Looking back at time spent with my Dad

There are times when I look back to my days as a youth and reflect on my parents and my relatives who had an influence on my childhood. My parents were a great influence on my love of the outdoors.

 

My dad was a horseman and we always had horses. We lived on Bridge Avenue on an acre of land. When my Grandpa Winjum’s barn burned down my Uncle Orville gave my dad the old milkhouse. My dad fenced in the backyard and turned that old milkhouse into a horse barn. It had two stalls and a tack room where he kept the saddles, and he also had room for some feed and hay.

 

When my sister came along, they had to sell the back half of the lot and one of the horses to pay the hospital bill. My dad eventually sold his other horse and after a couple of years he replaced it with another.

 

I can recall a couple of times when dad would be driving down a country road and spot a horse in a pasture that looked like it was neglected. On more than one occasion, he would drive up to the house and ask if the owner wanted to sell it. He took great pride in rehabilitating a supposed lost cause. I learned a lot about caring for horses from my dad.

He taught me always to talk to the horse when approaching it from behind. I spent many cold nights at the barn with my dad while he groomed, fed and bedded the horses.

Although my interest in horses was minimal, this was my father-son time and I cherished it.

Until next time: I have once again heard some good fishing reports from around our area.

Although this is usually the time when ice fishing slows down in this area, I have heard some good reports of huge crappie and nice walleye being caught on area lakes. On the chance of releasing some secret information that would ruffle some feathers, I will not be naming lakes at this time.

 

Please take the time to remember our troops that are serving now and those that have served before them. They are the reason that we have all of the Freedoms that we enjoy today.