Once you start doing something on a yearly basis, you look forward to doing it every year — like going to Florida for a week in the spring, going to the Black Hills in the fall, visiting with a military buddy. I think you get my thoughts of humans and their habits.
My thing is deer hunting. I didn’t go this year because of the virus. The first year was 1988 to the same deer stand in the Chippewa National Forest on the west shore of Lake Winnibigoshish or as I call it, “Winnie.”
Since 1988, I have missed four years. The times were when we moved (1966), no season because of fire danger as it was very dry (1971), to visit our son in Vermont (2006), and the corona virus (2020).
Some of you readers can’t understand why deer hunting is so important. I can’t explain why either, but I do know, once it’s in your blood, you want to go every year.
We’ve been going to Big Island State Park by Albert Lea to see all the deer in hopes that would ease my urge to go deer hunting. Sad to say, it hasn’t.
Genie belongs to a group of ladies who get together for a long weekend in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas in the spring yearly. They cancelled this year because of the virus. They are currently holding their meetings via Zoom on the computer.
From their meeting, I got the light bulb idea that maybe I could do the same with my old deer stand on Winnie.
It took some doing, but I got it done. I can now talk to and see my old deer stand, and the old deer stand talks back. Technology, wow!
The old deer stand pointed out the fire pit I had dug needed some help as it has to be cleaned out before building a fire in it. (It is about 3 feet deep and 4 feet long with a wire screen to lay logs on to burn and give off head, plus roast hot dogs and heat-baked beans, followed by s’mores.) The wooden steps I sit on need some repairs.
We reminisced about how many of the older Norway pines had been removed for lumber and new Norway pine seedlings planted, and now the new ones are about 25 feet tall.
The old deer stand reminded me of the following:
1. The time a doe ran by wide open and touched the pine branches as I stood there.
2. The little mouse “Fritz” that visits, looking for birdseed I put out. (Different generation every third year.)
3. The grouse that landed by me and talked as it figured out what that orange-colored thing was. (Me.)
4. The snowshoe rabbit being chased by a marten with an adult eagle flying behind.
5. The many ducks, geese and swans that fly over me every year.
6. The morning train that blows its whistle and many times wakes me up.
7. The deer I didn’t see, but their tracks were in the snow when they let me sleep.
8. The birds and squirrels that enjoy the bird seeds I put out. (Especially the ones that will land on the gun barrel.)
9. The many times a deer snorted at me to imitate my snore.
10. The huge buck that was looking at me as I zipped up my pants after making yellow snow. Yes, he ran away.
11. The early morning as the sun came up and I saw frost form, followed by the frost melting away as the train blew its whistle to wake me up. I ate my sack lunch as the sky clouded over and the temperature dropped with huge snowflakes. When I left, the ground was all white. This was most certainly advent, the coming of Christmas.
In closing, the old deer stand reminded me to say “thanks” for all the memories to all the following who attended the hunt whether they visited him or not:
Deb and Dan, Genie, Aunt Barb and boys Brian, Barry and Bob, nephew Nate Hanson and his friends Pete and Phil, Uncle Hans Hanson, Stewart and Ruth Hanson, Pastor Mel and Phyllis Sucher, cousin Craig Farrell — all staying at Judd’s Resort on Winnie.
P.S. An interesting thing was when we all attended the Sunday service at the small church in Bena and the pastor announced, “We have a visiting pianist today.” Phyllis Sucher would sit down at the ivories and play. (Our singing raised the roof!!!)
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in New York. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.