The Old Man

[Handgunner]

Great read! Thanks for taking the time to do it.

Sadly, I never knew either of my paw-paw's. And the one man I did meet, that filled those shoes, was taken from me way before he should have been...

Thanks for taking me along with you and your "Old Man".

They are, without a doubt, a dying breed.

 

[OconeeJim]

Very few have memories like these, even fewer can muster the words to share them. Thank You Sir.

 

[Ruger#3]

Thanks

I really enjoyed this read. Thanks for taking time to share it.

This brought back memories of sunny afternoons sitting on a big river rock fishing for cats with my pap. What I'd give to sit there one more time.

I have the last hat he wore, you sir leave me sitting here brushing its brim and contemplating those sunny afternoons and so much more.

Truely, Thank You

 

[StriperAddict]

I was also blessed by your well written tribute to your Grandad, Lee. What a great family man who shared so much of his heart and love of hunting with you. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[elfiii]

Bump for rangerdave.

 

[Doyle]

Great story. Many of my young memories are of riding around Thomasville in my grandfather's squad car (he spent 32 years on the Thomasville police force).

 

[crackerdave]

Thanks,Lee.My roots are in Thomasville,too.I wish I'd had a grandaddy like yours!

 

[EAGLE EYE 444]

elfiii,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with all of us. As I read it, I felt as though I was right along beside you and your grandfather. Your relationship with him sounds so much like the relationship that I had with my Dad doing our quail hunting exploits and fishing trips in ponds and Clarks Hill Lake. My Dad was also the consumate outdoorsman. I enjoyed every minute of the two of us hunting or fishing. He loved to quail hunt in the fall and winter and to plant a large early garden and even a bigger late garden each year. He had some of the very best "bird dogs" in the country and they were treated as such. He always left many "seed birds" in a covey while hunting and he taught me to never shoot too many birds that way. He gave me a wonderful gift in that I believed in his teachings to my very core. God was included in everything that was done in our household. My Mother was a Biblical scholar and taught Sunday School for over 40 years. My Dad was always very active in Church as well. My Dad would tithe the quail that he killed each season just like he would our money of which we had very little. He always shared these quail with the elderly in particular because he said it was those people before us that allowed us to have such a privilege. Many times, I remember him cooking quail or fish and taking them to shut-ins in the community. He also shared most of the garden vegetables with others as well. Even though our family had little money, we always seemed to have plenty to eat and share with others. He always taught us to help others along our life's journey and for us to know that a simple thank you was payment enough. He also instilled in each of us that you were only as "good as your word" and to never go against your promise to someone else. He also hated a liar or a thief. He always told us to tell the truth about everything and likewise, never bother something that didn't belong to us. My parents also taught us to respect others. I was the youngest of six kids and I know that I had life much easier than my older siblings. Thankfully, my Daughter has inherited these same qualities and she continues these same traits in her daily life.

Elfiii, Thank You again for sharing so much of your upbringing with us because it seems that you and I have walked some of the same paths along the way and I think that both of us have enjoyed such wonderful times with our Dads and Grandfathers. In reminiscing tonight, even though my Dad passed away in 1980, I feel as though he and I have walked and hunted the quail fields all over Georgia again. Such wonderful memories.

One other thing, I didn't intend to hijack this thread in any way but after reading elfiii's original post, the flood of emotion is so strong that I would like to ask that any of you that still have living relatives such as these described to please try and share as much time as possible with them. You will never regret it.

 

[MudDucker]

Great read.

I too hunted wild quail, first without a dog and then later with an old one a friend gave me. The trill of the covey rise of wild birds is something I'll never forget.

 

[grim]

Very nice.

 

[elfiii]

Thanks,Lee.My roots are in Thomasville,too.I wish I'd had a grandaddy like yours!

One more time for you Dave, and all the good folks in Thomasville!

 

[MustangMAtt30]

great post. somedays I miss my granfather so much it hurts.

He loved to quail hunt, but by the time I came along the quail were all but gone. When I get to heaven, I suspect I'll go ahead and swing by and see Jesus first, but it won't be long til myself, my Dad, my Papa, and Bob (his bird dog) will be out in the field.

I'm in the same boat. By the time I came along the wild quail were pretty much gone. Paw Paw still had his last dog, a GSH, but he had gotten out of hunting birds. I could listen to him tell stories for hours. I enjoyed seeing all of the black and white photos of him hunting and fishing. I have one that I treasure that I got after he passed. Him sitting on the hood of an old car with a Browning Sweet 16 cradled in his arms and one of his dogs, an English Setter. Sometimes I wish that I had been born 80 years ago so that I could have experienced those things that I have romanticized in my head. I don't know though, maybe 50 years from now I'll have my grandson on my lap telling him about the the good old days.

Thanks Elf. Very well writen and it showed how much all of fathers mean to us.....our Heavenly Father, our Earthly Fathers, and our Grandfathers.

 

[elfiii]

Once again for my south Georgia friends.

 

[crackerdave]

Thanks,Lee. This is one of the best threads I've ever read on here,and it really hits me in th' heart.

I'd say that even if you weren't an ADMINISTRATOR.

 

[sharpeblades]

Grand pa

Very well done sir ;There is nothing like south Ga.and your Grand Pa

 

[elfiii]

Thanks,Lee. This is one of the best threads I've ever read on here,and it really hits me in th' heart.

I'd say that even if you weren't an ADMINISTRATOR.

Had you in mind when I bumped it Dave.

 

[bigox911]

Thank you for bumping this up. I've never seen it before. My dad and grandpa tell me tales like this of the old days in Dublin and its very obvious how they miss those times and are sad my generation never really got to experience the wild coveys and time spent together pursuing them. Grandpa still has framed pictures of bird dogs all around the house and tells tales of stitching them up after they came up on the loosing side of a battle with a barb wire fence. I'm gonna take this down to him this weekend. Yall have a great 4th

 

[boneboy96]

Thanks,Lee. This is one of the best threads I've ever read on here,and it really hits me in th' heart.

I'd say that even if you weren't an ADMINISTRATOR.

wouldn't be sucking up...would ya Dave? great post Elfiii!

 

[win3006]

I really enjoyed this brought back memories

 

[Sterlo58]

Great post Elfiii
I too started hunting on the family farm chasing rabbits and coveys of quail. There was no such thing as deer hunting on the farm back then. There were just not enough around to hunt. My grandad was too crippled by strokes to take me hunting but my grandmother taught me to shoot and to appreciate the outdoors. I had plenty of other family members to nurture my love of hunting.
Times have changed and deer and turkey have taken the place of the quail. I will never forget those days though.
Thanks again for the memories.