BigBlue wrote:

No hunting for me this year. 40 years of railroad construction are taking their toll. I've been out of work since March. Had knee surgery in April on my right knee and it still isn't right. I have a blown out disc in my back, I've been getting epidural shots for that and I'm getting an MRI on my left knee next week to see if that needs surgery. This is the first time in my life that I've been out of work for anything and it's been one heck of a year. It's great practice for retirement though. Doesn't stop me from buying guns or reloading and won't keep me from getting to the range tomorrow!

If you can get to the range you can go hunting. Just mentor some young person and have him or her do all the grunt work - they needs to learn that anyway. May have to change your style for the year. You know - no pack trips up into the hills. Try ground blinds with short walks or atv. Best of luck to ya

Buncha worn out old men.....Oh well, you had your fun. I got tooth problems myself and have to have two extractions and a root canal.....aren't we having fun now???!!!! One tooth is a wisdom that has fused to the bone, the other is a gold crowned molar that didn't get seated well and decayed. Oh put me to sleep, but make sure I wake up!

Good luck BBlue!! Hope the worn out parts get a new lease on life. Something you learn very quickly is pain speaks louder than words and it's Oh so convincingly persuasive. How could water-boarding ever compare?

Friend of mine just laid to rest her father in law. I just read his obituary, he was a very impressive 90 year old WWII veteran with loads of metals and awards. Would have been an interesting story teller I bet. It's interesting how many old vets just go and we don't hear of the heroics in their lives until they die. Seems more of a loss to me when their history isn't celebrated throughout their lives........


Suz

Vince wrote:

I'm driftin' in and out Punkin...in between the "honey-do's" from SWMBO. Suz...get out there for a walk if nothing else mate...suck up the bush ambience. GW...good luck mate. Our gun laws are draconian, a pain in the ars3 and so damn restrictive you don't even dare fart with a firearm in your hands for fear of breaking some Firearm Law, Rule or Regulation. The Canuckastadian equivalent to the NRA needs to mobilise quick smart and start putting together a defence against any backward steps in your firearms legislation...like modelling the garbage we have to live with over here in Australia. You can bet your left t3sticl3 that Rebecca Peters and Philip Alpers (Australian ANTIs) will either get on the bandwagon, or activate their ANTI friends in Canada, as a matter of urgency now that your election is done and dusted. Peters is a right royal pain in the ars3 who is 'in bed' with the UN and Alpers is a 'self professed' Professor, even though he's never attended a day of study since leaving High School. He is one of those losers who kissed the right butts and was given an honorary degree and now calls himself Professor. They both have a history of manipulating statistics and facts...and have been caught out publishing outright untruths (read LIES) about firearms, so if they are in cahoots with the ANTIs in Canada, you can bet they will share tactics and bullsh1t.

Yeah well our NFA is mired in a bunch of inner squabbling and can't seem to focus beyond themselves. I'm afraid that this clown trudeau is going to sign us on to that UN treaty bs. He said he would and that may be the only election promise that he keeps. Just my luck. That Alpers sounds like our David Suzuki. He flits around the world (charter) telling us all what evil carbon spewing people we are passing himself off as some highfalutin' green weenie environmental scientist and his training is in genetics. ?! There's quite a leap there

Suzanne wrote:

Buncha worn out old men.....Oh well, you had your fun. I got tooth problems myself and have to have two extractions and a root canal.....aren't we having fun now???!!!! One tooth is a wisdom that has fused to the bone, the other is a gold crowned molar that didn't get seated well and decayed. Oh put me to sleep, but make sure I wake up! Good luck BBlue!! Hope the worn out parts get a new lease on life. Something you learn very quickly is pain speaks louder than words and it's Oh so convincingly persuasive. How could water-boarding ever compare? Friend of mine just laid to rest her father in law. I just read his obituary, he was a very impressive 90 year old WWII veteran with loads of metals and awards. Would have been an interesting story teller I bet. It's interesting how many old vets just go and we don't hear of the heroics in their lives until they die. Seems more of a loss to me when their history isn't celebrated throughout their lives........ Suz

