Wild Animal Count 31 Deer 2 Fox 1 Owl 9 Skunk 6 Raccoon             Loons, ducks, frogs, etc.

Our New Friends George & Lynn Schade             George, Bill & Linda             Glenview, Ill.

1966 8/15 Monday

 

We’re off on our first week-long camping trip.  Wally picked up our rented tent and loaded it in the boat in one small spot we haven’t filled.

 

It rained and rained and rained.  Just outside Clintonville our troubles began.  A very strange noise under the hood.  Back to Clin’ville to two filling stations—they were sure it was the water pump—and one garage—could find nothing wrong.  Off again on our way, car worked great.  We finally decided it was water rushing up under the hood.  Still raining when we cross the tension line.

 

We picked three possible campsites before we left so on to the first—

            Crystal Lake-terrible-like camping on Wisc. Ave.

            Nebish Lake—Wilderness camping only—too wild for a whole week

            Starrett Lake—Just perfect, 46 campsites and only about 8 campers—pumps for water—clean, clean outhouses—garbage cans.  Cost- $2.00 per night and a $2 park sticker.

 

The price was higher than we expected, but it looked so lovely—even in the rain—we decided this would be the spot.

 

It was 7 p.m. by this time and Mom had a splitting headache, so we decided to seek out John Williams (an intern teacher at Shorewood High School last year), whose folks own the Cardinal Lodge on Trout Lake, and see if they could find us a cheap motel for the night.

 

About a mile or two from camp—near Musky Lake—Pow! A blowout on the trailer tire —no spare.  What to do?  Unload the boat and try to get the tire off—can’t!  Load boat again, turn around and drag the $%#@ thing back to camp with the children watching to see if the tire falls off.  It doesn’t.  Picked a spot at camp, unhooked the trailer and left it there.

 

9 p.m. Mom’s head about to drop off, children expert pessimists with all sorts of ideas about what might happen next, Dad grumpy.  Off again to the Cardinal.  Here the tension eases.  John is there and his mother, bless her heart, says we can have one of the cottages for the night.  Gorgeous place, living room with fireplace, bedroom, bath and screened porch overlooking the lake.  After a yummy fire in the fireplace, 2 aspirin, some hard-boiled eggs and stuff from the cooler we began to feel that we truly were “North of the Tension Line,” and so to bed.

 

8/16 Tuesday

 

Beautiful day!  Sunshine and warm.  Can really see what a svelte place the Cardinal is.  $36 per night, $120 per week/person.  Wishing we could afford to stay, but thanking the Lord for friends like the William's, we start off again for Starrett Lake Campgrounds.

 

The camp looked even better in the sunshine and we picked Spot No. 28 near the boat landing, the pump, the johns, and the lake.  We’re not taking any chances!

 

While Mom and Dad set up camp, Deby and David scouted the area.  Their shouts “Here’s another one!” let us know where they were at all times.  Another one turned out to be hundreds of little frogs the children were catching.  Things were looking brighter for everyone.

 

After lunch we went into Woodruff to the Mobile (Don’s) Station to get  a tire for the trailer.  Most gas stations carry them now because we aren’t the only dopes who don’t carry a spare.  Then back to camp for swimming and fishing.  Starrett Lake is void of big fish, but we had fun pulling in some little perch.

 

Snuggled all cozy in our sleeping bags with only an occasional sound of a loon, we begin to realize how really peaceful it is up here.

 

8/17 Wednesday

 

Up early (8 a.m.) for some fishing at Day Lake.  Lots of sunshine and quite warm.  Deby and David had a ball watching the little perch bite at their worms.  If we’d see a bigger one, we’d pull the line away from the little ones to try to lure PaPa.  Didn’t catch anything big enough to eat, though.

 

Back to camp and after a lunch of bacon and eggs, went over to Musky Lake to swim.  Lots of sand and shallows – good swimming.  Wally waded along the shoreline in his swimsuit and tennis shoes—fishing.  Had a couple of follows, but no catch.

 

After the children were tucked in, Wally and I walked down to the boat landing to look at the stars.  So beautiful we got the kids up to see it too.  Millions of stars, you’d never see in the city.  Seemed so close you could reach up and touch them.  The Milky Way was never brighter.  It all looked so unreal, it was breathtaking.

 

8/18 Thursday

 

Sunny again today, but cooler.  My watch stopped last night, so I guess we had our oatmeal breakfast about noon.  We’re really getting lots of sleep up here.  To bed about 10 and up anywhere between 9 and 11.  Today we’re going to Lawries on Spider Lake to say “hi” and see if Loie had her baby yet.  What a nice surprise, Ellen and Chuck are up for the week!  Wally and Chuck went fishing for awhile, the children roamed the grounds, and Rine, Ellen and I gabbed.  The phones had been out so they hadn’t heard about Loie and we called home.  Todd Allen was born yesterday a.m., 8 lb, 13 oz.  Wow!  Everyone fine.

 

Phone out on the Island and message to be delivered so Wally, Chuck and the children took the boat over.  On the way back Chuck caught 2 Walleyes and Wally a 22” Northern.  Hurray!  Fish to eat!

Stayed for dinner and celebrated Rine and Malc’s anniversary.  Had a very nice visit with Ellen while we cleaned up the dishes.  Back to camp and bed.  Saw the Northern Lights tonight, beautiful.

 

8/19 Friday

 

Rainy, but not too bad.  Fished Starrett Lake again and caught a panful of nice Bluegills.  Had fish for lunch.  Mostly rainy so stayed in camp and relaxed most of the afternoon.  Met the Schades and went to their campfire at night.  Such nice people and such nice children.

 

8/20 Saturday

 

Rain!  Stayed in tent until noon.  Decided to fish Escanaba Lake, but too rainy.  Wally and David have colds already.  Picked blueberries and blackberries after we found out for sure what we were picking from the Schade berry experts.  More rain.

 

8/21 Sunday

 

More Rain!!  The back part of the tent collapsed last night and Wally got wet.  Had to go out and pound in the stakes again in the downpour.  Pup tent leaked and all our clothes got soaked.  We loaded up everything wet and headed for Woodruff and dryers.  Also had breakfast, which was really lunch in town because we were really soggy, to say the least.  Spent the rest of the day on a nature ride.

 

Finally rigged a shelter so we could cook without getting soaked.  Used the tent canopy and some old shower curtains Wally had thrown in.  Kicked ourselves for not thinking of this sooner.  We ate in the car—the only warm, dry place around.

 

Drove to the dump to see bears, but no luck.  Only raccoons and skunks.  Fun though.  Sure hope it is drier in the morning.  Have to break camp.  Hoping it is sunny and we’ll stay another day.  The week went by too fast!  Seems like we could stay forever.  The children are unhappy with the rain and are ready to go, but not Mom…imagine!!!

 

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