raywriter
03-14-2010, 05:54 PM
A friend and I went out to some favorite late-season spots near Butler's Island on Saturday, and I saw something that reminded me that when the rest of the planet goes to hell, Yoopers will still make it through.
A guy walked past us pulling a small aluminum johnboat loaded with a block and tackle, long ropes, pike poles, long pieces of plywood, and some 2X4's. He headed for a shanty that was 3/4 sunk, and by the set of his eyes and the way he marched, we could tell he meant to get it up and out of the lake.
He spent a long time getting everything set up and he spudded some holes in large ice floes along the shore of the island to tie the block and tackle off. My friend and I walked over to help man the ropes, and the three of us pulled like mules as the shack emerged from the water inch by inch.
When it finally came up onto safe ice it was laying on its side and would not slide well. He said "the door handle is digging into the ice. I'm a carpenter and I had to build it fancy with a handle and all." So we learned a lesson: don't put door handles on shanties! Anyway, we then picked up one side and set it back on the runners. Sliding it to the island at that point was easy.
Yoopers: God love 'em! They'll find a way.
P.S. I'm originally from Escanaba, so technically I'm a Yooper even though I was gone for a long time.
A guy walked past us pulling a small aluminum johnboat loaded with a block and tackle, long ropes, pike poles, long pieces of plywood, and some 2X4's. He headed for a shanty that was 3/4 sunk, and by the set of his eyes and the way he marched, we could tell he meant to get it up and out of the lake.
He spent a long time getting everything set up and he spudded some holes in large ice floes along the shore of the island to tie the block and tackle off. My friend and I walked over to help man the ropes, and the three of us pulled like mules as the shack emerged from the water inch by inch.
When it finally came up onto safe ice it was laying on its side and would not slide well. He said "the door handle is digging into the ice. I'm a carpenter and I had to build it fancy with a handle and all." So we learned a lesson: don't put door handles on shanties! Anyway, we then picked up one side and set it back on the runners. Sliding it to the island at that point was easy.
Yoopers: God love 'em! They'll find a way.
P.S. I'm originally from Escanaba, so technically I'm a Yooper even though I was gone for a long time.