Heard Around The Campfire

North Shore Hat

2011-11-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

Something is in the Air

2011-10-03T14:09:00.001-07:00

Dave D. and I took a trip down the river a couple weeks back. It has been an unusual year. Too much water, then too little water. Right now, I think you could walk down the river. We had a good day. The feelings of a Summer spent and preparation for Winter were evidenced all along the river.
The following week, my Dad and I walked out to the pond to try our luck fishing. We sat for two hours and didn't have a bite. I think maybe the last hour, we didn't even have a line in the water. This is good evidence that like many fishing trips, it wasn't about the fish. My Dad and I have finally reached a point in our lives that we can have discussions never possible 30 years ago. I remember his old fishing buddies. Most are gone, but he remembers like it was yesterday. I recounted the time he brought a big northern home. My mom had to clean out the freezer to make room till he got it to the taxidermist. It was so big that they had to wrap it around the freezer. The head was on the left side and the tail was on the right, with food packed in front of it. It's also ironic how we talk about the military. I, my Dad and brother Denny are all veterans. My other four brothers were never in the service. Denny and I have always been given an extra due from my Dad for our service. We "understand" things that the other boys don't. The irony of the discussion is that neither one of us has really told the other about our experiences and never will. The cool weather was nice that day, but it brought rain, so we headed to the house. I haven't blogged much lately. I hope to do better to finish out the year. I've been doing more reading than writing lately. Doug, Over and Out.

Camping

2011-08-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a friend stated, "We haven't been on the river all Summer." This has been a melancholy year to say the least. I haven't been fishing in Iowa yet this year and I also haven't been in a kayak. So, I've decided that this must change. It's time to set up a tent, light a fire, float the river, catch some fish, shoot some guns and find a few artifacts. It won't change the world situation, but will surely make it easier to endure. If something good happens, you all will be he first to know! Doug, Over and Out.

A Brother Remembered

2011-08-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

We buried my brother Dan "Slick" on this day 13 years ago. His children were 3-7 years old at the time. Above is J. doing dishes on his first Boundary Waters trip a couple years ago.
This is two years ago at J's graduation J,C and T with grandpa
T and C looking at T's target at the farm
J and C spent more time talking to each other on this trip than they had for years growing up.
T shoots left handed like her Dad. She is a natural. As you can see, life goes on and kids do grow up without their Dad. He would have loved every minute of watching those kids grow up. He played ball with the boys constantly. He skipped playing golf with his buddies the last week he was alive so he could go fishing with his daughter. When you came into his house, you usually found Dan, three kids and two dogs all piled up on the sofa. He watched those kid movies over and over and over! No one loved their kids more. It's almost like he knew that time was precious. He would do a favor for anyone and never expected anything in return. He was an avid Florida State football fan and loved going to Redskin games in D.C. He of course loved everything Iowa State, too. He was a math whiz. He got his nickname because of his efficiency as a carpenter. I worked with him for a few years and I am glad that I did. Every day I drive by some house or apartment that we helped build. The place I live we built together along with another brother. My son likes all his uncles, but Dan was his favorite. They were always doing something together. This post has been self indulgent, but you all owe me one. He is what"s on my mind today. Actually about everyday, if just in passing. I still miss him. He was loved by his friends and family. They still show up all these years later for his memorial golf tournament. Kids and dogs loved him and that's about all you need to know about anyone.

Summer is Fading

2011-07-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Dave and Steve fishing on Sawbill Lake this June. I don't remember if I took this picture from camp or if Dave D and I were in the other canoe. Anyway, if you enlarge the picture you can see two guys having a good time. This years trip was special because three of my old friends became new friends with each other. It's always nice when one set of friends likes the other set. There are no enemies around the campfire. Well, no arguments that don't get settled before morning. There is an old saying that states that" Life is what happens, while you are waiting for you plans to work out." As you start to go to the weddings of people that were just kids "yesterday" , you wonder where the time went. We lived it! I remember on the occasion of my Grandpa's 90Th birthday. a reporter ask him if he had any regrets in life. He stated, " I don't regret anything I've ever done, only the things I didn't." He went on to say that when you get old, that all you have is a scrap book full of people and places. Make sure when you get to the nursing home, that you have a "big" book. Live as you go and be aware of the magic around you every day. You only get so many days to fish with your son before he is gone. Never, never tell a child that you don't have time to read a book. You will long for that chance many times in future years. I got off on a rant, but so be it. I guess my message today is to be happy, don't put things off and be aware of the special nature of each day. Doug, Over and Out.

The Stone of Beth El

2011-07-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

BWCAW 2011

2011-06-20T10:49:00.001-07:00

Sunset on Sawbill Lake. The pink sky is caused by the smoke from the big fire in Arizona.
Sunlight reflected right into our campsite. What these pictures can't capture is the smell of crisp pine scented air, the call of the loon, the crackle of the fire, the quietness of nature and the relaxed feeling that comes from no concern for time.
Supper is done and we are settled around the campfire for the evening. With a fine cigar and a glass of scotch whisky, we look to the West knowing that it will be light till well after 10:00PM. In the tradition of things heard around the campfire, we tell stories of college days, the military, other adventure trips, politics and business (we always solve the worlds problems). We also talk sports, Lodge in general and of course we all get up to date on every one's family. When one reminisces with friends that you have know for up to 40 years, it becomes quite apparent that life has been good.
Dave and Steve returning to camp.
An out of focus picture of Dave sitting by the fire. I put it in for the back ground and general idea of the camp. I have work to do, so I will go for now. Doug, Over and Out.

Boundary Waters Trip June 2011

2011-06-20T10:32:00.001-07:00

Lake Superior shipping terminals as we go over the Superior Bridge from Wisconsin into Duluth, MN
picture taken out of the Maritime Museum in Duluth, MN looking North on to Lake Superior.
The trademark of Duluth, MN, the bridge. The bottom part raises up to let ships pass under. If the weather is good, it's nice to sit on the balcony at Grandma's Bar and watch ships go under the bridge.
This is my three partners and our canoes. We took a side trip to see a veteran's monument that overlooks a valley on the St. Louis River .
Another picture taken from second floor of the museum. This is Lake Superior with Wisconsin on the horizon. It seems, that I have more people outside the USA looking at my blog. Welcome! I included these pictures, because not all of you have been to Duluth. If you want more Duluth pictures, go back in my posts. I have been mixing Boundary Waters topics through out my blog over the years. Doug, Over and Out.

Boundary Waters Cousine

2011-06-16T18:05:00.001-07:00

This picture was to be last, but I accidentally deleted it. This one is to show that we had ice for our cocktails the whole time we were in camp.
These are all meals from our trip over the week-end. This is cabbage cut into 1/8Th's with a slice of bacon, two pats butter and salt and pepper. They are very easy to make on the grill and taste great.
This is our Boundary Waters grill. We put coals into the hollow of this rock and covered it with one of those throw away grill covers. It cooked our burgers in no time.
Our first night, we had a picnic! Due to lack of portages, we were able to take in a cooler. These are the finished burgers, baked beans, potato salad and chips. You maybe noticed, we even took in a folding table. It tasted as good as it looked.
The next night, we had grilled chicken breast, the cabbage and potato salad. We always had on a pot of camp coffee. Life was good. WE had great weather. Doug, Over and Out.

Granite Gear - Two Harbors

2011-06-16T17:23:00.001-07:00

We stopped at the Granite Gear headquarters in Two Harbors, MN on our way home from the Boundary Waters. Here one of the guys is fixing a couple snaps on my Superior One pack. This is one of the original material and around 15 yrs old. The snap didn't break, it just plain wore out.
Dave's pack to the left of mine is a second generation Superior One. He had a strap issue. Now everyone is using the third generation pack. They just keep making them better. Best of all, the repairs were all free! They stand by their gear.
Dave Dickson sitting in the reception/ show room. They have an auto graphed pic of Will Steiger on the wall. I think it's the 199o Trans Antarctic Expedition. Not sure. May be the 1995 trip.
This is the BOSS. She can get you anything you want and knows where the goodies are hidden.
The crew couldn't have been more hospitable.
New snaps on my pack! It's good for another 15 years.
www.granitegear.com is the site for this company. If you have ever been to the BWCAW, on a dogsled expedition, deployed to Afghanistan , etc. , on a mountain top or in the military, you know this company's gear. Thanks to Granite Gear for a great visit and most of all for the gear. I have no idea how many packs, stuff sacks, hats, etc I own. But, I do know they all work and almost never wear out. Doug, Over and Out.

Canoe Repair

2011-06-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

I experienced something new this Spring. My Mad River acquired a few frost cracks over the Winter. These are caused by expansion and contraction due to temperature change. It's the same concept as pot holes in the road or concrete heaving. Yesterday Ed was nice enough to offer his garage and time to help me remedy the problem.
This picture is out of order. This is Ed finishing an application of 303 to the exterior of the canoe. This protects the material from UV rays and makes the canoe glide though the water with less effort. Like waxing the surf board.
This is the middle stage. We have applied epoxy and fiber glass and are waiting for it to dry so we can sand it.
This is the first stage. The cracks are dremeled out and chemically cleaned before applying the epoxy. Some people cut all the way through the material, but I wanted to maintain the exterior as much as possible.
We also treated all the wood gunwales, yoke and the seats. This canoe is now ready for the Boundary Waters next week. I have had this canoe for 12 years. It is showing a little wear and tear, but is still in good shape. Every scar is a kind of badge of honor received providing a fun and meaningful experience to me, my friends and family. I have bought and sold many canoes and kayaks over the years. This one is special. The first time my son and I went to the Boundary Waters together, we used this canoe. Some day my hopes are that it will hang in my grand daughters garage. She may not use it much, but she will still be able to say, " My grandpa took me for my first canoe ride in this old Mad River Explorer." I've owned better boats than this one, but none that have given me more memories. That said, we are on the eve of another Masonic Canoe Trip. This will be the 9Th one that the guys from Arcadia Lodge have put together. There are only four of us this year. We are going to take an easy trip. We have tried to alternate easy and hard trips. There will be no first timers this year. It is fun to introduce the Boundary Waters experience to friends and relatives. But, the four of us going have canoed together for many years, just not all four at one time. It will be a good time. Plug time. We are going to leave out of Entry Point No. 38 Sawbill Lake. Bill and Cindi have a great website and a first class outfitting business. You can check them out at www.sawbill.com. Click on the news for great stories and pictures. Face book has made me a lazy blogger, but as usual, I'll promise to do better. I'll put up pictures of the trip, when we get home. Doug, Over and Out.

ZAZ - "Dans ma rue" acoustique

2011-05-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

The Beauty of the Boundary Waters

2011-04-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

Odds and Ends

2011-04-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is Beverly, my cousins daughter. I think this is a great picture. Great form.
Awesome Scottish tattoo. Nice mix of Celtic, masonic,Scottish and rosy cross symbolism
Another cousin. brother to the girl on the beach
It's time to get serious on our Boundary Waters trip again. We are going in at Entry Pt #38, Sawbill Lake this June. It will be an easy trip this time. We alternate hard and easy. This will be trip No. 9 for our masonic Lodge. I have been on Sawbill on two different trips, but this will be the first time for our masonic trip. Permits, hotels, vehicles, gear and food lists are all ready to go. I could leave in the morning! We have one new guy this year. It's always fun to see a friend experience the BWCAW for the first time. Also, Ben is going after a two year lapse. I'm glad he is able to go this year. This picture is from a couple Falls ago up on Pipestone Bay. The one day the sun was out.
Snow in Fort Worth this Winter. Bailey trying to catch a snowball. My granddaughter loves the snow. My son, no. I wanted to go fishing this week-end, but it is going to rain much of the time. We are getting close to fish, mushrooms and camping as the Spring football game is next Saturday. Hopefully, something exciting happens so I can have material for the blog. Doug, Over and Out.

Guy Montag's Secret Stash: The Autism Journey

2011-04-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Guy Montag's Secret Stash: The Autism Journey

Springfield XDM 40

2011-03-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

Gun Fun

2011-02-25T13:37:00.001-08:00

down range at the shooting club
Ben getting ready
Ben tries my .308
I'm having fun now!
Here are all the pistols you will ever "need", but not all that a person would like to have in the cabinet. From left 1911 .45ACP, Ruger LCP .380, Springfield XDm .40 S. & W. and A Ruger Mark II 22/45 bull barrel .22 LR. We had a great time shooting last Friday. WE actually shot until we got tired of reloading! You can see from the first picture that our snow is almost gone. We normally get over half of our Winter snowfall after March 1. So, this was a nice opportunity to get out there while we could. The road leading down to the outdoor range was closed, so we had to hump all our stuff down there. Small price to pay for a fun time. I plan to go hunt deer antler sheds in the morning. I hope to have some good pictures of sheds and the timber to share soon. Take care. Doug, Over and Out.

