Jeep: Drive It Like You Mean It

 “…The spartan, cramped, and unstintingly functional Jeep became the ubiquitous World War II four-wheeled personification of Yankee ingenuity and cocky, can-do determination.” – Doug Smith Smithsonian

A Great Video And Song.

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             As the story goes, what began in 1941 as a Government Vehicle later morphed its name into the General Purpose Vehicle, before finally changing into the abbreviation of G.P. (Pronounced “Jeep” for short).  The story is more complicated than that as the word jeep after The Great War (WWI), also referred to any new vehicle or a new recruit.  That’s the gist of it, however, and somewhere in there is the truth.  Regardless, the Jeep has been serving ever since; for a total of 75 years now.

            I got my Jeep at the end of the summer in 2001.  It was used and six years old (a 1995 Grand Cherokee-Laredo).  My wife and I told the kindly dealer (Ron Corey of Corey’s Motorworks & Sport Utility) we could only pay the amount we offered; no more.  Between the money we could put down, and what we could afford as a monthly payment for the loan, we were locked into that amount and wouldn’t budge.  As our two little kids climbed around the small office area, the dealer’s son finally said, “Dad, just let them have the Jeep.”  That broke the negotiating, and gratefully we got a second vehicle.  We were set to pay $149.58 for the next four years until the fall of 2005.

            Not too long after that, I was driving to work and giving a teaching colleague (Keli) a ride.  I was returning the favor after she had been helping us out.  For the last couple of months, she had been giving me rides to school while we had been down a vehicle.  While traveling through Loves Park, I got hit by another car.  He had come off from a side street as we drove north to school.  For some reason he didn’t see us, and pulled out right in front of us.  Luckily nobody was seriously hurt, and the other driver felt terrible and wanted to make it right.  People stopped by, the police arrived, and our principal came down and gave us a ride back home.  After cleaning up from the shattered glass, and contacting my insurance company, Keli picked me up (in her car again) and we made it back up to school to finish the day out teaching.

            While I waited the next few weeks for the passenger-side of the Jeep to be fixed, the attack happened on the World Trade Towers in New York City (9-11).  Although a bit difficult due to the timing, I was able to get a small rental car to get me through, and even drove it to Michigan to help my parents pack up for their move down to southern Wisconsin.

            Since that initial year, the green Jeep Grand Cherokee and I have been through a lot of adventures together; sometimes solo, sometimes with family, and sometimes with friends.  It’s served me well to get from Point A to Point B; whether with the seats up taking people with me, or with the seats down masquerading as a truck.  I do have routine maintenance done on the Jeep, even if months go by between washings.  Omark’s Auto Service down on Broadway in Rockford has taken care of it since the beginning.  Although we no longer live in Rockford, I still bring it down every 3 or 4,000 miles for grease, oil, and filter changes, among the other things that occasionally need to be replaced on an older vehicle.  I’d say the guys there in the shop know it as well as anybody, and treat it as an old friend.  The only reason I probably don’t wash it as often as I should is simply because I hate to wash off the dust and dirt from my annual trips to camp in the backwoods of Northern Michigan.  As the dates for the next trip approach, however, I break down and have it beautified with a wash and wax.  It’s the least I can do.

             When I think of my Jeep’s personality as some people are apt to do, I don’t really think of it as a “he” or “she,” it’s simply the Green Jeep (especially since we purchased a silver colored one in 2015 as our family vehicle).  The Green Jeep’s personality is based more on its attributes and adventures.  As I explored the area’s preserves and wildlife areas, or sought out sacred trout waters, the ole Jeep was my means of transportation. 

I’ve hauled firewood, rocks, camping gear, kayaks and canoes.  I’ve slept in it, and I’ve blasted through snow drifts while driving in 4-wheel drive (with my kids cheering in the back seat).  Although it’s far from perfect, the Jeep does the job.  Those imperfections only add to its character.  Character traits such as:

·        * A missing passenger side mirror that I took off on a mailbox while waving to a neighbor.  That was a funny story, and both scared and embarrassed my daughter who was “riding shot-gun” at the time.

