1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves. 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: From coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: my stories and the country skills that will help you 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: beat the system. This Country Life is proudly presented as 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: part of Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: outdoor podcast the airways have to offer. All right, friends, 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: pull you up a chair or drop that tailgate. I 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two to teach you. 10 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to meat Eaters This Country Life Podcast with me 11 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: Brent Reeves. Some of you may know me from my 12 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: Shenanigans on the Bear Grease Render with my buddy Klay Nukelem, 13 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:52,599 Speaker 1: but most of you are probably saying, who is this 14 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: cat and why should I be listening to him? Well, 15 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to tell you because I know stuff about 16 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: living in the country, and on the podcast, I'm going 17 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: to tell you the stories you need to hear and 18 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: teach you the country skills that will help you beat 19 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: the system. Folks that know me are saying, Brent, you've 20 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: been a police officer for over thirty years. What do 21 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: you mean beat the system? Maybe nonconformity is a better 22 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: way to approach it. Miss Roberts, my eleventh grade English teacher, 23 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: called me a walking example of a nonconformist. I'm not 24 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: talking about dodging the draft, not having good manners, or 25 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: cheating on your taxes. I'm talking about that good old 26 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: country common sense that goes against all what I call 27 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: corporate thinking. I like doing my own thing, and that's 28 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: the best results for everyone. This show could be a 29 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: weekly focus of one sad story after another relating to 30 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: my job. After all, folks don't call nine one one 31 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: to spread good news. It's a daily grind of seeing 32 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: even the best people at their worst times, day after day. 33 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: But we ain't gonna do that. We're going to focus 34 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: on the good days and the lessons learned in everyday 35 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: country life. And I'll throw a police story in there 36 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: too when it's appropriate. After this introductory episode where I 37 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: tell you who I am and a little about myself, 38 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna start the rest of them by telling y'all 39 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: what the topic of the week is, what you can 40 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: expect to learn before it's over, and then hit you 41 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: with a story to get you good and settled. And 42 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: then we're going to jump in with both feet by 43 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: the country skill. Everyone should know. Hunting, fishing, and just 44 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: general country living is what we're going to be talking about. 45 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: If it can be done in rural America, it's fair 46 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: game on the list, and the lessons learned can usually 47 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: be applied everywhere here we go. I grew up on 48 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: a small farm in southeast Arkansas, and my whole world 49 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: hinged on my next adventure in the outdoors. I love 50 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: to hunt anything and everything. I ran a trapline before 51 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: catching the bus during the winter. From age twelve until 52 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: I graduated high school, we rode horses and hunting squirrels 53 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,519 Speaker 1: with dogs. They'd also bay hogs. As a matter of fact, 54 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: we hunted just about everything with dogs other than turkeys. 55 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 1: Mountain curves, walkers, pointers, and labradors were what we used 56 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: most for hunting squirrels, coons, quails, ducks, deer, and codies. Also, 57 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: there wasn't a bluegill, brim bass, or catfish safe that 58 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: swam anywhere near the tippid waters of Cleveland County. My 59 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: family's heritage and legacy in that part of Arkansas dates 60 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: back to when it became a state, and hunting, fishing, 61 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: and farming wasn't just a way of life. It was 62 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: the only way of life. The Saline River, that most 63 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: holy stretch of water that runs from north to south 64 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: through the heart of Cleveland County, remains to this day 65 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: the life blood of my family's past and the focus 66 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: of our future. The boat ramp that we frequented most 67 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:08,839 Speaker 1: is named the Lloyd Wilton Buddy Reeves Seline River access 68 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in honor of 69 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: my father, a never ending tribute to him and my 70 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: family's love for that spot on Mother Earth. My ancestors 71 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: depended on the fishing game that lived in and along 72 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: this Washita River tributary, and I was fully convinced as 73 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: a child that we owned it and had since the 74 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: first trickle of water found its way through those woods. 