Wild Game Feed

2011-02-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

These are two of the dishes that I sampleds for the first time. Both were excellent!
The fish was the old standards of walleye, crappie and catfish
Yesterday was the annual game feed hosted by my brother Dean and a couple of his friends. I planned to take more pictures, but we were eating and drinking and having a good time, when all of a sudden it was time to go. The food was great as usual with my favorites of fried chicken, walleye and pheasant. We also had buffalo meatloaf, swordfish salad, pates de foie gras and venison. Of course, there was a typical Iowa potluck dessert table. For those of you that are not from the mid west, these tables represent an open competition among the women to provide the tastiest and most unusual entree. My favorite was what I would call a German chocolate cake crossed with an apple pie. It looked like a cake and quacked like a cake, but it had apple pie filling mixed into the cake . All and all an enjoyable day. I promise to post on a regular basis in the future. I haven't had a lot to blog about over the last six months. I needed a break. Most of my thoughts, observations and feelings, for the most part, are better left unsaid. One last thing to share: Buy the rumor and sell the fact. Doug, Over and Out.

Dads & Daughters BWCA Trip 2009

2010-11-22T20:33:00.000-08:00

I have been on the phone most of the night, so I am cheating with a video. But Dads and daughters with music from Patty Griffin is a no brainer. I have been to every spot in the video with friends, my son, brothers and nephews. I recognized the double canoe rig as one of Deb Marks canoes right off. She is at www.seagulloutfitters.com . We have used her as our outfitter several times and have always been very satisfied. They have a live cam on the site if you need to see some snow and a north woods Christmas tree. I feel taking kids on a trip like this is one of the best gifts you could ever give them. The Boundary Waters experience (awakening) changes a person in a positive way for the rest of their life. Even if they never physically return, mentally they will never leave. A day never goes by, that I don't think about the BWCAW. In about 200 days, we will be dipping our paddles and wetting our lines. Till then, Doug, Over and Out.

Where Did Fall Go?

2010-11-19T22:05:00.000-08:00

I'm not on my computer, so I am limited on pictures. I think this sums up the election. Barry didn't see it coming!

This is my grand daughter playing with a doll house that was made for her mother by her mother's grandmother. What you do for others lives on forever. What you do for yourself dies with you. I think AP said that first.

My brother had heart surgery at the vets hospital in the twin cities last week. This is a picture of my dad (WWII vet) shaking hands with a Marine that was there recovering from wounds he received in Afghanistan. Dave and I made an early Oct trip to the Boundary Waters. The pictures are on my computer. I'll post them another day. We have been doing basketball and football is finishing up this week end. We play Missouri tomorrow night at 6:00PM. A win makes the Cyclones eligible for a bowl game. I'm going to the game with one of my college roommates. The temp is to be 35 F at kickoff, so we well have to dress warm. I'm looking forward to it. The tailgating grills will do double duty as heat sources tomorrow night. Thru the years, some of the best games have been in snow storms and cold weather. I promise to do a better job of blogging. It's getting the time of the year to stay inside at night. Doug, Over and Out.

Ames Flood 2010: Cyclones help sandbag | Cyclone Fanatic

2010-08-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

Ames Flood 2010: Cyclones help sandbag Cyclone Fanatic

People I Would Like to See

2010-07-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

Juan was my work partner for two years. We ate lunch together probably 200 times a year. He headed to Texas to play guitar and sing with a band a couple years ago. He is recording music, singing and traveling Texas. Live music is big down there. I haven't seen him for about three years. He sends videos of his recordings every so often. I would like to see him do a gig in person.

George, Chase and Mary. 1986 is the last time that George and I got together. Thanks to his daughter, we communicate on line. George "worked" for me at Ft Bragg, when we were in the Army. I out ranked him, he had time in service over me. I have been fortunate to have some very good friends thu life, but George is right at the top. It would be great to have him join us for a boundary waters trip one of these years.

www.leeshaharvey.com "Leesha" has a show tonight. She is way more talented that she even imagines. She is working on her second album, due out sometime in the Fall. Music is still a hobby that is paying its way to her. I hope she makes the jump with the next CD. She sees herself first as a wife, mom and small town Nebraska girl. After two years on u-tube, she hit 1,000,000 hits. Good luck tonight if you are reading this, Leesha.

My grand daughter. What can I say. I miss her every day.

My son and his family. Hope to see them in a few months. I have only seen them once, one day for 5 hours since last August.. Thank God for digital cameras and the Internet. Doug, Over and Out.

Summer

2010-07-29T07:30:00.001-07:00

Ryan, Duane and Dave at the fair last Sunday. This was Ryan's last year. Little brother Luke beat him in the steer show this year, so the torch is passed.

Picture on July 4th taken by the green gate. Notice Dean's deer stand in the middle of the picture. The rain is growing grass as high as your head. This picture looks East

Last month, I got away by myself to do a little shooting. Been a long time since I had to qualify. But, I think it's safe to say I still qualify as expert in all hand held weapons.

We had a cleanup day at the Lodge the week-end before we went to the Boundary Waters. Afterwards, we set up tents, grilled supper and sat around the campfire. We had a breakfast in the Lodge the next morning.

Out of the Wilderness

2010-07-27T13:29:00.001-07:00

I am aware that I haven't been a very consistent blogger the last six months. Maybe I needed a break. Maybe nothing worth noting was happening. Either way, I am back at it. The next few blogs will be out of chronological order, Ala Pulp Fiction. The picture above is looking south on Little Loon Lake from our campsite in June.This is Dave and I below Devil's Cascade. I lost my benchmade on that portage, so if you find it, I'll pay a reward. I'm breaking in a duplicate knife right now. They don't make the 551bkS anymore, so I had to look for a bit to find someone that had one in stock. Thank God for the Internet. I have spent many days canoeing with Dave over the last 15 years. Somehow, we continue to find each other entertaining, can agree on most things and haven't run out of opinions or world problems to solve. Best of all, Bonnie thinks it makes Dave a better husband to get out with the guys once a year and go on an adventure.

This is the Palisades along Hwy 61. I love the North shore.

This is two of our first timers to the Boundary Waters. They both graduated from the same High school this year and are going to the same college this Fall. You only get one chance in life to take that graduation trip with your best buddy. They had a good time and are already planning on taking other friends up next Spring with their own group. Mission accomplished! Another generation hooked on the boundary waters.

This is the inside of Judy's place in Two Harbors, MN. The two sitting at our table are our "Same Time, Next Year" friends from Ames. They are retired from the Iowa State Center in Ames and now live in Two Harbors. They bought Dave and me breakfast this time, so we owe them next Spring. If you don't get the "Same Time, Next Year" reference, look it up on U-tube. It is a movie staring Alan Alda and Ellen Burstin. They are both married to others and meet same week -end every year for an affair that goes on for years. One of my favorite movies. You can watch the whole thing on u-tube. As usual, I wrote about things as they came to mind. All is well here. More later. Doug, Over and Out.

Entry Point #14- BWCAW

2010-06-16T07:14:00.001-07:00

The North Shore of Lake Superior on the way to Ely. This is a few miles south of the Split rock Lighthouse. I can't get enough of the North Shore.

We had fish!

Ryan and Sam headed out to try their luck and do a little exploring.

A successful trip! Ryan caught a nice 24" Walleye!

Dave caught this nice 20" small mouth bass from shore at our campsite. We had a good trip overall. We missed the northern lights by two days and only saw the sun for about an hour, but in those conditions, you get happy when it just stops raining! It is neat to paddle in the fog during a light and steady rain. The summer version of spending an evening walking in the woods on a still night during a heavy snow. There is a quiet serenity. I'll have more later. Doug Over and Out.

Ageless Knowledge

2010-05-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

I love and admire the mind that sees wonder and beauty in nature. Some smell the roses their whole life and others only see weeds.

Climbing to the clouds in Maui. Notice the waterfall?

A true fascination with nature and beauty is truly a gift from God. Some children have it taken from them and spend the rest of their life looking for it. Sadly, they don't quit know what they are seeking, only that it is missing from their life.

Stacking rocks must be a hereditary trait! We started stacking them on the Orkneys a thousand years ago and just never got tired of it. I still stack rocks today. Maybe my way of saying "Kilroy was here". We are 23 days till the Boundary Waters trip. All that know me, know of my love of nature and the outdoors. You would also know of my many years studying the mystery schools and of the several groups where I have affiliation. Along those lines, I am going to share some random thoughts about the BWCAW and life in general as it "comes to me". In the midst of the heaven shone a great star, and around it were seven smaller stars. And beneath the shinning stars, beside a blue stream, I saw a naked girl, young and beautiful. Kneeling on one knee she poured water from two vessels. One gold and one silver. For an instant I understood that I was seeing the soul of Nature. Nature dreams, imagines, and creates worlds. Learn to unite your imagination with her imagination and nothing will ever be impossible for you. But, remember that it is impossible to see both rightly and wrongly at the same time. Once for all you must make a choice and then there can be no return. Twenty years ago, when I became possessed of the KEYS, had read the book and understood the symbols, I was permitted to lift the veil of the Temple and enter the inner sanctuary. And there I saw a woman with a gold crown. In one hand she held an uplifted sword, and in the other a pair of scales. Seeing her I trembled with fear, because her look was infinitely deep and terrible. She drew me in like an abyss. She said, " You are seeing the truth. Everything is weighed in these scales.The sword is eternally lifted in defence of justice and nothing can escape it. But Why do you turn your eyes from the scales and the sword? Are you afraid of it? You are, because they deprive you of your illusions. How will you live without illusions? You wanted to see the truth and now you see her. But remember what awaits a mortal when he has seen the goddess. He will never again be able to shut his eyes to what doesn't please him as he could before. He will see truth perpetually, always and in everything. And then, I heard the voice of the devil. He said, " In order to perceive me one must see crookedly, wrongly and narrowly. Three paths lead to me: conceit, suspicion and accusation. My virtues are chaos and slander. I complete the triangle of which the other two sides are death and time. To escape from this triangle you just have to see that it doesn't exist. But how to do that is not for me to tell. I am Evil, which men invented in order to have a justification for themselves and in order to regard me as the cause of all the wrong doing of which they themselves are guilty." How to conquer this evil? There is strength in love. Nothing is stronger. Only love can conquer evil. Hatred always breeds hatred. Evil always bears evil.
Thus, the man who has seen the truth, has found Truth and has known himself. You know the old saying, "Truth is Time-less". Get it?

She owns the "now", she owns " her world", she sees love and wonder in everything. There is no more. Doug, Over and Out.

Boundarey Waters Count Down

2010-05-08T15:35:00.001-07:00

33 Days!! Then we go to the Boundary Waters. Above is a picture of the Palisades on Seagull Lake. We went here last Spring.We set camp about 4 miles into the horizon and a little to the right of this picture. There are pictographs on these cliffs. We are going to see the pictographs on Lac LaCriox on this years trip. I've seen the Palisades 5-6 times and have always wanted to climb up to the top and jump off. Maybe someday.

This is from our campsite at Pipestone Bay. I've used this campsite twice. It's a good one!. Marty got this shot of the Fall color in 2008.

Another shot of the same spot, just different time of the day. There is another campsite in the little cove, but no one has ever been there when we have camped in this spot. The color in the fall from the middle of Sep to the middle of Oct is beautiful. Just like the river at home, it is nice to feel that you are the last one that will be using this area or seeing it's beauty before Winter sets in. I've always wanted to paddle out in a snow storm the last day, knowing no one will follow me.

This is (L-R) Marty, Me, Dave B and Steven. They are the three principal officers of our Blue Lodge this year. All good men doing a wonderful job. This is a rest stop and State park that is about half way to Duluth. We always stop here for the gift shop, bathrooms and of course to see the Falls.

This is the same campsite as above. I am in the East, Dave in the South and Steven in the West. As David was about to assume the position of Junior Warden in the Lodge, we were practicing opening and closing of the Lodge. Marty, our photographer was the prompter! During 5 days with no radio, TV, phone or computer we cover innumerable subjects, solve many world problems, tell life histories and mostly laugh the whole time! The night of this picture was Marty's 50Th Birthday celebration. One none of us will forget. Nor talk about. What happens here stays here as the saying goes. Best of times, with best of friends! That is how I would describe the BWCAW. We are getting final logistics out of the way for our trip. This is our 7th Masonic Canoe trip to the BWCAW. I have a feeling that it may be the best yet! Happy Mothers Day to all. Doug, Over and Out.

