WEBVTT - Ep. 289: This Country Life - Keeping Your Cool Above and Below Water

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to this country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves.

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<v Speaker 1>From coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living.

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<v Speaker 1>I want you to stay a while as I share

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<v Speaker 1>my experiences and life lessons. This country Life is presented

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<v Speaker 1>by Case Knives on Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you

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<v Speaker 1>the best outdoor podcast.

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<v Speaker 2>The airwaves haved off.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, friends, grab a chair or drop that tailgate.

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<v Speaker 1>I've got some stories to share. Keeping your cool above

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<v Speaker 1>and below the water. Good night, nurse, We've got some

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<v Speaker 1>stuff to talk about this week. I thought my adrenaline

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<v Speaker 1>field living on the edge of safety adventures were over

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<v Speaker 1>when I hung up my badge and spurs from chasing

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<v Speaker 1>criminals around. But alas they were not. I'm going to

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<v Speaker 1>tell you all all about it. There's no leading story.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the long one, kids, So grab a cup

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<v Speaker 1>of Joe and get ready for this one. I still

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<v Speaker 1>remember the opening sentences of the liability waiver that my

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<v Speaker 1>brother Tim and I had our family attorney draw up

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<v Speaker 1>for our guide business. Welcome to Southern Waterfowler's Guide Service.

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<v Speaker 1>Waterfowl hunting is an inherently dangerous activity, and from there

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<v Speaker 1>it went on to describe that associating your person with firearms, dogs,

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<v Speaker 1>water boats, ATVs, inclement weather, and others either known or

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<v Speaker 1>unknown to you. Was a risk you took voluntarily and

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<v Speaker 1>assumed all the responsibility should any calamity befall you whilst

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<v Speaker 1>participating in any activities during your stay. It took a

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<v Speaker 1>whole page of legal life alad you couldn't really understand

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<v Speaker 1>without deciphering it with a Rosetta stone to say, you're

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<v Speaker 1>on your own, pal, don't do anything stupid now. The

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<v Speaker 1>reason we had to hire a lawyer to create that

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<v Speaker 1>document for clients to sign was because of lawyers in

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<v Speaker 1>the first place. It's like the circle of life. They

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<v Speaker 1>created and profited from this whole assumed liability thing, to

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<v Speaker 1>the point where you can't swing a dead cat around

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<v Speaker 1>your head without hitting someone looking to sue you for something,

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<v Speaker 1>including hitting them with a dead cat. It's in our

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<v Speaker 1>DNA to take risk. Folks have been taking risks since

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<v Speaker 1>like forever. For instance, had the Spaniards not risk the

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<v Speaker 1>Royal farm on Columbus's exploration of the West, we'd all

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<v Speaker 1>be working on the second Thursday of each October instead

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<v Speaker 1>of sitting in a tree bow hunting like Queen Isabella intended.

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<v Speaker 1>For all of us to do. I'm no stranger to

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<v Speaker 1>takeing risks. Anyone who's listened to this weekly struggle be

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<v Speaker 1>well versed by now on my continued attempts to unintentionally

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<v Speaker 1>martyr myself doing the things that I love most, which

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<v Speaker 1>is spending time outside. I've never been what I would

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<v Speaker 1>call reckless, but there have been occasions when I have

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<v Speaker 1>used poor judgment. I was ten or eleven when I

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<v Speaker 1>unintentionally discovered that it was possible to pop a wheelie

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<v Speaker 1>on a tractor. I was bush hogging a field behind

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<v Speaker 1>the house. For those that aren't familiar with that term,

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<v Speaker 1>bush hogging allowed me to hold forth a simple explanation.

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<v Speaker 1>Bush hog is a brand name for a roadary couter

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<v Speaker 1>that's pulled behind a tractor to cut high grass, weeds

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<v Speaker 1>and tree sap with bushes, all kinds such as that.