75 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: My first memories are there amongst my family and those 76 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: river bottoms. There were two seasons in my mind, hunting 77 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: and fishing. Neither one involved school. I didn't really mind school, 78 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: I just didn't have time for it. There were traps 79 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: to be set and run, fish to be caught, and 80 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 1: creeks to be explored. Everything that I considered fun and 81 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: sitting in a schoolhouse wasn't one of them, which reminds 82 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: me of a story. Pretty well, how these weekly visits 83 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: are going to go. I'm going to start talking about 84 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: something that will remind me of something else, and I'm 85 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: going to tell you about it and then get back 86 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: to the main subject I started with. Now, I promise 87 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 1: it ain't going to be confusing. The whole thing ain't 88 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: gonna last but about twenty minutes, So just relax and 89 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: hang on. The story I'm reminded of happened when I 90 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: was in the sixth grade. The friends that I'd see 91 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: and play with was the only reason I would get 92 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: on the bus to go every day. That and my 93 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: mama would give me a whooping if I didn't. But 94 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 1: on this particular day, I had a plan. An unnamed 95 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 1: friend of mine and I had noticed every day when 96 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: we got to school, me getting off the bus and 97 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: him getting out of his mama's car because he lived 98 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: in town, that the pot latched train that traveled from 99 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: one side of town to the other hauling wood chips 100 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,359 Speaker 1: from the sawmill to the steam powerhouse and bunks of 101 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: lumber to the dry hills, passed by the school, and 102 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: the tracks were only a short distance from the front door. 103 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 1: Every morning was the same get off the bus stand 104 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 1: in front of the school, aggravate girls. The bell would 105 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: ring all the younguns and the duty teacher would go inside, 106 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: and the potlatch train would roll by at a blistering 107 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: pace a puppet could keep up with. From the front 108 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: door to the railroad track was less than forty yards. 109 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: In addition, the train would come back about fifteen minutes 110 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: before the bell rang to go home every day. These 111 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: facts had not gone unnoticed by myself or my associate. 112 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: I don't know how many days we planned it, but 113 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: it was several. Everything had to be perfect. The two 114 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 1: main things that had to happen was the duty teacher 115 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 1: needed to go in before we did, and the train 116 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 1: had to be right on time. It was a Wednesday, 117 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 1: the third morning before it all came together. Now, this 118 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 1: wasn't our first foray into fight in the system, so 119 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: the regular duty teacher was adamanty that US two go 120 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: in before she did, amongst all that cackling heard of 121 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: fifth and sixth graders. But on Wednesday we had a substitute, 122 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: and apparently she didn't get the memo operations see you later. 123 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: Chumps was a goat. It was perfect in every way. 124 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: I saw the sub when I got off the bus. 125 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: My buddy was already there, grinning like a baked possum. 126 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: We knew that freedom was only one more step away. 127 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: And as the bell rang, that old familiar sound of 128 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: that squeaking, rumbling train echoed around the corner of the schoolhouse. 129 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: It was go time. We lagged behind the teacher who'd 130 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: gone in amongst a large group of kids, and slipped 131 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: around the corner and waved at the engineer as he 132 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: drove past. We hopped on the last box car and 133 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: rode it to the depot that was conveniently in the 134 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: dead center of town, a block off Main Street, right 135 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: beside the YMCA Little League Field, in a short walk 136 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: from my buddy's house. We went to his house, crawled 137 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: in a window, and tried to watch TV, but back 138 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: then there was only three channels, and every one of 139 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: them had some kind of soap opera playing. So we 140 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: went down to the town branch, and there wasn't enough 141 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: water running in it to float a stick, no snakes 142 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: to catch, no frog eggs to chunk at one another, 143 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: so we decided we'd just go eat. Now. My partner 144 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 1: had some money, and he sprung for our dinner, and 145 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: that's what we called the new meal, and we edit 146 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: at the Wayne's Cafe on the Square in downtown Warren, Arkansas. 147 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: We shot a couple of games of pool and pinball 148 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: in the back of the building while the old men 149 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:38,359 Speaker 1: that were regular smoked cigarettes and solved the world's problems. 