A Christmas Tradition

My name is Thelma Lou and I have a story to tell you about a long time Christmas family tradition. My daughter Gertie sat curled up on her grandpa’s lap in da old rockin’ chair by the wood stove. Da red line on the thermometer dipped well below zero as da wind howled through the pines. We all love this time of year 

when we visit my folks during Gertie's winter break from school.

            I came from the kitchen with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Gertie poked at da mini marshmallows bobbing on top. Then she licked the chocolate off her fingertips and grinned all Chesire cat like. I settled down on da sofa with my mother’s afghan pulled over my legs and I cracked open my mystery novel.

            “Tell me a story, Grandpa!” Gertie begged. I knew from da twinkle in Pa’s eye and his sly grin toward me that she was about to hear a whopper.

            “Did I ever tell you about the Christmas tradition your Grandma and I started before your mother was born?”

            Gertie shook her head. Even if she had heard da story before, it always grew bigger with each telling.

            Grandpa began. “ I bet you didn’t know your Grandma and I made some of da best moonshine around.”

            “What is moonshine, Grandpa?”

            I look over my book at my Pa.

            “Oh, it’s something people used to drink in the old days, before there were revenuers up north. They celebrated a lot when they drank it.”

            “Like when we drank raspberry Kool-Aid at my birthday party.”

            “That’s right sweetie, whenever there was moonshine around you could be sure there was going to be a party.” Pa winked at me and continued with his story before I could interrupt it.

            “Every year a few weeks after Thanksgiving, we’d head out into da woods with our best bottle and your Grandma’s Remington shot gun to pick out a tree. It all started when I lost my best chainsaw in a poker game.” Grandpa whispered, “But dat’s another story, and I’d just as soon not bring it up while your Grandma’s within earshot! Now where was I? Oh yeah, how da tradition of shooting da tree got started.”

            “The only thing we had to use to cut down our Christmas tree dat year was your Grandma’s Remington. So we stuck it on the gun rack in our trusty old Ford and we headed out in to da woods to hunt down the perfect spruce.”

            “Before too long we ran into old Gussy. He was a Conservation officer who had to follow every rule in the books. Yer Grandma was worried that he’d write us up for doing something wrong, especially after that incident with the ten pointer in July the year before. So she hid da gun under the seat and commenced to smoochin’ on me like we were out on our first date.”

            “Gussy pulled up next to us and asked us what we were up to. Yer Grandma told him dat she was overcome with passion for me, ever since I helped her trim her bunions dat week. He seemed satisfied with her answer and drove off to leave us to our business.”

            “As soon as we saw his truck disappear, we pulled out da shot gun and the jug of moonshine and we made for the woods.”

            “Before we could make it 15 feet, we heard a loud horn toot behind us. Wouldn’t you know it, our neighbors from down the street, the Bulenskis, had decided to go for a little drive in da forest dat day. They asked us what we were doin.’ We figured they could keep a secret, so yer Grandma told them how we planned to get our tree dat year.”

            ‘Well they thought that was a grand idea. Billy ran back home to get his rifle and when he got back, he and Hildie joined us on our adventure.”

            “Of course da news spread like wild fire and da tradition was born. Da ‘Shooting of the Tree’ became a yearly community event. We all took turns being on da lookout for Gussy. We always managed to stay one step ahead of him. But then a new problem arrived on the scene.”

            “What grandpa?”

            “Do you remember hearin’ stories about my Aunt Eartha? She was one of da biggest tree huggin’ creatures you’d ever seen. She tried to hold a rally to get us to stop da tradition, but we still did it anyway. So Eartha changed her tactics and decided to team up with Gussy to catch us in da act.”

            “Yer Grandma and I thought we’d have a little fun with my aunt. Even though she couldn’t kill a tree to celebrate Christmas, she sure wasn’t afraid to shoot any bunnies for her famous rabbit stew.”

            “What did you do, Grandpa?”

            “Aunt Eartha used to complain all da time about how hard it was to get a good bead on the little buggers in da winter time since they blended in with da snow so well, and her eyesight wasn’t what it used to be.”

            “So we followed her out to one of her favorite huntin’ spots and hid behind some big beech trees. After she moved on, we sneaked out and put a pile of carrots at da base of a clump of spruces.”

            “Sure enough, after a few days those rabbits were coming back all da time to look for more grub. We waited for Eartha to show back up.”

            “There she was with the biggest smile on her face. She lifted her shot gun and Bam! She shot at da rabbit. Well, dat bunny got away, but Eartha had shot a hole clean through da trunk of one of da spruce trees! The tree teetered, then it fell to da ground.”

            “Oh, no,” said Gertie. She covered her mouth and looked very surprised.

            Papa continued. “She took a look around to see if anyone had seen her dreadful deed. Then she slung da trunk of dat spruce tree over her shoulder and dragged it out of da woods. We were flipping blown over. She threw da tree into the bed of her pickup and she drove home.”

            “We followed her to her home and peeked in her window. We watched her decorate dat dang thing! Every now and then she’d stop and stare up at da tree and grin. She’d give it a hug and sniff its branches. Aunt Eartha seemed to be sucking in da aroma of dat tree and holding it in her nostrils as long as she could.”

            “Did she know you were watching her?”

