Grouse Hollow Journal for December 6, 2012 by Greg Koelker

This morning (Saturday last) is dreary and damp.  Scout and I went to the dump over on what used to be School Section Road but now goes by the name of Chipmunk Ridge Road.  I visited with our neighbor, Doug the Barn Wrecker.  (He and another neighbor tore down our old dairy barn a few years ago.)  His group had good luck deer hunting, killing 29 deer over the last couple of weeks!  On the way back to Highway 35, I stopped to glass a boat load of water fowlers parked in some grass with a bunch of decoys set up north of the Stoddard Bay berm.  I had no sooner got my binoculars on them when three guys popped up out of the grass covered craft and started shooting.  I had the window open and could make out some pops from the shots.  A dog started prancing on one end of the boat, but someone made it stay in the boat.  I saw a person jump into the water and start wading to pick up whatever birds they had out.  While that didn't look like fun, I imagine the dog would have gotten really cold making that retrieve.

Anyway, we are not hunting today except for clothes and stuff to take along to Lambeau Field tomorrow.  We are going on a birthday party bus that starts in Cassville and picks us up in Burton at 4:30 AM.  El's baby sister Lori Fure turns 50 this week and this is what she wanted to do for her birthday.  We were in immediately.  Let us hope that Aaron and crew are sharper than they were last week in New York.  I have only seen the Pack win at Lambeau, usually trouncing the Bears, but I have seen them beat the Vikings and Oilers there too.  One of the most memorable games was on December 20,1999.  It was memorable because I was there with my older son Ben, and buddies Curt Christensen and Ron Von Glahn and we got to see a Packer victory; Favre and the Pack eked out a victory over the Tennessee Oilers 30-25.  The game was also memorable because it was Reggie White and Mike Holmgren's last game at Lambeau.  The day was even more special because perennial radio announcers Jim Irwin and Max MacGee were honored at half time as they were retiring after the season as well.   Reggie retired with 68 1/2 sacks after 95 games as a Packer from 94-99.  He died in 2005 at age 43.  Holmgren left Green Bay after leading the Pack back to respectability in the playoffs over 7 seasons with a 75-37-0 record and a Superbowl XXXI win and Superbowl XXXII loss.  Holmgren may be coaching - at Dallas of all g'dawful places - soon, according to sports radio rumors.  Jim Irwin worked for WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee and was the voice of the Packers for 30 years.  He passed away this year.  A long time Packer player (he started in 1954), Max McGee scored the first touchdown in Superbowl history (with a killer hangover); McGee was Irwin's color commentator from 1979 until 1998.  I think it worth mentioning that McGee started the Max McGee National Research Center for Juvenile Diabetes in 1999.  Anyway, it snowed the entire day, a light flurry of snow that accumulated by late afternoon into a fluffy frosting on the field and stands and parking areas.  We grilled brats and such before and after the game.  In fact, we were the last people to leave our area of the parking area.  The clean up crews were going down the row across from us loading trash into the bucket of an end loader.  I spied a red and white PlaySkool cooler that was about to get tossed out, so I rescued it.  It had beer and sausage and cheese in it that hadn't been touched!  It has been so named "The Stolen Cooler" ever since and has made too many fishing, hunting, and vacation trips to mention.  The Stolen Cooler returns to Lambeau with us this weekend too.  

The trip to Lambeau was an adventure that started at 3:15 AM on a foggy Sunday morning.  The bus ride didn't seem that bad even with stops in Fennimore and Madison and Fond du Lac.  We stopped for breakfast at Mac and Don's in Sun Prairie and then motored around the east side of Lake Winnebago north to Green Bay.  The fog had lifted and we saw a few deer hunters going out into flat plowed ground.  I am not sure where they planned to jump deer, but what do I know.  Anyway, the bus driver parked in the lot behind Champions Sports Bar, and by the time I got off, people had already put up a table, put out food, and many had popped a top.  There were sandwiches, cookies, chips and dips, jerky, ham wrapped cream cheese and pickles, bloody mary mix, Rice Krispie Treats and more bars, etc. etc. no brats  or dogs though.  Dressing for the game was iffy as it was relatively warm out, like 50.  I opted for no Under Armor, but I wore my insulated bibs and my deer hunting coat - yeah, I was that guy in blaze orange.  We were able to use Champions' restrooms because we had paid to park there, so when Ellen and I went in, we were thrilled to see that the Happy Schnapps Combo was playing.  Their most famous hit is "The Bears Still Suck" polka as well as other great songs like "Do You Want To Go To Work Today?" and "On The Badger."  The lead singer boasted to the crowd that he loved beer, but that he once quit drinking it for ten years and then he turned thirteen!  That was pretty cool, but it was pretty hot inside, so we went back to the tailgate party.  After a picture of me holding the Stolen Cooler up with the stadium in the back ground, we headed to Lambeau some three blocks away.  

The stadium was rocking by the time we walked in.  There were players warming up on the not - so - frozen tundra and other pre-game activities and announcements going on, like don't cause a ruckuss or you'll be removed and charged.  We bought a beer and water ($10.50) and wandered into where I thought our seats were.  Eventually a kind older couple pointed out to us that we were in their season ticket holder seats and that ours were on the other side of  stadium.  You would think the sections would be numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on, but the odd ones are one side and the even on the other.  Duh.  Anyway, we made it to our seats before the Pack was introduced.  The National Anthem was performed by a fantastic trumpet player and as his last note faded into an echo, two fighter jets screamed in past one of the huge monitors and blasted across the stadium, leaving thunder and screaming fans in their wake.  Pretty cool.  Aside from an inebriated and extremely loud and foul-mouthed Viking fan across the aisle from me, the game was fun.  The stadium police had a visit with him by the end of the first quarter and he settled a bit.  After half-time, he didn't come back until there were only four minutes left to play in the game and hope was pretty lost for the purple people.  Lori and Dave were two rows behind us, so we were able to high five on the good plays and growl together on the not-so-good plays; boy, is Adrian Peterson fun to watch, except when he is scoring on the good guys.  Aaron Rodgers and Randall Cobb are much more fun to watch when they is scoring touchdowns for the good guys though.  The Packers won 23-14 and we yelled until we hurt.  

Until next time, get out - what a weekend for football fans: the Badgers drubbed Nebraska 70-31 to give us something to look forward to in the new year on New Years Day while the Packers take the lead in the NFC North after the Bears lost to Seattle.  More importantly for some of you, don't forget to get your Spring Turkey permit application taken care of by December 10.  You can apply online at: https://jc.activeoutdoorsolutions.com/wi_public/goHome.do.  Black Friday may have come and gone, but shoppers for outdoors types may still need some ideas, so my annual Christmas suggestions column is coming next time. Enjoy.