·        * A speedometer that only works intermittently.

·        * An odometer that’s only worked occasionally for the last five years or so.  The Jeep is roughly at 200,000 some miles, give or take a few thousand.

·        * A radio that hasn’t worked since I don’t know when.  It really isn’t an issue other than when I’m driving and I’m tired.  I guess that’s the only time noise would be nice.  My friend Joe once asked me about something he’d heard on a sports talk radio station, and then remembered my Jeep doesn’t have one that works; end of discussion.  That was funny too.

·        * A heater that only blows air off the dashboard and at your feet.

·        *The passenger side sun visor that is tied into place so it doesn’t flop down.

·        * The air conditioning which is non-existent, and has been for a long, long time.  On hot days you bring along extra water, take your shirt off, and roll the windows down.

·        * In 2014 when I got tired of the material slowly peeling off the interior ceiling of the Jeep, so I ripped it all out.  That was right before I took it camping with my cousins.  My cousin Sean (upon hearing what I did) said, “Another stripe on the tiger.”  Indeed, as these are the traits that give the Jeep nostalgia and character.

·        * The windshield that is newer, after I tried putting the wrong kayak inside of the Jeep (instead of up on top) and spider-webbed it.  It was apparent redemption after doing almost the same thing to my friend Louie a few years before that.

·        * The hatch.  Anyone who has ridden with me knows about the back hatch.  When open, it’s propped up with an old broom stick cut to the right size.  Failure to remember that the hydraulic lift supports don’t work, or accidentally knocking the stick out, transforms the hatch into a guillotine type apparatus you won’t soon forget.

·        * Tires, shocks, and major parts that have been fixed, changed, or replaced as needed.

·        * When my son and I hauled its last load using the trailer hitch.  The large trailer we were pulling was loaded down with a massive amount of rock, dirt, and wood chips that we were getting rid of.  It was touch and go when we hit the road’s expansion joints going up and over the nearby highway, but we made it.  Since very little of the hitch’s bracing remained, due to rust, Omark’s Auto Service suggested that I don’t ever do that again.  Literally, those are words to live by.

·        * I must travel long distances with jumper cables and a small tool box, especially after being stranded with a dead battery while trout fishing with my Dad (we flagged a lady down who actually stopped to help us).  Another time I had to stop at a farm house to ask for an old coat hanger.  After driving into a roadside ditch I was able to crawl underneath the Jeep to wire the exhaust system up enough to drive back home.

            These idiosyncrasies aren’t meant to complain about my Jeep any more than they aren’t meant to brag about my Jeep.  They simply make my Jeep what it is, and when I mention them, I do so with mild fondness.  When I’m driving, and get stuck in traffic, or I see someone driving a shiny SUV that has never seen a dirt road (let alone a speck of dust), I mutter to myself, “Drive it like you mean it.”  In a Jeep like mine, that’s been with you through the tests of time, it’s the least you can do.  The history of this brand of vehicle is pretty impressive when you look back over the 75 years since it first came off the assembly line heading into WWII.  I know it’s been pretty impressive to me when I see how our green Jeep Grand Cherokee has been there through the years for our family and me.

            See you along The Way…

Country Roads Take Me Home

Me and my cousin's Jeep in the Back-Country

Being a "Knucklehead" & parking at school...Because I can

The First Snow Of 2016

            Saturday began when I went outside and worked on the yard all morning.  The temperature hovered in the 30’s, but it was great weather to work in.  I was able to rake the remaining piles of leaves from the various garden areas, as well as from the other nooks and crannies in and around the house.  Afterwards I mowed the front and backyards.  It was the beginning of December, and yet I was fortunate enough to have the time to get the yard ready one last time before the snow came.

            By 2:30 I had cleaned up, packed, and together with my wife, daughter, and dogs, headed up to my parents house a half hour away.  They would be watching our pups overnight.  

After we visited, and got the dogs settled, we continued on to Waukesha, Wisconsin.  My daughter Jodi drove to get some practice time in while traveling on the highway.  We headed northeast, since Jodi and I were going to run the “Last Call Half Marathon” the following day.  After picking up our race packets; complete with cool T-shirts and our race numbers, we proceeded to the nearby Marriott hotel.

