Last of Tom's Notes

12-15-12

Hi Bob

Talked to Bob Mc last night he was reminiscing about Jud and how much he enjoyed visiting Jud - and Jud enjoyed having us visit him. We went down about every other weekend. Jud had 1/2 lb hamburgers out on the grill - fixed salads, Jud always wanted 1/2 water cress from the spring. One quail season we decided to have grilled quail for supper. We 3 went hunting - saw a covey NW of the big oak about 75 yards NW of the picknic table area. I pot shotted the covey - killed 9. Jud started giving me a hard time for not making them fly - I said "there is supper, now we can have fun shooting them in the air." It happened that we only killed 1 or 2 more, but we had a good meal anyway.

Jud enjoyed life more than anyone. Bob Mc and I can recall knowing: When old, he could sit on the porch and shoot at wasps and have a good time. Dad, Henry, and Jud went quail hunting across the river - see map - a 2 foot rattler hit Juds pants leg, fang got hung. Dad and Henry got him stopped after a 100 yard run - shooting behind himself and yelling. Jud always hated snakes - saw him blast a 6 foot bull snake with both barrels of his knickerbocker double barrel shotgun. He and Tince were always getting in matches over quail - shooting the others bird. Tince was a better shot one day laughing at Jud and a quail got up about 5 feet away from Jud and he shot quick, blew him apart - laughed and said "There is one you won't get to shoot" I was there, but Tince still enjoys telling me about it. Jud and I saw a bunch of geese land in the back of Joe Brown's - I took auto .22 and Jud his 30-30. He killed 2 geese and one pintail drake at one shot. He got a good laugh at me then.

This is very interesting - nickle iron. I told Floyd and he said it had to be very old meteor. Tried to break off a chunk with other rocks, no way. It would be many tons - at $200 per ounce. [Peoth] Demmos ranch - he died about 1995. Bridwells grandson, Frank Woods, came to see me in 2001, we went over to look at some wells - met the foreman of the ranch. Many turkeys and 2 bucks there by Baker Creek. You might tell Walt Brown that he could call the turkeys across the river in season - from NE corner of Joe Brown place - doe scent might bring the bucks across. He has the only pig nut tree - big pecan looking tree bent over pointing NE. Slippery Elm and White oaks around the ridge near your fence. Bet he did [not know]

About 1930 Dad saw big geese landing on the Walden place. The next evening he, Jud, and Claude Walden were waiting, the geese came over, Dad killed 2, Claude 1 and Jud knocked one down. Dark by then - he looked and saw a white something move - thought it was his crippled goose and ran to catch it. It was a skunk with broad white stripes and a full bag of scent that he sprayed on Jud. Jud had to ride on the fender home. Went back first thing in the morning and found the goose.

You can see these giants - up to 22 lbs when very cold weather runs them out of Kansas where they live year round. I crippled 2 when Tince talked me out of being in their landing spot. They got up the river bank the next day into thick brush. River was deep and swift - ice - could not go across.

Map drawn by Tom McGaughy referenced in Letter above