Learning to ski

A water story

Seven year old girl, loves her dad¸ will try anything he says. Flathead Lake in Montana waterskiing. “Just hold on. Whatever happens, hold onto the tow rope. Just hold on.”  So she did, all the way for about a mile and a half as the water overwhelmed her, in her eyes, mouth, nose, until the watcher had the driver cut the motor. “I held on, Daddy!” she choked out. “Yes, you did, Kitty Kat!” Years, years later the joy of waterskiing successfully bubbled. And this, Dad, I did for you because your crippled legs wouldn’t let you. Love you, Dad.

Maude and friends...a swimming prank

Maude and friends had decided to go skinny dipping one night at Long Lake. It had been a long day of partying and a swim sounded relaxing. Long Lake is shallow so after dropping all their clothes on the dock, the troop of friends walked out to where the water was deep enough to submerge themselves. They swam for a while watching the stars overhead and the lightening on the other end of the lake. When they tired of swimming, they made their way back to the dock, only to find that every last stitch of clothing except for a cap and a belly-pack, were gone. They hesitated not one second, marched up the beach, down the road, and across the field, wearing that one hat and one fanny pack, shared among them all.

Anniversary of draft date

September 8, 2016
I was drafted 50 years ago today. It was my 20th birthday. We went by bus from Primghar, Iowa to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where they counted us off by twos. The twos went to the Marines and the ones went to the Army. I was a one. It was my first close call. On our way to basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas we had a two hour layover in Denver. None of us draftees were old enough to buy a beer at the airport. We were pissed. That turned out to be the least of my worries for the next two years. Anyway, I'm happy to have made it home in one piece, that's for sure. And now I'm an old man. That's really good. Maybe I will have that beer today just to catch up.
Robert Idso
St. Peter, Minnesota