Memories

It seems like Gunnars entire life(as parents), we were constantly bitching at him, to take care of his property. He worked his ass off, in the melon patches...Get paid, sometimes(most of the time) on a daily basis, and be broke, again, the next day..One year Lee slowed him down enough, to buy him a shotgun, for part of his labor."You'll have something to show, for your work, for the rest of your life...."echoed through the garage, for an entire summer. Trust me, this is (was) a nice gun. A few years later, Gunnar went to basic training, @ Ft. Knox. About 6 weeks afterhe left, we found the shotgun. It wasn't until after Gunnar died, when Doug looked closely, at this shotgun, that we discovered how badly it had been used/abused...and then, Gunnar's sister, Jo, offered up a confession, about a 4wheeler ride, on gravel, spotlighting,the speed of the 4wheeler, a bump on the gravel road, an accidental discharge,(missed her by inches), and the shotgun sliding down the gravel road.....we have had it professional cleaned, and fixed as much as necessary, to prevent rusting.Someday, when Jo gives the shotgun, to her son, she can tell the story of the scratches..they'll always be there............young, and carefree...or reckless...dunno.....

Pheasant Opener

In less than one hour,there'll be lotza happy men, wearing ORANGE,& toteing shotguns, in the state of S.Dak..In the last 2 days, traffic has multiplied by 4....
Last night I "met up" with a few of the hunters that come back from Minnesota, every year..it's been 2 years, since I've seen these guys, and it's the first time we've seen each other, since Gunnar's death. I know how hard it is, this ''first time'' situation, and I want to thank you, all, for taking time, to share your memories. I appreciate the quiet, private conversations, laughter & tears, and I know, Gunnar held a special place, in your hearts, too. You watched him grow up.....remember the orange hair eppisode?? and yes, the$4oo car with $1000 stereo?and the thump, thump music we could hear, 1/4mile away?!
As the old saying goes, "Meet ya @ the clubhouse!"