Bonfires and babies

It was time for a Christmas in Eau Claire.  Mother nature cooperated in part with a massive snow storm the days before and a continuation of fresh powder all weekend long.  Grace had a Friday night basketball game in Manty so her and Amy started their drive later and farther east than Merrick and I.  Sophia and Ella both came on Saturday. Amy's drive was a 'hyperspace' type drive across the state with blowing snow and black tunnel of headlights.  They made it to EC about 11:30 but everyone had committed to waiting up to great them. Well not Finn...Amy had to wait a little longer to meet him. The kids are all older now and hang out at the big people's table for the most part. Merrick kept Grandma laughing with his jabs at peoples questionable logic and his general quick wit.  Saturday was a the normal slow morning and then we rousted the kids to start visiting the great grandparents.  We picked up Ella at her dorm and had a lunch at the Thirsty Badger, were grandma Nancy meet us too and then all headed back to 'the big house.'  Sophia was there when we arrived having driven up from LaX.  It was pretty great to have the whole family together.  The girls actually stayed in the house while we had a big bond fire just chatting, it would eventually go early into the morning for them.  The bonfire was a bit tough to light, but Grandprize didn't relent and eventually we had the 20 foot flames that only a pallet fire and deep snow will allow.  Sunday morning Sophia headed back home opting to drive rather than join us for a breakfast on Water St.  Amy dropped off Ella and her and Grace trailed us down 29 back to GB.  A week to go yet before the official holiday and the older girls come home for a bit. Family time is good time.

Gumdrops and Dribbles

Grace has been running the maple boards like a rebounding beast.  Basketball is now a 6 day a week event in the HS but she is enjoying it.  That type of schedule does create some time conflicts or at least overlaps.  Fortunately the Holiday band recital and the basketball game were both at "home" and the director told Grace he would move things around if she was running a little late.  Unfortunately the game went into overtime and she was even later than planned....She made the performance, but didn't have time to change into her formal wear.  It was like an ensemble solo.  She is getting some social time too, mostly watching other basketball games but also working in some sleep overs and baking.

 

Thankfullness

 

The time overlap was small but we had all the kids under one roof again for awhile.  Ella came home on Tuesday night and was able to take in Grace's Bball game in Appleton.  Sophia made her way back on Friday after spending some time in EC with the Grandparents.  Shelly was intown and able to see Ella and take in Grace's Bball game too. We headed south for pulled pork in TR for the Tday meal and then were able to go to our new favorite tree site (the corner church on Chicago St.) to pick out the emblem of the changing seasons.  We decorated a live tree in the living room and an artificial one in the front room.  The front room is often called the adult tree with all of its Victorianesque decorations while the living room gets to house the collection of ornaments from preschool handprints to various art class creations with wonky eyes and missing antlers.  I like the living room tree best, it is a walk down memory lane and let's me remember how fast time keeps chugging along.  With the trees decorated, and both dogs, we gathered for a rare homemade spaghetti meal before the older two headed off to find 'cooler' people to hang out with.  It is part of the marching of time, natural, normal and expected.  We forgot to capture all four kids in a single picture for this year's Christmas card and annual ornament.  Time passes and all aspects continue to evolve.

the Tent in the Woods.

 

