A few weeks ago I mentioned an email that I had received from my old shooting teammate Phil Murray. It was one of the nicest notes I had ever read. It made me think about another note I had got last year from one of my readers, Larry D. Kelley.
He wrote the following to say:
"I just finished reading your column in today's Californian and it reminded me of a story I heard a number of times over the 50 years from a friend of mine.
"Years ago it was a fine day out at the Refuge west of the Pond/Delano area. Dennis was in his favorite blind. Dennis loved all hunting, but above all he loved duck hunting. A flock came in shortly after legal shooting time and Dennis dropped two Mallards out of the bunch!
"He was congratulating himself on great shooting and watching the remaining birds soar up at speed, when about 25 yards away a shotgun went boom, boom, boom and three ducks tumbled to the water! Dennis had never witnessed a triple, particularly on up-soaring ducks. In not too long a time he had his limit and was slogging his way out of the water to the berm, when he met the other hunter who had also limited out early.
"He introduced himself, and you introduced yourself and Dennis was stunned. We had shot some clay pigeons down at the Kern County Gun Club below the bluffs in Bakersfield and in the clubhouse had seen your incredible records in skeet shooting — but he suspected that was all you did. . shoot clay pigeons. When telling me about this meeting he would shake his head and say, 'I shook hands with Ken Barnes and let me tell you, that guy works magic with a shotgun on ducks!' Over the years, Dennis told this story a number of times. always with a bit of awe in his voice."
The moment I read this that day, I had an instant flashback to that happening in my life. I well remember talking with Dennis and seeing how happy he was to have bagged a limit of ducks. Larry did not mentioned Dennis' last name, so I am at a loss for that. With social media being what it is today, I can only hope Dennis is still alive and well, and just might be able to read this column today. Larry, thanks so much for the memory.
ONE LAST NOTE: The city of Bakersfield suffered a great loss this past week with the passing of businessman Mike Stier, 71, after a long and courageous bout with cancer.
Mike was really a one-of-a-kind gentleman who will be missed by many. We first met almost 50 years ago when he became associated with my friend, and local artist, William "Bill" Davis.
I mentioned this in a column a few months ago when I said, "Mike saw the potential that Davis had and took him under his wing, so to speak. He commissioned him to do a number of watercolors, and they all sold quickly as limited edition prints.
"An artist was born. Stier financed and promoted the William Davis Wildlife Art Corporation, and helped Bill start up his expensive three-dimensional art program. It was not long until Bill became involved in his bronze figurines."
My condolences to his entire family.
