Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Ray Lyon on November 19, 2013, 07:36:00 AM
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I'll ask the moderators to give this link a little leeway with content. This is the second time (1998 camp) that the Upper Peninsula, Michigan TV show called "Discovering" has come to our camp to film the traditions of hunting camp. They feature our camp for 2/3 of the show (about 24 minutes, so get a good cup of coffee). Ron LaClair does both his Armstrong Creek Ghost poem and his Shrewhollow diddee. They show two of us shooting our bows for practice (I'm the guy on the front porch shooting the yellow and orange fletch arrows and a 1971 Super Kodiak). More importantly, the host is trying to capture why deer camp is so sacred to the Upper Peninsula on a show that's more than just about hunting. The host, Brian, has just taken over for 30 year veteran Buck Lavasser who taped the show at our camp in 1998. I think the show is in good hands with Brian. He's well spoken and he was a treat to have in camp. He spent 4-5 hours at our camp getting to know us and taping. Based on the footage, I'm sure it took him a whole week to put it together.
If you watch it and like it and are a facebook person, please like it there. It would be great to give this kind of show some extra publicity, because it's just the kind of PR that we need for our sport.
Cheers
click on episode 66 \\'deer camp traditions\\' (http://www.realoutdoorsup.com/Pages/Watch.asp)
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love it!
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Great story! Y'all are very lucky to have Shrewhaven and that group of guys!
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Just AWESOME! :clapper:
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Great stuff guys! Thanks for sharing!
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What a treat! I've been looking forward to seeing the video since you mentioned it in the first post. It didn't disapoint.
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Excellent video.
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Thanks for the link.Some good stuff.
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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That is very well done! Thanks for the link!!
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That was great - thanks for posting!
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Super stories. Thanks for posting. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Originally posted by NittanyRider:
That was great - thanks for posting!
X2!
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How stinking cool is this?... Way!!!.... I'm saying!!!!
Thank you for sharing this with us.
It's most likely the closest I'll ever get to participating in "Shrew Haven".
I used it to help some friends of mine gain a little insight into who I am and what it is that is a large part of what helps make me tick.
I really appreciate Ron and the "Shrew Haven" members opening up to Real Outdoors so the rest of the world can at least get some exposure and maybe even generate some interest in trying something like this for themselves and/or their families as well.
Thanks again!!
God bless,Mudd
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That's pretty cool. I really enjoyed seeing that.
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Wow that was great !!!!
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:clapper:
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Reminds me of our Straight 8 Lodge in far NW Wisc. The guys have been together in that hunting shack since their early 20's - they are all now in their early to mid 70's. The camaraderie of deer camp has kept them friends all these years. Their children (me 50yrs old) and their grandchildren are now enjoying the North woods experience today. Nothing better!
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Great episode! really reminds me of my in-laws cabin in missouri. Hope to be a part of something like that someday. Thanks for sharing!
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I enjoyed this very much. Thank you for sharing.
Arthur Kanneman
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That was Great, Thank You
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Thank you. That was very nice.
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For a moments time I lost myself in that video. I was there at camp. What an awesome video. Thanks so much for sharing. Taking us along. We have a forum to remember the great ones, the forefathers, the archery gods if you will. And to be able to have Ron here on this site, thought most of us don't know him personally is a honor. Some of you got To meet n be around the other greats. And here we have a chance to tlk with this man and these men on here like friends. It is an honor to have been here and looks at the pics, the videos and heard the advice and thoughts givin. I hope you all are cherishing it. These men are not going to be around forever. Thanks to those involved in letting us into your camps.
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Man I really enjoyed watching that! Thanks so much for sharing it. I have hunted all my life but have never had that deer camp experience. I need to get in on that one of these days!
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Thanks so much for sharing your deer camp with us. Hope that the tradition will continue for many generations and that the traditional bow hunting campfire will always burn in many special places like Shrewhaven! :campfire:
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Awesome ! Thanks for sharing
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So very special guys. I'm the only traditional hunter in our group but that video I sent to all our group before our gun hunting gathering, because it sends such a powerful message in a wonderful way. I'll be the only one caring my bow during gun season starting Saturday but the comaraderie(however you spell it) of our camp is what continues to satisfy.