Merrick and I hit the road about 7 on Friday and headed to the big woods.  The trailer danced and slide behind us on ice-glazed roads as we made our 60-mph trek across the state.  Arriving at the hunting woods to more fresh snow and now fresh tire tracks into our camping spot was a good feeling.  The temperature was in the single digits, snow in the air and steady breeze.  It would turn out to be one of the windiest and snowiest hunts we have had in a very long time.  All the normal clans arrived in all the normal fashion. Hitman and Paulo were 20 minutes behind us and went to check on stands while we waited for Ramblin’ and the rake to clear the snow. We set the tent and Ramblin’ got his trailer leveled.  Flatcar, Double-Tap and Jake showed up as final sides of the tent were getting stitched up. Only Ollie was missing having looked at the forecast ahead of time and choosing to stay home to decorate the Christmas tree instead.  Flat Car drifted his trailer to the far end of the tote road and set his generator to a low purr.  The afternoon faded into evening as we fed the stove and caught up on the past year and played a little chess, because that too is part of hunting.  It was Korean beef bowls all around for dinner and the homemade kimchee worked its well predicted magic but everyone was up early for the opener.  Merrick and I drove the truck down the little tote road and onto H, parking closer to our stands. We talked to one other hunter, but when we came back out he was already gone, not having weathered the storm as long as we did.  Followed a food web of tracks as the fresh deer tracks were overlaid with fresh coyote tracks only to be overlaid with our boot prints. Set Merrick up in the dark at his stand and pushed on through fresh snow to my own.  Spent the early morning hours brushing off the snow to keep the orange visible in the same fashion that Ramblin’ and I had done 30 plus years ago when we came to this section of woods.  Merrick said he spent some time studying for his Anat/Phys test and even made a Christmas list.  We didn’t see any deer, but the visibility just kept getting worse from blowing snow to the snow settling on the branches to make them each 3 inches thicker.  I pulled my stand about 9 am and picked up Merrick on the way back to the truck. Unloading at the side of the road I discovered that I hadn’t even chambered a shell in the predawn, so I was fortunate to not have seen a deer.  We were the last ones back to camp.  Flat Car made a great soup and we filled our stomachs and listened to the wind whip through the forest.  The snow had settled and we hoped the high winds would knock some of the snow down.  We chatted and napped before heading back out around 1 or 2.  The fresh snow showed so many tracks, some passing within 5 feet of my stand but it would have been hard to sit longer and call the task enjoyable.  A little before 3 I heard the crack of the .243, Merrick had taken a shot.  I didn’t wait for him to holler out, just shouldered my backpack and headed his way.  He didn’t answer my shouts or whistles.  The soft snow muffling the sounds.  He was looking for blood/tracks when I reached him.  He was very excited and I had to walk him through the story a few times to get all the details.  Two does sneaked in behind him at 60 plus yards, he crouched into a stable shooting position and after the shot the they both headed different directions.  We walked a grid for about 45 minutes but couldn’t find any blood or tracks that represented a hit deer.  He was pretty disappointed in the clean miss, but that too is part of hunting.  We sat for until nearly sunset and then headed back to the tent.  Flat Car too had seen a deer, put a good stalk on it, but couldn’t get a clean shot.  Again, that too is part of hunting.  The stories, jokes and hazing continued as the pulled pork warmed on the wood stove.  Most had poems to share and couple guitar tunes. We filled our bellies and slaked our thirsts before turning in around 8 for the second night in row.  The cold weather beats the body and combined with the dim propane lanterns make the bunks look pretty attractive.  Merrick was laughing on the way home about how fast the old guys fall asleep.  Saying he is still getting comfortable and warming his bag while the old guys are already snoring.  Hitman and I decided to let the prospects call their own shots for Sunday morning.  The temperatures were below zero and if they didn’t want to go sit then we weren’t going to force them.  Just dads trying to find the balance between enjoyment and not ruining it for them to forcing tough conditions on them.  Comfort is important if you aren’t seeing enough deer to keep your mind off the cold.  Hitman and Paulo went our about 8 and sat for couple hours but mostly because they had to pack out a stand.  Merrick and I hung in the tent with Ramblin’ and l feeding the stove and our bellies while emptying the coffee pot.  With Camp broke down we all headed our separate directions again with plans of coming back next year.

A bit of a Saga

 

Grace finally had her passport arrive, it had become a bit of a saga that started in 2019 just before the CoVid shut downs and also become a bit of a punch line in the family of what we could all do and she could not and how we would just leave her at the boarders etc. When she opened it up and signed it she spontaneously stated to hum the Star-Spangled banner.  I asked "are you humming the national anthem!?"  She said "yes, I just feel so patriotic"....cracked me up.  In the also happening this week portion of the blog.  There was a masquerade  dance and Grace dressed up as T. Swift, (even though I reference "coming in like a wrecking ball" which apparently is Milee Cyrus) and her friends were the entourage / body guards.  The Little Mermaid was finally presented after much practice and Grace playing the trumpet for the show.