We checked in, and then drove to Albanese’s Roadhouse for some pasta/carbohydrates.  I had a plate full of spaghetti with “award winning” meatballs.  It tasted absolutely awesome; and provided me with the fuel I would need for the 13.1 mile race.  We returned to our hotel, and hunkered down for the night. 

Jodi commented that we were, “Living the life of luxury!”  My wife Cindy and I laughed.  I wasn’t sure if it was luxurious, but it was a very nice hotel and room, and one we had stayed in before.  We were full and comfortable, and we settled in to watch the first half of the Big Ten Championship game between Wisconsin and Penn State.  Since it had been a long day, we went to bed before we knew the outcome; knowing the race would come early.

            After a good night’s sleep we arose.  Both Jodi and I ate a little bit of a Cliff Bar and part of bagel, got dressed, and then we all headed downtown to the EB Shurts Environmental Center along the Fox River for the start of the race.  

Before the race and snow

As we warmed up by jogging a few blocks, a few snowflakes began to fall.  Cindy took our picture and watched us begin with over 300 other people.  The snow steadily increased as we ran.  The course quickly made its way onto the Glacial Drumlin Trail.  My son Todd and I had run this race together last year.  It had been a special day to share.  Today would be another special day, this time with my daughter.  Last year had been cold too, following a night of heavy rain.  This year we were being blessed with snow.  The changing of the seasons in what living in the Midwest is all about, and I love it.

Todd and I in 2015

            Jodi and I made our way through the groups of runners for the first few miles, and then it thinned out enough to give us ample room.  We ran, talked, and enjoyed the experience.  Jodi was the picture of consistency.  Together we settled into about a nine and a half minute per mile average.  We were probably a bit slower than that in the beginning, and then a bit faster at the end; known as a negative split.  The snow was easily sticking on the ground before we were too many miles into the run, although the black-topped pathway simply remained wet and clear; making for easy running.  Within a mile or two of the turn-a-round, other runners began to pass us going the other way.  It was fun to see the top runners, and crowds of others, but we talked through the fact that we didn’t want to get caught up in the sudden adrenaline rush, and knew we simply wanted to continue doing the same thing that had gotten us to that point.  After we ran past the ten mile marker, it was the farthest that Jodi had ever run before.  She commented that she only had a cross country race left to run.  Around mile eleven she felt a bit achy, but over all still felt great.  After the last water stop, we only had a mile left, and so we locked in and finished strong together.  Cindy met us at the end and was able to capture some pictures of us.  

We were not bound by the watch Jodi wore, but we did check it from time to time; simply to determine how we were doing.  She accidentally stopped it at one of the first mile markers, so she started it again at the next one, and then we just added ten minutes from there on out to give us an estimated time.  It turned out to be within seconds of the actual time we finished (2:05).  I grabbed two of the finisher medals, and put one of them around Jodi’s neck.  It was a culminating gesture after a lot of running; both today and throughout her jr. high and high school career.

            After taking the pictures, the three of us went into the environmental center.  Jodi and I got some fruit and hot cocoa they had available for runners.  By then we were starting to get chilled, so we went back to the hotel to get cleaned up and packed up.  The snow continued coming down, the roads were slushy, and so the driving had to be cautious.  We stopped in Mukwonago for some lunch, and then headed to my parents to pick up our dogs while listening to the Green Bay Packers vs. Houston Texans football game on the radio.  After visiting, we loaded everyone up, and headed home. 

Home - 4 or 5 inches of snow

I rested for about an hour or so, and then headed out to clear the driveway.  In the heavy, wet snow I used my recently fixed snow blower.  I haven’t used it since we moved to this house, as it needed to be overhauled.  A neighbor, who is a parent of two former students, fixed it for me about a week ago.  It took care of the snow well enough, although I had to clear out the auger and chute a few times due to the slush getting clogged in it.  Using a shovel, I cleared off the snow nearest to the road that was extra heavy.  

