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| Ellen found the first morels of the season on May 12, 2014. |
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| first asparagus, rhubarb, and spinach of the season here |
Monday, May 12, 2014
Mother's Day weekend memories
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| Krystle and Dustin May 10, 2014 |
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| Greg, Chuck, Dave, Lori, Bill, Ellen, Donnie, Barb, Kathy, Max, Amy, Brian, Tom, and Snoop |
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| Ben, Me, Ellen, Whitney, and Mark |
Grouse Hollow Journal for the week of May 15, 2014 by Greg Koelker
Grouse Hollow Journal for the week of
May 15, 2014 by Greg Koelker
I just got in from picking up
night crawlers - before breakfast. Last night's .4 inches of rain
left them stranded on the driveway and road out front by the dozens;
I actually worked up a sweat (maybe the humidity had something to do
with it). The real reason I was up so early was because El and I got
up to see Ben off. He was heading back to Colorado with our other
two mountain kids, Mark and Whitney, after a whirlwind weekend of
family events.
Last week Whitney dropped out of the
sky on Tuesday and Ben and Mark drove in at 3 a.m. Friday morning.
The big event of the weekend was the 33rd anniversary of
my 29th birthday. I officially started a new chapter in
my life, or turned over a new leaf, or maybe it was a rock; anyway,
I start getting Social Security checks in a couple of weeks.
(Special inside note to my older-than-me Arizona sister-in-law Jan
Hauk: I may be old now, but I am still younger than you!) The kids
and our friend Brett Werner were here Friday afternoon and evening
for cocktails and a steak dinner. Ellen apologized for only having a
few morels - frozen from last spring, but the raspberry tort more
than made up for that. It was just great spending time with our kids
- who I haven't seen in person since last fall. Mark and Ben shared
some photos and videos of their recent adventures in the mountains.
After watching some of the Go Pro videos that Mark had from the
glacier north of the Valley of the Tusk in Alaska, I won't sleep well
for awhile. I mean picture your kid jumping off a snow covered bluff
along the Mississippi only it is thousands of feet higher. He and
Whitney are off to go hiking in Nepal in the fall.
Okay, the big event of the weekend
probably wasn't my birthday. On Saturday down at Cassville, my niece
Krystle got hitched to Dustin, the love of her life - they have been
going together, so I am told, 9 years. El and I took the wedding
pictures, around a thousand of them. El started taking pictures
around 9 a.m. shooting the girls getting ready at the Upper
Mississippi Lodge on Main Street in Cassville. I did the hard stuff,
doing some shot scouting and then stopping into the Town Pump for
coffee with the owner, my high school classmate Bobby Vogt. After a
while, I went up to Nelson Dewey State Park to await the party bus
with the wedding party. To kill time, I went mushroom hunting down
over a hillside for awhile. I got a rock. I did discover broken
bottle glass in the leaves though. That is such a shame as this is a
beautiful park with fantastic views of the Mississippi River and
Stonefield Village.
While we were shooting the formal
pictures before the wedding, Krystle exclaimed, “Mushrooms!” She
had found the mother lode! Krystle and one of her bridesmaids and
Dustin waded into the brushy hillside to pick over two pounds of the
fabulous fungi. The wedding day ran the gamut of weather, going from
cool to sunny, hot, and humid to full out rain, and then back to
perfect sunshine just in time for the ceremony, held near a shelter
on top of the bluffs. The bride wore, uh, sorry, I guess I'll save
the fashion descriptions for my wedding/socialite column. The
ceremony was beautiful. After a stop at the Town Pump, we went to
the reception at J and J's Sand Bar. El and I got to see lots of old
friends and many family members, including my mom and her friend
Crane. After dinner, Ben, Mark, and Whitney left for La Crosse and
Whitney's family's campfire celebration at the Flying Horse. El and
I lasted until around 9, taking pictures to last. We learned later
that many partied well into Mother's Day.
On Mother's Day morning I'd say
mothers, living along this part of the river at least, got a gift of
a beautiful spring day. Ellen's family had a breakfast at her sister
Kathy's place (where we stayed). Ellen's brother Tom was home from
Arizona for a turkey hunt. We ate well, told stories, and took a
picture or two. Then Ellen and I headed to my brother Del's for
brunch - I have to admit that after that breakfast, all I had room
for was a Rice Krispie bar, and a cookie, and a hand full of pork,
and, well you get that picture. After that, we headed north to La
Crosse and the Flying Horse for lunch! Actually, they had held a
blessing ceremony for granddaughter Leila - Mark is her godfather.
We missed lunch, but we got to see everyone, including the little
sleeping beauty, at least, and it was just time for dessert!
