New Gift Website

Well we are knee-deep into our new website www.moccasinsandgifts.com. We just got it off the ground after months of work so it is a work in progress. Our aim is not to get rid of our current website but to offer a different feel for shopping that is going to incorporate a lot more of our in-store gifts. For example, some of our biggest vendors including Ausable Woodworks, Jody Coyote Jewelry, and Blair Cedar boxes will now have a presence on our website. We still offer the same mom and pop customer service that we always have, now we just have a bigger selection. So, check out all of our gifts at www.moccasinsandgifts.com, but don't forget to keep shopping at www.arrowgiftshop.com. Also, we do have deals that go out to our loyal customers. If you are first time shopper on our website, you must get on our mailing list. To do so, enter your email address at I-contact and information below and we will send you any updates that we have on in-store and online sales we may be having.

Ice Fish Eagle River

More than 25 percent of the fish caught in Wisconsin are nabbed when the lakes have frozen over, which tells you how popular ice fishing in in dairy country. One of the choicest areas to auger a hole is around Eagle River, where walleye, bass, and perch swim in the area's 1,300 lakes and 73 rivers and streams (jig pole and tip-up rentals from $40 at Eagle Sports Center. Snag a room overlooking the Wisconsin River at the Eagle River Inn. SPLURGE! Jim Stanzil will guide you and your friends through a day of walleye fishing for $250.
Most fishing done on the ice starts in late December. This is when local fisherman brave 2-3 inches of ice and begin to go in search of walleye. Walleye and Panfish are the most popular fish to ice fish for, but if you can find a good Northern Pike spot during the day, you are in for a fun day of fishing.
Panfish are usually caught by jigging. Some fisherman have good success on Tip Downs. Tip downs usually have a wooden stand next to the hole and a rod, wire, or even a piece of Umbrella extended from the top. As the fish bites, the wire tips down. These are good setups for soft biting fish.
Walleye and Northern are usually caught on Tip Ups. These tip ups usually have a flag on a spring which releases when the fish bites. In my opinion the number one Tip Up is the Beaver Dam Tip Up.
Anyway you slice it, Eagle River Wisconsin is a great place to be for ice fishing.

Folklore of the Jack O Lantern

An old Irish folk tale tells of Jack, a lazy yet shrewd farmer who uses a cross to trap the Devil. On story says that Jack tricked the Devil into climbing an apple tree, and one he was there, Jack quickly placed crosses around the trunk or carved a cross into the tree bark, so that the Devil couldn't get down. Another myth says that Jack put a key in the Devil's pocket while he was suspended upside-down.
Another version of the myth says that Jack was getting chased by some villagers from whom he had stolen, when he met the Devil, who claimed it was time for him to die. However, the thief stalled his death by tempting the Devil with a chance to bedevil the church-going villagers chasing him. Jack told the Devil to turn into a coin with which he would pay for the stolen goods (the Devil could take on any shape he wanted); later, when the coin/Devil disappeared, the Christian villagers would fight over who had stolen it. The Devil agreed to this plan. He turned himself into a silver coin and jumped into Jack's wallet, only to find himself next to a cross Jack had also picked up in the village. Jack had closed the wallet tight, and the cross stripped the Devil of his powers; and so he was trapped. In both myths, Jack only lets the Devil go when he agrees never to take his soul. After a while the theif died, as all living thing do. Of course, his life had been too sinful for Jack to go to heaving; however, the Devil had promised not to take his soul, and so he was barred from hell as well. Jack now had nowhere to go. He asked how he would see where to go, as he had no light, and the Devil mockingly tossed him an ember that would never burn out from the flames of hell. Jack carved out one of his turnips (which was his favorite food), put the ember inside it, and began endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He become know as "Jack of the Lantern", or Jack-o-Lantern. - source unknown.

A friend of mine gave me the above article. I thought it was an interesting story at the time, so I think it makes an interesting blog. Its not to late to get a toy wooden guy for your child's Halloween costume. Arrow gift shop has an incredible assortment of guns for the holiday.