Where did a month go?

2010-04-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

Dave and I coming around the corner after collecting firewood

Me,Steven and Dave on a fall trip. We are getting ready to go on a trip to BWCAW in June. We will have nine in our group. The maximum allowed in a group, but we are going to a big campsite. More on that later.

Here is a picture of the mushroom trail. That's what it's called. I have been out a few times on this trail and others looking for mushrooms. Not much luck until the rain of the last few days.The school year is winding down. Sorry not to blog much the last month, but all my activities have been very routine or such that they are not for public consumption. I promise to get some pictures of Spring, mushrooms or kayaks in here shortly. Going to Zeno's and Camp David this week-end. I'm looking forward to that! Going to see a lot of friends that I haven't seen in a long time. One of them, I haven't seen for over ten years. Ironically, I saw her dad's picture on the wall of a meeting room last week. I commented that I knew this guys daughter, but hadn't seen her for years. I got a call last night and was informed that she will be joining us for dinner on Sunday evening. Hell of a coincidence, if you believe in random chance. I don't. I'm hot on the beat, I'll get some news by weeks end. Doug, Over and Out.

Spring is Here!?

2010-03-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

This is the work of my 3 yr old grand daughter. It's spring flowers.

This is the pond at McFarland Park. It was taken yesterday. You can see that the ice is almost gone. The water is still cold, but lacking rain in the next couple weeks, we should be kayaking on the river. It has gone down quit a bit. The 100 degree rule is one that we follow in the Spring. Air temp plus water temp must be above 100.

Does anyone know what kind of birds these are? They have green belly, yellow tip on the tail, a black mask and a touch of red in the wing. They are the size of a cardinal. Click picture to enlarge it if you need a better look.

This is the other one of the group of four. Really a pretty sight as everything is still shades of brown from the Winter.

Another view of the same bird. We Had a nice outing yesterday. I also got a picture of a herd of deer (15-18). They are so common, that I didn't include it. I also found an axe head in the stream at McFarland Park. I am anxious for mushroom season and collecting Indian artifacts along the river. High water every Spring brings out a new crop of artifacts. That's all for now. Doug, Over and Out.

This Day Last Year

2010-03-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

As you can see, the snow was all but gone this time last year. Notice how well the deer made it thru the winter. Between haystacks and corn fields, they did well.

This is a young buck standing off by himself. Notice the dark color? There is a strain of deer in this deer that will almost get black in the front. They tend to be some of the bigger bucks. We try to avoid shooting any dark colored females.

Notice the good condition of these deer. They are out on the farm rather than in the park. The park deer come out of winter looking pretty lean.

This is one of the take outs on the river. This is the north take out at the bottom of the Lower Pine Lake dam. There were a few chunks of ice. This year there is snow and the river still has ice. We are having s few days in the 40's, so the river may break up. This day a year ago the lake and ponds were still covered with black ice.

I put this picture in last Spring. You may have to enlarge it with a double click, to see all the wildlife in the picture. There are three deer and 5 turkeys in this picture. They really blend into the timber. Also, notice how skinny the park deer were last Spring. With all the snow this winter, all the cattle and deer lost more weight than normal thu the Winter. In six weeks, we will have green grass and the mushroom hunters will be ready to get out in the timber. The fish will be biting and the turkey hunters will be there too! Waiting! Doug, Over and Out.

Nice Portage Trails

2010-02-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

The end of the portage from Fall Lake to Newton Lake

Same portage. This is Dave with his pack and the food pack. Notice how this portage is wide, dry and free of rocks. The portages from Entry Pt 24 Fall Lake to Pipestone Bay and Back Bay are some of the nicest and easies in the Boundary Waters.

Entry Point #24This is Dave and I by Steven and my canoe. It's fully packed and ready to go. ALL of our (2 guys) tent,tarps,sleeping bags, sleeping pads,rain rear,extra boots, first aid and personal clothes are easily in one pack. In front of that is the food pack with food,stoves,pots and pans,fuel,water filter, dromedary bag,saws,tape,tarps,ropes, TP, etc. for the whole crew. The other canoe gets a pack that is food only for the whole crew. This is a canoe packed by the book. Everything centered and low. No loose straps or items strapped on outside the pack. (will catch on everything imaginable on the portage trail). Less is more in the BWCAW. However, you need good rain gear and a good tent. Cold and wet ruins a trip. Also, note that we are prepared to get into water knee deep. These are wet load canoes and some take outs and put in points are tough.

This is the portage between Pipestone Bay and Back Bay. This is as easy as it gets! These have been the portages and put in for Entry Pt #24 Fall Lake. This is one of the options proposed for one of the groups on the June trip. It's easy, but has two really nice Falls and is not in a blow down area from the 1999 storm. All the trees are still there! I've done this trip and variations of it three times and they were all great times.

Steven and I on the portage from Back Bay. I have blogged the last couple days on portages to prep our new people on some of the things they will see and do in June. I hope it hasn't bored the rest of you. If you are still reading I guess not. Also take note of what we are wearing. This is traditional BWCAW clothing. Exo/non denim hiking pants. Cotton KILLS in the BWCAW. Jeans will not dry out there. Not even in three days. You will stay cold and wet. Also you need knee boots like muck boots. I use Keen sandals in camp and in late summer. Wool socks only or no socks. COTTON KILLS! Also, layers of fleece and good rain gear. Plan on rain and hope. Like they say in the Army, "You can take it off, but we ain't going back" Also remember, if you bring it you must carry it. Most first timers bring twice the stuff they need. Me included. So if you get told, you need it, listen. If you get told not to bring it, don't. Enough for now. Doug, Over and Out.

Portages

2010-02-22T13:09:00.000-08:00

Dan on a nice portage trail between Caribou Lake and Pine Lake

This is a picture that shows in high water, like everywhere else, you need your boots. I always try to note when I use someone's picture. I think Bob Olson took this one. I took part in a boundary Waters usage survey a few years ago. When they shared the results, I was surprised to find that over 1/3 of the visitors to the BWCAW are female. Two years ago the water was so high in a couple areas that we had to bushwhack a portage. Every trip gives you at least one thing to deal with that wasn't in the plan.

This is a typical portage trail. It seems, you either go up hill and down hill or you deal with flat and wet. One thing that helps when you are trying to guess how much farther you have to go on a portage is, for the most part 1/2 is up hill and 1/2 is down hill.

This is the end of the 40 rod portage to Entry Point # 14 (Little Indian Sioux River). This entry point starts with a portage to the River. This is where we plan to go this June. I think this is Frederick and Steven in the picture, with Ben carrying the canoe. Yesterday, I showed pics of Devil's Cascade portage which is two portages north on this river. The rivers flow north in this area. At home they go south into the Mississippi.

This is Steven and I approaching Devil's Cascade from the bottom or North end on our way out in 2008. Doug, Over and Out.

Portages

2010-02-21T07:47:00.001-08:00

Many times portages are times to grab a lunch, discuss plans for trip activities and to catch up with old friends. The guys in these pictures only get together once a year. It's for this trip. So if you miss a trip, it can be two years between meetings. A couple of us see each other a little more often, but this trip is a once a year event around Labor Day. The 2010 trip will be the 25th year, if my count is correct.

Dean and Dan loading on a pack. You can see in the background that this is a well worn portage. That is an advantage of a fall trip. The portage trails are cleaned of branches. In the spring, especially May, you are the first one in after Winter and you get to do some trail maintenance. Everything in the BWCAW is a trade off. In the spring, you have to clean trails, but fire wood is easy to find. By Fall, the trails are nice, but some campsites are almost devoid of any fire wood. No fire wood in a forest, you ask? The LEAVE NO TRACE rules practiced in the Boundary Waters dictates only using dead and down wood no larger in diameter than your wrist.

Dan and I reloading canoes at the end of a portage.

Dan with a Granite Gear Superior One pack. Hands down the best pack to own for the BWCAW. I would be remiss not to mention Duluth Packs. They are very nice packs also. www.duluthpack.com Personally, I have a Superior One as my main pack. When I solo, I use a Granite Gear food pack as my pack, as it will fit just right in my Winonah Prism. I also use a Duluth Pack #3 Cruiser as a second pack when on solo trips to catch odds and ends. They are a good all around, every day pack. I have five of them and use them like a gym bag. I also have a Duluth Pack Camp Kitchen pack with the side packs. That is the community kitchen, first aid station and general tool pack. General tools, include saws, tarps, ropes, fuel, stoves, water filters, dromedary bags, etc. and portage food . And last, but not least Gorilla Tape! That super duck tape will fix tent poles, utensils, patch a canoe, bandage a wound and with a couple sticks and part of a sleeping pad, make a good splint.

Here comes Paul down the portage trail making it look easy. I will get some more portage pics on this afternoon if possible. We have an 8 hour break in the snow and then it starts agin for three more days. Better get outside while it's nice. Doug, Over and Out.

Portages

2010-02-20T10:48:00.001-08:00

Portage means the carrying of boats and goods overland between navigable bodies of water. Also, a route for such carrying. They are there for a reason. If you don't use them, you may end up dead. The last three guys to die from my county in canoe/boat accidents have all drown in water that they should have portaged around. Two in the BWCAW and one on the local river.
I also witnessed a guy exit the BWCAW with a splint on his leg because he tried to walk his canoe thru a portage with a lead rope. In the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, there is no political correctness. If you are lazy, stupid or careless she will eliminate you from the gene pool on your "first" mistake. That is one of the reasons it is my favorite place on the planet.

These pictures are all from the Portage between Little Pawness Lake and Loon Lake on the Little Indian Sioux River. The top one is at the top end the portage called "The Devils Cascade", which is one of my favorite 160 r. portages. The second picture is about half way looking down and to the north towards Loon Lake.

This picture is at the top of the portage looking out on Little Pawness Lake. Just to the right in the picture the falls start.

Turning to the right from the picture above. You can see the start of the drop off in the back ground. As you can also see, there is a nice trail on this portage.

Looking back towards the top. As time dictates, I will include pictures from other portages that will be on the June trip this year. Still winter in Iowa, so it's basketball and wrestling time. Going to ISU/ Missouri game tonight. Doug, Over and Out.

Isle Royale - Wolves and Moose

2010-02-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

I am on a little walk on the trail going into Daisey Farm campsite. This is about as smooth as the trail gets on the Greenstone. The island is 50 miles long and 9 miles wide at the widest point. The boat ride out and around the island is around 15o miles. The island is located in Lake Superior. On this trip, we got off the boat at the west end of the island and backpacked to the other end on the Greenstone Trail (50 miles). We caught the boat on the east end of the island and rode 75 miles back to Grand Portage, MN on the Indian Reservation.

This is another trip taken in May. There were still spots of snow in protected areas. Cody got a shot of me preparing supper at the hut at the south end of McCargo's Cove located on the north side of the island. As we knew it would get below freezing, we set our tent up inside of the hut to avoid frost covered sleeping bags in the morning. Doing that keeps everything nice and dry. It did rain that night besides, so we felt pretty lucky. Also, note the picnic table! There are a dozen or so of these huts scattered on the island. It's first come/ first served, but in a storm there is always room in the inn. Most of the time you get a level spot with no rocks to set up a tent and life is good.

During the night at the hut above we got a surprise. In front of the hut down the hill about 20 feet was a loons nest. We didn't notice when we set camp. Remember, I said it rained that evening? Well it eventually turned into sleet! We were tired and dry and sleeping like babies. Out of nowhere and so loud I thought it came from within the hut, we heard a chilling noise! At first, I thought it was a wolf. Then on hearing it again, realized it was a loon. I was as close and it was scared! Then, as quick as the commotion started, it stopped. In the morning on examination, we found the loons nest and this track in the mud. It is a wolf track and was about two feet from the picnic table in front of the hut. The knife used for reference is eight inches long. It is as big as a fist. We didn't see the Wolfe. Few ever do see one in the wild.

Mt. Franklin along the Greenstone . This are is designated as an international biosphere. Very few see it. The only access is by boat ( $125) or float plane. There are no roads on the island and no cars. I have seen a utility tractor at the Ranger outpost on the East end of the island. If you want more info and pictures, a good site is: www.isle.royale.national-park.com Doug, Over and Out.

