Saturday, November 15, 2008

Why name it "A Louisiana Outdoor Legacy"

In the beginning, I didn't think I needed to title the collection of stories, as a whole. Remember, the origininal purpose was to preserve them for my own children, I didn't feel the need to have an over-all title. They would know all of the stories came from their dad. Shortly after recieving strong recommendations (arm twisting), from total strangers, family and friends to publish, I realized I had to have a binding title. Each story required their own name and a special title to glue them all together. As I recalled and recorded each story from memory, the thickness of the manuscript increased. A sudden awareness became clear to me. They weren't just humorous tales of outdoor adventure. Each represented an important link in a chain of events shaping my life and creating the person I am.

I had a lot of influential people to thank for that, but first, I need to thank God. I had grown to know all of the events were gifts from Our Father. He was there with me, protecting me from harm, the whole time. He deserves much more credit and praise than I can ever give him. So I'll simply say, thank you Father. And accept the knowledge within my heart, he knows I sincerely mean it. He is the first link.

He began by blessing me with Dad (William Ralph Hennigan). An honest, hardworking man filled with a passion to spend his sparse leisure time in Louisiana's wild outdoors. His own dad had passed away when he was only eight years old. Knowing how precious time is, it was only natural that he introduced me to the outdoor world, at a very young age. Something his Dad had managed to do for him in the short amount of time they had together. Something I committed to do with my own children and did. Can you see where this is all going? It is what it is . . . a real legacy. A chain of events, binding the generations together, that began with a nameless, but appreciated fore-father, a long, long time ago. It's a legacy more valuable to me than all of the money in the world. It is full of wonderful memories of love, bonding adventure, shared hardships, challenges and self sacrifice that will endure long after all of the money is gone.

Pondering deep thoughts like these, It became easier to find the name to bind the stories.

"A Louisiana Outdoor Legacy" . . . ALOL for short.
A Lots of Love
A Lots of Laughter
A Lots of Luck
A Lots of . . . help.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Louisiana Outdoor Leagacy

Some folks have questioned me about how I came up with the title of my collection of true stories, "Louisiana Outdoor Legacy." It wasn't easy. Most of you may already know the written stories were never intended to be circulated to the general public. My original intentions were to write them down, make seven copies and give one to each of my seven sons. All of the stories, as unbelievable as some of them may sound, are true. Relying strictly on my own memory to recall the past events to begin writing down the first drafts made me realize that perhaps, the stories weren't entirely accurate, maybe I'd forgotten to put in some parts. I also knew I am not skilled in the art of writing. I hated to write lengthy reports of any type during my high school education, which is all I have. To satisfy my desire to be as accurate as possible, I decided to share the writings with the other participants to confirm accuracy and more educated individuals recieve their writing criticisms. I was wasn't too surprised to discover that on most all accounts, my versions were fairly accurate. And I wasn't surprised to discover that I was as dumb as I thought, when it comes to using punctuations and written words. What did surprise me was the very strong, emotional and heartfelt words of encouragement, from friends and family, to share them with the public by publishing.



That unexpected response frightened me in many ways. It would force me to expose my inner self to total strangers. The first thought of it left a feeling akin to being caught running from the bath to the laundry room, dripping wet, to look for a dry towel. No one else was home when you began your shower, the kids are in school and the spouse is out shopping with friends, so you're confident no one is there to see you. Your mind is totally focused on drying off and mopping the floor. You round the hallway corner and . . . Let's just say we all have warts we don't really care to show others and leave it there. Each story exposes a personal weakness of mine creating feelings of embarrassment, humiliation and a host of other emotions. Shame is not one of them, my heart was in the right place, even if I wasn't.



Each story is a personal treasure. There is no doubt in my mind, they were given to me from Our Father. With each adventure my trust in Him increased and I began to learn to rely on His grace. It's true, the original driving motivation of writing was to give a personal testimony to my children, to encourage them to go the outdoors and meet God in a personal way. I am not a theologin. I'm a realist and this I know, God is real. Jesus is real. And the Holy Spirit is real.



Some of you may be skeptic or doubters and that's okay. As long as you are a seeker, which in fact, is what an outdoorsman really is. He seeks, he hunts, all the while fine tuning all of his senses and . . . he finds. You can imagine my surprise to discover I was found, out in the woods and how it was revealed to me. Each unique story is a step taken on a life's journey leading me to be who I am today. I came to realize by sharing the stories with readers, who will make their own judgements, is the best way to thank Our Father for getting me out of the many situations I found myself in.



