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
Zero2Cool (2-Apr) : WR who said he'd break Xavier Worthy 40 time...and ran slower than you
Mucky Tundra (2-Apr) : Who?
Zero2Cool (2-Apr) : Texas’ WR Isaiah Bond is scheduled to visit the Bills, Browns, Chiefs, Falcons, Packers and Titans starting next week.
Zero2Cool (2-Apr) : Spotting ball isn't changing, only measuring distance is, Which wasn't the issue.
Zero2Cool (2-Apr) : The spotting of the ball IS the issue. Not the chain gang.
Mucky Tundra (2-Apr) : Will there be a tracker on the ball or something?
Zero2Cool (1-Apr) : uh oh
Martha Careful (1-Apr) : Too bad camera's can't spot the ball as well.
Mucky Tundra (1-Apr) : So will the chain gang be gone completely or will they still be around as a backup or whatever?
Zero2Cool (1-Apr) : The method for measuring first downs in the NFL will switch from chain gangs to camera-based technology in 2025, the league announced.
Martha Careful (1-Apr) : A big step in the right direction. Just put in the college system is very very good.
Zero2Cool (1-Apr) : NFL has passed a rule that allows both teams to possess the ball in OT during the regular season
Zero2Cool (1-Apr) : Touchbacks on kickoffs will now bring the ball to the 35-yard line.
beast (31-Mar) : It might of gotten more popular recently, but braiding hair (even men) in certain cultures goes back for centuries.
Martha Careful (30-Mar) : Is men braiding their hair a new style thing? Watching the NCAA men's tournament many players have done
Zero2Cool (29-Mar) : Ha. Well, it'd be nice for folks to reset their own password. Via validated email 😏
beast (29-Mar) : Monopoly was supposed to be an educational game, that show how evil capitalism was and how we should avoid it
beast (29-Mar) : Lol, I was thinking username would be better, as then I wouldn't have to keep an email up to date lol 😂
beast (29-Mar) : Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : I was thinking email because I think it'll make folks keep it up todate lol
wpr (29-Mar) : sure is
Zero2Cool (29-Mar) : Monopoly is a rip off of The Landlord's Game
wpr (27-Mar) : 28 days until the draft
earthquake (27-Mar) : Which seemed strange to my 9 year old self, that you could be a fan for a team other than the one you play for
earthquake (27-Mar) : Nothing eventful happened, other than it being clear that he was a bengals fan
earthquake (27-Mar) : And we went and hung out with him one afternoon, I must have been 9 or so
earthquake (27-Mar) : That’s wild, when I was a kid my friend lived in the same apartment complex in De Pere
Mucky Tundra (27-Mar) : Only career highspot was a 200 yard rushing game while playing for the Cardinals
Mucky Tundra (27-Mar) : He is a former Packer. Drafted out of Northern Illinois. Didn't do much in GB.
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Despicable
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : Former NFL. I think Packers too
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : NFL RB Leshon Johnson has been charged in a massive dog fighting operation, with the FBI seizing over 190 Pit Bulls
Mucky Tundra (26-Mar) : Some real irony of a QB as short as Wilson playing for the Giants
Mucky Tundra (26-Mar) : Giants country, let's be the tall beings of lore!
Mucky Tundra (26-Mar) : Russell Wilson signs with the Giants.
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : I was thinking email because I think it'll make folks keep it up todate lol
wpr (25-Mar) : I don't think there is a significant difference. I use a user name for many. Others email.
Martha Careful (25-Mar) : email
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : would it be better to use EMAIL or USERNAME to log into a site?
wpr (25-Mar) : Thanks Zero
Zero2Cool (24-Mar) : New forum has the ability to Thank a post now.
beast (24-Mar) : And the only time they have won the Championship in an even year, was the first time they did, in 2006.
beast (24-Mar) : Since 2007, there have been 10 odd numbered years, Wisconsin Women have won the Championship in 7 of those 10 odd numbered years.
buckeyepackfan (24-Mar) : Congratulations Lady Badger Hockey Team. NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!
Zero2Cool (23-Mar) : I don't think it's completed yet. it was just announced last month, right?
dhazer (23-Mar) : did netflix ever release the Packers documentary
Zero2Cool (21-Mar) : And it is glorious!
beast (21-Mar) : Unsigned FA QB Rodgers is supposedly in the Steelers building
Martha Careful (19-Mar) : But I don't own a car! So can I still use it in my apartment?
Zero2Cool (19-Mar) : btw, new site auto updates
Zero2Cool (19-Mar) : Woohoo!
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
Sunday, Jan 12 @ 3:30 PM
Eagles
Recent Topics
2-Apr / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

2-Apr / Green Bay Packers Talk / bboystyle

1-Apr / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

1-Apr / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

31-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

30-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

29-Mar / Random Babble / wpr

28-Mar / Feedback, Suggestions and Issues / dfosterf

28-Mar / Random Babble / Martha Careful

26-Mar / Random Babble / Mucky Tundra

25-Mar / Random Babble / Martha Careful

24-Mar / Random Babble / packerfanoutwest

24-Mar / Random Babble / Zero2Cool

21-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

19-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

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