:38:17,589
The same story we

1170
00:38:17,590 --> 00:38:18,730
were just talking about.

1171
00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:22,440
Well,

1172
00:38:23,540 --> 00:38:25,189
yeah.

1173
00:38:25,190 --> 00:38:29,009
This must have been, this

1174
00:38:29,010 --> 00:38:30,949
must have happened in about

1175
00:38:30,950 --> 00:38:32,570
1946.

1176
00:38:36,650 --> 00:38:37,629
No, I'm wrong.

1177
00:38:37,630 --> 00:38:40,189
It's about 1948.

1178
00:38:40,190 --> 00:38:43,749
I was in high school and

1179
00:38:43,750 --> 00:38:45,609
Wild Rose is about

1180
00:38:45,610 --> 00:38:47,029
four and a half miles from our farm.

1181
00:38:47,030 --> 00:38:48,489
That's, you have to know that for

1182
00:38:48,490 --> 00:38:50,209
the story to work.

1183
00:38:50,210 --> 00:38:52,249
And it had been an interesting

1184
00:38:52,250 --> 00:38:53,550
winter, a lot of snow.

1185
00:38:54,910 --> 00:38:56,989
And come spring of

1186
00:38:56,990 --> 00:38:57,990
that year,

1187
00:38:59,110 --> 00:39:01,109
it warmed up in

1188
00:39:01,110 --> 00:39:02,949
March up to, I don't know,

1189
00:39:02,950 --> 00:39:04,539
that's been in the 70s.

1190
00:39:04,540 --> 00:39:07,079
And the snow melted fiercely,

1191
00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:08,619
and our country where I grew up has

1192
00:39:08,620 --> 00:39:10,439
a lot of hills and valleys,

1193
00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:12,299
and the valleys quickly filled with

1194
00:39:12,300 --> 00:39:13,300
water,

1195
00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:16,599
including the roads that

1196
00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:19,219
were in the little dips were

1197
00:39:19,220 --> 00:39:21,179
flooded. And so the school

1198
00:39:21,180 --> 00:39:22,180
was.

1199
00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:25,459
Nor could the milkman, nor could

1200
00:39:25,460 --> 00:39:27,819
anybody, just like a winter storm.

1201
00:39:29,220 --> 00:39:31,039
And so what about school?

1202
00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:32,479
No school bus.

1203
00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:34,539
Well, again, Jim Koca and Dave

1204
00:39:34,540 --> 00:39:36,919
Koca, we

1205
00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:39,019
walked to high school,

1206
00:39:39,020 --> 00:39:41,019
four and a half miles, one way.

1207
00:39:41,020 --> 00:39:42,239
And it was wonderful.

1208
00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:44,339
I mean, it was such fun to

1209
00:39:44,340 --> 00:39:46,039
brag to the town kids, who were a

1210
00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:48,119
bunch of wimps, anyway, that we just

1211
00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:49,379
walked four and half miles to get to

1212
00:39:49,380 --> 00:39:50,679
school. We impressed our teachers

1213
00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:52,659
unbelievably how we would

1214
00:39:52,660 --> 00:39:54,579
do that. My uncle, my

1215
00:39:54,580 --> 00:39:56,519
uncle Wilbur, the storyteller,

1216
00:39:57,620 --> 00:39:59,819
he had just bought a new

1217
00:39:59,820 --> 00:40:01,779
V8 Ford milk

1218
00:40:01,780 --> 00:40:03,119
truck.

1219
00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:05,059
He said my Ford truck

1220
00:40:05,060 --> 00:40:06,060
will go.

1221
00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:09,899
Well, what happened was when

1222
00:40:09,900 --> 00:40:11,919
all these valleys froze over,

1223
00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:15,759
the water didn't disappear, but

1224
00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:17,279
there was about two inches of ice on

1225
00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:20,279
them. And so County Highway A,

1226
00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:22,219
right by Nord El's farm,

1227
00:40:22,220 --> 00:40:24,179
was a valley that was flooded.

