March 2009 Archives
Update: Obituary found here>>>
Someone who meant the world to me growing up died unexpectedly yesterday: Dave Nelson. He retired from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources about a year ago. I'd like to write something a bit more about this later, but really just wanted to say something now:
I first met Dave Nelson when I was probably 5 years old. I may have been a little older or a little younger, but let's just call it 5. My Uncle Bill Watts lived in Florence, Alabama and had a cabin in Waterloo. My father loved to go there and visit and would go for several nights at a time. I don't know the full story, but Dave was working nearby, in Cherokee, Alabama, I think, with the Fish and Game Dept. or perhaps the Dept. of Natural Resources even then. He was an expert on wild turkeys and was using radio collars to track them and learn more about their behavior. My Uncle Bill was also involved with Fish and Game and I guess that's how they met. My father and Dave met sometime after that and, I guess, hit it off immediately.
Dave started coming to Octagon to visit soon after that. He LOVED to hunt turkeys and one thing Octagon had in abundance at that time was turkeys. He would come for several days, perhaps even a week, staying with us and eating breakfast. My sister Madeline was once asked how well she knew Dave. Her reply: "He's seen me in my night gown." That apparently always got odd looks!
Though Dave loved to hunt turkeys, he would always find the time to take little squirmy, twitchy, can't be still me out in the woods with him. He taught me a lot: how to build a blind, how to shoot, and so much more. He had a nifty wicker backpack that he kept filled with woodsman supplies like an axe, a little shovel, matches, etc. I thought he was the coolest thing in the whole world. And I'm pretty sure that, in a wilderness setting, Dave would have taken Daniel Boone and shown him a thing or two. I think that for a little while, I sort of suspected he was Davy Crockett.
I remember visiting his trailer in Cherokee (he was I guess just out of college a few years before--though to me he seemed like an elder statesman) and he showed me some of the many things he was proud of. I recall having burgers there--though I'm not sure. There is another story that I've always loved about Dave feeding Connie, his soon to be wife, burgers made out of beaver. He knew she was the one for him when she didn't stop eating!
Dave loved Marengo County and the Black Belt so much that, when he had the chance, he moved to Forkland, Alabama (just north of Demopolis and right on the river) and put a trailer for his new family to live in. He built a beautiful house on the lot, mostly, if I recall, himself. In addition to being an amazing outdoorsman, he was quite the woodworker as well.
Dave and Connie had two boys, I grew up and moved away to college, but I always had and will always have a special place in my heart for the man who taught me so much about the outdoors and about life. Goodbye good friend. You'll be missed more than you could ever know.
Someone who meant the world to me growing up died unexpectedly yesterday: Dave Nelson. He retired from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources about a year ago. I'd like to write something a bit more about this later, but really just wanted to say something now:
I first met Dave Nelson when I was probably 5 years old. I may have been a little older or a little younger, but let's just call it 5. My Uncle Bill Watts lived in Florence, Alabama and had a cabin in Waterloo. My father loved to go there and visit and would go for several nights at a time. I don't know the full story, but Dave was working nearby, in Cherokee, Alabama, I think, with the Fish and Game Dept. or perhaps the Dept. of Natural Resources even then. He was an expert on wild turkeys and was using radio collars to track them and learn more about their behavior. My Uncle Bill was also involved with Fish and Game and I guess that's how they met. My father and Dave met sometime after that and, I guess, hit it off immediately.
Dave started coming to Octagon to visit soon after that. He LOVED to hunt turkeys and one thing Octagon had in abundance at that time was turkeys. He would come for several days, perhaps even a week, staying with us and eating breakfast. My sister Madeline was once asked how well she knew Dave. Her reply: "He's seen me in my night gown." That apparently always got odd looks!
Though Dave loved to hunt turkeys, he would always find the time to take little squirmy, twitchy, can't be still me out in the woods with him. He taught me a lot: how to build a blind, how to shoot, and so much more. He had a nifty wicker backpack that he kept filled with woodsman supplies like an axe, a little shovel, matches, etc. I thought he was the coolest thing in the whole world. And I'm pretty sure that, in a wilderness setting, Dave would have taken Daniel Boone and shown him a thing or two. I think that for a little while, I sort of suspected he was Davy Crockett.
I remember visiting his trailer in Cherokee (he was I guess just out of college a few years before--though to me he seemed like an elder statesman) and he showed me some of the many things he was proud of. I recall having burgers there--though I'm not sure. There is another story that I've always loved about Dave feeding Connie, his soon to be wife, burgers made out of beaver. He knew she was the one for him when she didn't stop eating!
