# An exerpt from my fathers journal...



## Pure river (Sep 12, 2005)

My father has kept a hunting journal since pretty much taking his first steps in the woods as a young man. Here is a short exerpt from one of his entries. It tells me a lot about who I am and why I am the way I am, and why I enjoy EVERY moment I am blessed to spend in the woods!!! And blessed to have a father that was able to pass this on to me!!!

Hopefully some of the old timers as well as some of the young would enjoy this, and gleen a little something from his words. 

"An entry from my journal dated 11/29 /1977


Sheila came in tonight and said Mr. Miller next door got a deer and it was hanging in the tree outside. I got the flashlight and Jan and I went over to look at it. It was a seven point. The rack was very small in diameter and the body was smaller than the doe I got. It was a nice little deer though. It looked as though its right front leg had been broken at some time. It was crooked and swelled. As I stood there in the cold night air looking at that deer I had the strangest feeling. I thought of how wild that deer had been . He had survived the coldest of winters last year and waded thru waist deep snow on lonley hadrwood ridges in the middle of the night and foraged for food and shelter in the rawest of weather, but he had made it . It seemed as though there was almost something sacred about him even as he hung here in ignominy on this lonely old scrag of an apple tree. I recalled a scripture that says "time and chance happens to us all " and it seemed that this had to be the reason for him demise. Certianly there was no flaw in his perfect awareness and wilderness mentality that caused this city raised mortal to rob him of his life. As a cool winter breeze finds a crack in the tightest of shelters so had the winds of fate found him there in his lonley baliwick and robbed him unfairly of his most prized possession. But he had left many sons to roam the hardwoods and carry high the banner of stealth and cunning and tiptoe thru the secret places where only he and his kind can go. His imortality was made certain in the rushing blood of his offspring and there would always be a part of him straining to hear the slightest sound and testing the evening breezes forever. "

PR


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## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

Wow!!! I wish my journal entries were as well spoken as that.


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## kasting king (Aug 17, 2006)

Very nice.


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## WallyGator (Jun 12, 2006)

Is your dad a writer? If not, he missed his calling as an outdoor writer.


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## Onion (Apr 10, 2004)

Wow...please post more. Fantastic writing


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## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

ditto the great writing


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## Pure river (Sep 12, 2005)

No he isnt, but I really think he should have. He has always enjoyed writing, and pretty much kept it to himself. Having a talent and marketing a talent or even caring to market a talent are two different things. 

He is always sending me little "snipits" of emails on his blackberry as he sits in an air port far from home. 

Here is one he sent me sitting in the airport last week in Arizona!! lol. The guy is great!! lol

"Flight 143 to Columbus Ohio is supposedly on time. We will be winging our way from red rock country to the lush greenery of terminal morain that's slowly turning gold. 
The sharp contrast of temperature will be a stinging reminder that I have returned to my geographical origins.
As the evening decends upon us the acrid but sweet contradicitions of wood smoke from our stove will fill the air and the relaxing reassurance of being home will seep into our bones and sooth our minds weary from traveling.
Slowly the realization that we must be about replentishing the larder with protien will begin to stir within me and nervous but excited hands will reach for my bow. In the dripping woods of late October there is a quiver of apprehention among the heard. The natural telepathy of the wilds is sending a message of danger. The hunter has returned.

Master Daddy Whacker.

pr


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## reel (Dec 15, 2004)

Excellent. 
Dad is in a class by himself. 
Beyond good outdoor writing.

...


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## Dodgeram1 (Aug 4, 2005)

very cool stuff..


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

I second the posting of more. That is great stuff. I could read that all day. Wish I had that kinda talent.


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## Pure river (Sep 12, 2005)

Once pops passes god forbid, with his permission, I would like to get them published is memior (sp) type form.

He has years of them, in book form I think they would make an amazing read. To be able to set down and read about a man, a hunter, a father from age 25 to death and watch his life unfold with this kind of writing style would be really neat.

I have yet to read them myself. He just sends me little things every now and then.
If he was smart..he should try to get them published now..he might be suprised that his retirement would possibly quadrouple Lol.

PR


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

I would definately buy a copy!!!


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## ERIE REBEL (Jan 28, 2006)

Your dad is an outdoor writer and a hunter's poet.I only wish that all of us could read this kind of lit. in the oudoor mags that are available tous now.All of the current magazines have way to many ads and not enough really good writing.PURE POETRY MAN!!!!!


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## reel (Dec 15, 2004)

Be sure to make back-up copies and keep at a separate location.
Impossible to replace.
...


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

Thats some good stuff. I would definitley like to read more.


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## Dodgeram1 (Aug 4, 2005)

Man, that's awesome. I wish I had the discipline to keep a log like that.


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

I keep checking in hoping more has been posted. lol


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## Pure river (Sep 12, 2005)

Im workin on it. I just told him to "send me more" !!

I am sure it's probably at times not really easy for him to go back in read. Now at 63 I have heard him mention that "He is entering the fall of his life". I am sure going back and reading events from 20 years ago would be kind of hard at times. I was just talking to my wife last night how I feel like I lost my 20's. How now at 35 I look back and it seems most of that stage of my life seems to be just a figment of my immagination. After being a father at age 19, working my fingers to the bone to put food on the table, getting married, divorced at 29 and just this summer getting remarried again its like I have almost lives two lives already. It's kind of hard to explain, but I am sure many of you that have went through it can relate.

Its a shame that it takes many of us having families of our own and "growing up" to truly realize the wisdom and grace that our parents so strongly tried to pound in our heads when we were younger. I always say "better late than never". I'm glad pops is able to open up and share some of this stuff with me, and I have grown enough to actually appreciate it!

ps. Any of you young guys out there reading this...do your best not to take your old man for granted! Try your best to put him on a pedisle, because sooner than you realize you to will be entering your own "fall" and they will be gone. If you put as much energy into truly understanding his words as you do bawking at them, you will be suprised at the wisdom you will gain!!
PR


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## Fish4Fun (Apr 6, 2004)

Very good reading Pure river. And your last post is so very true. As the old saying goes from dad, Some day you will understand son! I understand now.


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## GOLDFISH (Mar 10, 2006)

More please


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## Goose (Sep 27, 2006)

Absolutely phenomenal readIf it were to ever get published I would definitely be one of the first in line. You dad seems like one very great guy. The log into that journal if full of values that a lot of people dont appreciate anymore. Please share more when you get a chance


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## smittyou812s (Jul 10, 2006)

Great reading pure! As I read it for the first time it actually made me stop and think back on my life. I am your age and have been through the same trails in life too. It looks like such a blurr as the years have past.


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