1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Rieves 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 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: my stories and the country skills. 5 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 2: That will help you beat the system. 6 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: This Country Life is proudly presented as part of Meat 7 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best outdoor podcast. 8 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 2: The airways have to offer. 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: All right, friends, pull you up a chair or drop 10 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: that tailgate. I think I got a thing or two 11 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: to teach you. Three stories that just hiddent fit. This 12 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: whole podcast is based on stories and experiences from my life, 13 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: and they usually follow a theme or a common topic. 14 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: But there's a few I've collected over the years that 15 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: seem to just be in a category. 16 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 2: All their own. 17 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: I've struggled on how they them for quite a while, 18 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: and it would be a stretch to build any relevant 19 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: lesson or episode with any of these individually. So I thought, 20 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: what better way to include them than to just let 21 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: the stories speak for themselves. I think they're pretty good, 22 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,639 Speaker 1: So that's what we're doing. Three stories this week whose 23 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: only common denominator is yours true. Gather around, kids, I'm 24 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: going to tell you some stories hunter, possums, and church 25 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:47,119 Speaker 1: Let's get to it. I hate rats. Hate is such 26 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: a strong word, and yet in the context of rats, 27 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: it doesn't seem to really capture my overly strong aversion 28 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: to rodents or anything that resembles them. Living in the 29 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: country on a farm, you going to sea rats and mice. 30 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: And that's something else that I never really understood. Why 31 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: are there separate names for rats and mice? In a 32 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: mouse just a little rat in this category of creepy things, 33 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: size doesn't matter. In my opinion, A mouse is just 34 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: a rat in training, kind of like a minor league 35 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: rat waiting to get his shot in the big leagues 36 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: of creepiness. Now, my brothers and I used to wage 37 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: war against rats on our farm. We had two chicken 38 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: houses where my family raised seventy thousand chickens for egg production. 39 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: We owned our own egg processing business, and my grandfather 40 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: sold eggs wholesale to different stores in Arkansas. Tons of 41 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: chicken feed is what attracts them, and the rats caught 42 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: the devil from us. We chase them in an old 43 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: chicken house that now housed farm equipment. There was irrigation 44 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: pipes in there and piles of tomatoes sticks that were 45 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: kept in there waiting for spring when we'd start planting 46 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: and staking tomatoes in the fields. Now, the rats would 47 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: almost always make a run for the irrigation pipes that 48 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: were stacked along the wall, so that worked our benefit. 49 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: One of us would bang on the end of the 50 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,399 Speaker 1: pipes that the rat just entered, and the other two 51 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: would stand on the other end of the pipe, and 52 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 1: that rat would poke his sinister little head out of 53 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: the opposite end of the pipe, and one of the 54 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: Reeves boys would strike him soundly about his cranium with 55 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: a rat stick. This was great sport and one that 56 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: required some pretty good handed eye coordination. It's not the 57 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: easiest thing to do. Apparently, the rats took great exception 58 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: to being rat sticked, and would sometimes after a near miss, 59 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: turn around in the pipe and with tremendous speed and dexterity, 60 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: shoot out the other end at a blistering pace and escape. 61 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,119 Speaker 1: It was during one of these occasions that I think 62 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: my loathing of rats developed. I was the little brother, 63 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: and I rarely got to participate on the rat sticking 64 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: the end of the pipe. I was always stuck in 65 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: the position of banging on the pipe waiting for my 66 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: brothers to give them a good smashing on the other end. 67 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: More than once I remember one or both of my 68 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 1: older brothers missing the rat with their sticks, only to 69 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: have the rat jump on me as it retreated from 70 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: the pipe to safety. Gives me the shivers just now 71 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 1: thinking about it. Possums are marsupials. 