Bubba Hunt

I have always been impressed with a lot of the quotes of Winston Churchill. I suppose it has had a profound effect on the way I grew up, and the way I always look at life.
We are living in tough times and those times are on the ragged edge of getting a lot tougher.
I feel a bit sorry for all of the young folks who will have to face those times.
When I grew up about the worse thing that happened was some of the high school seniors got into a case of beer at the annual Future Farmers of America bar-b-que.
The bar-b-que was held on the banks of Thomas Creek, just west of Corning California. We had a big bon-fire and cooked the beef in a fire pit all night.We had a full night to party.
According to some of the school officials, we were bad. How things have changed!!
Kids, today, have 100 times more pressure on them than we ever did.
I would not want to grow up today with all of the things that the young folks deal with every day.
Most of my life was growing up in the hills. It was a lot of chores and helping Dad out on the trap line. I was very insulated from normal city life.
Maybe that's the reason I have managed to hang on to the kicked-back, country kid lifestyle. I moved to Alaska when I was 26. Alaska is one of the last strong-holds for the pioneer spirit.I have fit in very well up here.Life hasn't changed that much for me. We still live pretty much off of the land keeping our "4" freezers full of moose, salmon, clams and wildberries.
This life-style disappeared 100 years ago in the lower 48 states. It is just the way things are up here.
I have never let much get in the way of what I wanted to do. It bugs me to see so many 30-50 year old folks sitting around, glued to the tube. It seems they are satisfied to lay around doing nothing. They work, sit, and work again, while their bodies grow old and flabby.
If only they would get up, get out and live out the rest of their years having an adventure once in a while, instead of wasting their youth on the web. Those "young-productive" years will be gone far too soon!
I turned 67 yesterday. Is it slowing me down from all of my outdoor adventures? I don't think so. I am getting ready for bear season, then running a gill net for salmon.
I have a hundred lakes and rivers to fish this summer, and then camp out for a month during moose season. Clams have to be dug from the beach, and berries have to be picked while watching out for the grizzly bear, who is picking also.
I have had a ton of youngsters come up with every excuse in the book on why they never do anything outdoors. They have so much to do...they have health issues and can't do much. They just don't have time to squeeze any outdoor time in...in other words they have succombed to the "rut" lifestyle. They have already died, but haven't fallen over yet.
It makes me sick to hear all of that BS! They have lawns that have to be mowed and shrubs to trim, a garage to be cleaned out...kids to take to ball practice...
Too danged many people see to it that their kids play all of the different kinds of "ball games"and sports, and never take them camping or fishing. Kids grow up knowing nothing but ball games and nothing about living in the outdoors. It's no wonder why they never get to know who they really are.A foundation of "ball games" is a poor foundation for handling the real struggles of life's real challenges! It's all too easy to let the coach take the responsibility of training your kid, instead of you taking them out and sharing the "personal" time with them.If you don't believe me,ASK THEM!
I could have easily let health problems stop me. I have had 4 major cancer surgeries. Two of them in the last year. I am trucking along with one kidney, and three nice stints in my heart. I'm just getting over with my fourth surgery within the last year. Can't lift much yet but I did shoot some arrows in my 70 pound bow. Hurts like heck! Shouldn't have done that!! Dumb!! I'll have to crank it down to 65 pounds and see if that hurts.
What I'm actually trying to say is never let excuses slow you down.Pain, is my old companion. So far I'm still kicking his butt! He still hasn't gotten dominion over me yet.
I know that the day will come where I can't drag this old carcass through the back-woods of Alaska any more. You can bet one one thing...I'll be dragging and clubbing it down the trail! May even be calling it a few choice names. The "real me " is still 27, not 67. This old carcass will never dictate how I will live and as what Winston Churchill once said.."WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER"!!
George"Bubba"Hunt, walking "The Wilderness Trail"!