Getting old has it's challenges for sure. I've been packing a leg around for almost a week. Hips out pinching a nerve, The pain is unrelenting and unbelievable. Been putting off going cause the better half has more serious problems than my bum leg and we've been waiting to get her into the hospital for testing. I'm finally going to see a chiropractor tomorrow - hallelujah! It's so bad that if she falls down I might not be able to get her up off the floor.
As to the vets - I agree. My father-in-law was in Italy in WWII and all he would say was some general things about conditions but would not really talk about the war. He was a good old guy, a little gruff but a heart of gold underneath

Most vet don't or won't talk about what they did and saw in the war. I suppose they are suffering from what we now label as PTSD, but they were a heck of a lot tougher than a lot of the young people around today...the old guys suffered in silence. That's not to say the young guys are wimps and not suffering, quite the opposite.

I think the way society is now, it exacerbates the problems the young guys are suffering and they are not getting the support from peers and the Govt that the vets from WW I and WW II received. I believe it was this support that helped the old vets. Then there is the type of war and the type of enemy each generation had to face. There was (to a point) honour and respect between the opposing soldiers of each side...not today though...terrorists don't give a rat's rectum about anything but their teachings and ideals...or human life for that matter.

Suz, you have my sympathy mate. Sounds like you have some real nasty problems that need to be dealt with ASAP. It sounds like a General anaesthetic might be called for to deal with that wisdom tooth mate, and they can do the rest while you are 'out'. Good luck with it all mate.

Personally, I don't mind going to the 'fang farrier'...I've even been known to nod off in the seat. I don't have local anaesthetic injections, I don't like the numb feeling that persists for hours later. My Dentist almost went into shock himself when he did all the prep work for a couple of gold crowns without injections.

If only I had a hunting partner and they actually hunted instead of ambushing in this area.

And Stovey has proven to be a poor help in such matters, maybe you can use him as a decoy, he might attrack all game that want to have a good laugh...
but I never tried to shoot laughing game, it might be difficult when you're not laughing yourself in the same rithm

Bushmaster wrote:

If only I had a hunting partner and they actually hunted instead of ambushing in this area.

When you say hunting Bushy, I take it you mean stalking...and ambushing is sitting in a blind or tree stand on a know deer path, waiting for a deer to wander through?

I wish I was up to walking long distances up hill and down dale, but unfortunately my knees and back simply won't allow it anymore. Hunting from horse back is very appealing, but there is no way my daughter would let me take her horse.

you dont need to walk for miles IF you have half a clue where the game will be...the older I get the less I have to walk to find game, there is alot to be said for going slowly and taking the time to enjoy the whole experience,applies to many parts of life.

Elvis that reminds me of a radio conversation I heard the other day. Every Wed. night at 7pm there's a ham radio frequency that has what they call the outdoors net, guys call in and discuss various outdoor activities. The other night I got on there and started talking about deer hunting and my favorite areas and stuff and how I didn't have to go far from my parking spot to be in a great area. Another few guys piped in about hiking for miles on end and being able to keep up the pace with all their gear and if you wanna find the elusive deer you have to hoof-it to find them blah blah blah... One guy said he generally covers about 15 miles or so in an outing. I'm thinking well that's farther than I drive from home to my hunting spot!! I can't imagine shooting a deer and trying to drag it 15 miles (or even a mile) back to the truck.

All the testosterone in that conversation made me noxious, they seemed to gloat at their ability to hunt poorly. An old guy I used to work for in Tucson was an avid hunter, his rooms full of trophies and trips to Africa decorated his house. He hunted deer with a muzzle loader while sitting on the top of a hill somewhere with his favorite booze as a companion. If he didn't find what he wanted he went somewhere else or moved to a different part of the hill he was on. Only wanted a trophy buck but was willing to wait for it in his leisure.

When he told me that I thought he was just a drunk old timer that was too lazy to work for it. Hunting is not about working for it, it's about finesse and technique and experience. Having fun and relaxing, enjoying the details of the area you're in and the smells and weather and so on. Being smart and knowing what you're doing it's just like fishing in the ocean, you go a good spot and cross your fingers, it'll happen or not, there might be no fish for miles around you or you might be in the path of a school headed your way. You have to choose with wisdom and be in the right spot at the right time.

