MontanaBob
15 years ago
(you have to read part 1 to catch up with the jist of this story)

The rest of that summer, about two weeks, Larry and I managed to get the canoe in the water several times. Next summer would be the big test.....we ourselves would actually get in it and paddle around. The only actual people that got in the floating tank were my sister, shortstuff, and one of her girlfriends. We figured if it went down with them in it....no big loss.

The last day I was up there we carefully hauled the canoe up to Larry's house and put it in his Dad's workshop/garage. Over the winter we kept in touch (one letter from him to me) and one phone call (me to him) just before Memorial Day, our annual pilgrimage up to Eagle River to open the cottage.
The God's were with me that spring, and I had become the proud owner of a 1953 Dodge Coronet, with push button automatic transmission (which only Drive worked) and had half a backseat, which meant that I could only get 4 people in the back instead of the usual 7.

Larry was beside himself with excitement on the phone when I called him in early May.

"Bob, you won't believe what I did to the canoe."

"Jeez Larry, did you try trolling with it on the ice? You dumb-ass."

"No, dummy, I'm not that stupid. The ice was to thick to cut throw to get any good open water. I got some paint and camouflaged it. It's really cool. We can sneak around in the dark and spy on other fisherman, and Judy Benson over at High Point Resort."

"Isn't Judy the girl that split your head open with a rock from about 50 yards away when she thought you were making obscene looks at her?"

"Yeah, that's her. Lucky throw's all it was"

"How come she hit you twice in a row in a matter of 2.4 seconds.?"

"Never mind. Just wait 'till you see the canoe."

On Friday after school of Memorial Day weekend I headed out on my own, in my own car, a free spirit at last. My own car!! If Google Earth had been up and running then, or for that matter even computers, you could have followed my route. A thick cloud of bluish smoke from Hampton Ave and Lake Drive in Milwaukee, up Highway 41 towards Fond du Lac, across the Butte des Morts bridge, left on Highway 45, and North to Eagle River.
There were oil refilling stops in New London and Antigo.

I hit Eagle River about 8 pm that evening and headed out towrds Pickerel Lake and the cottage and the camo-canoe. As I hit our driveway I noticed a strange glow coming from Larry's old man's shop. I pulled over there just as Larry came running out.

"Oh man, Bob. Wait 'till you see this. A thing of beauty."

Larry opened the shop door and I have had blurred vision since then; Memorial Day, 1959.

"Good God Larry, what the hell is that?"

"Cool, huh?"

"Jeez, you just invented the Rainbow Coalition and Tye Dyeing."

The canoe was smothered in the brightest Green, Yellow, Red and Blue you can imagine. I was afraid to go near it in fear I would keel over dead from some kind of radiation or worse yet, my sister shortstuff would spring out from under it and strangle me.

"Whatta ya think Bob."

"How the hell we gonna sneak up on anything it that? Jeez, we put that in the water and all the fish in Northern Wisconsin are gonna go into hiding. Fishing will stink for a hundred years. God, Larry, they'll see this thing up in Hudson Bay."

"Naw, fish are color blind. They won't know the difference."

"Well, you're sure as heck aren't going to sneak up on Judy Benson in that thing. You might just as well call her and tell her you're coming. That way she can get her rocks ready."

"She won't throw rocks at me any more."

"Why?"

"She got a new 30.06 for Christmas. I ain't going near High Point Resort."

Being teenagers and fisherman who didn't look a gift canoe in the mouth, we used that thing for the next 45 years. Even after I moved to Montana, when we came back and went up to the cottage for a few days, we'd pull out the Psychedelic Canoe and paddle around. The last time I saw Larry was 2004, the summer we sold our cottage. Larry and I took old Psychedelic out for a spin, for old times sake.

"Hey Larry, want to go over by High Point Resort and see if Judy is still around?"

"Nope, ain't going near that place."

"Why?"

"Didn't you know Bob? She won three medals in the Olympics in shooting."
Anyone for a Weenie Roast?
Cheesey
15 years ago
LOL! Another great story Bob!
Now....make SURE that when you get this all written down, that you remember to mention "Ol' Cheesey" in your book! That alone should get you a million copies sold!

