Thanks Dad

                                                                 By Kathy Eckstein

Minnesota

 

I want to say thanks dad on Father Day. Dad, without knowing, showed me how to fish and to hunt. I remember when my sisters and I were kids dad and mom took us fishing on a pontoon boat. We fished with the old fashion cane poles. As fast as we got them into the water we were getting bites. I took care of my own sunfish, taking them off the hook and rebating the hook. With four girls on the boat dad had his hands full. We also went home with some great tasting sunfish and crappies.

We also did some camping, mostly with my mom’s sister and bother-in-law in northern Minnesota. Cooking over a camp fire made the food taste wonderful and roasting marshmallows on the fire made it even extra special. When we where there we found out the blueberries were in season, so we went and picked a whole bucket of them. But there was one thing that you should not do is stand on top of a ant hill. My sister did that, not realizing that ants lived there and that they were only protecting there home by biting her on her legs. Mon and my aunt made her get her pants off and brushed the ants off her legs. Guess what she learned her lession. We did get some blueberries and we had blueberry pancakes in the morning.

Then there was the day that dad let me shoot the shotgun. He set up a target and instructed me how to shoot the 12 gauge. I never realized how much a gun could kick. I did end up with a black and blue shoulder. I wish it would have been a 20 gauge. Years ago guns did not have the recoil pads like today.

Then it was my birthday one year, I told my parents I would like to have a party with my friends but dad and mom told me that they could not afford a party at that time and offered me a bow with arrows. I did have fun learning to shoot the bow.

But enough about me, it is time to say thanks dad for all the things you do for me. Also for doing chores for us when we go on vacation. I think he likes doing the chores so he can take care of our two golden retrievers – he spoils them.

In turn for all he has done for me, I take him turkey hunting and deer hunting. You see dad is turning 80 this year and at times he isn’t able to do the things he use to do. A friend of mine, Ron Welle, of Midwest Outdoors Unlimited, put on hunts for disabled vets .The access to the blind are either with vehicles or golf carts. My job is to get him to the blind and make him comfortable.

I remember one of the turkey hunts, as soon as the turkeys came into view dad was pointing his fingerer and saying there they are. I tried to calm him down so he could shoot. He did harvest a nice tom turkey.

Thanks Dad for all the fun.

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