            “No. Yer Grandma couldn’t take it anymore. She was laughing so hard at da sight, she was sure Eartha would hear us. So yer Grandma marched over to da front door and banged real hard on it. I kept watching Aunt Eartha through da window. She looked around in a panic. Then she decided she better answer the knocking since it kept getting louder.”

            “Eartha stammered. Words were refusing to come out of her mouth right. I thought this was a good time to join da party so I stormed into da house with my hands on my hips.”

            “I was just about to open my mouth and blackmail my aunt so dat she wouldn’t hassle us anymore about our activities when she spoke up, ‘You know, this isn’t such a bad way to celebrate da season. I think I’d like participate in this tradition next year.’”

            He paused to take a sip of his coffee. He grinned at Gertie. She smiled back and took a sip of her hot chocolate.

            “And that’s just what she did. She even started da event with a bugle call every year! Until she headed for the happy rabbit hunting grounds in da sky.”

            “That’s amazing, Grandpa. Do you have a picture of Aunt Eartha?”

            “Yes, I do. I will show ya after I drink my coffee.”

            “Did dat really happen, Papa?”

            “Of course it did. I’m surprised yer Ma didn’t tell you dat she and your Pa have carried on da family tradition for years now.” My Pa winked my way again as Gertie climbed down off his lap and scrambled over towards me on da couch to sit next to her ma.

            “Is it true Ma?” Without waiting for an answer she added, “And how come we don’t get to go with you and drink moonshine and help shoot down da tree?”

            Papa got up and patted me on da shoulder, “I think I hear Grandma calling me in da kitchen.”  He shuffled off with a twinkle in his eye.


Brunner, S. (2016). Lake Superior in the Moonlight. Michigan: Freedom Eagles Press.

            

New France

Knowing little about the capitalistic motives of the Euro-peans, the native people were duped into forfeiting claims to a vast amount of this country’s resources to satisfy the whims of fortune-seeking entrepreneurs. Danger existed for the Indian people who fought the cold frigid waters to capture the beaver because their fur was thicker during the colder months. French merchants realized the indispensable fur bearing animals, especially the beaver, were plentiful in North America as they were becoming rare in Europe. The furs provided the human wearer protection against the elements and served as a mark of social distinction. The French may have appeared to be on friendlier terms with the native people than the British; however, they had the same goal in mind, which were profitable endeavors without consideration for the needs of the native people. The exploration of the Canadian territory began with Jacques Cartier, a Frenchman, who traveled down the St. Lawrence Seaway to Quebec and Montreal in 1535 to establish trade with the Iroquois to exchange European goods for furs. The French developed unified relationships with numerous Algonquian tribes along the St. Lawrence shores and parts of what was known as New France, encompassing much of current-day Quebec and Nova Scotia.

The French explorers and entrepreneurs encouraged the Indian people to carry out their Indian ceremonies, and the French people also participated in many of these ceremonies. A canon was fired from a French settlement as a salute to honor and welcome an Indian chief who exhibited and/or carried a French flag to show his support for them. Welcoming ceremonies included gifts, such as guns, ammunition, kegs of brandy, metal tools, blankets, clothing and beads.

When the French traveled with the Indian people and settled near tribal communities, they adopted many of their customs. For example, the mosquitoes and black flies could be a real nuisance, and the French learned how to smear their bodies with bear grease to prevent the bugs from biting them. [i]

            During the 1580s, French trading companies were set up in the region of what was later referred to as New France. French frontiersmen were referred to as coureurs de bois or forest runners. Another name given to these brave men was voyageurs who happened to be canoeists or travelers. The reduction of the beaver population forced the coureurs de bois to go further into the interior of Canada.[ii]  

            These canoeists wore brightly woven sashes, deerskin leggings, and moccasins. On colder days they wore a capote or blanket coat. They were instantly recognizable and stood apart from other men. Voyageurs and coureurs de bois were short and wiry, on average five-foot-six in height. Despite their smaller stature, they were amazingly strong and had an inexhaustible amount of stamina. Samuel de Champlain relied on these brave men and the Indian men to help him with his business ventures.

            Champlain founded the small village of Quebec with 28 men in 1608. In 1630, 103 colonists resided in this community and by 1640 the population had grown to 355.  Champlain was known as the “Father of New France.” 

            In 1627, Cardinal Richelieu, who was an advisor to Louis XIII, formed the Company of One Hundred Associates.  One of the goals of this company was to gather investors to provide an income for New France by promising land parcels.

            French aspirations in this newly founded territory were the expansion of mercantile business and agriculture. Another one of main missions of this company was to expand the fur trade with the Indians. New France encompassed what is present-day Quebec, Nova Scotia and another large section of the eastern portion of Canada. Richelieu’s grand plan encompassed all lands between present-day Florida and the Arctic Circle. The Company of One Hundred Associates was given the cartel in trade except in the cod and whaling industry, which was awarded to other European countries by those in power in Europe.[iii]

            Part of Champlain’s undertaking to settle New France was to learn how to adapt to life in North America. Champlain ordered young French men to live with the tribal people learning their language and customs. Cham-plain became sociable with the Algonquin and Huron Indians living near Quebec. He believed these peaceful relationships would ensure a more successful fur-trading business and help prevent Indian attacks on the French settlement.

