Anniversary Celebration

On September 15th, John and I will be celebrating 41 years of marriage.   It was an amazing miracle that this girl from central Florida and this guy from northern Minnesota ever got together.  I was a senior at University of Central Florida studying to be an elementary school teacher.  In all honesty, my greatest desire was to be a wife and mother over a teacher, but I had not met anyone I felt I was to marry.  Just before Christmas, I was standing in my bedroom and I spoke a prayer to God. 

 I said, "Lord, I KNOW you have someone for me and even if he lives in timbuktu, (somewhere far away) I know you can bring us together."

About two weeks later, my parents announced that our family would be driving to Minnesota over Christmas break to stay at a cabin my great uncle gave us in Buyck, MN and see what snow looked like.  My older sister would not be coming since she was married, so it was my parents, two younger brothers and one younger sister going on the trip.  At the last minute I invited a male friend to come along too just for fun. 

Once we hit Cloquet the snow started to fall.  We had stopped at a large department store to get some supplies and we all danced around in the parking lot with our faces lifted up and our mouths open wide trying to catch snow.  What a sight that must have been to other shoppers.  :)

It was quite an experience for us at the cabin, burning wood in a little pot belly stove for warmth, playing tackle football in the snow, having snowball fights and exploring the nearby woods.  Our neighbors informed us there was going to be an annual Christmas program at a one room schoolhouse nearby.  Being that my Dad is an extravert and wanted to meet everyone in the community, we decided to go.

After the program was over and we were enjoying some snacks, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a big hunk of a man standing over by the door dressed in outdoor clothing.  Soon he disappeared and I went to see where he went.  I discovered that my sister and two brothers were already outside gawking at his brand new Arctic Cat snowmobile.  We had never seen one of those before.  I joined the group as did my friend Niel.  

John was attempting to put on a face mask and then his helmet preparing to leave.  When he looked up and saw us staring at him, he asked, "Does anybody want a  ride?" 

There was a moment of silence and then I heard myself say,  "I do".
 I shocked myself as well as everyone else.  I didn't know this man.  How could I go off on a snowmobile with him?  Once I sat down behind him, he asked my name and where we were staying and then he took me for a very short ride.  I never expected to see him again.

The next day we heard a group of snowmobiles go zipping past our little cabin and down onto the Vermillion River.  One of my brothers ran outside to see if he could find them.  Then my other brother went out, then my sister and finally Neil and I followed.  John WAS in the pack.  In fact they drove right past my brother Rick who was then standing on the river.   The Holy Spirit spoke to John's heart to turn around and go back to that young man standing on the river.

So John left his friends and came back to talk to Rick and realized he met him at the Christmas program the night before.  Soon the rest of us came down to the river and also talked to John.  My brother invited him up to our cabin for hot chocolate and that's when our relationship began. 

We went on lots of snowmobiling trips together, had sliding parties with large inner tubes by firelight, went Christmas caroling with both our families and  went to his house for dinner to meet his parents.

We both knew the Lord had brought us together and three months later we were engaged. 

It's been quite an adventure being married to this woodsman from Minnesota who has now brought us to Canada.  We are so thankful for our three wonderful children and two grandchildren who have been the greatest joys of our lives.   And we look forward expectantly to all the Lord has planned for the future.

Long Awaited Visit

We have had such a glorious week with our son Jonathan, his wife Reseth and their two darling sons Aaron 3 and Titus 1, along with our daughter Cherish from Ely and of course Joanna who stays with us at camp.  Aaron is extremely verbal and some of the most hilarious things come out of his mouth.  We were kept in constant laughter between his verbal exchanges and Titus' creative dance moves while Cherish played her keyboard or I played the guitar.  His head bobbled back and forth as he clapped his hands and crouched in a deep knee position and sometimes twirled around dipping one shoulder.  Classic moves.  They both love music.  Aaron has a complete drum set at home that he often plays on for hours in a day, so when Cherish brought him some bongos to play, he went right at it.

I think we did everything you could possibly do for fun during their week stay, including fishing, swimming, boating, four wheeling, berry picking, floating down the Lazy River, hiking, watching old family movies, playing games, and roasting hot dogs and marsh mellows around the campfire. 

