Grouse Hollow Journal for August 14, 2014 by Greg Koelker

Grouse Hollow Journal for August 14, 2014 by Greg Koelker



I love a good story, especially when I get to be in it. Last week Ellen and I attended the Uppena Family picnic at the Burton Town Hall which is located in the booming metropolis of Burton, Wisconsin; Burton is sort of triangulated in the middle between Beetown, Cassville, and Potosi. As usual there was nothing to eat, just the usual fried chicken, 7 or 8 casseroles, only like 5 kinds of potatoes, a bunch of pickles, a few pies, cakes, bars . . . I could go on, but if anyone went home hungry, it was their own fault. The Uppenas are Ellen's mom's family, and I get a free pass to the reunion because of that. Anyway, I visited with a few people, okay more than a few, but I most enjoyed Uncle Gene Uppena telling stories about the old days. Gene will be 90 this year. He is a retired Minnesota county extension agent. He started by telling a current story though, about the three retired farmers and dozen or so farm widows that live in his apartment complex and come together for breakfast every morning. He said the ladies are most excited and surprised about their recent financial windfall. It seems that their farm land is now being valued as high as $15,000 an acre, so some of them are millionaires! Then he told the story I was in.



Back some time before WWII, his brother Charles bought a riding horse for getting the milk cows in from the hollows and ridges far from the farm. He purchased it from Rush Okey whose farm was just south of Cassville. Except for the farm house and spring house, it was completely developed with houses, a supper club and hotel in the 1960's when I lived there. I remember the Okeys because as children, my gang of ne’er-do-well neighborhood kids and I would drink from the spring in the milk house, sleigh ride down the front yard in winter, and “Aunt” Martha Okey would sometimes feed us cookies. Anyway, Gene said that the horse, Ned, became “his horse.” He loved that horse and it loved him, he said. He said he rode it all over. He enlisted during the war and didn't return home until late 1945. Gene told about his homecoming from Berlin; he was in his uniform when he got to the farm and he was being welcomed by his family. Then he noticed Ned was nickering to him from across a nearby fence. He said he went over and Ned nuzzled him just like he had never left. Ned was gentle enough that Gene's nieces and nephews could ride Ned; that's where I come in. I clearly remember one evening when Dennis, Carl, and Carol Uppena rode Ned bareback over to my Grandma Potter's farm. Ned was a brown pinto, a wonder horse in my movie cowboy, horse opera crazy eyes. I got lifted up on him and taken for a short lead around. I named all my imaginary horses Ned for many years after that.



The Sunday before the Uppena family reunion, we attended the birthday party for Ellen's Uncle Jerome “Peck” Hauk, her dad's brother. Like Gene, Peck loves to tell stories too, and he likes my Ole and Lena jokes too. He holds the family history inside him now and shares gems about growing up on the farm and of “the greatest generation.” His story about Ellen's parents' wedding day led to a story about Walt hauling Marge around in a wheel barrow during the celebration. Peck told me that he was planning to wet a line at Cold Springs on the Mississippi the next day. He golfs almost every day and winters in Florida. He is planning on attending his grandson's wedding in California this fall too. Did I mention that we were celebrating his 97^th birthday? I hope some day, I can be telling stories and enjoying life as much as Gene and Peck when I am in my 90's.
Finally, the good news is that fishing on the river is picking up; Vince sent me a text message with a picture of a bucket of panfish he got into this last week. The bad news – sort of, well not really – is that I wasn't with him because Ellen and I were at the Iowa State Fair with our friends Jane and Tom Downs. Great time with lots of fair food, a 1,240 pound boar, beautiful show horses, a couple fun shows, and thousands of people! After the Down's hospitality, we are now out west adventuring with our Colorado mountain kids. 

The real South Park Colorado

Ellen and Whitney at Woody's 

Birthday girl, Ellen with chocolate strawberry cheesecake

Ben's friend Todd with Preston, visiting with Ellen 

Ben playing at Woody's in Edwards, CO

Joe, Aunt Whitney, Stacie, and Mark

Joe and Nico coming down the mountain

Nico, Mark, Joe, and Ben 

Mark, Nico, and Joe sand boarding

The view of Avon Lake and Beaver Creek Ski area from our condo.

As I tap this out, we are preparing to go fly fishing with a guide our kids set up for Ellen's 60^th birthday. Last night, after driving over Red Hill pass and through South Park (I think I saw Kartman and Kyle jaywalking) and getting moved into our rented condo, we went to Woody's in Edwards, Colorado for dinner with the kids and to listen to Ben perform. The place was going to the dogs by the time we left. That is, some people brought their dogs into the open air club and soon enough there were three black lab-looking canines sniffing around checking out the floor for dropped morsels. Preston, one of the kids' friend's lab mix, sat in a chair with us for awhile and then took a spot at the bar on a stool for a bit. It made me think of Scout.



Until next time, get out – we did. Our guided fly fishing trip was much fun and the setting was beautiful. More on Colorado next week. Enjoy.