Just the other day I was working on restoring some old windows that had been painted shut when my neighbors called to me saying that our friend Fred was on the way over and I should join them for coffee. Fred lives 18 miles west and has about 2000 acres he manages like a wildlife sanctuary. He's in his mid seventies now having just sold his beef cattle and retired from active ranching life. He's a "Finlander", speaks with a slight accent and lives on the same farm he was born on. A better steward of the land would be hard to find and I admire and respect Fred for his concern and efforts to preserve habitat as well as fair chase hunting practices. Fred doesn't like coming to town and prefers enjoying the life he's made for himself on the ranch. He's got shooting targets set up outside his kitchen window and likes to shoot his 22 pistol from the kitchen table! The first time he showed me his new pistol when I stopped over for coffee he said" Just crank open that window and sit right there and shoot". So that's what we did taking turns marking shots for each other with binoculars from the kitchen table! I should mention Fred's wife left over 30 year's ago which we have in common and he has two son's who live out of the area so he's used to making his own rules. Like myself! Shooting from inside the house is one of them.
We were all out on the neighbors deck covering the usual subjects centered around hunting and bird populations when the conversation somehow segued to health care and the number of medications doctors prescribe these days. Well this prompted Fred to tell a story about "Doc Goodman" who was the sole doctor in this part of the state from 1958 through the late 1970's. Fred was a teenager at this time and was prone to catching pneumonia as he related. This was around the Christmas holiday season and every year at this time there was a party weekend when all the "college girls" were home. Fred feeling himself coming down with a bad cold was afraid he'd miss the weekend parties. So he went to see Doc Goodman explaining how he really didn't want to miss the parties with all the "college girls"and would it be possible to just get something to get him through the weekend. He said that Doc Goodman looked him over then gave him a shot of some really thick green stuff and then handed him a bottle of "pills" to take periodically throughout the weekend. "Well Hell! Fred said. " I never felt better and had so much energy I hardly slept all weekend and had a great time". But then Monday morning came and I felt like I was melting. I didn't have anymore "pills" left so I went back to Doc Goodman and said "those "pills" really worked great could I get some more?" Doc said " No son! No way! You're done now!. So Fred was left to go cold turkey but recovered from the bad cold eventually never forgetting how Doc Goodman fixed him up just like the movie stars for that special weekend with the "college girls". Doc himself was suspected of using the "medicine" to keep him going 7 days a week across country delivering babies and going from one emergency to the next year after year. It was said if you ever had occasion to ride with Doc Goodman he usually hit 100 miles an hour on the straightaways often times while reading a book!
We all had a good laugh as Fred told the story. It was a good one. He said he never knew what the medicine was nor did he mention exactly what the attraction was with the "college girls" but it certainly had his attention as a young man! At 73 now speaking with his Finnish accent bright smile and white hair standing a little over 5 feet tall it's a memory that he'll never forget. And it's a story that's definitely one of the rewards"Along the way".
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