Almost 8 years since I lost my brother

[Walt Longmire]

I got another box of his stuff in the mail along with some mementos of my recently passed Father.  Every once in a while these boxes show up mailed by my older brother. I always shed a few tears when I look through the things. This last box had a Lorus wrist watch, the battery had long given up. I took it to town today and had a new one installed and am wearing it now. (I always wear a wrist watch) There was a notebook full of notations of different things, but one really stuck out from the rest, it was a list of guns we both took to a gun show here in Alaska probably 25 or more years ago. We used to do a lot of the Alaska gun shows together, renting 3 or 4 tables. Those were always fun times. Long weekends, long drives, tired when it was over, but we both loved doing it. Got a Buck 119 100 year anniversary knife in that box too. I'll slaughter a moose with it next fall. I killed a big one this year with his custom Remington 700 in .416. My son was hunting with another of his rifles at the time, a Ruger 77 in .350 Rem mag. 

Paul took his own life in Feb. 2013. We, none of us, saw it coming. I think of him every day. You all would have liked him. A studly man at 6' 4" and 240 pounds with a heart of gold. Logger, hunter, home builder, tough as they come, but kind as could be unless you pissed him off. Could grow the most awesome red Viking beard, and here I am with almost no whiskers at all. LOL.

I'll likely get all melancholy with you later about my 94 year old dad that passed last month. I don't feel so bad about him though. He had a good run and lived a long and happy life.

Carry on. Hug your family. Let them know you love them. Mend your fences if you aren't feeling the love.

[Valmet]

Sounds like you have some cool memories of your brother. I know you’ve had a rough go of it here lately Walt