1 00:00:01,879 --> 00:00:04,759 Speaker 1: If you follow this podcast, you know that I've been 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:10,359 uploading archived audio projects that I've done as far back 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,880 as five or six years ago. I'm doing that because 4 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,600 there are a lot of new followers on the podcast, 5 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,039 and it's not normal for a new listener to search 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,960 back into the history or library of any podcast and 7 00:00:25,199 --> 00:00:28,039 go back to the old stuff and listen to it. 8 00:00:28,199 --> 00:00:30,239 I know I don't do that. I don't know anyone 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,000 else who does that. They stumble on a new podcast 10 00:00:33,039 --> 00:00:36,320 and they just keep listening to the new stuff. However, 11 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,520 the stories that I did, especially in the first couple 12 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:44,439 of years, they weren't presented very well as you're gonna 13 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:49,799 hear in this podcast, but the stories are fantastic. I'm 14 00:00:49,799 --> 00:00:53,280 reaching way back in this episode one on one of 15 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,240 the archive drops. Two of the stories in this podcast 16 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,920 are from that era, and you'll look the audio horrible 17 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,120 on them, and I've tried to improve it. The way 18 00:01:05,159 --> 00:01:09,040 I read them was not very good. It was pretty 19 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:11,640 poor reading, and I've learned how to do it just 20 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,439 a little bit better through the years. But if you 21 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,079 can get by that and just listen to the story, 22 00:01:17,239 --> 00:01:20,920 I think you'll be entertained and intrigued. That's all I 23 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:23,959 wanted to say, thanks for watching the first one hundred. 24 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,040 I didn't announce it. I was going to do it 25 00:01:26,079 --> 00:01:28,719 back in May. I just made a decision and just 26 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,599 did it that I was going to try my best 27 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,640 to upload one hundred podcasts in one hundred days. I 28 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:38,760 missed my mark, but I got a hundred up in 29 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,760 about one hundred and six days. I believe it is 30 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,000 so thank you for listening. I'm going to keep doing them. 31 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,519 They're not going to drop every day from this point forward. 32 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,799 Some might, but I'll probably drop a couple of archive 33 00:01:51,959 --> 00:01:56,480 podcasts per week along with the newer podcast that I do, 34 00:01:56,719 --> 00:01:59,400 so maybe you can expect two to three a week. 35 00:02:00,079 --> 00:02:02,040 I just want to get on and let you know 36 00:02:02,439 --> 00:02:05,640 how much I appreciate you listening and following this podcast, 37 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,840 and I hope you continue to enjoy the stories, new 38 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:20,479 and old. All right, here we go. There was an 39 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,759 old hermit once. No one ever really knew his name 40 00:02:23,879 --> 00:02:26,919 or where he came from. He was as much a 41 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,879 part of the landscape as the trees that grew around 42 00:02:29,879 --> 00:02:35,000 a shack he kept himself. Mostly. Sometimes he'd venture into 43 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,319 town and pick up a bag of coffee beans or 44 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,479 maybe a pound of flour. But when he did, he 45 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,599 didn't speak much to anyone. Mostly he stayed out there 46 00:02:44,759 --> 00:02:48,759 by himself in the woods. He was such a quiet 47 00:02:48,759 --> 00:02:51,199 old man that no one ever gave him much thought. 48 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,840 He was never invited to any parties, nor did he 49 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,439 show up for the community dances. He was nowhere to 50 00:02:58,479 --> 00:03:01,560 be found when the fireworks the sky on the fourth 51 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:05,879 of July. And well, it's highly unlikely that anyone ever 52 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,400 thought to give him a Christmas present. He was just 53 00:03:09,599 --> 00:03:12,400 old Jake, and it may not have been his real name, 54 00:03:12,439 --> 00:03:15,879 but who could say. But someone started calling him that 55 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:20,360 one day, and it stuck. Old Jake didn't live alone 56 00:03:20,479 --> 00:03:24,080 in his little one room shack. He had three companions 57 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,879 who lived there too, and their names were I Know, 58 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,759 you Know, and Kaliko. They were three of the finest 59 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,919 redbone hounds a man could ask for. They hunted faithfully 60 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,599 at his side and spent long hours lying on the 61 00:03:37,639 --> 00:03:41,800 banks of the river while Old Jake fished. Each morning, 62 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,599 when Jake got up, those three dogs were at the 63 00:03:44,639 --> 00:03:47,560 door waiting to be let in, having spent a long 64 00:03:47,639 --> 00:03:52,039 night out chasing whatever animals inhabited the night. Each night 65 00:03:52,159 --> 00:03:54,719 before he went to bed, they were at the door again, 66 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,319 waiting to be let out for another night of rolic. 