Grouse Hollow Journal: August 2017

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Grouse Hollow Journal for August 10, 2017 by Greg Koelker

I finished a battle with the lawn tractor an hour ago. Ellen is mowing the horse pasture with it, so I think I won. It was one of those “quick” jobs of pulling the blades off and sharpening them. In the end, I had to remove the deck to get the blades lose. After a learning session on getting the belt guards and springs attached correctly, I won; my prize was a shower and this quiet time out on the porch tapping most of this journal out.

I spent much of last week in Vilas County, impersonating a bouncer for a group of De Soto FFA students at the Jag Lake camp. I have been making on this trip with kids for over twenty years; however, it was the first without my pals, Ag Teacher and FFA Supervisor Ron Von Glahn and Curt Christensen. Von retired from De Soto this year and Curt retired in 2012; I missed them.

New De Soto Ag Teacher and FFA Supervisor, Ms Hillary Bark is the boss now. If first impressions mean anything, I think she is a keeper. Ms B and I also had a great group of kids - all girls, who did not complain when I missed our turn due to heavy traffic and to take the “educational tour”, or about the two-holer toilet, or the cold or the bugs, or my Ole and Sven jokes - okay, maybe the jokes were panned a bit. They all pitched in with the chores and fun. They swam, kayaked, went out rowing in boats, and tried dip netting some of the many small bluegills and bass swimming around the dock with my dip net. We had smores and lots of laughter by a cozy campfire the first night. I crashed early and never even heard the crew come in.

Jag Lake is renowned for its spectacular sunrises. This year the lake and Old Sol did not disappoint. Unfortunately, except for me and Ms Bark and FFA President Johanna Kunert, the rest couldn’t drag themselves out of their warm nests that early. We sipped fresh coffee and gloried in the sun rise. I was the only one who fished; I mostly caught small sunfish and sacrificed crawler parts to bait stealers; I did manage to hook one decent bass the first morning that I finally landed from a near glassy lake. The next morning a cold wind started to pick up - right out of the north.

The regular menu on the first night in camp is pizza and then a fire. On Tuesday morning we ate bacon and eggs and toast. I grilled cheese burgers and the crew fixed fries for lunch. We had grilled brats and dogs with fries for supper. On Wednesday morning the girls warmed up the kitchen and made sausage gravy over biscuits - my favorite. I grilled burgers and fries for lunch again. We eventually piled into the ‘Burban (Chevy Suburban) and went for ice cream in Boulder Junction at Mad Dog Jakes. The kids and Ms Bark went shopping and I just chilled - in a bait shop. I grilled steaks over charcoal for the last supper - in camp that is. We had chips, candy, and oh yes, lots of veggies and fruit - at least the cans were on the counter to open - I think. We had a sweet and rich, just-out-of-the-oven apple crisp for dessert on the last evening too. On the last morning, Hillary and Johanna and I were able to grip the dock against the wind - with the help of some blankets for them long enough to enjoy the sunrise. It was a cold 40-something out and the brisk wind and clouds were threatening rain; still a beautiful golden ball and sunrise fought through the clouds at the horizon for a few moments.

After cleaning up the cabin and policing the camp grounds, we headed south. We had our traditional breakfast at McDonald's. The biscuits and potatoes and such were okay, but the kids - being kids - were ecstatic because of free WIFI! The trip home was uneventful with lots of snoring.

It was good to see my own girls when I got home. Ellen came out to help me carry my stuff in. Scout and Gypsy greeted me on the patio. After unpacking and a shower, Ellen filled me on her week. She canned more, made more peach jam, and picked lots of green beans, cucumbers, and zucchinis. (She got in her garlic and is drying it.) The tomatoes are just, just looking like they will start to blush in anticipation of becoming a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, or basil brie and tomatoes over pasta, or hors dourves of sliced tomato alternated with sliced red onion topped with blue cheese and balsamic vinegar, or just a sliced complement to a burger. She told me how she and Eli and Pat had cleaned up the ridge road and Grouse Hollow path and some downed trees near the Oak Stand. It was hot and humid while Pat and Eli were here. Those boys sure know how to pick a week to come to work on tree stands, clear brush, hang trail cameras, and fight deer flies and mosquitoes - not. That evening El and I grilled burgers and had some fresh and fabulous sweet corn from the Hickory Hollow truck in Genoa.

