"Sasquatch"

    One day while on vacation...the family is going to go into Minocqua for shopping and lunch with our friends and neighbors...the Cerny's.  We load up the 1972 Oldsmobile "dragon wagon"...and before we go into town....Bob yells out..."Hey Dad...Can you take us on the "Zooey" Road?!?.  So off we go down Willies...Santo...and Schuman...to the corner by Hwy 51.  Instead of getting on the highway...we veer off onto S. Farming Rd...and start to pick up speed.  The car is loaded down with Larry, Jerri, Tim, Carlene, Deb, Bob, John, Mom & I.  As we make the first turn...the kids start to giggle...up and down we go over the first hill...still gathering speed....UP & DOWN...we go over the second hill....now the kids are going "WHOA."... and the stomachs are dropping thru the seats....UP & DOWN we go over the 3rd hill....kids screaming...parents screaming....and the "dragon wagon" bottoming out on the rising pavement....."Oh Dad...can we do that again?!!?

     We go into town...taking care of the shopping...and have an A.Y.C.E. lunch at "Paul Bunyan's".  ...Good thing we did not decide to do the "Zooey" road...now!!!  Ha Ha !!

     Well...we decide to head home...to go swimming with the kids.  On the way out of town...I spotted the town sheriff...parked in a gas station...watching the passing traffic.  I swerved over and pulled into the gas station to speak with the officer...."HAVE THEY CAUGHT HIM YET ?!?"...I shout.  The officer looks at me dumbfounded...mutters something to me....and I yell back..."Hope they do"...and then drive off going back home.  Lil looks at me...and asks "What was that all about?"....When we get home...I told everyone about the rumor that "Susquatch" the huge man-like beast...has been sighted...on Witches Lake Road. 

     Later in the day after swimming and skiing...we have supper...and I ask everyone if they would like to drive over to Witches Lake Road to see if we could find "Susquatch"???  We load up the car...with the adults in the front of the wagon...and the hesitant children in the rear...

We drive several miles east to Witches Lake Road...a gravel road that heads north into the wilderness...and I mean wilderness...the road looks eerie...with huge trees over hanging the road...making the evening and the full moon...difficult to see.  It is getting dark...very dark.  We drive down the gravel road...and we go for...what seems several miles...going quite slowly as to not raise too much dust....the ELECTRIC windows are DOWN...and we are tying to watch very closely...and listen very carefully...for any strange noises.

     ALL OF A SUDDEN...the car engine quits...and we roll to a stop....on the road....in the dark...all electrical things in the car...are NOT working.  I tried to restart the engine...tried again....nothing.  The engine will not run...we have plenty of gas.  Now What????

     There is not a sole around....just the gravel road going no where...and the surrounding ominous trees.  Larry Cerny knows allot more about cars than I do...so we raised the hood on the car to take a look.  The kids are starting to get restless...and they are talking about......What if Sasquatch??????........."DAD....Roll up the Windows !!!....I Can't.....We have no power..."

     As we were trying to see what was wrong with the engine...I creped off into the woods several yards...and waited a few moments...the car became very quiet...they could hear something was in the woods....something walking around in the woods....Larry Cerny who was supposedly still talking to me near the engine...says..."BILL....WHAT WAS THAT?!?

     With that....I picked up a boulder that I had stumbled on...threw the boulder toward the car...crashing to the ground....and I came limping out of the woods....in the dark..."GGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRR".  As I approached the car...the kids start screaming...and hiding under some blankets in the rear....

     I grabbed the bumper and began to shake the car...."GGGGRRRRRRRR !!!".  I had a flashlight under my chin to highlight the powdered sugar smeared all over my face...to try an look very scary....

    Well....I do not know if that was really very smart of me....the children occasionally stutter....and have become...somewhat distant in our relationship...ever since.