Jim Northrup
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Of FOOOFs on Harleys
and one old fart in a fancy rez car

Fond du Lac Follies went to a biker's party. I had never been to such a party before, and I was eager to hear biker stories.

I went with Ray Earley. He used to ride with these guys back in the old days. Back in the days when Harleys were steel and sounded like they were saying, "Potato-potato, potato," when idling.

We cruised down south on I-35 in Ray's Ram truck. We were in the left lane and running with the big dogs. We talked of wars, old and new, while listening to vintage rock 'n roll. The Doors and Stones sang us to the Cities.

When we pulled into the parking lot of the Minneapolis park on the
Mississippi, I could see a row of Harley Davidson motorcycles. They
were beautiful — all shiny. Some had those high handle bars; there was much chrome and leather showing.

Ray introduced me to a couple of the dudes. They were both Shinnobs and bikers. We drank coffee and stood around in a circle getting to know each other. The one thing we had in common was we all knew Ray Earley.

A couple of them said they had read the Follies.

A guy named Crowbar showed up for the doings driving his restored '50 Merc. Like motorheads everywhere we all drifted out to look at the car.

The motor was a flathead.

I learned the name of the group I was hanging out with. They called themselves the Facetious Order Of Old Farts. FOOOF. T'was said to be the sound of a polite body noise. I fit in with the group because I was old, but don't know about the fart part.

Mostly, the members of FOOOF stood around drinking coffee and talking about the ones who didn't make it to the annual celebration.

We ate hot dogs, burgers and beans.

There was a lot of gray hair and gray beards in the gathering. One guy had a ZZ Top kind of a thing going with his beard.

I overheard a FOOOF member telling another one that he should defrag his hard drive at least once a week. I saw one guy drinking from a can of beer.

After a couple of hours of standing around talking and listening we left that wild party.

On the way back to the Rez, Ray told about the parties they used to have when riding a Harley in the days.

I told Ray I used to ride a Harley. It was orange, small and noisy. A 175cc dirt bike. Harley only made them for a few years, I heard. That cute, little machine used to throw me on the ground all the time. So, I had to get rid of it.

I went to a biker party and all I got was a t-shirt that says FOOOF.

****
Question of the Month
Q. What did the Shinnob say upon meeting the Pope?
A. Boozhoo

****
The winds of Constitutional change are blowing through Fond du Lac.
Fonjalackers have been meeting and talking Constitution at least once a
week. Any excuse for a feast, eh? There are usually 30-40 people who
come to the ENP part of the Cloquet Center.

The people are brainstorming. One group came up with 52 discussion
points about the new Constitution. They brought some ideas about what
they would like to see in the new document.

These Fonjalackers are using the Internet to get the word out. Just browse over to www.fdlrez.com to see what is happening. Windy indeed.

* * * *
We had a visitor at the language table the other night. Mary Jane Frogg came to eat with us. Rika Reynolds brought her all the way from St. Croix. Mary Jane shared some thoughts about the Ojibwe language.

It was good to hear her speak.

She listened as we introduced ourselves in Ojibwe.

Jerry Ojibway, Rez language czar, set up the visit.

* * * *

It is Corvette weather. Me and that beautiful machine are rumbling around the highways of northern Minnesota. This time --- niizosagoons waabik., that was all it took to get it back on the road again. That '64 Sting Ray my wife won at the Black Bear Casino is sure expensive to keep on the road.

I forget about all that when I push down on the gas pedal.

Ezigaa and I go for a cruise around the lake when he comes home from school. We ride until he reminds me he has homework to do.

Nitaawis Deano Bishop has a Corvette. We are thinking of forming the Fond du Lac Corvette Club. Two club members in the club. No dues, no benefits except for the thrill of rumbling around the roads of Minnesota. Hey, we could take turns being President of the club?

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About the author
The views expressed in this column belong to the writer alone. They are not meant to represent this newspaper, this web 'zine, this Reservation or my cousin, Rathide. Comments and bingo packs can be sent to FdL Follies, PO Box 16, Sawyer, MN 55780-0016. email…northrup@cp.Duluth.mn.us web page…www.hanksville.org/storytellers/northrup/ or www.jimnorthrup.org

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