The Dining Room Table

   As a kid, one of the greatest things was to be allowed to stay up late and listen to the men folk tell tales by light of the kerosene lamp. Sometimes it wasn't too interesting but as hunting season got close, the talk turned to deer. Old Joe was my all time favorite. 
   Joe? Why everyone had seen old Joe at one time or other. He was the Swamp Ghost, the deer that carried lead from many good hunters. He couldn't be killed, but that didn't stop them from trying. 
   "I think I'll just wander through that Tag Alder swamp." said Manson.
   "Naw, he won't be hanging 'round there. He's probly in that Windy Lake swale."
   "Why yur both tiched. he probly died of old age years ago." said Bill
   And on and on it went. I listened for many years and finally got to say a word or two when I got older, but those guys talked about old Joe for as long as we were still together. 
   That old Tag Alder swamp is still there so maybe this year I'll go take a look around.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Ever been Lost?

   Each year here in Minnesota, several hunters and hikers get lost. Some of them are never seen again. It just doesn't have to be that way.

   One of the worst problems is panic. I've heard of grown men getting lost in the dead of winter when their body is found, most of their clothes have been taken off and left behind. 

   Another serious problem is dehydration. Always keep hydrated. Another is hypothermia. This one will get you killed quickly and silently. 

   If you plan on spending time outdoors, seek out an organization that teaches survival skills. It could save your life.

   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Big White Oak

  All around the Big White Oak folks are getting ready for ricing. Sure it's a good way to make a few extra dollars, but more importantly, it the tradition that counts. 

  Many people are moving into the usual rice camps. Campfires are kept stoked until late in the night. Old canoes are patched and the sticks are checked over. It's a while yet, but the rice is checked each day.

   Ricing is always done with two people, one picker and one poler. From past experience I can say that poling is by far the most difficult. I've seen the poler walk right out of the canoe into open water. Not a good thing to do.

   A good picker is what saves the day. Some new to the job hit the rice and the vast majority lands in the water. You don't make much money that way.

   So keep an eye out for the old cars with the canoe on top. One of them might be me.

   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Butchering Time

   In the Big White Oak area, the seasons are quite different, each one brings a distinct change to the landscape. If the seasons had names as colors, it would be green, yellow, brown and white, the predominant colors for Minnesota's seasons.
   One season that rarely gets mentioned is butchering time. When summer gets in high gear, local people trap and butcher many tons of mosquitoes. Many families just keep the drumsticks because that's where most of the meat is. Sometimes those drumsticks are smoked and saved for winter use.
   Trapping the mosquitoes sometimes can be quite challenging. I've seen good jump traps broken in pieces by the mosquito and most times if you try to snare them, they just fly away with the snare and the tree it was attached to. There have even been reports of trappers being eaten alive by an irate mosquito.
   So as you can see, living here in Northern Minnesota can be quite a challenge and if you sometimes wonder why so few people live here, now you know.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Chicken Dumplin' Soup

   In the book "Brothers by Fire" we read about how Mrs. Ross the school teacher kept a large flock of chickens for their family use. You have a picture in your mind of chickens pecking at the ground for bugs and such. 
   Pretty nice to keep a rooster too. He stands guard for predators and generally rules the roost. But once in a while you see a rooster who has blood in his eye. He picks out a hen and hounds her right into the ground. He pulls out her feathers and then tries to claw her to death.
   The good part is that if you get him early, he makes pretty good soup. The hens love you and order is restored to the flock.
   Dumplings are awesome with a good portion of rooster.   
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Wild Grapes

   One of the finest treats here in the Bigfork River area are the wild grapes. Most times they are closely guarded secrets so don't bother asking anyone where they are.
   Wild grapes aren't as full of sugar as their tame cousins but oh what a great jelly they make. The other use is to make wine. They make pretty good wine too, but not as good as a nice California wine. But to us Jackpine Savages on the river, it tastes pretty darned good.
   The river provides a pretty good living if you know where to look for it.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Summer Camping

   
   Here in Northern Minnesota summer camping is in full swing. Folks from all over the country come to this part of the state to experience wildness. This area has several rivers and over 1,000 lakes so fishing is enjoyed by many.
   Campfires and outdoor cooking are a big part of this camping. Some could last a lifetime just eating hotdogs and smores. Others get deeper into cooking making grand meals in Dutch ovens. But one thing for sure is that when you finish a day on the water, you're pretty hungry and any kind of food tastes pretty good.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Peace River Books

   In the website www.peaceriverbooks.com you can see glimpses of the big timber camps and other things that make this part of the world such a fantastic place. You can see what Charlie the Grouse has been up to and even a spot about Chicken Josi. Family is what makes the world go around and here you'll really see it spinning.
   So stop in and have a look around. there's even a nice blog and a spot about retirement.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