150 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: They were oblivious to our presence. Coincidentally, next door was 151 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: the bank where my mama was busy working, and assuming 152 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: I was in the school, we decided to leave. As 153 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: we walked out the front door, I poked all the 154 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,559 Speaker 1: money I had left in the cigarette machine and skipped 155 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:56,200 Speaker 1: out the door fifty cents poor and a pack of 156 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 1: Lucky Strikes richer. We walked in broad daylight down the 157 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: side walk, in front of God and everybody in a 158 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 1: town where everyone knew everyone, and not one soul said 159 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: a word to us or told our parents they'd seen 160 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,079 Speaker 1: us in town when we were supposed to be in school. 161 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 1: We made it back to the depot, climbed up in 162 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: an open top box car, and waited for the train 163 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:21,199 Speaker 1: that told us back across town to the schoolhouse. We 164 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: were sitting on tons of pine chips about the size 165 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 1: of a half dollar, smoking lucky strikes like they wasn't 166 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: going to make them anymore. When the train jerked and 167 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 1: commenced us take us back across town. We rode along, 168 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: looking at the sites over the top of that box 169 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,199 Speaker 1: car like we were riding on the City of New 170 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: Orleans instead of the warning Saline River Railroad. When we 171 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:44,200 Speaker 1: got back across town, we climbed down the ladder on 172 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: the opposite side of the school, bailed off the train 173 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:49,960 Speaker 1: at the exact spot we got on it that morning, 174 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:52,959 Speaker 1: waited while the train rolled on by it and hidding 175 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 1: the bushes till the bell rang. When it did, we 176 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 1: walked across the tracks to the school and blended into 177 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: that stem. He the children that poured out of that 178 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: building like it was on fire. He got in the 179 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: car rider line, and I walked up on the bus 180 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 1: like my name was on the title. It was absolutely 181 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: the most fool proof plan I'd ever devise, even up 182 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 1: till now. My pals on the school bus immediately recognized 183 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: my achievement after not seeing me all day, and gave 184 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: me the proper respect that afford it by not saying 185 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: a word about it. We could have been caught at 186 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: any turn, but for reasons unknown to either of us. 187 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: We weren't. We never got caught. No one would know 188 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: about it if I hadn't just fessed up to it. 189 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: Two young lads not quite twelve years old had conspired 190 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: to beat the system, and we did. They both would 191 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: grow up and be involved in law enforcement, me on 192 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: the badge tote in the end and him on the other. 193 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: I think about it sometimes, and I wonder how it 194 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 1: come to him growing up and violating the law and 195 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: me making a living out of enforcment. I don't have 196 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 1: an answer. All I know for sure is if it 197 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: had to be one of us going rogue, I'm glad 198 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 1: it was him, all right. I've been a police officer 199 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: in the state of Arkansas since nineteen ninety one. I've 200 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: worked everything from patrol, swat undercovered narcotics, burglaries, homicides, you 201 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: name it, I've done it. I've served with some fine folks, 202 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: some real heroes, and I think I've seen just about 203 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 1: every kind of person there is, the good ones, the 204 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: bad ones, and all those in between. I've been in 205 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: a few tight spots when I didn't know if I 206 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: was going to make it back home, which reminds me 207 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 1: of a perilous story that has absolutely nothing to do 208 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: with law enforcement. But peril is peril. There ain't no 209 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:50,440 Speaker 1: difference to the dead man it being dead at the 210 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: hands of some outlaw or a dangerous thunderstorm in the 211 00:11:53,760 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 1: middle of the Arkansas River. I spent cal t less 212 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: hours with my older brother Tim chasing animals, none so 213 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: much as waterfowl. To catch these beautiful creatures, one must 214 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 1: implore the use of many different types of equipment that 215 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: usually includes waiters, firearms, boats, ATVs. And to be successful, 216 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: you must be in the places ducks like to gold 217 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,560 Speaker 1: like rivers, lakes, reservoirs, et cetera. All of these items 218 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 1: and the places you use them have one thing in common. 219 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: They are all capable of killing you if you use 220 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: them the wrong way or if you don't respect them. 221 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,679 Speaker 1: I've come close to migrating to that great duck blind 222 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: in the sky on more than one occasion. This is 223 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:43,319 Speaker 1: one particular one that comes to mind. It was opening 224 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: day in the late eighties. Tim and I were sitting 225 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: under the Pendleton Bridge, which crosses the mighty Arkansas River, 226 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: well before daylight, trying to wait on a thunderstorm to 227 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,680 Speaker 1: go by our boat was ready to launch our gear, 228 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,040 Speaker 1: placed it in its appropriate spot, decoys sacked up and 229 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,599 Speaker 1: loaded in the boat, and each of us anxious to 230 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,840 Speaker 1: get to the morning's hunt and get the duck season started. 