Why "A Louisiana Outdoor Leagacy?" More later, time to go to work.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I'd like to hear from you

I'm curious. Maybe you're new at this blogging stuff, as I am, but at the end of each posting is a small printed word. The word is "comment". Clicking on the word will allow you to leave me a message. I know, I've had quite a few visitors and several of you return for more visits. Don't take this the wrong way, I appreciate your visits, but you're all much too quite. I'd really like to hear from you. Perhaps you have some stories to share of your own, I'd certainly like to like to hear of them. Whatever you do, please remember, to try to make today count. It really is the only one we have. So . . . make it good!

Rodney

Monday, November 10, 2008

Monday

The boys and I returned home just in time to see the end of the Saint's football game. It wasn't fun. They got whipped pretty badly. One might say, almost as bad as I did. Pat and I found a great place to hunt in the woods. Buck sign was everywhere. We both knew we were each going to get one. Although we had a great time hunting together, we never saw a deer. Matthew and Christopher hunted together, in a different location. Matt had a doe walk under his stand. Chris had a yearling approach within twenty feet. Two hours later, six more came bounding by, all does. Combined, Matt and Chris saw eight deer. With the bucks only season in progress, we came home empty handed. The pressure is increasing to bring home the venison as I watch my stockpile of sausauge growing smaller in the freezer. I may be forced to put the boys on half-rations (fat chance of that happening!). David also went with us on the trip. He hunted one evening, said he had had enough. And added that since he couldn't shoot a doe and bring the venison home to eat, it was a waste of time. He finished by announcing, he was going to stay in the camper and sleep in, the following morning! He did, too. He ignored all of my pleading. Talk about someone with his priorities in order. In hindsight, I think he may have really had the right idea and outsmarted all of the rest of us. So here I am, back at work, no deer in the freezer, but I didn't come home entirely empty handed. I managed to bring home a nasty little cold. Another good memory was made with the boys, in God's great outdoors, I can't wait to get back. I really found a lot of big buck sign and I know Old Mossyhorns is standing in front of my climbing tree right now, snorting a little laugh and pawing the ground. Maybe next weekend . . .

Until then,

Make it count!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Wednesday, November 05

After the long fought-historic presidential campaign, it's time for me to redouble my efforts to get out into the woods and do a little unwinding. I'm hoping David, Matt, Chris and Pat can get away and go to Clear Creek WMA with Wayne and I this weekend. The bucks-only season is in progress. The bucks are rutting (mating time) and their minds are occupied with one thought, the potential sexual conquest of does. This time of year presents a perfect excuse for the boys and I to answer our own calls of of the wild and get outdoors, in search of adventure, venison and old mossy horns.

Wish us good hunting, good memmories and good luck!

Pray for our country, pray for our new president and please remember, to make it count.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

November 04- Election Day

I've just returned from voting and maintained my right to gripe. A strong believer in society's collective wisdom, I'm sure the best canidates will win. I just hope those given the honor and entrusted to represent all of us, do so in a way that God will recognize we are doing the best we can, with what we have to work with. I do know, I've done my best and hope you have also, by voting. Pray for whomever wins and Thank God for blessing us with such a great country.



Remember to make it count, go vote. Louisiana polls close at eight p.m.

Monday, November 3, 2008

The past weekend

Monday, November 03, 2008

The weekend didn't quite shape up, the way I thought it would. My eldest son, Rocky, asked me to stick around Saturday Morn to introduce him to my friends during the Bayou Writer's Group monthly meeting. It didn't take much to encourage me to do so. With the election of officers and discussions concerning the upcoming writer's convention on November 15, (Interested? Find out more. Access the group from my friends page.) on the agenda. The temptation to catch up on the latest with my friends was just too much to resist. I recieved Cristopher's blessing to attend the meeting, with the understanding that I would take him hunting afterwards. The meeting was great.

By the time I returned home, the plan to bring Chris hunting had adjusted to going after church the next day, on Sunday. Friends and relatives had called while I was away, to wish him a happy birthday and ask what time the party started (later that evening). At the party, Mathew announced he was going dear hunting, not to the woods with us.

During the down time between the meeting and the party, my cousin, Gloria and her husband Wayne (a mentor of mine) came over to visit. Before you knew it, Wayne and I were on top of the old silver bullet airstream changing out the air conditioner. We both had thought the small job wouldn't last very long. We were both wrong. It was one of those things that when you started, it grabbed you by the tail and wouldn't let go, until either you or it was finished. To make a long story short, let's just keep it simple and say the job didn't end until late Sunday afternoon. And only then, after eating a lot of humble pie! No hunts occurred over the weekend. Thank God, Chris is a forgiving son and accepted a rain-check from his Dad. The recently installed, used air conditioner, was working just fine, when I last checked.

So far this season, Deer-02, Rod-00

Contankerous-unforgiving air conditioner vs. Rod and Wayne-tied

Remember to do your best. And with God's help, do what you can to create good memmories. Make it count.