Sorry to hear about your buddy and his wife's loss. That would be terrible but at least nobody was hurt. Prayers sent.
Do you have an updated list of what he is getting and what he still needs?
I might have a "gadget" or two laying around.
I lost an older cousin in a house fire in '86. My Dad was the Fire Chief in our small town and my cousin Ron was the Asst. Chief. They were really close. My folks and his folks were out at his house the night it happened. After they left he fell asleep in a recliner with a lit cigarette in the living room. They figure it laid smoldering in the carpet until the furnace kicked in and the air from the vent ignited the fire. The house was a total loss.
My Dad was the one who found him in the kitchen the next morning while the house was engulfed in flames. If Ron would have crawled to the left instead of to the right he would have made it to the door.
I remember being there on that cold rainy fall day while my Dad and the rest of the fire dept. fought to contain the blaze. I remember thinking how brave and strong my Dad was when the rest of us were shattered. I remember being SO impressed with the local Red Cross Chapter for all they did during that time and I have donated to them through the United Way for 20 something years now because of it.
After Ron's funeral we got into the car to go to the cemetary and my Dad completely lost it. That was the first time I ever saw my Dad cry and it had a profound affect on my life. House fires are an awful thing all the way around...
Sorry I went off in another direction. That just brought back a lot of memories.
Tom (T-Zone) has some stuff for me to pick up this weekend. Once I do that, I'll update the list again. Thanks for the concern guys. I really do appreciate the outporing of support. I am giving him a pellet gun, so he's got something to shoot with his grandkids, a Marlin .22 semi-auto, and after the first of the year will be looking for a deer rifle to take down for him. I've got a Mosin Nagant, but those things are so butt-ugly, I just can't stick him with it. I'll be looking for a used bolt gun in any conventional caliber that I can get for as close to $200.00 as possible. A pump or lever would be fine too, I just think I'll have a better chance of finding something in a bolt. That being said, if anyone's got a beater 760 that's still minute of deer accurate, I'd be interested. If anyone has a tired old dusty gun in the back of the cabinet that could work, please let me know. I won't be able to do this until after the first of the year, but it never hurts to put the word out there.
Thanks again guys. Bill was my neighbor 2 houses up the street from me. We were very close in school, and this is really tough on everyone involved. Your thoughts and prayers, as well as you contributions are greatly appreciated, and I won't forget them.
