Spring  an summer be the best time fer rondeevoo and there is word out that late in May we is a meetin up on the left hand fork of the Blacksmith.  See ya there.

Speak’in of rondeevoo ‘an meetin.  Rondeevoo is a time fer let’in off steam and tell’in tales of hard times.  See’in whos story is the wildust.

Heres one I heard ‘an I aint so sure he weren’t tellin a true story.

He was trappin river otters up on the Yukon in late Spring.  His company and him hadn’t had much good meat fer weeks.  Theyd been livin on wolf, otter ‘an muskrat.  Twernt no moose, elk er deer up as high as they was.

Out check’in traps one day, low an behold up steps a big ‘ol cow moose.  He slowly raised his trusty 50 and BLAM, that ol moose was his fer the takin.  Just about the time he gits his skinning knife out, a sudden Northern began to blow and the temperature dropped to minus 80!  Rivers what were clear of ice, sudden as kin be refroze and even ol Mr. Griz bear had to go back to hibernate.

Well the ‘ol boy was just finishin the dressin chore when it started ta git to him.  His body got a chill sumpin fierce.  So ta save his own skin, he crawled up inside of that mooses chest cavity to git outa the cold.  He figured the animals body heat would save him.

Good plan, till next day when he figured he’d best git goin back to the cabin.  When he tried to get out, he was stuck.  Rigermorti had set up in that critter and the rib cage had him pinned but good.

That’s where they done found him some lebben days later, most dead as that moose.

When he told me this here story at that summer rondeevoo he still had moose hair on his leathers.

Hope ta see ya up at rondeevoo!

Bears Butt

Mar-Apr 1991