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<v Speaker 1>And it was powered by the tractor's PTO, by a

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<v Speaker 1>drive chef that you connected to the gearbox that ran

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<v Speaker 1>the blades. The faster you set the throttle, the faster

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<v Speaker 1>the blades turn. It was a big, overgrown lawnmower, and

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<v Speaker 1>it was inherently dangerous activity to begin with, and trusting

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<v Speaker 1>it to a child even more so, or one would think,

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<v Speaker 1>but it was not really. I was well versed on

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<v Speaker 1>how to run both pieces of machinery before ever being

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<v Speaker 1>turned loose on. I lived on a farm, and it

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<v Speaker 1>was part of my very existence, along with the regular

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<v Speaker 1>chores of mowing the yard and other activity that kids

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<v Speaker 1>of the time found themselves bound too, and what I

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<v Speaker 1>liked to refer to as my error of indentured servitude.

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<v Speaker 2>No work, no victuals.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a simple arrangement that required no knowledge of

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<v Speaker 1>Latin to understand. I didn't really mind it unless it

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<v Speaker 1>was taking the time I'd allotted for hunting and fishing

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<v Speaker 1>or running around with my friends. Otherwise, I actually enjoyed it,

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<v Speaker 1>especially when I found out I could do tricks on it.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a massive Ferston two forty five diesel tractor

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<v Speaker 1>manuft action from nineteen seventy six to nineteen eighty three,

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<v Speaker 1>and you could buy one in its final year of

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<v Speaker 1>production for seventeen thy one hundred and fifty dollars.

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<v Speaker 2>We'd had that one.

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<v Speaker 1>For a few years by then, but it was in

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<v Speaker 1>great shape and well taken care of.

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<v Speaker 2>I just sat down in the seat and started it.

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<v Speaker 1>Up, set the throttle to the RPMs I'd been instructed

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<v Speaker 1>to do, and placed the tractor in the appropriate gear

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<v Speaker 1>and range I was allowed to use for traveling from

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<v Speaker 1>the barn to wherever I'd be running the tractor on

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<v Speaker 1>the farm. I had a different set of instructions for

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<v Speaker 1>actually engaging the bush hoog and mowing. It was higher

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<v Speaker 1>RPMs but lower gears. I left the barn across the

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<v Speaker 1>pond level and slowed down to a crawl to cross

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<v Speaker 1>the spillway on the west side of the pond. Reaching

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<v Speaker 1>the other side, I increased the throttle above where I

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<v Speaker 1>was supposed to, but I was in a hurry to

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<v Speaker 1>get to bowing, and with the bush hog raised a

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<v Speaker 1>few feet above the ground behind the tractor, it looked

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<v Speaker 1>like a diesel pired red Wah with its stinger poking out.

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<v Speaker 1>While releasing the clutch, my left foot slipped off the

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<v Speaker 1>pedal and I popped the wheelie on that tractor and

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<v Speaker 1>rode it for about ten yards before I slammed it

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<v Speaker 1>back down. The wheel on the back of the bush

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<v Speaker 1>all acting like a wheelie bar and keeping the front

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<v Speaker 1>wheels from getting more than a couple of feet above Arkansas.

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<v Speaker 1>It scared the living soup out of me and was

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<v Speaker 1>exhilaratingly fun all at the same time. I needed to

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<v Speaker 1>do that again, and I did on multiple occasions when

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<v Speaker 1>the coast was clear of parents and snitches. Popping the

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<v Speaker 1>wheelie was my gateway maneuver that led me to power

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<v Speaker 1>breaking individual back wheels, allowing me to whip into a

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<v Speaker 1>power slide in the mud and change directions on the

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<v Speaker 1>dime on that tractor, never thinking how easy it would

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<v Speaker 1>have been to flip the tractor over on top of me,

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<v Speaker 1>which was a real and probable occurrence that thankfully never

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<v Speaker 1>manifested itself in my routine of tractor tricks, witnessed only

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<v Speaker 1>by me and our cow dog Luke. Now that was

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<v Speaker 1>the extent of my tractor tricks, and thinking back on

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<v Speaker 1>it now, I realized how blessed I am to still

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<v Speaker 1>be here today. I'm also reminded of the time my

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<v Speaker 1>friend Wayne Parnell rode his motorcycle all the way from

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<v Speaker 1>where he lived in the country on the other side

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<v Speaker 1>of town out to our farm. We were about fourteen

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<v Speaker 1>years old. He'd been exactly two months to the day

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<v Speaker 1>older than me, and it was the summertime, and I

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<v Speaker 1>was the only one at home. When Wayne came rolling

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<v Speaker 1>up on his new wheels man that slick, He said,

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<v Speaker 1>you want to ride it?

