At 61 I am pretty beat up. I cut a wide swath when I was young, but 20 years of fightin other folks fights for them, and a lot of trainin mishaps have left me pretty busted up. I have however, noticed that I only hurt when I'm awake.
I have taken to stayin closer to a pistol and a knife when I'm out and about now, as some of my old customers have gotten out of the pen, and my patience is although better in some ways, I have taken to shuttin some folks actin a fool off, as I just stay away from them all together.
My wife says my bluntness is still there, but put in a softer way which I guess was a sort of left handed compliment. I still won't sit in a public place with my back to a door, and my faith in my fellow man has all but dissipated entirely. I love my family, and a few friends, and my dog, but have little faith or use for the direction the rest of the world seems hell bent on goin.
A big sycamore tree on a secluded creek bank, a stool, a cup of hot black coffee, a small fire, with a Winchester across my lap, suits me just fine.
I do still appreciate a damn good horse however, and long to own one again, but hell, it makes as much sense as a dog chasin a car. Bending over a track and trying to corner a outlaw are as likely as catchin smoke. Them days is over.
Here while back I was going thru some shoe boxes in the closet and ran accross some old news paper clippins. There I was standing in a wash wearin a side arm, with my Winchester in one hand and talkin on walkie talkie to a helicopter. Damn it was hot in that river bottom that day, and I lost ole Lowrance's track that day too. It was a month before we caught him. Wonder if he's still alive. He was good in the woods but evil to the bone. Funny how you don't forget days like that. Hell that was in 1977.
It wasn't too far from the shootout at Caddo and Kenefic. By the time I got there that day, three Oklahoma troopers were dead, one shot up, and Dennis and Lancaster were dead too. I doubt I'll ever forget that day either. we hunted them two boys for about a month, and when they got cornered they went out fightin. You can still read about that fight on the internet. Amazin.
Well, here I am. The thread is supposed to be about puttin age into prospective, and I'm reflectin. Sorry bout that. I'll blame it on age.
Sourdough, the sun's still shinin here, but not as bright as it used to. Or maybe the shade just looks better. I'll bet that's it.