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What a great show! This episode should be part of hunter education programs. I'm going to "share it" with many others!
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thats what its all about!!! great video
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Better than anything on TV tonight .... great!!
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I really enjoyed that!
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very good! thanks for posting!
chris <><
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Really nice!
We need more of this kind of exposure.
Thanks for sharing.
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Great video,if there were more shows like that I might turn the TV on. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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I liked the video. Thanks for posting!
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well said.
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That was very enjoyable guys. Thanks.
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Very cool, thanks for posting. I'm jealous.....I may have to go out and find/start my own deer camp now.
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hard to describe how cool that was. This is a take and enjoyment on deer hunting that most people just don't get anymore...
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VERY Cool. Thanks for sharing.
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That was very cool to watch. Thanks for sharing
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Thank you for providing an insight into SHREWHAVEN LODGE and the wonderful crew.
I send the link to my dad, who is the same age as Ron, but not an archer or hunter. And YES SIR! , he was also very impressed and fond of the the mood displayed and the camaraderie. :campfire:
He asked me to print and frame "The Ghost of Armstrong Creek" for him. It`ll be my Christmas present for him decorated with one of my arrows.
Thanks again,
Vincent
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Thanks for shareing Ray!
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fantastic
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I enjoyed watching that Ray, thanks for posting. I almost always hunt alone, but as I age I would really like to have a place like that to go each year and to be able to spend time with friends. Ron is a true gem in our world that's for sure. Good stuff!
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Originally posted by KentuckyTJ:
I enjoyed watching that Ray, thanks for posting. I almost always hunt alone, but as I age I would really like to have a place like that to go each year and to be able to spend time with friends. Ron is a true gem in our world that's for sure. Good stuff!
As Tim and Eric (both live in Indiana) noted, they certainly could be at home during the rut (the chase phase was just starting the last day or two we were in camp in the UP) as could Greg and I in northwestern lower peninsula. However, the camp fun trumps chasing a big buck every time. If we put camp back a week, we bump into the other partners who are there for gun season. If we go earlier in October, we run into warm weather deer hanging issues and competition with bear hunters/season. I too used to like to hunt 'alone' or with a single partner but as I wrote in my TBM article a year ago about camp, there's an aging process(along with some 'mentoring') as we move along in our hunting careers that changes priorities. Camp life and hunting is just really different than one on one hunting.
I'm glad everyone has enjoyed the show. We were all thankful to have the opportunity to have our camp 'legacy' filmed for viewing for years to come. As I mentioned with the introduction, Brian has some big shoes to fill replacing a 30 year legend and he's off to a great start. We all wish him the best.
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Thanks for sharing.
That was great!
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Very cool, you guys are doing it right!
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amen!
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:coffee: Loved it!
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I am moved. More so by the older gentleman with the rack on the table. He brought tears to my eyes with the passion and fire that would light his eyes as he spoke. He had a very solemn side in the same voice. That voice was the sound of disappointment with the way things are today ,but the fire that almost instantly followed gives me great hope for the younger generation of hunter. I am a part of that younger generation. At 36 yrs I realize that I need to be more active in supporting our great heritage rather than worrying about the largest horns. I have instant respect for that gentlemen. He spoke iconically!! Great video. Also not to mention the "Ghost of Armstrong Creek". Straight from a living legend. Thanks for the post.
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I am moved. More so by the older gentleman with the rack on the table. He brought tears to my eyes with the passion and fire that would light his eyes as he spoke. He had a very solemn side in the same voice. That voice was the sound of disappointment with the way things are today ,but the fire that almost instantly followed gives me great hope for the younger generation of hunter. I am a part of that younger generation. At 36 yrs I realize that I need to be more active in supporting our great heritage rather than worrying about the largest horns. I have instant respect for that gentlemen. He spoke iconically!! Great video. Also not to mention the "Ghost of Armstrong Creek". Straight from a living legend. Thanks for the post.
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I'm glad everyone got to get a glimpse of our group of "Brothers" We are a diversified group with each person contributing with their own special talents. Without these men there would be no Shrew Haven, I feel blessed to have such friends.
One of the regulars was missing the evening of the taping. Roger Norris had to leave earlier in the week. Roger has been coming to camp for many years and hopefully many more to come.
