As I tap this out, our favorite month, October vaporized into just one more day, Halloween. While I am not one to dwell in the past, this October has been - as it should be, a time of Friday night football, Homecoming, the Badgers, the Packers, combines in the fields, fall feasts of all kinds, farmers’ markets, apple pie, apple doughnuts, apple crisp, (I could go on), pumpkin bars, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies (again, I could go on), spectacular sunsets, hillsides dreamed up by artists, falling leaves and the scent of their burning, frosty mornings and bonfire evenings, good walleye and panfishing, Asian beetles and boxelder bugs, the World Series, jack-o-lantern carving, and ghoulies begging treats, small game season, deer season, pheasant season, duck season, turkey season, AND it is almost the end of the political season. (This brings to mind a poster I once saw in a bar that read, “So if it is Political Season, why can’t we shoot at them?”)
El and I had a great morning of panfishing on Lake Onalaska a couple weeks ago. We had doubles and even triples where we had three lines with fish on that morning. We threw many back, but we kept a nice mess. Afterwards, I had a rueben and fries and Ellen had a cheeseburger at Nutbush City Limits in Onalaska. Some of those bluegills, were 9-inches or more. When I finished cleaning fish we had two quart bags of fillets! That night we had a fish fry with red potatoes and apple crisp.
I went bow hunting in October - a lot. I saw lots of deer, mostly when I was arriving to my stand or leaving, but still lots. I arrowed a deer a couple weeks ago, but didn’t find it. The best part - if there is a best part - is the offers of help to find it from first of all, my wife, but also our friends and neighbors Doug and Darian Strasser, and Timber Todd who all came out on a cold, dark night to tramp in thick woods. Eli was in a business meeting, but said he’d come later if we needed him. I slept like crap that night. The next morning as Ellen, I, and nephew Chet Kirschbaum looked for the deer; I couldn’t help think of mountain man Ben and his friend Drew Rouse out in Colorado as they searched in vain for the bull elk they had arrowed in September. Some might say, it was just a doe. I don’t care what anyone says, there is no such thing as “just a doe;” I had the blues big time, so I can imagine their angst. They say, “nothing in the wild goes to waste, coyotes gotta eat, life goes on and yada yada.” That doesn’t help.
Ellen has been busy with cleaning up her garden and flower beds, pulling dried plants and hauling load after load of mulch. I ran a tiller threw the garden one morning. She planted garlic this last week too. I also pulled the brush hog through almost all of our trails one nice afternoon. Vince Ruetten and I went fishing up on a very windy Lake Onalaska on Friday and ended up having breakfast at Nutbush; nobody had to clean fish. We had hunters here all day, but I put up our Christmas lights on Saturday. Hey, if the malls can start in September, I can get mine up when it is isn’t freezing out. The boys didn’t see much, so I was more productive.
This week Ben’s friend and business partner, Drew Rouse is here field testing Reel Game Calls new prototype call, the Buck Reel. He called in a few bucks including one dandy, that didn’t offer him a shot. He and Ben are marketing the Elk Reel, and are working on design and planning manufacture of the Buck Reel, Predator Reel, and Turkey Reel at this time. Eli Jackson, Pat Kolbe, and Mike Matonich were also here this weekend. They hit the woods hard on Saturday and Sunday. They sat some 13 hours plus on Saturday and only saw one buck amongst them. That evening we ate like kings thanks to Ellen and Pat. Pat brought some marinated rib eyes for the grill. Ellen fixed garlic mashies, her signature cashew and craisin salad, and I grilled the meat on the grill, to perfection I might add. We watched Bucky take down the Huskers and after half-time El brought us generous helpings of her special apple crisp with ice cream! Go Badgers! We all slept well.
Until next time, get out - Anyway, I mentioned the election before, so I apologize to readers, but I have to shoot off my mouth here. I have heard that a lot of people don’t plan to vote. I don’t get it. Like any election, this one is important. If you don’t like the presidential candidates, so what? There are congressional and state candidates that make a huge difference in all our lives. I just have to say to those who are planning on not voting, if you don’t vote, you don’t count to those who are running the show. As I finish this, it is Sunday evening. Our bleary-eyed nimrods all went out to the woods hours ago and are back for supper. El and I went to Cassville and a birthday dinner at J&J’s Sandbar for my mom. She’ll be 29 next week! Happy Birthday Mom! Nobody caugth a deer today. The Packers came up short at Atlanta. Nuts! Enjoy.
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