Man......when you mentioned the "Butte des Morts bridge", it brought back such good memories from my childhood. Every year, my folks would rent a cottage "up nort", and there was no I-43. So we would always cross the Butte des Morts bridge on our way north. And every year, my Dad would call out to us kids "We're crossing the Buddy Dee Morts bridge!" He had such a "cheesey" sense of humor. Every time he would see a sign that said "Lots for Sale", he would look at me and say "LOTS of WHAT???"
Now you all know where i got my "cheesey" sense of humor!
UserPostedImage
wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
15 years ago
Another classic Bob.
UserPostedImage
Nonstopdrivel
15 years ago
She won a couple of Olympic medals . . . in shooting. Now that is my kind of woman. 😃
UserPostedImage
Fan Shout
Mucky Tundra (1h) : saw the tweet, he meant the city
Mucky Tundra (1h) : Was that for the team or the city?
Zero2Cool (1h) : Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 3m Draft grade is in: Green Bay gets an A. The people, the city, the venue were all superb. NFL Draft’s next
Zero2Cool (1h) : Matt LaFleur says Jaire Alexander is participating in #Packers offseason program, which has been conducted virtually during this first week
Zero2Cool (2h) : ✅ ...
buckeyepackfan (2h) : Check
Zero2Cool (4h) : Matthew Golden cahanged 81 to 22??
TheKanataThrilla (6h) : Sam Howell to Vikings...guess no Aaron
Martha Careful (12h) : 1 round 7 min, with one extra minute if there is a trade. 2nd round 4 minutes, 3rd -3, 2 thereafter IMO
Martha Careful (12h) : Agree
dfosterf (13h) : Great idea imo
dfosterf (13h) : 1st round to 7 minutes with one extension
dfosterf (13h) : NFL comissioner wants to shorten the 2st
Mucky Tundra (17h) : @jalenreagors They’re discussing if Sheduer can go back to college on NFL Network LMFAOOOOO
beast (19h) : Great point Martha
beast (19h) : Buddy Ryan used to say if a candy bar goes missing, there are two to blame, Rex and Rob 🤪 jk 😁
Martha Careful (22h) : Bum Phillips used to say there are two ways to get better. Get better players or get players to play better. We have a new DL coach
Zero2Cool (22h) : Yes. Look at the losses last year. They can win.
beast (22h) : Can Packers win with their current DL?
bboystyle (26-Apr) : waiting for a pass rusher.
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 5 minutes between picks in the 3rd
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 3rd. Hate this phone
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 4rd
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 5 minutes in the 4
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 7 minutes between picks in the 2nd round
Martha Careful (25-Apr) : Sorry to bitch, but the headline writers in that section absolutely mislead, or don't know how to read. It is maddening
Martha Careful (25-Apr) : No thanks. Not a dependable guy to be in the right place and run the right route. Dumb as a box of rocks.
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : Losing 2nd round pick for a one year rental, not ideal. Especially a headcase.
TheKanataThrilla (25-Apr) : Pickens for Jaire may be interesting. Definitely not sure we want Pickens long term.
dfosterf (25-Apr) : No.Absolutely not
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : NO NO NO NO NO NO!!1 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
dhazer (25-Apr) : scenario: Our main prospects are off the board when our pick comes around, do we just throw a 2nd round pick at Pittsburgh for Pickens
TheKanataThrilla (25-Apr) : Hopefully she had some comfort that her son will be live his dream when she passed away. Sad news.
Mucky Tundra (25-Apr) : Damn that sucks
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : News about Derrick Harmon mom, saddening.
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : Mark Murphy: "I predict we will trade up once and down twice."
beast (25-Apr) : Rip the Packers and getting the fans yelling and booing him
beast (25-Apr) : Super competitive Bears fan and WWE "superstar" wrestler, Seth Rollins is supposed to announce a Bears pick and absolutely rip Packers
packerfanoutwest (25-Apr) : Golden
beast (25-Apr) : I want DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Mucky Tundra (25-Apr) : And I can't be looking at my phone
Mucky Tundra (25-Apr) : Hey I'm at work lol
Zero2Cool (24-Apr) : btw, new site chat won't delete auto like
Zero2Cool (24-Apr) : because everyone left like wimps
TheKanataThrilla (24-Apr) : I am wondering if there is some type of autoclear when there isn't activity after a certain amount of time.
Mucky Tundra (24-Apr) : What happened in the chat? Me and Zero posted a few things earlier and they're all gone
dfosterf (24-Apr) : 10-15 min bs plus flyover
dfosterf (24-Apr) : Yes
Zero2Cool (24-Apr) : 7pm is when this kicks off????
buckeyepackfan (24-Apr) : I told him. IT'S VONTE MACK , no matter what!
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2024 Packers Schedule
Friday, Sep 6 @ 7:15 PM
Eagles
Sunday, Sep 15 @ 12:00 PM
COLTS
Sunday, Sep 22 @ 12:00 PM
Titans
Sunday, Sep 29 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Sunday, Oct 6 @ 3:25 PM
Rams
Sunday, Oct 13 @ 12:00 PM
CARDINALS
Sunday, Oct 20 @ 12:00 PM
TEXANS
Sunday, Oct 27 @ 12:00 PM
Jaguars
Sunday, Nov 3 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Sunday, Nov 17 @ 12:00 PM
Bears
Sunday, Nov 24 @ 3:25 PM
49ERS
Thursday, Nov 28 @ 7:20 PM
DOLPHINS
Thursday, Dec 5 @ 7:15 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 15 @ 7:20 PM
Seahawks
Monday, Dec 23 @ 7:15 PM
SAINTS
Sunday, Dec 29 @ 3:25 PM
Vikings
Sunday, Jan 5 @ 12:00 PM
BEARS
Recent Topics
6m / Green Bay Packers Talk / bboystyle

1h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

2h / Packers Draft Threads / Zero2Cool

2h / Packers Draft Threads / Zero2Cool

2h / Packers Draft Threads / Zero2Cool

5h / Packers Draft Threads / bboystyle

6h / Packers Draft Threads / Zero2Cool

6h / Packers Draft Threads / Zero2Cool

6h / Packers Draft Threads / Zero2Cool

9h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

9h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

10h / Packers Draft Threads / earthquake

10h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

11h / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

19h / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.