To top off the night, I took our youngest dog Kora for a walk in the snow.  The storm had all but ended by that time.  The walk gave me a chance to stretch out my leg muscles, while reflecting on the blessings and events from the last couple of days.  It’s been a flurry of activities during the first snowfall of the year.

            See you along The Way…

Pictures Of Thanks

            This Thanksgiving Break has been a series of good times with family; both our immediate family as well as the extended.  I decided to take pictures of a few of the various meals that we had, to capture some of the moments that happened in and around those good times.  We were blessed indeed for the food, but the obvious focus was with the people that we spent time with.

            Todd came home late Tuesday night.  On Wednesday morning, Jodi and I ran in a slight drizzle and then we relaxed and took care of a few errands.  Each fall, for the last five years, we’ve taken a drive into Southern Wisconsin, and eventually ended up at a hometown restaurant where we could get a good, solid burger.  This year we took an afternoon drive up to check out Gibbs Lake, and then drove the small, back country roads over to the outlet for Lake Koshkonong.  We ate at the newly renovated grill named “The Anchor.”  We had eaten there back in 2012 during an outing up along the Rock River, a few years before a fire had damaged it.  Now rebuilt, it’s a great little setting along the water, and one we’d like to check out sometime in the summer when I’m sure it’s hopping with boaters stopping by.

Gibbs Lake

Family at "The Anchor"

            On Thursday we began the day with a breakfast casserole that Cindy made.  We ate it while watching the news and parade.  I called and caught up with my friends Travis & Chris; a tradition on Thanksgiving Day for many years now.  Todd and I headed out afterwards to cut up a tree that had fallen into a nearby field so that we would have quality firewood going into the winter months.  He took a picture of the two of us afterwards in front of our Jeep full of wood, but it was on one of those blasted (yes I said blasted) social media sites that disappears after 24 hours.  So it exists out there somewhere in cyberspace, I just don’t know where.  We did, however, fill our wood rack and so I enjoyed having his help and company.  That Thursday afternoon we drove to my parents house where we visited, ate a meal Mom whipped up, looked at old pictures, and spent the night.  My Dad and I came as close to “Black Friday Shopping” as we’ve ever been, as we went out trying to find someplace that was open where we could get evaporated milk.  My Mom needed it so she could finish her pumpkin pies.  It was touch and go, but we found a Walmart in Lake Delevan that was open and managed to get in and out through the crowds that were already starting to form.  When we returned, I was able to talk on the phone to my sister who lives down south, and then I went to bed.

            On Friday we continued looking at some old pictures, and then together with my parents, drove over to my youngest sister’s house to have Thanksgiving with her family.  We played games, snoozed, and enjoyed a great afternoon together.  We had brought along our dogs, Kati and Kora, who are always up for what they deem as an exciting trip with the family.  In unison we meet my sister’s new puppies.  Bella and Bear were soft, roly-poly, and cute.  Although reserved at first, in the end all of the dogs were romping around (both inside and out) and fun to watch as they played.  We drove home late that evening.

My nephew with all of the "pups"

            On Saturday morning, Jodi and I ran 7 miles in preparation for an upcoming race.  As we ran, the sun came out and it gradually warmed up.  I don’t usually like to waste a day sitting, and watching an entire football game anymore, as I typically like to spend it actually doing something.  I will occasionally watch excerpts of a game if I pass through the living-room, or a majority of a night game if the teams interest me.  On this day, however, I did watch the whole Michigan-Ohio State game.  It was a great game, but it really didn’t end as I had hoped, and so I went out afterwards to take advantage of the fading sunlight.  I raked the leaves from around the fence line, and then edged by pushing my mower around the outside.  I was just about to jump on the riding mower to mulch up any leaves left in the interior of the lawn, when Cindy told me it was time to get ready.  I hate when I can’t finish a project, but I dragged myself away and got cleaned up.  As a family we went down to Rockford’s “Stroll on State” festival.  We parked and walked downtown to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree, and listen to the music being performed.  We also got something to eat.  Jodi and I had tacos, Todd had a burrito, and Cindy got a quesadilla.  The meal hit the spot in the crisp air, and we ended the evening by walking along the waterfront and looking at the lights.

