Ely Echoes

The Portages Grow Longer

2001
•
Author:

Bob Cary

Striding exuberantly into the 21st century, Bob Cary recounts memorable experiences of the 20th century: fun-filled boyhood escapades during the Depression, anecdotes from the war years, tales of guiding dignitaries in the BWCAW, verbal snapshots of intriguing friends and neighbors up north, reflections on becoming a bridegroom in his seventies.

Striding exuberantly into the 21st century, Bob Cary recounts memorable experiences of the 20th century: fun-filled boyhood escapades during the Depression, anecdotes from the war years, tales of guiding dignitaries in the BWCAW, verbal snapshots of intriguing friends and neighbors up north, reflections on becoming a bridegroom in his seventies.

The language of the author is captivating. He paints a picture that captivates your mind and will have your car GPS heading north in no time.

—

Morris Daily Herald

Listen to echoes of a life filled to the brim as one of the Northland’s most renowned storytellers sallies forth once again to share his seventy-plus years of outdoor lore, folksy wisdom, and quirky humor, set against the wilderness backdrop of northern Minnesota.

Striding exuberantly into the 21st century, Bob Cary recounts memorable experiences of the 20th century: fun-filled boyhood escapades during the Depression, anecdotes from the war years, tales of guiding dignitaries in the BWCAW, verbal snapshots of intriguing friends and neighbors up north, reflections on becoming a bridegroom in his seventies.

Indulge your own nostalgia while this consummate yarn-spinner warms your heart with his larger-than-life adventures. Gleaned from Bob’s stories and insights over many years as editor of the Ely Echo, and as one of the country’s premier outdoor writers, Ely Echoes is filled with tall tales, splendid spoofs, crazy campaigns, and off-the-wall observations-all told in the unique style of up-beat humor and persuasive passion that make Jackpine Bob Cary a celebrated north country character.

Bob Cary, award-winning author, journalist, artist, and wilderness guide, has become a northwoods legend. His quick wit and sly humor have won him the dedicated appreciation-and occasional consternation-of readers across the nation, as well as the local folks. Author of Root Beer Lady, Tales from Jackpine Bob, and Born to Pull, Bob lives with his wife, Edie, near Ely, Minnesota, on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, where they ski all winter, fish all summer, and play with reckless abandon the rest of the year.

The language of the author is captivating. He paints a picture that captivates your mind and will have your car GPS heading north in no time.

—

Morris Daily Herald

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Genesis
We Didn't Know There Was a Depression
Magical Summers
Happy Birthday, George
God Bless You, Mr. Mapes
Doing the Rabbit Twist
Hockey at Heiden's Slough
A Glorious Fourth of July
That Magnificent Car
An Electrifying Camp Experience
They Called it World War II
John Clemente and Benito Mussolini
Thanksgiving Feast
A Very Personal War
Armistice Day
Dad's Victory Garden
Winton's Winged Warrior of WWII
IV
Typewriter North
Dancing Spirits in the Mists
It All Begins with Bobber
USFS Gets Even
For Shame
The Approach of Springtime
Going Bugs
Canceling Out
Duck Stuff
Opening Day
Some Thoughts on Fishing
The Best Kind of Work
My Friend the Duck Hunter
Remembering Charles
From Birdshot
Pond Singer
Late Autumn Symphony
The Ahlgrens
A Man Named Stanley Owl
Some Travel by Dogsled
First Come, First Served
Ringing in the New
The Ferocious Finn Found
v
Living in the Land of the Ojibwe
G.G.
Entertaining Immunity
The Sheer Wonder of Autumn
Tale of a Cat
There's Big Money in Wolf Fur (Especially If It's Walking)
Sometimes We Go on Foot
Speckled Trophies of Tiny Brooks
Good Morning, Corvus
Revenge of the Otter
Canoe Season
It's a Matter of Patriotic Belief
A Tribal A/latter
Honoring a Promise to Tommy Chosa
January Ice and Snow
The Night the Aliens Came
Second Time Around
Wesley Ottertail
Veteran's Fishing Trip
There's Nothing Wrong with a Fish Dinner
Recycling Grouse
Busy
Those with Four Legs, More or Less
VI