Scout Camp

 The school calendar and powers that be gave us a Friday off in late October and mother nature cooperated with the weather.  We hit the big woods to scout for November bucks, set stands and generally screw around at Camp Phawnswat.  Merrick and I hit the road about 8 and had an uneventful drive to Stanley.  I thought he would want to rack up some highway miles but I think his sleep lids were justification enough that it might not be the best time for driver training at 75 mph.  Ramblin' Bob was already at camp and pretty much set up with his trailer by the time we go there and FlatCar made it about 18 hours earlier than I thought he would and showed up by noon with Double Tap and Ollie.  They took to setting up camp and Merrick and I headed out to check on some stand sites before the days temperatures got too high for comfortable hunting.  We kicked up some grouse and a squirrels but didn't get any shooting on the first day.  Merrick is planning on hunting alone in the stand we sat last year and I will push further west to another stand that we prepped.  Back at camp around 3 for some plinking and fine open fire dinner of chicken/bologna in the cast iron. Before a campfire, chit chat and Waltzing with Bears renditions.  Saturday morning coffee and breakfast sandwiches were 'interrupted' by Hitman and Paulo coming down the tote road.  They were able to fit about 24 hours of woods time ino their already packed schedule.  Merrick and I walked down the road to his stand and set trail markers to mine and then put on some miles to look for more areas behind the beaver pond/new cut over and towards the big pine along the river. The tag alders were thick as always and given the warmth our arms and hands got pretty scratch/chewed up by the stout thorns. We kicked up a couple of grouse of which I missed and then several woodcock.  We swapped 12 ga and .22 depending on if Merrick was likely to get a shot at a bird based on habitat but as we came back through the birch swamp we kicked up another woodcock...and I didn't give him the gun and instead put the bird to chase and shot it.  It fell into a small sapling which we easily shook loose and headed back to camp for some curry woodcock in the afternoon warmth.  It was pretty good.  I grabbed a hammock and napped in the trees and Merrick hit his bunk with some Bradbury homework to read but also saw the back of his eyelids.  The late afternoon was made for plinking and about 200 clay pigeons. Ramblin' had to leave for a bit, but made it back in time for some clay dusting in his finest sweater. Before another great night around the fire and what became a fairly early departure heading east along 29 on Sunday Morning. All in all a great weekend in the woods and already to go back in about 3 weeks.

HoCo Hunting

The last couple of weekends have had a Home Coming theme.  Merrick and Grace had the first HoCo dance at School in like 30 years and Grace performed with the marching band during a brutally lopsided football game on Friday night.  Bob and Nance made the trip over to watch and we after the good stuff was done, Grace in the band, we left at half time.  Merrick and I were up early the next morning and driving north, while Bob and Nancy headed back to EC to catch Ella marching in the band at Carson park.  For Merrick and I it was our first skunking, not seeing a single deer in what we really thought should be a productive stand.  We did stalk a bit but were still home by noon so he could catch some sleep and then meet up with his friends at the indoor golf simulator before dinner and dancing.  The plan was to hunt again Sunday afternoon but he was still feeling tired so I didn't push it.  Grace meet up with her friends as well and had some sweet wheels to chauffeur them to the dinner and dance.  Both the kids had a great time.  This past weekend the theme continued on a smaller scale when Ella stopped home, briefly, but long enough for a great breakfast, to celebrate Abby's birthday and take in some Packers home game tailgating before heading back 'home' on 29.  There is a promise in the wind that Sophia too will be coming home next week for a short visit.

 

Autumn Apples

 

We were down to a single kid to go along with us for an annual apple pick.  Merrick said no, Grace was game however even though we needed to find a new orchard....our usually orchardist have retired and took the trees with them.  Literally, they cut all the apple trees down.  We easily loaded our bags at the new place and admired the rolling hills on the northwest side of town.  Merrick and Grace had been to the Friday night football game (white out talc powder toss) and Grace came home with a sore throat.  We assumed it was from the carcinogenic talc powder that is allowed to be tossed around the crowd but Sunday's fever suggests it is something else that we will need to monitor.  With our 'head baker' out of action for awhile not much baking got done with the apples, just a few apple dumplings for Sundays Lasagna birthday dinner and a few more going to Amy's classroom for applesauce making.  The pomes will keep awhile longer on the counter.  Merrick did start his official behind the wheel training with an instructor and is progressing well on his driving.  Once the license comes I assume we will see even less of him, such is the nature of things as even our parenting enters its autumnal years.

Weird times...

 

Plenty of curveballs.  After all the practicing and long days Ella ended up in the Hospital for a week and missed her first performance with the BMB.  But you can't keep a good kid down and she rallied to make all the rest.  Playing at the fall fest downtown EC, board of reagents, several football games and the general entertainment of everyone within a 4 hour drive of EC.  School is going well for her and somewhere she is quoted as saying "this town was made for me."  Grace picked up CoVid and ran some high fevers but otherwise was able to get caught up on Cobra Kai and a couple other shows while she isolated in her room and didn't' miss our trip to EC for parent weekend.  Ella showed us the farmers market and we spent a little time on water street, eating breakfast at the Goat, before watching the performance on the football field and then noshing on some thai.  Ella was 'kicked out' of her dorm when her roomie packed it with siblings, but it was nice to have her holed up with us at the table of all solutions.

Punchy Face

 

We spent the better part of a nice Saturday on the gym court in Appleton but all for a different sport than normal.  Merrick (and I for a less extent) had some karate battles against seven other schools.  It was a unique experience and Merrick lost his first round by a single point right at the end of the round, easily swapping kicks for punches and then demolished his next opponent 6-0 in a mercy time ruling.  Grandprize and grandma made the trip over to see the event and we all made it to culvers afterward as well...so a completed win.