            On Sunday I got up early, and ran four miles with my friend Scott before coming home and getting ready for church.  The service had some great music that helped me align my perspective, and the message was centered on how our spiritual growth is driven by an informed knowledge of God.  Afterwards we went to Cindy’s parent’s house for a Thanksgiving gathering with her family.  Her brother and his family was not able to make it, as they now live out west, but her sister and her family were there.  We enjoyed a delicious meal, good conversation, and games.  My brother-in-law and I moved a few things in and out of the garage, and then we all sat and relaxed.  The house is small, but very cozy and comfortable.  

Once back home, I decided to go over to school to work on my lesson plans for the week, while Jodi dove into some of her homework.  When I returned, the kids decided to go to a movie together; a final outing as siblings before everyone is back in the routine of daily life.  It’s been a nice closure to a great couple of days together, and for that I give thanks.

            See you along The Way…

A Day In The Woods

                It was an early start for Chuck and me.  He drove north to our house, and by 6:00 we were headed west toward Jo Daviess County.  We were in the woods and sitting by 8:00.  On the hike in, Chuck spotted a white tailed deer slowly walking up the hollow toward us.  With the wind blowing up through the hills, the four to six point buck could not smell us, and as a result, he literally walked within just a few yards of us.  He glanced our way a few times, but as we stood frozen and with no scent to warn him, he registered zero fear; rightfully so, as we were there to hunt bushy-tailed squirrels.  I made the “meep” sound of a bleating doe, as he was about to go over the ridge to freeze him, and then after a few seconds, whistled at him like a buck in warning and he lifted his tail and bounded out of sight.

Chuck and I sat a couple of hundred feet apart, as the sun came up over the top of the ridge behind us.  Slowly it began to warm up, but a hat and gloves were still necessary.  With the rising sun came an increase in the wind as well, however, and so you had to hunker down to ward off the chill.  We scanned the treetops and ground for any movement.  The only animal of note was a pileated woodpecker as it called, and flew from tree to tree along the ridge.  They truly are a big sized bird, and it’s a unique opportunity to see them in our area of Northern Illinois.

After a little less than an hour, we worked our way down into the hollow, and up over another ridge that was rimmed by exposed limestone.  We hunkered down, as a flock of turkeys moved through the ensuing valley below us.  Again, the scenery was great, and the chance to simply sit was relaxing, but there just weren’t any squirrels to be seen or heard.  Time stood still, and then Chuck and I rose, and side stepped our way down into the valley, and to the border of the property we were hunting.  We decided to sit once more to see if there would be any activity in this section as it began to near noontime.  Later, Chuck said he began to doze at about that time, and I was tempted, but I finally heard a squirrel barking.  Unfortunately as I looked up the hillside, from where the sound came from, I was looking directly into the sun and could not locate it specifically.  I stood and began to slowly work my way up the steep incline.  Chuck saw me move, and began to walk in the same direction; flanking me by a hundred feet or so.  As we neared the top, we motioned to each other as to the direction we were going to move, when I heard what sounded like a couple of bounding leaps in the leaves up ahead.  We walked in that direction and circled a couple of trees, when Chuck finally saw the gray squirrel I had been hearing.  It dodged among some brambles, and then went out onto a branch on my side, presenting me with an open lane.  I took the shot, and brought it down.  

Chuck and I talked a bit, and then I cleaned it, and bagged it.  Sometime soon I’ll make a meal from it.  The thought of the dark meat wrapped in bacon, and then cooked in a slow cooker with some cream of mushroom soup and sour cream made my mouth water.  As I mentioned this to Chuck, and that I would like to serve it over a bed of wild rice, he said, “You had me at bacon.”  That was pretty funny.

Scouting

"Maiden Hair" Ferns Going Dormant

We tried one more area on a beautiful and slightly open ridge surrounded by red and white oaks, but it was to no avail.  The squirrels, other than the one that I shot, simply were holed up and not coming out.  Perhaps it was the bright sun.  Perhaps it was the wind.  No matter; it was great to get out, enjoy the autumn season, talk as we drove country roads through the small towns of classic Americana, and spend a day in the woods.

