Slimy Worms & My Love for Grandpa

Today's confession consists of me admitting that I am at least 75 percent vegetarian. I don't think I could go completely without eggs and cheese, but I have currently gone twelve or thirteen years without red meat. If you are really interested, I do eat chicken, turkey and I just can't give up bacon!  As for red meat, I just don't like it. I don't like the texture of it and I can do without the flavor of it. Just as T did, I grew up eating hamburger, steak, venison, jerky and fish we had caught...That was the rule you know, any fish you had caught and didn't throw back you had to eat.

While my family and I were camping about five years ago, I thought a "real" hamburger sounded good. Usually I would've had a turkey burger instead. I ate one right along with everyone else and it was so good I ate a second one. Boy, did I pay for it later. I had the worst stomachache! I decided at that point red meat just wasn't worth it for me..

My interest in fishing dropped off way earlier than T's. Besides, I couldn't bring myself to push the hook through a slimy worm. Our Grandpa had to do that part for me...However I did enjoy being outdoors with the fresh air, and the outdoor noises and adventures. During my childhood, I went on very few road hunting trips with Grandpa, probably because I talked too much and I would scare the deer away! As a teenager on the other hand, I would wake up early to go road hunting with my boyfriend. This was an excuse to hang out with him, we'd drive for hours on the old logging roads looking for deer, and we never did shoot any. But I was always amazed how much beautiful countryside was "out there".

Our Grandpa was such a jovial old guy and I often times wish he was still around to share some of the experiences we had growing up with our children. Thinking back, he was a Redneck Renaissance Man if there is such a thing, and I loved him. He worked in the woods for years as a Loader Operator, he was a true hunter and fisherman, he had amazing dog training skills, and he tended to a breathtaking garden every year.  One of the best things about that garden besides going and picking fresh fruits and vegetables were the pumpkins he planted for all of the grandchildren. It was so exciting to go to grandpa and grandmas house to choose your pumpkin every October.

Grandpa was a cute little guy of Swedish decent, with pink cheeks, a round belly and he always had a joke to tell or a smile on his face. A favorite memory for me was each summer, when we planned a camping trip to Standish-hickey campground and then up to Eureka to go to the zoo. It wasn't much of a zoo, but if we caught a glimpse of the prairie dogs we were happy. There were also chimpanzees to the right of the entrance, and our grandpa would make these noises that would entice the chimps to wing their poop at you. Ahh, the things we find amusing as children. We would head back to camp and have roasted hot dogs and whatever other treats he brought along. He was a great cook, something about what he made, it always tasted good.

I looked forward to going to Grandma and Grandpas house too,  because it meant we got to play outdoors. We had the freedom to ride our bikes, hide in the tree fort, or run up and down their road until dark. All of the residents on our grandparents road were retired except for maybe one. I can honestly say that I learned something from each and every one of them, and I think being around them as a child made me respect the friendships and knowledge an older person can carry. They've been there, and done that.

If we arrived and Grandma and Grandpas house and they weren't home, it meant they were "down" at their friends house having a highball. For those of you unaware of what a highball is, it's a cocktail. They'd be visiting their friends who had come over from "the valley" to get out of the heat, and it's funny to think we now go to the Coast to "escape the heat".

Another fond memory of both of our grandparents that I have, is at Christmas-time. We would make our lists for Santa, and they would usually buy us something together off of our lists.  But one of the best gifts we received was from Grandpa, every year he would get each grandchild his own gift.  It was consistently a can of beef jerky. That was the best! Since we are discussing his jerky, I will say he also had a little "smoker" in his garage that he would make his own jerky and night fish in...If my memory serves me right, everything that came out of that little thing was the bomb!  You always looked forward to Grandpa handing you a little ziplock baggie of his famous peppered jerky to take home.

How did we arrive talking about our Grandpa instead of me becoming almost a vegetarian? I guess I was reflecting on T's stories about hunting and fishing and it brought up my fond memories of a really special guy. Hanging out with him, even if you had to put a slimy worm on the fishing hook, was all worth it for the memories.   I hope that every child has an opportunity to experience the love and knowledge that our Grandpa shared with us. Those road hunting trips, eating venison from a buck Grandpa caught, and picking my own pumpkin out of his garden all had something to do with the person I am today, and I'm grateful. 

Embrace Your Sparkle,

B Pin It