Squirrel Stew

I have been reading other Author's blogs. I suspect that secretly, I am seeking sympathy while remaining anonymous. I have the urge to write, but I find other things that need to be done or things that I want to do and move them up on my list, pushing writing down; I have always been undisciplined.

Today, I am going shooting -- Sporting Clays. It may surprise some of you to find that I own and use guns. I grew up in a family where both my mother and father knew how to hunt; squirrel and rabbit stew were dishes my mother would prepare in the fall and winter of the year. Here is a short excerpt from my first book, "On Harrisonville Avenue."

My Dad loved to hunt and would take me with him. Mother would come too, sometimes, but stay in the car and listen to the radio and crochet.

Into the Bond Woods in September to hunt squirrels we would go,
tiptoeing quietly, avoiding sticks that would break or kicking dry leaves. Dad had a 12 gauge L.C. Smith double barrel shotgun; I was the spotter and retriever, since Dad’s eyes weren’t that good.

On one warm fall afternoon, Dad shot at three squirrels with 4 shells and didn’t hit one of them. As we were walking back, we were remarking nevertheless how good it was to be in the woods and breathing the fresh air. When we got back to the car, the trunk was open.

“Did you get anything?” Mother said cheerfully.
“No, but we scared three of them” said Dad as he looked in the trunk.

There was Mother’s Winchester 22 pump rifle and a dead squirrel.
“Dagnabbit, Gladys. Did you shoot this Squirrel ? “ Dad
sputtered.

“Well, what was I supposed to do, Paul,” said Mother.
“He sat there on the side of the tree and practically invited
himself to dinner.” And she chuckled and Dad laughed.

We had squirrel stew the next night.

Normally, it takes about one squirrel per person for a meal, but mother had ways of "extending" a dish when the situation called for it; mostly, her extensions meant adding more potatoes.
She would also add some canned corn. Of course, there were "scratchy" biscuits with her stews.

Ahhhh ... how easily I get distracted. I almost went for the recipe, but who among you needs a Squirrel Stew recipe?

So today, I will go shooting Sporting Clays with a friend from New Jersey. My guns are shotguns of all gauges; today calls for the Browning 12 gauge over and under. Or ... maybe I'll take the 16 gauge -- like the one Dad gave me.

Writing can wait until tomorrow, while I enjoy this day.