            Shiploads of marriageable women were transported to the new territory as part of the plan to enlarge the French population. Eager French governmental officials coerced settlers to relocate with cash payments. Bounties were paid as an incentive for couples to produce large families. Fines were levied on fathers of daughters who were unmarried after the age of 15. All of these sanctions were attempts to increase the population of New France.[iv] 

            The French sought to build communities as significant as the British colonies. The French settlers numbered in the hundreds. The British colonies were more heavily populated and prosperous. Samuel de Champlain was appointed governor of New France, and he made it part of his plan to convert New France into a more affluent region.

To expand the French territories, Champlain mentored Entienne Brule, and sent him to explore much of the region around the St. Lawrence River and beyond.  Brule was credited with being one of the first Europeans to discover the area which is referred to as Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. He also befriended some of the members of the Huron tribe, learned their language and served as an interpreter concerning trading expeditions between the French and Huron Indians. Brule went against his country in 1629 when he guided an English military group down the St. Lawrence River and to their successful takeover of Quebec City. Champlain was angry and stated that Brule needed to be punished for his actions.

Brule continued to live with the Huron Indians until he was captured by the Seneca Iroquois in battle. When he returned home to the Hurons, they didn’t believe his story and murdered him. Given Brule’s deceitful past it was probably wise that the Hurons did not trust him. Champlain was not known for betraying his country or intentionally betraying the Indian people he befriended.

The colony was dependent on the fur-trade and began experimenting in agriculture. In 1628, England and France were at war. Due to the exhaustion of their food and gun powder supply, Champlain had to surrender the fort. However, he did not abandon his colony. Champlain was taken prisoner by the British. He argued that the surrender occurred after the end of the war. The colony was restored to France. In 1633, he returned to Quebec with a few more settlers. Champlain rebuilt the fort he originally built 25 years earlier. [v]

---

[i] Conlan,R. (1994). People of the Lakes: The Native Americans. Virginia: Time-Life Education, 141.

[ii] Nies, J. (1996). A Chronology of a Culture’s Vast Achievements and Their Links to World Events. New York:  Ballentine Books, 75-98.  

[iii] Nies, J. (1996). A Chronology of a Culture’s Vast Achievements and Their Links to World Events. New York:  Ballentine Books, 132.

[iv] Conlan, R. (1994). People of the Lakes: The Native Americans. Virginia: Time-Life Education, 142.

[v] Britannica. Samuel de Champlain. Retrieved on October 8, 2014 from www.britanniica.com/EBchecked/topic/105187/Samuel-de-Champlain.

xxv Working with Nature. Beaver Solutions. Retrieved on October 18, 2014 from www.beaversolutions.com/about_beaver_biology.asp.


Brunner, S. (2016). Shadow Travelers. Michigan: Freedom Eagles Press.

The Electoral College

The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in theConstitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens.

The Electoral College process consists of the selection of the electors, the meeting of the electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress.

The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Your state’s entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its Congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for your Senators. Read more about the allocation of electoral votes.

Under the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution, the District of Columbia is allocated 3 electors and treated like a state for purposes of the Electoral College. For this reason, in the following discussion, the word “state” also refers to the District of Columbia.

Each candidate running for President in your state has his or her own group of electors. The electors are generally chosen by the candidate’s political party, but state laws vary on how the electors are selected and what their responsibilities are. Read more about the qualifications of the Electors and restrictions on who the Electors may vote for.

The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. You help choose your state’s electors when you vote for President because when you vote for your candidate you are actually voting for your candidate’s electors.

Most states have a “winner-take-all” system that awards all electors to the winning presidential candidate. However, Maine and Nebraska each have a variation of “proportional representation.” Read more about the allocation of Electors among the states and try topredict the outcome of the Electoral College vote.

After the presidential election, your governor prepares a “Certificate of Ascertainment” listing all of the candidates who ran for President in your state along with the names of their respective electors. The Certificate of Ascertainment also declares the winning presidential candidate in your state and shows which electors will represent your state at the meeting of the electors in December of the election year. Your stateÂ’s Certificates of Ascertainments are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. See the key dates for the 2016 election and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials, the Office of the Federal Register and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Congress in the Electoral College process.

The meeting of the electors takes place on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December after the presidential election. The electors meet in their respective states, where they cast their votes for President and Vice President on separate ballots. Your state’s electors’ votes are recorded on a “Certificate of Vote,” which is prepared at the meeting by the electors. Your state’s Certificates of Votes are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. See the key dates for the 2016 election and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials and the Congress in the Electoral College process.

Each state’s electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress on the 6th of January in the year following the meeting of the electors. Members of the House and Senate meet in the House chamber to conduct the official tally of electoral votes. See the key dates for the 2016 election and information about the role and responsibilities of Congress in the Electoral College process.

The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the vote. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States.

The President-Elect takes the oath of office and is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th in the year following the Presidential election.

Learn about the Electors

• How many electoral votes do States get?
• Who selects the Electors?
• What are the qualifications to be an Elector?
• Are there restrictions on who the Electors can vote for?

