We stayed at the Settle Inn, which is -- by far -- my favorite hotel I've been in for work. AMAZING beds, like a cloud, you won't know what hit you. And a complimentary hot breakfast, served up by Gloria. Homemade french toast and all, but don't forget your breakfast coupon, she won't serve you and she don't play!
On the drive from Eagle River back to Madison, I finally got to stop in Rhinelander. Last year, we excavated the boyhood home of Eugene Shepard near New London, WI. Eugene Shepard went down in Wisconsin and Folklore history with his infamous HODAG hoax. The city of Rhinelander has since adopted the Hodag as their mascot, and there are sculptures all around town to prove it. I have to say, I feel much more like a true Wisconsinite now that I've been to Rhinelander to see a Hodag!
Back in Siren, we've been hitting lots of artifact clusters. Yay for real archaeology! Projectile points, rim sherds, debitage and all, it's a nice change of pace! Some really great property owners allowed us to expand search beyond the project area to define our site boundaries. One in particular was Owen. He's a retiree from the Twin Cities and has been coming to his cottage on the lake for years. I explained to him what we were looking for, and even though the project didn't extend onto his property, he was more than willing to let us have a look. He asked if I like Native American art, and my answer was, of course! He said he'd like to show me some of his own collection and invited me into his lakeside cabin to have a look. I was in absolute awe of his collection, he's obviously spent years on it. Carvings, paintings, masks, dolls, bead work, quivers, prints - WOW! It was really, really touching to be shown this stuff. His favorite artist is a man called Norvel Morriseau, a Canadian Ojibwe. This man's paintings are unearthly and stunning, definitely something I never expected to encounter during a 'normal day on the job'. Do a Google image search of him, seriously. Or check out more of his work here. To see these paintings real and up close was an absolute treat. It is obvious that Owen appreciates, reveres, and has an emotional investment in the objects he collects. Right before lunch, I decide to place a couple of shovel tests along the very southern edge of Owen's property and call it quits for that part of the site area. What do you know, there's a small arrowhead in one of the holes! A chalcedony Madison Triangular, yippee!! Owen immediately says that the museum can have it, even though I explain to him that the property owners can have them sent back after analysis. All of the other property owners want to keep everything, but he wants to give it to the museum. Of course, he's the sweetest man ever. Later that day, the neighbor came up to me and asked if I would talk to Owen again and emphasize that he can keep the arrowhead. He said that Owen is a giver, who would never ask, but it is something he would definitely be touched to have. He's spent a lot of his life collecting Native American art, and he doesn't think twice about giving away something found in his own lawn. As if he needed to convince me further (never was necessary, I whole-heartedly agreed Owen should keep it), he said that Owen had cancer and would likely donate the arrowhead back to the museum after his passing, because he's just that kind of a nice guy. Talk about tugging on my heart strings! One of the best parts of my job is getting to talk to great property owners like these guys by the lake. They have great stories, great insight, and great interest. They don't make many like Owen anymore. I'm definitely gonna make sure he gets that arrowhead.
And now for some scenery. Lovely, lovely Burnett County.
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