231 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 1: My black lab Anne was also anticipating, and she just 232 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: walking back and forth under that bridge looking at me 233 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: like saying, you know, come on, let's go. Darkansas River 234 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: has claimed many lives, and Tim and I have been 235 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: on it before when storms blew in and it's not 236 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: safe to be navigating the river when mother nature's letting 237 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,439 Speaker 1: off a little steam. We impatiently waited in about forty 238 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: five minutes before sun up, the rain stopped, the clouds 239 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: broke apart, and we launched the boat for the fifteen 240 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: minute ride upriver to our spot. We made our way 241 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: to the place that we picked out, relieved that the 242 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: weather had improved, and looked forward to a good hunt now. 243 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: When we got there, we quickly set up the decoys, 244 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: finished preparing for the hunt just as the sun started 245 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: to brighten the horizon. I can recall a few ducks 246 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: flying that morning. I think I think we only killed 247 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 1: like a green wing till or two before they absolutely 248 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:06,199 Speaker 1: just stopped flying. The storm that morning had moved in 249 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:10,079 Speaker 1: from the southwest, dropped an enormous amount of rain, blew 250 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: the rest of the leaves off the trees, and left 251 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: nearly as fast as it had approached. Unbeknownst to us, 252 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: the storm we like to refer to now as Hurricane 253 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: Muskrat was just warming up and getting ready to put 254 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: on a big show. The second storm came with twice 255 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: the ferocity of the first one. It rolled right over 256 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: the type of us. We quickly loaded the boat with 257 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: our gear, grabbed the dog, and headed for the boat ramp. 258 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: As we tried to make our way down river, the 259 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: wind was blown right in our face and against the current, 260 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: building two and three foot waves that washed over front 261 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: of the boat, soaking everything that was dry and filling 262 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: our boat like a water trough. I knew we'd never 263 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: make it to the boat ramp, so I turned the 264 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: boat toward a small sandbar and headed there ast as 265 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: I could. I ran the boat up on the sand 266 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: and Tim and Ann and I sprinted to a small 267 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: depression that held about three inches of water. Muskrats had 268 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: tunneled into one end of the pothole, and the river 269 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: had broken through. When the water level was higher and 270 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: allowed it to drain, exposing the pothole like it was 271 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 1: like a shallow soup bowl. We hunkered down near the 272 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: down current end of the pothole, and putting our backs 273 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: to the bank, attempted to light as flat as we could. 274 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: The wind was blown so hard that it was raining sideways, 275 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: and the lightning that came with it was purple frequent 276 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: and Buddy, it was way too close. Lightning was striking 277 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: the sandbar, and we could feel the concussions of thunder, 278 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: and that was the only thing that drowned out the 279 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: noise of the wind in the rain. I was scared. 280 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: Tim looked up the bank of the pothole and saw 281 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: a muskrat then that had partially washed out below the 282 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: rim and offered a little more protection from the storm. 283 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: The washout was about three feet wide, and the top 284 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: of the bank hung over the opening like a little cave. Now, 285 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: on a normal day, a small child wouldn't have had 286 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: enough room to sit in there and play. On this day, me, 287 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 1: Tim didn't have any problem getting in there and still 288 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: had room to include the dog. The storm got so 289 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: bad that I started worrying about the river washing the 290 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: boat away. Had that happened, we would have literally been 291 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: up the creek without a paddle or a boat from 292 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: which to paddle it. I told Tim that I was 293 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: going to check on the boat, which was like less 294 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: than one hundred yards from our shelter across the sandbar, 295 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: but you couldn't see it because of how hard it 296 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: was raining. I took off of the boat and Anne 297 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: took off with me. The wind blew her sideways, and 298 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 1: then it blew her off her feet as she tried 299 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 1: to stay at my heel. So I went back to 300 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: the muskrat then and told her to stay with Tim. 301 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: I found the boat and it was completely swamped and 302 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: going nowhere. The weight of the water had welded it 303 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: to the sandbar. Ran fast as I could back to 304 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: Tim and Anne and staying as low as I could 305 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,840 Speaker 1: while lightning was