1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,200 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 --> 00:00:22,360 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 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: outdoor podcast the airways have to offer. All right, friends, 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: pull you up a chair or drop that tailgate. I 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two. The Teacher A 10 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: tale of a few books. I've been influenced by different 11 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: folks in my life. Places, I've been, things I've seen 12 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: in experience, but there's been a lot of books that 13 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 1: I've read over the years that have done the same. 14 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: I'm going to talk about a few of them that 15 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: I've enjoyed reading multiple times in a couple that might 16 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: surprise you. But first I'm going to tell you story. 17 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: The alcove at the back of the church sanctuary was 18 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: where the cool kids sat on Sunday morning. Mostly high 19 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: school kids and their friends and girlfriends took up the 20 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: last few pews and if there was room in the 21 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: first couple of rows that allowed us younger kids to 22 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: see you had to stay on alert, however, because thumping 23 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: ears was a big thing back then, and elementary school 24 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: boys with short hair and ears poking out like wing 25 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: nuts offered a tempting target for the upper classmen, and 26 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: I didn't understand why until I became one of them, 27 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: and then it was clear some ears just begged for it. 28 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: And what better place to do it than in the 29 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: house of our Lord, where the victim had to remain 30 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: silent or face repercussions for interrupting the service at school 31 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: the following day for being a snitch, and the perpetrator 32 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: could seek forgiveness for his transg It was mighty convenient 33 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: for all involved. On this Sunday, there were several older 34 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: kids absent. The main ear thumper was one of them. 35 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 1: I was glad too. I didn't know where he was. 36 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 1: I hoped prison, but doubted i'd be that lucky. All 37 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: I knew was on this Sunday. I had a plan 38 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: that I had formulated in haste as we got out 39 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: of the car for church, and the thumper being gone 40 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: was only going to help me with my mission. I 41 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: was twelve, wearing a coat and tie, and in the 42 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: sleeve of my suit coat the latest issue of Field 43 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: and Stream was wrapped around my forearm, hidden from everyone. 44 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: Set me in Jesus. I was reading it when I 45 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: left the house that morning, all the way to town 46 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: from the farm, and just before we pulled into the 47 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 1: parking lot, I decided to take it with me. While 48 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: everyone else was listening to the sermon, I'd be reading 49 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: Jean Hill talking about quail hunting. We still had quail 50 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: back then in Southeast Arkansas, oh quail were mentioned in 51 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: the Bible. That's how I justified it in my head 52 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: that reading an outdoor magazine in church wasn't a bad thing. 53 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: Twice the Good Lord save the Israelites by giving them 54 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: a big mess of quail to eat. And the fishing articles. Well, 55 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: those fishers of men that were the apostles, four of 56 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: them started out as fishers of fish. A twelve year 57 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: old had justified reading Filled to Stream in church with 58 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 1: the lukewarm knowledge of the Bible. One of my friends 59 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: sat beside me and his eyes bugged out of his 60 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: head when I slipped that glossy periodical from the sleeve 61 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: like a magician. I smiled at him, knowing that during 62 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: the next forty five minutes he'd be sitting still, wishing 63 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: he had his own magazine, and I'd be quail hunting 64 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: and fly fishing for the duration of the service. He 65 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: poked me with his elbow and asked me to let 66 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: him see the magazine. I whispered to him to kick rocks. 67 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: But if he could read fast enough, he could read 68 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: with me. But I wasn't going to read it to 69 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: him or wait for him to catch up. When I 70 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: got ready to turn the page, the page would be turned. 71 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: I gave him one last smug look before I turned 72 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: my attention back to my magazine. He looked a little sire. 73 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: Too bad, my magazine, my rules. Now this went on 74 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: for a little while, me reading him trying to read, 75 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: and me flipping the pages, knowing he hadn't finished the paragraph. 