Isle Royale - Wolves and Moose

2010-02-11T11:58:00.001-08:00

You have four varieties of trail on Isle Royale. 1) exposed roots 2) steep, uneven rocks 3) swampy marsh 4) up hill both ways. The mountain trails out west are like highways compared to this place.

Sunrise from 3 mile campsite.

Up the hill, down the hill

Mt Franklin outlook. Lake Superior in the background and then the horizon. This National park has the fewest visitors of any park in the system. However, it has the greatest percentage of visitors that are repeat visitors. IR is a place that grabs your imagination like no other. To take this picture you must walk about ten miles. There is NO other way. So, you know what you are seeing things not experience by many people. Doug Over and Out.

Odds and Ends

2010-01-31T13:22:00.000-08:00

My son and grand daughter at the local sledding hill. She is three and had never seen snow before

I don't know who sent me this one

www.tonyrogers.com included this picture of MN deer hunting on his site. I think most of the jokes that get sent around the country somehow originate or pass thru his site. He is just a good ole boy from Duluth. Like Jimmy, Wolfie and John.

I don't know where this came from either. He was billed as a Swedish Ice cutter sent by the government as an aid offering to the upper Midwest. At least, he has a gransfors axe!

A reminder that the John Beargrease Dogsled race is in progress this week end. It is the longest race in the lower 48. Around 400 miles if I remember right. The picture above is of John Stetson and his son in the 2009 race. He came in second. Goggle it or go back in my posts to last March if you want more info. I haven't seen John since last Feb right after last years race. That sled sits in the living room of his cabin north of Duluth. John has many thousands of miles behind a dog sled in the Arctic as an Explorer with Will Steiger and others. Well, that's it for now. Need to get ready for taxes in the morning. Doug, Over and Out.

Do we ever get bad weather in the BWCAW?

2010-01-31T12:34:00.000-08:00

Paddling from Newton to Fall Lake. The last part. Newton Falls is around the corner to the left of the dark tree. Raining with a good wind. Three hours later, we were in Ely at our favorite watering hole.

Weird Lake 2007. The only time in three days that it wasn't at least misting. We got over 12" of rain in those three days. Coming in we went upstream. It took 4 1/2 hours to get to our campsite. Coming out with the current, the same trip took 1 3/4 hours.

Last May 2009 on Seagull. Cold and rainy and windy. Our water froze at night. I dumped ice out of a cooler after five days rather than carry it back. However, for us scotch on the rocks guys, we were in heaven! The rain put out our fire several times each day.

Note the rainbow in the background. Dave's comment was, " Screw the fire. There's another big one coming!" We made coffee under the tarp and continued the bull session. After about a three hour rain, we made a fire and cooked supper. It did clear off that night so we could see the stars and watch for satellites. We sat around the fire till about 3:30AM. Then it started raining again and rained till mid morning. We slept in and listened to the rain.

This picture was taken from the same spot as the pics of Dave cooking fish. This is in the middle of the day late afternoon. The system moved through and we had a nice clear night to watch the stars. The weather changes very fast out in the BWCAW. And trust me, Mother Nature doesn't care if you are on the lake, cooking supper, or don't have your tents put up yet. BUT, I for one love every minute of it. I know that I get to see things that most people don't even know exist. And, there is a satisfaction knowing that most people can't deal with the adversity dealt out by the wilderness I call "home".

Thinking About Boundary Waters

2010-01-31T12:06:00.000-08:00

Dave cooking bacon and potatoes

on the fire grate we have pasta and grilled pork loin

finished bacon and fish

fish frying

Dave and Ben looking over the mornings catch. These are the fish in the pan. Late May/early June trips seem to always good fishing. I am in the process of getting our next meeting together for the June 2010 trip. We have five rookies signed up so far for this trip and nine veterans. This post is for a couple of the rookies. If you want to see old trips, go back to old posts.

It's Cold

2010-01-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I haven't blogged for a bit. I was going to do a big best of 2009 blog, but when I started to do one picture per month for a calendar, the editing was overwhelming. Tomorrow, I will try to get a year in review done. I "borrowed" this picture from Bill at www.sawbill.com It is the end of the portage from Sawbill to Alton Lake. This was my first portage on my fall solo trip. It looks different now! If you look close, what appears to be a wide trail is a big snow covered rock. Look for the foot prints to the right of the Small black rock. That is the portage.

My rifle and muzzle loader are ready, but waiting to go hunting. The snowshoes are right in season. I'm going to wait until it gets above zero next week to go shoot a deer.

Grandma in her new rocker. The storm repairs all got done before winter set in and new carpet and furniture were delivered and installed before Christmas.

My grand daughter got her first look at snow this Christmas. It met with her approval!

It took her about five minutes to become a pro. She got to see four eagles and a bunch of deer. Spending a couple hours with her was a great Christmas experience. Can't wait to see her again next summer. That's all for now. Doug, Over and Out.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T13:00:00.001-08:00

I went to my brothers place for Thanksgiving. 11:00AM let the games begin

Turkey and Ham are done!

The food was excellent and in abundance. This was a low key Thanksgiving with only seven of us at the meal. As most of you know, the folks had extensive hail damage in September. They have all new windows in the house and all the siding and fence is repaired. The new carpet through out the house is installed. They have a new TV and one new couch. BUT, the rest of the furniture is scheduled to arrive in a couple weeks. So, with no chairs at grandma's house, everyone had Thanksgiving on their own this time. She will be ready for Christmas! If you missed the storm, go back in my blog to Sep and see pictures of the damage. The town is slowly but surely rebuilding.

Freedom Rock

2009-11-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

After dinner on Thanksgiving, we went to Fredom Rock south of Desoto and then over to Winterset to look at the covered brides and John Waynes Birthplace.

Another view of the rock

Sunset north of the Roseman bridge out by Franchesca's house.

Sunset west of Winterset,IA on Thanksgiving.

bridges of Madison County

2009-11-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

Roseman Bridge from "The Bridges of Madison County" - the left side of the bridge is where Franchesca pinned her note.

Roseman Bridge

Roseman Bridge by Winterset, IA

John Waynes birthplace in Winterset,IA. They are ready for Christmas.

Iowa in the Fall -2

2009-11-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

These are out of order. Been so long since I've done this that I forgot that the pictures load backwards. This is take out after our kayak trip on Sunday Nov 8. We took out at Pine Lake State Park.

more bluffs along the east bank of the river. The glaciers made for some interesting rock, land and soil formations in this area of the state. About 4 miles west of this area is where the prairie starts.

More bluffs. Most people don't know these are here as they are covered by the trees and greenery during the summer when most people go down the river.

For some reason, all our trips end up involving Masons. Here is Dave (our Worshipful Master elect), Me ( an old Past Master) and nonage Bobbie(Past Master Counselor of Nebraska). He is from Council Bluffs/Omaha. He came up for the summer to work on the farm with my brother (his uncle) and decided to stay for his senior year in Eldora. I think he made friends, found a girl friend and wants to play on the E-NP basketball team. I ask him what he wanted for his 18th birthday. He told me that he figured that he would get three petitions, one from Dad, one from Mom and one from Grandma! It would be nice, if he could have time to come on our spring BWCAW trip.

You can see that the river was a couple feet high. It made for a fast trip, but you take what you can get in Nov and Dec. We have canoed/kayaked in every month of the year on the Iowa River. It just doesn't happen every month in the same year. Late Falls, January thaws and early Springs have to work in our favor. I just see that the weatherman has issued winter storm advisory for western Iowa. It looks like we are only getting rain. Still too warm for any snow. Doug, Over and Out.

Iowa in the Fall

2009-11-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

Steamboat Rock on the Iowa River

Getting ready to go Kayaking last Sunday

Ben brought me a beer for the Birthday of the Marines and just had to have a feel of my new Remington 700 SPS .308 varmint w/5H heavy barrel.

Last Saturday Dave,Mark and I went fishing while everyone else was watching ISU beat Colorado in Ames. This is a young 6 pt buck that walked by on the opposite side of the pond. He had just been run off by a 10 pt buck that was in the rut and on a doe.

Mark and Dave fishing at the pond. This was probably the last day to fish before the pond freezes over. We had a good time and even caught a few fish!

Fall Events

2009-10-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

George Carr, me and Steven Schroeder enjoy a scotch with George. This was the last time I Saw George and he was holding court as usual.

Johnson Falls in the BWCAW. Just put this in because I liked it.

Jim, George, I, Dave and Jeremy try out a bottle of The Glenrothes vintage 1991. This weekend is the memorial reunion of the Scottish Rite with the new class named in George's honor. This morning, I read my friend Jay's blog and he discussed the TV show about Dan Browns new book. He also asked the question, " Who would you most like to have dinner with from the past?" He picked Albert Pike and another picked Thomas Jefferson. Good choices. But, I would pick two guys, my Grandfather and George.

A childhood and lifelong friend of mine passed away a couple years ago. This morning was his fathers funeral. He caught a cold last week and in a couple days time was gone. I was reminded that I am the only one in my graduating class with both parents . I am blessed.

On to happy thoughts. I don't remember, if I wrote in this blog about my first night on my solo Boundary Waters trip. The first night, I woke up to what I thought at first was a bear trying to get my food. It was a low grunting sound. I imagined the bear standing on his back legs swinging at my food bags like a tether ball unable to get a grip on the bag. If you go back to my last blog, you will see two small yellow bags hanging to the left of my tent. I of course couldn't go back to sleep thinking there may be a bear ten feet from my tent. So, I put on my headlight and grabbed my pistol. Slowly, I unzipped the tent door and then stood out side the tent being very quiet. I had my hand over my light waiting for some noise. Then I heard it! The noise came from back of my tent up the hill on the way to the latrine. I hit the area with my light and to my surprise, I saw the west end of a soon to be headed east, moose. All I saw was the back end for a couple seconds and then the sound of a moose running thru the woods. It of course sounds like every tree and bush is being downed as the moose passes thu the woods. That was a relief! So, I was able to go back to sleep and all was well. A side note. I mentioned that, I took out my pistol. I would never be so stupid to shot a bear or moose to make it go away. I would, however, empty a clip in a heartbeat into anything that attacked me. So, the moose story was sort of forgotten until I see some pictures on another website taken by a guy that camped at the same site that I had, only five days later. He got a picture of the moose!! To see the pictures go to one of my favorite web pages at www.sawbill.com and then click on the Sawbill News. You will have to scroll down thru pictures of Halloween cookies and Jack-o-lanterns to get there. The guy that took the pictures is a professional wildlife photographer and a very good one. There is a link to his store site in the article. Best be going. Doug, Over and Out.

Boundary Waters Fall 2009

2009-09-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

Just north of Duluth headed up the North Shore. I did a solo trip in the BWCAW last week. It was a nice last day of Summer entry. The temp has dropped about 30 degrees this week. I had a great trip.

Two Harbours and 6:30AM breakfast at Judy's - smothered and covered!

Two Harbours harbour - this is where ships pull in and load out ore

Alton Lake

Kelso Lake portage

Boundary Waters Fall 2009

2009-09-28T18:37:00.001-07:00

Beaver Den

Ever wonder where the native Americans got their inspiration for some of their art?

Arrow

Flying Fish

Fish under a rock

Boundary Waters Fall 2009

2009-09-28T18:24:00.001-07:00

Kelso River

Beaver Den

Kelso Lake

My campsite

Time to try catching a fish. This was my "beach" at the campsite.

Boundary Waters Fall 2009

2009-09-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

Kelso River

Grand Marais - my favorite harbour and coffee shop

the Pallisades on the North Shore

A snapper that was bloking the path on my last portage. Getting ready to sleep for the winter.

the Pallisades on the North Shore.

BWCAW and Football

2009-09-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Ready for the BWCAW next week

Jamison #23 (nephew) kicked a 47 yard FG in last Saturdays game against Central CollegeNext Monday, this is where I turn inland off the North Shore of Lake Superior. Tofte is a nice little town and the start of the Sawbill Trail. I'll follow the trail to the end. I remember it to be about 37 miles and then put in at Entry Pt # 38 to the BWCAW. About 7 portages and 5 lakes later, I will set up camp for 3-4 days and "guard" this part of the border. The weather forecast is for rain Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. I may spend some time under the tarp!

Clayton... Jamisons brother at the Iowa State/ U of IA last Saturday. The brothers go to different schools with a game at the same time. So, family headed both ways. Clayton is the one with the shaved head and paint. He did it just for the game. We lost!

I got this in by accident. It's the harbor at Grand Marais. It's just up the road a little more from Tofte on HWY 61 (yes Bob Dylans road). Grand Marais is one of my favorite places in the whole world. Busy morning, so must go. Doug, Over and Out.