67 00:03:59,159 --> 00:04:02,039 Jake didn't have many possessions, and just a few pieces 68 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,000 of furniture and his gun in his fishing pole, and 69 00:04:05,039 --> 00:04:08,280 the tools he needed to get through each day. In 70 00:04:08,319 --> 00:04:11,159 each spring, he'd put in a big garden and the 71 00:04:11,199 --> 00:04:13,800 food from which is what he lived on most of 72 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,160 the year. He grew what he needed and canned and 73 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,319 dried and put away as much as he could, along 74 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,680 with the fish and the game he caught. It was 75 00:04:22,759 --> 00:04:25,519 usually enough to get him through the winter, and when 76 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:30,399 it wasn't enough, Jake went hungry. It was one of 77 00:04:30,439 --> 00:04:33,600 those years when the garden hadn't produced like it should 78 00:04:33,639 --> 00:04:36,399 and the game had been a bit scarce, that Jake 79 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,279 found himself deep into February with nothing left to eat. 80 00:04:41,319 --> 00:04:43,680 He went out each day and hunted for rabbits and 81 00:04:43,759 --> 00:04:46,800 squirrels or anything else he could find, but he wasn't 82 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:50,680 having a lot of luck that year. Sometimes he'd go 83 00:04:50,759 --> 00:04:53,240 a whole week before he'd managed to catch something to 84 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,519 fill his belly, and at his age, with his bones 85 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:02,839 beginning to protest against the cold, Jake was miserable. One night, 86 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,399 tired and hungry and with nothing to eat. He turned 87 00:05:06,399 --> 00:05:08,879 out the dogs and put up the biggest fire he 88 00:05:08,959 --> 00:05:11,639 could in the fireplace, and he crawled into bed under 89 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,920 his old patchwork wilt. The wind blew hard that night, 90 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:20,800 and the cabin creaked and shuddered under its force. Jake 91 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,759 shivered in reply, and his belly was too empty and 92 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,120 his body was too cold to allow for a good 93 00:05:26,199 --> 00:05:28,800 night's sleep. It's all he could do was lie there 94 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:33,839 and listen. I know, you know, And Kaliko had come 95 00:05:33,879 --> 00:05:36,720 back from the woods early. He could hear him bedding 96 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,480 down in the cross space under the floorboards. Ought to 97 00:05:40,519 --> 00:05:43,600 get up and let those dogs in, he told himself 98 00:05:43,959 --> 00:05:47,519 as he listened to them scratching around below him. But 99 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,519 he was cold and hungry, and he was tired. Getting 100 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,240 up and going to the door seemed like too big 101 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,399 of a task, So he laid there and he listened. 102 00:05:57,879 --> 00:06:00,040 It wasn't long before he began to notice the But 103 00:06:00,199 --> 00:06:02,920 the noises he was hearing didn't sound like his dogs 104 00:06:02,959 --> 00:06:07,480 at all. This got his attention. He raised his head 105 00:06:07,519 --> 00:06:11,040 a little off the bed and concentrated. He heard scratching, 106 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:16,360 long scratches and short scratches. That ain't my dog's, he said. 107 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,399 The scratching grew louder and turned into a gnawing sound. 108 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:26,360 What is that? He wondered. Feeling a little afraid, Jake 109 00:06:26,639 --> 00:06:29,040 sat up in his bed and he looked around the room. 110 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,639 At that moment, something nibbled through the wall and popped 111 00:06:32,639 --> 00:06:35,720 its head through the hole. It was a tall, bony 112 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,399 rat like creature with beady red eyes that watered with 113 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:44,079 milky secretions, and long yellow teeth that drips sliva onto 114 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,839 the floor. It raised its clawed hands up and began 115 00:06:47,879 --> 00:06:53,120 to inch toward Jake's bed. Panic down, afraid, Jake forgot 116 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,480 all about his aching bones and his empty belly, and 117 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:58,519 he thought only of how he was going to rid 118 00:06:58,639 --> 00:07:02,319 himself with this monster. He climbed out of bed and 119 00:07:02,439 --> 00:07:06,480 ran to grab something, anything, to defend himself from this 120 00:07:06,639 --> 00:07:10,439 creature that was moving ever closer. The first thing Jake 121 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,319 got his hands on was a meat cleaver on the table. 122 00:07:14,519 --> 00:07:17,160 He turned and swung it at the fend and backed 123 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,560 it into a corner where it had chewed the hole. 124 00:07:21,199 --> 00:07:24,519 It ducked and swayed, even pounced back as they fought, 125 00:07:24,959 --> 00:07:28,120 But little by little, Jake was winning until he found 126 00:07:28,199 --> 00:07:31,720 himself standing by the door of the cabin, and thinking quickly, 127 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,920 he threw open the door and called for the dogs. 128 00:07:35,879 --> 00:07:39,079 Seconds later, they were barreling into the cabin. They were 129 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:43,480 growling and barking at the strange, monstrous being, and together 130 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,920 Jake and the dogs drove it back to the hole 131 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,319 and out of the cabin. But before it could escape completely, 132 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,600 Jake grabbed its tail and with one swing of the blade, 133 00:07:52,639 --> 00:07:56,480 he chopped it off. The animal gave out a horrifying 134 00:07:56,639 --> 00:08:00,680 scream that rattled Jake and sent three dogs cower back. 135 00:08:01,399 --> 00:08:03,959 Jake looked quickly around the room and found a piece 136 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,879 of cloth to shove into the hole. Then he piled 137 00:08:06,879 --> 00:08:09,360 some of his firewood in front of it, and then 138 00:08:09,399 --> 00:08:11,399 he turned to the dogs and gave each one a 139 00:08:11,439 --> 00:08:14,000 pat on the head before letting them back out into 140 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:18,519 the night. Jake looked at the long tail in his hand, 141 