Lake Chippewa Flowage Vacation

R.F. Housel (Bud) and his wife Chinky had a Tavern with dining on Barker Lake Road. There was a gas pump out front.

It was always a treat to stop at “Buds” on the way home from getting groceries at the Winter Co-Op with grandpa. They had a roll the ball pool bowling game. 

 The author remembers hearing stories of Muskies being caught thru the ice and frozen till summer where they were used to win fishing contests.

Bud got John McGilligan the paint John used around Baumgarten’s resort so maybe he was a paint dealer?

Bud and Chinky had at least two boys and maybe a girl?

One son might have been a warden or ranger in Winter?

The most memorable time at Housel’s for this author was the time his parents stopped on the way up to visit grandpa and grandma McGilligan.

We never stopped on our way north. Our cousins did, but not us. We always packed sandwiches, topped the gas tank in Osseo, then blasted thru.

For some reason this one time we stopped..!

Mom and Dad had a drink or two.. or three, we had soda and chips.

Just so happened that one of my fathers drinks emptied a Brandy bottle so…  Bud says to my little brother, “want to see something neat”?  Joe who was about 3 at the time was getting a little fussy and needed a distraction.

Bud screws the top on tight, takes the bottle over to the sink, run it under warm water for a minute or so.

While the bottle was warming bud took a drink straw from it’s holder and cut four slots on one end of the straw. In these slots he slips two pieces of matchbook covers to make…. “four fins”. What a rocket? Now he’s really got our attention. All five of us are watching leaning in towards his creation.

Bud removes the bottle from the water and quickly takes the top off.  He places the straw into the bottle fin side up (the fins held it up and prevented it from falling in).

4…3…2…1…  Bud lights a match and drops it into the bottle.

WHOOSH …………

A big blue frame rips skyward out of the bottle, swirls around, turns to yellow, then fades away only to be replaced by little brother Joe screaming in fear.  It scared the sch-nikes out of him.

Over the river and through the woods off we go to grandpa and grandmas to celebrate Christmas at the A-Frame.  –TMG