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<v Speaker 2>Heck, yeah, I do.

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<v Speaker 1>This would be the first time I had ever rode

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<v Speaker 1>a motorcycle in my life.

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<v Speaker 2>You know how to ride one, don't you? Yep? Sure do?

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<v Speaker 2>What's the gears? One down?

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<v Speaker 1>And three of them said got it and I'm gone.

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<v Speaker 1>And with that I eased out the clutch while rotating

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<v Speaker 1>the throttling way. I went down the driveway, out on

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<v Speaker 1>the County Road and around the curve that only a

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<v Speaker 1>few short years ago I had mud drifted the family

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<v Speaker 1>farm truck ending that escapade from Walker Creek.

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<v Speaker 2>Chasing the school bus. You when they remember.

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<v Speaker 1>Once I was out of Wayne's line of sight, I

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<v Speaker 1>down shifted into first gear, showered down on the throttle,

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<v Speaker 1>and released the clutch with the intention of popping a

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<v Speaker 1>wheelie and riding it for a piece down the road.

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<v Speaker 2>That was my intention. It was my maiden voyage on

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<v Speaker 2>a motorcycle. I needed it to be marrorable. Now what

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<v Speaker 2>happened was before Cat cauldlicks behind.

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<v Speaker 1>I was laying on my back holding a Honda motorcycle

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<v Speaker 1>in the air like I had been placed there in

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<v Speaker 1>the middle of that gravel road like a paperweight to

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<v Speaker 1>keep the rocks from blowing away in the wind.

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<v Speaker 2>As gently as I could.

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<v Speaker 1>I uprided Wayne's motorcycle, inspected it for any signs of abuse,

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<v Speaker 1>and there was none. I wrote it back to where

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<v Speaker 1>he sat waiting for me on the front porch. I

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<v Speaker 1>have known him for fifty years. I have guarded that

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<v Speaker 1>secret for the last forty four. I feel better now

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<v Speaker 1>that I've confessed sorry, Wayne. Outside of playing cops and

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<v Speaker 1>robbers with real police cars and chasing real bad guys,

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<v Speaker 1>some of which were pretty dynamic, I've kept the danger

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<v Speaker 1>needle pretty much on zero when it pertains to purposely

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<v Speaker 1>putting myself at risk just for the sake of thrill

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<v Speaker 1>and adventure. Let's not to say it didn't happen, because

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<v Speaker 1>it did, just not on purpose. Some of the occasions

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<v Speaker 1>I've alluded to on this very program. Another that happened

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<v Speaker 1>a few days ago. I'm about to I and a

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<v Speaker 1>few of my fellow compatriots, gathered in Arkansas are at

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<v Speaker 1>the head of a recent Arctic coal front that was

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<v Speaker 1>running to be bringing in frigid temperature, snow and clouds

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<v Speaker 1>of ducks two thirds of which would turn out to

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<v Speaker 1>be true. But as I sometimes say, that's a story

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<v Speaker 1>at the end of the day. Anyway, after months and months

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<v Speaker 1>of planning with my colleagues at first light and meet

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<v Speaker 1>Eater on a duck hunting film we've been working on,

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<v Speaker 1>the time came for the rubber to meet.

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<v Speaker 2>The road, or better yet, with the waiters to meet

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<v Speaker 2>the water.

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<v Speaker 1>I'd gain permission to hunt a few places that are

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<v Speaker 1>a little off the beaten path that some friends have

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<v Speaker 1>access to, and it was one of those places our

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<v Speaker 1>adventure would begin well before daylight and well below freezing.

