The mid-morning pothole had proved to be as every bit productive as the old man's newfound friend promised. The three men finished their hunt in just over an hour and a half, each of them carrying out limits of large, northern mallards, wigeon, and a few delicious teal. Back at Jim's place, the three of …
The Old Man and Jake- Part 13
The old man was startled awake by the loud buzzing of an alarm clock. It was 6:30 am and it took him a moment to remember where he was. He had spent the night over at Jim's house. Jim's wife, Dottie, insisted that the old man take their offer of the spare bedroom. The offer …
The Old Man and Jake- Part 10
Tom's truck rolled up to the open fence border and came to a stop behind another pick-up. Through the windshield he could see a man dressed in orange cap and shirt getting out of the driver's side. The bed of the truck had a dog box with a dog obviously in it, but the old …
The Old Man and Jake- Part 9
Last night's dinner with Jim and his wife had gone well. It was a welcomed treat to the old man, who had been surviving off the offerings of the local diner and what he could produce on the old Coleman stove. Not that there was anything wrong with those options, but the meal at Jim's …
The Old Man and Jake- Part 8
The old man's truck bounced down the gravel drive leading to Jim's house. It was the quintessential Dakota farm home. It's white siding was stained a slight brown from the constant barrage of wind-blown dust. There were two rocking chairs that sat on the front porch, the kind of chairs that weren't just for show, …
The Old Man and Jake- Part 7
Back at the motel, the old man plucked his morning's haul and stored them away in the cooler. He took special care of two of the mallards, intending to give them to Jim when he saw him later today. He kept out one of the gadwall for his lunch. The bacon-filled, cast-iron pan popped and …
The Old Man and Jake PT. 5
The sleep came easy last night despite the shortcomings of his hotel bed. Jake’s dreams seemed to be filled with birds as he whimpered throughout the night. The old man found himself not dreadful of the alarm clock ringing at 4am, but instead, he was elated. He knew that the sunrise would bring a promise …
The Old Man and Jake- PT 4
It was a peaceful walk back to the truck that evening. The waning sun warmed the old man's skin as they zigzagged down the beaten path back to the parking lot. Even though the hunt was over, the old man's vest carrying three roosters, Jake continued to work a tight pattern out in front …
The Old Man and Jake- Part 1
The gravel pinged the side of the truck as it steered down the rock road. In the rear view, the old man could see the cloud of dust slowly billowing up behind his tires and drifting off the side of the road with the breeze. Out in front, he gazed upon miles and miles of …
The Fall Experience 