Jeff and Austin went hunting in Africa this spring with Bill and a group of friends. Jeff tells how Bill is looking at a Kudu (I think it was) through his scope, and says to the guide, "Should I shoot it?' - BOOM! He had barely gotten the words out before he shot and the guide says, "What'd you even ask for?!?" There's is never a dull moment when Uncle Bill is around.
Jeff, Austin and Noah weren't out hunting antelope this past spring in the side-by-side quad and anyone who knows Bill can attest to the fact that he is a determined hunter. They chased that antelope as fast as that quad could go for a good half hour with my boys bouncing around in the back. Finally with tears in their eyes - my boys from the crazy ride, and Bill from not getting his antelope - they stopped. Many 'Bill' stories are funnier in retrospect!
For example, last summer, the kids and I went huckleberry picking with Bill & Linda out by Lakeside, MT. We had gone up the hills for about an hour or so and we were almost down when Bill calls out, "Has anyone seen Jade?" Everyone is responding "No". If you know Jade,you know she is not a wanderer and would never play a joke like that on me. She is conscientious and sticks very close to me. I thought she was up with Bill. Now I'm getting panicky that she stopped for a second and then lost everyone and is somewhere up on that mountain amongst all those berries with bears all over the place. I turn around and start running up the hill yelling "JADE!!". Then someone below calls out 'Mom, she's in the car!" and Bill starts to bust a gut! I could have killed him. Sure enough, I get down and Jade says Bill thought that it would be funny - again, in retrospect!
Or, when Jeff & I and the kids went fishing with Bill & Linda out past Whitefish. It took us forever to find the trail head to this tiny remote lake, and then we had to hike an hour into it. Of course, we all feel safe and secure with Bill 'The Protector' with us. If you've ever hiked with Bill before, you know you feel like you are running a marathon just to keep up with him. So, he and Jeff and the kids take off and I'm walking back talking with Linda as we hike. After, we've gone a ways, we catch up to them because they've stopped. Bill asks us if we saw anything because he saw something black run through the bushes in our direction. Our 'Protector' is half a mile up ahead of us with the gun, scaring the bears towards us!! Thanks for that!
Two years ago, Jeff & Austin went fishing in Costa Rica with Bill. Bill tells Austin that he'll give him $20 if he can catch a pigeon. Anyone who knows Austin, knows how determined he can be when you wave cold, hard cash. Sure enough, he caught one and Bill coughed up the bucks. Austin came home that spring with a new goal, to catch a seagull. With patience and determination, he managed to catch one that summer by laying under a blanket with bread crumbs and fruit snacks crumbled on top of him. It was strictly catch-and-release so no seagulls were harmed in the process but that little guy did mange to take a chunk out of Tycee's finger when she tried to pet him. I wonder if you can put seagulls to sleep the same way you do chickens? We'll have to try next summer!
There were many funny stories told tonight. One was Bill, Don and another fellow hunting coyote in Bill's truck. Bill is driving, with Don in the middle and the other guy by the door. Bill is driving crazy through the hills and this other guy gets so freaked out that he opens the door and bails! Bill says to Don, "Where is he going?!?" Don says "I don't know!!" And Bill says, "Well, close the door!" and they keep chasing a coyote until they've got him then head back to pick up the poor fellow that bailed!
The stories that Jeff tells are endless and hilarious about Bill and I'm sorry he couldn't be there at the party tonight to relate them himself. Anyways, we love Uncle Bill. Happy Birthday Bill!!
No comments:
Post a Comment