I am finding it quite humorous that each week when I start to ponder which story about Jerry I wish to disclose, two more forgotten stories pop into my head! It doesn’t help that my family and closest friends are now anonymous followers of my blog, reminding me of even more forgotten tales. This week I had planned to write about the first time we bought a car together, but last night we hung out with Paul (one of JR’s best friends) who reminded me of a story I love to tell! So Paul, thanks for the reminder! P.S. Thanks to all for following my blog about JR and for your encouraging comments! Jerry and I are enjoying this new adventure! We hope you are enjoying it too!
This story starts out as an uneventful fall evening. Jerry and I had eaten our meat and potato supper, and had just settled into our normal routine of a quiet night of him watching the boob tube, and I busy grading papers. At about 9:30 that night this all changed with the sound of a truck pulling into the drive and a loud knock at our door. Much to our surprise outside our humble abode stood JR’s dad John, his sister Brenda, and Brenda’s friend Kip. They had the coon dog box in the bed of their Ford pickup, so it wasn’t too hard to guess what they were up to! They shared that they were going to go raccoon hunting behind the house in our neighbor’s woods, and wanted us to go with them.
Feeling tired and wanting to get some school work done before the weekend I quickly declined, but JR jumped at the opportunity to scrutinize his dad’s dog as it worked the woods. We all watched John release his new Walker into the dark to sniff for the striped tailed trophy’s scent, and then I stood in my driveway to watch the group trot after her hot on her trail, 22 rifles and headlamps in tow. I couldn’t help chuckling at how quiet John and Kip were and how loud and chatty both Brenda and JR were being. I was certain that this behavior was out of nervousness, as both brother and sister are afraid of the dark and neither had one of the headlamps to light their way.
Going back inside with the intention of finishing my school work, I was distracted momentarily by an animal call that JR had left sitting on the counter in our backroom. I immediately shook off the idea that had inserted itself into my head, and settled back onto the couch to finish my work. Unable to concentrate, I looked out our laundry room window back towards the woods, and saw the shine of their lights in the tree tops. I giggled out loud knowing that the idea that had popped into my brain just a few minutes ago, would not release me until I put it in motion. You see, the call that was on the counter in the backroom is a rabbit distress call. When coyotes hear the rabbit’s distress they come running, thinking they are going to get an easy meal. This call has a very eerie, loud, screaming quality, perfect for scaring two coon hunters in the dark.
Oh my goodness, what’s a girl to do? Well, I know what this girl does! I put on my camo boots, a black sweatshirt, and a black hat to help disguise my presence in the dark. I grabbed the call, and gave it hoot to make sure my hike into the woods wouldn’t be a miss fire. It worked; I grinned from ear-to-ear. Off I went. Luckily, I have spent a lot of time hiking in this section of woods, so I knew my way around even under the cover of nightfall. The group was easy enough to find following the shadows of their headlamps twinkling between the branches in the trees and the noise of Brenda and Jerry still jawing away. This is when I chose to sneak in- creeping slowly to hide behind a large tree. Luckily, both John and Kip were carrying the headlamps and 22s. This is a very important detail to consider when planning to prank armed hunters!
Totally in place ready to spring my surprise, I blew on the call quietly enough to get Jerry and Brenda’s attention but not enough to scare them. Sometimes letting their minds take care of creating their own scenarios adds to the prank! They both stopped in their tracks, and stopped talking. Brenda leaned over to Jerry and mouthed, “Did you hear that?”
Jerry uttered in whisper, “Yeah, what was that?” Even funnier, Kip and John were so preoccupied with the coon in the tree (or so I thought), they didn’t realize what the two scaredy-cats behind them were contemplating. Seeing that John and Kip were not reacting to the noise, both JR and Brenda shook their heads as if to dismiss the notions their brains were sparking and began to chat even louder.
I now slid down the back of the ole’ oak tree to lay flat on the ground thinking it would be easier to hide, but still see the action from this new lower position. Peeking around the bottom, I began to internally count 1, 2, 3,... 10. Reaching 10, I blew on the call summoning a vulgar terrorizing sound from the depths of the woods. Both siblings spun 180 degrees and backed into each other, Jerry almost falling down as he tripped on a branch tethered to the ground by mud. Back to back, both sibling coon hunters stared out into the darkness surrounding them and out loud started to process where the disturbing noise had come from, and what or who it was that was inspiring the fear rising up in them. Brenda stated in a whisper, “I’m going back to the house, NOW!” and Jerry emphatically added, “I’m not moving, something is out there!
Laughing on the inside causing the leaves to rustle beneath me, they turned my way! Simultaneously realizing that I was about to blow my own cover, I blew on the call one last time and sprung up towards the pair. Together they turned to hold each other screaming at the top of their lungs with their eyes pinched shut! Out of self-preservation, each tried to turn the other towards me to shield my attack. Dancing there in the woods, Jerry and Brenda looked like a scene straight out of “Scooby Doo” where Shaggy and Scooby reach for each other as they experience a cartoon goblin!
As I reached the two, them realizing their goblin was me, they grabbed their rapidly beating chests and sat on the nearest log. Laughingly, John turned to me and said, “I wondered when you were going to come out of hiding. You want to shoot this coon?” To this day the siblings stand united in their denial of being scared one fall night by a coon hunting goblin, but John, Kip, and I all know better!
HAPPY HUNTING TO ALL OUR FALL HUNTING FRIENDS AND FAMILY! BE SAFE AND WATCH OUT FOR GOBLINS IN THE WOODS!
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