Don Johnsons Letters and Journal
Part 72
• The best vacation ever
• No snow in mid November
• A new season of deer hunting, snowshoeing, ice harvesting and square dancing

[Don’s cousin, Gordon Anderson, was a doctor in Deer Lodge, Montana, and had invited Don and Layna to an elk hunt. The Johnsons left the Falls on 10/20 and returned on 11/19.

Highlights of the trip:

• Hunted deer and elk (unsuccessfully) in Montana.

• Traveled through Idaho and visited Bryce and Zion National Parks.

• To Prescott, Arizona, for a great visit and some hunting with Whit and Rosalie Brown who had sold the Rexall drug store in the Falls and retired there.

• First entry into Mexico through Nogales where they did some shopping.

• Visited Tombstone, Phoenix, Pikes Peak and Mt. Rushmore on way home.]

11/19/56 Much surprised to find not a bit of snow on ground when we got home. We can now look back on the best vacation ever — and we have had some good ones.

[Don spent the first three days after his return doing his only serious deer hunting on Rainy Lake with Buck and Cliff Moe from Cliff’s cabin on the east side of Black Bay.]

“John Coran’s party of 6 caught up with us on ice. They had shot 4 deer. All agreed that deer were scarce.”

11/23/56 17° below — Lower lake froze over. Took it easy!

11/24/56 First regular square dance. Small crowd but we had our usual good time. Missed the Browns and their blender.

11/26/56 Started work at pulp yard. Owen said he had heard a few rumblings to the effect that I was getting too much time off. I am quite sure he is imagining a few things but will not make an issue of it. We are getting along too well in general to stir anything up.

12/1/56 On to Big Falls for their first square dance. It was a grand affair. We sure like the crowd down there.

The remainder of this entry is written over the pages through December 12

I fell by the wayside on this diary ever since December 1. That is the worst I have done in the past ten years. Possibly it was due to the let down that was sure to occur when once we got back to normal living after our trip. Nothing spectacular has happened in the past 3 weeks but had I been on the beam I could have jotted down a thing or two each day as I have done for so long. My memory is not keen enough to go back now for a day by day account. It is good enough to enable me to pick up the highlights. Maybe a more interesting narrative will result due to the fact that the more trivial matters will be forgotten. At any rate — here goes.

The weather has played a few fancy tricks for early winter. The temperature dropped to 25° below zero before the 15th of the month. We all girded our loins for another one like last year when a thaw brought the reading up to 45° above. That lasted only two days. Altho the Falls area missed, there were two rains, Dec 18 and 21 in the Littlefork-Big Falls area. The highway was sheer ice, resulting in several mishaps. No on killed but a few cars demolished. The truck drivers tell of pulpwood spilled in a number of places. Not much snow, about 10 inches on level, so loggers happy.

That brings up the pulpwood yard situation. Ever since I have been on the job, 1946, there has been agitation to get the company to unload trucks with the power hoists. Bert Lehman fought it tooth and nail and subsequently held it off until he retired 3 years ago. The pressure was immediately applied to Owen. Last winter even I was interviewed as to my impression. At that time I told George Williams & George Gibbs that there was a helluva lot more to the situation than met the eye, therefore they should proceed with caution. We have power unloading — of sorts — so far this winter and at times it is one miserable mess. There is absolutely no way for everyone to get unloaded with the present amount of equipment and present volume of wood. The ones that do get it done come back all smiles with nothing but praise for the company. The ones that don’t and it could be the same fellow who smiled yesterday — curse the company and every one remotely connected with it. Naturally there are repercussions from above, and the buck is passed down the line right on to Owen's head. It is his baby, and like a pregnant woman, he is stuck with it. As near as I can tell he has been playing ball with me ever since he took over in Bert’s shoes. I will do as much for him, and go to bat whenever necessary.

Another interesting deal is our snowshoeing. Last winter I cut a trail of sorts from here to Collins. It is about a mile long and I thot I was really doing something. This winter I learned that Jim DiOnne and Joe Douglas had some trails cleared back of our house. They used them in the summer but never when the snow was on the ground. I made a date to go with them one day. They showed up at 9:00 a.m. We walked steadily until we made the round trip and ended back at our house at 12:30. We had walked much slower than my usual gait but the fact remains that those two old duffers were on their feet (snowshoes) for 3-1/2 hours. Jim is 72 years old and Joe is 83. If Jim’s insurance adjuster could have been on that trip Jim would never collect a damned cent from his accident. He sure is far from disabled!

After learning the trails I made several more trips in the area — sometimes alone, at others the Moes, Collins, Henry Swenson, Layna and even Karen along. It is good exercise, which we surely need, and the whole gang enjoys it.

12/27/56 Decided to put up ice over New Years break and that I would try Carl for a helper. When he answered I said “Carl, I want to pay you for the wood I got from you.” I could hear him gasp at other end of wire and finally, realizing something must be wrong he said “What do you mean?” I then told him I would let him help us put up ice if he would call it square on the wood deal! You should have heard the relief in his voice after it all soaked in. He is still a good friend altho we don’t see much of him

Sunday Dec.30 —ICE

Jack, Layna and I & Carl off for island in Jeep at 8:00 a.m. Buck already there in snow sled. We hit into a snag right at the start when we discovered that the slush wasn’t frozen solid, therefore ice in two layers. We went at it anyway at 10 a.m. Buck went over to meet Moes in sled and much to our pleasant surprise he brought the Collins’ too. We needed all the help we could get. Buck left at noon to take family to Makis and never came back. I don’t blame him. A terrific wind, up to 40 mph raised hell on open lake. We were in lee of island so kept right on job. We got 4 tiers in at dark (a little after) but because of thin ice we knew we needed more so made arrangement with Jack and Carl to come back next day. Kee-ryst but my back, shoulders, and elbow were sore. Jack and I cut all ice by hand. I was happy to hear him say that he was tired too.

We loaded whole crew — 8 all told — onto Jeep and off across lake in storm. No snow coming down but wind was swirling snow off of ice so visibility almost zero. We got stuck a couple of times but everyone off and pushed and we made it. It was a trip none of us will forget for some time.

Monday morning Jack Carl & I were met by Buck and we finished up in 2 hours. It was trouble opening hole again and getting cakes loose but it wasn’t bad.

12/31/56 Layna & Lou on food committee for square dancers. They were at it all day in our kitchen, baking and slicing ham, cutting cheese, making sandwiches etc. By 7:30 it was all loaded in the station wagon and we all hoped for the best. A total of 9 squares showed up despite the fact that all knew that there would be no drinking. There were at least three squares from Fort Frances. We had a grand time followed by a grand lunch. I sure was proud of the way our girls put over that deal and I honestly believe it was duly appreciated by most there.