by Colby C.
There are not too many people you can come to know in your lifetime who reach “icon” status, but we all know at least a few. You know, those people who seem to be a story all on their own just by being themselves, and everyone you know and grew up with seems to have a story about them. Well, one of my icons is Houston Thrasher.
I first met Houston around the 5th grade through his son and one of my childhood friends, Trevor. A tall man, with boots and the rather well-used cowboy hat that were his regular attire. Most nights, you would find him in shorts, with a towel tucked in the front of his pants and his boots still on, cooking up some great food.
His trucks always looked like they were picked up from a second-hand shop and had never been washed except when the good Lord washed them with rain. Since they lived on a huge farm, I guess that is to be expected. I mean, why wash it when it’s just going to get dirty again, right?
Houston earned his reputation in my eyes the first time I went dove hunting in his back fields. While Trevor, Mike, and I were going on our 3rd and 4th boxes of shells with 5 birds between us to show for it, Houston had reached the limit in one box, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had hit 2 or 3 birds with one shot! “You only need one shot,” was his reasoning. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a better shot than he was.
Houston helped me clean my first deer when I was 16. A 7-pointer at the little hunting club in Ramer, Tennessee, was a pretty big deal to me, and he was there. He didn’t have me drink the blood or eat the liver like you see sometimes in the movies, but it wouldn’t have surprised me if he had told me to (and I would have felt obligated to do it.) Sticking to his “one shot” philosophy, he made me feel great by telling me that it was a perfect shot.
He could also be a stern man. I remember “goofing around” on the 4 wheeler, and he gave me a ripping for being unsafe. However, I deserved it, and I ended up respecting him even more. Whether it was at the deer camp or out on the dove fields, he wanted everyone to have fun, but the priority was safety.
Well, my icon passed away yesterday, and I hope he knew how much other people in my life have enjoyed the stories I’ve told about him. Whether it was the thousands of dollars passed around in “small” poker games at the deer camp, or the witty comments he would throw at us “youngsters” hanging at the house, there always seemed to be a story we’d take and tell our other friends.
There was and shall be only one Houston Thrasher, and I will be drinking an Old Milwaukee this weekend in his honor. Thanks for the stories, Houston, because they and you will live on.
4 responses so far ↓
1 armchairoutfitter // Nov 6, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Colby, I could write for pages and I don’t know what more I could say. Look at the stories on this blog, from “Deer Camp Story #1,000,001″ to “Hell, I Wasn’t There: Part 1.” Houston’s boot prints are all over my writing and my young life. I was on the receiving end of more than one well-deserved reaming too, and I am a better man for it. Our thoughts and prayers are with Trevor, his family, and the extended family of deer camp and dove field disciples. This Old Milwaukee tastes saltier than I remember.
2 Theresa // Nov 7, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Michael, I am so sorry to read about Houston. I know that the loss you feel is great. Remembering all the wonderful times you had together and all the life lessons he taught you will help and will, I know, bring many smiles to your face. I’m sure that right now, he’s in a very special place, reading your comments on the Armchairoutfitter and smiling himself. I also feel sure that he’s thinking what a great guy you were and how much you meant to him. Remember, no one really leaves us as long as we keep their memories alive.
3 Charlie // Nov 9, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Houston was my friend as well and I share many of the same thoughts that you have expressed so well in this article. He taught me a great deal about politics, character and sticking to a project through to the end. I loved his quiet humor and his ability to reason to arrive at a solution. I have brought many a laugh by relating a Houston story and sharing my appreciation for him.
4 armchairoutfitter // Nov 9, 2011 at 11:01 pm
It’s hard to believe we are starting another hunting season without the Hunt Master. I’m gearing up for a Kansas trip inspired in no small measure by all the Colorado stories we young bucks heard at the Antioch deer camp. I have to remember to tell my stories to my nephew and his buddies so they will understand why our time in the outdoors and the people with whom we spend it are so precious.
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