A social person

My wife tells me I’m a very social person.

I nod and smile, all the while thinking, “What are you talking about?”

The truth is I spend most of my time in the company of dogs. There are many days when the only human being I interact with is my wife.

My old hunting partner – both literally and figuratively -- has been a bit under the weather this fall and has yet to come up and chase birds with me.

Since the first of September it’s just been me and the dogs, nearly every day, out on the prairie, looking for grouse.

Then pheasant season opened last weekend and we had a house full of hunters. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy people, especially old friends.

While they don’t sit and stay, or respond very well to the whistle, they are a lot more fun to talk to than my spaniels.

Unfortunately, they’re all younger than I am and still encumbered by jobs and other responsibilities so their time is limited. But they appreciate the land, the birds, and the opportunity to hunt as much as me.

We shot pheasant, duck and grouse in the morning, and fell asleep in front of the TV watching football in the afternoon.

We talked dogs and shooting – most often the easy shots we missed – told off-color jokes, and ate too much.

We slogged across muddy, cow-bombed prairie to reach creekbottom cover, and while we didn’t find the number of birds we have in the past, we found enough.

It doesn’t take so many these days.

Everybody’s gone now, back home in Livingston, Manhattan, McAllister, Belgrade, Clyde Park. It’s just me and the dogs again. A few of the guys will be back later this fall. Others won’t. I may not see them again this year. But being the social butterfly my wife claims I am, perhaps we’ll talk on the phone, text each other, maybe even exchange tweets.

Or maybe not.

There’s a better chance I’ll return to my hermit-like existence, think the dogs actually listen to what I’m talking about, and be perfectly content in their company alone.

It’s a bit of an alternative lifestyle, but one with which I’m comfortable.

My friends get it.

They’ll be back.

After all, like my wife says, I’m a very social person.

Parker Heinlein is at [email protected]