76 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: I thought it was funny. The holder of the sneaked 77 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: in magazine holds more than just a magazine. He holds 78 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: all the power as well. And I wielded my power selfishly, 79 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: with no regard for my friend, who desperately tried to 80 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: keep up the pace. I'll admit some of the articles 81 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: I didn't finish reading before turning the page, just to 82 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: aggravate him. I'd catch him out of the corner my eye, 83 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: his eyes feverishly following along and write in mid sentence. 84 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: I turned the page just to see the frustration building here. 85 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 1: It makes ol a big puff of air. But absolute 86 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: power corrupts absolutely And after torturing him for thirty or 87 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 1: more minutes, when I looked out of the corner of 88 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: my eye, I saw my friend holding his Bible and 89 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: watching the preacher contently. I was trying to contain my 90 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 1: laughter looking at him paying attention in church Like all 91 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: the other kids, we made fun of whatever loser. I 92 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 1: looked back at my magazine that I kept lowering my lap, 93 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 1: just in time to see a shadow cast over the 94 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: top of the page and a pair of women's dress 95 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: shoes appeared on the ornate carpet where my legs dangled 96 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: above the floor. Those shoes looked like my mama's shoes. 97 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,840 Speaker 1: I was going to pay dearly for this. I looked 98 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: over at my buddy, who would have seen her coming, 99 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: but didn't say a word or warn me in any way. 100 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:54,280 Speaker 1: He had the most innocent look on his face as 101 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 1: my mama snatched that magazine away from me, laid it 102 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: on the seat, and ushered me to the family pew 103 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: about halfway between the alcove and the pulpit. As I 104 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: scooted past my grandparents on my walk of shame to 105 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: take my seat, I looked back at my buddy, who 106 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: was smiling at me my fielding stream. Opening his hands 107 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: barely visible above the back of the pew in front 108 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: of him, he bowed his head to read my magazine. 109 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: I took my seat, and I bowed mine to pray 110 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: I'd lived through this, and that's just how that happened. 111 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: Literature was my favorite subject in high school, along with girls, Agriy, forestry, 112 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: girls again, and football. In high school, if you took Agriy, 113 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: you had the option to join the FFA, the Future 114 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: Farmers of America. To join, you had to go through 115 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: a week of school sponsored hazing at the direction of 116 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: the upper classmen. It wasn't demeaning or dangerous just to 117 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: write a passage during that week. The pledges were known 118 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: as green hands, and for a week you had to 119 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: wear a cardboard painted green hand pinned to your shirt, 120 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: a spiney pine cone adorned a haystringed necklace that you 121 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: wore around your neck. Your shirts were worn inside out 122 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: and along with the pockets of your blue jeans or 123 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: your overalls, A myriad of silly requirements and meaningless tasks 124 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: that green hands and during the week to be counted. 125 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: When Friday came as a full fledged member, now everyone 126 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: who wanted to participate did so and no one complained. 127 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: I loved it. We went on field trips and FFA 128 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: sponsored contests at in state colleges summer camps, and got 129 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 1: to get out of school and out of town, off 130 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: the farm to see things and go places that at 131 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: the time were a big deal like the State Fair rodeo, 132 00:07:54,440 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: similar activities, but English class, especially literature and composition, and 133 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: that was my favorite. I lived agri class. My life 134 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: was the same as a FFA sponsored field trip every day. 135 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: The only added bonus to actually being in FFA was 136 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: getting the witness at somewhere else. In fact, some of 137 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: those FFA field trips when I was in school was 138 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: at our forum, like the time I raised catfish through 139 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: a study sponsored by the Extension Service. I promised this 140 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: episode is about literature, but let me tell you about 141 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 1: this project first. The University of Arkansas System Cooperative Extension 142 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: Service is a state wide network associated with the University 143 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: of Arkansas's Division and Agriculture. Their mission is to provide 144 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: research based information through non formal education to help all 145 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: archansms improve their economic well being and their quality of life. 146 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: Whether it's AG or four ahe family, consumer science, or 147 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: community development. Whatever the government and they're here to help. 148 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: But when they say it, they actually mean it. Now. 149 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,599 Speaker 1: Miss Jene Frisbee was the Extension Agent staff chairman for 150 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: Bradley County and Warren, Arkansas, and she had held that 151 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: position since God was a child and retired in nineteen 152 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: ninety five. Her specialty was home economics, and she'd greet 153 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:25,839 Speaker 1: me every morning on radio station KWRF when I stayed 154 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: at my grandparents' house in town. I'd be sitting at 155 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: the table eating breakfasting He'd come Miss Jene with good morning, mister, 156 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: and missus homemaker, it's time for your second cup of coffee. 