Among oak trees.
Gil and Hunter on bench to hilltop view of Texas Hill Country, ATVs nearby. The boys at treehouse. Rudimentary lean-to with fire pit. Horseshoe ring. Tire awing hung from tree limb. Archery target.
Hunter’s inquiry land history gets to Gil’s use of G.I. Bill re WW2. Gets to Hunter’s grandfather’s experience re Navy and Pacific Theatre. Re USS Helena.
Gets to Tom’s tattoo, Hunter having seen it upon finding Tom. Gil asks if he talked about it. No, going to get to it later.
Gets to intro to Gil’s and Tom’s Vietnam experience. Got draft cards same day. Gil has photos. More when Hunter is back with Tom’s ashes.
Deer sighting gets to hunting, whether Tom did. Yes, sharpshooter. First one here, re story of hunt with their dads that day. “Not after he came home.” Gil takes a deer a year for homeless re church.
G Have you hunted, Hunter?
H No. No desire.
G Fished?
H Trout pond when I was a kid.
G Catch one?
H Hard not to. Hooked my ear. I saw Tom’s licenses in the glove compartment.
Gets to fishing when H is back. The boat and Medina lake. Re pics Gil has of himself, Tom and Clem fishing. Maybe out of Galveston.
THUNDER, storm arriving earlier than expected. GIL WHISTLES, boys to ATV. Keys to Hunter, follow boys to creek trail. LIGHTNING.
Away they go.