Vicious heat? In the U. P.? tponetom

[tponetom]

Speaking of the vicious heat, I had posted a chilling story a couple of years ago. [[I do not know if this re-run will fly.)

IT'S EASY KEEPING A STIFF UPPER LIP, WHEN IT'S 30 BELOW ZERO OUTSIDE!

January, 1994.


We were anticipating the arrival of Mike and Pam and our almost new grandson, Vinnie. AKA,
Vincent Thomas O'Neil. Named after his great grandfathers. They were flying from Houston, Texas, to
Appleton, Wisconsin, where Pam's family was located. We were planning on driving to Appleton to see them.
Some days prior to their arrival we had visited our friend, Bernie, in Gladstone. Bernie was the librarian
at the Gladstone Library and we had become good friends with her over the years.
On the occasion of that visit, Bernie had a very severe case of the flu. No matter, or so I thought. In our
twenty years in the Upper Peninsula, neither Peggy nor I had ever suffered so much as a common cold.
Two days before our appointed journey to Appleton, I was not feeling very well. The next day we had to
call Pam's mother and tell her that I was not able to make the trip of 140 miles. I was miserable .I had never had
a case of the flu, but now I had one in spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. At first I thought I was going to die
and then I was afraid I was not going to die! I wanted to!
The next day, I was feeling worse, if that was at all possible. The weather had turned extremely cold. 10
to 20 below zero. We got up early and the only priority was to get the house warmed up. Peggy fired the wood
stove diligently. I tried to keep the pressure in my head from exploding while simultaneously resisting the
irresistible urge to "dry heaving."
In a brief, tranquil moment, I asked her to check the outside temperature. We had an inside, outside
thermometer mounted on the wall beside the bookcase. The bookcase was located on the stairwell landing
leading to the second floor loft. By way of further explanation, upon entering the back door to our house, you
walk into the utility room. Making an immediate right turn you are facing a 2 step landing which in turn leads
to the upstairs unless you continue walking straight across the landing to the 2 steps leading down into the
living room. The bookcase is on the outside wall and it faces the stairwell.
From the utility room you can view the thermometer without standing on the landing. From the living room you
have to be on the landing in order to peek around the bookcase to see the thermometer.
Peggy got up to check the thermometer. I paid no attention. A few seconds later there was a crash of
sorts and I knew without looking that she had fallen. She was in a sitting position on the utility room floor with
her back against the wall where the coat hooks were. Her backside and tail bone were cushioned by our Sorrel
boots that were stored on the floor at the base of the wall. Her head had just missed the sharp edge of a 3/4"
board that served a lower rack of hooks. She was dazed, but conscious. Both of our immediate fears were for
her back but that proved to be groundless.
I checked her skull and seen some small amount of blood oozing through her hair. The skin was split
but the wound did not seem to be of an extreme nature. I bathed the entire area with peroxide and then wrapped
her head in gauze bandaging. She looked like a charter member of the Spirit of '76. She was still dazed, but
coherent. I told her, "You must have a splitting headache." She did not laugh.
That had to be the worst day of our lives. Snow had been falling all day and there was no way I was
going to be able to clear the 250 foot long driveway in order to get to the road and go to town. We were stuck.
We got through the rest of the day and that evening without further incident.
The next morning found us still miserable but fairly mobile. We kept the fire going, made coffee and
feasted on Campbell’s soup for lunch. It had snowed all night long and there was about ten inches on the
driveway. The good news was the fact that the county snow plow came by last night and partially cleared the
road.
Help could reach us if need be.
Unknown to us, help was already on the way. Early in the afternoon, Peggy happened to look out the
window and saw two figures, struggling through the deep snow of the driveway. One of them was carrying a
large package of sorts. As they got closer, we recognized our son and his wife. We got to our feet and managed
to open the door for them. Mike took one look at his mother with her head swathed in bandage and then at me
and said," Jesus Christ, what in the hell happened to you two?"
In reply, we could only manage some unintelligible gurgling.
They introduced our new grandson to us. Not quite a year old. What an auspicious meeting!
After our excitement subsided, I asked him about our county road condition. It was still snowing.