Deer

2009-09-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

My bad down below. What I thought was a deer was a stick. When I enlarged the picture, I saw the mistake. I thought that I had the crane and deer in the same picture. Doug, Over and Out.

Iowa River Trip

2009-09-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Limestone along the bank. The water is low as it is every August

A crane with a deer in the background along the bank drinking water. Can you see it? Enlarge the picture if needed

The deer is between the rocks and the crane is in flight.

A crane imitation. The laughing gave her away!

Two dads and their kids having some fun on the river. You can see how low the water is right now. We left early in the morning, Sunday, and had a nice breakfast at the Boat Club. I think Sunday was the last of the season. This is the time of the year that we claim the river back from all the out of towners that come and tube this section of the river. The fall into winter is the pretty time with all the leaves turning and falling into the water. I don't know where this week went. I was in Minnesota yesterday for a few hours. That's about it for the week. Tailgating for the Iowa State/ Iowa football game starts in eight more hours at 7:00 AM for us. They officially open at 5:00AM, but people are already in town and starting to party right now. It should be a fun time. Take care. Doug, Over and Out.

Catch up Post

2009-09-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

Maile and Ben

The girls play dress up

One of my favorites. She loves to garden. Every morning, she circles the house to check on things!

One year ago today! This is where I should be today. Ginny hadn't missed the trip for 20 years. Fate caught up with us and the trip was cancelled this year. All the guys are OK. Outside issues forced us to cancel this year. I think a midwinter party is going to happen. Doug, Over and Out.

Sep Update

2009-09-03T10:56:00.002-07:00

I'm giving up on pictures. I have tried three days to get some to upload. I'll be short. We had a great day in Amana last week. Then we went into Gotham City. No black and gold rubbed off and I made it back home. My son and his wife loaded up the car and pickup on Friday and headed to KC for the evening. Then on Saturday, they made it into Texas and finally home for dinner. Saturday, I went to Jamison's first college football game. He did well. Sunday grandma and Maile flew down to DFW. They seem very happy to see friends and family again. I spent Monday dealing with insurance/storm related things. I got to shoot at a few targets that afternoon. Monday night, I helped Dave and Mark put new struts on Teresa's car. Tuesday night, I had a nice dinner with Ben at Dublin Bay and got a petition to the Lodge Secretary. Yesterday and today are working days with stated meeting and football tonight. This week-end I am going to find some water and some fish. This is the day that we normally head north for our Labor Day trip into the Boundary Waters. I haven't been home on Labor Day for over ten years. It will be different. I am going in September, even if I go on a solo trip. Better get back to work. I will try to be more timely in my posts. Doug, Over and Out.

Iowa State Fair

2009-08-25T18:22:00.001-07:00

The Bug had a great time at the fair

Listening to mom and grandma talk about her

Eating lunch at the Pork Producers food booth. All her favorite food! The day before, we ate at the Beef Producers food booth. I'm partial to the beef guys, but the pork guys won the prize this year.

The obligatory flower shot. This girl loves flowers like no one I've ever known.

Finally! We stopped at the play ground. She would still be there if we let her stay. I haven't blogged for a bit because of my son being in town. It's good to see them again. It had been 13 months since they were home last time. Sunday, we had a family picnic with a big set of playground equipment. It was a great time. Monday I helped my parents with insurance adjusters, who were assessing storm damage. Also had lunch with my parents, the mother of one of my classmates and the grandmother of some other classmates. It was fun to be back in the old town during a week day. Today, I got to play some golf. It was the first time in years. I played with Dean, Sandy and Ginny. Ginny (Dan)was on his way to Denver for a few months and stopped in on his way from Minnesota. I'm going to the Amana's tomorrow and then on to Iowa City. I'll try to get some pics. Take care. Doug, Over and Out.

Iowa Sate Fair

2009-08-25T18:07:00.001-07:00

Big Chicken

My son's family

Happy to be at the fair

For some reason, this was one of her favorite cows

Fun on a tractor. All kids like to pretend they are driving!

Iowa State Fair

2009-08-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

It's fair time again! This picture is from a year ago last July. That is the last time my son and family made it back to Iowa. My grand daughter at 1 1/2 yrs old eating her first watermelon. Now at almost 3 years old everyone will get to see her again! The baby is gone and a little girl took her place. Thank God for digital cameras, web cams and face book! They are moving back "home" from Hawaii and will fly in next week so they can go to the Ia State Fair. It will be a culture shock for them to be back in the mid west. Maybe awakening or rebirth might be a better description. Some of you know I went to HI for a visit during the winter. In my opinion, HI just plain sucks. It reminds me of a third world California. I need to drop that subject as I have nothing good to say. Anyway, it will be great to have them back. I am trying to buy a new "used"vehicle to haul my canoes and kayaks. Not having much luck. I had decided on two units that both sold while I was too busy to go to the dealership. I am going to go drive a couple this afternoon and see if they will still take cash. I don't have a clunker to trade in, so the stimulus missed me again! Just heard Les Paul died. Peter Green had one of his best guitars and sold it to Gary Moore. Go to U-tube and listen. Got to go. I will do better blogging as soon as I get some work out of the way, and will have fair pictures soon. Luck shows his chickens today! Doug, Over and Out,

Eldora Storm 5

2009-08-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

OK, I tricked you into coming back! I have had an unusual amount of people come and look at my blog because of interest in the storm. Ironically, I tend to have more views of poor blogs and when I have one that I hope people see nothing. I'll caption a couple pictures and then complete the dialog at the bottom. I cover many outdoors trips. The totonka hunt.

I took three trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in 2008 and I am getting ready for my second trip in 2009 at present.

My new toy for this season. Wenona Prism Solo canoe. I plan to use it this week end

Canoe Expo 2009. I was a presenter for two programs about the Boundary Waters. This is a cooking class. I am telling the audience that a fish this long won't fit the pan and must be released! Some think I'm an expert on the outdoors and BWCAW. Really, I'm old and know lots of things that don't work! But, if you know me, I could do an eight hour presentation take a drink and start in again. I love the outdoors!

This is a picture of a living legend. He came in second this year in the John Beargrease dog race. This is the longest dog race in the lower 48. He also has run the Ididarod. Google the race and also go back to my old blogs (hint winter 2009) to hear the whole story about John . He is one of the people in Dan's book. Dan's book? browse the blogs for pictures of Dan McGinnis or google him. His book is titled " The Flag Salutes The Wind". I also do music,sports and general items of interest. So, I invite you to stick around if you want. I do this blog as a way to communicate with friends and relatives that are all over the country. Thanks for looking in today. Doug, Over and Out.

Eldora Storm 4

2009-08-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

Looking downtown from my parents house. The clock isn't right because the town lost power most of yesterday and last night.

Trucks worked up and down the streets gathering anything bigger than leaves that the residents got to the road

About 3:00PM this afternoon a neighbor brought over some hail he found as he was raking his yard. That's 30 hours after the storm passed through. It has been in the 80's the whole time.

The local kids all did the clean up on the school grounds. I didn't see one person in town that could be identified as a volunteer. I know there must have been some. This town was cleaned up by the residents and their relatives and friends. The county and state had some guys running the chipper trucks. No waiting for the government in this town. They all pitched in and will be done with clean up by tomorrow night at the rate things were accomplished today.

It will take some time to replace windows, re shingle roofs and replace siding. But the cleanup, as I stated , should be done tomorrow. Al windows in town were boarded up by today. This was a mess, but way better than a tornado. Larry the Cable Guy would be proud, because the people in Eldora - "Gotter Done!" I have about 60 good pictures that I'll feather into the blog over the next week or so. But, with the fair starting this week, it may win out. Doug , Over and Out.

Eldora Storm 3

2009-08-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Duane,Ryan and Scott starting the last load of debris

Lemons to Lemonade - downed tree to fire wood

The cops were out writing tickets for spiting on the side walk today. I'm assuming that they understood the reading and writing deficiencies of the media. This is the only claim settled sign that I saw in town.

A pair of pines loose to the wind

a typical street. lots of foliage on the ground

Eldora Storm 2

2009-08-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

corn damage east of town

same field

beans south of town

corn south of town

corn south of town. Dave has pictures of Eldora proper as he was able to get into town. Dean and I were turned away. Dave's blog is http://ssbaker.blogspot.com I'll post more tomorrow, when I know something for sure. My phone won't quit ringing, so I better go. Doug, Over and Out.

Eldora Storm

2009-08-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

Eldora water tower in the background. east of town

beans east of tEast of Eldora, Marshall Law in effect. That[s what I was told. Come back in the morning. But Dave Baker just called and said that an hour later they got into town. They stopped of at the folks and Dave will put pictures on his blog. Dave and Duane will be on Channel 13 news tonight. They filmed the damage at the folks house, so I'll get to see it shortly.

The road to Dave's below the high bridge. Duane made it into town this way and so did Dave.

some of Dave's corn

Blood Drive

2009-08-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

James, Marty and Kent play a little cribbage

Resting after giving blood

The Webbs give a couple pints

Dave and Alex give blood. It was the first time for Alex. We had our first blood drive at the Lodge on Friday. We did well for the first time according to the people from the Blood Center. We will do one every two months until we get numbers that dictate one every month. There is no other public blood drive in our town of 50,000 plus. So this should grow quickly as people become aware. This just in off the wire. My parents house was hit by a big storm and all the windows on the west side of the house are broken out. There is also a tree blocking the driveway. We are headed north to get plywood in the windows and move a tree. I haven't been blogging of late because nothing much was happening. I'll have pictures tonight!! Doug, Over and Out.

Kayak Trip

2009-07-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

Dennise Smith and her father-in-law Jack Smith show off a fossil found during our lunch break. Jack also found a nice chert knife. Looking for artifacts is fun when you find them.

Dennise in the lead, approaches the HWY 20 bridge over the green belt. As you can see, I took some people kayaking on the Iowa River on Thursday. Even though Jack has been a fishing and hunting guide for many years in Alaska, he had never been in a kayak. It took him about one minute to master it and the rest was a lazy day on the river. The water was at a nice level and refreshingly cool. The weather was great too. I always enjoy a day on the river. I even made it back to town in time for a second degree out at the Lodge. A great day. But today was the payback for a day off. I was out of the house by 6:15 AM and worked till 7:00PM. I got a lot done today. Tomorrow is moving day in our town. And as usual, I know someone that needs help. There is supposed to be a large group helping, so we should be done by noon. Not much else to report. Doug, Over and Out.

Ryan Wins Three Times at the Fair

2009-07-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Ryan has the champion market heifer

Ryan wins the Senior Showmanship Contest and gets a nice belt buckle.

The judge looks over Luke's steer, but picks Ryan's calf as champion open steer.

Ryan heads for pictures

He's feeling good! Now it's on to the Iowa State Fair! That's nothing but fun and hard work! Ryan had a wood working project that goes on to the State fair. Luke had the champion fryer chickens at the county fair and has a new batch getting ready for the State Fair.

Fair

2009-07-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Luke waits for the judge

Lots of calves to choose among.

But, Luke has the reserve champion and gets a nice trophy

Another picture of Luke's heiferLuke's steer won its class and Luke was in showing against his brother for champion. Then the low point of the day came for Luke. Something spooked his steer and he had to have help with it. Then the calf ran over both boys. Luke had to pull him out and not even compete. It broke his heart to get that close and have something like that happen. The picture above, is of the judge and Luke. The judge, much to his credit, came around to console Luke after the show and let him know that he had done a good job. His brother's calf was picked as the champion. Many times, we learn more from our disappointments than our triumphs. Luke has five more years to compete. All in all, this was a good day for him. Doug, Over and Out.

A Good Week for Friends and Family!

2009-07-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

Dave,Dave and Ben in Duluth on the Second Masonic Boundary Waters Trip in 2007. Tonight, Ben ask for a petition!!

Ginny made a trip south this week to ride in RAGBRI, play some golf and plan our fall Boundary Waters Trip. We leave Aug 28, if anyone wants to come. It was good to see him again! His book sales are going well.

This brings us to Amy! She called Ginny the other day and per her website, her second book will be out in Feb 2010. I hope we have time to see her when we are in town next month. Good luck, Annie Wilder!!

Next is Leesha. She was on TV on Wednesday! Way to go! You are already good. All your fans are just waiting on famous.

I saved the best for last! My favorite girls are coming home in four short weeks!! P.S. Don't forget my son! We will be at the airport waiting. I am truly blessed with good friends and family. I wish them all the best, as they have all worked hard for their successes. Going to a county fair steer show on Sunday. I hope my nephew has the champion steer. Doug, Over and Out.

