Ornery?!?!?!? Me???????
LOL, When the wifey took the new pup to the vet to get his testimonials removed, she said she was gonna take me in too

. She knows better tho. I`d be less ornery but I`d be like a cat and just lay about and get fat. .... eh ... fatter.
That sucks about yer Dad. We never get enough time with them. Mine is in his 80`s and still going strong. Bought him a 24 foot sailboat this year, well... LAST year, and he made the mistake of promising Ma that he`d not go alone. Hell, it`s only the Columbia River (betwixt Longview and Astoria). So I run down to Clatskanie every few weeks when I can to sail with him.
There`s some kinda bigass hairy varmints along the riverbanks there by the way, but I never get a good look at them. I heard the Nutrina or Nutria or whatever from the south had moved in and were in the area. I thought they were otters but I think they are too light colored to be river otters.
Have you hunted the Easterns in your area yet? I hear the population is increasing steady. I went to Lake Roosevelt to get my first turkey but those are Merriams. My bud has been raising documented Merriam stock for a few years now and they are taking hold here pretty well, but the trailer trash shoot them almost as fast as they breed. He did what the WDFW could not do.
Should get some varmint calling in together when I`m down your way. Oh, and in case you ever wander this far, We built a 400 yd range in the hills on my pards timberland. 12x20 shed with 4 benches and a woodstove, across the road we built a 100 yd pistol range with the same kinda shed and it`s a blast to be able to practice in bad weather and be warm too, hehe. That goes for any of you guys. I invited the Coast Guard up because the towncops booted them out of the police range at the dump.
They said it was cause the Coastie guns were too loud but I heard it was cause the CG outshoots every last one of the townies, hah!!! This is getting long but I gotta tell you while on the subject, a couple years back a pit bull was in town running amuck biting other dogs and making a couple folks uh,... lose control of their bladders, hehe, and the townies showed up ....Cornered him betwixt a fence and a house and opened up.
37 bullets later they hit the dog and knocked him down, THEN they took him to the vet (who promptly dispatched it)

There`s bullet holes 6 feet off the ground in the fence and house. Neighbors said the cops were more dangerous than the dog ever was, HAHA!!!!
Yeah, happy birthday too !!