Ottertail Country

Ottertail Country
Ottertail South

November 24, 2008

Huntin' and stuff.

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I need to change the picture up above, the place looks a little more wintery and cold than that picture implies.......



Hey, Rose and Bryn, thanks for letting Hailee play with the dogs. She seems to really like them.




she really seems to like namma as well. The 5.5 day visit ended yesterday, and I think they both wish it could have been longer.....




Gramma Donna was down on Sunday evening for supper and a visit. She read some stories to Hailee and they seem to hit it off really well.



I went to the Taj Mashack on Friday late afternoon. It's quite near Wintergreen Lake, which is frozen over now. I went up for the celebratory gathering the night before deer season.



So this is what a 'hunting shack' looks like. It is inviting, though, tucked back in the birch and poplar.



Mike Lord was on hand to help with the fish fry. I wonder how many fish those boys have caught and eaten.... must be a brazilian of them.



O.K., check the map, make some plans, yadda, yadda, yadda....... the fish is done, time to eat!



Oh, yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about. Fish, french fries, potato salad, bread..... what more would one need.



Well, besides food and a couple of rounds of Texas hold 'em... I actually came in third out of seven in the first one so I got my up-front money back. Next game only had four players (some people went to bed.... go figure) and I came in third again, no winnings..... Oh, well, who cares.


Saw this the other day, thought Paul and Jenny would enjoy it. Have you guys done any twisting chimneys yet?


Here's a couple of cute little white deer. Don't know who took these, but they are kind of neat.

Well, we're heading to Milwaukee on next Friday. Going to visit kin down there, eat some Thanksgiving type food, and mainly goof off for a couple of days. Then I'll have to fight my way through seven days of work until I'm off til January 2nd.... oh, I do love being off during December...

I gotta go, Carlo


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November 20, 2008

A dear and a deer.....

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Hey, guess who came to visit the Ottertail??? We had a little snow, so Hailee and damma played outside on Wednesday.



Trucks came in handy.



And of course, this type of action.....



gives this result!



I set my game camera out by the hemlock for a 24 hour period a couple of days ago. This buck showed up at 4:15 and stayed until 4:42. I was in the tree stand, but the deer stood facing straight away from me for the whole time, no chance to get a good shot. I waited, but it sneaked out really fast with no shot.... oh, well.



Same deer a few minutes later.



A little forky just after dark.



A better one at 4:25 AM.




And yet another variety at 6:06 AM. Well that's a nice variety, but they all show up at night. Maybe it's a result of the moon phase?

Going to the Taj Mashack tomorrow night. Ivan is frying fish and stuff, and I suppose we'll have to talk dumb, play poker and whatever..... I'm sure I'll sleep in on Saturday morning and drive home about 9:00. I don't do early in the day hunting, and the rifle season has not been very attractive at all lately. I'll go out the next week during muzzle loader season instead....

I gotta go, Carlo


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November 16, 2008

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Not current, but a really nice sky. Just after a storm when the clouds were breaking.




Back to the old Maple tree left overs. As you can see, I have retrieved a bunch of the pieces to save for wanters.




These pieces are from the area where all the limbs were sprouting new growth, and they all are crooked and have an interesting look. I'll keep these for a while, let me know......




Again, not a current photo, but a quite dramatic sunset.

I went to the back forty last Tuesday, and saw quite a bit of action. Three does came walking in from the east and soon after a doe with twin buck fawns showed up from the south. They spent some time in a territorial, dominence sort of thing, with the does rearing up and pawing at each other. The eastern does would chase the fawns and try to hit them with their feet. After a few minutes of this entertainment, they all abruptly left to the east, apparently in a hurry. A few minutes later a buck showed up from the west, kind of like the one I passed up a week or so before. This guy also got the chance to grow a little more..... I noticed that it looked a little hazy around me, and discovered that it was snowing, and with such little flakes that you could not notice them at first. As the light slowly faded, it appeared to get darker out, but also it seemed to be getting lighter. The ground turned gray, then white as the snow continued. It never did get much darker and it was a nice walk home, no flashlight needed. Just before I got to the field, I heard what seemed to be someone letting out a coarse yell. Just as I reached the field I saw a rather large bird take flight from a nearby tree. I heard the same call several times as I made my way through the white pine sentries and back to the lodge. Another sound rang out a few times and the only thing I can think of to describe it would be a six year old girl letting out a very loud, frightened "eek!!!!!". I'm supposing these were owl sounds, I'll have to call Yram and give her my impersonation of them over the phone. Maybe she can tell me what they were. Anyone else good at owl sounds???




This was the woodpile reference......


I gotta go, Carlo



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November 11, 2008

Early November

November the 1st I went flying. The weather was a little hazy and cold enough for 'doors on' flying. Hence the poor quality photo above, but you get the idea of how the Ottertail area looks in late autumn. [you can make out the wood pile if you try...... ;-) ]



Another one of those dandy late October Ottertail sunsets. I have a really nice one from late November one year, I'll have to dig that out....



I still have quite a few pieces of gnarly maple wood from the old tree. I'm asking a second and last time if anyone wants some. Relax, those who have replied, your orders are secure. I'm thinking that in a week or so, the rest is going into the boiler.....



Guess who just had a birthday!!! Three years old now and that hair is getting thicker all the time.




Grandma and great-grandma headed to Rapids last Saturday for the event, and it sounds like everyone had a great time.







I agree, ice cream is to be savored with one's eyes closed....




And here is Bryn ready to head off to school. I guess they dress like that these days at UWM.... go figure.

I gotta go, the hunting story will wait a day or so... Carlo