Rooster Reunion

A big rooster rose up out of the prairie; I didn't mount my gun though, for I get plenty of shooting these days being retired.

- By Richard Massey

Instead, I turned to watch Clyde Schmidt and study his face as he pulled up on the fleeing long tail. Clyde was an old friend who had come back for a rooster reunion. Fifty years had passed since we last hunted together in Minnesota. He was the same old Clyde. His eyes lit up and then narrowed down to a laser focus with his gun. He touched it off.

The pheasant dropped like a rock. We were back, baby! The boys were back. We had come together for an upland adventure like the ones we had back in the day. Our dogs were part of it back then, but now they are long gone. Today the current water spaniel, springer and Labrador shared the sniffing out duties, just as the old dogs had. It was perfect.