
When I ended the previous post in the My Story category (almost 2 years ago) I mentioned I’d do one more chapter with smaller stories. Obviously, that didn’t happen. This isn’t really an attempt to fix that, I was just reminded of a funny anecdote from my youth the other day, and decided to share it.
You may recall that the first summer we were up north I spent some time with just my Dad and his brother while we got the house started. We pretty much lived outside, sleeping in a small shed at night. One day while we were sitting around the fire after lunch a chickadee flew into the lower branches of a tree near us. It was several feet over my head, probably about eye level to an adult. My dad gestured to get my attention, and pointed at it. Very slowly I picked up the gun next to me, walked over right underneath it, and raised my gun until it was about six inches under the bird.
Then I shot him.
As soon as the stream of water hit him however, he began fluffing his feathers and wiggling all over. I had expected him to fly away, but he seemed to enjoy the unexpected spray. I shot again and he fluffed again. I emptied the squirt gun, and when I brought my arms down he flew away.
All in all, it was one of the more fun interactions I’ve had with wild-life.
View all posts in this series
- Chapter 1, Heading North - June 24, 2005
- Chapter 2: The First Summer
- Chapter 3: The First Summer Part 2 - June 27, 2005
- Chapter 4: Childhood weaponry
- Chapter 5: The First Fall and Winter - July 6, 2005
- Chapter 6: Setting up house - September 7, 2005
- Hunting - June 14, 2007
- Young Judoka - April 23, 2008
- UFO! - May 18, 2009
- Living Life With Tourette Syndrome - September 23, 2019
- Thoughts on turning 50 - July 17, 2021
very cool story! one of the most peaceful gun stories I have ever heard!
No that is my kind of hunting. I will have to try it in the cedar hedge.