Lumberjack Days in Stillwater

Our town's annual celebration of Lumberjack Days is in full swing. Last night we went down by the river to hear bands play from the floating stage in the river. It was billed as "Hometown Night" and the crowds were small. That is an oxymoron, I think. The crowds were small but young, especially as the night wore on. We listened to the second band play covers of classics. The third band drew a younger crowd and we stayed a bit but left because we were dressed for summer and I was freezing. It had only been about 78 during the day and cooled quickly by the water. The young rock band was from Dallas, TX. The singer asked if we always have such nice summer weather. The crowd answered yes. Liars. He is probably used to 100 and considering moving farther north. It was a nice evening, just would have been nicer for me with a light sweater.

Downtown should be packed this weekend. A local downtown bookstore is staging a Harry Potter weekend. Tonight when the book goes on sale they are using the depot for a party. Fans can then ride a midnight train (the Zephyr Dinner Train) in a Harry Potter re-enactment set.

The concessions, Log rolling demonstrations and competition which will be on ESPN, and music venues will draw a crowd. Sunday night it will end with a spectacular fireworks display. We will watch that from the Andiamo riverboat. Our church rents the boat to use as a fundraiser for a former pastor's missionary funding. We'll have dinner, a nice cruise and watch fireworks from the top deck.

In the early 80's when we first lived here, they would have an old steam locomotive downtown giving short rides. It was nostalgic but belched clouds of black smoke. Street drinking and rowdy behaviour were beginning to be controlled by law enforcement. Stillwater had a reputation for hard partying. I think it was the same 130 years ago when those bed-bug bitten, louse infested wood choppers came out of the woods to drink and visit the floating boradellos in Stillwater. Our local hospital had one of the first HMO plans. For a few $$ a year, a lumberjack could receive all the healthcare he needed at Lakeview Hospital. I have seen the old log books. They cover over the individuals names, but the conditions treated were mostly cuts and STDs and injuries from drunken brawls. For the twenty or so years I worked ER, we dealt with a lot of the same conditions in the merrymakers. Of course, the real problem patients from across the river in Somerset were more of a challenge. Throngs of youth would drink and drug while attending rock concerts or floating down the Apple River. They arrived by ambulance in their wet swimsuits, were treated, and then had no clothes, no ride, no money, no friends to take them back. I guess I don't miss summers in the ER afterall.