Last Weekend

2009-07-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a lazy day on the river, as these tubers denote.

Dave and I used kayaks as usual.

Saturday, after the Yorkrite picnic, Marty,Kent,Teresa,Dave and I did a little geocaching. We found two different containers.

Dave and Marty after the first find. Actually, it's not too hard and a good form of exercise.

Predisposed Tendencies from DNA (Ancestors)?

2009-07-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

I didn't take this picture, but have many non digitals from this site. It is in the area of the Palisades close to the Split rock Light House on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It is one of my favorite places. I love to stand on the edge and look out across the water. The sound of the waves hitting the rocks is so cool. I've been to the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, etc and none of them draw me like the North Shore. I honestly get a feeling of peace, a feeling of being home when I hear, smell and see this area. Not a day goes by, that I don't think about it. My question is: Why this spot? I think there is a memory in my subconscious of a place like this area. Some of the things that it offers are innate needs of my soul. The thing that brought this on today is the group of pictures that follow. I am Scottish as well as a couple others, but my mom is a Gunn. I belong to the Clan Gunn. A fellow clansman recently took these pictures and shared them.

This Museum is close to Wick in northern Scotland. As a young boy (6-7), I ask my Great Grandfather George, where are we from? He told me that we come from the place in Scotland where there is nothing but Sea and wind to the north. He also said that it rained most days and the weather was nice and cool. The thing that I remember most was his indication that you just keep going north till the trees only have branches on the south side. The wind was so strong that any branches on the north would eventually be blown off the tree. He then added, "That is , if you can find a tree!" He also told me that some of our people lived on islands just north of the mainland. Now fifty years later, I'm glad I asked that question. I'm also glad that he took the time to answer me. The flat spot out on the left is where one of the Clan Castles used to be. The story goes that the sea reclaimed it over the last 700 years. To the right of the flat spot, there is a wall by the entry point that is still intact. The wind can't get to it. Other than that it's mostly gone. It would have been an easy place to defend.

The clan cemetery looks out over the sea.

Another view of the cemetery. One of these days, I will get over there and see these places. And of course, visit the Orkney Islands to see the ruins. The Scapa and Highland Park distilleries are also on the main island. I have one other thing of note. Two days ago, I went to the pharmacy and filled a prescription. Between there and home, one of my medicines fell out of the bag. I searched everywhere and retraced steps to no avail. I then called the pharmacy and asked them if they by chance had it. They did! Someone found the medicine and returned it to them. As most of you know, this would never have happened in most parts of the country. This is another reason that I love Iowa and its people. We had a good degree at Lodge last night. The guys are already getting 2010 lined up. It will be a good year. Peace, harmony and brotherhood prevailed last night. Tonight, some of use are going to the Shriner's Annual sweetcorn feed. It's burgers, sweetcorn, beer, etc. all you can eat! It's fun to watch some of the kids young and old try to eat the ladies out of corn! I don't think it can be done. I think, most Iowans have at least one meal a summer where they eat their fill of sweetcorn, burgers, Iowa chops, potato salad, baked beans and watermelon. This is training for the Iowa State Fair, where you can get anything on a stick! Tomorrow, were are hosting a central Iowa Masonic picnic in town. That should be fun. Also, we have Iowa Games in town tomorrow. RAGBRAI is next week too! Well, let's look for the silver lining , love the one you're with and keep your stick on the ice! Doug, Over and Out.

Some Things Never Change and That's Fine

2009-07-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Boys love their dogs more than life itself!

And they like their little red wagons. But, they grow up and then their daughter loves the same little red wagon. Dad figures out it's even more fun to pull the wagon than to ride in it.

Little girls like grandma's dog.

But her dog is better!! It's because Dixie loves the little girl just as much as the little girl loves her.

And Dixie patiently waits for her favorite friend to come play again. And to tell the truth, Grandpa is waiting too. Doug, Over and Out.

Friends and Family Celebrate July 4th

2009-07-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

My son and grand daughter play poker with the crew in Maui

Poker FaceLooking west from the pool in Maui

Looking 180 degrees the other direction at the girls in Maui.

My friend Carrie and her daughter made a yummy looking patriotic cake! I didn't take any of these pictures as all those pictured were in a different areas than me yesterday. I just had to include them as they are my favorite pictures of the week-end. Thanks to all of you for sharing. I hope everyone had a nice week-end and got to see friends and family. The USA still remains the best country in the world. It's time to gear up for a busy week. Take care. Doug, Over and Out.

July 4th Parade Cont.

2009-07-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

We followed the Gilbert fire truck.

Approaching the west end of main and the start of the parade.

Bill and I awaiting the start of the parade. Dave, Marty and Alex in the background.

Some took pictures of us as we took pictures of them!

Do we know this guy? This is the second year that Arcadia Lodge has had an entry in the parade. It is a fun parade and a family event. A great way to start the 4th of July celebration.

Parade Two

2009-07-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of the kids of all ages that just love a parade! It was raining during the whole parade and the people just put on a coat and headed out! Most of the kids had about half a plastic grocery sack full of candy. If we trick or treat while it is snowing, I guess watching a parade in the rain makes sense! It's part of the pioneer spirit that makes this a great place to live and raise a family.

July 4th Parade

2009-07-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

These are a few pictures of families that dressed for the parade. Looking at my pictures, I noticed just how many different people inhabit my town, work together and raise their families in the same school system. Sometimes, Ames takes its diversity for granted. Maybe, it's a blessing that we, for the most part, DON'T see it in this town.

July 3 Picnic

2009-07-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

Dave and Mark cooking sweet corn

The crowd gathers

The line forms and the troops are fed. Dave,Mark, Teresa,Alex and I went fishing late in the afternoon. We caught fish, but they were starting to bite good when we had to grab some fire wood and head back to town. We had a campfire after our picnic. It started to drizzle about 6:30PM , so we sat by the fire and enjoyed the refreshing mist! I didn't get many pictures but you get the idea. I came back to Ames late as we had the parade the next morning.

I Had A Note!

2009-06-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick post . I hope to get something on tonight. Six days w/o a computer, one surgery, a short IV cord and no solid food just got me out of the mood! AND, while I was sleeping, some SOB went wild on my stomach with a stapler! I have an appointment to get them removed tomorrow afternoon! Then I can get thru the metal detector again! Doug, Over and Out.

Father"s Day Fishing

2009-06-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Dean has something big!

Is it a Crappie or maybe a walleye?

We see it now!

He snagged a snapper!

Got him by the left leg. I tried to feed it a stick, but it kept biting and letting go. Usually they bite on and won't let go. The line broke shortly after this picture. So, this one is still swimming in the pond. He wasn't gigantic, but his head was about the size of a good fist. We caught a fair amount of fish this afternoon. It was hot and muddy from all the rain. We had to hike into the pond from the bottom of the campground trail. The guys are going to turn cattle into that pasture tomorrow, so we may not fish the pond for a few weeks. Memorial golf tournament next week-end. Twice as many have signed up this year as last so it should be a good time. Last year, it was the golf clubs largest grossing day. If we double this year, they should be happy to see us! Have a good week. Doug, Over and Out.

Tornadoes and Guitars

2009-06-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

Everyone is showing their tornado pictures this week, so I will include the one that came a few blocks from my house two falls ago. Storms are fun to watch, but not fun to clean up after.

This was the action about this time last year. This picture was taken by the Qwick Shop girl on duty. It was the middle of the night and it was the only place open for probably 100 miles.That was a one time trip into the Boundary Waters. I will go back to the BWCAW every year for the rest of my life, but probably never do that many miles of lakes and portages in that time frame again. Unless, I'm solo. Some of the "new" maps don't even have one of the 220r. portages included anymore. Or so I'm told! Dave found a accounting from a person that had gone thru it in 1995. They indicated about twenty downed trees blocking the trail. Trust me, they are all still there.

I got this picture of my favorite girl yesterday. She loves the axe and she can sing! For a two year old, everyday is a new adventure. My thought was, Good pic for inside jacket of your first CD!

Strike a pose! Girls just want to have fun! I used some old and new picture's today. I have been busy this week and don't have much time now. Everyone is working around rain! One the way home last night around 10:30PM, I noticed just how dead the town seems without the students. It is a nice time of year as 25,000 or so people leave for the summer. There is no waiting at restaurants or theaters. It is so nice to just drive up to the front door and walk in and get instant service. Everyone have a good week-end. Doug, Over and Out.

Cougar

2009-06-15T18:33:00.001-07:00

I didn't take this picture. It's a couple years old. But it is a good example of what a cougar or mountain lion looks like. They are usually eight feet long and weigh around 150 lbs. On the way home from the Boundary Waters last week, we saw one along I-35 South of Duluth. It was just north of the Moose Horn River on the west side of the road. We all thought it was a deer coming out of the timber at first. It pulled up at the side of the road or we may have hit it. So we got a close look as it stared right at us. I forgot to include it in my posts last week, but thought it worth mentioning. This Makes my fourth cougar siting. I have seen three in IA and now one in MN.

This is a picture of some of the guys from Palestine Lodge No. 79 in Duluth. They are in ritual garb in the Scottish Rite Auditorium in this picture. Dave and I had a great time and learned much from them.

This picture was taken in HI this March, but denotes the last few days quite well. I'm getting ready to move and it seems as if my clocks are running faster every day! Take care. Doug, Over and Out.

Boundary Waters Final

2009-06-09T10:52:00.001-07:00

So much has happened since we got back, this is almost old news. On Sunday (our last full day), we didn't get up too early as Cheese and I had stayed up talking till 3:00AM. As we were finishing our brunch in a nice steady drizzle, Dave, Mark and Shane came to visit. We didn't have enough room under the tarp, so they just stood in the rain. With our plans to Canoe to Canada (but not cross the boarder) foiled, we just hung out and tried to stay dry most of the day. The guys from the other campsite indicated that they would be by at 7:00AM Monday to start our trip out. We promised to be ready and waiting. The rest of the day, the wind blew hard enough that fishing was out of the question. We had an early supper of pork loin, bacon and hot dogs with bread fried and soaked in bacon grease. I knew the guys were feeling the toll of several days of near freezing temps when they ate the bread soaked in grease! It does keep you warmer than salad and fruit. We did eat all the apples, oranges and granola too. Monday morning came and we were up and ready when the other guys showed up. We had a nice paddle out. Dave got separated by the wind again. This time the other two canoes followed me. We met up at the last campsite inside the BWCAW and were all together when we got back to Seagull Outffiters. www.seagulloutfitters.com After a shower and the purchase of a few souvenirs, we were on the road to Grand Marais. About noon we made it to My Sister's Place in Grand Marais for a burger and coke. This is a good place to eat in Grand Marais. Actually there are about 8 good places. Then after stopping to see my friends at Caribou Coffee for a $5.00 mocha we were headed to Gooseberry Falls. This was a welcomed break in the trip. Then we made it back to Duluth about 3:00PM. After checking into the motel, the guys were hungry. We made a run and got 8 pizzas, bread stick and chips. We also hit the Superior One for pop,etc. Then on the way to the motel, we made a stop for a couple cases of beer. Then back to the motel for the night. However, after feeding the troops, Dave and I decided to walk down the street and check out the stated meeting at Palestine Lodge #79 of Duluth,MN. We also wanted to see the building. It is wonderful! They were doing initiation for four Entered Apprentices as well as having a stated meeting. They started at about 7:00PM and at about 10:30PM during one of the calls to refreshment, Dave and I excused ourselves. It was fun to see the differences in ritual. There are not many, but there are some! We hit the road at 8:00AM and made it home by 2:00PM. It was a different trip. They all have something to make them stick out from other trips. With half new guys and four days of bad weather, I was surprised at how all of them had started planning for nextr year even before we broke camp. I know all of them were challenged, scared, wore out, amazed and humbled by the experience. Something good happens inside when you are faced with these things and you perservere and triumph. People that I care about, had a good time and grew into better people while in the BWCAW. The trip was a SUCCESS! I got a new set of golf clubs, bag and shoes today! After a thirty year break, it's time to do some things, just beacause it's fun! Doug, Over and Out.

A Fun Saturday

2009-06-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

We went up to Eldora to the Farm Museum for breakfast on Saturday. It is served in the bottom of an old hip roof barn. Notice the old Hearst on the left of the picture.