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,319 and he wondered what he should do with it. His 142 00:08:21,399 --> 00:08:24,759 stomach rumbled and hunger then, and so he decided to 143 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,319 cook it into his suit. An hour later, with his 144 00:08:28,399 --> 00:08:31,399 belly full for the first time in a week, Jake 145 00:08:31,519 --> 00:08:36,720 tired and crawled into bed and fell asleep. It wasn't 146 00:08:36,759 --> 00:08:40,600 long though, until that scratching sound began again, and Jake 147 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,919 found himself sitting up in bed, facing the corner where 148 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:47,279 he had secured the hole. A second later, the pile 149 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,919 of firewood erupted and the rat creature was standing in 150 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:55,720 front of him again. Where's my taily poe, it growled 151 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,840 at him. I want my taily poe. I don't have, 152 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,799 Jake cried, his voice wavering in fear. Go away. I 153 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:10,919 want my taily pole, the thing replied. Jake sprang from 154 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,279 the bed and ran to the front door. I know 155 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,639 you know, Caaliico? He called, Come in here, boys, and 156 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:21,440 once again the three dogs came. Running together. Jake and 157 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:24,679 his dogs forced the beasts back into the hole. Once again, 158 00:09:25,399 --> 00:09:29,879 Jake covered it with bits of cloth and firewood. He 159 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,919 was exhausted beyond measure now and he crawled back into 160 00:09:32,919 --> 00:09:38,480 the bed within seconds, and he was snoring. When Jake 161 00:09:38,519 --> 00:09:41,960 awoke again, the monster was already inside the cabin. It 162 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,279 was towering over his bed and croaking out the words 163 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:51,320 where is my taily pole? Again. Jake sprang for the 164 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:54,759 door and he threw it open. I know you know, Caalico, 165 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:59,639 he called, but the dogs didn't come. I know, Come on, boy, 166 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:05,000 he yelled again, you know where you at, Kalko. Come on, boy, 167 00:10:05,039 --> 00:10:08,879 come on. No matter how many times he called, the 168 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:14,159 dogs didn't come. He turned and faced the monstrous rat, 169 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:19,480 who demanded in its leathery voice, I want my tailey pole. 170 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,039 And Jake ran for his bed and jumped in and 171 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:26,240 threw the covers over his head. I don't have it, 172 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,600 he screamed. I cooked it and ate it for supper. 173 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,559 In an instant, the rat jumped onto the bed and 174 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:37,360 began to claw at the old quilt, and Jake screamed 175 00:10:37,399 --> 00:10:40,440 and cried out for help, and the rat gnawed through 176 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:44,200 the covers and into Jake's shirt. Help me, help me, 177 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,440 he screamed, but no one was around to hear him, 178 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,320 and then it began to claw its way into Jake's stomach. 179 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,799 It was later that spring when someone finally noticed that 180 00:10:56,919 --> 00:11:00,080 Jake hadn't been to town for quite some time, and 181 00:11:00,159 --> 00:11:03,000 for the first time in memory, Old Jake was the 182 00:11:03,039 --> 00:11:07,360 center of conversation. You don't suppose he's hurt out there 183 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:11,519 in that cabin, Someone asked, well, maybe he died out there. 184 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:15,519 He's getting old, you know. Another suggested, do you think 185 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:18,519 we ought to go check on him? Yet another wondered. 186 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,399 The town gathered up a group of men and they 187 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:25,679 headed out to the cabin where Old Jake lived, and 188 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,200 when they got there, they found the place had been 189 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:33,000 torn to pieces. The only thing standing was the fireplace chimney. 190 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,720 They found a skull that looked like it probably belonged 191 00:11:36,759 --> 00:11:39,919 to one of Jake's hound dogs, and there were bits 192 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,759 of material that might have been covered in blood. But 193 00:11:43,279 --> 00:11:48,679 Jake was gone. He was never seen again. These days, 194 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:50,960 if you head out to the woods where Old Jake's 195 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,840 cabin once stood, don't be surprised if you hear screaming 196 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:59,279 on the wind in a scratchy, growling voice, demanding to 197 00:11:59,399 --> 00:12:09,000 know where's my daily pole. In April of twenty ten, 198 00:12:09,759 --> 00:12:12,799 my husband was assigned a contract to work in Germany. 199 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:15,799 We decided that it would be a good experience for 200 00:12:15,919 --> 00:12:19,960 our son, Jake, then eighteen and a senior in high school, 201 00:12:20,039 --> 00:12:23,320 to go for a senior trip. We discussed the plans 202 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:26,120 with his school principal and was met with the resounding yes, 203 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,559 he's excused. This is a trip of a lifetime. Go 204 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:33,879 with lots of instructions on how to navigate the airport's 205 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:38,799 use of passport finding a US embassy and movement through customs. 