Summer Camp

During my “growing up years” my family camped. Ooooohhhhh the memories. We camped by lakes and rivers. We camped in the heat and humidity. We camped in endless rain and even in tornadoes. We were intrepid.

Once we were camping at Okatibbee Reservoir north of my hometown of Meridian, MS. One late night our camping neighbors had enough time to properly ferment themselves in the grain beverage of their choice. Thus began the memory.

On this night a couple of the fermented neighbors ventured into the water for a late night swim. The water and the grain beverage mixed and caused a chemical reaction. It caused them both to turn into Jerry Clower.

The Jerry Clowers thrashed about in the water. One would bellow “knock ‘em out John”. The other would respond “awwwwww, shoot this thang”. They would both slur “shoot up here amongst us, one of us has got to have some relief”. It seemed to them to be just as funny the 214th time as it was the first. It was surreal.

I also remember being led to that most sacred of childhood deceptions.....SNIPE HUNTING. Yes, I was taken Snipe Hunting. I was lead by my “deceptors”, paper sack in hand, down the dark wooded trail to the place where I would be assured to capture that elusive creature.

I had convinced myself it was authentic because I had looked up the word Snipe in the dictionary. My “deceptors” had described the Snipe to a tee. I then discovered Websters definition matched their description and I was all over it. It was all the authentication this young woodsman needed.

I devotedly planted myself along the path facing the edge of the woods, knelt on the ground with paper sack open in front of me and began the mating call...”bbbbwwwwwwuuuuuuurrrrrrrpppppp” ”bbbbwwwwwwuuuuuuurrrrrrrpppppp” ”bbbbwwwwwwuuuuuuurrrrrrrpppppp” ”bbbbwwwwwwuuuuuuurrrrrrrpppppp”. I ultimately returned to camp.

I share the Snipe Hunting story to help others. If you are ever asked, be leery of this unlikely activity....