This is the hay mow or second floor of the barn. This is taken from a stage at the north end. They do hold dances in here on occasion. It is fun for me to see this exhibit, as I can recognize some of the antiques and their owners/contributors from when I was a child. There are toys in there that I actually played with as a kid.

I didn't make it down to fish as it was raining and I had to help haul lawn debris out to the farm. I had a kayak to deliver to the canoe shed also. Then I watched my brother bring a mare and new colt out to the trailer and then down to the barn. The four day old colt had rolled over his front leg and couldn't walk on it. They made a splint and put the colt and his mother in a small pen to keep him from running on the leg. By the time this all transpired, it was time for lunch. As we finished lunch, Dean and Sandy showed up with some crappies the had caught during the night. The "little" ones on the right are 13 inches long and the big one on top is 17 inches long. Dean saved it to have it mounted.

Sandy with her 16 inch crappie!

Then at 2:00PM, my dad and I got to take a trip on the track between Eldora and Union. It was a friend of a friend thing. Anyway, I got to go! When I got up Saturday, I planned to fish all day. But, this was a great way to spend an afternoon. This was a run sponsored by NARCOA (North American Railcar Operators Association). They have a website and are all over the country. I'm half way hooked on getting one of these little cars! It was fun. Tomorrow, I'll finish off the BWCAW trip. Getting ready to rain again! Take care. Doug, Over and Out.

Let's Play Railroad

2009-06-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

Interior of a car. Aircraft headphones are needed for noise suppression and communication

Dave- Our gracious host

Ready to go from Eldora to Union by way of Gifford.

Coming into Union. Thirty some years ago, I helped build that elevator. Hardest job I've ever had. We started each shift with 35 guys and would be lucky to have ten left at the end of the 12 hour shift. It was 12 on/12 off for 11 days on the pour. This little two man Fairmont inspection car was my favorite.

In Union getting ready for the return trip to Eldora.

Saturday at Seagull

2009-06-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday before noon, the rain stopped and the wind calmed down for a little while

Cheese does the breakfast dishes

Whittling and enjoying a little sun

Dave soaks up some sun

When a rock is blown dry and has some heat from the sun, it makes a nice bed. I took the opportunity to go to the other camp while the wind was calm. About half way over to the other camp, the wind came up and I couldn't out paddle it. I had to let the wind blow me against an island about a quarter mile away. I had no choice but to wait the wind out. About 30 minutes later, there was a slight calming and I made my run for the other camp. I made it! Then Dave and I went fishing . He caught a nice lake trout in about five minutes. Then for the next couple hours we were skunked. The wind was just too much. It blew us a mile or so away from the camp in what seemed like minutes. Then we paddled back into a stiff wind and white caps. As we made way back to Dave's camp, the guys from my camp headed that way too. We all traded stories for a half hour or so and then headed back to camp ahead of the next rain to make our supper. We did get our supper done, but not the dishes when the next rain came. Then all of a sudden it stopped and we hit it like beavers and got things done and put away for the night. Saturday night was the coldest night. I think it was maybe in the high 20's. I do know it was 33 over at Sawbill and we should have been cooler as we were farther north and more out in the open than Bill's thermometer. The cheese and I stayed up talking and burning holes into our Exo's until about 3:00AM Sunday. Sunday was a nice windy day with a high of 40 degrees. More on that later. My brother just called and he is headed up to the campsite tonight and wants to catch some walleyes out of the river tomorrow. I'm going to head that way A.S.A.P. in the morning. I've got to pack up for camping and fishing yet tonight, so that's it for now. Doug, Over and Out.

Seagull Friday Night

2009-06-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of the rainbow on Friday night. It lasted for about 15 minutes and then it turned dark and rained again.

Seagull Lake Day Two

2009-06-04T20:08:00.001-07:00

These are still pictures from Friday night before it got dark and started to rain hard. I had a busy day and stated meeting at Lodge tonight, so I'm late getting to this blog. I am going to save Saturday's story for tomorrow. All is well in this town tonight. Doug, Over and Out.

Seagull Lake Day One

2009-06-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

Looking east at the south end of Seagull 5/29/09

Looking south, the other end of the same rainbow

Jamison collects wood before the rain

Dave pumps water before the rain

Clayton gets one of the tents set up (you guessed it) before the rain! We had a good trip to Duluth on the 28th. We hit Duluth Pack, Canal Street, Grandma's and Famous Dave's after we checked into the motel. Then at 8:00PM we took Dave up to The Pickwick to have dinner with his nephew. On the way back, we saw some live music being played on the patio of Sire Ben's Pub. So we stopped for an hour or so of fun, libation and Gaelic music. Then back for some sleep and an early start to Grand Marais. In the morning , we made our usual stop at Judy's in Two Harbors for breakfast. A retired couple from Ames that has relocated in Two Harbors joined us for breakfast. Then on to Grand Marais for bait and more beer and whisky. After a 54 mile drive up the Gunflint Trail, we arrived at Seagull Outfitters. They were ready for us and had us on our way in no time. Deb and her crew are the best! We headed out on Seagull Lake and after a three hour paddle into the wind, we made it to our campsite. We got split up by the wind and lost sight of each other for an hour or so. This is where planning comes in handy. Dave and I had been over the trip in our heads so many times, that we both knew where the other was at and where they would be headed, even if we couldn't see or hear each other. The other six guys had some definite mental duress and some doubts about survival. That made for a joyous reunion. Anyway, we made it to two campsites that are close to each other and set up camp. We were on an island and the other guys on a little point. We had time to set up and get a meal going and the rain started. Then the wind! After that we had a short 15 minute break when the rain stopped, a rainbow came out and then disappeared as it turned dark again! Then it blew and it really did rain! We hid under the tarp for a while and after our fire was put out by the rain for the third time, we gave up and went to the tents. Then it got cold! We hoped for a better day on Saturday! We were all tired and it didn't take long to slip into a deep sleep! I will recap Saturday in tomorrows blog. Doug, Over and Out.

Boundary Waters Preparation

2009-05-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

This picture is a sample of the types of food we take into the Boundary Waters. No cans or glass are allowed, so one picks foods accordingly. Most of the food is repacked into zip lock bags to save space and weight. Everything taken in must be consumed or brought back out. None of the guys like cardboard, so we leave it at home! Open burning of paper, garbage, etc. is not allowed anywhere in MN.

This is the center of the social interaction and the back up stove. Most people don't rely on the fire grate to cook food because sometimes there are fire bans in the BWCAW.

Propane and white gas are the fuels of choice for most. Many companies make cook stoves, but none compare to MSR stoves.

Here is a sample of fish cooking. I am ready for the smell and sound, but especially the taste of shore lunch fish. Words don't do it justice. Dave, Mark and I went grocery shopping yesterday. I have all the frozen foods repacked and in the freezer. All the dry goods have been repackaged and are ready for the trip. Copies of all permits, licences and reservations have been printed and put into their respective trip bags. I'm down to load it up and hit the road! I have to do some volunteer work in the morning and then will start loading gear. I may not make it back on here till we get back. Take care. Doug, Over and Out.

Boundary Waters Prelude

2009-05-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

My caption: " Those two teki boys (locals) are fighting over me? I could kick BOTH their asses!" I had to throw in a picture of my favorite girl. She's done a lot of living for just 2 1/2 years and brought much joy to the world around her.

This is a 2005 picture of the best northern lights show that I've seen. It was taken Labor Day week-end. I didn't take this one. One of the other lucky people that witnessed the show took it looking north from our campsite. We watched till all hours of the night. It still is one of the highlights of my Boundary Waters experiences. It was also the last trip that I took with our buddy Craig before he died. He made it back up one more time, but I missed that trip. One more reminder, that we are passing once in most of life's experiences.

A 2007 picture from the same site looking north. Two years and daylight brought the famous Ham fire. This picture denotes some of the damage. We were some of the first people in after the fire. I got our permit in January in the lottery. They issued no new permits for two weeks after the fire and of course kept everyone out during the fire. This is one of my favorite campsites in the BWCAW. Not because of the site, but because of the people and memories that it represents. We will be in this site (if unoccupied) in 8 days to start a new chapter of adventure.

This is from the 2007 trip. I put this in because my friend Dave D is a person that doesn't like to visit the same place twice. First he broke the rule by going on the 2007 trip. In 2006 he made his first trip to the BWCAW which should have been the only one. You know, climb no mountain twice! But he didn't quite get enough in 2006! He missed last year, BUT was the first to sign up for this trip. I'm very glad that he is going. I consider him one of my best friends. Yesterday, I bought us a bottle of scotch for the trip. I've never tried it, but the malt maniacs gave it 94 pts I was told by the guy at the store. And, I trust this guys judgement. He also knows that IF we like it, the locals will all buy a bottle. WE are the "test" market. I'll give my critic when we get back. I don't want to let it out of the bag as some of the guys do read this blog. HR 627 passed yesterday with the good Senator from OK's amendment. Even Rep B voted Yes! Dave...maybe our "talk" with him in the airport parking lot did some good! If you are not following it, they didn't take away the right to posses firearms in a National Park. The state laws of the state that the park is located in will be the law in effect. This will allow hunters to follow state rules and not be worried about inadvertently breaking a federal rule. Don't even listen to the BS two day late misinformation of the media. This doesn't mean that it's legal for mom and pop to legally conceal/carry assault weapons on their way to see Old Faithful. It mostly clarifies the rules so the law abiding hunter can keep himself that way.

This is another picture of the same campsite. Well, I didn't blog for a few days because of a cold. Now I'll try to catch up quickly. I got my oil changed yesterday and ran into Craig,Charlie and Tom. All of these guys have worked for me in the past and it was good to see them. I didn't recognize Charlie at first. It made me feel good to know that they did value my mentoring and still considered me as a friend. Us old guys need a kind word every now and then. Last week,I also showed up on a suggested friend list on Face book of a guy that I new via a research project from some years back. As the people that did the research never really knew the identity of the others involved (a think tank thing) he was spooked at first. I think, he ran a background check on me and figured I was OK! LOL. At least now we know each other now. The best part is that during the search, one thing led to another and I found an old Army buddy. I have much more to write, but have to get back to working. Doug, Over and Out.

Bad Cold

2009-05-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

I'm temporarily out of commission. Bad cold hit me yesterday and I'm down for the count. Ill be back tomorrow or tonight, if I feel better. Doug, Over and Out. 11 days till BWCAW! Everyone is finally excited!

Mushrooms and Artifacts

2009-05-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, before the rain, I found one mushroom and one artifact. Both were nice. The mushroom was very large. I would guess about 4 inches tall w/o the stem. The axe/maul head is a good sized piece. I found it down by the stream at the winter camp. I haven't ever looked for anything in that area, so it makes me want to go back and check it out.

One lone deer that saw me before I saw her.

This picture shows deer traffic alone this fence line. I rained two days before the picture, so I'm guessing that this is two days traffic.

This is a picture of one of the old Indian villages that has to hold many artifacts. The problem is that I have to cross the river to get to it. The window of time each year between when the river goes down and before the crops get to tall is like 48 hours. I've been wanting to get in there for a few hours for years. Maybe this will be the year. If the beans get planted before the river goes down, it will be 2011 when I get another good chance. At least no one else is aware that this field is part of an old Indian settlement. I happened to notice unnatural sand formations from some areal photos. Woodland Indians just hated mud. They would haul sand for the the floors of their tee pee. They also made sand trails on the higher ground so they could stay out of the mud and take advantage of natural drainage. Also, when they dropped an arrowhead or other artifact it easily was lost in the sand. Maybe, I can go camping this weekend, if the weather is nice. Maybe Dave and Mark can come along and we can pull a few Walleyes out of the river. Dave needs a break "before" we go to Boundary Waters. He was verbally attacked by by a real asshole at a meeting last night. He stood his ground, said his piece and walked out of the meeting. You can read about it in his blog. Some people are so spiteful and jealous of an others success, that they will say anything and spread lies to discredit that persons name. This has been brewing for a long time. There will be egg on the face and blood on the street when the truth becomes public knowledge. Privately, everyone is just waiting for these guys to step on their dick and hoping they are present when it happens. I got to have my rant, too! I feel better. Everyone have a good night. The way my head feels, we are going to get more rain tonight. To all family members reading this, remember, Grandma's birthday is tomorrow. Doug, Over and Out.

A Day in the Woods

2009-05-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

These pictures are out of order for some reason. The odds of finding this hydrant are pretty slim. It is at least 1 1/2 miles from the nearest road and the view in the rear of this picture is the same in all directions. I had been walking for two hours, so it was nice to get a cool drink of water and refill my jug. And, yes, I knew it was there.

