Last Thursday I had cataract surgery on my left eye. Had to wear a hard plastic patch for 3 days so I couldn't rub it in my sleep. Couldn't drive for 24 hours. Couldn't lift anything over 5 lbs or bend over for a week. It was a week later, this past Thursday, before I could get out in the sun with out wearing welding-lens type dark sunglasses, But, Friday I went for the 1 week check up, and the doc said everything looked perfect. She said she has schedule the OP Surgery ( hospital is beside her office) for Aug 31st. I was glad to- get it scheduled so soon, til I realized that was 2 days before opening day. I told her that I couldn't do it that week., She only does these on Thursdays. she said there were no slots available in Sept ot Oct, and she doesn't do any in Nov or Dec. She said AUG 31st was open because no one wanted to have it a day before the Labor Day weekend. And she pointed pout that I probably wanted to get it done in 2023 before my deductible and out of pocket starts over Jan 1. So, I have no choice but to do it that day.
We have already sold all 250 dove shotting spots at $250, so calling it off is no option we want to consider, if possible. That is $62.5k right there. Plus we have about 40 of the MC that come on Saturday evening for the BBQ and band, and they pay the full price even if the don't shoot so that's another $10k. That plus money that people tip and just flat out donate, we most times end up with $100k or so for the 4H/FFA kids. With Scott's health deteriorating,...about all he can do is run the gate. I have to start the chickens ( actually,. rabbit, squirrel, quail , pheasant duck and turkey) for the stew Friday afternoon, set them off the fire about 11 o'clock. Start deboning about 4 -5AM, then put the pot back on the fire and start cooking the stew. while fixing breakfast for about 300 people to have ready by 5:30AM. Put the meat on the smoker for the BBQ that night. All of this time you are constantly having to stir the stew til supper time that night.; Then you have to start the fish fry about 11 AM, to have it ready for the noon til 2 break on the dove field. The ladies of MS Mattie's church are already planning on taking care of the sides, and the kids always help with the stew, toting firewood...just any general labor needed. My MC brothers had already laid down the law to me, that there will be 2 prospects at my sided 24/7 starting Friday, and that I am to tell them to pick up things, move stuff, stir, tote wood and water, etc.
But we don't have anyone else that knows the recipes and techniques for cooking all of this, in those quantities, at one time, Except Scott, and no way he can he pull the 48 hour marathon that I pull every year cooking all of this.
But, I spent yesterday calling different people to see what they thought about calling it all off. First one I called was the MC prez, and told him what was happening. He said " Hell no, we gonna make this a mandatory club run, from Friday afrernoon til Sunday morning, and the whole club will be there to help. Plus the black MC's prez and VP were coming anyhow." So HogBear is going to reach out to him today. When I told Clay ( @Sthrncwboy ) he said " Only man I know of that can pull off that big a cooking project, and do it right is ME. I will be there Friday and handle all of that plumb through to breakfast Sunday!" Then, Clay called my son, who has been cooking stew with his grandpaw, my ex father in law, for 45 years. Since he was big enough to walk. Now, Shane and Clay will go down Friday, and Shane will cook the stew, while Clay does the other stuff. HogBear and his VP, the other Prez and VP, are gonna handle the dove shoot.... making sure hunting laws are followed,. keeping alcohol off the field, checking licenses and monitoring bag limits, and handling security at the after party. etc. I told Scott all of this today, and he said we ought to take some of the money and pay these guys, and I said that was fine with me. Later on in the conversation, he said " Let's don't do that,. Let's pay them out of our pockets", Which suited me even better, But when I called Clay and HogBear to let them know we were gonna pay them and these people, it hurt their feelings, Made them mad that I even offered! Clay said " Damn you, boss. You think you and Scott are the only big shots that can afford to do something for someone?" HogBear said: "I hate it that you have been out of the MC world so long, that you forgot to not insult brothers that way. I suggest you don't mention paying us ever again around any other patch holders" And, they were right.
I will go down there some next week and weekend, to cut and bale the millet and sorghum, and sow ( broadcast) wheat back on it. We leave the sunflowers standing ( it is legal to do that in GA), and will bush hog the corn the following week Scott is getting his nephew to get up the peanuts, Not exactly sure how they do that to leave most of the peanuts hulled and above ground, but maybe I will get to see it done.
I just hate it that I will miss what could actually be our last one. Last night I had the bright idea to ride down with Clay or my son, or get one of my 3 grandsons to drive my truck down, and I could just sit there in the shade with Scott and not do anything. But my ole lady came unglued when I mentioned it. Called Clay and my son and threatened them with a slow painful death if they did. They kind of insulted me, if you think about it, listening to her over me. I may yet decide the heck with all of them, and drive down myself with my one good eye. Saturday if I am home, would be when I could take the patch off anyhow. Last week after the first operation, I was good about not lifting anything over 5 lbs, but I did bend over a lot when I wasn't supposed to. Doctor said Friday though that it looked fine and I was 100% healed.
