JDP said:
Hey are you a yupper er no? I have a buddy that live in Menomonee and we do a lot of fishing and hunting up der.
Born and bred
. I live in the land where the sun shines but for a few months in summer, where average snowfall reaches 150 inches, and it's been known to sustain sub-zero weather for 2 months straight (happened several years back). I grew up learning to drive the icy streets of Sault Ste. Marie, and after 11 to 12 years in more temperate climes, returned to my home town to raise my children and support my family.
California has too many people. Washington state (Spokane area) was great, but there was no available empoyment at the time. Memphis, just to hot for this Goodweed to flourish. And the Pacific rim was too expensive in general, though I dearly loved the dirt-bike trails and monster hills, the grand and natural aquarium that is Lajolla Cove, and the wonderful campground - Red's Meadow (just North of Mamoth Mountain in Northern California). Fishing was great. The campground was an adventure, and my family was young.
But there was just no where you could go to find the peaceful sollace of a stream meandering through tangled brush and swamps into the greatest body of fresh water on the planet, with pristine water that was so clear and clean, you could drink directly from it without fear of any little nasty microbes to make you ill. And the water is cold and refreshing in the heat of summer, and offers endless oportunity for outdoor activities. Lake Superior is at my back door, or at least within easy driving distance. I grew up on the St. Mary's River and swam every day of summer.
Sadly, good employment is lacking in the area and most of us make a modest living, though mine is better than many due to the specific nature of my work.
And yes, I love pasties, fresh brook trout, walley, herring, yellow perch, rabbit, grouse (partridge by native lingo), venison, etc., and boiled dinner, our own local variety of chili, and baked beans. I've even been know to say the coloquialism "purtineer" once in a while.
And I still sing the ditty my grandpa used to sing when he served me flapjacks for breakfast.
"Pancakes are delicious, pancakes are so fine. I ought to know, 'cause I like 'em so, that I eat 'em all the time."
Good to meet another person who understands yoopers (and the movie, "Escanaba in the Moonlight" rings a bit too true for many yoopers, and is a hillariously tongue in cheek vision of the famous yooper deer camps).
But at the very least, I'm an educated and well traveled yooper. I even made it past 6th grade
.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North