The Beginning . . . The first time I laid my eyes on Woodtick was during the summer of 1973. My friend, Lars Nashlund, and I had traveled from Ashland Oregon to Minnesota that summer. We did some work for my cousin Scott Lang, clearing some lakeshore land on Big Cormorant lake. We traveled up to Canada with Paul Vache and Bill Wilson, some friends we met while having a few beers. We had built a birch bark wigwam on the shores of Big Cormorant, and we called it home. Upon our return to Minnesota after our big canoe trip, Lars and I went to town. We went to a night club that had live bands. We were feeling pretty home sick and missed Oregon very much. That night we meet two lovely ladies Laurie and Kathy. We talked up Oregon and it sounded as though they were going to join us on our way home. We made it as far as their farm house. We were no longer home sick and spent what was left of the summer having fun with them. On one outing we went to Detroit Lakes MN. There was a unique store there that had many unusual items. The owner had been a taxidermist. In the window of the store was a stuffed chiwowa nailed to a board. We got a lot of laughs looking at it in the window. Lars and I returned home with many great memories, and lots of strong beer Four years went by and it was the summer of 1977. I was going back to Minnesota and Lars was not coming with me this trip. I asked him if he would like me to bring back a souvenir. He said he would like a grizzly bear scrotum, and I said I didn't think I could do that. Lars then said bring me back that stuffed dog. I returned to MN and looked up our friends Laurie and Kathy. They helped me find the owner of the store in Detroit Lakes. He explained to me that the dog had belonged to an elderly lady that asked him to mount her pet. He said it was some time back in the 1920's, and she never came back for her dog. He did not want to sell him at first. He asked me why I would want such a nasty dog. I told him the story of four years before and how my friend Lars wanted me to bring back the dog to him. Reluctantly he said give me five bucks and he is yours. I didn't stop with that I bought all of his 70 year collection of antlers from being a taxidermist. They came in handy for my antler craft business. I said good bye to Laurie and Kathy and headed for Fargo where my friend Paul Vache was having a poker party. Walking in with my stuffed dog under arm, every one raised a fuss and commented how it reminded them of a neighborhood mutt that was full of wood ticks. From then on the stuffed Chiwowa would be known as Woodtick. I drove back to Oregon with Woodtick looking out the window of "Old Paint", my Ford pickup. People stared and remarked is that dog stuffed? Upon my return I presented him to Lars and he said take that nasty dog down to the Log Cabin Tavern. Little did I know that would be the start of over 30 years of road trips and photographs of Woodtick at national monuments and events. As time goes by we will be posting photos of Woodtick and his travels. Hope you enjoy it . . .