72 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 2: I know this. 73 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: Rats are rodents, I know this as well. I also 74 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: know that possums closely resemble rodents, and Brent's Guide to 75 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: Wildlife possums are known as really big rats. I don't 76 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: like them. My son Hunter, who was almost three when 77 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: this all happened, and we were watching television one night 78 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: and heard something on the back porch. Our lab had 79 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: a habit of knocking over the garbage can where I 80 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: kept her dog food, and she would gorgeousself eating until 81 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: the food was gone or she exploded. I'm not sure 82 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: what the holding capacity of a labrador is, but I 83 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: must say that a sixty five pound dog with ten 84 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: pounds of dog food sitting in her belly is neither 85 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: attractive nor safe for kids walking barefoot in the yard. 86 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: For several days. When I heard something on the back porch, 87 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 1: I knew that lab had gotten into the feet again. 88 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: I was rushing to catch her so I could scold 89 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: her and maybe circumvent the labrador land mines that would 90 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: be accumulating in strategic places around the yard. The hunter 91 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: was right on my heels. He knew the plight of 92 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 1: the labrador land mines all too well, and was anxious 93 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: for me to correct this bad behavior. I snatched the 94 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: back door open, turned on the porch light, and at 95 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: the same time expecting to catch my retriever face first 96 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 1: in the dog food. But much to my astonishment, apossum 97 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: jumped from a can onto my leg, ran down across 98 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 1: my foot, and made tracks for the backyard. The contents 99 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: of the profanity that fell from my lips at that 100 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: moment would have made a sailor blush. To say the 101 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: possums scared me would be like saying Einstein was pretty 102 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: good at math. I slammed the door shut and retrieved 103 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: a pistol from the gun cabinet, catching my nemesis at 104 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: the edge of the yard, I sent him to really 105 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: big rat heaven. Now back in the house and still 106 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: somewhat shaken from the whole experience, I made the statement 107 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: I hate possums, a quote I was to find out 108 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: later that was not lost on select members of the household. 109 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: The following Sunday, we sat in church. In our small town. 110 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 1: The local radio station would broadcast a church service from 111 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,799 Speaker 1: the local churches, alternating each week from church to church. 112 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: This was our Sunday to be on the radio, and 113 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: at the beginning of each Sunday service, the children were 114 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,359 Speaker 1: all He asked to come down front and Brother Bill Leslie, 115 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: which sat with him on the floor in front of 116 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: the pulpit, and delivered a short message. During the message, 117 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: it was not uncommon for the kids to just spontaneously 118 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: tell things and to him and to the rest of 119 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: the congregation about recent events that had occurred in their lives. 120 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: It was pretty entertaining. Hunter was no exception to this, 121 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: and people anxiously awaited each Sunday for him to recite 122 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: some folly that he had witnessed his father participate in. 123 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: Brother Bill told me the Hunter probably did more to 124 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: raise the attendance in church than he did. But on 125 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: this Sunday, Hunter was sitting in Brother Bill's lap. He 126 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: was so handsome, sitting there in his little suit, looking 127 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: like a little angel. The height of his head, put 128 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: his mouth in direct line with Brother Bill's lapel Mike, 129 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: this would prove to be my undoing. Everything was going smoothly. 130 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: Brother Bill had delivered his children's sermon, and all the 131 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: children were attentive and quiet. Hunter looked like he might 132 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: even be nearly fallen asleep, when all of a sudden, 133 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: he sat straight up in Brother Bill's laugh and said, 134 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: me and my daddy hate possums. The whole sanctuary roared 135 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: with laughter. Brother Bill was fighting to regain his composure 136 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:25,119 Speaker 1: and laughing hysterically at the same time. It's a moment 137 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: that I'll never forget. I couldn't if I wanted to, 138 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: for every little blue haired old lady would remind me 139 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: of it each Sunday for years to come. By the way, 140 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: we had a record attendance the following Sunday. 141 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:52,719 Speaker 2: And that's just how that happened, all right. 