We have already sold all 250 dove shotting spots at $250, so calling it off is no option we want to consider, if possible. That is $62.5k right there. Plus we have about 40 of the MC that come on Saturday evening for the BBQ and band, and they pay the full price even if the don't shoot so that's another $10k. That plus money that people tip and just flat out donate, we most times end up with $100k or so for the 4H/FFA kids. With Scott's health deteriorating,...about all he can do is run the gate. I have to start the chickens ( actually,. rabbit, squirrel, quail , pheasant duck and turkey) for the stew Friday afternoon, set them off the fire about 11 o'clock. Start deboning about 4 -5AM, then put the pot back on the fire and start cooking the stew. while fixing breakfast for about 300 people to have ready by 5:30AM. Put the meat on the smoker for the BBQ that night. All of this time you are constantly having to stir the stew til supper time that night.; Then you have to start the fish fry about 11 AM, to have it ready for the noon til 2 break on the dove field. The ladies of MS Mattie's church are already planning on taking care of the sides, and the kids always help with the stew, toting firewood...just any general labor needed. My MC brothers had already laid down the law to me, that there will be 2 prospects at my sided 24/7 starting Friday, and that I am to tell them to pick up things, move stuff, stir, tote wood and water, etc.
But we don't have anyone else that knows the recipes and techniques for cooking all of this, in those quantities, at one time, Except Scott, and no way he can he pull the 48 hour marathon that I pull every year cooking all of this.
But, I spent yesterday calling different people to see what they thought about calling it all off. First one I called was the MC prez, and told him what was happening. He said " Hell no, we gonna make this a mandatory club run, from Friday afrernoon til Sunday morning, and the whole club will be there to help. Plus the black MC's prez and VP were coming anyhow." So HogBear is going to reach out to him today. When I told Clay ( @Sthrncwboy ) he said " Only man I know of that can pull off that big a cooking project, and do it right is ME. I will be there Friday and handle all of that plumb through to breakfast Sunday!" Then, Clay called my son, who has been cooking stew with his grandpaw, my ex father in law, for 45 years. Since he was big enough to walk. Now, Shane and Clay will go down Friday, and Shane will cook the stew, while Clay does the other stuff. HogBear and his VP, the other Prez and VP, are gonna handle the dove shoot.... making sure hunting laws are followed,. keeping alcohol off the field, checking licenses and monitoring bag limits, and handling security at the after party. etc. I told Scott all of this today, and he said we ought to take some of the money and pay these guys, and I said that was fine with me. Later on in the conversation, he said " Let's don't do that,. Let's pay them out of our pockets", Which suited me even better, But when I called Clay and HogBear to let them know we were gonna pay them and these people, it hurt their feelings, Made them mad that I even offered! Clay said " Damn you, boss. You think you and Scott are the only big shots that can afford to do something for someone?" HogBear said: "I hate it that you have been out of the MC world so long, that you forgot to not insult brothers that way. I suggest you don't mention paying us ever again around any other patch holders" And, they were right.
I will go down there some next week and weekend, to cut and bale the millet and sorghum, and sow ( broadcast) wheat back on it. We leave the sunflowers standing ( it is legal to do that in GA), and will bush hog the corn the following week Scott is getting his nephew to get up the peanuts, Not exactly sure how they do that to leave most of the peanuts hulled and above ground, but maybe I will get to see it done.
I just hate it that I will miss what could actually be our last one. Last night I had the bright idea to ride down with Clay or my son, or get one of my 3 grandsons to drive my truck down, and I could just sit there in the shade with Scott and not do anything. But my ole lady came unglued when I mentioned it. Called Clay and my son and threatened them with a slow painful death if they did. They kind of insulted me, if you think about it, listening to her over me. I may yet decide the heck with all of them, and drive down myself with my one good eye. Saturday if I am home, would be when I could take the patch off anyhow. Last week after the first operation, I was good about not lifting anything over 5 lbs, but I did bend over a lot when I wasn't supposed to. Doctor said Friday though that it looked fine and I was 100% healed.
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Opening day the whole town, those that dove hunted at least, gathered at the Mason's lodge that night and had a dove supper. Fried breasts, mashed taters, slaw and biscuits and gravy. And wash tubs full of tea. While we ate, the ice cream freezers were running, making homemade peach, strawberry, banana, vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Dude who owned a dairy would bring a 10 gallon metal container full of fresh whole milk, about 3 or 4 hours out of the cows, that everyone used to make the ice cream. I have been all over the country and the world, and eaten what was supposed to be the best food of that region, or state or country...often paying 100's of dollars per meal for it, and NOTHING compared to that dove supper! That would be on the last Saturday before Labor day, and Labor day came on Sept 1st back then, no matter what day of the week it was. And on Labor day we all went back to the lodge for the Labior Day fish fry. Everyone brought the fish they had caught and froze all spring and summer. God, I am hungry now! LOL
