Friends are friends forever in the Osage

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to find myself visiting with someone who seems to love the Osage just like me.  He was a man at McDonald's (the one with the arches) who was wearing a hat that had writing on it about "The National Field Trials" which is a competition focused on dogs and in particular hunting dogs.  Just growing up in the Osage makes it easy for me to just say hello to a stranger and that is what I did only to find myself engaged in a discussion about the country and people I love.

The conversation was about how quail and prairie chicken hunting was so prevalent in the 40's and up into the 70's.  He had hunted the Grainola - Foraker area many times and even remembered the family names like:  Reids, Drummond's, Coddings, Boots Adams, Olson's and Olsen's, Earnie Eaton, Gean and E.C. Mullendor, Mitchel, SEA or Noble Ranch's, and he personally knew Ben Johnson Jr., Holton Payne and of course "The One Armed Bandit" and more.  He was at the very first show Johnny Payne did and he was talking to Clem McSpaden who stated that if John Payne did not win the entertainer of the year act with that act something must be wrong.   He is 85 years old and still looking healthy and actively training dogs.  His name is Delmar Smith and one of the nationally known dog trainers and a delightful man.  I just wish I could remember half the stories he remembered.  

Well this gets me to a point about loving the past and embracing change.  We all love the past and I believe it would be great if somehow we could preserve some of that past history like quail hunting and prairie chicken hunting.  In fact I think it would be great if the LOCAL folks and those from the Osage could embrace preserving and enhancing that history.  What I mean is we don't need another government program but a grass roots effort to preserve our heritage but also we need to embrace the future like the wind energy project coming to the Osage.  It takes both but I believe those local folks and those who love the area can work together to preserve the past and make a great future while preserving the heritage of the Osage.  

Well what do you learn from the Osage?

• God gave it something special
• Memories of the Osage are more important than money
• People make the Osage special 

Thanks to all of those who have gone before us making the Osage special and those who gave their life and service to the military to preserve it.

Thanks for your time,

gary@thepioneerman.com