See you along The Way…

A Dog Day Of Fall

On the riverbank under a giant oak.

            The wind is steady, at sixteen miles per hours, and out of the west today.  More importantly, the air is dry, remarkably warm at seventy degrees, and autumn is upon us.  Leaves fall regularly now.  They sail twice; first from the sky, and then on the water’s strong currents; ever pushing onward and Southerly.

            I’ve been on the verge of a cold, but I always joke and tell myself, “I don’t do colds.”  I’ve gotten a couple of nights of good sleep, drank a lot of water, and clicked a few outdoor things off my “to-do” list before things freeze and the snow flies.  I’m hoping that will “hold the cold at bay.”  I figured I’d take an hour this afternoon to drive west, hike in with the dogs, and sit on the bank of one of my favorite rivers.

Kati (foreground) and Kora

            I have a lot of favorite bodies of moving water, each for different reasons.  This is one of my favorites because it’s close, and runs through as wild of country as you’ll find in Illinois.  Today the sky is as blue as it can get, as the sun begins to set over the tree tops on the opposite bank.  Shadows are beginning to extend over me.  Our smaller, two year old dog, Kora, sits tight beside me.  Sometimes she can’t get close enough.  Growls rumble in her throat as two friendly kayakers paddle by.  She is ever alert.  Our larger dog Kati, now a month off from being thirteen years old, lays off to the side.  At first she was in the mud, but I managed to coax her back into the more spongy ground.  She enjoys watching across the water, and smelling the scents upon the breeze.  Both are almost always in picture-perfect poses whether I can ever capture them with my camera or not.  They’re stately, and I like that.

            I don’t know how many more times I can bring Kati out on adventures, but I’ll continue to for as long as possible.  She’s been with me on countless of them over the years, since the days when I first started exploring Winnebago County’s natural areas.  Kora picks up where Kati leaves off.  She’s a good “pup,” and although she could be refined a bit, that will come in time when I can work more one on one with her.  Right now I hate to take her too much without Kati.  Kati still wants to be a part of the action, albeit at a slower pace, and Kora sometimes follows her more than she listens to me.  They’re good companions for the woods though, and I’m glad I have them here beside me on this beautiful, fall day.

            See you along The Way…

Bustling, Fishing, & Paddling

            The winds are blowing now at 20 mile per hour from the south by southwest on this warm, Monday night.  They carry with it memories of a week and a half ago.  It was a weekend of bustling about.  I’ll take a break now from correcting school work, to put together a collection of pictures and videos from that weekend.  I’ll do that for no other reason than to remember it when the winds shift out of the north, and bury us in a blanket of snow a few months from now.  As if we should be so lucky!

Sunrise from a bypass over I-90

            The unofficial weekend started on a Friday that was a “School Improvement Planning Day.”  Having a day like this without classes meant that I could take time to enjoy the sunrise, and then spend it with colleagues that supported each other with positive attributes in an activity designed especially for our staff.  We needed that with the winds of change that we’ve had as of late.

Heading South on Highway #2

            On Saturday, October 8^th I got up early, took Jodi to meet the cross-country bus, and then went for a short run in our neighborhood.  Cindy gathered her things, and then headed out to coach the junior high volleyball tournament that our conference has for the end of the season.  When I got a text from Jodi that said she was going to run one of the earlier races down in Sterling, I took off as soon as I got cleaned up and ready.  It was a beautiful drive south along Highway#2.  I made it to the course about 2 minutes before the 10:00 start, let her know I was there, and then set off on a sprint so that I could cheer her on as many times as possible.  Over the years I’ve found that if I “Put the Hammer Down”, and cut along the hypotenuse between each corner, I can see my kids about 11 times along that course.  I’m whipped afterwards, but the kids have always appreciated it, and I secretly enjoy it.  Jodi ran an excellent race, and cut about 30 seconds off her previous time from a race a few weeks prior.