The kids spent the afternoon with us
here at Grouse Hollow. Old friends Adam and Kate Remus stopped out
on their way home to Madison. We got news that Jake Sikora had found
some morels too late to go looking any more on Sunday. Ben and I
jammed a bit on the guitar. Scout needed a baby aspirin in her
supper because of all the ball retrieving she did. Before we knew
it, the weekend ended, bringing this column full circle I guess. The
kids did take some of those wedding day morels with them to fix when
they get home. They also smuggled out some Spotted Cow and cheese
curds.
Until next time, get out - El and I are
going to go out and check some trees as soon as this dark sky passes
over us, and then maybe go drown a few of those crawlers. El got me
a new soft-side tackle box, that needs filling too. First I think we
might both take a nap. Enjoy.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Grouse Hollow Journal for the week of May 1, 2014 by Greg Koelker
Grouse Hollow Journal for the week of May 1, 2014
by Greg Koelker
Last week, Gregg Sikora asked me if I
could take his son, Jake out turkey hunting on Monday morning
because Gregg had to work. Hmmm. . . another opportunity get up
really, really early, go out into the rain and cold, and plump down
on tick infested ground in the dark, who wouldn't say yes? The sky
was dripping a bit and it was windy when I picked Jake up. We went
to the farm where I got my bird a few days before, and waited by the
truck to hear any gobbling; it didn't take long and there was plenty.
We walked out on a ridge top field to listen again and try to pick a
bird to hunt. We both heard a tom letting us know he was in mood for
love, and not far from us. We slipped and trundled (okay, I slipped
and trundled, not 13-year old Jake) down through a grass strip along
the corn to a spot I thought might work to call the gobbler. As soon
as we crested the hill, we both saw a turkey run and then fly right
in front of the spot I had chosen. Nuts! Still there were toms
gobbling in the hollow below, so we quietly discussed the situation
and then set up there anyway.
Jake nestled in along a downed log and
I found a tree to lean against back in the woods a bit. The rain let
up, sprinkled again, and then fog came rolling in. A tom gobbled
nearby and Jake had his .20 gauge at the ready. We waited but nobody
came to our invite. We moved and tried a spot on the other side of
the hill. There were three toms rattling off their wattles down in
the hollow. I called and we waited. I think I may have napped a
tad. Those birds gobbled and obviously moved about, but they
wouldn't come in. I fear they were on the other side of the hollow
and didn't want to cross the ditch to get to us. We tried a third
set way down in the hollow, but the all three toms sounded like they
were moving away from us. We finally called it quits, but they were
still gobbling. We headed into La Crosse for breakfast and to stop
at Ace to buy another turkey tag for season 5. It wasn't our
morning, even the fast food place got our order wrong - twice!
On Tuesday last week Ellen and drove
down to Burton to help her brother Bill clean up brush around some
fields. Ellen and her sisters Kathy and Barb and I picked up sticks
and chopped out roots and such along the fields that Bill had dropped
trees along some time before. He was using his new Kubota tracked
loaded to dig stumps and pile brush. I want one, but alas they cost
somewhere in the neighborhood of what we paid for our farm. Anyway,
we all had lunch at the Burton Tavern. Owner Kevin Connelly fixed us
burgers and fries and entertained us - and Bill bought!
On Friday last we met our good buddy,
Gordie Hierlmeier at Evert's Resort near Red Wing to try our hand at
hunting again, walleyes this time. Ellen has never been up there
fishing, so this was all new for us. Kari at Evert's showed us a
couple rental cabins while we waited for Gordie. This a fish camp,
not the Dells, but the facilities are nice with a full service bait
and tackle shop, lots of beds in the cabins, satellite TV, all the
amenities, and rental includes the boat launch and parking fees plus
all the expertise the folks at Evert's can share for $125 a night for
the first four people. The river was rushing by the landing. We
watched two guys try to stay tied up on the south end of a dock,
battling the current and a stiff northerly breeze. The water was
very dirty. Anyway, we finally got Gordie's boat in the water and
headed upriver. Gordie set Ellen up with a Dubuque rig while I
dropped in a hair jig and a minnow and he put down a Lindy rig with
just a hook and a minnow. The conversation was busy, catching up
with news of our kids and lives and such, the fishing was pretty
slow. Gordie managed two small saugers. I eventually hooked a
couple white bass and a nice eating-sized sauger. Ellen didn't have
much luck of the catching kind. After he dropped us off at the
landing so we could go up to River Falls and visit El's brother
Brian, Gordie texted me that he hooked “an eye and a bass.”
We took the relatively short drive up
to River Falls and visited Brian, his daughter Casey, and his
granddaughter Ellery for an hour. Nephew Cory (I have written about
fishing with a number of times) and his wife Juliet pulled after
going out to eat to celebrate their seventh anniversary. El and I
finally headed south, to take care of our canine alarm clock. We
drove in rain and wind but mostly it was a beautiful night along the
Mississippi. Scout nearly wiggled out of her skin when we let her
out for a late night game of ball and fetch and then supper.
