Lunch with Stuart Taylor

21 April 2016, 16:16

I had a very enjoyable supper and drinks with Stuart Taylor last Sunday evening at the Deck in Bulawayo. As some of you may know, he is back hunting after taking the Zim P.H. shooting test (and passing it higher than he did as an apprentice!).

Stuart does still have some limited range of motion in his left arm (mainly raising it above his head), but considering all the damage done, he is doing remarkably well. There is pain (but he's a tough bastard) and significant loss of feeling, but with a tee shirt and shorts on, just having supper, you'd not know that he had been wounded.

I'd have absolute confidence in him as my P.H. and will certainly consider using him if my brother, Lou Hallamore, isn't available for whatever reason.

I asked him if I might report this good news and he agreed.

He certainly didn't seem bitter about his fate, and even though he had an opportunity to vent if he wanted to about some, perhaps understandable perceptions as to money donated and attorney's fees, etc., he was the perfect gentleman and, in my humble opinion, just wanted to make the best of his unfortunate situation and take clients hunting. He's not mad at anyone and hopes that no one is angry at him.

Again, I'm sitting there at the picnic table feeling the burn from a few recently broken ribs and wincing when I was lifting a glass of drink... but I did drink...

... and that rock-hard fellow never flinched a time during the two hours we were together when you know he has to hurt.

I think we can all rejoice in his continuing recovery.

21 April 2016, 17:43

bwanamrm

Good to hear. Thanks for the update Judge. Hope you have a great safari!

On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch...
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
- Rudyard Kipling

Life grows grim without senseless indulgence.

21 April 2016, 17:50

fairgame

My best to Stuart and hope he continues to recover.

21 April 2016, 17:52

dogcat

Earnest,
Can you re-fresh us as to what happened to Stuart and to yourself? Did your .404 kick too hard and rattled a few ribs?

21 April 2016, 18:39

JudgeG

quote:
Originally posted by dogcat:
Earnest,
Can you re-fresh us as to what happened to Stuart and to yourself? Did your .404 kick too hard and rattled a few ribs?

No need to rehash everything, in my humble opinion, but succinctly, Stuart, a Zim P.H. while hunting in Mozambique, was accidentally shot in the left shoulder with a .458 Win Mag during the maelstrom of an unexpected buffalo charge.

As for me, on April 6th, after partaking too much butternut squash soup at the Victoria Falls Hotel, in the dark, I tripped on a loose cobblestone in front of the Kingdom Hotel when returning to the Ilala Hotel. At the conclusion of a double twisting, one-and-one-half summersault, I planted my right ribcage on the curb. Damn that hurt, and still does.

The guards at the Kingdom gave me a 9.9, a 9.9 and a 10.0. Not bad for an old fart.

21 April 2016, 18:52

dogcat

THanks for the update.

Was it the Russian judge that deducted a tenth of a point for your landing?

21 April 2016, 19:05

JudgeG

North Koreans. They didn't like the fact that I found anything to eat... and unlike Dennis Rodman, I have no tattoos.

21 April 2016, 19:16

dogcat

Got it. I guess I won't be going to North Korea now... Rats!!

I wanted a new haircut like the guy that runs that runs that place....

21 April 2016, 19:39

PSmith

Judge, thanks very much for the update on Stu Taylor. Sorry about the ribs, I know from experience that it hurts for a good long time.

Paul Smith
SCI Life Member
NRA Life Member
DSC Member
Life Member of the "I Can't Wait to Get Back to Africa" Club
DRSS
I had the privilege to fire E. Hemingway's WR .577NE, E. Keith's WR .470NE, & F. Jamieson's WJJ .500 Jeffery
I strongly recommend avoidance of "The Zambezi Safari & Travel Co., Ltd." and "Pisces Sportfishing-Cabo San Lucas"

"A failed policy of national defense is its own punishment" Otto von Bismarck

21 April 2016, 19:55

MJines

Good to hear. We could all learn a lesson in persistence and attitude from folks like Stu Taylor and Ant Howland.

21 April 2016, 20:16

Fjold

quote:
Originally posted by JudgeG:
quote:
Originally posted by dogcat:
Earnest,
Can you re-fresh us as to what happened to Stuart and to yourself? Did your .404 kick too hard and rattled a few ribs?