206 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:41,559 We sent our one hundred and seventy five pound, six 207 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,879 foot tall wrestler alone to Germany to meet his dad. 208 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:49,080 He stayed a week and then he returned home. Jake 209 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:53,200 returned to an airport where I had never driven. Monday, 210 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,840 May third, twenty ten, my twelve year old daughter, Journey 211 00:12:56,919 --> 00:13:00,000 and I picked up my son at Dulles International Airport 212 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:04,240 in Virginia at nine forty five pm. I used a 213 00:13:04,279 --> 00:13:07,279 map quest to find the shortest route and printed a copy, 214 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:12,000 which took us down country roads in the daylight hours. 215 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,840 It was easy, peasy. We arrived at the airport without 216 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:20,279 a hitch. I proceeded south on Route twenty eight with 217 00:13:20,399 --> 00:13:24,039 both of my kids heading home. My daughter rode in 218 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,559 the front seat to navigate the printed directions in reverse 219 00:13:28,039 --> 00:13:31,000 and in the dark. My son rode in the back 220 00:13:31,039 --> 00:13:35,159 seat with his head down. I became disoriented and missed 221 00:13:35,159 --> 00:13:39,279 our left turn on to Aiden Road. To make matters worse, 222 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,559 the fuel gauge was on empty. I had less than 223 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,399 three gallons in the tank. I was afraid that we'd 224 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:48,000 run out of gas in the middle of nowhere. This 225 00:13:48,279 --> 00:13:51,240 was compounded by the fact that the local news was 226 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:55,639 plastered with stories of a mass murderer in the Manassas area. 227 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,279 His mo was stabbing victims with screwdrivers or bash with 228 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,600 a hammer and leaving them for dead. I didn't tell 229 00:14:03,639 --> 00:14:06,759 the kids. I'm not one to shield my kids from gore, 230 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,399 but they sensed my urgency and the tension was high. 231 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,000 I saw a dimly lit gas station on the side 232 00:14:14,039 --> 00:14:18,240 of the road. I pulled in, swiped my card. It authorized. 233 00:14:18,519 --> 00:14:20,759 I pulled the handle to start the flow of gas 234 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:24,639 into my tank, and one cent dispensed and clunked the 235 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,799 gas pump stop. I got three cents worth of gas 236 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:32,559 over three tries when I noticed a large, brownish tan 237 00:14:32,879 --> 00:14:36,720 suv sitting at the stop sign with its hazard lights on. 238 00:14:37,759 --> 00:14:40,559 The feeling of relief that I had found a gas 239 00:14:40,559 --> 00:14:44,559 station changed from annoyance with the pumps to an undeniable 240 00:14:44,639 --> 00:14:49,159 fear something wasn't right about the vehicle. I got in 241 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,559 the car, locked the doors, and drove out of the 242 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:55,240 gas station parking lot. As I approached the stop sign 243 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:58,720 where the suv was parked, a dark haired man wait 244 00:14:58,799 --> 00:15:02,039 for us to stop. To OH. I was terrified and 245 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:04,919 didn't know why. My son said, Mom I think this 246 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:08,240 guy needs some help. No one needs more help than 247 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:11,240 us right now. He's a grown man. He can figure 248 00:15:11,279 --> 00:15:15,360 it out. I blew through the stop sign. We drove 249 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:19,200 down roads with unfamiliar names that were unmarked by lines 250 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:23,519 and narrowed ominously into what looked like a tree lined tunnel. 251 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:27,960 Upon reaching a dead end, we backtracked, finding that we 252 00:15:28,039 --> 00:15:31,360 had to navigate around obstacles that were not there earlier. 253 00:15:32,759 --> 00:15:36,000 We approached part of a large broken pine tree laying 254 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,159 in the middle of the road and drove around it. 255 00:15:39,159 --> 00:15:41,960 It was as if someone had thrown a broken pine 256 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:46,559 tree randomly in the yard. We backtracked to find Fitzwater Drive. 257 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,840 It passed an open well liit convenience store, where I 258 00:15:49,919 --> 00:15:54,240 stopped and filled up with gas. The tension calm because 259 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:56,840 we had a full tank of gas and this road 260 00:15:56,879 --> 00:16:01,200 would eventually lead us home. My cars old dim yellow 261 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,639 tinted lights illuminated something beside the road. Crouched and bent 262 00:16:05,679 --> 00:16:09,679 over in the corner ditch was a large reddish brown figure. 263 00:16:10,279 --> 00:16:13,639 Its back was toward the road, so I saw no face. 264 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:18,120 The fur texture, shape, and lay were like a wet 265 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,559 brown bear. You knew how you see bears exiting a 266 00:16:21,639 --> 00:16:25,919 river on TV. The fur was auburn with a thick undercoat, 267 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,720 and the outside hairs laid downward in points like fresh 268 00:16:29,799 --> 00:16:33,399 out of the water hair groomed with a wide toothed comb. 269 00:16:34,519 --> 00:16:38,759 I saw the animal but said nothing. My daughter immediately said, 270 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:42,879 did you see that? What was it poking fun? I said, 271 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,759 I don't know, maybe it was a bigfoot. My son 272 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:48,240 said he was looking forward and only saw a reddish 273 00:16:48,279 --> 00:16:52,960 brown colored difference in the peripheral vision. The time was 274 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,200 approximately eleven PM. I asked if I should turn around 275 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,919 and go back to see The kid said to keep 276 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,720 because they were already rattled by being lost late at night, 277 00:17:04,079 --> 00:17:06,599 they didn't want to waste any more time getting home. 278 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:11,960 We arrived home around midnight or twelve thirty am. The 279 00:17:12,039 --> 00:17:15,680 kids went to bed with no further conversation about our adventure. 