Don't know how many times I've returned to my truck to find a deer standing in the road or somewhere close to where I started. Did my movement in the woods spook him out? or was he on his normal pattern? Well you can make it what you want it to be. If you have a need to get out there and explore the area or if you have a need to be more reserved, you approach it the way that feels best for you and gives you the most enjoyment I guess. Really it's about enjoying the moment and the outdoors, it ain't work and it ain't home, it's a retreat from all that and into your true life and human experience.


the end
Suz

AMEN Suz...you summed it up perfectly mate.

Vince wrote:

Most vet don't or won't talk about what they did and saw in the war. I suppose they are suffering from what we now label as PTSD, but they were a heck of a lot tougher than a lot of the young people around today...the old guys suffered in silence. That's not to say the young guys are wimps and not suffering, quite the opposite. I think the way society is now, it exacerbates the problems the young guys are suffering and they are not getting the support from peers and the Govt that the vets from WW I and WW II received. I believe it was this support that helped the old vets. Then there is the type of war and the type of enemy each generation had to face. There was (to a point) honour and respect between the opposing soldiers of each side...not today though...terrorists don't give a rat's rectum about anything but their teachings and ideals...or human life for that matter. Suz, you have my sympathy mate. Sounds like you have some real nasty problems that need to be dealt with ASAP. It sounds like a General anaesthetic might be called for to deal with that wisdom tooth mate, and they can do the rest while you are 'out'. Good luck with it all mate. Personally, I don't mind going to the 'fang farrier'...I've even been known to nod off in the seat. I don't have local anaesthetic injections, I don't like the numb feeling that persists for hours later. My Dentist almost went into shock himself when he did all the prep work for a couple of gold crowns without injections.

Sure shocks the sh*t out of dentists when you tell them 'don't bother with the anaesthetic' with the military dentists they don't bat an eye but the civie dentists get all kinds of nervous.

Yer right there Ron...the civvie Dentists are almost terrified of hurting the patient...which could equate into being sued.

Well as a follow-up, my extractions were a piece of cake. They could have raped me I wouldn't have known a thing. Put me out and do what you want, that's the way to do it. Recovery wasn't too bad, pain was relieved with aspirin, saved the good pills for emergency use (just n case). Stitches melted away but were bothersome and pointy, irritating ropes. My parents (in their mid 80s) took good care of me and babied me wonderfully. Now I can hear this weird hollowness in my speech and can't eat tortilla chips.

The root canal is on a tooth the dentist didn't have any confidence in but he wanted to spare me another extraction (I guess). He put a plastic crown on it and I have to be careful eating hard stuff. Should last you a year or so, he said. Probably wants to adorn me with an implant (that I can't afford). Oh well give me two, I'll need one on the other side.

Being in the tooth straightening business doesn't help me much, other than I get a few discounts. The surgeon didn't discount my extractions though and you have to pay him up-front (cause he has a new building to pay for). I will be able to make my own spare tooth retainer thingy (don't wanna say partial denture). Thanksgiving dinner will be slow going but I may find something to help me swallow it down with. I started some blackberry brandy a few months ago, it should be about ready by now. Should be good with turkey, bread, stuffing, salad, green bean casserole, pie and ice cream!

Easy to make, you just go pick a gallon or so blackberries, add them to a large bottle of brandy (in a gallon jar) put it in a closet for a few months and yer done. Well I put some fennel seeds in it and some sugar water. It's a bit tart and strong if you don't season it a little. What's cool is you don't have to process the berries. I used to press the juice out of them but I've found that after a few months in brandy they sort of bleed out the good flavor and color. You can take the berries out afterwards and make a drunken pie out of them or a cobbler. I've made it with apples too, not as flavorful but just as good.


Suz

Glad to hear it went well Suz! I had a tooth cut out last week too and don't remember most of Monday...

Blackberry brandy huh? Bet that works better than the aspirin!