I went up the ridge on the four-wheeler on Friday morning and found much erosion and many, many trees that were victims of the recent storms. I put out four trail cams and cleared a couple tree stand areas. I’ll have to get up there again soon and hang up a stand that spent the winter in the tobacco shed. A lot of good that does. The corn and beans and alfalfa look good on the ridge - except where there are trees down in the fields.

Until next time, get out - Sunday was the annual Uppena Family Picnic down at Burton, WI. Ellen’s cousins come from far and near to visit and feast. Ellen made cucumbers in dill and vinegar and a delicious sub sandwich. Because I am now 65, I started with dessert; I had lemon bars, apple pie, mini cream puffs, lemon bars, brownies, scotcheroos, and did I mention lemon bars? We caught up on family members and their kids. Some talked politics - a little and sports. Others played bean bag or took the little ones to the nearby playground. Some toured the flooded and now gutted Burton Tavern. Afterwards we stopped at Barb and Chuck’s as Barb said she had a surprise for Ellen. It was one of their mom’s planters looking sharp with fancy flowers. Chuck had a surprise too. He came out of the house with a bowl of sliced peaches. They were delicious. Then he took us out in the yard to see his Michigan peach tree. It was quite literally loaded! They had to support the branches with trusses and forked sticks because of all of the peaches on the tree. We got a huge bag to take back. Chuck also had some ripe tomatoes and tossed in a red onion. It don’t get no better. Enjoy.

Grouse Hollow Journal for August 3, 2017 by Greg Koelker

We had 5 inches in the rain gauge one morning a couple weeks ago and we found a half-a-dozen trees down including one big box elder down on Scout’s kennel when the storming finally moved on. Fortunately, Scout was in our house. During the downpours, much of our gravel driveway decided to go sightseeing down the coulee. Easy enough for us to take care of with the John Deere and a blade. Not everyone is so lucky.

The recent storms bring out the best in our dedicated lineman crews. We lost power last evening and the lights were back on around 1 AM. Thank you for working those long hours Vernon Electric. You just don’t appreciate electricity until it is turned off.

Of course, all the credit doesn’t stop there; up on our ridge, a limb and power line came down in the storm onto our neighbors Phil and Karel Leisso’s home, sparking up some smoke thus prompting a visit from the Stoddard-Bergen Volunteer fire department. I know that our local and county and state police departments were busy with calls in the bad weather and no doubt telephone linemen too. City, Town, and County road workers worked long hours getting roads cleared and blocking high water spots and iffy bridges and such. Terry and Jim, our town road crew along with town chairman Jeff Cermak, deserve a ton of credit and many thanks for all they do all year long, but especially when they have to go out in extreme weather in the night to keep our roads safe like they did last week.

Most of our roads were open this morning - our newspaper was even delivered and the mail came. Anyway, I saw a t-shirt online this morning with the slogan on it, “If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this at night, thank a lineman.” As a former English teacher, I agree, and with an emphasis on thanking a lineman, and a whole lot of others. Maybe we need another line that says if you can get home to read this, thank a - fill in the blank.

We saw on Facebook many pictures of flooding and wind damage. El’s sister Barb sent her a picture of Burton, where the Grant River has gone rogue and washed out into the town and on Brother Bill’s fields and turning the Burton Tavern into Burton Tiki Bar - we saw a picture of someone driving a flat bottom behind the tavern towing a person in an innertube. Down in Boice Creek where Barb and Chuck cross to get crops in and we cross to hunt deer, the crossing is now a five foot drop into the creek.

That next day, Ellen and I began working on the box elder tree on the kennel - mostly El. She used the Fiskars limber to cut off and drag away limbs and pile firewood. I mostly ran the chain saw and called for breaks. I hate cutting ditch wood (box elder) as it is gnarly and snaps and twists and springs unpredictably under the saw and is worth near to nothing for firewood - although I guess it is prime for outdoor wood burners because of its tendency to smoulder. Gus Picar came up with his saw and helped on Saturday and suggested we could pile some limbs on his PicFest bonfire pile. Speaking of smouldering, that’s what I was after a couple hours of working out in the heat. As of Sunday, we have the yard mostly cleared but still a lot to cut on our trails when it dries out.