280 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:21,279 The next day, Tuesday, May the fourth, I began research 281 00:17:21,319 --> 00:17:25,559 on grizzly brown bears in Virginia. I found a Virginia 282 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:29,160 Department of Game in Inland Fisheries pdf link saying that 283 00:17:29,279 --> 00:17:33,119 grizzly bears do not live in Virginia. Virginia is home 284 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,279 only to black bears. After finding this article, and without 285 00:17:37,319 --> 00:17:41,200 making any comments to bias a reaction. I showed my son. 286 00:17:41,799 --> 00:17:46,079 He read in silence, his eyes widened, fear washed over 287 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,480 his face, and the colored drain. Mom, you've got to 288 00:17:49,559 --> 00:17:54,160 report this. That was a bigfoot. I told Jake, wait here, 289 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:58,039 don't talk, don't say anything. I immediately walked to my 290 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,680 daughter's room. I asked, Journey, do you think you could 291 00:18:01,759 --> 00:18:04,640 draw a picture of what you saw last night? Sure, 292 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,119 and went to work on a sketch in another room, 293 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:12,200 away from prying eyes. I made my own drawing. When 294 00:18:12,279 --> 00:18:16,680 Journey completed her sketch, we compared pictures. My drawing showed 295 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:20,880 the back of a squatting, crouched, hairy figure. The animal's 296 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:24,200 head bent low as if to hide, exposing only the 297 00:18:24,279 --> 00:18:29,039 massive hairy's shoulders to its waistline. My daughter's drawing was 298 00:18:29,039 --> 00:18:32,359 from a different perspective. She caught sight of the animal 299 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,519 as we rounded the corner, placing her at an angle 300 00:18:35,599 --> 00:18:39,079 to see its profile. Her drawing depicted the curve of 301 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:42,759 the ditch with a large, hunched being sitting in the depression. 302 00:18:43,559 --> 00:18:46,680 It was leaning forward as though to make itself look smaller, 303 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,799 with arms outstretched to support its weight against the rise 304 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:54,440 of the ditch's embankment. On the other side, there was 305 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:58,279 no mistaking that she drew massive shoulders, lack of neck, 306 00:18:58,599 --> 00:19:02,720 and a conical head file that transitioned into a heavy, 307 00:19:02,799 --> 00:19:07,119 sloping brow. With the pieces of evidence, I filled an 308 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:11,039 online report with two of the leading Bigfoot research organizations. 309 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:14,799 I knew who to contact because Jake had completed an 310 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:20,839 independent research project years earlier on the Bigfoot, Yetti sisquatch phenomenon. 311 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,400 As I typed my response, Jake schooled me on what happened. 312 00:19:26,079 --> 00:19:29,359 It all makes sense, mom. The Native Americans believe he's 313 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:34,119 a spirit being that orchestrates or is drawn by confusion, fear, 314 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:38,720 or chaos. People report finding broken trees in the vicinity 315 00:19:38,839 --> 00:19:43,960 of Bigfoot. That's exactly what happened last night. Within an hour, 316 00:19:44,039 --> 00:19:48,319 both Bigfoot research organizations contacted me, one of which went 317 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:52,680 to the site and conducted their own investigation. He considered 318 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,759 me a Class B witness because there was no physical 319 00:19:55,799 --> 00:20:00,920 evidence or photographic evidence from the scene found. I was 320 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,880 a credible witness because of my standing in the community 321 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:08,799 as a teacher and a disability awareness advocate. He said 322 00:20:08,839 --> 00:20:12,039 that any other animal would flee like a bear or deer, 323 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:16,759 not crouch and hide. I wasn't a whack job. The 324 00:20:16,799 --> 00:20:20,079 researcher found a blind of a bent tree secured by 325 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:23,240 a large rock in the area, supporting the thought that 326 00:20:23,279 --> 00:20:26,599 this may be a bigfoot shelter. There was also a 327 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:31,559 food source dumpsters in close proximity, with nearby woods for cover. 328 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,279 I've shared my story with very few folks, only those 329 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:40,640 I can trust. Sometimes a family member will say, tell 330 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,599 so and so about the Aiden Road incident, like I'm 331 00:20:43,599 --> 00:20:47,960 a party novelty. Most would be satisfied with this being 332 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:51,240 the conclusion of my bear turned Bigfoot sighting. But that 333 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:55,720 is not the end. My husband calls me the unsolved 334 00:20:55,799 --> 00:20:59,759 mystery Lady because I love mystery shows on TV, and 335 00:20:59,839 --> 00:21:04,160 one day I hoped to unrival a mystery. After all 336 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,720 the Bigfoot excitement had died down in our household, I 337 00:21:07,759 --> 00:21:11,079 had some quiet time on my hands. I recalled that 338 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:14,640 about a month before the sighting, I had pondered Bigfoot 339 