Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Dr. Kenneth Howell

Wed. 30 December, 2015, A Cowboy Fly By,...Old Friend's Last Visit ?

Some years back, I was honored to have an old and honored friend, Ken Howell as a visitor to my very utilitarian and somewhat drafty old home, during a get together with an interesting of new and old friends, many of them first encountered, “on-line” . On Ken's first visit he stayed in the Bedroom up on the West end of the place,...at that time I resided in one over on the East side. The following year he stayed on the East side,....I'd moved my quarters, as it were. During these “Rondys”, the place would temporarily morph into a small village, R.V.s, tents, campers, folks bedded down on floors and on straw bales around a large fire out back, in the “Lurk”.
I'd missed seeing him and my other friends for several gatherings in other places,...time constraints, border issues, and budget have kept me tied pretty close to , and down on this little farm aborning. We were in very close contact via the internet, and both shared a love of good English text, well crafted and applied. I knew he was in a bad way up in the hospital, over in Albuquerque, and that prospects were unlikely that he'd leave the place alive.
I've lived in TENTS that were tighter and less drafty than this old desert classic, my current abode, and never heat the whole place,...this last Tuesday was one of the more ornery cold and windy days on record this year, 12* F at midnight, with a steady North wind....60 watt heaters under the rabbit's nesting boxes, a heat lamp up on the water well's pressure switch, the sleeping quarters buttoned up, and a little low wattage heat in play there, too. My old Queensland Heeler Grace, and her apprentice, “Nip” were in for the night, and the upper San Pedro Valley very, very quiet. Gracey was very fond of Ken, she'd done a bit of hanging out with him, and I think he was fond of her, too. Nip arrived here well after those visits, and had never met the man.
Just before 0400, Gracey literally SPRANG to her feet, and started poking around her side of the bedroom,...very quiet, yet intensely focused being the best description of her unusual behavior. When it's that cold, I don't have to get dressed, I'm in heavy pajamas and socks, and sliding into mocasins can see me out the door in a flash. So,...I turned on the bedside light, and while quizzing Gracey in annoyed tones, got into my Topsiders. I 'd completely missed the fact that on her side of the bed, Nip was standing with every hair on her straight up, and in a condition of real alarm. As Gracey and I came around her corner , she jumped Grace and commenced to chewing. It was pretty Western for a moment or two, but I got them to quit, ….they are really good that way. I opened kicked Nip out the door on that end and , thinking that some sort of animal may have bust into the place, opened the door into the Kitchen / Living room area. Gracey FLEW to the closed back bedroom door, and pawed at it,....I followed, and let her in,.....she poked all around, came back out, and gave me a really puzzled look.
What the hell,....turn on the central heater,....fill up a jug with hot water to take out to the Rabbits, and see how they're doing. Gracey made a beeline for the campfire area, and went to poking around there,....Nip joined her. I went out and freshened the rabbit's water,...checked the nestboxes for kits due any day now, and spent a moment or two looking off to the Northeast, towards Alburquerque, wondering about my Old Compadre, and as always just amazed and humbled at the glory of a clear desert sky, one under which one can read by starlight alone.
As noted it was really a mite too nippy to be sporting about in pajamas, I called up Grace, and leaving Nip out, made it back under the warm covers,...she hopped up, and settled in at my feet.
I slept in and around a very cold sunup, coffee in hand, turned on the computer. Right at the top of my mail was a short note from a good friend, “RIP, Ken,...Ken slipped away last night.”
….there it is,, go figger.

Adios', my fine Amigo,
...and thanks for swinging by on your way out ! GTC 1/1/2016