the ice is nice and thick,its time to go ice fishing

I promised a while back to tell you about the time I went ice fishing with uncle Arney and my father.I was about 5 or 6 and still lived on the farm.and I had wanted to go for a while but had been too young to go.mostly cause my Dad had said so.but for some reason this time I was able to go along.
I think it had to do with Arney, my Grannys brother,He was a sweetheart and liked me.
my father had little time for kids unless they were other peoples kids.then he would bend over back wards to be nice.
any way this time I was going to be able to go along.my mom said she would make peanut butter sandwichs and hot chocolate,and make cookies to take with us.but she said I would have to stay by Arney and the fire so I wouldnt get lost or cold.and I was to stay away from the hole they cut in the ice.
and she said Id have to go to bed early cause they leave very early in the morning. to get to the place up north where they fish.
so I was a good girl and did as she said.
but the problem is child gets all exsited over something new,so I wasnt able to fall asleep fast.I lay there in my bed up under the eves of the house.and day dreamed of what it would be like to go fishing.

I layed there for a long time listoning to Dad and Arney talk downstairs at the table.they talked about what they would need to take so I would be warm.and so I would have things to keep me busy.and Arney said theyed need a big blanket to lay on the ice if I got sleepy.
it seemed to me Arney was the one who cared more about my comfort then my Dad did.cause Dad had all the fishing stuff figured out.while Arney had the things for me figured out.

some how I managed to fall asleep.and woke to my mom getting me up when it was still dark out.she said do you still want to go?I was tired but I could hear Arney down stairs say" come on little girl its time to go fishen."I was up and ready before all the stuff was in the car.
mom got the food ready and the hot chocolate in the thermus.and she got some things for me to play with if by chance I would get bored.I dont even remember what it was cause I didnt have to play with it.

we were all loaded in to the car and off we went.the drive was long so I tired to stay awake to see the pretty senery.but I fell asleep listoning to Dad and Arney talk about what place they could go .where there would be a wind break,and what to use on the hooks.
I remember waking up when Dad said come on we are here.

every thing was unpacked from the car and we headed out on the ice.Dad went ahead with a long pole he used for testing the ice for weak spots.Arney carryed the other stuff for me.they would get things settled and go back for the rest later.after they got the hole cut.
they got all my stuff piled near where they were going to fish.

Dad shoveled the snow off the ice in the spot he was going to cut the hole.he placed the snow in a semie circle around me.and made it high enough to lean against and to break any wind that may come from the south.we faced north where a little woods was along the bank.we were in a litttle cove and pertected on three sides.one the woods to the north and west,and the bank Dad put around the back of me.
then he begain to cut the hole.he told me to not look at it cause the ice mit hit me.so I covered my face so I wouldnt be hit but still watched.for the life of me I cant remember what he used to cut the ice.at that time they didnt have all the ogers and stuff they have now.I think he just used the heavey steel pole he had to smash away tell he was through.I remember it had a sharp end on it.so he most have done it that way.

Arney busyed himself getting wood and getting a good fire started near me.I remember going and helping him get wood.we walked to the little stand of woods to thhe west of us and picked up dry limbs and little branchs.
when we came back Dad was done with the hole and had a little fishing pole in the water in the hole.and was staring to make a new hole when Arney took over.Dad said are you hungery?I said I could wait.we settled on a cookie as we sat by the fire.

we didnt say much other then we talked about how pretty it was where we were.the sun had been up for a while and the sky was coming alive with pretty pinks and purples on the few clouds that were in the eastern sky.the sun shown on the new snow we had from a few days before.and it looked like diamands were thrown all over the top of the snow. I remember going over to make sure it wasnt real diamonds .Dad and Arney laught.
Arney had his hole done and his pole in the ice hole.and we settled down and were guiet.Dad said now we need to be guiet so the fish wont get scared away.I remember asking Dad if they had ears?he and Arney laught again.and he said yes they had something like ears only not like ours.
we all settled around the fire and leaned on the little snowbank Dad had put there.the blankets had been put on top of a old pice of canvas.and would stay dry.the food was in a little sack inside Dads back pack he used for trapping.he had a trap line he ran all winter.
he would trap beaver and muskrats,and other things and sell the hides.that is untill the DNR screwed him out of his right to use the land.
I remember him cleaning the hides in our basement and hanging them to dry in the sand room.I also remember him having snappers {snaping turdles}in that sand room but Ill leave that for another time.