Roles and Responsibilities in the Electoral College Process

The Office of the Federal Register coordinates the functions of the Electoral College on behalf of the Archivist of the United States, the States, the Congress, and the American People. The Office of the Federal Register operates as an intermediary between the governors and secretaries of state of the States and the Congress. It also acts as a trusted agent of the Congress in the sense that it is responsible for reviewing the legal sufficiency of the certificates before the House and Senate accept them as evidence of official State action.

See the key dates for the 2016 election and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials, the Office of the Federal Register and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Congress in the Electoral College process.

Source: https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html

Ten Things Our Kids Will Never Learn

1. Driving a standard car.
2. Pressing fall leaves between two sheets of waxed paper.
3. Reading a map.
4. How to send things through mail.
5. Writing cursive. Future Archeologists will wonder how we communicated in emotions even though we managed space flight.
6. How to folk dance. This is what was learned in elementary school which taught etiquette and it was fun.
7. Commercial jingles. Remember the lyrics to the Armour Hot Dog Song.
8. How to plant vegetables by the phase of he moon and learn the rhythms of nature.
9. How to balance a checkbook.
10. How to make change in their heads. Now machine tell you what to give back.

Source: AARP Politics and Society - Events in History.  Written by: Tracey Thompson for the October 2016 issue.

Are There Pasties in Heaven?

The spring fling was just around the corner and Mabel was struggling to perfect her pasty recipe for the pasty cook off. She was in the kitchen experimenting with pasty recipes. The house smelled of onions, suet, pork sausage and rutabagas. Flour was strewn all over the counter and on the floor. Mabel’s apron was sprinkled with the white powder. Grease was also streaked on the worn garment. Mabel had a smile on her face picturing herself taking first place in the pasty cook off. She has won every pasty cooking contest for the past ten years.

            Other women and men tried to beat her and take the first place prize which was two cases of Old Milwaukee. Mabel prided herself on holding onto the secrets to the best pasties in the county. Even her husband wasn’t let in on her secrets. She was afraid he would spill the beans when he was drinking with his buddies. Most everybody in the U.P. believed pasties are da best food in the world to eat and would have loved to have her recipe.

            Gertie, Thelma Lou’s daughter, was sitting on her Papa’s lap. She thought her Papa knew everything and she had some important questions to ask him. Papa asked Gertie to tell him about what she’s been wondering.          

            “Papa, where did pasties come from. Did they come from heaven? They are so yummy.” 

            “Let me tell you about da legend of da first pasty in da U.P., Gertie,” said Papa. He looked down at Gertie and smiled. Papa loved to tell stories. He was known around these parts as da best story teller in da county.

            “Da pasty has a long history of being a cultural food in da U.P. People actually thinks they came from da U.P. We are so well-known for da delicious explosion of flavor. When da first pasty was made in da U.P. is a mystery. This is what I know about its origins. Mining was booming in da 1800s in da U.P. of Michigan and even sooner than dat. There’s been rumors dat copper was discovered in da lower parts of this country like da area where Texas is today, a long time ago dat copper was mined in da U.P. Dat’s another story for another time. Back ta pasties. I was told by my Pa dat pasties were introduced by da Cornish from England back in da early 1800s. I was told dat mining was drying up in England for da Cornish and so some of them decided ta come to da U.P. They brought us a lot of know-ledge about mining and they also introduced us to da pasty. Pasties, in those days, served as da main lunch for da miners. It was small, easy to carry and had all they needed in one meal. Pasties normally had potatoes and onions in them. Da other stuff in pasties were added by different groups.”

            “Who are da Cornish, Papa?” asked Gertie.

            “Da Cornish were known ta come from Cornwall, England.”

            Gertie appeared to be satisfied with her Papa’s answer so he decided to continue with his story. “Pasties were easy to heat up for da miners. They would place their pasty on a shovel and hold it over a fire or they would hold their pasties over a head-lamp candle. Ya can see how this would be handy, Gertie.”

            Gertie nodded her head.

            “There’s a proper way ta eat a pasty dat was introduced by da Cornish.”

            “What’s dat, Papa?”

            “Ya need to hold da pasty in your hand and start at da opposite end. Dat’s so if ya don’t eat da entire pasty, you can pick it up later and eat it.”

            “Dat makes sense,” said Gertie. Gertie looked up at her Papa and he tapped her chin.

            “There are some legends tied with our beloved pasties. One involved da Devil who could not cross da Tamar River near Cornwall. Dat was on account dat it was a well-known habit of Cornish women of putting every-thing into a pasty. Da devil wasn’t brave enough to face such a fate of going up against da all mighty pasty.”

            “Papa, I am afraid of da devil. Do ya think he is going to come after me.”

            “No, my sweet. Yer grandma says lots of prayers ta prevent him from coming after any of us.”

            Gertie climbed off of Papa’s lap and ran up to Grandma and hugged her legs. Mabel looked down at Gertie confused and patted her on the head. She ran back and jumped on her Papa’s lap again.

            “Do ya want to hear more about pasties?”

            “Yes, Papa.”

            “It was also passed down dat a pasty caused da great mine fire in da early 1800s. One of da miners forgot about his pasty dat was being heated on his shovel. There’s so much lard in those pasties dat it caught on fire. Fortu-nately, none of da miners met their fate dat day.”

            “What else is in a pasty, Papa?”

