Appalachian Patria

Appalachian Intellectual. To me that means plain thinking. I am A Non Commissioned Officer in the Army Reserves. Let me say...My views expressed here are mine and not those of The U.S. Army, Army Reserve or my fellow brethren in The National Guard. This is entirely Sua Sponte. This is My Thinking. I'm single and in my mid 30's. Politicaly, I'm a Libertarian. (Again, Sua Sponte.I do not represent the Libertarian Party.)I love my native Appalachia, Rock n Roll and...I love God.

Name:
Location: Brevard, North Caroilina

I started blogging for two reasons. I was concerned about the changes to the area I live in, Southern Appalachia and I was about to go to the war. I was in Iraq in 06 and 07 and now Kuwait in 11 and 12. Blogging was a means of documenting my experiences and hoping it would help gain clarity. I don't feel that way about it any more. It's said people write blogs because they are frustrated, that's why people read them too. That makes us sound apocalyptic. Are we? Let it be said, what I say here is of my own thinking. This is entirely Sua Sponte and not an official representation of the U.S. Military or the U.S. Government as a whole.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

26th December 2007


We had a white Christmas here. It just waited until 10 o'clock at night. I had roughly an inch of snow but it was just a little slushy on the road. Well, Christmas is over.
There is an argument that perhaps December 25th is not really Jesus's Birthday, that it is actually Nimrods. I can't say if it is or isn't. But this is the day we celebrate it. I don't think he gets upset if we speculate. Consumerism aside, Jesus brought the greatest change to this world.

Saturday was spent Hunting in the fog. We did get to turn the dogs loose on a track, Sally and Bell went right on Squeaky's heals. It was not a big bear, ut we wanted them to run none the less. No sooner than I turned the tracker on Squeaky came around the bend of the road. He ran below the raod sniffing for the scent, but it wasn't there. The same thing happened with a hog track later.

Christmas Eve we killed a Bear. Squeaky ran it. We were leap frogging each other down the road until it treed then we hiked in to kill it. So many young dogs ran that Bear that Squeaky did not make it to the kill. I tracked him most of the way though. One boy asked me if I thought it was the same Bear. It may not have been. It made a sudden change in direction. It was rocky in there and it's claws were worn down from running across the rocks. It nearly killed two dogs. Still it cut a dog bad, with risk of bleeding to death and was on the verge of getting a dogs head in it's mouth before it was shot. I was bit on the leg by a zealous Walker Hound as we were dragging it out. It tore my pants and broke the skin (I have three tooth marks and a bruise) but it did not tare the black silk long johns I was wearing. Hmm. The said dog was on a lead tied to a tree and I was pulling another dog away from the bear when it but me or I would have put a Wellco into it's jaws. Another fellar smacked it with his cap. I'm not crazy about Walkers.

This is an obituary of sorts.
A friend of mine over in Franklin found one of his dogs dead. Her name was Jumper. She was a Kemmer Cur. She was quick and she stayed calm. She'd been on Bear and hogs, but wouldn't run Deer. She once ran across Hannah Mountain in Otto NC and into a ladies yard, where she was fed biscuits until we picked her up. Yet she would run loose shadowing you through the woods if she was let off the lead while not on a race. Sometimes Jumper would balance herself on all four paws on the box iron rig of the dog box. She was an odd looking dog and a funny sight. She wouldn't follow the same trail as other dogs with her nose, she sniffed other ground. She had patience and she'd grab a hog by the ear. Happy Hunting, Jumper.

Now, I took this test twice...
You Are 0% Sociopath

You're empathetic, loyal, and introspective.
In other words, there's no way you're a sociopath... but you can spot one pretty easily!



Ed has answered me and the Gunners question from the last post. And, well, he is right, the Navy Recruitment Ad is true. Go see what the man has to say.

2007 is almost gone
The Appalachianist

7 Comments:

Blogger 1776 said...

Thank God for the new post App, I was getting bored checking and nothing new. Speaking of bored thanks for making my day. I learned I am 32% sociopath. Surprised, but not really...yeah, I have my moments of being "abbenormal" and I am definitely out of the mainstream. Not sure I agree w/the charm or the smarts part.
"From time to time, you may be a bit troubled and a bit too charming for your own good.
It's likely that you're not a sociopath... just quite smart and a bit out of the mainstream!"

Where do you find such things? Yours...I have to agree 100% you are introspective.

Reckon it's good ya'll got a bear for Christmas, it sounds all so violent to me. If it floats your boat then I am willing to read about it. Always good to know the dogs got in a frolic. The dogs are the part I like hearing about, however, it seems like every hunt one or more of them gets seriously hurt. Very sorry to hear about the loss of Jumper. Always hard to lose a good companion. I wanna know if on the sociopath test you put down cruel to animals? Just curious.

Ed nice of you on the Christmas Cheer. Once you give something away you can't ponder, it is your intent and good deed that counts, what the person does w/it is up to them. All one can do is hope that it makes a difference. Let's hope that baby got fed. To quote Homer Simpson, "Being unselfish is a natural high, like hiking or paint thinner." Good one.

Navy ships are very "can'ish". My bro is Navy all the way. I am always amazed how they can get around on those ships so fast and live in such closed quarters. The ad was amusing, the credits the best.

2007 IS almost gone, it had it good moments and it's bad, let's hope 2008 brings us all joy, peace, good health, an abundance of love, and prosperity.

10:04 AM  
Blogger Hill Billy Rave said...

Mew, I reckon that it can be said that I'm introspective. The cruelty to animals part is one thing I thought on. Not because of my Hunting, people eat beef raised as slaves every day. And, they call me cruel. It was over a feral cat. Maybe I should take it a third time.

Only this bear and the hog hurt dogs, that is out of the ones I have been on this year. The last that I knew, the dog was fine.

10:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, when you know your dogs as well as you described Jumber, you can't be all sociopath for sure. Glad you didn't get bit too bad. I have to get Sally and Bell and Squeaky better fixed in my mind. Glad to hear that the black silk longjohns weren't hurt. Was in Ashville a week ago and there was a little snow especially around 3,500 feet. I would have loved to have seen the snow at your place. My grandchildren get very excited with just a few flakes of snow. Laughed at your posting . . . be careful with those Walkers. I sent you a Christmas card only to have it come back in the mail. I forgot to put the numbers of the road address in the address. It ain't like it used to be where the post would be dilivered because they knew everyone in town. Take care and keep reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" because your posts remind me of this book that I too, have enjoyed.

7:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, seing how Nimrod was a warrior and hunter I'm not surprised to see him mentioned on your blog. :-)

Here's a little Christmas trivia for you to pull on folks next year. Ask them how many wise men there were. They'll most likely say "Three!" and you tell 'em "Wrong!" The Bible don't mention the number of wise men, only that there were 3 gifts. :-)

10:02 PM  
Blogger Hill Billy Rave said...

Bill, you made me laugh. I would have been up at Grave Yard Feilds that weekend, the clouds set in and you knew it was going to get white up there before it was done.

Thanks for the card. Come to think of it, I didn't get a one this year.

Gunner, your right. You can really get some folks with that one. Oh, been meaning to catch the Slim Whitman vid.

7:48 AM  
Blogger Ramblin' Ed said...

Like AHFTBR, I too got " 32% - From time to time, you may be a bit troubled and a bit too charming for your own good.
It's likely that you're not a sociopath... just quite smart and a bit out of the mainstream! "

Likely not a sociopath, however, is not definitive. Just thought I'd point that out.

9:47 PM  
Blogger 1776 said...

yeah, it's the not likely that caught my eye too.

3:05 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home