Visit with an old friend

“There are three things that grow more precious with age; old wood to burn, old books to read and old friends to enjoy.” ~ Henry Ford

 

Gentle Readers and Loved Ones,

This latest installment of The Gadabout will return to its earlier travelogue roots.

 One of my oldest friends, Rob, came up to the frozen northlands for a week.  Our goal was to hunt Ruffed Grouse and to tour the World of Accordions and the Bong Museum in Superior WI.  (More about these wonderful museums to come!) 

Rob and I became squadron mates at USAFA in ’74 and spent the next four years grinding our way to graduation from that institution.

 I picked him up at Terminal 2 ( The Humphrey Terminal ) - of the Minneapolis - St Paul International Airport (MSP). The Lindbergh Terminal is Terminal 1. Because the Federal Department of Transportation constrains roadway signage, drivers navigating to the airport are only allowed to read “Terminal 1” and “Terminal 2” as they navigate to avoid confusion and tumult.  Southwest Airlines, being frugal and wise, probably pays less rent to utilize Terminal 2 as their base of operations. I leave it up to the you, the reader, to make a value judgment about rating Hubert Humphrey below Charles Lindbergh in terminal dominance. …but I digress.  Rob had wisely booked travel on the frugal SW Airlines. 

We loaded up his baggage, including his shotgun - didja know one can ship a gun on the airlines as long as you fill out the paperwork and properly announce your intentions?  We secured the truck bed cover and took off north for the cabin.  Sadly, we did not have Capucine as our companion as we went north to Jackson Township!

Our first stop was at the very nice little overlook just across the river from historic Ft. Snelling.  In the background you will see the confluence of the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers.

Mississippi and Minnesota Overlook

 

 

We drove up to Alpha, WI and bought lunch at the Burnett County Dairy Cooperative.  We drove out to the nearby world famous artesian well and tailgated as we ate our sandwiches.  In your humble correspondent's opinion, Burnett County Dairy Coop's deli has unbeatable sandwiches.  I also got to click off two more holes on my way to a free sandwich!  No hanging chads on my card!

 

Artesian Well

 

 

Then it was time to press ahead with deliberation to the penultimate Skeet Shooting session of '25 at the Fishbowl United Sportsman Club. Rob had not shot skeet in decades but he picked it up quickly. Humbly, I observe that I shot one of the best rounds I’ve had in years. 

Rob shoots skeet.

 

The alert reader will note that the leaves are still on the trees here in the frozen northern Tundra.  The temperature rose into the lower 80s measured in American degrees Fahrenheit.  This does not bode well for the next week of stalking the wily Ruffed Grouse.

After that, we drove up to Archie and Arthur’s Ice House and had dinner with my old Wisco Friend Ron. We agreed to meet up on the ‘morrow and Ron would drive my truck and pick us up so we did not have to retrace our steps as we patrolled the abundant grouse covers. 

More on that tomorrow. On that happy note, I remain,

 Dad/Geoff 

 ps, the perspicacious reader will have noted by now that vivid landmarks and world class tourist attractions do not abound in Burnett County, WI.  In your humble correspondent's opinion this is well offset by the opportunity to stalk the wily grouse.