157 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: Then she had expounded on whatever her topic was for 158 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: the day on a program. But the Extension Service was 159 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: doing a fish farming study around commercial catfish farming. They 160 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: supplied the material to build a floating cage similar in 161 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: looks to a shark cage, with styrofoam floats supporting a 162 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: two before framed Mashon enclosure that the fingerland sized catfish 163 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 1: swam around in. Now. The county agent, mister Paul Cooper 164 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: helped me build it, and I fed them according to 165 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: a strict schedule. I made notations on a daily log, 166 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: and after a period of time several months if I 167 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: remember correctly, another extension agent involved with the project came 168 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: to the farm. My forestry class came out for that trip, 169 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: and we took samples from the enclosure wage and measured them, 170 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: and that was it. Then all the fish were mine. 171 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: I turned a lot of them, loosened the pond, but 172 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:40,199 Speaker 1: kept some in a cage at any time for several 173 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: months afterwards. That we wanted to mess a catfish, I 174 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: just go down and dip up another for supper, kind 175 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: of like what Tim and I do now in the 176 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: Arkansas River, except that project was a lot easier anyway. 177 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: As many places and trips I took physically during school 178 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: and FFA or any other class that afforded me the 179 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: opportunity to step on a bus and go somewhere, none 180 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:12,079 Speaker 1: compared to English class in there. I traveled at any 181 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: place I wanted to go, and some I was told 182 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: to go and I never left the schoolhouse. In the 183 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: eleventh grade and Miss Pat Hayworth's English class, we read 184 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 1: The Red Badge of Courage and I was immediately transported 185 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: back in time to the darkness that was the War 186 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: between the States, which fed and inspired a lifelong fascination 187 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: of history in the battles that were fought near where 188 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: I grew up. I've always been a reader. My maternal 189 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 1: grandfather was accurately described as a voracious reader. He read everything. 190 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: My brothers both read a ton and I was no different. 191 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:59,599 Speaker 1: Still am. The impact of some of the books that 192 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 1: I read has had a profound effect on my life. 193 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: They garnered and fed a passion for exploration, an adventure, 194 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: and helped shape me into the man I am today. 195 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: Robert Ruark's The Old Man and the Boy is a 196 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,839 Speaker 1: prime example. It's about a boy in his grandpa's relationship 197 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: hunting and fishing. The old man is the boy's teacher, 198 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 1: and just like the boy in roue Ark's book, I 199 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: played that part in real life, with my dad playing 200 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 1: the part of the old man as he teaches the 201 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: boy how to hunt and fish and just general life lessons. 202 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:40,719 Speaker 1: He teaches him conservation, responsibility, and stewardship of the resource 203 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: all things I was taught at an early age. That 204 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: book is profoundly good on several levels. It first ran 205 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 1: his monthly articles in Field and Stream magazine and was 206 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: compiled as a book afterwards in the late nineteen fifties. 