Bird Dogs, Grouse, and Thorns Lejay Graffious
Old Hemlock Volume XIX Issue 1 www.oldhemlock.org Spring 2018 The Old Hemlock Foundation, Preserving and Promoting the Legacy of George Bird Evans and Kay Evans Photograph on front cover: Old Hemlock Briar and Old Hemlock Belton. 2 No End in Sight Karen Killay The hunter, a man with many seasons behind him, settle down, be a good boy, I’m going as fast as I can,” begins his morning with a late start as his alarm clock the hunter scolds. doesn’t go off. Exasperated, he is annoyed with The coffee has cycled, so the hunter fills his favorite himself for forgetting to set it. Slowly swinging his mug. The first swallow burns his tongue but no legs over the side of the bed he pauses and steadies matter, he can’t wait for it to cool down. Doing a himself. Damn, it seems like yesterday when one leap mental checklist of what he needs to finish loading into was all it took. Still dark, he tries to dress quietly so as the truck and hurrying now, the mug slips from his not to disturb his wife. But then his boot drops grasp and the contents spill down his front. The hot clumsily from his arthritic hand, thumping noisily on coffee quickly soaks his shirt. Now angry, the hunter the wood floor. sputters, questioning why he still continues to do this. “It’s ok” she says softly. “I’m awake, put the light He pauses and considers that maybe it’s time to face on.” “Sorry,” he says, “my fingers aren’t working yet.” that he is just too old.
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