            “As far as I understand, there’s potatoes, rutabagas, meat, I think yer grandma uses pork sausage and suet, onions and some wonderful seasonings dat yer grandma won’t tell me about.”

            “Why won’t she tell you, Papa?”

            “I think she’s afraid I will tell others about her secret ingredients.”

            “Why doesn’t she want others to know?” asked Gertie.

            “Go ask yer grandma about dat and let me know.”

            Gertie climbed off Papa’s lap and went back into the kitchen to ask her grandma why she didn’t want anyone to know about her pasty recipe.

            “Grandma, why don’t you want anybody to know about what is in yer pasties?” Grandma looked sheepishly at Gertie, wiped her hands on her apron and walked into da living room to confront Papa.

            “What’s up with Gertie’s question?” asked Mabel.

            “I sent Gertie in to ask ya about why ya didn’t want anyone to know yer ingredients because I didn’t know how to answer da question,” replied Papa.

            “I don’t like dat ya are filling her head which such nonsense,” said Mabel. Her hands were placed on her hips.

            “Well, why don’t ya want to share yer recipe?” Papa confronted her.

            Mabel was feeling rather sheepish and decided to fess up. “I want to be da winner at da pasty cook off.”

            “But Grandma, you should share yer recipe so everybody can make pasties as good as yer’s.”

            Grandma tapped her finger on her chin and Papa swears he could see a light bulb light up above her head.

            “Gertie, you are so right. This year after I win da contest, I will share my recipe with everyone at da spring fling. You are such a smart little gurl, our little Gertie.” Mabel patted Gertie on da head again.

            Mabel has been fretting over da pasty bake off fer years and she decided it was high time she relaxed and enjoyed da Spring Fling.  She is more than willing to turn over da torch and let others take da lead with her recipe or their own recipes. Mabel let out a sigh of relief and sat down heavily on da sofa.

            “Tell us another story, Papa,” said Mabel.


Brunner, S. (2016). Lake Superior in the Moonlight. Michigan: Freedom Eagles Press.

Where Have All the Towers Gone? (A Conservation with a Former EUP Towerman)

Where have all the towers gone? Long time passing! Today’s travelers have a better chance of locating lighthouses than fire towers. Nearly all the former Michigan DNR forest towers have been dismantled; however, many fine examples still stand within the boundaries of the national forest system.

            If you are fortunate enough to spot one of these former watch towers, be sure to capture its image on film, for the few remaining represent the last of a former era… one in which fire towers served as a connecting link toward the fighting of wildfires.

            Forest fire prevention became a major concern by the turn of the century. Michigan’s first steel fire tower was erected at Houghton Lake in 1913. A dedicated towerman was commissioned to sit atop the tower to scan the landscape for wisps of smoke. If fire was spotted, crews were notified. It was a solitary position.

            Remember those steel sentinels of the forest? Not too many years past, fire towers were common landmarks throughout northern Michigan; today, few remain. One can still view a classic tower at the western limits of the Upper Peninsula, where the U.S. forest Service’s Tee Pee Tower stands at Kenton, Near Strongs, in the eastern Upper Peninsula, folks will notice the Raco and McNearney Lake Towers. Yet, another tower remains standing at Goetzville.

            At first, fire lookouts were little more than spiked trees with platforms mounted on top. One such tall pine stood near Raco until highway M-28 was widened in 1928. The former lookout tree was later replaced with a steel tower.

            The use of such vantage points led to the erection of small windmill-type towers with open platforms located along high points of fire patrol routes. The first actual wooden look-out tower int eh state sstood on a hill near Lewiston in 1912. The first steel tower was assembled near Grayling in 1915. Each year more towers were added until by 1924 over 100 towers were in use in the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

            By 1925 towers with enclosed cabins appeared replacing old open platform types; stairways were added instead of ladders, making towers user-friendlier. The tower system was virtually complete by 1928 and contained 107 cabin-type primary towers, 16 open platform lookouts positioned in state forests or game refuges. By 1949, Michigan had 140 primary towers and five secondary towers in operation.

            The standard modern tower was a specially designed 100-150 foot steel tower with a glass enclosed eight-foot-square platform, from which the average effective vision range was 10 miles on a clear day.

            Each lookout station was equipped with detailed surface maps; an alidade for accurate determination of direction from the tower to a discovered fire, and a telephone or radio, or both, by which fires could be reported to the nearest fire headquarters or conservation officer. A rule of thumb was to equate fire breakouts in relation to local landmarks. Distant fires were cross shots from adjoining towers. When visibility was poor, secondary towers were manned and during emergencies, aerial patrols we provided by either a state plane or by hired aircraft.

            During the early years, qualification of a towerman was good eyesight and knowledge of the immediate area. Lacking even a map, these first lookouts had to judge a fire by positioning with local landmarks and section corners. As tower numbers increased, fires were located by triangulation and accurate base maps were standard regulation.

            Modern-day towermen also had to have good eyesight, be familiar with their territory, operate a radio, make meteorological observations. Distinguish between unauthorized and legitimate burns, judge a fire’s behavior, and serve as a good will ambassador to the general public. Communication became the tool of the modern towerman.

            In 1933, the Department installed a number of two-way, medium-low frequency radio sets with a lab set up at Roscommon. Between 1938-40, over 120 battery operated radio sets were in place in fire towers, providing direct contact between towers and district headquarters.

