I remember

Our preacher said something yesterday morning at church that really caught my attention when he said, " Folks, you are about to go somewhere that you have never been before--into 2017". Although it sounded a bit like the beginning of a Star Trek movie, the comment really caught my attention. I can remember thinking that I would never get accustomed to dating any document in the 2000's as I had spent all of my life in the 1900+ dating, but I got used to it fairly quickly.

I am an eternal optimist, and I look forward to the great things that are going to happen in 2017. Before looking forward, I think that it is always a good idea to look back. 2016 will be remembered here as year of weather extremes. We broke a record for consecutive days without rainfall that was established in 1904. We followed that with the second wettest December on record. On one day in December, we recorded 8.5 inches of rain. Thankfully, our December rains came mostly at night or on Sundays when we are not hunting; so we lost hardly any hunting time due to the weather.

During the summer, we made a lot of progress in our English Cocker training program, and also finally made some money in the fresh sweet corn business for the first time in three years. Maybe it's just an age thing, but I believe our summers are getting hotter, and I KNOW our gnats are becoming more numerous.

This is also a time of the year that I like to recall years gone by. My daughter, Cadie, posted a photo of Martha and I when we were in college. The funny thing is that I can remember everything about the date, time, and where that photo was taken. However, prior to receiving the post, I had spent ten minutes looking for my sunglasses that I had just placed somewhere less than 30 minutes ago. Now why does our mind work that way?

My older sister sometimes accuses me of having "stolen memories" as I claim to remember things from before I was born. She tells me that she recounted those stories to me, and somehow I have convinced myself that I was around at that time. But, I have learned that it is not wise to argue with big sisters; so if she says so, I will accept it.

However, I do have some memories that I know are not hers as she never participated in them such as hitting the tobacco patch at sunup and working until dark. Pop paid me $3 a day. I learned that the other employees were making $4 a day. I threatened to strike. He informed me that he was not providing food, clothing, and shelter to the other employees. Then he struck, but it was with a swift kick to my butt. That was my last effort in labor law.

I remember raising my first litter of bird dog puppies whose Mom rejected them. I fed them with one of Sis's baby doll bottles. I also have very fond recollections of the first bird dog I ever trained. Bimbo will always be a cherished memory to me. I killed my first quail over Bimbo with Pop's double barrel LC Smith 12 gauge. It had double triggers, and I accidentally pulled both triggers at the same time. I killed the quail, and lost my front two teeth at the same time!

My favorite memory was the first time I ever laid my eyes on Martha Holland in 1968 on the campus of the University of Georgia. She was the prettiest girl that I had ever seen, and I found out that she was even prettier on the inside than outside. I knew that I had found the woman that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. 46+years later, she still hasn't managed to shake me. And the joy of holding our three babies after they were born are precious memories indeed !!

Now, let's all go out and make some great memories in 2017. Some of those can occur right here at Riverview, but open dates are becoming scarcer than hen's teeth; so I would encourage you to call soon.

Happy 2017 everyone !!