Until next time, get out - Jake went to
Space Camp in Alabama this past weekend. Turkey hunting one weekend
and outer space the next - these kids sure get around. Inland fishing
season opens this weekend; can the morels be far behind? Enjoy.
Last week, Gregg Sikora asked me if I
could take his son, Jake out turkey hunting on Monday morning
because Gregg had to work. Hmmm. . . another opportunity get up
really, really early, go out into the rain and cold, and plump down
on tick infested ground in the dark, who wouldn't say yes? The sky
was dripping a bit and it was windy when I picked Jake up. We went
to the farm where I got my bird a few days before, and waited by the
truck to hear any gobbling; it didn't take long and there was plenty.
We walked out on a ridge top field to listen again and try to pick a
bird to hunt. We both heard a tom letting us know he was in mood for
love, and not far from us. We slipped and trundled (okay, I slipped
and trundled, not 13-year old Jake) down through a grass strip along
the corn to a spot I thought might work to call the gobbler. As soon
as we crested the hill, we both saw a turkey run and then fly right
in front of the spot I had chosen. Nuts! Still there were toms
gobbling in the hollow below, so we quietly discussed the situation
and then set up there anyway.
Jake nestled in along a downed log and
I found a tree to lean against back in the woods a bit. The rain let
up, sprinkled again, and then fog came rolling in. A tom gobbled
nearby and Jake had his .20 gauge at the ready. We waited but nobody
came to our invite. We moved and tried a spot on the other side of
the hill. There were three toms rattling off their wattles down in
the hollow. I called and we waited. I think I may have napped a
tad. Those birds gobbled and obviously moved about, but they
wouldn't come in. I fear they were on the other side of the hollow
and didn't want to cross the ditch to get to us. We tried a third
set way down in the hollow, but the all three toms sounded like they
were moving away from us. We finally called it quits, but they were
still gobbling. We headed into La Crosse for breakfast and to stop
at Ace to buy another turkey tag for season 5. It wasn't our
morning, even the fast food place got our order wrong - twice!
On Tuesday last week Ellen and drove
down to Burton to help her brother Bill clean up brush around some
fields. Ellen and her sisters Kathy and Barb and I picked up sticks
and chopped out roots and such along the fields that Bill had dropped
trees along some time before. He was using his new Kubota tracked
loaded to dig stumps and pile brush. I want one, but alas they cost
somewhere in the neighborhood of what we paid for our farm. Anyway,
we all had lunch at the Burton Tavern. Owner Kevin Connelly fixed us
burgers and fries and entertained us - and Bill bought!
On Friday last we met our good buddy,
Gordie Hierlmeier at Evert's Resort near Red Wing to try our hand at
hunting again, walleyes this time. Ellen has never been up there
fishing, so this was all new for us. Kari at Evert's showed us a
couple rental cabins while we waited for Gordie. This a fish camp,
not the Dells, but the facilities are nice with a full service bait
and tackle shop, lots of beds in the cabins, satellite TV, all the
amenities, and rental includes the boat launch and parking fees plus
all the expertise the folks at Evert's can share for $125 a night for
the first four people. The river was rushing by the landing. We
watched two guys try to stay tied up on the south end of a dock,
battling the current and a stiff northerly breeze. The water was
very dirty. Anyway, we finally got Gordie's boat in the water and
headed upriver. Gordie set Ellen up with a Dubuque rig while I
dropped in a hair jig and a minnow and he put down a Lindy rig with
just a hook and a minnow. The conversation was busy, catching up
with news of our kids and lives and such, the fishing was pretty
slow. Gordie managed two small saugers. I eventually hooked a
couple white bass and a nice eating-sized sauger. Ellen didn't have
much luck of the catching kind. After he dropped us off at the
landing so we could go up to River Falls and visit El's brother
Brian, Gordie texted me that he hooked “an eye and a bass.”
We took the relatively short drive up
to River Falls and visited Brian, his daughter Casey, and his
granddaughter Ellery for an hour. Nephew Cory (I have written about
fishing with a number of times) and his wife Juliet pulled after
going out to eat to celebrate their seventh anniversary. El and I
finally headed south, to take care of our canine alarm clock. We
drove in rain and wind but mostly it was a beautiful night along the
Mississippi. Scout nearly wiggled out of her skin when we let her
out for a late night game of ball and fetch and then supper.
Until next time, get out - Jake went to
Space Camp in Alabama this past weekend. Turkey hunting one weekend
and outer space the next - these kids sure get around. Inland fishing
season opens this weekend; can the morels be far behind? Enjoy.
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