The Olde Duck Hunter

by

Carroll V Strout

April 20, 2019

Current Events:

Well it is finally here, green grass. I was beginning to wonder after our long winter and cold spring; but as my old friend Bud Randall once told me Mother Nature has a way of catching up.

Thursday of this week my son Zachary went as a second stern man on a lobster boat. He brought me in a five gallon bucket of crabs; fourteen in total. Boy, what beauties I have picked out everything except the legs. Ronie and I both had crab rolls for lunch on Friday. They were some good.

The white lilac bush on the South side of our house has started developing buds in the last few days.

I understand some people have been planning their vegetable gardens.

This weekend marks another major holiday, Easter weekend. Along with all the activities that includes a major holiday dinner. On Wednesday Ronie took a fourteen pound ham from the freezer to start thawing. Along with that we will have garlic mashed potatoes, peas, squash, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and of course deviled eggs, plus a Caesar salad.

I have already mentioned the return of many of our birds. But I am still waiting to hear the peep frogs which I duly like to hear.

More of Growing Up in Milbridge, Maine

Bits & Pieces:

Back in my late grammar school and high school years there was a group of Italian deer hunters from Worcester, Massachusetts that came to Milbridge to deer hunt. One year when my father and Mit Hartford were staying in a camp and cutting wood at Bull Hill in Eastbrook. Two of the hunters had their own tag along trailer which they parked beside my fathers woods camp at his invitation. They had good luck each getting a deer.

That weekend I went to camp and for breakfast the next morning the Italians made a breakfast that I called food of the Gods. First they fried slices of pepperoni, then strips of large mushrooms and green peppers, and last of all two fried eggs.

Later that day one of the hunters and I hunted near a bog across from the camp. On the way back a doe deer jumped up in front of me. I put up my rifle, aimed and didn't shoot. That was my one and only experience with buck fever. I had two experiences that weekend, food of the Gods and buck fever.

Well folks that was the way it was another time another story. Just remember one thing no matter what life bestows upon us the smoke will go up the chimney just the same.