I swear......
 

Sometimes you wonder what can be next.

Lost my dear friend Roger Giles a few months back.

My Grandfather passed away just over a month ago.

A real close friend, Jeff Milliken, is very ill right now with an undiagnosed disease.

Russ Bickel, another very close friend and the best gunsmith I know, is currently in an induced coma suffering complications from a triple bypass.

And now I get word that one of my oldest duck hunting friends from Southern Illinois, Tom Horn, is suffering with cancer.

All are hunting / shooting friends which seems to make it even worse for some reason. I swear boys, this fall / winter is the worst I ever spent.


DLH

Whew! I know Jeff and Russ pretty well and I'm saddened to learn of their poor health... and of course Roger - they broke the mold after him.
Good men all, to be sure.

The older we grow the more we endure this kind of news.

I guess life has seasons. We are in the season of life that has a lot of funerals in it. Wish the people and the dogs lasted as long as the guns.

Best,

Mike

Mike, wouldn't that be great, Wonder what it would be like to hunt when you are 140, and the dog, heck I guess both at that age could not hear or see much at all, so much for day dreams, turn, turn, turn Gary

destrey one good thing you can look forward to is the memories they have left you....some of my friends are gone too but i tell and think about them often....a good friend anddie hard quail hunter use to say THERE WAS 12 OF US BOYS AND WE ALL WENT TO WORLD WAR TWO AND WE ALL RETURNED.... NAME HEARSHAL SWINDLE.....GOT TO BE A BRITER TOMMORROW.... charlie

I don't know how old you are Destry, I can only say this situation gets worse for each of us as we age. Enjoy your life and the people in it while you have both.

D,

I am very sorry to hear of all of that. It seems to be going around here as well. Hard times are falling on alot of folks in many different ways. Keep the faith. Try to stay strong.
All my best,

John

Could be worse, could be raining.

Sure I've lost the use of one eye and the left side of my face is paralized. But it's not my shooting eye.

If anyone wants to read about what the the Dr's suspect, look up Guillian Barre syndrome....which was followed some time later by a small stroke.

If things do go south Destry has promised to bring one of his fabled redheads to the wake. I wish I could be there.....well....you know what I mean.

I am really sorry to hear of these misfortunes. My own physical problems just got put into proper perspective.I still mourn my good friend,Leroy,gone almost 11 years. I hope I am as brave as he was when my end looms.

C'mon, Destry. You've been around as many have not. You know happiness is made up of struggling, enduring hard times you describe, always saved by hope, the expectation of something better. We learn to rid ourselves of useless torment, by the memories as charlie said, not melancholy. And loving more those still with us as others go.

Jeff, It's great to hear from you! I wish you all the best in your battle with this malady. I googled up GBS and it seems from the reading that recovery is possible.Hang in there and get better.

Jeff, it was good to see you at our last meeting at the skeet range. It is so odd that a week later, I saw "another" Cobra in our parking lot. How about that? Linda and I wish you a good recovery. Please keep in touch. Murphy

Well said King.

I had lunch today with a relatively young friend of mine (69). He asked me "when do you know when it is time to retire"?
I said don't stay so long they push you out, leave on your terms. Try to plan for doing things that you have wanted to do and haven't had time for--few people while awaiting death say "I wish that I had spent more time at the office". I reminded him that while in good health today that could change suddenly.
He probably won't do anything differently but at least he heard me today

Bill,

Please give the Lovely Linda my highest regards.

To all those that know me and have reached out, thanks for the kind words.

It's been a tough year all around. Between the passing of Luke TWD and a few other things this year....well it isnt the worst year I've had, but it does make the top three.

Jeff

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/71980bea.jpg

Russ Bickel is slightly improved but still not out of the woods and the ultimate outcome is uncertain.

I'm glad to see our Jeff Mull. is still full of piss and vinegar despite his current state of affairs. *wink*


Destry


P.S. to King: I could die tomorrow and no regrets, I've lived more in my 41 years than most guys live if they make it to 100. But the ills and loss of friends is something I don't take well and this has been a hard hunting season for that.

I swear
 

Destry, I wouldn't have expressed myself that way if I didn't think of you as a friend. Your sparkly brown eyes nearly charmed me out of my fishtail 16. We know each other from your tub shooting in Nova Scotia. I'm suffering from the same travails. A fishing buddy who had pioneered the beginning of Canadian television with me died this week. Friends speak to each other with sincerity and I thought as a gunner nearly twice your age you needed a little poke to get goin'.

Well said King....

I know this. Anybody that said money can't buy happiness never bought a bird dog puppy.

Best,

Mike

or a Nice Parker shotgun... :)

King,

I know you do, and I appreciate the thoughts.


DLH