[Double D]

I have been a bit reluctant to interrupt this post with my story about good friends, but I will.

Back in the 80's I was general gunsmithing in Redding, CA. I made friends with Ben known as the Guru of varmint hunting in the area. We went on many great hunt together.

Having a need to hold a job that paid well enough to buy bread and milk, I moved on. After I left the area cell phones started coming out and Ben got one. I also had one by this time. Periodically Ben would call and give me a play by play, shot for shot while he was out shooting gray diggers.

After I moved to Montana I started reciprocating with the calls while gopher shooting, all with a good give and take. I would make the shot and he could hear it, he could hear it quite will and would call the misses also-and was usually right. That old boy always saw my misses.

Several days after a call, I got a call from Ben's phone and it was his wife Mary telling me that Ben had passed away. I was shocked. I knew he was elderly, I didn't know he was weak. Mary told me that when I made my last call, Ben was laying in a hospital bed dying. The family was sitting with him. Mary said my call made him perk up and he talked about it the rest of the day.

Ben Herrera will always be in my mind when I am out shooting varmint. He was a great friend.