142 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: This next story is entitled the Day my friend shot Jesus. 143 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: Now I've been blessed. I've been blessed with friends. Not 144 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: the people you know and see at work, are the 145 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: ones you've known all your life. But I'm talking about 146 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: real friends. My grandpa used to say that a man 147 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: can live a long life and have many acquaintances. But 148 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: if he can go to his grave saying he had 149 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: just one friend, he can say he was blessed. One 150 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: of my good friends fancied being a policeman. He discovered 151 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: this ambition after tolding that the local saw mill for 152 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 1: several years and was hired by the city Police Department, 153 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: where I was working as a dispatcher at night and 154 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: on the weekends while I occasionally attended college. We had 155 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: been friends a long time. He was actually closer in 156 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: age to my two older brothers, but our families had 157 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: known each other since before I was born, and he 158 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: and I had developed a close friendship after I had 159 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:55,439 Speaker 1: graduated high school. Now he is everything someone wanting a friend. 160 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: He's low, honest, has a wonderful sense of humor, and 161 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: is my idea of what the father and a husband 162 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: should be. I respect him, and his relationship with his 163 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 1: family and his wife is a model for anyone to follow. 164 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 2: Now. 165 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: One day I stopped by his house to visit before 166 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: he went back to work on the evening shift at 167 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: the police department. I walked up to the front door 168 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 1: and I found it open, and I could see him 169 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: sitting in a chair in his living room. He was 170 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 1: in full uniform, staring at his pistol that he held 171 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: in his hand, and he was alone in the house. 172 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 1: Now I knew his children were at the babysitter and 173 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 1: his wife was at work. But he had a strange 174 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: look on his face. And I immediately said something was wrong. Hey, Bud, 175 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: I said, and I opened up the glass door, trying 176 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,200 Speaker 1: not start him. He said, come on in. He never 177 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 1: looked up from that weapon. I had never seen him 178 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: like this. I was very concerned. I didn't know what 179 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:59,839 Speaker 1: to do or what to say. You okay, I'm going 180 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: to hell, he said. He never looked up. I couldn't 181 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: believe what I just heard. My mind was racing what 182 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: to do next. 183 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 2: You're what? 184 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: I asked it as calmly as I could, and he 185 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:18,320 Speaker 1: just said, in the same low, monotone voice again, I'm 186 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: going to hell. I thought he'd lost his mind. I 187 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 1: wish I had asked a question from outside the door 188 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: before I came inside, because if he had gone around 189 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: the bend, at least I would have had somewhere to 190 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: run on the outside of the house. Inside with what 191 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:37,959 Speaker 1: I thought now to be a crazy man, I felt 192 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:40,439 Speaker 1: that I was pretty well in line to go somewhere, 193 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:43,439 Speaker 1: with the hospital being my first choice and the funeral 194 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: home being the last. But he sat there in the 195 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: chair and and not moving, not blinking, and just staring 196 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: at his pistol. I called his name, I said, put 197 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: that gun up and tell me what you're talking about. 198 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: All of a sudden, it was like he was awake. 199 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: He placed his revolver in his hostry and looked up 200 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: and he looked at me right in the eyes, and 201 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: he said, I shot Jesus. 202 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 2: Well. 203 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: I just looked at him, and I said, Jesus Christ. 204 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: I wanted to make exactly sure who we were talking about. 