1228
00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:27,559
And Wilbur said, well, I can drive

1229
00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:29,279
my truck across there, nothing to

1230
00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:31,399
it. He drove onto that

1231
00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:33,399
pond on the road and he broke

1232
00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:34,919
through and he smashed a grill and

1233
00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:36,719
his brand new truck and nobody ever

1234
00:40:36,720 --> 00:40:37,639
let him forget.

1235
00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:39,459
How his truck was not as great as

1236
00:40:39,460 --> 00:40:41,379
he thought it was.

1237
00:40:41,380 --> 00:40:43,339
So it took another two, three weeks

1238
00:40:43,340 --> 00:40:45,619
before the water receded enough

1239
00:40:45,620 --> 00:40:47,479
so that the school bus could

1240
00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:49,419
come by and the milk truck could

1241
00:40:49,420 --> 00:40:51,419
come buy and things would

1242
00:40:51,420 --> 00:40:53,319
return back to normal and

1243
00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:55,179
we didn't have to walk

1244
00:40:55,180 --> 00:40:57,179
nine miles round

1245
00:40:57,180 --> 00:40:59,219
trip to school for heaven's

1246
00:40:59,220 --> 00:41:00,739
sake. But that's what kids did in

1247
00:41:00,740 --> 00:41:02,639
the early days my dad reminded me,

1248
00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:04,519
you shouldn't brag about that.

1249
00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:06,699
If you're gonna get to school,

1250
00:41:06,700 --> 00:41:08,259
sometimes you have to walk, and four

1251
00:41:08,260 --> 00:41:09,260
and a half miles,

1252
00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:11,679
well, that's what it takes.

1253
00:41:14,020 --> 00:41:16,139
And that must have been a

1254
00:41:16,140 --> 00:41:17,739
fun walk, because there's something

1255
00:41:17,740 --> 00:41:20,689
really impressive about nature.

1256
00:41:20,690 --> 00:41:22,809
Well, see that?

1257
00:41:24,050 --> 00:41:25,549
There was the unexpected.

1258
00:41:25,550 --> 00:41:27,489
It's the unexpected in nature that

1259
00:41:27,490 --> 00:41:30,209
I have always found fascinating.

1260
00:41:30,210 --> 00:41:32,289
Whether it's a fierce storm

1261
00:41:32,290 --> 00:41:34,769
or a flood, it's

1262
00:41:34,770 --> 00:41:37,009
what you don't expect to happen.

1263
00:41:37,010 --> 00:41:38,829
Especially in our area, the

1264
00:41:38,830 --> 00:41:40,849
idea of a flood was unknown.

1265
00:41:40,850 --> 00:41:41,989
It was sand country.

1266
00:41:41,990 --> 00:41:43,249
The ground was frozen.

1267
00:41:43,250 --> 00:41:45,389
That's why the water didn't

1268
00:41:45,390 --> 00:41:46,389
recede.

1269
00:41:46,390 --> 00:41:48,269
And so it was unexpected

1270
00:41:48,270 --> 00:41:50,089
and so when the unexpected

1271
00:41:50,090 --> 00:41:51,909
happens And my

1272
00:41:51,910 --> 00:41:52,910
dad was good at this.

1273
00:41:53,890 --> 00:41:55,269
His comment was, well, you got to

1274
00:41:55,270 --> 00:41:56,270
make do.

1275
00:41:57,570 --> 00:41:59,649
You take what's

1276
00:41:59,650 --> 00:42:01,429
given to you.

1277
00:42:01,430 --> 00:42:03,489
And rather than sit back and say,

1278
00:42:03,490 --> 00:42:05,109
oh my, you boys don't have to go to

1279
00:42:05,110 --> 00:42:06,489
school now and I don't know what

1280
00:42:06,490 --> 00:42:07,829
we're going to do and the milkman

1281
00:42:07,830 --> 00:42:09,649
can't come by and we're gonna

1282
00:42:09,650 --> 00:42:11,989
do all the milk and all that.