I sat between Areny and Dad as they talked.the fire was warm and no wind hit the little pertected space we had.I lay back my head and fell sleep.when I woke up the guys were pulling a good sized fish out of the hole.and Dad put him in a bag on top of the ice.the baged move for a while and then stopped.
Arney had a fish by him to.they put something on the hooks and were soon back resting on the ice again by me.
Dad said its getten unto lunch are you ready to eat.I had slept for a while and was very hungery.Dad got the frying pan out and popped the peanut butter sandwichs on the pan and heated them up.he gave me some hot chocolate and the sandwich.and nothing teasted so good as that.the peanut butter was warm and melted in you mouth.the crispness of the bread made it chrunchy.and the hot chocolate washed it down .we eat the sandwichs and had cookies ,and buns with cheese for if we got hungery for later.{dont think we even eat them.we were so full from the other stuff}

another fish got on someones line and another and another.the day seemed to go by way to fast.but the memoie would last me for years.soon the sun was getting ready to go down in a few hours and the wind from the north was picking up and the leafless trees werent much help to stop it.the emebers form the fire blew over on us .and Dad said its time to get going .get your stuff together.so I picked up the little bag mom had gaven me with my toys.but I hadnt even looked inside cause I had too much to watch and hadnt become bored at all.the guys picked their stuff up and we headed to the car.Dad got the car started and then went back to put the fire out.
Arney got me in the car and gave me a cookie.and soon Dad was back with his steel pole and the bag of fish..

I remember thinking wish we could have stayed for just a little while long.but we were running out of light.so Dad headed the car towards home.I was awake and watching the pretty senery.the pine trees and the woods along the road.the little creeks and streams we went over.the small towns we went though.the cars we pasted and those that pasted us.I watched guietly and listoned to the guys talk.but pretty soon it was dark and I most have fallen asleep.cause we were home when I woke up.and Granny and mom were fixing supper.and asking if I had fun and if I was good?Arney said he didnt know I was along I was so good.
He told about me helping him get wood while Dad was making the ice hole.he said I was so hungery I almost eat all the fryed peanut butter sandwichs. everyone laught.I remember someone asking how many fish they had but dont remmeber how many.
but I know there were alot cause it took both Dad and Arney a long time to clean them.

we eat supper and all settled in for the night.mom had milked the cows while Dad was gone, as she had to alot of times.so we just rested the rest of the night.

I went ice fishing one time a long time later.in a ice fishing shanty out on a big lake.but it wasnt as fun as the day I went with Arney and Dad up north and sat out on the ice and eat fryed peanut butter sandwichs and drank hot chocolate.

the ice shanty had no windows and the inside was dark and cold.the ice hole was easy to see down and watch the fish swim by.but it wasnt fun without being able to see the sky and feel the cold air on your cheeks.or breath in the smell of a camp fire.I just thought I surely wouldnt go to all the work to come out here and fish in this dungen.but alot of people do.

but then there are those who have shantys that are better then the apartment I live in. I watched a show on them and thought now thats the way to go.some have TV stoves to heat it and cook,and beds and decks. and you would not believe all the stuff or the price they pay for these places. some people live in them all winter.drive back and forth to work from them.its amazing.they have little villages on the ice.little towns it seems in other places.they had a movie called grumpy old men that showed you what its like.I love both the movies.if you ahven seen them your missing it.{Grumpy old men,and Grumpyer old men 2.}check it out.I think the ice fishing one maybe in the second one.

well hope you enjoyed my ice fishing tail from years gone by.and if your ice fishers be careful for thin ice it can bring a good day to a end fast.and also bring life to a end also.thin ice is not safe.so heed the warnings!!God bless and happy fishing.say try some fryed peanut butter sandwichs for me.they are yummy.