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<v Speaker 1>We rolled up to the meeting place an hour and

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<v Speaker 1>a half before daylight and met another one of my

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<v Speaker 1>friends who would lead us, and by us, I mean

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<v Speaker 1>all seven of us, a number that included two video

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<v Speaker 1>camera men, a photographer, a producer, a black lab named Moss,

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<v Speaker 1>and two others along with yours, truly toting shotguns, camera gear,

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<v Speaker 1>a dog stand, backpack, shotguns, and three sons of the South,

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<v Speaker 1>would occupy a fifteen year old syber side that has

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<v Speaker 1>been a fixture at the Cash by You Hunt Club.

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<v Speaker 1>The number of ducks and coons and hounds and people

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<v Speaker 1>it has carted back and forth along the white and

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<v Speaker 1>cash rivers would be far too many for me to

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<v Speaker 1>even hazard a guests, but you get the idea. It's

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<v Speaker 1>been well used and like our old tractor, it's always

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<v Speaker 1>been well taken care of. It wasn't treated as a

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<v Speaker 1>circus prop like I did that tractor on occasion, or

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<v Speaker 1>a borred motorcycle from a childhood friend. It was a

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<v Speaker 1>conveyance to and from the hunting and fishing locations, a

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<v Speaker 1>tool in the Geordia to be used, cleaned and put away.

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<v Speaker 1>That's how piece of machinery lasts for fifteen years and

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<v Speaker 1>in an environment of wearing hardship. And it is with

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<v Speaker 1>this contraption that we would all narrowly avoid trap tragedy.

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<v Speaker 1>On the onset of this production, we gathered in a

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<v Speaker 1>huddle delegating who would ride where, before taking a two

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<v Speaker 1>sides beside convoy down the levee and a cross wooden

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<v Speaker 1>bridge into what I like to call the mother Church,

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<v Speaker 1>a duck hunting knee deep.

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<v Speaker 2>Flooded green timber.

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<v Speaker 1>It is the one true place to enjoy deconn mallard

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<v Speaker 1>ducks and see in the beauty of how they seemingly

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes just crash down in through the holes in the canopy,

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<v Speaker 1>their wings stir in the air like a big ceiling fan,

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<v Speaker 1>and ended in a splash of water that sometimes reaches

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<v Speaker 1>where you stand. The image I just struggled vainly to describe.

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<v Speaker 2>Is what we were going to attempt to.

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<v Speaker 1>Capture on film, and even then fails to show all

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<v Speaker 1>the wonderment of decin ducks. You feel it as much

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<v Speaker 1>as you see it, you smell it as much as

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<v Speaker 1>you hear it. To fully appreciate it, you have to

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<v Speaker 1>be there with friends in which to share it, And

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<v Speaker 1>with friends I was both colleagues and hunting buddies. We

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<v Speaker 1>followed our counterparts down the levee, they and the lead

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<v Speaker 1>side by side, and us bringing up the rear. The

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<v Speaker 1>bridge that crossed the ditch leading into the footed timber

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<v Speaker 1>was fashioned with new six or six treated timbers and

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<v Speaker 1>tuber forms. It was solidly constructed, and the lead vehicle

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<v Speaker 1>and our element crossed without a hitch, and we followed

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<v Speaker 1>suit Brad Clark, the pride of her Nando Mississippi. Our

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<v Speaker 1>driver lined up perfectly and eased our way across the

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<v Speaker 1>bridge that allowed for a little less than a foot

0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:38.040
<v Speaker 1>of clearance. On each side of the six foot wooden

0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:43.160
<v Speaker 1>expanse that separated dry clothes from wet ones. The next

0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:46.480
<v Speaker 1>instant was quick and in slow motion, all at once.