All the deer in the next picture headed across the opening to the V and then down to the river bottom. As you can see they and I were on some high ground.

I saw five or six bunches of deer on my walk. This is the closest picture I could get.

This picture should have been first as I started my walk on the old stagecoach trail at this spot.

I put this picture in to show you what an Indian artifact looks like "in the wild". Can you see it? One clue, it is not the piece of chert in the foreground. It also had a handle attached when it was used by a Woodland era Indian. As you can probably guess, I spent the afternoon in the woods. So, it was a good day. I am anxious for the river to go down, so we can kayak and see what new artifacts were uncovered by mother nature. I also went fishing for a bit at the end of the day. I didn't catch anything for 30 minutes and then caught them as fast as I could reel for about an hour. I saved five fish and now have them in my freezer. Thanks to everyone that made my birthday a fun day. 17 days till Boundary Waters! Doug, Over and Out.

Severe Weather Warning

2009-05-08T14:08:00.001-07:00

I didn't blog last night or today because I have been busy. We have severe weather coming in and I usually lose my ISP connection during lightning storms. It is raining and thundering right now, so I am trying to get a quick blog in before I loose power. I went to Minnesota yesterday after lunch and made it back for dinner at the Lodge last night. A 300 plus mile road trip, one hour to get my things done in MN and then hit the road again. I like to travel alone as it gives me time to think and also talk to people on the phone. Anyway we had another Scottish influenced meal last night. It was pork wellington (with goose liver) and the crust flaked like an old time homemade pie. In the mail, I received a package from my son and his family. Thank you! I also got over 500 books from Virginia that will take me some time to review. As usual, most are in manuscript form or hand written w/o a Library of Congress number. And, thank God, from what I've seen, only translated one time. Those are so much easier to figure out and cross check the math, chemistry and symbolism. I also received the DVD versions of a couple hours of movies that I took in Hawaii. So, I have been lost in study during my free time. I will try to get a good blog with some pictures by the end of the week-end. Doug, Over and Out.

Great Day!!

2009-05-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

We leave for the Boundary Waters in 22 days!! I am excited. I have used this picture before. This rock wall is one of the landmarks on the way to where we will camp. We go around the rock to the right and then about three more miles to the other end of the lake. We are taking five new guys on their first Boundary Waters trip. It will be an adventure to remember and one to be repeated many times over the rest of their lives. I wish I had started coming here twenty years sooner. However, I have been to the Boundary Waters ten times more often than most people experience in their lifetime. I still have 25-30 more trips left in me. After that, I'll sit in a chair by the dock, whittle and wait for the grand kids to return from their trip. I've been going down to play at the creek all my life and will till the end of my trail. I just remembered the times that we would go down to the creek before the school bus would come in the morning. We could see it coming from about a mile away. Then the race was on to run back home, ditch a gun or fishing pole, grab books and get to the bus. Life was good back then!! It's still good, just different.

I went for a walk in the woods with my neighbor, Susie, this AM. We hadn't done much more than waive a hello for quite awhile, so it was nice to catch up. No mushrooms yet. Today I got a face book request from a long lost friend. That was nice. I have two conventions in his town during the summer, so I hope to get together. If he hadn't moved away, he would be going on our trip without doubt. I also got prom pictures of a couple nephews today online. In other news, Mick Jagger is supposed to be at Hickory Park Restaurant tonight to try a "Garbage Burger". The guy that owns the place is a big Stones fan, so that will be nice for him. I also got a letter from the Doctor today with results from my six month blood tests. I won't bore you with numbers, but he did use words like Very Good!!, continue current plan and good job. I hope to be off medication by next year. I'm getting close. I found a new tent for my grand daughter yesterday. I also got her a Big Agnes bag and pad. She told me that her old tent was too small when I visited them. She is just getting bigger! I swear she would live in a tent if she could. Dave is coming over tonight to work in final things for the trip and to plan a picnic we are going to have in July. A BIG picnic! Details later, everyone is invited!! I laid out some fish this morning to cook tonight. Some of those Crappies I caught a few weeks ago! Have a good day Doug, Over and Out.

I Got Caught!

2009-05-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

As you will read below, I looked up last night in a Pizza place to stare a TV camera strait on. I just got my second call about being on TV 8 news last night. Dave and I skipped out on the banquet last night to eat pizza and have a beer before we went home. So sure enough, there I was on TV drinking a beer while playing hooky. I always get caught! At least they didn't identify me. Doug, Over and Out.

Research Lodge, Swine Flu and Raising a Brother

2009-05-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the possible start of the swine flu from Jay's blog. Don't try this at home!

This is a picture of the cast and candidate for the second section of our third degree on Thursday night. Details in Jay's blog.

This is a picture of the meeting of Iowa Research Lodge #2 held in the 33 degree room of the Des Moines Consistory. I'm the one bottom left. Complete stories of these three events along with pictures can be found in Brother Jay's blog. http://baileysbuddy.blogspot.com . I told him that I was going to take the easy way out and use his blog to tell my story. He granted permission. So, go to his blog and 5/01/09 entry Ia Research Lodge #2 and 4/30/09 titled A New Master Mason. Just scroll down until you find them. You may want to bookmark his blogsite. As you can see, he is quite prolific and covers a multitude of subjects. Jay..Thanks for saving me some time. That gets us up to yesterday (Saturday). Dave and I went to Marshalltown for a Meeting of the Yorkrite College #37. We stopped at Cecil's and had a hot beef sandwich for lunch before the meeting. Then after the meeting we skipped the banquet as most of the people at this meeting were also at the meeting on Friday night. The new Grand Lodge picks for Grand Senior Warden and Grand Junior Warden were at the meeting and they were headed back to Des Moines to get in on the last of that meeting , Demolay Banquet and celebration. As usual , yesterday, there were about five Masonic events going on all at once and many of the leaders have to pick and choose and sometimes just burn out and go home! But David and I had a plan. We hold the meeting just one block from Zeno's Pizza in Marshalltown. This place opened in 1952 and is still under the same management in the same building. I like their pizza and wanted to have Dave experience it. The place has special significance for me as this was THE ONLY place to take a date for food and/or to be seen when I was in high school. I had a lot of fun in the place when I was a teenager many moons ago. We even held our last class reunion in the party room. Anyway we had a nice meal and a good break before the drive home. While we were eating, I looked up and noticed a TV 8 news camera pointed at us. I thought maybe they were doing a special interest piece. It turned out that they had several people in Marshall County test positive for N1, H1 virus and wanted to know if we were concerned about being out in public. I don't think we were on TV as they found some unshaven, backward hat wearing guy in an torn Iowa Hawkeye shirt setting in the next booth over. He wanted interviewed and wanted on TV, so he was probably on the air. Before you hawk fans get started.. If you would quit selling your gear in truck stops and at NASCAR events, guys like this wouldn't get on TV to embarrass you. Changing subjects, the mushrooms were out in Dallas county yesterday afternoon. I'm going to go for a walk and see if I can find a few! Doug, Over and Out.

First Cruise with the Wen-no-nah Prism

2009-04-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

The picture above was taken in 2005 on a windy dreary day. Today had potential but came up a little shy of that day.

Ada Hayden Park on the north edge of town. Not much more than a big pond, but it is water and it is close to my house.

Steve (one of my college roommates ) and I took out our solo canoes today. It was windy and a little chilly. He wanted to try out my Prism to see if he wanted to rent one over Memorial Day when they are in the Boundary Waters. It was the first time I had it in the water. Hands down, it is the best solo canoe or kayak I've ever paddled. Even in the wind, it worked like a charm. I'm glad I got it. As the solo version of the MN II, I'm not surprised it works so well. We paddled under the bridge in the background and roamed around the bigger part of the lake. Then we sat and drank coffee for a bit. A good afternoon. I forgot to take my camera to Tradewinds today, so I have no pictures of my lunch trip. Sorry. I got home and got everything cleaned up and put away and just pulled the car into the garage, when the rain started. Good timing! Have a good evening. I'm going to watch a movie for a change. Doug, Over and Out.

Trade Winds is Closing

2009-04-28T22:05:00.001-07:00

Dave and I had a meeting tonight at my place and tried the new bottling of Scapa 16 yr single malt. To judge it, we had to compare it to a couple other favorites. Scapa is the nectar of the Gods!

This is the "canoe shed" and it needs a Spring cleaning. I got the new solo canoe legal this afternoon. She will make her maiden run tomorrow afternoon at 1:00PM. I will get pictures. I live in a town of >50,000 people and you would swear there are three of us. I had blood taken over the noon hour at the clinic. At 5:00PM , I walk into the pharmacy and the girls ask me if my arm was OK after Missie stabbed me. I'm thinking, "Is my life on film?" Then a lady that I know stated, " I would really like to have that shirt you are wearing." I replied, "Give me yours and I'll give you mine!" THEN, I realize that I had an audience! So , I got my pills and headed for the door. I get out in front of the store and a guy is yelling at me across the lot. It's a guy that I hadn't seen for a long time. Turns out we are going to the same dinner and speech on Friday night, so I can talk to him then. About that time, a waitress at a restaurant/sports bar that I have been going to for decades let me know they are closing on Friday. If I want to eat there again, I have three chances as they only serve lunch. She said they have made no formal announcement, but word got out yesterday and the place was packed today. I promised I would be in tomorrow. I really like eating there because I never have to order. They know what I like and what I drink and it just shows up. Nothing is for ever I guess. I'll get pictures for tomorrow night. I have to go now. My computer was down for about six hours tonight and I need to get some work cranked out. All is well here. Doug, Over and Out.

Rainy Day Sunday and Monday

2009-04-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

Usually the wind dies down at the end of the day and the Boundary Waters Lakes will turn slick as ice. It is so peaceful to sit around the fire with friends and a drink after dinner.

I put this picture in tonight, because it is a good example of an old navigation rule. When you don't know where a portage is located, this rule comes in handy. Look to the horizon and you will notice that the top of the treeline goes upward or downward. Look for the V that the top lines make. That is where the portage will be, unless, you are looking at an island rather than a shoreline. That you can't tell many times until you get to the island. Most paddlers, most of the time, don't know quite where they are at any given moment. You truly do explore a lake the first time you are on it. Most of the maps available only have part of the islands noted. If you are counting islands, you can get off a little. We have run into people that are so turned around, they aren't sure which lake they are on. That is part of the fun.

I put this in as I got as chuckle out of it. WE still don't have a new coach, but we haven't been looking too long.

Ben and I went to a gun show the other night at the fairgrounds in Des Moines. We had to stand in line to get in and I would estimate the crowd at 750-1000 people. The place was packed and business was good. Ben got a new shotgun for pheasant season next year. I got a new tactical holster for my XDm. I've been looking since before Christmas and finally found one. None of the regular companies are making them yet. We then went to the 25TH Street Pub in East Des Moines for a burger. They and "My Sisters Place in Grand Marais, MN have about the best cheeseburgers going.

The grass is getting green, but the corn planting came to a halt yesterday with the rain. It has rained for two days and is supposed to rain tomorrow. Between the rain, being ill and having the storm take out my computer last night and again this afternoon I didn't have much to blog about. The nicest part of the week-end was Saturday morning when I woke up. I had a rough night. I woke up at 1:00AM and couldn't get back to sleep. So, as I do on occasion, I opened the sliding door to the deck and put my sleeping pad down, crawled into my sleeping bag and was out like a light. To my delight, I was awakened by the sound of a woodpecker eating breakfast and the sound of rain hitting the deck. It had also cooled down about 40 degrees. Well, I better get ready for Monday. Doug, Over and Out.

Girls on the Beach - Hawaii

2009-04-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

OK, here it is! I have been asked many times about the girls on the beach. In my opinion, there aren't that many. It's a long way to travel for what's already at home. This will be the last of my Hawaii pictures for the time. It is only 35 days till we go to the Boundary Waters. We have 5 first timers going on this trip. We will have to come up with a new initiation program. Most of the stuff we do is now classified as torture. What if someone gets bit by a mosquito or worse yet, has a tick bite in and start sucking blood? As a trip leader, will I be prosecuted? And no swearing at the bears when they come into camp. We will talk to them and convince them to leave us alone. And if they want to give us a book, we will take it! I hear "Brokeback Grizzly" has a good part where the bears eat the campers. The campers deserve it for being so pretentious to think they belong in the woods. They say a bear can smell bacon cooking 5 miles away. So, you just trump that knowing they can smell gun oil at 6 miles! LOL I'm ready. We are raising a new Mason tonight. That is always a good time. Doug, Over and Out.