            Experiments with plan to ground radio communications began at Lansing in 1934 weith the Michigan State Board of Aeronautics furnishing plane and pilot.

            Between 1933 and 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed 95 lookout fire towers, eight lookout cabins, and 1,371 miles of fire breaks for fire control purposes. Their services also provided 1,958 miles of telephone line installation that brought phone usage into remotely located fire towers.

            Historically, before the advent of fire towers and a communications system, it was easy to understand why fire wardens were able to accomplish so little in the way of forest fire suppression. Locating fires strictly by patrol proved akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. Certainly, Michigan’s advanced fire tower system achieved the work for which it was intended.

            Prior to retirement, Jim Pudelko was assigned to the DeTour DNR field office, but when he hired on in 1965,he served as a Class-B Towerman. Pudelko relates his experience as a fire tower spotter: From the time I was a young boy living a quarter-mile from the Goetzville Tower, I longed to be a towerman; just sitting up in the 110-foot tall tower was strongly appealing.

            I worked about a year as a towerman before being called into military service and upon my return, fire towers were being phased out, replaced by aerial patrols. I was transferred to the  Michigan DNR Forestry Division, under title of ‘Fire Officer.’

            As a towerman, we wore no specific uniform. We worked the tower only on high fire danger days and even then, we did not man the tow until mid-day when morning dew had left the forest floor. However, if a fire was in progress, we stayed at our post from dawn ‘til dusk.

            Serving as one of the later day spotter, equipment consisted of a pair of binoculars, an alidade, radio and telephone. We also kept in and an adjoining shed, 50 shovels and 50 axes along with a number of five-gallon pump cans. All were marked with a CCC label. Each fall, towermen were responsible for removing large cumbersome radio sets from towers to prevent theft. This involved strapping a 20-25 pound radio unit to one’s back and carrying it down the tower ladder. Some towers had stairs; Goetzville Tower had a ladder. It was a difficult job.

            We were issued a ‘tower key,’ which was  master key of sorts that fit any Michigan fire tower. If we were needed in any district, the key was readily available. I managed to keep one as a souvenir. Actually, our District alone held five towers including two located at Drummond Island. We performed maintenance chores such as painting stairways and making repairs to the cabin, and the keys provided easy entry.

            I came across an old newspaper clipping from ‘The Republican-News and St. Ignace Enterprise’ dated may 21, 1926: “A 100-foot steel fire tower of latest design, towerman’s cabin, five miles of telephone line, a mile of truck trail and a shelter cabin will be constructed on Drummond Island this summer by enrollees of CCC Camp Moran for the Field Administration Division of the Department of Conservation, if plans for an establishment of a side-camp materialize.”

            We had an amusing incident regarding one of the purchased towers that was to used as an observation tower by a couple from the western Upper Peninsula. They bought a 110-foot tower and somehow a mistake was made and DNR personnel tore down the purchased tower. The couple demanded a replacement. When the tower was purchased, it was up to the buyer to have it dismantled and rebuilt; but in this instance the Department had to locate a tower exactly like the one they paid for. A crew was sent out from Manistique and Naubinway comprised of Joe Anthony, Pat Clark, John Moon and myself to disassemble the Gould City Tower.

            It proved to a harrowing experience. The roof was raised first. Everything had to be lowered by rope and pulley system. The four tower walls were dismantled which left us standing on the cabin floor 100 feet up in the air with absolutely nothing to hold on to whatsoever! Talk about being scared!

            Flooring was removed next, and then every step of stairway had to be taken apart and sent downward. Not even a wrench was dropped in error. But at one point, a cable slipped and I made a grab for it, but at the last second I pulled back. Had I not, I would have been pulled right down to the ground. As it was, the attached rod fell with such speed it buried itself in the ground just missing the man standing below handling the ropes. Crosspieces were the last to come down, and then the supports… it proved to be an immense undertaking.

            When spotter planes replaced towers, they became obsolete. An aerial survey took in so much more territory and a pilot could easily radio a ground crew advising them the easiest route into the blaze. If the fire was an arson fire, there usually was a two-track trail leading right up to its source.

            Today, few towers remain across the state. The MDNR put htem up for public sale during the 1980s. The adjacent property owner purchased Goetzville Tower. If I am speaking correctly, I believe towers sold around $250 a piece. Many were purchased merely for scrap metal sales, not preservation.

            Jim Pudelko added; Today when you have an opportunity to view one of these old fire towers, stop and remember how important they once were to the State of Michigan. They were our first line of defense against constant threat of forest fires. I am proud that I had the opportunity to be a part of history in the making.

           

 Source: The Sault News, July 2016. Our Story: A Look Back at the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Where Have All the Towers Gone? Article written by: Betty Sodders.

The Art of Forgiveness

Forgiveness and holding onto grudges are at the heart of many human dramas. People are often humiliated, rejected, wounded by selfishness and inconsideration, treated in-humanely, and stabbed in the back. Forgiveness can forge a bridge linking hatred and alienation to liberation from two kinds of hell: bitterness and victim-hood on one side; and guilt, shame, and self-condemnation on the other.

