Blog on the Lillypad
Saturday, October 11, 2003
 | The Mighty Hunters:
Gerald's Father (OLD), Gerald (ELDER), and Gerald's Son (YOUNGER) have come home safely from their boar hunt! Whereas last year all three bagged some game, this was a tougher year. It would be a bitter irony to many men to get nothing while their beloved son bags two boars and also wins a trophy in shooting. However, Gerald is THE definition of proud father, and so when "the boy" bagged a 180 pound boar, followed the next night by a 44 pound piglet, and then matched skills against a group of skilled gunsmiths and won a trophy for excellent shooting, Gerald secured bragging rights. His own father also bagged a small boar. Gerald, ever the perfectionist, got a clean view of a boar but tried too hard to pick a spot for a perfect shot that would not ruin the meat. Regrettably, the boar fled before Gerald took the shot! |
Later, (don't know how this could have happened), Our Hero sighted on upturned ears and the top of a head in the brush. He took the proper pose, sighted, and fired, but it was a bust. Clean miss! I was surprised at this report, for Gerald is a man who knows guns and shooting. But he faithfully records all hits and misses, so we will have to take his word for it. He missed.
One has to wonder why Lady Luck would ever desert Gerald, whose sunny nature and offhand courage and kindness could coax blessing from the sternest of the fates. But all was not lost. Back at the bunkhouse, a group of hunters who fared much better could not get all of their pork back on the plane with them, and so OLD, ELDER, and YOUNGER toted away two 150-pound coolers of meat for themselves. Perhaps Lady Luck just wanted to do things her way!
In spite of not bagging anything, Gerald writes of pleasant evenings at a sumptuous dinner table, then shooting pool, enjoying beers, and relaxing. Gerald never met a stranger, so I knew his time away from work with his Pa and son would be good for him. And I don't doubt that all the hunters had a better time for Gerald being there. Welcome back, Gerald! It was a great story!