1283
00:42:11,990 --> 00:42:13,849
He said, well you guys can walk to

1284
00:42:13,850 --> 00:42:15,389
school. I used to walk a long ways.

1285
00:42:15,390 --> 00:42:17,049
What, four miles, that's maybe a

1286
00:42:17,050 --> 00:42:18,369
little longer than I had to walk,

1287
00:42:18,370 --> 00:42:19,529
but it'd be good for you.

1288
00:42:19,530 --> 00:42:20,379
It was.

1289
00:42:20,380 --> 00:42:22,779
It was great,

1290
00:42:22,780 --> 00:42:24,759
and people who

1291
00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:27,559
know my background

1292
00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:29,299
and know the walking was not great

1293
00:42:29,300 --> 00:42:31,079
for me because I was still getting

1294
00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:33,239
over having had polio,

1295
00:42:33,240 --> 00:42:35,219
but as it turned out,

1296
00:42:35,220 --> 00:42:36,899
it really was the other way around.

1297
00:42:36,900 --> 00:42:38,519
That kind of exercise just helped

1298
00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:41,079
strengthen my bad leg.

1299
00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:42,999
So it had a lot going

1300
00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:43,939
for it.

1301
00:42:43,940 --> 00:42:45,839
But this community of kids,

1302
00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:46,739
there must have been a half a dozen

1303
00:42:46,740 --> 00:42:48,559
of us walking

1304
00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:49,469
of school.

1305
00:42:49,470 --> 00:42:51,349
I mean we just thought that was the

1306
00:42:51,350 --> 00:42:53,369
greatest thing in the world, and to

1307
00:42:53,370 --> 00:42:55,429
get there and be able to brag,

1308
00:42:55,430 --> 00:42:57,349
oh man, I mean, we country

1309
00:42:57,350 --> 00:42:58,909
kids were short on bragging rights

1310
00:42:58,910 --> 00:43:00,569
anyway, the town kids had all the

1311
00:43:00,570 --> 00:43:01,829
advantages, we thought, we didn't

1312
00:43:01,830 --> 00:43:03,689
have electricity or anything,

1313
00:43:03,690 --> 00:43:04,829
and now we can brag.

1314
00:43:04,830 --> 00:43:07,089
By golly, we're in school,

1315
00:43:07,090 --> 00:43:08,049
even though the school bus didn't

1316
00:43:08,050 --> 00:43:09,050
make it.

1317
00:43:13,690 --> 00:43:15,209
Okay, so now,

1318
00:43:16,590 --> 00:43:18,389
you're old enough to drink beer and

1319
00:43:18,390 --> 00:43:19,079
go to the dam.

1320
00:43:19,080 --> 00:43:20,899
Oh good golly,

1321
00:43:20,900 --> 00:43:21,900
Miss Molly.

1322
00:43:24,180 --> 00:43:26,419
When I turned 18 years

1323
00:43:26,420 --> 00:43:27,420
old,

1324
00:43:28,300 --> 00:43:30,159
there was still on the books of law

1325
00:43:30,160 --> 00:43:31,939
in Wisconsin that said you could

1326
00:43:31,940 --> 00:43:34,099
drink beer but not liquor or

1327
00:43:34,100 --> 00:43:35,100
wine.

1328
00:43:35,740 --> 00:43:37,679
And so there were beer bars all

1329
00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:39,679
over the place just for 18

1330
00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:40,680
year olds.

1331
00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:43,659
And Lakeside Lodge in Hancock,

1332
00:43:43,660 --> 00:43:46,199
Wisconsin, now gone,

1333
00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:48,329
had such a beer bar.

1334
00:43:48,330 --> 00:43:50,669
And they also had this wonderful

1335
00:43:50,670 --> 00:43:51,670
dance hall.

1336
00:43:53,210 --> 00:43:55,169
And every Saturday night,

1337
00:43:55,170 --> 00:43:56,989
all year round, I don't think

1338
00:43:56,990 --> 00:43:58,249
they missed a Saturday night.

