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There is still a lot of boy in this old man.

Tcatt
I built a model rocket for my grandsons, 6 & 3years. They were so excited.
We went to a local Soccer field. I did it up, got them hard hats, Vests etc.
We had a duty assignment, pre-launch systems check and turn over, then the count down. I could see the excitement and uncertainty in their faces.

I re-assured them to stand firm; they were real troopers, the little one wanted to falter but regained ground when he saw his brother being brave.

That rocket shot some 600 ft straight into a cloud-less blue sky.

We all stood silently looking skyward as that rocket shed its bounds and soared, their uncertainly turned to wonder, then to pure joy - they let out a Woo-Hoo and took off running to where it would land.

I still get that same feeling sitting in a duck blind right at shooting light. The contest between light and dark has been conceded and the light of dawn is at hand, its shooting time, shotguns are loaded with the slamming of the bolts. Then silence, looking skyward and listening for the rushing of wings.

The years fall away and I am sitting with my Dad again, waiting for him to call the shot, He's gone now - 2 years.

I'll have to pull the fleece up a little higher today, the wind is a little wilder from the North, waiting and watching to call the shot for my grandsons.

I can't wait
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Comments

7 comments

Date Votes
  • KenK/84Bravo
    Was one of my Older Brother and I's. (Spelling/grammar Nazis have at it.) Passionate hobbies, back in the day. Late 60's/70's.

    We used to aqcuire, build and send aloft multiple builds. Those were good times.

    Miss those days. Sounds like you are there now.

    Kudos for bringing that joy, to ones younger than I.
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  • Brookwood
    A great story tcattt and your writing brings a tear to my eye!
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  • Grunt2
    Brookwood wrote:
    A great story tcattt and your writing brings a tear to my eye!

    ++1
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  • hillbille
    I have shot my share of deer, now I would just as soon run one to one of the younger guys/kids in the hunting party, the smiles and excitement in their voices as they retell about the shot and kill, are more than enough to satisfy me these days, only reason I still carry a gun is that once in a lifetime buck may come out and look my way, or if one of the younger guys wounds one I would still shoot it and put it out of its misery for them if it should happen/limp by me............

    we have a few kids now in the group who are about 10 or so and since I can't walk up the hills like I used to I will probubly get to sit with one of them this year when we make our group drives, these are the memories you never forget. I had one of my cousins grandsons last year he was 7, and had a red ryder BB gun. he sat still for about 3-4 minutes then told me he had seen a bear, I said where and he pointed across a field to a nearby hill and said it was over there, I told him to go ahead and shoot it, we then commenced to kill tigers and lions and elephants best part was he only shot the "horns" off the elephant.......
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  • asop
    There's a great old movie (true story) about a H.S. kid, his coal mining father and how he became part of NASA.
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  • montanajoe
    • Community moderator
    Way cool, well done. :):):):):):):)
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  • toad67
    Grunt2 wrote:
    Brookwood wrote:
    A great story tcattt and your writing brings a tear to my eye!

    ++1

    Well said. Puts you right into the blind next to him..
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