by Greg Koelker
Most summer days pretty much seem like rinse and repeat for us. But while Ben and Moon Boots were here, not so much. As the saying goes, all good things . . ., they have to get back to their real world, back to the mountains. They left here at 9:30 last Saturday morning and he texted “home” at 1:40 AM Sunday. That was a fast 1,100 miles; he must get his lead foot from his mother. One text he sent said Boots was steering while he closed his eyes for a bit.
While Ben was here, he visited his and my shrine to all things guitar, Dave’s guitar shop. He talked with our old friend Laun Braithwaite who manages international sales for Dave’s; Laun and I played together in the Just Friends Band from 1986 until 1992 or thereabouts. Ben texted me a picture of Laun standing by a padded silver sparkle Kustom guitar amplifier. Laun told Ben it had belonged to our friend Cliff Kramer from the Friends Band. In the GMC band in the 70’s, Cliff and I and Mark Anderson all had Silver sparkle padded Kustom guitar amps. We had a Kustom padded PA system too. They were good, heavy duty equipment, emphasis on heavy. My bass amp speaker cabinet weighed in at 165 pounds and took two men – or my wife – to move it and it took up a lot of room in the trailer. Anyway they looked pretty cool wrapped around little Greg Anderson’s clear blue Ludwig drums. I got older and a little wiser, downsizing to a comparatively petite Peavey bass amp with wheels. Ben inherited it over a decade ago.
Since a visit from Josh The Stump Guy, I have been trying to get grass to come up over the spot. It was raked and then seeded. I have kept it watered and Ma Nature has helped, but there’s still no new grass that I can see. The seed was old but it was in a plastic bag that hadn’t ever been opened; I wonder, can grass seed go bad in a plastic bag? We shall see.
Old friend Mike Levendoski called on us this week. He had Lions Club raffle tickets for us and the report on his family. He is a volunteer for the Stoddard St. Mathews Food Pantry. Business is really up at the pantry what with the economy being in chaos for a lot of people, he said.
The garden gnome dropped some freshly dug potatoes for us the other day. Timber Todd has brought us jam and cucumbers too.
While I was mowing on Tuesday, I saw neighbor Jake doing something in the back of his new pickup. I took a break to go over and check out his truck and see what he has been up to. He was cleaning two canada geese on the tailgate of his new to him ‘24 GMC pickup. He and his buddy Brock Venner had been out on the river and each bagged a couple. He said it had been really hot out there. I bet the mosquitoes were entertaining too.
Our young friend, Auden Slaught and his friends have been on a wild goose chase too. They have been doing what they can to thin the population of honkers this week. They all have more ambition than me for sure.
On Wednesday Ellen’s 83–year-old cousin Fr. James Uppena came for lunch. Father Jim is on a road trip to a holiday on a lake in the north woods, but he detoured to visit us and Cousin Mary Uppena in Blue Earth, Minnesota before pointing his new Subaru Ascent north to a friend’s cabin on Lake Itasca. We caught up with him over a lunch of basil, brie, and tomatoes. He’s been retired for a while, but still has regular masses he says at several churches. He looked great especially considering he is recovering from a fractured sternum and other contusions and such. On August 2, he was involved in a horrific suv / motorcycle accident on his way enroute from Madison to the Uppena Family reunion in Cassville. As he drove up a hill near Beetown, WI, a man was coming down the hill on a large bike and crossed the center line and hit him head on on the passenger side front. The biker got a med flight and Jim got an ambulance ride. Both vehicles were destroyed. He told us, “Thank God for air bags.”
Fr. Jim performed our marriage in 1973. He has married and buried many members of our families. He is the inspiration for my new goal of taking more road trips for at least another ten years. God speed Fr. Jim.
After breakfast of sunny-side-up eggs and Johnsonville Cheddarwurst and bacon on Friday morning, it was only 72° outside so I thought I’d pedal Cardio down to Stoddard before it got too hot. On the way I chatted with neighbor Jim Kuchta who was also taking advantage of the relatively cooler part of the day to get in some steps. In Stoddard I crossed the railroad tracks and pedaled up past Tully’s Landing and then south around Lake Road. It did start getting hot.
That afternoon we took cocktails on the porch at 4. Officially my weather app showed it was 89°, but with a light breeze and shade and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young on Alexa, it was pleasant enough. Ice melted and hungry pets started fidgeting, so we went back into the ice box. We had BLTs for supper. After the rain delay, we watched the Brewers and then switched to the Potosi Cassville Chieftains vs the River Ridge Timber Wolves football on Youtube. Both of our teams won. I doubt the Badgers will defeat Notre Dame Sunday evening, but stranger things have happened. I hope they put up a good fight at least. I do believe the Brew Crew are destined for greatness this season.
Until next time, get out – I recall summer days that used to drag on when I was a kid; I know some of you can relate. I know that as I got older, I used to say I sought boredom; I wished that our busy and often chaotic summer days would abate. Maybe that is why fishing and bow hunting are my favorite pastimes. That said, the rinse and repeat quip, probably doesn’t really describe our recent week.
Just a reminder: for all you nimrods and significants of nimrods, small game and fall wild turkey hunting among others open along with the archery bow season for whitetails next Saturday. Mosquito and tick seasons are already open. Hope it cools off a tad.
Go Badgers!
Pray for peace.
Greg Koelker is a lifelong resident of the Driftless region along the Mississippi River. He is the acclaimed author of the “Grouse Hollow Journal,” a column that celebrates rural life, nature, family heritage, and the traditions that bind communities together. While technically focused on the “outdoors,” his writing often explores broader themes of community values and education.
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