1339
00:43:58,250 --> 00:43:59,489
Maybe it was Christmas Eve, they

1340
00:43:59,490 --> 00:44:00,969
didn't perform.

1341
00:44:00,970 --> 00:44:03,429
But they invited

1342
00:44:03,430 --> 00:44:05,369
in a polka band, and there were a

1343
00:44:05,370 --> 00:44:06,630
series of polka bands.

1344
00:44:07,790 --> 00:44:09,869
And how I love to,

1345
00:44:09,870 --> 00:44:11,929
finally, I love

1346
00:44:11,930 --> 00:44:13,169
the polka. It took me a long time to

1347
00:44:13,170 --> 00:44:14,489
learn how to do it.

1348
00:44:15,570 --> 00:44:17,509
But here, here we would

1349
00:44:17,510 --> 00:44:18,510
all show up.

1350
00:44:19,110 --> 00:44:22,449
And the polka bands would,

1351
00:44:22,450 --> 00:44:24,349
it was 50 cents is what it cost

1352
00:44:24,350 --> 00:44:26,029
to get into the dance hall.

1353
00:44:26,030 --> 00:44:28,749
It started at 9 o'clock, it went to

1354
00:44:28,750 --> 00:44:30,709
1 o' clock, 9 to

1355
00:44:30,710 --> 00:44:31,509
1.

1356
00:44:31,510 --> 00:44:34,989
And they would play all

1357
00:44:34,990 --> 00:44:36,549
these wonderful polkas, the beer

1358
00:44:36,550 --> 00:44:38,649
barrel polka.

1359
00:44:38,650 --> 00:44:40,949
We call it the butcher polka,

1360
00:44:40,950 --> 00:44:43,149
butcher arms around me honey,

1361
00:44:43,150 --> 00:44:43,969
hold me tight.

1362
00:44:43,970 --> 00:44:45,949
We do all the words

1363
00:44:45,950 --> 00:44:47,089
to these songs.

1364
00:44:47,090 --> 00:44:49,209
And then they would do the old time

1365
00:44:49,210 --> 00:44:51,309
waltzes, the Tennessee waltz.

1366
00:44:51,310 --> 00:44:53,269
I was waltzing with my

1367
00:44:53,270 --> 00:44:55,809
darling to the Tennessee

1368
00:44:55,810 --> 00:44:57,149
Waltz.

1369
00:44:57,150 --> 00:44:58,349
You probably want to take that part

1370
00:44:58,350 --> 00:44:59,350
out.

1371
00:45:00,250 --> 00:45:02,749
I mean, it was just fantastic.

1372
00:45:02,750 --> 00:45:04,029
And of course, we were there with

1373
00:45:04,030 --> 00:45:06,089
our girlfriends, showing off

1374
00:45:06,090 --> 00:45:07,209
our dance steps.

1375
00:45:07,210 --> 00:45:08,729
None of us could dance with a hoop.

1376
00:45:08,730 --> 00:45:10,349
The girls all knew how to dance.

1377
00:45:10,350 --> 00:45:12,349
But the big deal was going

1378
00:45:12,350 --> 00:45:14,349
into the 18-year-old

1379
00:45:14,350 --> 00:45:16,919
bar. Where you could get, I think,

1380
00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:19,159
five, seven-ounce bottles of

1381
00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:21,079
Blatz beer for a dollar, something

1382
00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:24,239
like that. I mean, it was absurd.

1383
00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:26,079
But we tried, the guy who was

1384
00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:28,059
driving the car, we always slacked

1385
00:45:28,060 --> 00:45:30,459
off on him, he had to take it easy.

1386
00:45:30,460 --> 00:45:31,579
The rest of us, well, we didn't have

1387
00:45:31,580 --> 00:45:33,259
any money either, so we'd get our

1388
00:45:33,260 --> 00:45:34,339
dollars worth of beer, and that was

1389
00:45:34,340 --> 00:45:35,319
about it.

1390
00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:37,339
But the thing that I remember most

1391
00:45:37,340 --> 00:45:39,399
is the Lakeside Lodge is right on

1392
00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:40,400
this wonderful lake.

