I can certainly relate to all of that Gary. I’m 77 and I know you and several others have me beat by a score of years but the desire is always there. I started going to the southern with Kathy back in about 2007 and she liked it almost as much as I did. Wonderful new friendships were made - the education I received - the associations we were introduced to - everything was exceptional and I would never trade these experiences for anything.
Then I lost my job (downsized) and at 66 I decided I was now retired and still had a mortgage over our heads. So what did I do?… I sold my two best Parkers to pay it off. Then Kathy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and suffered with it for close to 7 years before she passed in 2022.
Many unexpected things in our lives put a halt to the good times so we can’t wait for opportunities to present themselves - we need to actually MAKE the time for the things we want to do. CARPE DIEM my friends!!
Dorothy, my new love, and I went to the Southern two years ago but we need to make decisions these days based on budgetary constraints. Dorothy loved the Southern and truly wants to go again but for this year we will focus on enjoying some time with friends at Hausmann’s.





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I can’t help but recall the line from a Sparse Grey Hackle story, “The trout don’t rise in Greenwood Cemetery.” I’ve taken that notion to heart throughout my life.

There are many levels of Parker collecting that fit all budgets. You don’t have to be a high income earner to enjoy them. Just find your sweet spot and enjoy.

Thats for sure!

I spent my whole adult life going here and there and meeting great people .....just not about shotguns. If I got interested sooner I’m sure that would have happened also. As it is just joining this site has had a very profound effect on my life. And my aim.

The first time I visited the Southern I left home drove thirty minutes to a small local airport met two folks and flew down in a six passenger plane took about an hour as there’s a small airport within three miles of Deep River . After landing we borrowed a hospitality car drove over stayed 4-5 hours drove back got in the plane and flew home . That was back before the crud of 2020 I think 2016 or 17 . Went the first time to stay overnight in 2021 . That first time was a bit over whelming to say the least .

Life. has many twists and turns. I was not born into money, I made my own way. I was able to retire at 50 and I'm now 75 and comfortable. I've had my share of hard times, no one escapes. My wife had a life long illness and past away in 2022. I get my strength from my interactions with other like minded people. I have many friends in the dog world, duck hunting friends, gardening friends, decoy and duck call collecting friends etc. But most of all I enjoy vintage sxs gun collecting and shooting and the people in that world. My wife loved attending all the big sxs shoots and helping with the Fox table during the early days. She was a people person. In the evening I would review the day in the guns I had encountered, my wife would tell me about all the girls she met accompanying there spouse. She would know the families full history LOL!

Once upon a time my father's boss couldn't give him time off for Elk season, so Dad quit and went Elk hunting. That adjusted my mind set. While I never went to The Southern when I lived in Virginia, I did make all but the very first Vintage Cup.

I'll just leave this philosophical meme here for one to ponder.

I'll add to this one.

"I've never seen a Hearst pulling a gun safe"

Enjoy the time you have, the people you love and the things that stir passion in you.

I'm 60 and still working more than I care to. But, now that I have an income to buy most of what I need and want, I find that I really don't want or need it. I have a dozen Parkers, the highest grade being a GH. I have a love affair with 16's. That suits me just fine as they all shoot and I carry them (and hunt most of them hard) with PRIDE. I can't make the Southern this year, missed Mikes event last year, and sometimes it's not about the money at all but more about the time. I'd say if you had a choice between buying another gun or attending an event, a wiser use of funds is attending an event. I know there are folks that share rooms to keep costs down. Good luck and may your barrels be straight and true...