Christmas presents'

Hello to all,
Well this may sound a little odd, but today i made myself a christmas present. As i was finishing up EVERYONE else's christmas projects today, i came across a brown paper bag in my shop. I thought "this is odd, where'd this come from." As i opened the bag i found an old set of Mtn. Goat horns, and a giant ceder shake bolt. A flood of memories came back all at once. What i'd opened was something very special to me and that i'd saved and hidden only for myself to find on just the right day. Well, today must have been that day. What i'd uncovered were the horns (i belive the only horns) of a mtn. goat, my grandfather, Jim Blankenship, had shot back in 1965. When Grandpa had passed, and all horns had been given out i'd ended up with these. They were a treasure to me, since today Washington only give's out once in a lifetime Mtn. Goat tags....and they take a lifetime to get! So, i'd set them aside, along with a Giant old growth cedar shake bolt from grandpa's house, with the intentions of mounting them when "just the right day came along". Well, as most of you can guess......today was that day.
As i prepped things in the shop for cutting the old "shake bolt" i had to look at a pic. of gramps holding his goat, and thought you all would enjoy that too.
The horns even had the tag still attached. As i read this, it was October 2nd, 1965!

With a little band saw work, and some touch up with the sander, i had the horns attached to their Cedar Plank, and hung on the wall, in the most appropriate of places....."The Man Room".

So, as i worked on this small project i shed more than one tear. I thought of "Big Timber hunts", that he always talked about, and that i now finally understand. I remebered the first deer i shot with him, the green chevy truck's (one of which my brother now drives), the christmas recaps of hunting seasons that were now in the past, and most special of all, the glitter that danced in my grandfather's eye's as he retold his story's from the passed, that only a select few of us will ever know.

Who'd have thought that an old set of Goat horns would have such meaning and remeberance?

So, to everyone out there, MERRY CHRISTMAS. I wish you your own memorie's of the passed, and a happy holidays to all.

From the North.......Where thoughts are jogged,......people are missed......and new memories are made every day too....which is nice.

Mark...."The Iron Skillet"