0:13:47.160 --> 0:13:49.360
<v Speaker 1>Now no one can say for sure what happened, but

0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:52.160
<v Speaker 1>after the rear tires touched the bridge and we were

0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:55.600
<v Speaker 1>one hundred percent committed to the crossing, the rear end

0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:59.800
<v Speaker 1>slowly slid left. I sat in the cab, staring straight

0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:02.040
<v Speaker 1>at the head of the flooded woods in front of us,

0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:06.080
<v Speaker 1>as did Brad and Trevor Nevin, my young friend, who

0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:08.800
<v Speaker 1>in his senior year of high school joined us on

0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:12.360
<v Speaker 1>this film to play a pivotal role in the message

0:14:12.440 --> 0:14:15.720
<v Speaker 1>that we were trying to capture. We all felt the

0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:18.680
<v Speaker 1>sudden shift as the left rear tire crept toward the

0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:21.240
<v Speaker 1>left edge, either due to the ice that had formed

0:14:21.280 --> 0:14:24.400
<v Speaker 1>on the bridge or possibly a board that had become loose,

0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:28.320
<v Speaker 1>we don't know. We still don't know, but the cause

0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:32.360
<v Speaker 1>was immateial. What did matter was that we were all

0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:34.640
<v Speaker 1>doing the math in our heads, and the rate of

0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:38.320
<v Speaker 1>leftward motion was going to surpass the rate of forward

0:14:38.360 --> 0:14:42.840
<v Speaker 1>momentum that we needed to reach the other side. Now,

0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:45.000
<v Speaker 1>Brad did the only thing he could have done, and

0:14:45.040 --> 0:14:46.840
<v Speaker 1>that was to send the foot feed to the floor

0:14:46.920 --> 0:14:49.120
<v Speaker 1>and hope the front tires could pull us back from

0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:50.160
<v Speaker 1>the brink of extinction.

0:14:50.880 --> 0:14:51.760
<v Speaker 2>It was not to be.

0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:56.760
<v Speaker 1>Now before the armchair quarterback start writing in and telling

0:14:56.760 --> 0:14:59.080
<v Speaker 1>me how this and that should have been done differently.

0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:00.480
<v Speaker 2>Save it there.

0:15:00.800 --> 0:15:03.520
<v Speaker 1>And no one, and I mean no one knows how

0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:05.840
<v Speaker 1>they'll react to anything.

0:15:05.920 --> 0:15:07.440
<v Speaker 2>Until they're in that situation.

0:15:08.920 --> 0:15:13.760
<v Speaker 1>Giving it all again, same situation, same surroundings. I would

0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:18.680
<v Speaker 1>expect him to do the same thing, but next time

0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:19.360
<v Speaker 1>I wouldn't ride.

0:15:19.360 --> 0:15:23.000
<v Speaker 2>I'd let him cross byself. Just kidding, not really.

0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:26.920
<v Speaker 1>Now back to the bridge, I reached and grabbed the

0:15:27.000 --> 0:15:29.760
<v Speaker 1>right front handle of the roller bar, whose cloaqual name

0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:33.160
<v Speaker 1>has never been more fitting or descriptive than it was

0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:36.680
<v Speaker 1>at that particular moment. My left arm was on the

0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:39.600
<v Speaker 1>back seat and around Trevor's shoulders, and as we reached

0:15:39.600 --> 0:15:42.800
<v Speaker 1>the point of no return, I grabbed as much.

0:15:42.600 --> 0:15:44.960
<v Speaker 2>Of his coat that I could squeeze into my left hand,

0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:47.520
<v Speaker 2>and I pulled him as close to me as I

0:15:47.560 --> 0:15:48.360
<v Speaker 2>could manage.

0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:51.640
<v Speaker 1>The side of the side, dipped toward the left rear,

0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:54.880
<v Speaker 1>and in one fluid motion, whipped the front toward and

0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:59.480
<v Speaker 1>into the ditch. Freezing cold water rushed into the cabin,

0:15:59.560 --> 0:16:01.960
<v Speaker 1>passed my waist, and I pulled with all my might

0:16:02.040 --> 0:16:04.680
<v Speaker 1>on Trevor's coat to keep him off of Brad, who

0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:09.760
<v Speaker 1>I assumed was now completely underwater and pinned there by

0:16:09.800 --> 0:16:13.320
<v Speaker 1>me and Trevor. My right leg was contorted and hung

0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:16.000
<v Speaker 1>behind me, preventing me from sliding out of the side

0:16:16.080 --> 0:16:18.120
<v Speaker 1>be side because I couldn't get out, I couldn't get

0:16:18.160 --> 0:16:21.920
<v Speaker 1>Trevor out, and for all I knew Brad was still underwater.