I asked him where he parked his car. He said he parked it on the apron of our driveway, barely off the road. I
told him we would have to do something about it, quick. I knew the plow would make a second sweep very
soon. I got dressed as best I could and took Mike to the garage. I showed him how to handle the 32 inch, 300
pound snow blower. He blew a path down the driveway to his car. I told him to make four, side by side passes
about fifty feet long in order to get the car away from the roadside. He did as I told him. He then got in the car
and parked it in the newly cleaned area. He no sooner got out of the car when we heard the roar of the plow
heading our way. The plow driver crowds over to the right side of the shoulder of the road to make a wider
swath and hurls the snow further. It makes for a wider highway. But in so doing, it picks up chunks of frozen
dirt and stone or gravel and creates a miniature meteor shower that can be quite dangerous if you should be in
the way.
It was a happy visit although a short one. The forecast was for more snow and the kids had a plane to
catch in two days and it was deemed advisable to get while the getting was good.
The next day found us in no better shape and we were running low on supplies but we toughed it out.
By the day after that, the snow had stopped and the road was clear. I decided to go to town. I drove the thirty
miles to Escanaba and made it to Elmer's Super Market. I was half way through my shopping list when I
decided that I better find a place to sit down for a while. I did, and I did, for about 15 minutes. My nausea
passed, my head cleared, pig jumped over the fence and I got home that night.
The fourth day seen a marked improvement in both of us. It was the tenth consecutive day and/or nights
of 20 degree below zero weather. The weather then took a change,,,for the worse. On the fifth night. It dipped
to 33 below zero.
We woke up the following morning to a living room temperature of 46 degrees, and no water. For the
first time in 20 years the plumbing under the house froze. Fortunately, that proved to be only a minor problem.
With a small space heater and a torch I managed to thaw things out without any of the pipes rupturing. But
Doomsday was just outside in the form of a frozen septic field.
No drainage meant no sink, shower or toilet usage. I explored the few options that were open to me but
to no avail.
Prior to the onslaught of that cold and snowy spell, there had been very little snowfall. A heavy blanket
of snow acts as an insulator to the septic field. That year, we had very little.
We decided to evacuate by going south and hope for nature to take over and let the heat from down
below thaw the field and the septic lines buried therein.
When we returned four weeks later, things, meaning nature, were back to normal and all of our systems
were go. But the handwriting was on the snow. We sensed that we were reaching the end of our tether. We
had a hard decision to make.

[Maof]

love it tom!

[gazhekwe]

Yep, those Yooper years are challenging for sure. Good to remember when it is 90 plus outside. 35 below zero and the car freezes to the garage floor. You have to be careful about breathing outside because you can frost your lungs. Lucky us, we never had the septic field freeze, but we did lose the propane guy in a drift in the back yard. Dug him up and thawed him out in the kitchen over a hot cup of coffee. Definitely time to fly south.

[Gannon]

LOL, this thread title stopped me in my tracks!

I was in the UP all last week, camping as close to Lake Superior as we could while driving the whole coast through Wisconsin and Michigan.

When we got to my cousin's, near the eastern edge of Marquette County, all she could talk about was the heat.


I left my heart up there...so I'll have to go back to retrieve it soon.

It was a blast catching up with the couple who owns the diner in Grand Marais. Last time I was around 'em, her novel had just been accepted for publication. I was able to buy a signed hardcover, and read it through the first day I could...it was so compelling, I couldn't put it down.

South of Superior

I think you'd enjoy it, TP.

Pretty sure we hit all the cool coffeehouses and brewpubs north of M28! My favorite caffeine joint was the Dancing Crane Coffeehouse in Brimley, in the far east part of the peninsula.