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,079 and said, God, if you are the creator, certainly you 340 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:22,000 made bigfoot, and certainly you can let me see one. 341 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:26,480 That was that. No hell, Mary's, no our fathers, no formalities, 342 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,160 just a chat with God. I realized that God is 343 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:33,079 the Creator allowed me and my children to see this 344 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:38,079 marvelous creature. Then the news came out in the local newspapers, 345 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:42,799 The Examiner and The Louden Times August tenth, twenty ten, 346 00:21:43,799 --> 00:21:46,839 and then in the Free Lance Star August twenty seventh, 347 00:21:46,839 --> 00:21:52,000 twenty ten. The headlines noted that a serial killer responsible 348 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:56,119 for five deaths near Flint, Michigan, is one in the 349 00:21:56,160 --> 00:22:01,000 same hunting men in North Virginia, wounding a dozen since May. 350 00:22:02,279 --> 00:22:05,519 While the victims varied in ages, they included a fifteen 351 00:22:05,599 --> 00:22:08,759 year old boy, a nineteen year old man in the 352 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,759 area close to the age of my son, and one 353 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,839 in upwards of sixty seven years old. The report stated 354 00:22:15,839 --> 00:22:18,880 that the killer drove a nineteen ninety five to two 355 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:23,240 thousand and six four door Chevy S ten Blazer GMC 356 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,759 Jimmy or similar vehicle that may be green or gold. 357 00:22:27,559 --> 00:22:32,000 He feigned needing directions or help with his car. Only 358 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:35,000 by the grace of God did we escape the evil 359 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,680 that was the thirty three year old Elias of Wellasahm 360 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:46,839 arrested on August eleventh, twenty ten. I kept the story 361 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:50,240 to myself for years and only just started telling select 362 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:54,000 people what happened. No one believes me, but I don't care. 363 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:59,119 In nineteen seventy three, I was eleven years old. I 364 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,720 stayed with my grain parents a lot. Back then. I 365 00:23:02,759 --> 00:23:05,039 loved being with both of them and would stay with 366 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:08,720 them a lot during the summers and the holidays. They 367 00:23:08,759 --> 00:23:11,480 have both passed away and I missed them, which is 368 00:23:11,559 --> 00:23:15,240 one reason I'm able to tell the story. My grandfather 369 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:19,240 forbid me from telling anyone, even telling my mother and father. 370 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,640 The weekend before school started was Labor Day weekend, and 371 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:27,920 of course I was spending the weekend at my grandmother's house. Traditionally, 372 00:23:28,039 --> 00:23:31,400 squirrel season opened on Labor Day weekend, and my grandfather 373 00:23:31,519 --> 00:23:34,480 started taking me with him when I was eight years old. 374 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:37,720 It was a weekend I looked forward to every year. 375 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,359 He had bought my first shotgun the year before, and 376 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:43,680 living in the city, I never got to use it 377 00:23:43,759 --> 00:23:47,000 unless I was hunting with him. My mother had dropped 378 00:23:47,039 --> 00:23:50,759 me off at their house on Friday afternoon. Saturday morning, 379 00:23:50,839 --> 00:23:53,480 my grandfather woke me early to get ready to leave. 380 00:23:54,079 --> 00:23:57,920 My grandmother always had biscuits ready for us. When we left, 381 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:00,440 my grandfather told me to stuff a couple in my 382 00:24:00,559 --> 00:24:03,920 vest pockets. And that I could eat them later. We 383 00:24:04,039 --> 00:24:06,920 had to get going. We loaded up his car and 384 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:11,160 headed to the woods, about an hour away. My grandfather 385 00:24:11,279 --> 00:24:14,480 drank a lot. He had all his adult life, or 386 00:24:14,599 --> 00:24:17,680 since he returned from the war. He was a marine 387 00:24:17,759 --> 00:24:21,359 during World War Two. I never knew, nor did I care, 388 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,319 what battles he fought in until I was older. He 389 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,559 never talked about it. Now that I'm an adult and 390 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,480 have read about these battles, I understand why he drank, 391 00:24:30,519 --> 00:24:33,240 and I do not hold it against him. I don't 392 00:24:33,319 --> 00:24:36,440 remember him not drinking, but it never seemed to cause 393 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:39,359 a problem as far as a kid was concerned. He 394 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:42,200 spent a lot of time with me, and I loved him. 395 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,599 This morning was no exception. About halfway to the woods, 396 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:49,480 he reached under his seat and pulled a pint bottle 397 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:52,839 of some cheap whiskey and started taking swigs from the bottle. 