
This normally sparsely populated area is full of people today. Driving throughout the forests and countryside the roads are full of trucks pulling trailers with ATV's, their drivers' heads cloaked in that ubiquitous shade of orange which can mean only one thing: deer season.
I had a work meeting at a country cafe in the tiny village of Glen Flora, population 92. We waited for a table - this has gotta be the only time of the year that ever happens.
The parking lot at the grocery store: full. I waited through a cycle of three red lights before making it through the intersection. By far the closest thing Rice Lake will ever see to a traffic jam.
It's not a bad thing in my mind though. A nice late-fall booster shot for the local economy, and it is kind of nice to live somewhere that other people want to be - even if it is just for nine days.
All the local shops, restaurants, and bars have "Widow's Weekend" specials advertised for those left at home while their spouses head to the forests. Nevermind that females are the fastest-growing part of the hunting population.
Two interesting contrasts: the sports shop, normally closed at 5, open till 9 -- and the vaccum repair shop, closed for the next ten days.
Happy Hunting!