There's nothing like being together with family for soul satisfying memories.  Titus is at the age where you can still hug and kiss him to your heart's delight and he doesn't mind too much.  Although Aaron is still very expressive in loving us all with lots of hugs and kisses and the two brothers are constantly expressing their affection to each other which really warms my heart.  It's probably because Jonathan and Reseth have been pouring oodles of love and affection into both of them.  It just can't help but come out of them.

We only get to see them once or twice a year, so each visit is extra special and long awaited.

Ring Around the Doghouse

Joanna mated one of her best racing dogs, Lark, to a very accomplished winning male dog near Duluth and got seven energetic puppies; six females and one male.  As you would imagine, they are hungry ALL the time, especially as they grow older and Lark is getting less and less patient in wanting to feed the brew. 

One day Joanna caught a humorous sight on camera while Lark was in the puppy pen.  They were wanting to take another slurp and she decided that was enough and began to run around the doghouse to get away from them.  In her hasty retreat, she actually lapped them and they caught up to her, latching on with vigor for a satisfying drink.

Rick and Nick

Oh my, what a fun filled, exciting, relaxing, enjoyable ten days I just had with my brother Rick from Oakwood, GA and my sister Nicki  (Nicolette), from Casselberry, Florida.  Rick has been up to stay with us two times before, but this was Nicki's first time.  She and I grew up surfing together on the beaches of Florida and she lives on a small lake, so I knew that even though she had never been fishing before, she would enjoy the water activities we have to offer here.

I went to Thunder Bay to pick them up at the airport and decided to stop at Kakabeka Falls on the way back since the water was high this year and figured it would be thundering over the falls.  There are some new facilities at the attraction now making it very welcoming.  We were all overwhelmed by what we saw and took lots of pictures.

Rick was chomping at the bit to get back to our place since his visit last year when he took his son down river with a canoe and caught probably 50 Pike just casting along the edges.  It was a memorable time for him and the other four family members who came with him.

Since it was just Rick, Nicki, Joanna and myself this time, we took a boat and trailered to several different lakes to give them a better taste of the beautiful area in which we live.  For our first fishing day, we went to Barrel Lake.  Joanna caught a good sized Walleye and was holding it up for Rick to take her picture when all of a sudden it wiggled out of her hands and fell to the bottom of the boat.... right beside Nicki who was seated in a lawn chair.  She let out a shriek, jerking up her feet and arms to get away from the flopping fish.  It was one of those moments you wish you could have captured on video.  I thought she was going to flip out of the boat.  She's just not used to being around stinky, wiggly fish.  But she ended up catching most of the fish during their stay and even learned how to put on her own worms.   I was amazed when I went to clean the fish that Nicki wanted to learn how to do that too.  I KNEW she was a pioneer woman at heart. 

Our days were full of all kinds of activities like four wheeling down logging roads, picking blueberries, floating in tubes down the Lazy River ( the winding, sandy-bottomed river going into Mamieguess Lake),  tubing the rapids under the bridge, bonfire with smores and lots of fishing.  Nicki said she wanted to have lots of Walleye meals since she probably wouldn't eat it again till her next visit.

On their last evening here,  Rick took Nicki out on Indian Lake to one of our favorite fishing spots which we call the Barrel.  It's the end of the sandbar that juts out from the peninsula between upper and middle Indian Lake.  The sun was setting in the west, the moon was rising from the east mirroring itself in the glassy calm water.  They were the only ones out there.  She said she had never known such stillness.  It was perfectly quiet except for the occasional call of the lonely loon or caw of a seagull.  What a balm for the soul!!

I'm so thankful for these special family times when we can reconnect and enjoy God's beauty together.  

Family from Florida

Last week Larry Nellis, his parents, his daughter, son and a friend drove all the way up from Orlando, Florida to stay with us for two weeks.  Wow, what a drive!  Now that's desire.  Larry came up to this area years ago to fish and wanted to bring his family to experience some really great fishing fun.  

Elea caught a 26 inch Walleye that looks almost as big as herself and she looks mighty happy about it.  Larry was equally excited about the biggest Lake Trout he's ever landed.  It is 34 inches long.  I bet his arm was aching just trying to hold it up for the picture.

It was great having some folks from my neck of the woods.  I grew up in Winter Park, Florida which is right next door to Orlando.   We look forward to having Larry and his family back with us again next year.  