Until next time, get out - the reason I was in Madison last week Wednesday was for a hearing on Assembly Bill 411 in front of the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage. After the politicians spoke, about 25 citizens testified on the bill (5 supported AB411 while the rest were opposed) that would restrict conservation wardens from entering private land without a tip or complaint. You can see the testimony online at Wisconsin Eye and/or read my article, co-written with Dean Bortz, in the newest issue of The Outdoor News. Enjoy.

Grouse Hollow Journal for July 27, 2017 by Greg Koelker

Our friends, Tom and Jane Downs were visiting this last week. After Sunday dinner at Rocky’s, we had a fire in the pit and enjoyed cocktails as the stars started to come out. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes came out too. On Monday, Tom and I went to a big boy toy store that if having a fire sale on stuff. I bought a Carhart chore coat for $30 and a new fishing scale after losing my old one in Canada. The girls went to the La Crosse Peace Garden to see the flowers. Anyway, we had a great visit and made plans to visit them during the Iowa State Fair. You can get lots to eat there and just about anything fried on a stick at the Fair. Anything, including fried butter on a stick! Boomshakalaka!

Last Wednesday, on the way home from Madison, traveling past Sugar Grove Road, I saw my first lightning slice the horizon just before Ellen called to warn me about nasty weather ahead. I made a quick pit stop at Viroqua, and it wasn’t raining; however, Ma Nature was beginning to unload big drops when I got back in the car. Between the thunder and lightning and heavy downpours while I crawled westward on Highway 56, I saw small rivers of muddy water in the ditches and crops getting smashed along with windswept trees. No hail though. I never felt I had to pull over, but it was close sometimes. My cell battery died; that was a bit troubling. When I finally got to Highway 35, the rain was winding down and giving way to high winds and fast water in the ditches and creeks. I saw some nasty bruise-colored clouds to the west and north. In Stoddard, I had to drive up the middle of Main Street to stay out of deep water in the gutters on both sides of the street and avoid some tree limbs. On Proksch Coulee Road, I was stopped by Becky Russell who was trying to clear the road of a a downed tree. Her husband Terry, her son Dan, another couple, and April Wehling came along and all helped to move the mess. I got around it with my car and went home to get the truck, chain saw, and tow rope. El and I went right back but April had gotten their truck and pulled the limbs off the road. Anyway, back at the ranch we used the saw and rope and truck to clear the road of a snapped off maple tree before retiring to our dark house. With the internet out and no power, I couldn’t work on my article on AB 411, so we went to bed. I woke up around 2:30 AM and found the lights on - hooray! I wrote until 5:30 and sent my draft off and went back to dreamland.

We had 5 inches in the rain gauge Thursday morning and half-a-dozen trees down including one big box elder down on Scout’s kennel. Fortunately, Scout was in our house. During the downpours, much of our gravel driveway decided to go sightseeing down the coulee. Easy enough to take care of with the John Deere and a blade.

Most of our roads were open this morning - our newspaper was even delivered and the mail came. Anway, I saw a t-shirt online this morning with the slogan on it, “If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this at night, thank a lineman.” As a former English teacher, I agree, and with an emphasis on thanking a lineman, and a whole lot of others. Maybe we need another line that says if you can get home to read this, thank a - fill in the blank.

On Thursday, Ellen and I began working on the box elder tree on the kennel - mostly El. She used the Fiskars limber to cut off and drag away limbs and pile firewood. I mostly ran the chain saw and called for breaks. I hate cutting ditch wood (box elder) as it is gnarly and snaps and twists and springs unpredictably under the saw and is worth near to nothing for firewood - although I guess it is prime for outdoor wood burners because of its tendency to smoulder. Gus Picar came up with his saw and helped on Saturday and suggested we could pile some limbs on his PicFest bonfire pile. Speaking of smouldering, that’s what I was after a couple hours of working out in the heat. As of Sunday, we have the yard mostly cleared but still a lot to cut on our trails when it dries out.