Here's Roger (Sledge) from a previous year
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Camp_09-%204.JPG)
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I want to go!
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How can someone look that good after not bathing for a week? Amazing :p
The guys at Shrew Haven are the best hunting partners in the world. Quick with a joke, ready to help trail or drag, everyone pitching in....it's EXACTLY what deer camp is supposed to be.
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that is what it is all about.Liked the poem
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That was awesome!! Read about the adventures at Shrewhaven for years on Tradgang. It was nice to see the cabin and the guys. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Outstanding! I thoroughly enjoyed that. Thanks for sharing.
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I really liked that show, thanks for sharing Mr. Lyon. Shrewhaven just exemplifies the classic deer camp.
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Originally posted by Roger Norris:
How can someone look that good after not bathing for a week? Amazing :p
The guys at Shrew Haven are the best hunting partners in the world. Quick with a joke, ready to help trail or drag, everyone pitching in....it's EXACTLY what deer camp is supposed to be.
Yup, this was our annual group photo That Ron posted with Roger in it. Unfortunately, as good as Roger looked,..... well, let's just say nobody wanted to stand next to him in the photo, just upwind, with him not bathing for a week. :eek: :laughing:
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That's actually pretty likely!
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That is cool! Thanks for sharing :thumbsup:
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Great Show!
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:campfire: Lets hear some stories from Shrew Haven
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Thanks for posting that link, I really enjoyed it.
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I enjoyed the show and may go back and watch it again. :thumbsup:
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Nice. I didn't know about that show. I need to watch it now.
Years ago there was a U.P. outdoor magazine, Maybe it was called "U.P. Outdoors". I read that routinely, but it didn't make it. Are there any similar magazines available that specialize in the U.P. ?
ChuckC
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:clapper:
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Awesome traditions!
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What a great video! You guy's are so fortunate to be able to share Shrewhaven together. Like others said I too was lost in it for a few moments & felt as if I was there.
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That's what it's all about. Friends, food, stories and hunting. Thanks for posting, looking forward to more pics from the hunt.
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I love these couple pictures. There are more, but the story is that Eric hit one in the evening, and we tracked it to the Brule. Crossing the Brule at night is a fools game. It is a strong river. It might be 2 feet deep, it might be 6. In the ink black night the UP serves up, there is no way of knowing until it is too late. So we came back in the morning. Crossing in daylight was much safer.
(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010090-1.jpg) (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/rnorris/media/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010090-1.jpg.html)
After an hour of serious tracking, we were stumped. We absolutely lucked in to finding her on a runway leading from the river. Dragging her back across was more work than we thought. The current caught her, and it took us both to hang on. Thank God Eric is bull strong. The guy in the camo vest is sometimes campmate Tom Jenkins, the unofficial Michigan Bowhunters Historian, inventor of the HackStacker broadhead :p
(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010099-1.jpg) (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/rnorris/media/Shrewhaven2010/ShrewHaven2010099-1.jpg.html)
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I have been there done that. That river is always cold.
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One of my favorite nights was Kevin's first deer. Kevin is the one in the video that says, 'yeah, I got my first deer and more......."
Well, Kevin had been trying for a couple of years to get his first deer with a bow. I put him in my favorite stand, 'the Tressle' pine tree that's on a pinch point coming off Banana Ridge and heading down into the swamp. Kevin shot a spike buck and came back to camp all excited, but worried because he couldn't find blood. I've been hunting that section of the property for 3 or 4 years, so I had a pretty good idea where that deer was going. The first thing I said when we pulled up is "does someone have a knife ?" and Kevin said 'yes, I've got a knife'. At the start of the search, Kevin was very nervous and skeptical. The nice thing about Shrewhaven is that we've taken a lot of deer, and I've been on a lot of tracking jobs. Most short, but a couple that have gone a ways. I reassured Kevin that we were going to find his deer. Well we finally found blood and then got lined out and ten minutes later, we had the deer. Kevin was elated. It was his first bow kill and after the congratulations and back slapping, I said let's get him gutted and back to camp so we can celebrate. Well, Kevin produced a knife that had the edge of a butter knife. Tim had a pocket knife that was not much better. I've gutted a lot of deer in my life and it's a 5 minute job. Watching Kevin and Tim was grueling at best.