Making peace with those who harmed us does not have to be done in person. It may happen in the privacy of our own mind. This is going to be difficult to hear. Forgiveness is about letting go of our own unhealthy feelings of self-importance so we can move on with living a more balanced life. In essence, forgiveness is not about weakness. Weak individuals are the people who cannot for-give. Forgiveness is the healing work of the strong. 

Forgiveness of those who have personally caused harm to us, our families or significant others can serve as a release. In the Course of Miracles “all dis-ease comes from a state of unforgiveness,” and it is further explained that “whenever we are ill, we need to look around to see who it is we need to forgive.” Louise L. Hay also adds the very person an individual finds hardest to forgive is the one needed to be let go of the most. Forgiveness has nothing to do with condoning unjust and unkind behaviors, it means letting things go.

Forgiveness must not involve trade-offs, we must not expect retribution. A good example of this is sending a letter to someone and demanding they follow all requirements set forth in the letter before forgiveness will be granted.  Learning how to trust again after being harmed is one of the most challenging facets of being a human being. Developing trust is essential for forgiveness and healing. It is important to be able to move on. If we let others know that we have trust in them and this acknowledgment is earnest, they are less likely to betray us. In order to forgive and make peace with those who hurt us, we must learn to trust again.

          True forgiveness of self and others involves con-fronting the truth about a harmful situation and then feeling the emotions associated with the situation head on, not holding back at all. By experiencing feelings as deeply as possible, even feelings of anger towards the individual who may have caused us harm, we allow these feelings to be released. Remember, everyone makes mistakes (Hay, 1999).

         Generally, it is more harmful for the person who is holding onto the resentments than the person who is perceived as causing the resentment. Everyone has been hurt at one point or another. Life is unfair. When harm is caused by others, there will not always be an understanding as to why. Release those hurt feelings. Holding onto resentments is linked to several physical problems such as increased blood pressure, weakened immune system, depresssion and impaired memory. Harboring resentments is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

Examination of feelings concerning forgiveness towards our parents is a necessary component for the healing process. Mourning a lost childhood is vital for overcoming childhood trauma. Most people have set beliefs of how parents should treat their children. When parents fall short of these beliefs, the adult child often feels cheated. Everyone who wants to be mentally healthy needs to come to terms with their parents whether they consider them to have been either good or bad parents. Children do not possess the intellectual and emotional tools to admit their parents’ harmful behaviors are not the result of something the child has done. When parents are at war with each other, a child’s loyalties are strained. This is most likely the case in a majority of households due to the high divorce rate in this country. Again, it is important to accept what has occurred during our childhood and forgive those who have harmed us.   

Hay is experienced in providing services to those who are suffering from poor health, lack of money, unsatisfactory relationships, or even repressed creativity and associates these problems with not loving the self. Holding ourselves hostage to resentments is associated with not loving the self.  Hay suggests we need to love, accept, and approve of ourselves just as we are. We need to consider ourselves a work in progress. Self-approval and self-acceptance are a couple of the main ingredients which can lead to positive changes in every area of our lives. This process can begin with never criticizing ourselves. Self criticism can lock us into the pattern we are trying to change, which is oftentimes referred to as a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

We need to forgive ourselves for our perceived shortcomings and mistakes. Sometimes when we are feel-ing anger towards someone, we are actually angry with ourselves. We may be angry for putting up with someone’s harmful treatment of us for as long as we did. We need to make sure we forgive ourselves. Be kind to ourselves and garnish acceptance of feelings as we progress along the path of healing. It is okay to be compassionate with ourselves. Our pain is only a part of who we are. We have other parts of our psyches that need to be put in the forefront such as our ability to be tender, our sense of humor, our intelligence, and a whole host of things that make us, us. We can tell ourselves, "I am imperfect just like everybody else." 

To assist with building more love and appreciation for ourselves complete the following exercises: 

1.      To enhance our self-trust we need to think and write in a journal of a time when we trusted ourselves but thought we had made a grave mistake. Did we learn anything from that experience? Would we have been able to learn the lesson without the experience?

2.      We need to determine who was hardest on us, ourselves or our friends, family, or coworkers?

3.      Determine how did a difficult experience helped us become who we are today?  Do we consider ourselves wiser, more mature, more accepting of others? Did that experience help us reach new heights in the ability to refrain from judging others?

4.      Make the resolution that no experience is ever wasted if we learn something from it. Masters of success tell us that anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried to do anything, especially anything worthwhile.

We need to remind ourselves of the worthlessness of worry. Constructively working through traumatic experiences is a way in which we can prevent further damage. Often we find ourselves ruminating about the horrible things in our lives and these obsessions can take over. It is important to practice thought stopping when necessary in order to prevent us from obsessing about traumatic ex-periences in an unhealthy manner. 

The five steps to thought stopping are: 

·         Notice when we are having a destructive thought that causes anxiety.

·         Choose a way to immediately and forcefully tell ourselves to STOP this thought. Some ideas include saying “Stop!” out loud or in our mind; picturing a bright red stop sign; and picturing ourselves pushing our arms out in front of us with our hands in a “halt” position. We can keep a rubber band around our wrists and snap it gently; or give our heads a quick shake as if we are physically shaking off the thought. 

