Seriously, folks have gotta stop dying around here.....

[Big Muddy]

Buried a bunch of folks around here, lately....most have died unexpectedly or killed in a car crash.

I've got several hunting and fishing buddies, but I got a call about an hour ago that my BEST hunting and fishing buddy, Jimbo, just dropped dead from a heart attack....just a few days ago, we were sitting under his carport on 5 gal. buckets, just shooting the breeze.

I had stopped by to check on him; not that he had been feeling poorly, but he had embedded a big fish hook in his hand, and it became really bad infected....he had finally gone to the doctor, and got treated, but his hand still looked pretty bad.

I passed by his house, yesterday afternoon, and gave him a call, to put him on standby for an upcoming rabbit hunt....oooh my goodness, how that boy loved to rabbit hunt!!!....he said that crock pots were invented for cooking rabbits. ;)

Funny thing about our friendship....Jimbo was 5 years older than me, but we grew up together, went to school together, played sports together, partied together, hunted and fished together....the age difference was never an issue for us....we simply grew up, just being really good friends....that's just the way it was for us.

He was a senior in high school, when I was a lowly snot-nosed freshman....he was sort of my protector, and made sure nobody messed with me.....I'll never forget that about him, or his big belly-laugh, or his witty personality....and, I rarely saw him in a bad mood, unless the fish were not biting for us. ;)

Jimbo started dating my older sister, and would come to our house to court her....they would sit on our big ole couch, and being the little turd that I was at that time, I'd sneak up behind the couch, and catch them smooching....he would give me 25 cents to "get lost."....later, when they started getting REALLY touchy-feely, my price went to 50 cents. ;)

They dated for about a year, and everybody in town was just certain that they would get married, after graduation....ya'll have no idea how disappointed I was, when my sister suddenly married another guy she had met....Jimbo was almost my b-i-l, as well as my best buddy!!!

I won't bore you guys with more Jimbo stories, but I just felt the need to breath deeply and vent just a little.

"Jimbo, if there is fishing in heaven, don't catch all the crappie....save a few for me."

"Gonna miss ya, buddy!!!"

I was going thru some old pics, and found this pic of Jimbo....he was younger in the pic, but you gotta love that sly grin....he was 100% Italian, and with that moustache, he coulda been a mafia boss. ;)

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[LJ3]

Sorry to hear about your buddy, my friend. Sounds like he was a good'n to have in your life.

[Big Skyz]

Sorry to hear this, the closest friends are nearly as tough to lose as family members. I lost one of my closest friends unexpectedly about 8 years ago. I still think about him and miss him all the time. I look forward to seeing him on the other side.

[Captain]

So sorry for your loss Muddy. My best friend and hunting partner is named Jim also. It's gonna be different for you now. A very close hunting and fishing partner of mine died 2 years ago at midnight as the clock struck the New Year of 2014. He had MS
I still hunt and fish all our spots and think of him all the time. I had built a special ground stand for him to get in where he could park his golf cart and hunt. Niner used that place the last couple of times he hunted the farm.
You will think of Your buddy at every turn and crappie hole you go to and all his little sayings.
Sorry for your loss Brother.

[Thumper]

Well dangit! I read the Pinto thread first and had to add my smart-ass reply, THEN came here. This kinda takes the humor out of it all.

I brought this subject up just the other day with Lynn. I recalled when I was a kid, I once asked my grandmother why the first thing she did, with the morning paper, was to read the obituary page. Her reply was, "To see if I lost any friends since yesterday!" I thought it was a bit goofy when I was 9-10 years old, but now I completely get it. The odd thing I just realized (as I started writing this), when I was 10, my grandmother would have been the exact same age I am now.

I recently got word another of my buddies passed away recently from Agent Orange exposure. He's number two (that I'm aware of). The sucky part is, I heard it from another buddy who called to wish me a "Happy New Year" just a couple days ago. He, himself, has been suffering from multiple symptoms of A/O exposure for many years and his health is declining. He's been fighting it since before the government finally admitted our small little group (the unit we were in) was even exposed in the first place. WE knew it all along, it's just that the government wouldn't acknowledge it. My first bud passed away without any help because it was before the admission (which came about just a few years ago). I just don't feel "old enough" to be losing friends like this, but the recent happenings around here, my personal experiences and now your post, just makes me realize I'm now my "grandmother's age" and the reality of that fact makes good friendships even more precious ... AND vulnerable.

Sorry to hear about your friend Muddy. I value close friendships and the thought that my personal lifelong friends are now moving into this age group makes me a bit nervous ... and sad. :(

[Chicken Dinner]

Sorry to hear that and wishing you, and your buddy's family, peace.

[Arty]

Sorry to hear that Muddy, I know that's gotta be hard.

[Fido]

Sorry for your loss. I lost 2 fellow millwrights this year, one who worked with me and a very good longtime family friend. It's a tough row too hoe when a friend or family member passes on. It reminds us that we are here in this life for just a short time! You have the memories too help you thru these sad and trying times.

[HideHunter]

So sorry.. About lost my best hunting buddy this summer.. We keep each other "young".. Condolences.

[airbud7]

Sorry for your loss Muddy:(

[BarryBobPosthole]

I'm sorry that you lost your friend, Eddie. Where true friends are concerned, it really is true that a little light goes out of our respective worlds when we lose one of them.

BKB

[jb]

Sorry also Muddy, over the years I've lost 4 good friend, mostly in their 30's or 40's. Always wonder why it was them and not me.
As I go through the stages of life I feel a little guilty that my friends are not having the same experience of watching the kids grow up, becoming grand parents, retiring and just enjoying the pleasures of life.
Wish I knew why I have been so blessed.

[DeputyDog]

Sorry for your loss Eddie. It's always tough losing a close friend.

[Bwana]

The first thought that came to mind was, "That sucks!"

I don't mean to be crude Big Muddy but having just lost a couple of folks up here it seems rather fitting. Please forgive me.

Prayers and condolences to you and Jim's family.

[BarryBobPosthole]

What a start to 2016. I just found out my Uncle Basil Bruton, 91, passed away yesterday. One of the unique things about him is that he was a Navy veteran in WWII and I grew up with his stories of the terror he felt in the kamikaze attacks on his ship at Okinawa and then re-upped in the Army during Korea and saw front line action there. He lived on and worked the farm he was born on his whole life. One of my most lasting memories of him is his laugh. I can shut my eyes and hear it plain as day. Only one left now of my Dad's brothers and sisters.
I'm honored to be asked to be a pall bearer, but man it seems like I've had to do it a lot the past few years.

BKB

[Buckrub]

Condolences, Ed. I guess this will be considered maudlin or wrong, but............sometimes (not often, just sometimes) there are worse ways to lose a friend.

Hope you remember him well for a long time.

[Captain]

That's hard Posty. Sorry for your lost. We are loosing the last of the folks that made the country great.

[Big Muddy]

We will lay Jimbo to rest at 11 am, this morning....I just took some food by the church for the family meal, afterwards....one of my friends came up with this collage for Jimbo....couldn't be more fitting for Jimbo.

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[BarryBobPosthole]

That's well done, Eddie!
BKB