hitting all around me, and promising to 306 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 1: live my life in a better fashion if I could 307 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: just live to see another day. Crawling back into that 308 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: foot and half space made me realize that fear and 309 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: love of life are ample motivators when it comes to 310 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 1: accomplishing of gold. The water level in that pothole was 311 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: about three inches when we first crawled in. When we 312 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: got out of it. It it risen over two feet. 313 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: This storm only lasted about forty minutes, but as fast 314 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,199 Speaker 1: as it started, dislike the other one, it ended. The 315 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:37,880 Speaker 1: rain stopped, the wind died down, and the clouds began 316 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 1: to clear. We emptied our boat, made it back to 317 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,439 Speaker 1: the ramp and headed to Star City, Arkansas. That was 318 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: the closest place we knew of that had a washing area. 319 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,200 Speaker 1: You might call it a launder mat, but whatever you 320 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:52,679 Speaker 1: call it, it was our only hope to get our 321 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: clothes dried so we could hunt that afternoon. I told Tim, 322 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 1: we just robe in the launder mat, put our waiters on, 323 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 1: and wait for clothes to drive. Thirty minutes later, we 324 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: slid to a stop in front of the washingteria. The 325 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 1: windows were fogged over from the cold outside and the 326 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: warm inside. We were freezing, and when we walked in, 327 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 1: the heat from those dryers felt so good on my 328 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,680 Speaker 1: skin that I came out of those waiters and commenced 329 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: to peeling off layer after layer of wet clothes, and 330 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 1: Tim was busy doing the same. We were two rows 331 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: of washing machines away from the front door. We just 332 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: walked in. We got down to our union suits about 333 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 1: the same time, you know, the red ones with the 334 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: flaps in the back. These were the only garments standing 335 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: between us and nudity. But since no one else was 336 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: there and no one could see through the windows, we 337 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: both just hunkered down behind the row washing machines that 338 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 1: was going to completely hide us and everything you're not 339 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 1: supposed to scratch in public, and started unbuttoning our thumrels. 340 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: It was at this time that one of the three laddies, 341 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: who were all sitting in a row and unnoticed beside 342 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 1: the door we just walked in, said boys, are you 343 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 1: all going to charge us anything for this? If I'd 344 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: have had anywhere to go, that would have been my 345 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: cue to get gone. Tim looked at me, bug eyed 346 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:22,639 Speaker 1: and squeaked out, no, ma'am, and they started laughing. They 347 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 1: turned their heads, held up some newspapers and continued to 348 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: laugh while we slipped back into our waiters and crammed 349 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 1: all our clothes and the biggest dryer in there. We 350 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:34,400 Speaker 1: had absolutely not seen them, and I rushed to get 351 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 1: in there to get warm and dry. And normally you 352 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: go home after a start like that, but we didn't. 353 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 1: It was opening day and we beat the system first 354 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 1: of all, by living then getting dry and only changing 355 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,680 Speaker 1: our location, not our plans to go hunting. Of course, 356 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:53,719 Speaker 1: if we'd had some extra clothes with us, I wouldn't 357 00:19:53,720 --> 00:20:04,120 Speaker 1: even be telling this story. Now, that's a couple examples 358 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: of who I am. You'll be learning more about me 359 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: and my life experiences as we go along. First and foremost, 360 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: I'm a husband, a father, and a grandfather, and those 361 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: are the best jobs I've ever been blessed to have. 362 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:21,200 Speaker 1: I'm also an outdoor videographer writer that's been fortunate enough 363 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 1: to travel to some amazing places to capture on him 364 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 1: some incredible hunts. Helping people and having fun. That's what 365 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: I like to do, and that's what I'm going to 366 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:33,960 Speaker 1: continue to do. That's what this whole podcast is about. 367 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,920 Speaker 1: And if we can't do both every week, I bet 368 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: we can do one or the other. My dad told 369 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: me when I was a little boy that there's no 370 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,359 Speaker 1: place you'll ever be that you can't have fun, and 371 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:47,200 Speaker 1: if the place you are ain't fun, then you make 372 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 1: it fun. I ain't ever forgot that, and that's how 373 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: I try to live my life. So if you like 374 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: hearing stories and want to learn a country skill, or 375 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 1: two that can impress your friends, maybe raise your credit 376 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,359 Speaker 1: score and help you beat the system. I expect to 377 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: see you here next week. Bring a friend and an 378 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: extra set of clothes. You might need them. This is 379 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: Brent Reeves signing off. Y'all be careful.