1393
00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:43,999
And there was often a full moon

1394
00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:46,019
when we're trying to

1395
00:45:46,020 --> 00:45:47,699
impress our dates, and we would take

1396
00:45:47,700 --> 00:45:49,819
them down to the beach.

1397
00:45:49,820 --> 00:45:52,339
And with the moon rising,

1398
00:45:52,340 --> 00:45:54,739
and the bullfrogs, har-oomp,

1399
00:45:54,740 --> 00:45:55,979
haroomp.

1400
00:45:55,980 --> 00:45:57,599
I mean, why wouldn't that impress a

1401
00:45:57,600 --> 00:45:59,699
girl to hear that wonderful sound

1402
00:45:59,700 --> 00:46:01,260
of a bullfrock?

1403
00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:04,259
While we're walking along the beach,

1404
00:46:04,260 --> 00:46:05,919
and in the background, the butcher

1405
00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:07,959
song. Butcher arms around

1406
00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:10,329
me, honey, hold me tight.

1407
00:46:10,330 --> 00:46:11,229
Is playing.

1408
00:46:11,230 --> 00:46:13,429
I mean it was the best,

1409
00:46:13,430 --> 00:46:15,009
absolutely the best.

1410
00:46:15,010 --> 00:46:16,569
And of course the band every so

1411
00:46:16,570 --> 00:46:18,209
often would take a break and then a

1412
00:46:18,210 --> 00:46:19,609
bunch of us would walk along the

1413
00:46:19,610 --> 00:46:20,469
beach.

1414
00:46:20,470 --> 00:46:22,229
And then they would, you would hear

1415
00:46:22,230 --> 00:46:24,209
the announcers say, we're now

1416
00:46:24,210 --> 00:46:26,489
going to do a shottish.

1417
00:46:26,490 --> 00:46:28,549
One two three hop, one two

1418
00:46:28,550 --> 00:46:30,029
three, hop hop hop.

1419
00:46:30,030 --> 00:46:30,929
I could do that.

1420
00:46:30,930 --> 00:46:32,589
I knew how to do the shottush.

1421
00:46:32,590 --> 00:46:34,429
And we'd do the circle two step.

1422
00:46:34,430 --> 00:46:36,449
I meant, and then they would play

1423
00:46:36,450 --> 00:46:37,630
some drag along.

1424
00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:40,659
Dance, some of us who didn't

1425
00:46:40,660 --> 00:46:42,299
dance very well, we could cuddle up

1426
00:46:42,300 --> 00:46:43,820
a little closer to our dates.

1427
00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:47,219
But it was the

1428
00:46:47,220 --> 00:46:49,199
beach and the lake made

1429
00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:51,039
it what it was, because the

1430
00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:52,859
moonlight on the lake,

1431
00:46:52,860 --> 00:46:55,619
I mean, who couldn't be impressed?

1432
00:46:55,620 --> 00:46:57,479
And we, of course, after a couple

1433
00:46:57,480 --> 00:46:59,599
of these cheap beers, were trying

1434
00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:01,439
our darndest to impress our dates,

1435
00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:03,399
which, as it turned So we're

1436
00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:04,400
not impressed.

1437
00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:09,559
So was Ruth a part of this?

1438
00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:09,560
No.

1439
00:47:09,561 --> 00:47:11,439
No, Evans de Bressy don't even

1440
00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:13,019
tell don't mention to her that I

1441
00:47:13,020 --> 00:47:14,249
talked about this.

1442
00:47:14,250 --> 00:47:15,570
She'll never know

1443
00:47:18,950 --> 00:47:20,869
I have long forgotten who

1444
00:47:20,870 --> 00:47:23,109
these girls were, but we did

1445
00:47:23,110 --> 00:47:24,549
almost a different one every

1446
00:47:24,550 --> 00:47:25,569
Saturday night.

1447
00:47:25,570 --> 00:47:27,949
But these dances were absolutely

1448
00:47:27,950 --> 00:47:28,950
fantastic.