207 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: I first read that book in high school. The best 208 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: part about reading the book so young is that when 209 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 1: reading it now, I get to see that story from 210 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 1: the old man's point of view. When I first read it, 211 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 1: I only had one frame of reference, and that was 212 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: from the boy. Here's a couple quotes that have stuck 213 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: with me over the years. Anytime a boy is ready 214 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: to learn about guns is the time he's ready, no 215 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: matter how young he is. And you can't start too 216 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: young to learn to be careful. I've told stories on 217 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: here about hunting by myself when I was in elementary school, 218 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: you know, ten or eleven years old, Like the time 219 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: on a cloudy evening when I lost my horse after 220 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: I dismounted and ran on foot from tree to tree 221 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: behind our squirrel dog, Prissy, as she followed a timbering 222 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 1: squirrel that was doing its dead level best to avoid 223 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: riding out in my saddle bags. Once I finally got 224 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:57,080 Speaker 1: him shot out of a tree. I realized that I 225 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 1: didn't know which direction I'd been running, and to walk 226 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: out to get back to my horse before dark. I 227 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: told Pricy to go find my horse, and in short 228 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: order she did just that, running slap out of sight 229 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: in the opposite direction I thought i'd come from. After 230 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 1: circling tree after tree, looking up trying to find that 231 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: running squirrel, she barked about one hundred yards away, and 232 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: when I got to her, she was standing on a 233 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: stump beside my horse. A large majority of the people 234 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: who have lived a life far removed from my own 235 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 1: that I've told that story to, when I get to 236 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: the end, they don't even remark that Prissy the squirrel 237 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: dog could understand English. They want to talk about how 238 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: a ten year old boy gets a twenty two rifle 239 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: and goes hunting by himself, which to me is the 240 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: most insignificant part of that whole story. My age didn't 241 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: have anything to do with it. I was taught from 242 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 1: the beginning about gun safety. It was like learning to 243 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: walk or tell time. I assure you, had I not 244 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: been responsible enough to do it, my father wouldn't have 245 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: allowed it. Here's another quote from that book. A gentleman 246 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: starts down at his boots and works up to his hat. 247 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: A gentleman is first of all polite. A sportsman is 248 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: a gentleman first. But a sportsman basically is a man 249 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 1: who kills what he needs, whether it's fish, bird, or 250 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: an animal, or what he wants for a special reason. 251 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: But he never kills anything just to kill it, and 252 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: he tries to preserve the very same thing that he 253 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: kills a little from time to time. The books call 254 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: this conservation. It's the same reason why we don't shoot 255 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: that tame covey of quail down to less than ten birds. 256 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 1: Ruark references a gentleman in another passage like this, A 257 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: gentleman never talks down to nobody, or even to anybody. 258 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 1: That says anybody instead of nobody. A gentleman ain't greedy. 259 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: A gentleman don't holler at anybody else's dogs. A gentleman 260 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: pays his score as he goes. He don't take what 261 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: he can't put back, and if he borrows, he borrows 262 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: from banks. He never troubles his friends with his troubles. 263 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: Now I get what he was saying in the last 264 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: part about not troubling his friends with his troubles. But 265 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: in far bid from me to correct one of the 266 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: greatest writers I admire most. But I take the last 267 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: line somewhat loosely. I want my friends to come to 268 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: me first with an issue. If they're a true friend, 269 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: I'm going to go to them. But Riarck talks about money, 270 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: and hear's something about money that I learned from my 271 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: dad when I was young, kind of in the same 272 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: theme of the old man and the boy. But I 273 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: worked for a fellow once that made promises he didn't keep, 274 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: and he stole money that was meant for me through 275 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: handshake deal, not a contract, so I had no legal 276 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 1: recourses when we parted company. I stewed on it for 277 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: a long time, quite some time. Times were pretty lean then, 278 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 1: and that money would have helped my young family. All 279 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: I could see was that clown stealing food from my kids, 280 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: not stealing money from me. Months later, I was at 281 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: my dad's barn putting up that more after more than 282 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: one afternoon, and while I was making round after round 283 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:31,879 Speaker 1: cutting grass, I had had enough and I decided that 284 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 1: when I finished the yard, I was going to drive 285 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: to that man's house and give my money or give 286 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: him some boxing lessons until I felt he'd receive the 287 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 1: amount equal to what he owed me. I was walking 288 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:47,160 Speaker 1: out to my truck when my dad drove up and 289 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 1: he asked me where I was going. I told him 290 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:51,200 Speaker 1: I was going to so and So's house to get 291 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,200 Speaker 1: my money. He said, oh, he decided to make it right. 