History of Trick or Treat

The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays goes back to the Middle Ages, and includes Christmas wassailing. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of "souling," when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1) receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Dav(November 2). It originated in Ireland and Britain, although similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy. Shakespeare mentions the practice in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1953), when Speed accuses his master of "pulin [whimpering, whining], like a beggar at Halowmas."
Yet there is no evidence that souling was ever practiced in America, and trick-or-treating may have developed in America independent of any Irish or Britich antecedent. There is little primary documentation of masking or costuming on Halloween--in Ireland, the UK, or America--before 1900. The earliest known reference to ritual beggin on Halloween in English speaking North America occurs in 1911, when a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, near the border of upstate New York, reported that it was normal for the smaller children to go street guising on Halloween between 6 and 7 p.m., visiting shops and neighbors to be rewarded with nuts and candies for their rhymes and songs. Another isolated reference appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920. The thousands of Halloween postcards produced between the turn of the 20th century and the 1920s commonly show children but do not depict trick-or-treating. Ruth Edna Kelley, in her 1919 history of the holiday, The Book of Hallowe'en, makes no mention of such a custom in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America." It does not seem to have become a widestpread practice until the 1930's, with the earliest known uses in print of the term "trick-or-treat" appearing in 1934, and the first use in national publication occurring in 1939. Thus, although a quarter million Scots-Irish immigrated to America between 1717 and 1770, the Irish Potato Famine brought almost a million immigrants in 1845-1849, and British and Irish immigration to America peaked in the 1880s, ritualized begging on Halloween was virtually unknown in America until generations later.
Trick-or-Treating spread from the wester United States Eastward, stalled by sugar rationing that began in April 1942 during World War II and did not end until June 1947 - Source: Unknown.

A Friend gave me the history of trick-or-treating and I thought I would share it on the blog. Arrow Gift Shop has a couple of great costumes for Halloween. Around this time we have a lot of candy-grabbers asking for our Cowboy and Indian dressup gear. We have just about everything you would need to dress your little guy or gal up in western geer. We even have some stuff for you older guys and gals. Give us a call 715-479-4903 to find a costume that is best for you situation.

Fall Colors and Cranberry Fest

Wow have the colors become vivid the past few days. It is amazing how beautiful this area becomes when they peak. We had a successful Cranberry Fest last weekend which usually happens at the same time the colors come out. They nailed it this year. Perfect timing.
For me, this is a favorite time of year. The geese are crowding the sky. It is cooling off. The colors are changing and its hunting season. I will be taking on some pheasants this weekend with my big yellow lab. Its his first pheasant hunt so hopefully it works out.
I have already started thinking about our Christmas specials at the store. Slippers are going to be a huge part of our season. That's because when it starts to get cold like this, so many people start thinking about gifts that keep you warm. Minnetonka slippers are one of our best sellers during the Christmas season.

Piping Hot Mug of Hot Chocolate

Our Aunt Dorothy was up this weekend for a wedding and this morning after Mass she took us out for breakfast. It was a brisk fallish type morning and four of our kids order hot chocolate. We were at the Friendship Restaurant in town and not only did they make their Hot Cocoa with whipped cream on top, but they also gave them a side order of whipped cream. It really put me in the mood for some cocoa so I looked up the perfect hot cocoa recipe, and here is what I came up with from ehow.com :

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:



* 1/4 cup cocoa

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1/3 cup water

* Pinch of salt

* 4 cups of 2 percent milk

* 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

* Mug

* Saucepan

* Spoon

* Beater

* Whipped cream or Marshmallows



Step1

Combine water, cocoa, sugar, salt in a medium size pot over medium heat. Keep stirring making sure everything is dissolved until boiling. Keep boiling for a minute or two.

Step2

2 percent milk makes a creamy cup of hot cocoa, use skim milk for a lower fat content. Reduce heat to medium low and add the four cups of 2 percent milk, constantly stirring. Do not bring to a boil.

Step3

Add vanilla extract and keep stirring.

Step4

Stir mixture for about 2 minutes with the hand beater until everything is mixed together, or until desired serving temperature is met. Be sure not to boil.

Step5

Remove from heat.

Step6

Hand egg beater. For a foamy hot cocoa take hand egg beater and stir vigorously for a minute. Can us a mechanical beater as well.