Trophies from 2013

Cory and Nancy Prissel have been longtime guests at Agimac River Outfitters and have become very good friends.   They keep us laughing at their stories of fishing expeditions on Indian Lake and the surrounding area.   Last year Nancy caught this beautiful 29 inch Walleye on Indian Lake and Cory caught this monstrous 45 inch 24 pound Pike the same week.   Way to go Team Nancy!!

They are conservative fishermen and threw them both back to be caught another day.  I'm studying the picture trying to figure out where on the lake they caught them.  I bet you are too. Ha!

Adventurous Expedition

Last week our longtime friend Anne Chindvall from Ely, MN came up for a visit.  We had nonstop fun and activities as she always brings a spirit of life and excitement with her enthusiastic personality.   We took her on some fishing expeditions which we all enjoyed very much and she quickly learned how to bait a hook and catch fish.  I had heard from our fishermen in camp that the fish really seem to bite more aggressively on dark and rainy days.  I'm usually a fair weather fishermen, but I decided to test that theory.

So, with just two days left of her visit and both days promising rain, Joanna, Anne and I donned our raincoats, loaded a boat on a trailer and headed to Barrel Lake just 6 miles from our camp.  As John helped us load the boat with our gear, he kept asking me,  "Are you sure you want to go out on this cold and rainy day?"

I have to admit I wasn't relishing the idea, but I had made up my mind we were going to do it at least this once.  Just as we loaded up the boat at the landing of Barrel Lake and pushed out into the lake, we saw a large bank of dark clouds heading our way.  I couldn't tell if it was just rain or lightning involved as well.  I thought it would be best to go back to shore and sit in the car till the shower passed over.  We just made it to the car when it started to pour.   After about ten minutes, we decided we could withstand a light rain and headed back out.  We motored down the river back toward Agimac River falls.  Shortly the rain stopped and we got set up to start fishing.

We caught one small northern in the first spot which we usually have caught some nice walleye.  But nothing else seemed to want our bait.  So, we kept motoring further up the river to another spot where Joanna picked up a nice 18 inch walleye.  We decide to keep trolling back and forth there to find some more.  But everytime we passed that same spot, we only caught northern pike.

Joanna kept losing her spinner rig each time she caught a pike which was frustrating for her.  She must have lost about five of them.  By the end of the day, we figured out that she probably had her drag set too tight.

After catching about four more pike, we ladies felt the urge for a bathroom break.  We found a spot to land the boat on shore.  Joanna was the first one back in the boat and began to cast from the boat while waiting for Anne and I.   It started to rain and instantly she caught another pike.  She yelled for us to hurry, the fish were biting.  I began to believe that it really IS better fishing on a rainy day.

We continued on up the river and came to a point that looked promising.  I caught a nice 17 inch Walleye there so we kept making passes there as well.  Again, Joanna lost a spinner rig to a pike.   She said, "Mom,  can we go past that area again?   I want to try to catch that last pike and get my tackle back."

I didn't really think that would happen, but didn't mind going for another pass.  Soon she snagged another pike and there was something bright dangling from its lip.  At first Joanna thought she somehow got caught in Anne's line, but then she let out a whoop when she realized it was the same fish that had just taken her spinner.   So, she DID get it back.  Amazing!!

We weren't catching anymore Walleye at the point so we headed back down the river toward the boat landing since it was getting late, around 6 pm.  All of a sudden we were catching Walleye, nice ones.  We just wanted enough Walleye for a fish meal for five people.  Once we got four nice size Walleye on our stinger, we decided not to keep anymore.  I then caught a 21 incher and threw him back.  Anne caught several 15- 19 inchers and Joanna caught a few too.   I wish I had some pictures as evidence of our expedition, but I don't.  I just got a shot of a nice Walleye Anne caught on Indian Lake.

We found out it wasn't all that difficult to fish in a light rain and the fishing did seem to be better.  We all had a terrific time and would do it again.

Meanwhile, Grandma Baker, John's mother was back at the house enjoying a warm fire.  We had to laugh when we saw Sabre walk over and sit beside her in front of the fire.  I said, "Hey Joanna , come look at this.  See where our seniors like to position themselves?  Sabre is now almost 12 years old.  So, he and Grandma soaked up some heat on the cold, rainy day.