1449
00:47:30,050 --> 00:47:31,949
Harry Banks had been

1450
00:47:31,950 --> 00:47:33,449
our neighbor. He was an Englishman

1451
00:47:33,450 --> 00:47:35,589
who played the violin with

1452
00:47:35,590 --> 00:47:36,769
a finger missing.

1453
00:47:36,770 --> 00:47:38,789
He got caught in a moor, so he's

1454
00:47:38,790 --> 00:47:40,729
playing the violin finger

1455
00:47:40,730 --> 00:47:43,109
missing, and Pinky

1456
00:47:43,110 --> 00:47:44,929
Ezerhut, he was the banjo

1457
00:47:44,930 --> 00:47:47,069
player, he was German,

1458
00:47:47,070 --> 00:47:48,409
and Frank Kolka.

1459
00:47:48,410 --> 00:47:50,369
He was a bohemian

1460
00:47:50,370 --> 00:47:52,189
guy who played the concertina.

1461
00:47:52,190 --> 00:47:54,149
They were sort of the nucleus of

1462
00:47:54,150 --> 00:47:56,349
the band that became enlarged

1463
00:47:56,350 --> 00:47:57,769
when the kids learned how to play

1464
00:47:57,770 --> 00:47:59,849
trumpets in high school and

1465
00:47:59,850 --> 00:48:01,489
piano and all these fancy

1466
00:48:01,490 --> 00:48:03,509
instruments like who could play the

1467
00:48:03,510 --> 00:48:05,009
trumpet in those days.

1468
00:48:05,010 --> 00:48:06,829
And so the bands got really got

1469
00:48:06,830 --> 00:48:09,009
better and Harry Banks' son

1470
00:48:09,010 --> 00:48:10,889
uh... And now his grandson still

1471
00:48:10,890 --> 00:48:12,809
has a band that plays in

1472
00:48:12,810 --> 00:48:14,769
that area going back to

1473
00:48:14,770 --> 00:48:17,009
the days of Lakeside Lodge

1474
00:48:17,010 --> 00:48:19,139
18 18-year

1475
00:48:19,140 --> 00:48:21,079
law and the cheap beer and

1476
00:48:21,080 --> 00:48:22,999
walking on the beach with

1477
00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:24,819
the moon coming up in the

1478
00:48:24,820 --> 00:48:26,260
bullfrogs in the background.

1479
00:48:29,130 --> 00:48:30,669
I can't understand why you have a

1480
00:48:30,670 --> 00:48:31,670
fondness for water.

1481
00:48:36,070 --> 00:48:37,070
Well,

1482
00:48:38,070 --> 00:48:40,069
it hits one's

1483
00:48:40,070 --> 00:48:41,689
life in a variety of ways.

1484
00:48:41,690 --> 00:48:42,690
If you pay attention.

1485
00:48:44,820 --> 00:48:46,979
You know, as long as we're here,

1486
00:48:46,980 --> 00:48:48,579
and I know you don't have a story

1487
00:48:48,580 --> 00:48:50,499
about this, but you

1488
00:48:50,500 --> 00:48:52,279
talked about the importance of these

1489
00:48:52,280 --> 00:48:54,839
lakes that are in their

1490
00:48:54,840 --> 00:48:56,279
somewhat wild form.

1491
00:48:56,280 --> 00:48:58,199
Yeah, one of the things that I

1492
00:48:58,200 --> 00:49:00,719
have been impressed with and

1493
00:49:00,720 --> 00:49:02,839
encouraged and

1494
00:49:02,840 --> 00:49:05,459
some days very disappointed

1495
00:49:05,460 --> 00:49:07,639
to see a

1496
00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:10,279
natural lake with

1497
00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:12,099
somebody deciding, well, we've

1498
00:49:12,100 --> 00:49:13,479
got to develop that.