292 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 1: I said, no, sir, I decided to make it right. 293 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: He don't know I'm coming. My dad said, boy, you 294 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: sit down. We're gonna talk about and he asked me 295 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,400 Speaker 1: how much the man owed me, and I told him. 296 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: He looked at me and said, that's the best money 297 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: you ever spent. I looked at him like a calf 298 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: looks at a new gate. I didn't get what he 299 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:23,439 Speaker 1: was saying. He said, I have no doubt that you 300 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 1: can go to his house and give him the whooping 301 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 1: he deserves. But you're gonna get in trouble. You're probably 302 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: gonna lose your job, you ain't gonna get any of 303 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,359 Speaker 1: the money he owes you, and he'll wind up getting 304 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: some more out of you. And if all it cost 305 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,360 Speaker 1: is what he stole from you, to find out what 306 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 1: kind of person he is and how not to do 307 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:47,440 Speaker 1: business from now on, My son, that was money well invested. 308 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 1: He was right, it was. I spoken more than once 309 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: on how Wilson Rawls's book Where the Red Fern Grows 310 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: snatched me up out of a desk by the gallaxies 311 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: of my overalls in elementary school. The fire of that 312 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:08,359 Speaker 1: atomic Wedges Parks is still burning today, just as bright 313 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: as it did then. I'm recording this and old whaling 314 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,120 Speaker 1: my tree, and walker Coonhoun is laying in his favorite 315 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: spot beside my desk. Now, that passion was ignited by 316 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 1: the community in which I lived, in the love I 317 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: already possessed for hunting dogs, and that book helped me 318 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: focus a portion of it toward coon hunting. And here 319 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: I am, forty six years later, just as enamored with 320 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:37,160 Speaker 1: that practice, that book its message as I was when 321 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 1: I first read it. Here's a few of my favorite 322 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: quotes from Wilson Rawl's wonderful book. It's strange, indeed, how 323 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: memories can lie dormant in a man's mind for so 324 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 1: many years. Yet those memories can be awakened and brought 325 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: forth fresh and new, just by something you've seen, or 326 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:00,919 Speaker 1: something you've heard, or the sight of an old familiar face. 327 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 1: Now I have to tell y'all that is almost one 328 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: hundred percent how this podcast comes to life. Each week, 329 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:12,160 Speaker 1: as I'm stumbling on my way around on this planet, 330 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 1: something will remind me of something else, maybe from yesterday, 331 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: last week, or more than likely from years gone by 332 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:23,160 Speaker 1: that triggers a memory. My notebook and my pencil are 333 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: always ready, and I learned the hard way that when 334 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:29,719 Speaker 1: one of those occurrence happens, I have to log it immediately. 335 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: I'll pull over on the side of the road, or 336 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: get up out of bed, or just stop whatever I'm 337 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: doing and write it down. Trusting myself to remember to 338 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: make a note about it later has bit me in 339 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: behind more than once. Here's another quote from that book 340 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: that's one sentence long, but it speaks volumes about its subject. 341 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: Here it is, I've learned that a hunting dog smells 342 00:20:55,920 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 1: like a dog, and a sleeping dog smells all most humor. 343 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: Now I read that, and to me, it's looking at 344 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: the same thing with two sets of eyes, seeing the 345 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:12,120 Speaker 1: totality of what you're looking at. I think a lot 346 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 1: of that ability comes from stacking birthdays on top of 347 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: one another. There's nothing more peaceful than a sleeping dog, 348 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: and I'm looking at one right now. That book is 349 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: about a boy, but it's told from a narrator's perspective 350 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: of looking back as an adult, and mister Raw's statement 351 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: was more about how his heart saw his dogs when 352 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: they were hunting than at rest. It described the bond 353 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,040 Speaker 1: he had with his dogs. Heck, it describes the bond 354 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:43,359 Speaker 1: I have with mine right now. I get emotional thinking 355 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,880 Speaker 1: about it. What better way to spend your time than 356 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:51,360 Speaker 1: with something that loves you unconditionally. You won't find that 357 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 1: represented any more clearly than a four legged family member 358 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,680 Speaker 1: that doubles is a good hun dog. Now, I can't 359 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,159 Speaker 1: say that I learned all that from reading Where the 360 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,679 Speaker 1: Red Fern Grows, but I can tell you that book 361 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 1: helped me understand and put a voice to what I 362 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:12,199 Speaker 1: was feeling. My favorite of all is this one. People 363 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: have been trying to understand dogs ever since the beginning 364 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: of time. One never knows what they'll do. You can 365 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 1: read every day where a dog saved the life of 366 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:26,159 Speaker 1: a drowning child or laid down his life for his master. 367 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 1: Some people call this loyalty. I don't. I may be wrong, 368 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: but I call it love. The deepest kind of buff 369 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: It's a shame that people all over the world can't 370 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:42,359 Speaker 1: have the kind of love in their hearts. He said. 371 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: There would be no wars, slaughter or murder, no greed 372 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 1: or selfishness. It would be the kind of world that 373 00:22:52,200 --> 00:23:01,160 Speaker 1: God wants us to have, a wonderful world. A man, 374 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 1: ain't that good? I sure think so. I hope you 375 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:07,119 Speaker 1: do too. I hope you think it's good enough to 376 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,959 Speaker 1: read those books yourself. And I didn't even get the 377 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: surface scratched on the books that I've read or the 378 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: poetry that I've enjoyed so much. Yep, I said poetry. 379 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: Mss Mary Cupp, my twelfth grade English teacher, introduced me 380 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: to a collection of poems by Robert Frost, a man 381 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: whose work I enjoyed this day. There are others, too, 382 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,119 Speaker 1: but none I've enjoyed more than another Robert. But this 383 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: one's nickname was the Bard of the Yukon, and his 384 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 1: given name is Robert W. Servis. He was eighty four 385 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 1: when he died in nineteen fifty eight. He wrote volumes, 386 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,159 Speaker 1: but a poem that he wrote titled The Men that 387 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:51,199 Speaker 1: Don't Fit In stands out to me the most I 388 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: had read and reread that poem for years, And on 389 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,719 Speaker 1: my second trip to Saskatchewan for Bear Hunt Magazine as 390 00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: a cameraman for my old buddy Clay Bow make a 391 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: non lethal shot on a bear and it would be 392 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: the only shot we got all week. That bear lived, 393 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: but I wasn't sure Clay would. It was a big 394 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:15,040 Speaker 1: investment for his magazine to come home empty handed. And 395 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: we sat in silence on the bank of that lake, 396 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 1: a two our boat ride away from camping, over two 397 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 1: thousand miles from home. Clay was feeling defeated, disappointed in himself, 398 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 1: and I'm sure wondering if what we were doing was 399 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: what we were supposed to be doing. Now. That poem 400 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: came to mind as I looked for something to cheer 401 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: my friend up. Now, I quoted the first standard to him, 402 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: and I'll do it for you now. But I looked 403 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: at him and I said, there's a race of men 404 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 1: that don't fit in a race that can't stay still. 405 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,439 Speaker 1: So they break the hearts of kith and kin, and 406 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: they roam the world at will. They ranged the field, 407 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:59,439 Speaker 1: and they rove the flood, and they climbed the mountain's crest. 408 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,360 Speaker 1: Theirs is the curse of the Gypsy blood and they 409 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: don't know how to rest. I followed that up with 410 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 1: we were there because that was where we were supposed 411 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 1: to be, and we were doing the things that we 412 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 1: were meant to do. Whatever comes of it, comes of it, 413 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: nothing more, nothing less. He gave me that old Thanks 414 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 1: Pal fist bump. But it was still a long ride home. 415 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 1: But looking around now six years later, I'd say it 416 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 1: worked out pretty good. The turkeys in Mississippi for me, 417 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: were quite challenging, to say the least. After finally hearing 418 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:50,440 Speaker 1: a couple and messing with one most of the morning 419 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 1: of my hunt, me, Keith and Jordan heard one of 420 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:57,159 Speaker 1: them get sent to glory less than one hundred and 421 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:01,679 Speaker 1: fifty yards from where we sat. That shut our turkey 422 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: down and put me in the highway headed home. Next 423 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 1: stop Missouri and hopefully better luck. I thank y'all so 424 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 1: much for listening and good luck in the turkey woods 425 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: and the catfish water. I'm about to jump on them 426 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:19,159 Speaker 1: both to all four feet until next week. This is 427 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:22,160 Speaker 1: Brent Reeve signing off. Y'all be careful