Guys, I've introduced my fishing buddy Bill here on the forum a few times, and posted pics of him once or twice too. I forget, Bill is 70 some? Gets around pretty good and all.

Anyway, I was here at work the other evening, Bill stopped by, he was all excited and said: "I bought myself a shotgun". He was telling me all about it and everything, and said he'd go get it and let me look it over.

Bill lives just down the street and around the corner, so the came back in a little bit with his new, old gun. It's a Winchester Model 1200, 30" Full choke barrel, 2 3/4's chamber. Oil finish stock. From what I'd guess it's one of the early 1200's.

The barrel looks good, it locks up tight and comes up like a M 1200.

Looking at the bluing, someone has carried that baby for miles and miles. But it's a good solid gun, good for years and years of service.

A few years ago Bill moved from a big house to a smaller house, and while he was cleaing out, he gave me a sack full of 12ga ammo. Different brands, different size shot and all, it was a double-handfull of shells. He wouldn't let me pay him for them, so I gave him a box of Federal 2 3/4' #5 shot the other day. (The same ammo that Moe and I use for crows.) Bill and I are even up now.

But Bill and I were to go hunting the other morning and got rained out. We had right at 2 inches of much needed rain Friday. I'm going to take Bill out to the farm one day this week, turn him loose down the hollow behind Granddad's house and see what happens. It's nice smooth easy walking and down through the walnut trees and the white oaks, hopefully he'll be able to get all of the squirrels that he wants.

It'll be good for Bill to get out and stretch his legs, and I'll tell you some of those older guns will shoot like nobody's business.

Yeah, got the same Winchester 1200. Got it in the mid 60's, either for my 18th birthday, or for high school graduation. Then, after several years of marriage, my bride bought me the deer slug barrel for it. I've taken many deer with that iron sighted smooth bore slug barrel. Just finished packing it as a back up gun for our annual deer hunt. Will be using, as first choice, my Henry Big Boy lever gun in .44mag. Just finished both eyes for cataract surgery so them iron sights on both long guns are clear and right on!

Frank.

Well, that's good to hear about your eyes, it's amazing what they can do today.

Hunting deer with a shotgun just seems so strange to me. I know some of these rifled barreled slug guns, will shoot like a rifle, for about $5.00 per shot.

Years ago Dad bought my brother and I each a Model 1200, our guns are 3-inch 20 gauge, 30" full choke guns. Pretty sure they were our Christmas gifts, but I think we got them early so we could use them before Christmas. Killed my first turkey with that little gun, up in Spring Hollow.

Talked to Bill yesterday, I think we'll go out tomorrow morning, if the weather is decent. He is really looking forward to it.

I had 25* at daylight, it's that time of year.

Looking forward to reading about how it works out.

I'm looking forward to taking him out too. I just got word that Bill wouldn't be finished at the laundry mat, before we were supposed to go hunting. I work later, so I don't have much time. I didn't talk to him in person, or I'd have told him: The hell with your clothes. I'd have paid one of the girls that work over there $10, and ask her to stuff my clothes in a bag when they get dry and I'll get them tomorrow.

That's one thing I don't understand, Bill has a clothes washer and dryer, but doesn't use it. He'll carry all that stuff out, carry it in the laundry mat, fart around and waste half a day, and then do it in reverse.

But we're back on for tomorrow.

So, I've got a couple of hours to kill, think I'll take the dog for a run. And do a little scouting.

I'd guess that ol'Bill is chatting up the ladies at the laundry mat.

Well, I thought about that too.

Years ago I read (or skimmed through) some article in a magazine, and it said the #1 place for a woman to find a decent man was at the laundry mat. Theory being, if a man is washing his dirty work clothes, #1, he had a job. #2, he had a vehicle and #3, he didn't have a woman.

I'd guess it works both ways.

I didn't know this till a few years ago, but the local laundromat has folks that will wash and dry, fold your cloths and all.

I have several big, heavy and thick quilts, most of them were made by Mom. That biggest one won't fit in my washer, and it'd take it 2 weeks to dry on a clothes line. So, I had one that was getting filthy looking, I just dropped it off. The older lady that was working, her and I knew each other. She's passed away since then.

But I dropped off my quilt, and asked her to take care of it and all. I told her to just wash and do whatever she'd do if it was her quilt. I went back over the next day, it was folded up, in a bag, as clean as the day it was made. Smelled good too. I think they charged me $17 or 18 bucks. I thought that was a good deal.