205 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: He said yes, and he said it not unlike a 206 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:23,560 Speaker 1: small child. This had gone from bad to worse. I 207 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 1: could see the evening news with his and my picture 208 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: on it. Anchorman would say, Brent got killed today by 209 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 1: his buddy, a raven lunatic who also busted a cap 210 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: in Jesus just before ending it all. Now, my situational awareness, 211 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: it's at an all time high right now. I was 212 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: tuned into every sound, every breath, every movement that he made. 213 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: I heard an old clock slowly ticking from the mantle, 214 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: as if announcing the countdown to my own demise. The 215 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: silence was deafening, and the a tension so thick everything 216 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 1: seemed to be in slow motion. I could feel my 217 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,840 Speaker 1: heart racing, and my mind leaped from one cent to 218 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: another as I lived over and over all the bad 219 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: things I had done and not made amends for. I 220 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 1: was going to die in my friend's living room. He 221 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 1: was going to kill me, and I've only lived eighteen years. 222 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: I wanted my mama. I mustered up all my strength 223 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 1: and I said, well, did you kill him? He said no, 224 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: I didn't kill him. Do you think I'm crazy? I 225 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: said yes, I do think you crazy. No, tell me 226 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: what's going on. I don't understand any of this. He said, 227 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 1: follow me, and he got up and he started walking 228 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: towards the back of the house. At this point I 229 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 1: thought about running out of the front door and calling 230 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: the chief of police, but I followed the confessed killer 231 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 1: of the Son of God to his bedroom, where he 232 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: pointed to a picture his wife had hanging on the 233 00:13:55,240 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 1: wall beside their bed. And the picture stood Jesus Can 234 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: on a cloud with a three fifty seven magnum hole 235 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 1: right through the center of his chest. The smell of 236 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: gunpowder still hanging ominously in the air. I was practicing 237 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: my quick draw. I thought my gun wasn't loaded, and bang, 238 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 1: I shot. Jesus, Now I'm going to Hell. I fell 239 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: on the floor laughing. I was relieved that he hadn't 240 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: gone crazy and that he would more than likely not 241 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: take my life that day. Dude, you ain't going to hell, 242 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: but it's going to be something when your wife sees 243 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: that picture. He didn't last long as a policeman. It 244 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: just ain't for everybody. He went back to work at 245 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: the saw mill a few months later. I asked him 246 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: about I asked him about this from time to time 247 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: when I seen him, but I always make sure he's 248 00:14:51,440 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: unarmed when I do. Fall River, Kansas. I was reminded 249 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 1: of this last story when a picture popped up on 250 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: my Facebook memories the other day. It remains one of 251 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: my favorite moments from my travels around this great nation 252 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 1: of ours. It also reminded me that you can find things, 253 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: good things, if you look just a little harder than 254 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: the effort it takes to scroll on your phone. There's 255 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 1: good everywhere, and it's not hard to find. Six years ago, 256 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: last week, I was filming a hunt near Fall River, Kansas. 257 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: Fall River is in the middle of nowhere. There's nothing there. 258 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: It was like a Western movie set. Businesses faced each 259 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: other down seventy yards of main street and at the 260 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: end of the street there was nothing, nothing on either 261 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: side past it. 262 00:15:58,640 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 2: That was it. 263 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: There was nothing else, or so I thought. But this 264 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 1: was Fall River, Kansas. It was way after dark when 265 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: we pulled into town to find some type of festival, 266 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 1: with the street blocked off by a crowd of people, 267 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: lawn chairs and picnic tables. They were laughing, talking, and 268 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: children were running and playing. A band was playing from 269 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: the sidewalk. A few children and one older couple was 270 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: dancing to Luke and Box Texas, says my friend and 271 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: I asked a kid walking beside the street where we 272 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: could find something to eat. He pointed and said, the 273 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: fire station has barbecue. Well, we just pulled off the 274 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 1: road and made our way along the sidewalk, smiling and nodding, 275 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: and returned to the greetings that we received from everyone 276 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: who turned to watch us as we walked toward the 277 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 1: fire trucks. The man we spoke to you, he said, man, 278 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, we're not serving anymore. We're out of food. 279 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: I thanked him and started to walk away when he 280 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: yelled for Dan. Now Dan approached us, and the man 281 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: explained that we were hungry. We introduced ourselves, explaining that 282 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,120 Speaker 1: we were from Arkansas, had been hunting, and