Gotta get back up to the UP. I wanna be a Troll No More.


Cheers,
John

[gazhekwe]

The Dancing Crane! That is my brother and sister-in-law's wonderful coffee house. They roast their own, and are among the few REAL espresso places in the UP.

http://hunts-upguide.com/brimley_dan...ffeehouse.html

[Gannon]

The Dancing Crane! That is my brother and sister-in-law's wonderful coffee house. They roast their own, and are among the few REAL espresso places in the UP.

http://hunts-upguide.com/brimley_dan...ffeehouse.html

Is that true? Your BROTHER?! The world just got a notch smaller.

OMG, meeting him was one of the top FIVE highlights of the trip...we bought his 'training manual', a pound of coffee, and a drink to go [[the only thing we needed at the time)...but the treasure I left with goes well beyond the purchase.


Big love,
John

[gazhekwe]

Yes, that is my baby brother Jim. He is pretty awesome, has made much use of the years gaining in knowledge. The training manual is a true signpost for a good direction.

[Gannon]

Yes, that is my baby brother Jim. He is pretty awesome, has made much use of the years gaining in knowledge. The training manual is a true signpost for a good direction.

Can I get honorary membership in the Crane Clan?

I've been living that way all of my adult life.

He and his wife were so refreshing, and to think...we drove past 'em...and my girlfriend wondered why I made such a drastic U-turn.

I had some tug on my gut instinct, afterwards I knew why!

Cheers!

[Gannon]

Some things really make every hair on my body stand on end...more I think about this co-incidence, the more I feel like a porcupine. I truly DID pass his place, and only barely caught it in my periphery...another time when I can say I don't know why I made a particularly serendipitous choice, but afterwards was blessed tenfold.

Then again, we DID camp in the Porcupine Mountains...

[gazhekwe]

Were you passing Soo-bound or Tahquamenon-bound? Jim has signs posted everywhere along the road. LOL on contagious quills!

As far as I know, you can be chosen by the Crane, but it is somewhat spontaneous when it happens.

My husband, son and granddaughter were chosen by the Bear on their way up for my stepmother's funeral. A bear ran across the freeway just north of West Branch, around mile 219. My husband, driving at 75 mph, was somehow able to drive around the bear as it arrived in his lane. All three got direct eye contact with the bear, who beat a quick retreat back from whence he came.

I was greeted by Crane in Florida when one walked smack in front of my car as I was ambling down a residential road next to a golf course. As I drove around Crane, Ajijak, he gave me direct eye contact.

[tponetom]

John, Gaz,
Can I join in with your ‘Crane,’ ‘Bear’ thingy? I have a ‘Fawn’ thing.. John, I am well aware of your delight of the U. P. Especially your friend, Dapper Dan. I hope he is still thriving. I have followed all of your expressions about your visits to the U. P. via this forum.
Gaz, I recall your replies about your family ties to the U. P. [[the lyrical was not intended.)


