Old man Al
Well, Old man Al made his last trip across the bay bridge the other evening after about 50 plus deer seasons. He was a long time friend of my father and has known me before I could wipe my own ass.
I had hunted with Al as long as I can remember, year after year he would show up at camp ready to go with a big smile on his face only to leave deer camp most of the time without a deer and a even bigger smile on his face…..I always wondered how he could be so happy with not getting a deer year after year.
Seems old man Al had something I didn’t.
He knew why he was there and what he gets from it.
You don’t have to kill an animal to have a successful hunt. It’s about memories and sharing camp with good friends….anything else you get out of it is secondary.
Al passed away yesterday in his favorite chair in hunting camp with a smile on his face….happy to the end.
I sat awake last night remembering the hunts with Al when it dawned on me what he had left me………he left me great memories and more importantly, awakened me to the reason why I hunt…..not the trophy’s, not the venison but the life long memories of deer camp shared with family and friends. on my way back to camp i called my father to see how evryone did and got the news that Al passed away....10-19-06. funny thing was, while i was out hunting and Al was back at camp in his chair a nice eight pointer was crossing a field heading right to me and just disapeared into thin air only to re-appear moments later and vanish again like a ghost......,Thank you Mr. Al, for the memories and the lesson on life .
You couldnt imagine how much you are going to be missed.
Well, Old man Al made his last trip across the bay bridge the other evening after about 50 plus deer seasons. He was a long time friend of my father and has known me before I could wipe my own ass.
I had hunted with Al as long as I can remember, year after year he would show up at camp ready to go with a big smile on his face only to leave deer camp most of the time without a deer and a even bigger smile on his face…..I always wondered how he could be so happy with not getting a deer year after year.
Seems old man Al had something I didn’t.
He knew why he was there and what he gets from it.
You don’t have to kill an animal to have a successful hunt. It’s about memories and sharing camp with good friends….anything else you get out of it is secondary.
Al passed away yesterday in his favorite chair in hunting camp with a smile on his face….happy to the end.
I sat awake last night remembering the hunts with Al when it dawned on me what he had left me………he left me great memories and more importantly, awakened me to the reason why I hunt…..not the trophy’s, not the venison but the life long memories of deer camp shared with family and friends. on my way back to camp i called my father to see how evryone did and got the news that Al passed away....10-19-06. funny thing was, while i was out hunting and Al was back at camp in his chair a nice eight pointer was crossing a field heading right to me and just disapeared into thin air only to re-appear moments later and vanish again like a ghost......,Thank you Mr. Al, for the memories and the lesson on life .
You couldnt imagine how much you are going to be missed.