The One Room School

   In the book "Brothers by Fire" I write about the one room school and the teacher Mrs. Ross. These first schools in the area were the center of the local universe. All forms of meetings were held there. Local political parties met every few months to pass on information about things done in Washington.
   As the teachers stood in front of their classes, they saw a wide variety of students. Some were white and some Indian children. For some their first time to hear English spoken was in the class room. For them it was doubly difficult having to learn a new language and the other subjects at the same time.
   In the town of Deer River there was what was known as a "Normal School". Students came from far and wide,spending their whole lives there. They were allowed to go home for two months in the summer, but the rest of the year they lived at the school.
   Some of the Indian children were forbidden to speak their own language and some were severely beaten for any infraction of the rules. It was a hard life for all the children    
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Farm Families

   This past weekend I had the rare pleasure of attending a family reunion in southern Minnesota. By the time I returned home, I had been hugged, squeezed, kissed by a sweet older lady and even adopted into a family of truly fine folks.

   Most of this grand group originated in Minnesota’s farming areas and spent many hours playing in the hay mow. What can be more fun than that!

   Some of that bunch migrated out west where the sky seems a lot bigger. One gentleman said that his new combine doesn’t even need a driver. You just sit in the cab and read the newspaper. 

   In case I made it all sound a bit too easy, consider these things. A hail storm can take you from riches to rags in an hour. A good rain can make you a half a million dollars.  The stock market can be pretty tough on farmers.

   So thank you to those fine folks the Habbens and Williams. I had more fun than a man my age is entitled to.

 You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Neighborhood Bully

     Well, the neighborhood bully paid a visit to our little place in the woods last night. The bird feeder is in a shambles and the fence around the chickens looks a little worse for wear. Bears do whatever they want, whenever they want.

   WWBD. Yes that's the main question. What would a bear do. If you were a bear strolling through the woods and you smelled a big juicy cheeseburger, you'd do whatever you could to get it. That's the way bears are about bird feeders. There are no limits on them.
   After having this one uprooted so many times, I just gave up. I put a big ball of concrete on the bottom so that when they tip it over, I can just go outside and stand it up again. The important part is to wait until the bear leaves.

   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Wild Rice

   As you paddle down the Big White Oak today, you see that the wild rice is starting to lift its head. For the first part of summer, it lies on top of the water. But as it starts to make seed, it lifts up from the water and stands three to four feet high.

   Then as the rice heads develop, the heavy kernels turn a beautiful tan color. This is what the local ricers call "Milk Stage". If you take a head of rice and squeeze it, you'll see that what comes out looks like milk.

   Then as the rice starts to dry, it's ready for harvest. The time for harvest isn't very long.

   The local Anishinaabe families harvested many pounds of rice to use for the winter food supply. What they had left over, they sold to Rice Buyers. The extra money helped too with school supplies for the kids and maybe a new pair of jeans.

   In the 1960's the white man figured out by accident how to plant and harvest wild rice and the price of hand picked rice tumbled. The Anishinaabe felt that the white man had won again.

   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Storms of Summer

  The storms of summer are here. All over Northern Minnesota, you can hear the grumbling of thunder in the distance. Usually you have no trouble reading a book at noon. But today it's so dark, you'd need an oil lamp to see.
   The humidity is nearly 80% and as soon as the rain starts, the humidity will drop significantly. I had considered jumping in the river for a while, but it wouldn't get me any wetter.
   Sometimes we get hail storms that take our gardens and pound them into the ground. All those lovely tomatoes are quickly turned into tomato sauce. So sad.
   But take heart fellow gardeners, soon it will be winter.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently.    
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us

Betas

  
   Betas or Siamese fighting fish have to be one of the most interesting things in Southeast Asia. They are pugnacious and beautiful at the same time. Owners of these beauties are known to put mirrors next to the aquarium just to see them puff and posture.
   But the true beauty of the Siamese fighting fish is their mating.
   As the smaller and dull colored female becomes ready for mating, the male approaches and rubs his body on hers. Then if he isn't chased off, he wraps his body around hers and squeezes the eggs out of her and fertilizes them. Then as the fertilized eggs fall to the bottom, he picks them up in his mouth one at a time. He takes each egg to the surface and blows a bubble around it. The resulting floating nest is cared for by the male until they hatch in a few days.
   If you want a lesson in the beauty of nature, buy a pair of Betas.

 You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "Brothers by Fire" at Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated frequently. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about "Brothers by Fire".   

Good Reading,
Ron

Cover Design and formatting by Covers Are Us