For Harvey & Robbie

[sm]

Drift Away

Dobie Gray

Day after day I'm more confused
So I look for the light in the pouring rain
You know that's a game that I hate to lose
I'm feelin' the strain, ain't it a shame

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away
Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Beginning to think that I'm wastin' time
I don't understand the things I do
The world outside looks so unkind
I'm countin' on you to carry me through...



Memorial Day got me to driftin’, then the reading of whether shotguns being right for folks, learning the shotgun, various games... Crazy Quail…

This is for Harvey & Robbie, you may be gone, damn sure ain’t forgotten.

Harvey was in Korea, then later ‘Nam, in where his job was to keep the boy’s alive. Some of the things Harvey shared, was to never be next to a new LT, never shine them boots, and you were gonna get trigger time with a pump shotgun. The folks that grew up shooting a shotgun assisted the others, and if you wanted to get yelled at, mess up one of Harvey’s MEC reloader’s.

Exceptions made for them pretty MASH nurses of course, and Harvey was known to let the Nurses out shoot the baby-faces to prove a point.

“Something about a Surg-Nurse, with a slung 37 just makes a fellers’ knees weak”

Harvey made it back, and the boy was a mean and evil Crazy Quail puller. Harvey could shoot, he could teach, had a sense of humor, then again the boy did have competitive streak in him - like we all did.

Robbie was in ‘Nam, and being brought up a country boy – not liking to go hungry, especially hungry for meat, could shoot. Unlike some – Robbie was one of the few folks that did not have a bit of trouble going from a shotgun to a rifle. Boy just “transformed” into whatever in hand.

Robbie left his legs in ‘Nam, one of them “everybody goes home” and all he remembers was running and dumping another buddy into the chopper , and heading back to get another.

“...things got silent, I looked up to see the chopper lifting off, and then I see another coming in hot… I saw that door gunner just a giving hell,… they said I was crawling at ‘em dragging a boot…I thought it was my buddy”

Nurse had to tell Robbie that boot he was dragging with a rifle sling was his own, and the prospects of saving that other leg not very promising.

Yep, some the folks that were a part of something, and I am the last original member of. Rebels, Outlaws and Mustangs…some other names I’m not supposed to type.

~

We were out shooting shotguns. We had shot skeet, and then Robbie and I were “researching” something. We Outlaws were prone to doing research, testing, and “you boys are nuts, sure looks fun – can we join in?"

So there I was pushing as fast as can this wheelchair with Robbie in it, him shooting targets stationary and then ones tossed from a portable thrower. Robbie even nailed the balloons from prone, while I busy falling over the wheelchair after dumping him out it.

Robbie and I laughing our butts off, and for some reason nobody believed we “had that dumping part planned”.

Harvey decides I should shoot and he push…also figured being dumped was a good thing to practice. I still contend if you hit the wood holding the balloon string , and wood splinters bust the balloon it is a good hit…”if it breaks – its broke”.

~

Crazy Quail!
Did I mention Harvey had a sinister way of saying this? Well he did. I drew short straw to go first [read like the Military no straws – I was volunteered] Harvey did not wait for you to load the gun, “all gun are always loaded” – Harvey figured if are gonna step out with a gun, know how to load the darn thing and be ready. “Charlie didn’t give a warning, you were always ready”.
Robbie went next, me pushing that chair, and…easier to shoot than push, trust me on this.

I’d been paying attention to Harvey for a bit, and now Harvey’s turn. Now Harvey had gotten him a Super X Model 1, and I managed to chide him into using it. I was nice and actually waited for him to load the thing, and then I pulled a “Harvey”.

Harvey had more trigger time on pump guns, and single shots, finally got himself a 28 gauge O/U. Semi’s...well Harvey had not spent much time with, and especially that SX1; I knew this, but I can chide real good when I take mind to.

I even allowed Harvey to get the first two “quail” – Next thing Harvey is trying to pump a SX1, then he tried to lever it open and I was relentless – just like Harvey could be.

Single stack traps and had to be filled. Lucky break for him, he had grabbed his pump gun, and we nodded, the Master and the Student of the pull buttons, “come on son; let me see what you got”

Robbie helped, he was popping wheelies, and doing spins with his wheelchair back behind station 4, just jeering at us both, and having a good time.

