Visit From an Old Finn

Another "goot" story from a letter (my marks are inside the parenthesis), Andy Aamor

11/26/92

I don't know why I keep writing that stuff (Northwoods Readers) at the age of 87 but I enjoy the memories of my beloved land and the fan mail I get from my readers who keep begging for just one more. When all my old friends like Johnny Voelker (author of Anatomy of a Murder) have died it's good to make new ones.

Many visit me bringing books to be autographed and gifts such as slingshots, carvings, smoked fish, pasties and saffron bread. Just yesterday an old Finn came here in his old truck.

"You Cully Gage, maybe so?" he asked
"Yah, Paiva and Kuinka Sameeena."
"You goot writer. I take book to outhouse and read story every day.
Maybe you write name in dis one, eh?"

When I did so, he told me he had a present for me, led me to his truck which held a portable freezer in it. I had visions of illegal venison or lake trout but all it contained was snow. "We got lots," he said. So I had him come into my 133 year old farm house and we had a shot of whiskey and snow . Another good moment.

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Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999

Last modififed April 3, 1999