Vogt Island Cabin Opening

Mellie looks a little under the weather, John does not.

Leaving on May 9, returning on May 10, just in time for Mother's Day! Another planes, trains and motorboats trip!


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Little snafu getting to the airport, I called Tom for directions but failed to ask hime what airport, assuming that it was still Anoka. It turned out that we were to meet them in South Saint Paul. I am glad it was not farther away.



Putting in the docks and boat lifts went smoothly though my waders did not make it all the way: they finally gave up, a big rip on the left knee, while kneeling down. oh well, 13 years of service, mostly taking out the docks in the fall ...

Big bonefire burning scrap and junk wood in the evening, and the ceremony of burning Dragon Winter.




A beautiful morning with a happy dog.

Hunting Winnebago Valley

Got up at 4:00 AM, packed the car and headed for John's land. 34F when we got there, but again, no wind. This time I decided to follow Jim up the hill, north of Cty Rd. 5. A steep climb rewarded with beutiful views, and also interesting birds, such as the red bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus).


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Lots of turkeys, fairly close and seemingly coming closer but none close enough to even be seen. On the way down, I admired the flora typical of a southern slope. Many blooming flowers.



After coming out of the woods we headed for Crooked Creek. Coming out at Whitetail Dr, we checked out Crooked Creek but were spooked by a bunch of rowdy teens on various motorized two- and four-wheelers. Headed west on 249 towards Caledonia and parked like the previous day at the top of a hedge crossing the space between road and river. Jim coached me on how to fish several holes and I was moderately successful catching several small trout on a hare's ear nymph. Worked our way downstream and caught several more at a hole out in the open. A caddis hatch was starting and the trout were feeding on the surface.

Hunting Winnebago Valley

After scouting out John's property in Winnebago Valley the previous night, we decided to head there this morning. Got an early start but overshot the house because of our lack of familiarity with the location. Jim headed for the hill on north of the road whil I headed south, crossing the creek at a forth.


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Lots of gobbling all around, but none of them seemed interested in making my acquaintance.



Headed back to the car and had a funny experience when crossing the creek: in the soft mud by the water I saw one set of fresh boot tracks not matching my own (as well as the tracks of a turkey). I wondered and puzzled and mused until I remembered that I had worn my waders on the way in (still dark), not wanting to risk wet feet. When I returned I decided to keep my knee-high rubber boots, which, it turned out, afforded ample protection from the creek.

At noon we headed for Crooked Creek to fish. Roles were reversed today and I had the most frustrating time losing fly after fly and not getting any strikes while Jim caught a lot of trout, including a 14-incher.



Scared up several great blue herons (Ardea herodias). Saw what I think to be a northern waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis) hopping around by the creek and several muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), very close and quite unafraid, as well as a sunbathing roadside woodchuck (Marmota monax, of the alive, non-roadkill variety, the latter being present, too).

Hunting Merill's property off Camp Winnebago Rd.

Got there before 5:00 AM. at 42F, it did not seem that cold but the blustery wind went through and through. I did not hear a single tom call all morning long. Went along the valley where I did not see much more.


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After lunch at the Red Barn in Caledonia we headed for Crooked Creek. For me, with about a dozen brown trout (Salmo trutta morpha fario) of various sizes, the afternoon proved productive, while Jim was frustrated with may snags in the thick vegetation surrounding the creek.