Life With Stanley, Chapter 3

[Stanley]

It was a very hard hunting season, I won't lie. We missed Stan more than ever. He lived and breathed big buck hunting, just as most of you do, and it is a painful transition to non-hunting mode. His friend of 40 years, the one we gave his bow to, did not hunt this year at all.

I could use a good laugh; how about you? How about a few more "Life With Stanley" stories?

Stanley generally called things by their color, most likely because he had a rotten memory for names. I often wondered if he called me "Ma" because he forgot my name! Dates when he got any buck and where he got it, no problem. When did we drive that gray Chevy? Easy to answer. But names, uh-oh. So, the kids have a white stuffed animal- Whitey. Brown dog? Yup, Brownie..... when our girls decided to surprise their dad with a red fish, they knew the name would be a no-brainer. They proudly handed him their gift and with expectant grins asked, "What are you going to name him, Daddy?"

Stan pretended to think for a minute, then announced," Helen!" The girls could not figure out why their mama couldn't keep it together over that one. (you younger guys, think Famous Singer)

I came home one day with a bunch of prescriptions. I picked up my daily pill container, you know, the plastic thing with compartments for each day of the week? It rattled a bit; odd, it should have been empty. Stan had put a Hershey's Kiss in each of the compartments! Awwwww....

Speaking of chocolate, the man was a horrible chocaholic. Any trip to the store prompted a request for "mood-busters." He had other code-names for stuff; noses were either snouts or snot-lockers. Boogers? He called those cornflakes. Air bisquits, China-man's-cheese, orangutan juice, pus-gut ( his own belly), soda-warsher...His self- description was, I'm an old duffer with a bad ticker. All dogs were poodles, all babies were little guys, and anything opposite was 180-out...

I mentioned his long-time friend, whose son hunted with the guys on occasion. This young man got a huge kick out of Stan, which my husband was well aware of. On one trip, he was puzzled to watch as Stanley pulled the wings off a fly that was buzzing around the window. "Now it's a walk," Stan turned and said, with his typical dead-pan expression. Poor kid didn't see that one coming...

The editor of Bowhunter Magazine was hunting and filming near-by and wanted to meet up with Stanley. Every time I asked Stan if they had talked yet, his answer was one excuse or another; everybody was busy hunting, they were all exhausted, his phone died, the dog ate his homework. I am just about positive he sabotaged any effort to be interviewed. Stan loved hunting, he enjoyed helping other hunters learn about big bucks, but as far as being acknowledged for his skills or hunting prowess, forget it. He just did not care about stuff like that.

Life with Stanley. My one-of-a-kind, original, great man, Stanley!
Jan

[Lockdown]

"Now its a walk!" Good stuff. Thanks for sharing, Jan!

[matt1336]

Thanks Jan.

[carmmond]

Good to see your post.... still think about his posts when I'm out scouting!

[UofLbowhunter]

Thank you Jan for sharing!

[dan]

Thats the Stan I remember!

[Edcyclopedia]

What a character!
Maybe someone upstairs needed a laugh

[Ghost Hunter]

Good read as usually. Thanks once again.

[Uncle Lou]

Thanks for sharing Jan. He was definitely unique.

[hambone]

[Kokes]

thanks for posting this is good stuff. Stan was one of a kind, what a great man.

[<DK>]

Great read, thank you

[Tufrthnails]

Very cool thanks I like reading these post.

[mag1]

Would have loved to meet the man Stan. Great stories. He helped me with some cyber scouting a couple of times. Thanks for posting.

[Bonecrusher101]

Great stories about a great man! thank you for sharing!