About the ‘fawn’? I had posted the story some time ago, but now I cannot find it in my files. Probably because I did not title it properly. Anyway, here’s a makeshift excerpt from that story.
My pal, Doug, from Green Bay, had a seasonal cabin, 3 mile down the road from our home. I had keys for his camp, if I needed a tool or something. On that very special day I drove down to pick up some pipe. I backed into his driveway in order to back up to the tool shed. As I backed up I felt a slight bump. My back wheel drove over a short tree stump. I knew it was there and I stopped. . I got out of my truck and walked around the shed to the service door and found my piece of pipe. I carried it to the rear of the truck. I almost dropped it! A new born fawn was lying, motionless, 3 feet from my back bumper.
I was mesmerized by the sight. It was lying on its side. No motion whatsoever. No eye lid movement. Chest, belly, shoulders, did not betray any sign of life. The five minutes that I was staring, seemed like a generation.
I was worried that ’Mama” might come thrashing through the brush and kick the crap out of me. Nothing happened. So I thought that it was dead and I could drive back home and get Peggy and bring her down to see this phenomenon. So I did.
The starting motor of my truck did nothing to arouse the Fawn. I gently drove away and then went like hell when I got to the road.
I got home and yelled at Peggy to drop everything she was doing. I told her what was happening. [[She brought her bag of stale pop corn with us. Good thinking.)
We reached the camp in minutes and I drove straight in, very slowly. The Fawn was still there. We got out of the truck and tip toed toward the Fawn.
Not so much as a breath. Not a single movement. We stood near the Fawn and then I got an inspiration. I told Peggy we could go inside of the camp and sit by the window and watch, and watch, and watch. And we did. Good thing she brought her Pop Corn with her.
We sat there a full twenty minutes. Nothing happened. No Fawn movement, no Mama.
We went out and took our last look. There was a twig of a branch nearby with some smaller twigs with leaves on them. I picked it up and gingerly touched its belly with a leaf. Nothing. I then brushed its belly with the twig.
And then the Gates of Heaven exploded in the form of the way the Fawn literally sprang off of the ground and landed on its four legs, and in the same motion she was off and running like the Road Runner. No sign of Mama.


A few years later, during mating season, I was looking out of our living room window, looking down the driveway and there was a Buck and a Lady copulating. I like to think that we were somewhat helpful in that union. Buck or Doe. I never really noticed.

[Gannon]

Were you passing Soo-bound or Tahquamenon-bound? Jim has signs posted everywhere along the road. LOL on contagious quills!

As far as I know, you can be chosen by the Crane, but it is somewhat spontaneous when it happens.

My husband, son and granddaughter were chosen by the Bear on their way up for my stepmother's funeral. A bear ran across the freeway just north of West Branch, around mile 219. My husband, driving at 75 mph, was somehow able to drive around the bear as it arrived in his lane. All three got direct eye contact with the bear, who beat a quick retreat back from whence he came.

I was greeted by Crane in Florida when one walked smack in front of my car as I was ambling down a residential road next to a golf course. As I drove around Crane, Ajijak, he gave me direct eye contact.

We decided while in Grand Marais to complete our south shore tour. It started in Duluth with my very slow 26.2 mile jog into town, LOL, then a few nights in a cool hotel in Superior, WI. We camped in the rustics at south end of the Porcupine Mountain park, then the next night way up in Copper Harbor [[where we got drenched and blow-dried in the same morning)...an afternoon at my cousins, 176 feet or so off M28 at the Sand River...

...and we were stupidly way too late for the M58 drive into Grand Marais. It was the only part of the trip where we ate while driving, since we knew we had to make time...and it was pouring rain, so we figured the deer would be hiding. The hummus my honey was able to score up in Copper Harbor was so yummy, I didn't notice the rain let up...and as I glanced over for a few more carrots to dip...a deer dashed out of the woods, seemingly wishing to single-hoofedly destroy our amazing vacation.

My girlfriend yelled, "DEER!" and I instinctively slammed on the great brakes in her SAAB sedan, and we got a windshield-full view of the most beautiful magical slow-motion introduction to the gracefulness of Bambi-on-the-run. My girlfriend stared it down the whole way, swearing they made eye contact. We missed her by inches. Like six.

Not a hundred feet down the road, we had to pull over to check the front of the car...neither of us believing there was no impact at all. But we didn't hear any thump. Oddly, though, in slow motion I'm not sure what that would sound like.

She repeatedly punched me in the shoulder for over a half hour, because I couldn't stop babbling about how beautiful it all was...while she was still in shock. Her fists cured mine.


We took a few days in Grand Marais to recover, at our friend's cabin next to Dapper Dan's compound. Tom, we had a few sightings of Dan, but he never wandered over...I've learned over the years that if my friend isn't with us, it is best to wait until Dan is done with his perimeter scouting and whatever form of background and credit check he does, before encountering him!

