For your reading pleasure, a passage that wasn’t good enough for my book. (I have been cutting mercilessly, especially the parts that are about me more than they’re about the river). – Wes
I had deluded myself into thinking that I could scrape by the way earlier people had along the Sabine River, with a garden and a gun.
Though I had never been much of a hunter, I had inherited a good rifle from my father, and I borrowed a twelve-gauge shotgun from a family friend. I shot a few ducks in a flooded creek bottom, then found a tall hardwood tree that seemed like a good place for squirrels. Long about dusk, one of them revealed himself. I fired but missed widely. The rodent scurried to the back side of the tree. I could see his head peeking out, so I fired twice more. Two more misses. With all the stealth I could muster, I crept to the other side and got him good. In all, it took four shots to kill one squirrel. It was nighttime now in the woods. I grabbed the dead rodent by the tail and — since I’d forgotten my flashlight — felt my way back to the road. I was trying to clean him on the front bumper of my jeep, in the headlights’ glow, when a game warden pulled alongside me. I recognized him. He was a young guy who had stopped me a week or two earlier when I had been hog hunting with my friend Buddy.
“Was that you firing all them shots?” the warden now asked.
“Yeah,” I answered, feeling sheepish. “I kept missing him.”
“Huh,” is all he said.
I asked if I was cleaning the squirrel correctly. Its carcass had become a gunky mess of hair and blood on my bumper.
“That’s about like how they do it,” he said. “Can I see your hunting license?”
He unfolded the piece of paper and looked it over. Not a single tag had been used. Not for white-tailed deer. Not for turkey.
“Why, you ain’t shot nothin’,” he said.
The young warden watched as I finished cleaning the squirrel, then told me to be safe and headed back to his truck. By then, about half of the squirrel’s fur had stuck to the blood on my hands, drying in clumps, so I walked down to the creek to wash it off. I couldn’t see the water, but I knew from memory that I was getting close. I took one step too many and fell over a small ledge. The icy water was so deep my toes didn’t touch bottom. I flailed and grasped for anything on the bank to pull myself out. Water was filling up my rubber boots. I grabbed a tree root and jammed the toe of my boot into the mud, and slowly I climbed up from the water. As I rolled onto dry ground I saw the game warden drive past, with no idea what had just happened. I was thankful, because it spared me any further embarrassment.
The following day, I redeemed myself — sort of — when I felled two squirrels with one shot. I was able to accomplish this feat because one of the squirrels had mounted the other. Because they were mating. In a tree. In a pasture beside my backyard. A couple of weeks later, I shot three more squirrels in a flood bottom to console myself after an unsuccessful duck hunt. By now, I had enough squirrels for a stew.
One day when Buddy’s wife wasn’t home, I brought over the six carcasses, and we started cooking. As I snapped green beans and chopped potatoes and onions and other vegetables, Buddy fried a slab of bacon, dredged the squirrels in flour and browned them in the drippings. Before long, the pot was simmering, and a rich aroma wafted through the house. It smelled delicious. We let the squirrels stew for a couple of hours, then lifted the lid to take a look.
What we saw then made our stomachs churn. Dozens of half-inch hairs were swimming in the pot. We ladled some into bowls and found even more fur. The hairs clung to the meat, and they stuck to the vegetables. Buddy swallowed a few bites.
“It has a good flavor, but I’m just not that hungry,” he said.
As I pulled a particularly long strand of hair through my teeth, I realized I wasn’t very hungry either. I offered to divide up the leftovers with him, but Buddy insisted that I take home the entire pot. His family wouldn’t get around to eating it, he said, and I was a bachelor who could use a few home-cooked meals. Thanks.
366 responses to “Squirrel fur in the squirrel stew”
Most interesting thing I read all week! Hope you’re doing well.
Later,
Brandon
Nice short story. Quite entertaining.
Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog shine.
Please let me know where you got your theme. Thanks a lot
Great work! This is the kind of info that should be shared across the web.
Disgrace on the search engines for no longer positioning this publish upper!
Come on over and discuss with my site . Thanks =)
The platform’s user reviews have helped me make informed decisions when considering a purchase.
? ?????? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?????????? ?????????????? ???????????. ??? ???????? ????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????? ? ????????? ????????????. ????? ???????????!
I’m still learning from you, but I’m improving myself. I absolutely love reading all that is posted on your blog.Keep the posts coming. I liked it!
???????, ??? ?????????? ? ??? ???????????!
? ????????, ??? ??? ?????? ???????? ????????? ?????????? ???????????. ??? ?????????? ????? ???? ? ???????? ??????? ?????? ??????. ??????? ??????? ?????? ?? ??? ?????????? ? ????????????? ??????!
This article is a game-changer in the field. The author’s innovative approach and fresh insights have left me inspired and motivated. It’s rare to come across such original thinking in an information piece, and I applaud the author for their creativity and unique perspective.
The writing style is clear and easy to follow.
? ????? ?? ??????????? ???????? ? ?????????????????? ????????? ? ???? ??????. ????? ????? ?????????? ?????????? ? ???????? ? ???????? ???????, ??? ??????? ??? ????? ??????? ????????. ????? ?????? ??????!
????? ?????? ????????????? ??????????, ?????????? ?? ????????? ?????????? ? ?????????? ???????.
?????? ????????????? ????????? ?????? ?? ?????????????? ????????? ??? ???????????? ????????.
????? ???????? ??????? ?? ????????? ??????????, ??? ????????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????????????? ? ????. ?????? ???????? ??????????? ? ????????????? ???????? ??? ???, ??? ???????????? ?????? ?????????????.
????? ????????? ???? ???????????????, ???????????? ?????????? ????????? ? ?????? ??? ??????? ????????? ??????????.
??? ?????????????? ???????? ?? ???????? ?????????, ??? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ? ???????????.
? ?????????????! ??? ??? ????????? ????????????? ???????????? ?? ?????????????? ??????:
?????? ??????? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ????.
? ????? ?? ??????????? ???????? ? ?????????????????? ????????? ? ???? ??????. ????? ????? ?????????? ?????????? ? ???????? ? ???????? ???????, ??? ??????? ??? ????? ??????? ????????. ????? ?????? ??????!
CandyMail.org: An Overview of the Anonymous Email Service
The article explores various potential implications of the discussed topic.
Thank you for providing such a comprehensive and informative article. The author’s ability to explain complex ideas in a clear and concise manner is exceptional. It’s refreshing to find content that strikes the perfect balance between being informative and easy to understand.
I’m amazed by the practicality of this article. The author not only presents the information but also offers actionable tips and suggestions that can be implemented in real life. It’s refreshing to find such a comprehensive guide that goes beyond theory. Well done!
The information in this article is relevant to a wide range of readers.
This article is a true gem. It’s informative, well-researched, and presented in a way that is engaging and accessible to readers of all backgrounds. The author’s ability to simplify complex concepts without sacrificing depth is commendable. Thank you for sharing such valuable knowledge!
????? ?? ??????????? ??????????? ????????????, ??? ????????? ????????? ?????????????? ???????????? ???? ??????.
????? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ????????, ??? ????????? ????????? ?????????????? ???????????? ???? ??????????? ??????. ???????? ?????? ??? ???, ??? ???????????? ?????? ?????.
??????
?????????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ? ?????, ?????????????? ??????????? ????????.
This excellent website really has all of the information I wanted concerning this subject and didn’t know who
to ask.
????????? ??????????????? ??????????? ???????????? ? ?????????? ????????? ???? ? ??????? ??????????? ??????.
????? ?????????? – ???????? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????????.
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was wondering what all is required to get setup? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100 certain. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Guest Star supports video but it will also allow creators to host voice-only streams
Great weblog right here! Also your site so much up very fast! What web host are you the use of? Can I am getting your affiliate link in your host? I want my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
This is a really good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere. Short but very accurate info… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read post!
I pay a visit everyday a few web sites and sites to read content, however this weblog provides feature based articles.
wonderful issues altogether, you just won a new reader. What could you recommend about your put up that you simply made a few days ago? Any certain?
It’s awesome to go to see this site and reading the views of all friends concerning this article, while I am also eager of getting familiarity.
Hi just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both show the same results.
bossa nova lounge
asian trap beat
I’m not sure why but this weblog is loading extremely slow for me. Is anyone else having this issue or is it a problem on my end? I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
relaxing harp
tender piano jazz
?????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ??? ????, ????? ???????? ??? ??????? ??????????? ??????.
????? ????????, ??? ????? ?????? ????????????? ?????????? ? ?????? ?????? ? ?? ????????? ???????????? ???????.
Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers? I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any suggestions?
???????, ??? ?????????? ??? ???????????!