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I liked the post by Captain Billy on the 'Dogs' thread:
"Yeah, what good would these shotguns be without dogs"

Gene Hill looked at things from another angle in Shotgunner's Notebook

"No shotguns, no poetry. No shotguns, no exuberant competiton. No shotguns, no silent days alone, or with a dog, to merely walk and think. Take the shotguns from my life and take the books that go with them. Take the paintings and the etchings and bronzed pointing setters and Labs with a proudly carried duck. Take my decoys and my marsh boat and my string of calls. Take my old photographs of friends at gun clubs and duck camps and at the simple farms. Take my faded coats and briared boots and old soft hats. Take my whistles and dog bells and red and yellow field trial ribbons from their frames.
What friends I have, what days I treasure most, what places I think about and smile...these are because shotguns are. Without them I would have been empty. They have make my life full."

And without our dogs, our lives would have been only a fraction of what they were.

Our world's definately the worse for Gene Hill's passing. His works are on my "goto" list when I need to immerse in a better place.

I'm sure glad that some can put into words what is certainly in all of our hearts. Amen
Ron

yeah, he sure could put into words what we all feel, but can't articulate so well.... what a gift he had! I know I'll likely read him even more later on when I can't get around so good.....for now, I'm too immersed in the living of what he writes about, and grateful for every day I can get out with a gun.

Last June, I had knee surgery for a torn ACL (dumb move, full court B-ball with my 14 yr old and his nimble pals....I'm 52)..... as I lay there post-op with ice on me, gimpin around in pain, it gave me a real good dope slap, and I got a big reality check..... I got real grateful all of a sudden for the ability of mobility. Laying there wondering if I'd ever be afield again, I could suddenly empathize and sympathize with those who can't get out so much anymore (health, age, etc) and can only stimulate those grand memories of glorious shoots and outings through Gene's incredible ability to usher us into the heart of the sporting life, helping us cherish and appreciate what we still have, and savor with gratitude those precious times we have had....

He's something special, allright.....

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Gene was quite the gentleman-----I hope the upcoming generation reads and appreciates his writings

Gene understood our passions and we were fortunate to have someone as eloquent as him to immortalize them in words.