Mary goes hunting with Sam during rainy week

I sure hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I have shared with you that the past three years of Mary’s diary have periods when she did not write. The last published column was at the end of 1946. Her next entry was not until mid-1947. So I went to 1948 and it starts Jan. 1. We can relate to the weather and are able to compare our time with Mary’s.

Thursday, Jan. 1, 1948

Arose late at 11. Laurice knocked at the door and I had just got up. Sam came soon after and said he got one duck. Then we all ate breakfast after which we drove over to Lower Klamath Lake. The men went way up on the hill while Laurice and I stayed by the car. We saw many flights of geese and finally went over by some brush where we hid, hoping some birds would come over. About 4, the men returned. Sam had a sprig goose and Henry had two Canada honkers and oh were they big! And oh, how thrilled he was! So home we went with four birds and cleaned them by a stream. Snowed most of the afternoon and now is quite cold. We ate dinner and had shrimp. Very good. All of us were so tired we went to bed early. Milder out.

Friday, Jan. 2, 1948

It rained last night so everything was very sloppy out. The men went out early and Laurice and I ate at 8:30. She shipped the two honkers and we went to the store. Came back and was upstairs reading when they decided to “see” the town. Just half a block from the hotel we saw our car and Bill Cady and Les Lewis talking to the men. They had just arrived thru a lot of snow. We had some sandwiches put up and the four of us went out after geese. Sam stayed by the dike to hunt ducks and Laurice, Henry and I went up on the hill. Not a thing flew until after Laurice and I started walking to the car. Then Henry got one Canada honker and oh he was happy! Sam got one duck and a big sprig goose. So home we went and they cleaned their birds at Lost Creek. To bed about 10. Sam and Henry rode over to Davis where Henry got his car then Henry brought car home and Sam rode with Bill to Weed to get Bill’s dad. He got back at midnight.

Saturday, Jan. 3, 1948

Awoke late just as Sam and Henry returned from hunting. They got no birds. Laurice and I got breakfast and the men got a lunch made to go out again after gas. We drove in Laurice’s car and had our lunch in Klamath Falls at the Pelican Café. We had seafood salads. Very good. Shopped around town. I bought two more icebox containers, a brown cap to wear hunting and a bright red wool shirt. A beauty to wear around home. We saw three lovely gift shops and one antique shop. Went thru all the important stores. Laurice gave me the gifts from Grace and Louie so I opened them. They were real nice so I had Christmas already. Opened them as soon as I got to the hotel. Henry got one duck and that’s all. Sam got skunked! We ate dinner in the big room and then Laurice and I went to the show across the street. We saw Henry while we were eating afterward so we all went in where the music was. To bed at 12. Raining.

Sunday, Jan. 4, 1948

Today I awakened about 8 to see it snowing hard and oh was I surprised! It certainly is coming down. I hope this makes hunting better. This a.m. I went out for a nice walk way past two fields and saw what I thought was two goose decoys. Later they flew away. Back to the hotel and read the Sunday papers and wrote a thank-you letter to Grace and Louie for the Christmas gift. Then Laurice and I ate lunch and later went for a long walk. It certainly was wonderful out and we both enjoyed it. All the fields are white with snow and oh so clean. We had a cup of tea and Old Man Cady came in. Said he got his limit in ducks and geese. Was he thrilled! But he looks very tired and worn out, not at all good. He has had bad trouble with his heart for some time now and should not even hunt. Sam came home and no ducks. Henry is bound to hunt geese and they did not fly much today. They were at the same place. Bill’s party got three geese, nine ducks so they are happy. Still snowing out. A lovely color out at dark. Laurice and I saw Bing Crosby in “Welcome Stranger” and it was very funny. We certainly enjoyed it. Was back at the hotel at 9:15 as we saw the first show. To bed early. We hunt tomorrow.

Monday, Jan. 5, 1948

Today we all got up at 5:45 a.m. and ate breakfast together. Then Sam went out duck hunting with Cady’s party and Henry, Laurice and I went over to Lower Klamath after geese. We found the roads pretty sloppy so were glad we had chains. The geese flew pretty well in the morning. Henry got two and then we ate lunch. He wounded one. We went way out on the reserve to find it but couldn’t get it. It was too far out in the water. Just as he was returning a flock of geese flew over the car and Laurice got one on her second shot. It fell in the reserve and I dashed for it. Henry and I surrounded it and I picked it up. Had a broken wing and was so light. Then Laurice and Henry walked way up on the hill and sat there waiting for flights of geese, but none came. They were quite disappointed but thought they were pretty lucky as it was. Home and ate dinner. Have all bags ready to go. Bill Cady will take three with him. To bed early. Start home tomorrow. Raining out.

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 1948

Arose at 6:30 and left Tule Lake at 7:30 a.m. We arrived in Belfair at 9:40 p.m. A very long ride and I was so tired when I got home I went right to bed. Sam went up to see Emmett at the store. We had to get new fluid put in our brakes after they got over the pass as they would not hold. We had eaten breakfast at the old hotel at Fort Klamath and it was raining hard then and continued with a letup until we got home. The pass over Klamath Hill was clean and over Odell was still partly covered with ice but thawing fast on account of the rain. We had no trouble at all. Drove through water at many places in the Willamette Valley and were glad to get out of that area as floods were surely coming. Ate dinner in Kelso. Wonder where Henry and Laurice went tonight? Don’t think they made it to Silverton.

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1948

Arose late and went to Wychoffs to get my hair done. Sam went to Shelton and picked me up on way home. He bought car licenses. Then at home I dusted and put away some things out of one suitcase. Have all my things ready for Thursday save my white dress which Sam went after just now. Emmett got the geese and ducks out of the Express office so they are now hanging in the cooler. A warm sunny day out so I walked over to the maple grove. Everything is very green, Mostly rain fell since we left. Not enough frost to take leaves off rose bushes. Our movie films came already. Al Orie was down here today. Called Alma Sundstrom and she said Belfair Eastern Star Social Club was at Mrs. Short’s. So I drove up. There were 27 women there and we worked on quilts. The first one will bring $125 clear as all was donated material. A lovely time. Served homemade ice cream with raspberries in it. Delicious. Home late.

■ Clydene Hostetler is a longtime Belfair resident, local historian, media archivist and documentary filmmaker of “Hidden in Plain Sight.” She has been researching Mary Theler’s life for the past 13 years. She can be emailed at [email protected]