Ginger and I are raising three boys… I think. At times I feel like we feed ‘em more than we raise ‘em.
Stories that are guaranteed to keep showing up in my blog are those about Harman, Alex and Lucas. It’s amazing how three siblings, raised in the same home with the same rules, can be so different.
I am at a point now, thank God, that I usually just laugh about it instead of trying to analyze it.
Alex,14, is in the ninth grade and is obsessed with sports (mainly baseball) and competing. He tends to go overboard a little (sometimes a lot) with the “competition” thing and winds up in trouble, but that’s another blog for a another day.
Anyway, Alex had a few days off from baseball during his spring break and we decided to take advantage of the time and head for Texas to do a little turkey hunting. Now don’t get me wrong, Alex likes to hunt but what he enjoys the most about hitting the road with me is just that. ROADTRIP!
No mandatory showers, no brushing teeth, lots of “guys only” humor that Ginger asks not to be even made aware of upon returning home, well, you get the idea.
Joining us on the trip was my buddy, Richard Reid, from Grenada, Miss., and "Realtree Outdoors" producer John Tate; we were headed for the Begert Ranch near Allison.
Alex did not make a single morning turkey hunt the entire time we were there!
Every morning it was the same routine.
“Alex, it’s time to get up! Let’s get dressed!”
The whole time Richard and John are chiming in with threats of their own.
“Alex, you little sissy, get up! Sleeping is for losers!”
Alex would sit up in the bed, mumble something about hurting somebody and crash again.
Richard, John and I would walk out the door laughing. After all, it was spring break.
The second morning, a longbeard was gobbling at everything, coming right to us across a big, open field. While he’s getting closer, Richard leans over and says, “It’s a shame ol’ EH isn’t with us this morning.”
I said, “EH”?
“Yeah, Alex. EH. He could shoot this bird when he comes in!”
Totally confused, I turned and looked at Richard and asked again, “EH?”
“Yeah, evening hunter.”
We both laughed and moments later Richard was kneeling beside the 4-year-old gobbler who had put on a big show for John and the camera.
I guess the nickname fit Alex cause it stuck. EH joined us on every afternoon hunt and killed a beautiful 3 year old that strutted in from behind us, once again John got awesome footage.
It was the second best way to end a fantastic trip!
Oh, the best way to end the trip? It had to be Alex finally taking a shower!
I have a son, Cullen, 14 years old. He's killed several really nice whitetail bucks in his life already, the largest a 135 " 8pt. It just seems to happen for him and usually without any effort. He's interested in hunting of any kind only if I kinda guarantee him some action. As for planning, scouting, preparing for the season? He's not real hip on that. He really just wants to play his guitar and play basketball.
He has an 11 year old sister, Meredith Ann that is his diametric opposite. She greets the first cool morning in September by telling her Mom on the way to school....."it's beginning to git right Momma...not long till deer season". She'll go down to the lease with me and plant spring plots daylight to dark...watch all the hunting videos my posterior can stand and sit at the shooting bench as long as we have ammo. She tries to get me to stop and look at every dead carcass on the side of the road to see what killed it, how big it is, and is it "gooshy" yet! I'm a veterinarian and my guess at this time is she'll either follow in my footsteps, be a pathologist or a professional hunter!
Why does God give us such opposites? You're right David.....we couldn't stand it if they were all alike! Cullen asked me just yesterday "Dad, are you a redneck?". I asked him where that question came from and he said he'd heard someone mention the fact....not in an ugly way mind you. I told him "well, yes son, I suppose I am". He asked me then "what is a redneck Dad?". I explained to him that if you'd rather sit on a stump in the woods for 2 hours in mid August than sit in a movie theatre, you're prolly a redneck......I elaborated. After a bit of description he paused for a long moment...."Dad.....I'm not a redneck......I'm a guitar player". To which I responded, "I know son and it's ok....you have many cousins, an uncle and an aunt that aren't rednecks either". After another long pause, he added "Dad......I think Meredith is a redneck". To which I answered..."you're right Cullen.....aint God good?". He smiled and answered in the affirmative.