Remembering of the Dells Mill, The Dells School and the Dells Mill Pond when I was a child

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Remembrances 

Going to the mill with a wagon and a horse with my Grand Father.  The biggest anticipation was getting the work done and having a Dreamsicle as the reward

Swimming in the pond

Floating on the Dells Mill pond, grasping a log as my float and letting the pond, the breeze and the day taking me

Fishing off the concrete walkway just outside the Dells Mill office window, watching the sunfish taking the bait and hoping the mill would wind up to draw the fish to the water intakes

The day I went  fishing with a high school friend, and reaching over to boat to bring in the fish as he reeled it in.  I startled that fish and gave it the energy to break the line. The fish seemed to be about a ten pound wide mouth bass.  I was almost knocked off the boat by my angry friend 

Skating on the pond without any snow to impede me.  There was no snow on the whole of the pond.  We skated for hours.  My friends were with me most of the way and most of the day.  They had to go, but I stayed and enjoy the solitude of the winter day.  I stayed and stayed and almost expired as I realized I was at the far end of the pond and struggled to get back to the house of my friends at the Dells Mill.

Hearing the ice crack and quake in the cold when I skated

Fishing in an ice shack and talking about girls and sex and mostly ignoring the fishing.

Pushing the snow out of the way when it made ice skating impossible

Lighting a wood log fire on the ice

Making a skating rink to the free the ice when the snow came

My parents anticipating the opening of Bass season

Fishing for Crappie's with my Grandmother

Fishing for perch on a midsummer's day

Wading  and then getting up over my waist in the warm water, then getting nude to feel the water flow over me.

Swimming and diving from a raft built by the Dells Mill Clark family

Hearing Moon River sung by Nancy Clark while swimming in the pond

Finding a blue bird for the last time just before they all but disappeared from the region because of DTD use

Wanting to dive off the rocks of the Dells into the pond

Challenging the damn as dangerous waters flowed over it

Finding solstice on a summers eve, floating in a boat on the pond

Shopping at the local hardware store with my grandfather to find the right bamboo cane pole to fish in the Dells Pond

Finding the right bait

Camping on the Dells Mill pond island with friend

Smoking for the first time

Losing my glasses in to the pond