Thread: The Good Ole Days

Bird Down's thread and comments later in it got me to thinking and I didn't want us to hijack his thread so I decided to start one for folks to put their story if they like.
Here goes:

As long as I can remember we fished, have pics of me in a play pen at Tommy Gene's Pond when I was a baby and the family was there fishing. My uncle fished a lot and the few times I would get to go with him over the years was always a blast, helped him pre-fish for the FLW on Grenada a few years back. My grandfather fished some but only once or twice a year but I was with him if at all possible. So with my dad leaving when I was 6 I only had a few opportunities when I was real young to get to go. Haven't fished with my dad in 44 years and don't have a memory of just him and me fishing.
Step dads along the way and we fished some but not too serious or too often. As it turned out my best friend in high school loved to fish too and when we got drivers licenses it was on. We fished, frog hunted, tried some deer hunting all over Desoto and Tate county in north Mississippi. Those were the good ole days, ask permission and go fishing, lots of houses built around ponds we fished as kids. The summer before our Senior year I bet we didn't miss 15 days that summer fishing, we had a blast. Even roomed together at Northwest and kept rite on fishing all the same lakes being that close to home.
Well Northwest proved to be a turning point in my fishing life, only crappie I had caught by this point were small ones at Bridgetown and then some on the MS river at Walls when the water was rite, man they were huge in the River!! Second year there I met this ole gal, swept off my feet and not thinking about fishing much we hit it off really good. Met in late August and by the first of October we were talking about getting married. It was a while before I met Midnight, Ms. Tammy's father and the dad, I had never known, to be. All I had heard was he played on a State Championship basketball team in the 50s, he hunted and killed everything and he fished and caught everything. Wow, haven't even met him yet and I was in LOVE!!!! I often tell folks that I fell in love with him but he was married so I had to marry Ms. Tammy to get close to him.
I called him Pop and it was on, wedding plans for the ladies and deer season coming on we hit the woods and that season I killed my first deer. Never considered him a father in law, he was my dad and I think he considered me to be the son he never had. When spring came we started fishing for crappie, early February in the rivers fishing the eddies and as the water rose through the spring we would chase them until the spawn was done. This was a yearly tradition, some years good some not so good but we were there. Buds for life I thought.
About 15 years ago his eye site started failing and muscle loss set in, a horrible disease had taken hold of him and once diagnosed there was nothing to be done but keep him comfortable. I stopped fishing, just couldn't do it without my partner. He would ask how the fish were biting and I would tell him I hadn't been, it just broke my heart. I remember the last couple of months as Ms. Tammy and I tended to him so he could stay at home and not be put in a nursing home he had become a 135 pound bag of bones from the 235 pound 6'3" giant of a man I had met 20 years before. I would hold him in my arms while Ms. Tammy changed his bed each night, didn't hurt him that way like the lift did, just thankful I was able to hold out to do it then. Sitting beside him holding his hand as he went Home to a place where he would know no pain I was crushed, Ms. Tammy had had him all her life but my time had been cut short. We laid him to rest in a pretty country cemetery where we still see a covey of quail all along and almost always see a deer or two when we visit.
With my fishing bubby gone it was a little while before I got back to fishing but Ree was wanting to go and it was on again, heck for her Junior College Graduation we went on a week long fishing trip to Caddo Lake, girl loves to fish and I treasure every moment and became Ree's Guide. I take her every chance I get now and Ms. Tammy too when she will go.
I often think of the Ole Man, Pop when fishing the way we do today, he would love fishing for "White Perch" year round and traveling to different lakes and checking them out.
Pop, I love our memories and miss you very much still to this day, thank you for what you did for me over the years and influencing me as far as the outdoors the way you did. For a while I took it for granted but learned to treasure the times we have with family and friends. I think of you often when on "The Lake" (Grenada) when I am up Snake Creek or down by the artesian well and wish you were here but thank the Good Lord at one time you were. Rest In Peace Pop, there is a day coming when we will fish together again!!!

That was a great read John!Glad you were rewarded with such a man in your life when you needed it most!Keep on keeping on Bro!