Two days wasn't enough, although I think I gave him whiplash the morning I decided to dash into town for breakfast before my darlin' woke up. He was on his quad, apparently on his monthly drive into town for supplies...which I guess is a rare enough sighting to add to the diary. Come to think of it, I've never before seen him more than 30 feet beyond his property line!

To be honest, I simply wasn't up to wrestling with another fire pit for over an hour just for caffeine. Ended up having a great conversation at the diner counter with a gent from Milwaukee who was trying to spend his savings after retirement...wandering through the UP and northern WI wantonly.

So...finally answering your first question, Gaz, we then went through Tahquamenon Falls, seeing the high and low observation decks of the upper falls and enjoying a brew and the great company over the bar at Lodge 33 before driving to Sault Ste. Marie. Again, much later than wise...since we wanted to get to our last beds of the trip near Petoskey.

We saw the locks, but they weren't busy...caught another beer at the Soo Brewing Company, then I went the wrong way on Business 75. As we turned around, we saw a freighter headed up to the locks...so we decided to wait for it. It was cool, although not exciting.

So, it was on the way TO the Soo, while pondering another couple hours of driving...that I saw your brother's shop out of the corner of my eye. There might've been a bit of subliminal suggestions with all those ads, which I couldn't avoid commenting on as we drove out of town. I loved the ones saying we'd already passed it and should go back. I teased my honey that I couldn't resist the power of advertising...

Do you think we're of the DEER Clan now? Or only my dear, since she had the eye contact with the beauty?

Earlier in the trip, up near the Copper Harbor/fort campground, we made a wrong turn on purpose...and saw a black bear in the roadway. We thought it was a cub, by the way it moved, and my partner was sure she saw mom just at the edge of the woods!

Not a hundred yards down the road, we saw a huge turkey buzzard...only to see about fourteen of his buddies in the tree next to him. THAT was eerie.

That road wound around back to where we wanted to be, driving it again seemed like someone rewound time for us. If there is such a thing as a time warp, I felt we hit one.


Enough for now, there is so much more, I can write a novella.

Cheers and more,
John

[gazhekwe]

Yes, Waashkeshiinh, Little deer. That is for Tom. Waashkesh for the Clan name. Crane is Ajijak, Bear is Mkwa.

Sounds like a beautiful trip! I was there til last Friday, staying in a trailer at Chippewa Landing just down Bay Mills Point Road. Went back track riding through the fire country with my son and granddaughter. Exciting!

[mikefmich]

*sigh*
I expected to be living on my place at Boot Lake south of Shingleton by this time in my life. Life happens & I sold it 4 yrs. ago.

These stories give me both fond memories and sadness.

[RaumVogel]

Does making eye contact with the rabbits in you're back yard count? I swear they know that they have permission to eat everything green on my property!
My teacher in the 1st grade was a Tahquamenon . My family visited her and her father's fishing business in like 1966. I still remember the "root beer" falls!

[jiminnm]

tponetom, these are for you - a mule deer fawn who strolled by our place in the mountains of Northern New Mexico with its mother, and an elk calf, on the very next day, who strolled by with its mother. The elk calf peered into the window, and knew something was behind it, but never could figure it out [[must have difficulty seeing through glass). The fawn was more leery.

Attachment 14434

Attachment 14435

There are many thing about the mountains in northern NM that remind me of the UP.

[tponetom]

tponetom, these are for you - a mule deer fawn who strolled by our place in the mountains of Northern New Mexico with its mother, and an elk calf, on the very next day, who strolled by with its mother. The elk calf peered into the window, and knew something was behind it, but never could figure it out [[must have difficulty seeing through glass). The fawn was more leery.

Attachment 14434

Attachment 14435

There are many thing about the mountains in northern NM that remind me of the UP.

jiminnm: I hereby ordain you as one of the very elite esoteric adventurers!