that we 283 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 1: were about to die of starvation. Well, Dan said to 284 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,159 Speaker 1: follow him, and we did. Man, it turned out to 285 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 1: be the best thing that we did all day. He 286 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 1: opened up a huge cooking trailer and was yelling over 287 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 1: the music for people to do this and get that, 288 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: and warm of food that had already been packed away 289 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: and put away to feed his friends from Arkansas. We said, no, man, 290 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 1: we don't want you to go in any trouble. But 291 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 1: Dan wasn't going to hear anything of it, and neither 292 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 1: were the folks that were working at a feverish pace 293 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: preparing our food, all the while laughing and talking and 294 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: asking us about where we were from and about our 295 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 1: families back home. Dan told us that we had stumbled 296 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:58,120 Speaker 1: upon the fifty first annual free Fall River Barbecue, an 297 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: event held the third week concept wan Eyver and sponsored 298 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 1: by the local merchants and farmers and ranchers and one 299 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:08,640 Speaker 1: or two corporations. It was free for anyone and everyone 300 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:13,360 Speaker 1: from the communities for miles around were invited. Fall River 301 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,160 Speaker 1: boasted a population of around one hundred and sixty folks. 302 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: According to Dan, there were easily twice that number there, 303 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: including the two deer hunters from Arkansas, whose lives Dan 304 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:28,160 Speaker 1: had saved by stoking the fire back up on his grill. 305 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 2: He said. 306 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:32,400 Speaker 1: Four merchants remained where there once was over twenty, he said. 307 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 1: And they can't really make a living. 308 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 2: He said. 309 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: What they give because they appreciate what a little business 310 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: they get, and they want to give back to Fall River. 311 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:42,640 Speaker 2: Well. 312 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 1: I looked around at the people who were there, and 313 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 1: there were mostly old folks and very young. The obvious 314 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: missing demographic were the folks in their early twenties to 315 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,639 Speaker 1: late forties, the ones that had to stay on the 316 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,880 Speaker 1: farm or to leave to make a living. It appeared 317 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,199 Speaker 1: that a lot of them had left. A kind of 318 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: made me a little sad. I knew that I was 319 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 1: looking at more than a festival, though. This was a 320 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: gathering of families, whether by blood, friendship, lifestyle, community, or 321 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: the common bond and love of days gone by that 322 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: are now more of an exception rather than the rule. 323 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 1: It was one big family, and they had invited me 324 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: and my friend to join them as members. Dan and 325 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: the good people of Fall River fed my appetite with 326 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: some of the best food I have ever eaten, and 327 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,119 Speaker 1: my soul with a hope that maybe things aren't as 328 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 1: bad as they're made out to be. If I could 329 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 1: find something as incredible as this by accident, what could 330 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 1: I find if I really tried? And we thanked Dan 331 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:51,239 Speaker 1: and his wife and all the people that stopped their 332 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:53,360 Speaker 1: celebration to go back to work. 333 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 2: To feed us. 334 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: And we were tired. We were running on very little sleep, 335 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: and we still had several miles ago before we could rest. 336 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 1: We were anxious to get back to camp, and Dan said, oh, 337 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 1: you can't leave yet. Why not, He said, you'll miss 338 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: the fireworks. Well, I'll tell you I wouldn't have missed 339 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: them for all. 340 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 2: The deer in Kansas. Well there. 341 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:30,439 Speaker 1: It is an episode of misfit stories that I just 342 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: couldn't figure out how to tell any other way than 343 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:35,639 Speaker 1: to just dump them all out in the middle of 344 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: the floor and let you all wait around in them 345 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: and see what you thought. 346 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:39,880 Speaker 2: I hope you enjoyed them. 347 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:43,439 Speaker 1: I sure enjoyed telling them. They are the stories that 348 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: I've told folks for years because I like to hear 349 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,360 Speaker 1: them too. I thank you so much for listening. Let 350 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: us know what you think. Be kind to one another. 351 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: This is Brent Reeves signing off. Y'all be careful 352 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 2: The