Now when we go on a track with Kevin, the question is 'do you have a SHARP knife???? I believe Ron (who knows how to put an edge on a knife like nobody else) gave Kevin a little tutorial. Kevin has also acquired some nice cutlery, including a Randall or two that he carries with a nice edge.
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Thanks for sharing it was very enjoyable.
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Kevin and Eric #2 coming up Armstrong Creek with another deer that made it across the Brule before it gave up the ghost.
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Camp_09%205.JPG)
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Camp_09%206.JPG)
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Great Stuff....I gotta go back and read about this years hunt...I think I missed it for being to busy. :readit:
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"The long track"- A few years ago, Greg shot a nice doe in the morning from his "Creek Stand". He hit it a little further back than he wanted, so I volunteered to skip hunting the afternoon and take up the track with him. We wanted to give her at least 5-6 hours, but we wanted to beat the nighttime bears/coyotes to her. We got on the track and it was slow going, but we were making headway. About and hour in, we lost the track and were sweeping out on deer trails (they're well worn in Michigan's Upper Peninsula) trying to find more blood. All of a sudden, she stood up 25 yards from me---and here I stood with no bow. Greg was off to the side about 30 yards away and no shot. She trotted off and we could do nothing but mark the spot where we last saw her and head back to camp. The next morning Ron came out with us. We had blood for a ways and then slowed down to nothing again. We'd sweep forward, find a deer trail and follow it for a ways and then play the game all over again when we found blood. Finally after another hour and a half we found some more blood and then 75 yards later, a dandy doe that was untouched by predators. It's hard to explain the elation and relief after a long, slow track, but it's what we owe to our quarry. Of course Greg and I have a tradition of gutting each others deer ever since he gutted my first deer when I was seventeen years old and I was promptly put to work.
My daughters just got to see me gut two deer for Greg last week at our family farm during the rifle season-their first ever experience seeing that-so the tradition continues today, 35 years later.
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Here's the happy ending picture to that story. Greg on the left and Ray on the right, November 2007.
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Shrewhaven_GR_007.JPG)
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Thanks for posting the picture Ron. Two things I'd like to point out. One, Greg's Armstrong Creek Skinner, that Ron sold before his new blacksmith was retained, on his belt is always very sharp!! Also, around my waist you can see the strap from my old treestand safety strap. It has a braided rope with a super heavy duty dog leash type snap. When I went to the safety harnesses about 10 years ago I kept the strap because it works so well for dragging deer out of the woods. Greg loves that my calf's are as big around as his thighs, since I'm the mule for dragging out deer. This strap has been in on over 150 drags over the years and it's still going strong (four so far this year).
Of course, that leads me to another story that's retold at least once per year. If you go back up a few pictures on this page, you'll see Kevin and Eric coming up the creek. In the background, you'll see some tall grass and brush that is littered with old fallen tree stumps and logs. One year Kevin shot a deer that landed in this zone along the creek, but on the non cabin side and closer to the two track trail out. There was a group of us in on this track (5 total). After we found the deer, I told one of the guys to find a compass line out to the two track and lead the way. Kevin and I put our straps on the deer (he has one exactly like mine) and we took off into the dark with one guy in front with a flashlight and two behind. It's thick and nasty and a real trick at night. I like to just pull and get it over with without much stopping to catch a breath. At one point I felt like Kevin was slacking a little on helping to pull his deer out of the woods and one of the guys in the back yelled 'hold on Ray you're pulling Kevin too!" He had fallen and of course I only felt a little extra tug. I told him next time I'm going to gut him too before I start dragging him. ;) :D
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(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/hunting/Hunting280.jpg) (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/rnorris/media/hunting/Hunting280.jpg.html)
This was after Tim killed a huge doe, that made a death run down to Armstrong Creek. The 3 of us drug it straight up a slippery hill aka CLIFF grabbing tiny, poorly rooted saplings all the way up. Absolutely the worst drag I ever was a part of...how we didn't end up with 3 heart attacks is a miracle.
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A view of the cabin from the back side, the side facing Armstrong creek, just at dusk.
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/soft%20glow.JPG)
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Great stories guys, that's what it's all about!
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I really enjoyed this! That video was very well done! Thanks for sharing this thread with us! :clapper:
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin