Reeder Custom Guns - well the Labor Day weekend isn't even half over

and I am already bored shitless. I did the Gun Notes last night and got up early today and did a large batch of bluing. I have another batch of fire blue to do tonight but other than that I'm ready to go back to work. My Dad was a workaholic, retiring from the army after 25 years. He stayed retired about 6 months, driving my Mother crazy. He had a friend who was head of the eastern office of the plain clothes Pinkertons and asked my Dad to run the Nashville branch. Dad jumped on it and stayed with them for 22 years. He stayed with them until he turned 80, then retired again.

I retired from radio after 22 years back in '85 and got into doing this full time. I had been building custom contender barrels and custom XP-100s in a small garage shop the last 5 years that I was in radio. Now almost 35 years into doing this and I don't look forward to retiring at all. I can't hunt year round and I can't go to Africa every few months, and I sure can't sit on my ass and watch Oprah all day, so why retire? I enjoy what I am doing so why quit? I have thought about selling Reeder Custom to one of my guys and just working for him, and that is still a possibility. But retire completely, not a chance. You guys that are enjoying the long weekend are better men than I am.

Stong. He won't retire and wouldn't make it six months if he did. Just bought himself a new F350 Diesel for himself on his 95th Bday...

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Today was opening day of dove season in MS. Killed a limit of doves. Then ate a great Bar-b-que dinner with chicken, pulled pork, and pork ribs! Will keep working full time, till I can't. Got to have money for shells!

I have booked over the past 5 years Alcorn has joined me on it. Africa several times, the HHC every time for at least 5 years, and he is booked for next May's Africa hunt. Like the rest of us Alcorn isn't getting any younger, and for damn sure isn't getting any better looking but he knows that we aren't promised tomorrow so he is doing what he loves to do now while he can. Alcorn is older than navel lint so it is good that he is doing what he loves.

Don't laugh but it seems to be a popular thing. I know if I lived in the SW I'd do it.

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"The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” —Genesis 2:15

Not only did God command us to work, but, being created in His image as a the creator, we are hardwired with a desire to create—to work. You are a great example.

... if we get to heaven? It's Not a wise-acre question... what will occupy eternity?

reason, but first i have to work to be eligible.

If you're really interested get a book called HEAVEN by Randy Alcorn. Research the points he makes and it will give you a small insight. Everyone says they want to go to heaven but have no idea what it will be. It is not a world of disembodied sririts, clouds and playing the harp non-stop! It's a tough read if you stop and research the points he makes, took me about 3 months to get through it when a book that size would take me about two days. Considering the subject matter it was time well spent. If you get it be sure to let me know what you think.

Had a nice long chat and sounds like he is very busy and chomping at the bit to get his hand back up to 100 percent! Really couldn’t tell it wasn’t! Saw all the Saturday Sale items up close but got there to late to get that Winchester 94 .32, it’s a beauty! Did get to put my sweaty hands all over it though! Not to worry, JOHN, Noodle quickly wiped it down. Was great to see Gary, Colleen and Noodle. Don’t let Noodle know it but he was a busy man getting orders filled, constant phone work and was doing a great job! Colleen, well you’d just have to see her in action!

Retirement is not for everyone, especially if you love what you do

... Idle workshops are the devil's hand... wait... what?

LAST VACATION WAS IN '81--RENTED A MOTOR HOME AND TOOK THE FAMILY TO FRISCO. THAT PLACE DOESN'T EVEN EXIST ANYMORE. REPLACED BY A RAT INFESTED TENT CITY. I'LL STAY HOME. I'M BLESSED TO GET PAID FOR WHAT MANY DO FOR FUN.

much wherever we wanted to as the station ran Trade Out spots for the various vacation sites and we got to go there free. And invariably my wife at the time had to go to Daytona Beach or one of the other big beaches in Florida. She loved to lay out on the beach....all day. I tried snorkeling and even got into scuba diving at Clearwater Beach for a while but found no fun in that. Unless you went out 5 miles into the gulf there was nothing to see except bare sand and a few small ugly fish. I even took a couple of half day deep sea fishing excursions and wasted a lot of money and got nothing but a sunburn. Another extremely painful vacation was again going to Florida and Disney World. It was free but I still had to put up with the crowds of people, the $7 Cokes and $15 hamburgers and waiting in line for hours to get on a 5 minute ride.

We went to other places too like Gatlinburg in the Smokies. Again wall to wall traffic and more fat sweaty people than you could count with little fat screaming munchkins.

Like John said, vacations are not for me. I give myself a good hunt every year or so, and on the times when I don't go to Africa or Australia or New Zealand I still have the HHC every October.

Our HHC is in a month and I hope to see a bunch of the Misfits there. It is always good to put a face to the name.

These days the main thing is we aren't getting any younger and tomorrow is not promised to us, so if you have a bucket list, do it while you can. I have a couple of very special hunts still on my bucket list. The Cape Buffalo was on it and besides taking a monster Cape last year I get to do it again next May. The Taxidermists in Africa lost my Cape Buffalo mount so they are doing the right thing and are paying for me to hunt another buffalo next May, no charge. I can't beat that. The folks at Life Form taxidermy in South Africa are good people and are doing the right thing.

I also have a tentative special hunt in Africa next May to coincide with the buffalo hunt but I won't know about that for another 6 weeks to see if we get a permit. But life is good and I have been blessed way beyond what I deserve and I am trying to enjoy every minute of it while I can.

Like John said, I am blessed to be able to do what I enjoy, meet good friends and even get paid to do it. What more could a man ask for?

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