We finished up, Harvey and I grinning at each other, then got closer, gave that “nod” and started in. Robbie of course pipes up- “Gimme that SX1 and two shells pull me a pair of high fours, I wanna show you how its done boys”.

Just how we were - what we did.

I have the pull cord, Robbie is on the sidewalk and gets a good roll all by himself, I pull 2, one right after the other, and from behind the stations, hits them both while rolling.

“Ain’t the gun, must be the shooter” just a grinning, then we all three busted out laughing. Left our guns on the field rack, kids wanted to play with Robbie’s shooting chair, so we hoisted Robbie up and I carried him in. Set him down on his stumps, and Robbie decides to dance with the Lab taller than he is.

Harvey and Robbie are just two of the folks I Run’em with, maybe gone, not forgotten, and especially being Memorial Day.

And when my mind is free
You know a melody can move me
And when I'm feelin' blue
The guitar's comin' through to soothe me
Thanks for the joy that you've given me
I want you to know I believe in your song
Rhythm and rhyme and harmony
You help me along makin' me strong

Run’em

Steve

 

[Fred Fuller]

Steve,

It must be that time of the year, that time of life maybe. Louis talks about his Horsemen, seems we all have holes in our souls that departed friends have left us, to fill as best we can.

God bless 'em, and God bless us who have to get along without 'em for a while yet too.

lpl/nc

 

[sm]

Lee,
Your comments mean a lot, thanks.

Some serious lessons were learned from Harvey and Robbie. Years may go by, some lessons are timeless.

Harvey was asked about "not shining them boots", so Harvey makes a straw person about 18" tall and put on a pair patent leather kids shoes - real shiny. Even with "fatigue material" or camo, this straw person stuck in various settings ...a chill would run down one's spine seeing that "shine".

He also used it to share, how like hunting, "don't look for the critter - look for what ain't natural" and remove the shiny shoes, stick on some kid's Hush-Puppies. Sometimes remove the fatigue/ camo material and just use natural colors, to show how well this blended in - often times better than camo.

'Movement will kill ya - or let you nail the BG" - With a string from afar twitch the thing, otherwise one could not see it.

~

Robbie could shoot - period. Wind-Up toys in a "tray" to contain them, and this replicated a target at "distance". We had a scaffold, or sometimes Robbie used the "bucket" of a bulldozer. Wind up- toys moving, and Robbie would call his shots, run the bolt on a .22, and get them. He would do this with a Model 70 in '06, or whatever.

~

I used to piddle with a Seven Iron. I'd hit a golf ball, Harvey would shoot it in flight, then Robbie would nail it with a rifle once on the ground.

Yeah we were serious, still had to watch us. Harvey being solid as a rock, and 6'1" , we would go to place with a cut-out person, with a "Kids eat free" or "If if this tall" - hand showing height , kids would get to stay at the hotel / motel free, eat free, ride rides free...etc.

Robbie get out of wheel chair, grab Harvey's hand and stand "under" the height sign. "Dad...I get to ____free".

Robbie had a sense of humor, one time got real attached to a cutt-out of a gal in skimpy bikini - and talked the folks out of it. Ended up - who knows where around a cow pasterue range, might be in trap house, end up next to gun racks back behind station 4, once found under the covers in the bed of RV...we were terrible. Had to get a male cut out for equal razzing for the ladies.

We all worked with kids, and them Pizza places with games...Robbie on his stumps with kids tossing balls in a basket, scrunched under the "height" sign with the kids , using kids voice "we 'posed to get free tokens / discount for being our size".

Small town fairs, kids, and shooting games....fair did not have a prayer, at least one Big old stuffed animal always left the fair, couldn't see Robbie, Stuffed animal bigger than him at times in that wheelchair.

Pink Panther - we had a misson one time- to get a Pink Panther for a kid...we got it! The Biggest one they had. Dang thing was a big as Harvey!
We cared not one whit about the looks we got - that kid was so excited, just a beaming. "My Pink Panther!" , everybody in that fair knew this. Kid told the Officers of the Sheriff Dept. they could play with him while they watched it for us..., not sure what Pink Panther got into...he mangaged to get himself hand-cuffed.

Kid just cracked up laughing upon seeing that...