Rest of 2010 October - December

The story of the "rest of 2010" needs to be told before going onto the new year. Here is a snap shot of some of the activities I encountered on my journeys.

Trip to Iowa in the beginning of October was a very quick one. I went straight through and pulled into the Iowa farm ready to go to work. The fall weather was wonderful for harvesting. The corn and bean crop was quickly put into the bins as the dry weather held through the harvest. The late spring and summer weather had been very wet with the Skunk River being out most of the summer. This wet weather had a very pronounced effect on the crop yield as many of the corn fields were below their expected yields. Weaning of the yearly calf crop went very smoothly but for some unexpected reason the loses after vaccination was higher then desired. The daily chores of bucket feeding 100 head of calves twice a day soon became a routine. They sure were glad to see you arrive with the buckets of feed each morning and night. The old cows delighted when we turned them into a field of corn stalks. You could see them smile as they munched on the harvested corn field stalks.

A fish fry became a staple for the local populous. I was kept busy visiting the local ponds and filleting enough fish to supply the next event. The Millikins and Gambel families shared a number of wonderful fish fries.

Fall field work was accomplished and lots of daily maintenance projects filled the calendar as the normal work day found us up and moving by 430 am. If the day held some extra activities the clock would read 0700 pm before we got back to the house at the end of the day. My pickup was parked in Donald's front yard and didn't move very often for the next three months. One trip was to Melrose where I visited with Laurel and her friend Dusty coming from Idaho. He showed us the fruit of his summer labors, a semi completed Model A pickup hot rod.

Fall found us setting a trap line. Donald and I had ran a trap line back in the 60's together with some of the Millikin boys. So it was high anticipation that we set traps in the local ponds for muskrats and the abandoned buildings for raccoons. The coon population was high but we found that the possum population was even higher. It was hard to get a coon to the trap first when the possum usually beat them too it. The muskrat traps at the ponds produced a number of muskrats and even one mink. The mink was a very welcome addition to the fur shed. He was caught in a connibear set in a muskrat run. Trapping at the ponds also meant a daily visit to the ponds to check the traps. Well you can guess that I took advantage of the visit and had my fishing pole ready to go. Many trapping visits resulted in fishing tales. The highlight of the season was pinching the toes of a beautiful red fox. It was the very first time we had caught a fox in a foot trap. He was sent to the taxidermist and will be an addition to my collection of memories.

No story of an Iowa trip would be complete without a deer hunting tale or two. Remember that these are high tales and any resemblance to real stories is only accidental. Michigan bow hunters are the first story to be told. One and veteran of many hunts brought his rookie brother to the field of dreams. His expectations for a huge buck (locally referred too as "Rambo") was running high. A late afternoon call resulted in high adventure in the local cornfields. Brian, as the Michigan bow hunter shall be called, was reporting an encounter with a Rambo. He had successfully made the shot, but the arrow placement was questionable. We reviewed the site and found many clues. The consensus decision (Michiganders were no allowed a vote) was to pull out and not track the deer until the next day. This action would prevent the deer from traveling a long distance and becoming impossible to recover. After a sleepless night for the hunter the next morning found us on the blood trail. It was a short trail and the recovery of a beautiful Iowa buck was made. The bow hunt was only the first of many tall tales to be told. Many more encounters were made during the bow season. Many early morning hunts were started with a ride to the stand on an ATV. Finding deer standing under the tree stand as you drove up lead to high anticipation for the day's hunt.

Bad news caught up with me in early November in the form of a telephone call from my brother telling me that my Mom had been admitted to the hospital. The rest of the month was a blur as she went from the hospital to rehab centers and back to the hospital. I drove up to Michigan for a visit several days before Thanksgiving to visit her and family. I got to visit with her for a very brief moment in the hospital as she had been readmitted from the rehab center. The doctor had diagnosed her with congestive heart failure and breathing complications. She very briefly came out from a coma to recognized me and her pastor. She passed away quietly during the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day. The next week of events was a blur as all my immediate family was able to attend the celebration of her life. She was a wonderful lady who will always be a big part of who I am.....I miss her very much.

Back to Iowa in early December to watch the first shotgun season begin. Many tall tales where made during the short season. A big buck being fooled by a Honda Ridgeline (SUV) blind in the middle of a cut cornfield was one of the highlights. Snow and blowing snow made the hunting difficult. Running deer, some out of range, some in range, big bucks, herds of does, pairs of bucks, blood trails, are only a few of the many tales that will be told about the first and second deer season in Iowa.


The photo of the antlers show that a few of the Iowa hunters were successful.

The next leg of my 2010 journey began on a black, snowy Iowa night as I left in the very early morning on the road to Colorado. I had my daughter and most of her worldly possessions loaded in the pickup as we drove on icy roads. Road conditions got better as we passed Kansas City and headed west through Kansas. It was a pleasant drive and when we arrived in Colorado in early afternoon the temperature read 55 degrees! We drove into my son's home in Peyton, Colorado. We spent several days visiting before I took Laurel to stay with her Aunt. She is trying to find work and hopes to find a car and a place of her own to live in the near future. Speaking of work, I now have experience as a "House Sitter"! I took my son to the Denver Airport where he flew to Montana to spend the Holidays with his family in Dillon. I successfully watched the house (played a few computer games) and walked the dog, Tika. I picked up my son and his family at the airport on the 5th of January which brings me up to date. I know that the story is quite fragmented but I hope that you enjoyed it. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years to you and your family. May the new year be a wonderful year for you!