0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:26.880
<v Speaker 1>The time stood absolutely still. I didn't feel the cold water,

0:16:26.960 --> 0:16:29.720
<v Speaker 1>I didn't hear anything. I could see that Trevor was

0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:31.920
<v Speaker 1>fine and of the three of us was in the

0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:36.120
<v Speaker 1>best position to come out unscathed, which he did. He

0:16:36.240 --> 0:16:39.680
<v Speaker 1>was sandwiched between me and Brad. Trevor didn't even get wet.

0:16:40.440 --> 0:16:42.800
<v Speaker 1>We were all wearing our waiters and Trevor had his

0:16:42.880 --> 0:16:46.640
<v Speaker 1>coat buttoned up to his neck. Inside his clothes, we

0:16:46.720 --> 0:16:51.440
<v Speaker 1>found out it was dry as a bomb. Brad was

0:16:51.520 --> 0:16:53.960
<v Speaker 1>my focus. I struggled as hard as I could to

0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:56.680
<v Speaker 1>free my right leg from whatever was holding behind me,

0:16:56.800 --> 0:16:59.600
<v Speaker 1>doing a reverse set up to keep my head above

0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:05.080
<v Speaker 1>the water, the whole time calling Brad's name. He didn't answer,

0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:08.719
<v Speaker 1>and for all I knew, he was still underwater. This

0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:10.919
<v Speaker 1>had gone from good to bad in the blink of

0:17:10.960 --> 0:17:13.320
<v Speaker 1>an eye, and I knew it could turn tragic just

0:17:13.359 --> 0:17:16.680
<v Speaker 1>as fast if I didn't get Brad above the water.

0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:20.680
<v Speaker 1>My colleague and friend, Max Bart jumped in the water

0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:23.679
<v Speaker 1>and was helping hold me above the surface while Trevor

0:17:23.760 --> 0:17:27.800
<v Speaker 1>climbed out. Someone freed my leg and I was hauling

0:17:27.920 --> 0:17:30.399
<v Speaker 1>Brad the whole time trying to find out where he was.

0:17:30.440 --> 0:17:32.399
<v Speaker 1>And I crawled out and as fast as I could,

0:17:32.640 --> 0:17:35.639
<v Speaker 1>I turned around only to see Brad standing up looking

0:17:35.640 --> 0:17:39.439
<v Speaker 1>at me. He did go under water, but he popped

0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:42.240
<v Speaker 1>up pretty quick, and he didn't answer me when I

0:17:42.320 --> 0:17:45.320
<v Speaker 1>was calling his name, because he thought I was trying

0:17:45.320 --> 0:17:47.879
<v Speaker 1>to get him to free my leg that after he

0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:51.040
<v Speaker 1>looked at it, thought was broken because of how it

0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:54.600
<v Speaker 1>was positioned. He's the one who freed my legs so

0:17:54.640 --> 0:17:57.560
<v Speaker 1>I could save him. Turned out he didn't need saving,

0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:03.040
<v Speaker 1>As is off in the case, communication was the problem.

0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:06.879
<v Speaker 2>For the answer, we got a tractor in a back home.

0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:09.000
<v Speaker 1>We pulled the side by side out of the water

0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:12.919
<v Speaker 1>and loaded it back on the trailer. Daylight hadn't reached

0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:15.200
<v Speaker 1>the horizon and we were headed back to the camp.

0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:18.840
<v Speaker 2>That was enough adventure for the first day.

0:18:20.680 --> 0:18:22.720
<v Speaker 1>We finished up with three more days of shooting and

0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:25.640
<v Speaker 1>God on film what I think will be something really special.

0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:28.240
<v Speaker 1>I hope it is. You can judge it for yourself

0:18:28.280 --> 0:18:30.960
<v Speaker 1>when it comes out later this year. I know it

0:18:31.000 --> 0:18:33.919
<v Speaker 1>will always be special to me because of the shared

0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:38.040
<v Speaker 1>experience of the hunt in the camp life. We shared

0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:40.920
<v Speaker 1>that experience with old friends and new ones. We can

0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:43.680
<v Speaker 1>each tell our own version of that story to others

0:18:43.720 --> 0:18:47.399
<v Speaker 1>who weren't there, but they'll never know exactly how it was.

0:18:49.359 --> 0:18:52.800
<v Speaker 1>Drendling filled moments with acquaintances and friends make them family

0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:56.320
<v Speaker 1>and brothers, but above all will always have the defining

0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:59.880
<v Speaker 1>moment that, when faced with adversity, we put each other

0:19:00.119 --> 0:19:04.120
<v Speaker 1>before ourselves. I've had a few of those moments over

0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:07.240
<v Speaker 1>my law enforcement career, mostly with the same few people,

0:19:08.080 --> 0:19:10.960
<v Speaker 1>and up until a week ago, the folks that fit

0:19:11.040 --> 0:19:15.720
<v Speaker 1>that criteria of acting beyond self or just about fill

0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:20.160
<v Speaker 1>up a church pew and that's all. But now there's

0:19:20.200 --> 0:19:25.399
<v Speaker 1>even less space on that pew. There's risking anything getting

0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:27.080
<v Speaker 1>out of bed, crossing the street.

0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:29.480
<v Speaker 2>The best thing we can do is to be ever

0:19:29.640 --> 0:19:31.840
<v Speaker 2>vigilant and always have a plan.

0:19:33.440 --> 0:19:35.919
<v Speaker 1>I didn't have a plan in place for riding by

0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:40.080
<v Speaker 1>side off a bridge, but remaining calm, assessing the immediate

0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:43.760
<v Speaker 1>threats to our health and safety, and acting accordingly was

0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:45.520
<v Speaker 1>what everyone did when that.

0:19:45.560 --> 0:19:47.200
<v Speaker 2>Situation presented itself.

0:19:48.560 --> 0:19:51.040
<v Speaker 1>Now that ain't always been the case, even with so

0:19:51.240 --> 0:19:57.080
<v Speaker 1>called veteran trained professionals. I've seen it firsthand. But one

0:19:57.119 --> 0:20:00.280
<v Speaker 1>of the shining examples of that day, who did you that?

0:20:01.400 --> 0:20:05.879
<v Speaker 1>Was an eighteen year old high school senior from cab At, Arkansas.

0:20:07.119 --> 0:20:09.880
<v Speaker 1>The world will benefit from him and others like him.

0:20:09.920 --> 0:20:12.520
<v Speaker 1>I know they're out there, and I'm proud to call

0:20:12.640 --> 0:20:22.600
<v Speaker 1>this one my friend. Thank y'all so much for listening.

0:20:22.680 --> 0:20:24.719
<v Speaker 1>I can't wait for you to see this project when

0:20:24.760 --> 0:20:27.639
<v Speaker 1>it gets released later on. Thanks for tuning into the

0:20:27.640 --> 0:20:30.880
<v Speaker 1>Bear Grease channel and listening to me and Clay. If

0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:33.200
<v Speaker 1>you're so inclined and have a minute, please share our

0:20:33.280 --> 0:20:34.760
<v Speaker 1>podcast with others.

0:20:34.480 --> 0:20:37.560
<v Speaker 2>That you think might enjoy it and leave a review.

0:20:37.200 --> 0:20:40.399
<v Speaker 1>If you have a chance. It really helps to spread

0:20:40.440 --> 0:20:42.000
<v Speaker 1>the word about what we're doing here.

0:20:42.720 --> 0:20:46.480
<v Speaker 2>Until next week, this is Brent Reeves signing off. Y'all,

0:20:46.480 --> 0:21:02.959
<v Speaker 2>be careful