            In the meantime, I got a text from Cindy that said her team of 6^th and 7^th grade girls had won their first two games, and advanced to the championship (a great run for the #3 seed).  I said goodbye to Jodi, and headed back north along the Rock River; hoping I could maybe make the final couple of points, but it was not to be.  I was greatly disappointed that I couldn’t be in both places at once to see her and her team as well as Jodi run.  Apparently Cindy's girls had played well, but they fell to a good team, and so took 2^nd place.  I shook it off as best I could, and went home to mow the yard.  Soon afterwards, I got another text from Cindy that informed me that the varsity team had also advanced to the tournament championship.  I went and picked up Jodi from the high school, and we headed down to watch the 7^th and 8^th grade girls, coached by one of my fellow 5^th grade teachers, Jacqui.  It was a great run, as they came back from a loss in the first game, to win the next two and capture 1^st place.  It was pretty exciting, and Jodi enjoyed seeing them play.  It reminded her of her 7^th grade year where they too had won the volleyball championship on that same gym floor.  We came home, and they cleaned up while I finished mowing, before we all went out to get something to eat.  It had been quite a day.

Jacqui and Cindy

            On Sunday, October 9^th I got up and ran 7 miles with some friends, before heading to church.  It was a great sermon from a guest speaker on having freedom in Christ.  Our pastor was spending his Sunday morning down cheering on his own daughter in the Chicago Marathon.  I sent them a few texts for motivation. 

            Once home I gathered my fishing stuff together and then met my Dad.  We planned on heading into Wisconsin for one of the last trout fishing outings of the year.  To show just how fickle the whole process can be, we went to the same creek that I had visited two weeks beforehand.  Yes, the one where I had caught 30 fish in one day (See "Documenting the Story").  Dad and I enjoyed a nice day on the water, and saw a few fish here and there, but we literally caught absolutely zero trout.  It was unbelievable really, but it was a beautiful day to be together and talk, so for that reason it was well worth the travel and energy spent.  My Dad did catch one thing, a small piece of barbed wire with a loop on the end.  One of the barbs on his spinner snagged it.  Afterwards we sent a text to my uncle who had caught a perfectly smooth rock while salmon fishing a week or so before.  Similarly a barb on his spinner had caught the one little dimple on its surface.  We told him we’d match him and raise him one.

            When I returned home, I put away my gear, and then headed for the store to buy the supplies I would need for our traditional “Columbus Day Outing” with the Gulo Adventure Clan.  (See "C.F.A." ) Due to some other commitments by a few of our members, there would be five of us riding the currents of the river the following morning.  I stayed up and prepared the food and equipment, and then collapsed into bed.

            The following morning was cool and brisk, but it was beautiful, and promised to be a remarkable day.  We met, did our traditional portaging of vehicles to drop off our kayaks and canoe, and headed down the river by 9:00.  The water was high, and covered all of our usual sandbars that we get out on to cook or stretch our legs.  

We finally found a bank we could skid up onto, and enjoyed a great meal cooked on the good ole fifteen inch skillet.  It’s quickly becoming a classic, and worth its weight in what it takes to haul it along. 

The iron got so hot though, that it burned right through the brand new hot pad that my Mom had recently bought me.  I hated telling her that the nicely decorated hot pad, with the nature scene, now had a large melted spot through the silvery backside.  She was glad it at least wasn’t my hand.  It just shows how hot that skillet can get though.  Let’s just say that I’m really moving fast with the spatula and spoon as the food nears being finished.  

We completed the trip in two and half hours on the faster currents, and all of us agreed that it was a great trip.  I tried to foil the outcome by accidentally leaving my keys in the vehicle back at the put in site, but after flagging down a passer-by with my hitchhikers thumb and a wooden paddle, we sent one of the “rookies” back with the stranger to retrieve his truck (and my keys) so that we could load it all up.  In reality, no time was lost in the process, but we did have to break down and use a little ingenuity to solve the problem.  It was all in a day’s work.  Speaking of work, we had to work that day too as we neared the finish of our paddle, and bucked the wind coming out of the south.

Doug, Ted, Tyler, Louie, and I on the Sugar River

            I better post this entry; it’s going to be good sleeping while listening to that wind blowing through the trees tonight.

            See you along The Way…