1499
00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:15,439
We've got to put a condo on one end

1500
00:49:15,440 --> 00:49:17,119
of it. That thing is sitting there

1501
00:49:17,120 --> 00:49:18,959
not earning anything for

1502
00:49:18,960 --> 00:49:20,819
us. And

1503
00:49:20,820 --> 00:49:22,659
people in my mind sometimes fail

1504
00:49:22,660 --> 00:49:25,079
to realize that

1505
00:49:25,080 --> 00:49:26,709
in this life...

1506
00:49:26,710 --> 00:49:28,469
There's more than economics,

1507
00:49:30,070 --> 00:49:32,689
and the idea of

1508
00:49:32,690 --> 00:49:34,529
just sitting by a

1509
00:49:34,530 --> 00:49:36,349
lake and watching it

1510
00:49:36,350 --> 00:49:38,809
has value that exceeds

1511
00:49:38,810 --> 00:49:40,889
most anything that you could write

1512
00:49:40,890 --> 00:49:42,249
in your checkbook.

1513
00:49:43,290 --> 00:49:45,369
And today, I grew up

1514
00:49:45,370 --> 00:49:46,629
understanding that.

1515
00:49:46,630 --> 00:49:48,509
I grew up

1516
00:49:48,510 --> 00:49:49,510
appreciating that.

1517
00:49:50,530 --> 00:49:53,629
These lakes were created 10,000

1518
00:49:53,630 --> 00:49:55,709
years ago when the last

1519
00:49:55,710 --> 00:49:58,649
glacier receded,

1520
00:49:58,650 --> 00:50:00,729
and the lake we're looking

1521
00:50:00,730 --> 00:50:02,689
at right now is one of those that

1522
00:50:02,690 --> 00:50:04,569
has very little, if

1523
00:50:04,570 --> 00:50:05,609
any, development.

1524
00:50:05,610 --> 00:50:06,889
So what do we see?

1525
00:50:06,890 --> 00:50:08,689
We see pond lilies.

1526
00:50:08,690 --> 00:50:10,809
We see natural vegetation

1527
00:50:10,810 --> 00:50:12,109
all around it.

1528
00:50:12,110 --> 00:50:13,609
And if you went out into it, my

1529
00:50:13,610 --> 00:50:14,749
guess is that you could look

1530
00:50:14,750 --> 00:50:16,269
probably to the bottom because

1531
00:50:16,270 --> 00:50:18,309
there's no- external

1532
00:50:18,310 --> 00:50:19,329
pollution.

1533
00:50:19,330 --> 00:50:21,729
It's a natural environment.

1534
00:50:21,730 --> 00:50:24,669
And when I say that Lake is 10,000

1535
00:50:24,670 --> 00:50:26,509
years old, it is.

1536
00:50:26,510 --> 00:50:27,849
That's a long time.

1537
00:50:29,590 --> 00:50:31,489
And again, the

1538
00:50:31,490 --> 00:50:34,189
extent to which our

1539
00:50:34,190 --> 00:50:36,510
society can continue,

1540
00:50:38,470 --> 00:50:40,269
and maybe this is an exaggeration,

1541
00:50:40,270 --> 00:50:42,149
will depend on the extent to which

1542
00:50:42,150 --> 00:50:44,069
some of this can be

1543
00:50:44,070 --> 00:50:45,969
maintained to remind

1544
00:50:45,970 --> 00:50:46,970
us.

1545
00:50:48,630 --> 00:50:50,769
That nature is important

1546
00:50:50,770 --> 00:50:53,069
in our lives and lakes and

1547
00:50:53,070 --> 00:50:54,250
water are essential.

1548
00:51:00,790 --> 00:51:01,790
A little out of...

1549
00:55:55,810 --> 00:55:56,849
I'm going to just help you in your

1550
00:55:56,850 --> 00:55:57,850
own way.

1551
00:56:01,780 --> 00:56:03,360
Did we look bad-tempered?

1552
00:56:09,930 --> 00:56:11,989
That is what that family is doing,

1553
00:56:11,990 --> 00:56:12,990
is just perfect.

1554
01:02:04,441 --> 01:02:05,441
Where is it?