I am visiting my parents, deep in the farm country of eastern Ontario. It's the 70th anniversary of our church. A few extra people are in town to celebrate. 

After church, at coffee, we were sharing stories of old members. WJ reminded us of NV.

NV was a simple farmer. "He talked like a lawyer but dressed like Tom Sawyer" I had to google that line. It sounds too pithy to be original, but it perhaps it is. 

NV lived in a house without power. Or water. He would take his baths outside. Mostly so he didn't have to clean inside. 

Even in the bath, he would keep a gun by his side. You never know when you will need a gun. 

For an alarm, NV had two loud and angry geese named Pontious and Pilot. 

NV didn't like the neighbor's dog. When Pontious or Pilot warned him of the dog's approach, he would scare the dog off by shooting at it. 

One day a bullet hit the dog's snout!  The dog was otherwise fine. 

The next winter, when the dog was running through NV's yard, NV could see the dog's breath. But he could also see some of the breath going up! Through the bullet hole!

The table had a good laugh when we heard that story. Now, when I write it down, I feel something more. Perhaps concern. Perhaps disconnection. 

The elder people here live very simple,  independent, self-reliant lives. They love that. It's very different than how I live. Sometimes it's difficult for me to relate. Around here, they believe they need guns. 

Now if I took pot shots at the neighbor's dog...