398 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:58,240 I never thought anything about it. We reached the area 399 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:00,720 we were going to hunt, and as all, he sent 400 00:25:00,759 --> 00:25:02,960 me to a washed out ditch and told me to 401 00:25:03,079 --> 00:25:06,319 follow it until I reached a certain landmark, then to 402 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:08,640 come out of the ditch and make my way back. 403 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:11,480 He would meet me by a huge oak tree that 404 00:25:11,599 --> 00:25:14,440 was not far from where he parked the car. I 405 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:17,559 cannot remember how far it was. I think it took 406 00:25:17,599 --> 00:25:21,799 me two hours to make the circle. The creek bed 407 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,319 or ditch was always dry this time of year. It 408 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,839 was perfect for walking because my footsteps made no noise 409 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,079 in the sandy bottom, and though the ditch was deep, 410 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:34,000 I still had a good view of the tree top 411 00:25:34,079 --> 00:25:36,839 so that I could pick out squirrel movement. I was 412 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,359 never afraid, and I always had a great time hunting 413 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:43,119 by myself. My grandfather had finished the pint bottle by 414 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:45,720 the time we reached the woods, and I knew he 415 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,519 would be asleep under that big oak when I returned. 416 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:51,519 He always said he was hunting. But every year I 417 00:25:51,559 --> 00:25:53,599 would wind up back at that tree, and he would 418 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:57,440 be leaned against the trunk, snoring so loud. I could 419 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:59,759 hear him from one hundred yards away as I made 420 00:25:59,759 --> 00:26:02,200 the la last leg of the route, and he would 421 00:26:02,279 --> 00:26:05,680 never have any squirrels. I laugh about it now, and 422 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:07,680 my brothers and I get a kick out of these 423 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:11,160 stories about him. Go ahead and get into the woods, 424 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,240 he would say, I'll meet you back here. Keep that 425 00:26:14,319 --> 00:26:17,599 shot gun pointed up and watch the treetops. These woods 426 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:21,319 are full of squirrels on this day, I set off 427 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:25,039 and was happy to be on my own. Against his advice, 428 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,160 as soon as he was out of sight, I would 429 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,920 click off my safety and get ready to shoot. I 430 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,519 made my way down into that dry creek bed and 431 00:26:33,559 --> 00:26:37,039 started scanning the trees. I went on to kill three 432 00:26:37,079 --> 00:26:41,720 squirrels that morning, early right at daylight. Then all the 433 00:26:41,799 --> 00:26:44,839 movement seemed to stop in the trees. I walked on, 434 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:47,400 looking and looking for any movement that would give a 435 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:51,079 squirrel's location away. But after two hours or so of 436 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,799 walking and backtracking, I saw nothing. I still had a 437 00:26:54,799 --> 00:26:58,240 ways to go, so I started walking faster. I was 438 00:26:58,319 --> 00:27:01,960 getting bored to an eleven year old kid. When the 439 00:27:02,039 --> 00:27:05,880 action stops, I reached a deeper part of the creek 440 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:08,559 bed and the walls began to obscure my view of 441 00:27:08,599 --> 00:27:11,680 the tree tops. When I reached the lowest point, there 442 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,200 was a pool of water still from the rain back 443 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,079 in the summer. I could either wade through the shallow 444 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:19,559 pool or go back, climb out of the ditch and 445 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:23,200 walk around. I decided that I didn't want to get 446 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,079 my shoes wet, so I backtracked to try to find 447 00:27:26,079 --> 00:27:29,279 a spot easy to climb out. As I turned around, 448 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:33,160 I heard something walking in the woods above me. I 449 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:36,000 first thought it was my grandfather because it was obviously 450 00:27:36,039 --> 00:27:39,559 a man walking, so I called out his name. No 451 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:43,480 one answered, but I couldn't hear the footsteps anymore. I 452 00:27:43,559 --> 00:27:47,000 walked a little further and the footsteps started again, and 453 00:27:47,079 --> 00:27:51,079 I called his name again, no answer. I could not 454 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,279 see anything. The walls of the creek were three or 455 00:27:54,319 --> 00:27:57,400 four feet above my head. I was in a hole. 456 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,359 I kept walking and looking in the direct of the footsteps, 457 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,720 and finally made it to a washout that I could 458 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,680 climb out of. I grabbed a root ball in the 459 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,279 ditch bank and started to pull myself out. As I 460 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:13,039 reached the top, I laid my shotgun on the leaves 461 00:28:13,319 --> 00:28:16,240 so that I could pull myself over the top. As 462 00:28:16,279 --> 00:28:19,000 my line of sight broke the edge of the ditch bank, 463 00:28:19,079 --> 00:28:22,000 the first thing I saw was a large fur covered 464 00:28:22,079 --> 00:28:26,039 leg behind a tree trunk. The body of whatever this 465 00:28:26,319 --> 00:28:29,279 was was hidden behind the tree. I let go of 466 00:28:29,279 --> 00:28:32,640 the roots and fell back into the ditch. I was 467 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:35,400 about to run like hell when as I got up, 468 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:37,720 I saw a creature standing over me. At the top 469 00:28:37,759 --> 00:28:40,880 of the ditch bank. It was standing there just looking 470 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:44,640 at me. I just stared at this thing. It was 471 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,839 not making any threatening movements. It just looked at me. 472 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,559 Then I got really afraid. I guess the shock of 473 00:28:51,599 --> 00:28:54,119 the moment was wearing off because I noticed the end 474 00:28:54,119 --> 00:28:57,000 of my gun laying halfway off the edge of the bank. 475 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:00,880 The animal was standing on top of it. Then I 476 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,480 noticed it was a female. It made a grunting sound 477 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:07,119 that again was not threatening, but it still scared me 478 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:12,359 to death. It started grunting, not like a monkey, more 479 00:29:12,519 --> 00:29:16,559 like a human imitating a monkey. It raised its arms 480 00:29:16,599 --> 00:29:20,319 and pointed them at me, and then grunted again. Then 481 00:29:20,359 --> 00:29:22,920 the fear meter went up one hundred notches because it 482 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:26,640 stepped off into the creek bed with me. I backed away, 483 00:29:26,839 --> 00:29:30,839 keeping a distance between us. It moved towards me. I 484 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:34,960 backed up. It raised one of its arms again and grunted. 