Step7

Add Marshmallows or Whipped cream



It sounded like a lot of work for me so I just ripped open a Carnation Cocoa packet and dumped it in hot water.
An important part of a great cup of coffee, cocoa, or even soup is what you put it in. I swear by the Mara coffee mug that we sell. They are amazing. I have big hands and I love the way I can fit all four fingers into the cup handle. They are so heavy and tough I have dropped them on the floor and they haven't even cracked. They are microwave and dishwasher safe and they are beautiful. In short, they are a class act for coffee/cocoa mugs. If you haven't bought some, try them today. Kate and I probably have twenty in our house and it never seems to be enough.

Fall Returns to the Northwoods

Fall has returned to the Northwoods and Kate and I are now busy with Soccer and School. I do manage to squeeze in a hunting trip or two once in awhile but I am mostly teaching. As summer fades, the resorts in the area start to cleanup and close down.
Eagle River was an amazing resort area in its hay day. Now it is becoming more populated with condos then little resorts. That is a life style that seems to be changing drastically in the Northwoods.
Yes the economy has really effected our little area of paradise and we have seen our fair share of fellow business men and women decide to shut down their businesses but for the most part we are surviving this crazy economy.
Now is when the beauty of the northwoods really shines. The lakes are quiet as the boats are put away. The trees have already started to change colors and the National forest seem to come alive with grouse, deer, and animals to preprare for the hunting season. The Musky fisherman are still out pounding the water with their oversized tackle and due to catch and release, they are still pulling in a lot of monsters.
With the change in the weather, Minnetonka's winter boots really start to become more popular. Ladies where them with skirts and shorts early in the fall and then switch to pulling them over their jeans. On cold soccer mornings, more and more mom's are pulling on their fashion boots while yelling encouragment to their eight-year-old kicking the soccer ball around. Enjoy your fall before the winter season starts, it is the shortest of our Northwoods seasons it seems.

Moccasins and Bunions

I had a customer ask me the other day what shoe I would recommend for bunions. I'm not a doctor but probably the best shoe I would recommend is the Moosehide Moccasin.
See bunions are bony protrusions that usually occur on the side of big toe or the pinky toe. They are very painful and many time require surgery. You definitely do not want a hard leather or tennis shoe rubbing against them.
Moose moccasins are like a shoe that is already broken-in. I wear them to work when I'm not wearing my fisherman sandals. I like them because I can go sockless with them so they work with shorts. They are so incredibly soft and flexible that they would not irritate your bunions. I also like them because they can really take a beating. I slip in and out of my Moose Mocs like a flip-flop but I still look professional enough to deal with vendors and clients.
I say, when you have bunions look to the Moose.

What's Popular This Summer

By far the most popular shoe this summer....and last summer....and the summer before, is our fisherman sandal. It is my personal sandal of choice. I think it is the cushion insole that makes them so cool. Your feet don't hurt at the end of the day and you just spent the whole day working in your sandals. I know most of you don't have the option of working in sandals, but I do and these are the greatest.
As a teacher, I have been taking full advantage of this summer and doing a little relaxing in my fishing boat when I'm not working at the store. Of course with 5 children, its not really fishing. It is more like Baiting and Fixing poles more than anything. I love the fisherman sandals because when we stop somewhere in the boat I'm not wearing flip-flops. Also, my sandals have lasted for three years. They can really take a beating.

Summer Camp in Eagle River Wisconsin

It is that time of year when the camp kids get a day away from camp to hang out in Eagle River. Since we literally have hundreds of lakes in the area we have several camps. Many times the Eagle River visit coincides with Parents weekend, so many parents bring their children into the store looking for a souvenir from our area. Arrow Gift Shop is primarily a souvenir shop but most parents invest in a pair of Minnetonka Moccasins for their camper.
Moccasins are a sensible gift for their campers. First, they are a gift that their child will probably wear every day. Second, Minnetonkas are so durable that they literally seem to last forever. We have adults come in claiming they still own their moccasins from when they were kids. I guess that is one of the best features of Minnetonka Moccasins-they really take a beating. At our shop, if you have any problems with your moccasins we replace them. We have had customers bring them in after 3-4 months of continuous wearing complaining about a stitch that has broken and we just give them a new pair of shoes and send the old ones back.

Kate and I have sent our kids to Honey Rock which was an experience for them. Even if you are visiting Eagle River for a week or have a cabin up here your kids will still love to stay a few day at camp.

I have also spent some time at Camp Manitowish working with kids in Angel on my Shoulder program. This was a great experience for myself working with these kids.