__Chapter 9__

November in Wisconsin is most often regarded as a cloudy, dark month with days
growing shorter and the weather continuing to cool as winter approaches. But November weather can vary and there often are stretches of Indian-summer like weather. Frequently November brings the first snows of the season.

Many years ago I read a poem, by an anonymous author and published in a national magazine, that I committed to memory, and which I concluded must have been written about some November or other.

__Chapter 16__

On the morning of October 24, 1997, I met a friend at his house north of Madison and transferred Megs, her kennel, supplies for several days and all my hunting gear to his truck. We were off to hunt the Marshalltown, Iowa, area. The last weekend of October is the opening of Iowa’s pheasant season. My friend had traveled to that state for a national auto parts company and had several friends in the area. He had hunted in the area for several previous seasons. Through his friends we had been able to obtain permission to hunt several farms on opening weekend. Since many farmers reserve that weekend for family and their own close friends, we felt very fortunate. We had planned the trip for several months and were looking forward to the adventure. Several other Dane County, Wisconsin hunters were scheduled to meet us, and we would be joined by the Iowa friend, and perhaps his brother.

A trip like this requires lots of gear. Packing for Megs includes her kennel, containers of food, water bottles, food and water dishes, leashes, bells, whistles and her blanket. We had our regular clothing, hunting gear, shells, extra shotguns and rain gear, since rain had been forecast for Saturday. We stopped in Northeastern, Iowa at a small town for lunch at a farm café. I had been warned that for $5 you could eat a gourmet meal with roast pork, potatoes, gravy, vegetables and homemade pie. The warning was correct and I found that the one meal could last a person several days.