No need to rehash everything, in my humble opinion, but succinctly, Stuart, a Zim P.H. while hunting in Mozambique, was accidentally shot in the left shoulder with a .458 Win Mag during the maelstrom of an unexpected buffalo charge.

As for me, on April 6th, after partaking too much butternut squash soup at the Victoria Falls Hotel, in the dark, I tripped on a loose cobblestone in front of the Kingdom Hotel when returning to the Ilala Hotel. At the conclusion of a double twisting, one-and-one-half summersault, I planted my right ribcage on the curb. Damn that hurt, and still does.

The guards at the Kingdom gave me a 9.9, a 9.9 and a 10.0. Not bad for an old fart.

Ah, The "Butternut Squash Soup". In my younger days, I occasionally over indulged in that myself.

Get well and thanks for the update on Stu.

21 April 2016, 20:40

D. Nelson

Great to hear you are both doing well! Attitude is everything!

Best regards, D. Nelson

21 April 2016, 20:55

fairgame

quote:
Originally posted by PSmith:
Judge, thanks very much for the update on Stu Taylor. Sorry about the ribs, I know from experience that it hurts for a good long time.

Second that and I must be softer than the Judge as I was in hospital for three weeks.

21 April 2016, 21:18

JudgeG

quote:
Originally posted by PSmith:
Judge, thanks very much for the update on Stu Taylor. Sorry about the ribs, I know from experience that it hurts for a good long time.

I've discovered that the ribs don't hurt much if you don't breathe.

21 April 2016, 21:45

fairgame

quote:
Originally posted by JudgeG:
quote:
Originally posted by PSmith:
Judge, thanks very much for the update on Stu Taylor. Sorry about the ribs, I know from experience that it hurts for a good long time.

I've discovered that the ribs don't hurt much if you don't breath.

For cardiac arrest try sneezing.

21 April 2016, 22:13

Use Enough Gun

Great update Judge!

May the Lord bless both you and Stu!

22 April 2016, 18:04

jeff h

quote:
Originally posted by D. Nelson:
Great to hear you are both doing well! Attitude is everything!

Best regards, D. Nelson

100% correct on both...

22 April 2016, 18:51

TWall

quote:
Originally posted by JudgeG:I've discovered that the ribs don't hurt much if you don't breathe.

I hope this happened at the end of your trip??!!

Also, try to only breath on the left side.

Tom

22 April 2016, 21:42

ledvm

quote:
Originally posted by JudgeG:
I had a very enjoyable supper and drinks with Stuart Taylor last Sunday evening at the Deck in Bulawayo. As some of you may know, he is back hunting after taking the Zim P.H. shooting test (and passing it higher than he did as an apprentice!).

Stuart does still have some limited range of motion in his left arm (mainly raising it above his head), but considering all the damage done, he is doing remarkably well. There is pain (but he's a tough bastard) and significant loss of feeling, but with a tee shirt and shorts on, just having supper, you'd not know that he had been wounded.

I'd have absolute confidence in him as my P.H. and will certainly consider using him if my brother, Lou Hallamore, isn't available for whatever reason.

I asked him if I might report this good news and he agreed.

He certainly didn't seem bitter about his fate, and even though he had an opportunity to vent if he wanted to about some, perhaps understandable perceptions as to money donated and attorney's fees, etc., he was the perfect gentleman and, in my humble opinion, just wanted to make the best of his unfortunate situation and take clients hunting. He's not mad at anyone and hopes that no one is angry at him.

Again, I'm sitting there at the picnic table feeling the burn from a few recently broken ribs and wincing when I was lifting a glass of drink... but I did drink... ... and that rock-hard fellow never flinched a time during the two hours we were together when you know he has to hurt.

I think we can all rejoice in his continuing recovery.

I saw Stu at Paul Bennies office about this time last year in Bulawayo.

He said then he was getting back into the swing of things! Good to hear it is working out for him.

Stu exemplifies the "can do" "make a plan" spirit of most old school Rhodesians!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
J. Lane Easter, DVM

A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House

No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991.