485 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,440 I was terrified and was about to turn and run 486 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,559 for my life. I wanted to slowly back up and 487 00:29:41,599 --> 00:29:44,359 get a little more distance between us before I turned 488 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:49,359 and ran, and I backed into someone, another human. It 489 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:53,960 was my grandfather. He put his hands on my shoulder 490 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,640 and told me to be still. I know he could 491 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,720 feel me shaking. I was about to burst out crying, 492 00:29:59,759 --> 00:30:02,799 but I held it together. I was so happy that 493 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:06,119 he was there. Then he leaned down and softly told 494 00:30:06,119 --> 00:30:10,640 me to slowly move behind him. The creature just stood there, 495 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:14,799 looking at us. It had stopped its forward movement. Once 496 00:30:14,839 --> 00:30:18,400 I was behind my grandfather, I felt more safe. He 497 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,279 asked me if I had any squirrels in my vest palates, 498 00:30:21,279 --> 00:30:24,400 and I told him I had three. Hand them to 499 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:28,039 me now, he said, I reached back and found the 500 00:30:28,079 --> 00:30:31,880 squirrels and handed them around his waist. My grandfather never 501 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,759 stopped looking at the creature. He took two or three 502 00:30:34,799 --> 00:30:38,000 steps towards the animal and pitched the squirrels to the 503 00:30:38,039 --> 00:30:42,640 creature's feet. The distance was only maybe fifteen or twenty feet. 504 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,799 The creature looked down at the dead game and looked 505 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,920 back at us. Then it reached down and gathered them 506 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:53,400 with one of its big hands. In a calm voice, 507 00:30:53,519 --> 00:30:57,440 my grandfather told me to start backing up. When I did, 508 00:30:57,519 --> 00:31:00,519 he was right with me, always keeping himself between me 509 00:31:00,559 --> 00:31:04,079 and the creature. I started to turn around and walk, 510 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:06,680 and he squeezed my arm and said, don't turn your 511 00:31:06,759 --> 00:31:09,799 back on this thing. Just keep backing up so we 512 00:31:09,839 --> 00:31:13,480 can climb out of this ditch. I finally made it 513 00:31:13,519 --> 00:31:16,440 to the bank and turned around and started to climb out. 514 00:31:17,119 --> 00:31:19,279 As I was climbing out, he told me to get 515 00:31:19,319 --> 00:31:21,759 his shotgun, which was laying on top of the bank, 516 00:31:22,079 --> 00:31:24,519 to get ready to shoot if this thing came at us. 517 00:31:25,519 --> 00:31:27,759 He told me not to shoot the animal, but to 518 00:31:27,799 --> 00:31:31,680 shoot into the air. I found his gun and stood up, 519 00:31:31,799 --> 00:31:35,759 clicked the safety off, and got ready. He slowly made 520 00:31:35,799 --> 00:31:38,799 it up the bank. The creature still stood there with 521 00:31:38,839 --> 00:31:42,599 the squirrels in her hand. In a few seconds, she 522 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:45,880 began to walk away down the creek bed. She walked 523 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:48,200 through the pool of water I had tried to avoid, 524 00:31:48,839 --> 00:31:52,920 and then she disappeared around a bend ahead. Then we 525 00:31:53,039 --> 00:31:55,880 heard her climb out, and I could see a dark 526 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:59,119 figure moving away from us through the woods until it 527 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:02,799 was out of sight. My grandfather asked me where my 528 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:05,599 shotgun was, and I pointed to it across the bank. 529 00:32:06,279 --> 00:32:09,119 He cussed and jumped back down and across the ditch 530 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:13,039 to get it. Then we started walking out. He asked 531 00:32:13,079 --> 00:32:15,200 me several times on the way out if I was 532 00:32:15,279 --> 00:32:19,160 okay and had that thing done anything to me? I 533 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,359 told him I was fine. Then I asked him what 534 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:26,359 that thing was. He said he didn't know. We drove 535 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:29,559 home that afternoon, talking about it the whole time. I 536 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,279 finally asked him how he knew that I was in trouble. 537 00:32:33,079 --> 00:32:35,599 He told me that he felt like following me that 538 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,119 day to see how good of a squirrel hunter I was. 539 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:41,119 I told him that I was sure glad that he did. 540 00:32:42,799 --> 00:32:46,079 The rest of that Labor Day weekend was weird. On Monday, 541 00:32:46,119 --> 00:32:49,200 the whole family showed up for the holiday and we 542 00:32:49,279 --> 00:32:52,920 cooked fish outside. All the men were telling stories and 543 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,480 laughing and drinking beer, while all the women gathered together 544 00:32:56,759 --> 00:33:01,480 and laughed all amongst themselves. Everything seemed back to normal, 545 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,160 But I will never forget that thing I ran up 546 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,000 on that day. I know what it was, but we 547 00:33:07,119 --> 00:33:09,799 never talked about it again. In my grandfather's house,