Dave loved Marengo County and the Black Belt so much that, when he had the chance, he moved to Forkland, Alabama (just north of Demopolis and right on the river) and put a trailer for his new family to live in. He built a beautiful house on the lot, mostly, if I recall, himself. In addition to being an amazing outdoorsman, he was quite the woodworker as well.
Dave and Connie had two boys, I grew up and moved away to college, but I always had and will always have a special place in my heart for the man who taught me so much about the outdoors and about life. Goodbye good friend. You'll be missed more than you could ever know.
But a good one. Paint is going up in two of our rooms! The colors are looking amazing (well, only the lighter color so far, but still looking great. A very light bluish green on the upper portion of our walls and ceiling.Lots of work done over the weekend--worked most of the weekend on a website for Tyler Eaton and I'm waiting on a response from that.
Finalized a newsletter for Alzheimer's of Central Alabama, sent an email out to 780 friends of Your Town Alabama, made a couple of small changes to the Alabama Front Porches website (mainly adding an entry to the "Off the Porch" blog), wrapped up a newsletter for American Mining Insurance Company and several other projects. Good, solid start to the week.
Our house is under siege--or at least that's how it feels. Renovations are progressing nicely, though. Acoustic Tile ceilings are out, smooth ceilings are in--or almost. Windows are about to be ordered, hopefully. Lots to do....
Much to clean up this weekend, of course.
Working furiously on several projects at once. Just wrapped up a newsletter for Alzheimer's of Central Alabama. Working on the website for Tyler Eaton Court Reporters--this time I think we've got a winner! Finishing up an invitation for Alzheimer's and another for the MS Society. Making changes to Brombergs and the Birmingham Historical Society websites. Trying to finalize the website for ClasTran here in town. Wrapped up the monthly newsletter for the Alabama Sierra Club early this week and just trying to catch my breath!
Oh, my friend Ben posted his version of our trip to the Black Belt earlier this year: http://www.davisdenny.com/blackbeltben/. Entertaining reading! I also added a few new photos to my flickr page.
Much to clean up this weekend, of course.
Working furiously on several projects at once. Just wrapped up a newsletter for Alzheimer's of Central Alabama. Working on the website for Tyler Eaton Court Reporters--this time I think we've got a winner! Finishing up an invitation for Alzheimer's and another for the MS Society. Making changes to Brombergs and the Birmingham Historical Society websites. Trying to finalize the website for ClasTran here in town. Wrapped up the monthly newsletter for the Alabama Sierra Club early this week and just trying to catch my breath!
Oh, my friend Ben posted his version of our trip to the Black Belt earlier this year: http://www.davisdenny.com/blackbeltben/. Entertaining reading! I also added a few new photos to my flickr page.
Just wrapped up a poster for the Alabama MS Society. They want to thank me for working on this by talking about us on the back of the invitation. Not so sure about that.
Thought the poster turned out pretty cool, though! Working on the invitation next week.
Went to our local fish market (Snapper Grabbers) yesterday to discover a fish I've never had before: Steelhead trout. It looked to be a cross between salmon and rainbow trout, so I got enough for two (along with some shrimp to make shrimp and grits tonight).
Got some purple potatoes and asparagus at the grocery store, had a portabella mushroom leftover from earlier that seemed as though they would go nicely. Roasted the potatoes and grilled the asparagus and the mushroom along with the fish over a nice hickory smoke. It was excellent--and simple.
Got some purple potatoes and asparagus at the grocery store, had a portabella mushroom leftover from earlier that seemed as though they would go nicely. Roasted the potatoes and grilled the asparagus and the mushroom along with the fish over a nice hickory smoke. It was excellent--and simple.
So many great things come from connecting with family. Cousin Kevin "Chunk" Mitchell has been helping us with our house--and we really, really needed the help. He was here several weeks ago to give us some ideas and see our house for the first time. We were talking and exchanging some photos. He told me about this photo and it certainly isn't one I'd seen before. My Uncle Clifford and Aunt Phebe Mitchell getting married. The man on the far right is my father, best man to the groom.
Not a lot to say today, really. Just really missing my Mama. She was born Feb. 23, 1924 and she was taken 2 years ago today. I had planned to write something, but just don't really have the energy. A tribute to her is how we all live our lives. That's the most important thing I can say. I intend to do my part as best I can.