But, Big Donnie and Bill are to be here in the morning, I'll cut them in the wind on the farm and see what happens. We had snow, sleet and rain yesterday, it's spitting snow now. Should be ideal conditions.

Just talked to Bill, we're on for tomorrow.

While it's still fresh in my head I'll tell you about Bill's Big Adventure.

Big Donnie, Bill and I were to go hunting yesterday. It was right at freezing and windy, we had a good frost and just a light dusting of snow. Big D. called and said it was going to be a nasty day, and he had some stuff to do around their property. So, D. and I will get out during deer season.

I talked to Bill the evening before, told him we'd try to take off a little before 10am. Bill was here a little after 9am. and ready to go. It took me a little bit to get bundled up and ready, but we took off a little before. Just going to the farm, we can be out there in 15 minutes.

Bill doesn't know the property at all, and it's hard to explain something like that just giving directions. Go here and cross the run, on down and go through the gate, on down maybe 100 yards and cross the run again, etc. It's hard to keep track of, and the way the hollow bends around, he couldnt see it. I just told him to go down the hollow and hunt wherever you want.

Anyway, Bill went down the creek so I went up. I think it was about 45 minutes later I heard him shoot. I circled off to the left, went over on the other side of the same ridge, hunted up that side pretty much to the property line and came back down Wine Bottle hollow and back to the car. Guess I was on the move for 2 hours or so? I did see one fox squirrel, out 50 yards and running wide open. Also jumped a doe and fawn, they were very wild too.

But Bill was in the car when I got there, we had snow flurries and it was windy about all day. Bill had killed one squirrel, said he missed it the first shot, I think it treed and he blasted it out the second shot. He saw another one, and couldn't get a shot. It was just a nasty day.

So we moved a little bit and I sent him to another one of my favorite squirrel spots. There are a bunch of hickory trees, figured that would be a good place for him, and he wanted one more.

While Bill was out in the hickory trees, I walked down to my brother's house, just checking on everything, all is quiet. Went in the greenhouse and sized up what all Bill and I could steal. Back up past the pond and Bill was walking out of the woods when I got there. He did get another big fox squirrel.

All together we were out about 6 hours, counted 4 squirrels and 2 deer. I did see a red headed woodpecker and a hawk too.

I had a good walk and Bill had a blast. He was 2 for 3 with his new (old) gun. Bill told me yesterday, that was the first time that he'd hunted for over 20 years. So, you can't beat that deal.

We stopped at the shed and cleaned the squirrels, where we've got running water. Also stopped at the greenhouse and stole 2 little bags of tomatos. Hard to believe, but the tomatos are still blooming.

Sounds like a good time. You'll know how much fun he had when he asks to go again - if the laundry ladies don't get to him first!

Oh, Bill had a good time. He stopped by yesterday and gave me a butter bowl full squirrel meat. It was still warm, I'll have it for supper tonight.

Bill and I talked about it yesterday, we just picked a bad day. Friday the weather was pretty nice, and the wind wasn't as bad. The day we were out the wind was slapping the tree limbs together and picking up leaves off of the ground.

After we changed locations, we were sitting in his car up at the top of the fields, I tried to point out the property line and show him about where I started in. And how to get to the hickory trees and all. I asked him about his coat. You can tell by looking at it that it's old. It's made of that heavy brown denim. It's faded and otherwise in perfect shape.

Bill said that it was his Dad's coat, he said their family moved here, in the late 50's, and that his Dad had it before then. It's got 4 holes in the back, remember those old license holders? That's why the top 2 holes are there. I'd guess the other 2 holes are where the old man had a red handkerchief pinned on.

His coat would be 70 years old, that was back before they made camoflage and blaze orange. I felt the material, it's as soft as a pair of worn out jeans. I forgot to ask him yesterday, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's not a Red Head or Herter's brand. That was top of the line gear.

About a month ago there was a gun auction here in town. A local man died years ago, his widow recently passed away, they didn't have kids or any relatives, everything was sold. I knew them well. But they sold 82 firearms, and that's where Bill's gun came from.

Bill's brother bought the gun, and a week or so later gave it Bill. Bill told me that his brother handed him the gun, and said here's your Christmas gift. So, that's pretty neat!

But he's itching to get out again.