·         Consciously exchange the anxious thought for a peaceful thought. We can plan our peaceful thoughts ahead of time so they are ready immediately and write these down to keep track of them. Say our peaceful thoughts out loud or in our minds.

·         We need to keep our mind focused on our peaceful thoughts until the anxious one is completely gone. 

            Changing our thoughts can make a significant impact on our healing process. Many people throughout history have suffered from trauma. Some individuals have made the bold statement that adversity, obstacles, chaos, and trauma may actually be necessary for people to be suc-cessful and fulfilled.

            J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, described when she was in the depths of despair. She was experiencing a broken marriage, her parents’ display of disapproval concerning her life decisions, and poverty. Hence, she lacked the support she needed and her options were minimal concerning her predicament. Her failures stripped her of everything nonessential in her life and it taught her things about herself. Rowling turned to one of her dreams which was to become a writer and she sat one day at a café and started writing on napkins about her thoughts of a manuscript idea and the rest is history. Mary Tyler Moore made the public statement about chaos breeding creativity. Suzanne Somers has written about the trauma she has faced in her life. Post traumatic growth can occur in many forms besides recovery. We may find ourselves pursuing our dreams with vigor after we recover from unresolved trauma.   

Forgiveness can open up many opportunities for us. We can develop better relationships, pursue our dreams and aspirations and take better care of ourselves. Holding onto resentments can damage us physically and emotionally. By changing our thoughts, we can make a more positive impact on our lives. Setting ourselves up in victim-hood only causes us harm. It’s time to turn ourselves around instead of beating ourselves up. We are imperfect like everyone else and we need to accept ourselves imperfections and all.

Coping with Barrier Reactivity

Some dogs are as sweet as pie when they’re out on walks with their people, but put them behind a fence in their yard or a window in their home and they bark ferociously, lunging and snarling at anyone who walks by. What’s going through the dog’s mind?

            While this frightening display seems like aggression, much of the time this behavior is rooted in fear, overexcitement, stress, anxiety or frustration. And, beware, because it can escalate on that most popular of fright nights – Halloween – which is right around the corner.

            The technical term for this behavior is barrier reactivity. The gate, fence, door or window acts as a barrier separating the dog from the thing to which he’s reacting. The offending thing (called the trigger or stimulus) that the dog is upset about could be a human (either someone familiar or a stranger), another dog, a passing vehicle, a particular sound or even something flapping in the breeze.   

            An ounce of prevention:  If you’ve noticed this type of behavior with your own dog, there are some steps you can take to manage it. First, to figure out exactly what your dog’s trigger is – what she is reacting to – observe what happens just before she becomes reactive. Next, you will want to arrange you dog’s environment so she won’t have the chance to react. If your dog is barking through a fence or at a window, for example, try covering up her view by putting up visual barriers along the fence line or closing the curtains. If she becomes very reactive when someone comes to the door, try putting her in another room before guests arrive.

            Remember your dog is learning through every experience and interaction she has. Therefore, every time she gets a chance to react to the trigger, she’ practicing – and getting better at – her reactivity. Your goal when working on management is to set her up for success, which translates to her not reacting to the trigger.

            If Halloween is a particularly stressful evening for your dog, keep her inside and pull the blinds so she doesn’t see the scary people walking by in costumes. If she’s reactive to people ringing the doorbell, and you’re expecting trick—or-treaters, put her in a room with the door closed, turn on some soothing music and give her a super delicious long-lasting treat (such as a frozen Kong stuffed with peanut butter).

            Time for counter-conditioning: Sometimes, management itself is enough to solve the problem. However, if you’ve blocked your dog’s view and she still stands at the fence barking and lunging at whoever passes, you might want to try some training. One of the easiest techniques to when working with a barrier-reactive dog is called counter-conditioning. The goal is to change how your dog feels about the trigger, whatever it may be. You want to change your dog’s perception of the trigger form something anxiety-provoking to something good and pleasing. Here are the steps to follow:

1.      Get a handful of your dog’s favorite treats and break them up into pea-sized pieces.

2.      Put the dog behind the barrier (door, fence, etc.) and introduce the trigger. When the trigger approaches, start feeding your dog a steady stream of delicious treats.

3.      If she ignores the treats and starts her reactive behavior, that means the trigger has gotten too close and you need to keep it farther away.

4.      If the trigger is a person, you can enlist a friend to walk past your dog’s barrier and toss treats to the dog.

5.      As soon as the trigger starts moving away, stop doling out treats.   

            Each animal learns at a different pace, but eventually your dog will learn that whenever the scary thing comes near, she gets her favorite snack – turning fear or anxiety into anticipation of treats. Changing the emotion behind the behavior can help change the behavior.

            Whether you choose to simply manage your dog or whether you also do some training, don’t ever punish your dog for reacting, especially if she is reacting out of fear. Instead of learning that barking and lunging is what you don’t want, she will learn that seeing the trigger will be followed by something else that’s unpleasant.

            Humans sometimes choose to be scared and even enjoy it – by watching horror movies, for example – but dogs don’t have that option. So, when confronted with barrier reactivity, always consider the fear factor, and try to be patient and understanding while managing and training your dog. Then, when those little ghosts and goblins are at your door, you can all be assured a happy Halloween.

Source: Best Friends (Magazine). September/October 2016. Coping with barrier reactivity.