Connecting with old friends

Saw something last night that made me think of an old friend who I hadn't been in contact with in well over
20 years. We were both stationed at Moody AFB in Valdosta, GA for our first duty station, arriving about 2 weeks apart. We worked together on weapons load crew for F-4Es, and spent a lot of off-duty time working on cars, chasing girls, drinking, fighting, general good ol' "guy stuff". He was a great friend, even if he was from Ohio! In the short 18 months or so we worked and played together, we built up a lot of "war stories". He hooked up with a local girl and stayed there in SW GA when he got out of the USAF. So I looked them up on Facebook, found where she had an account, that they're still married, so I contacted her and she sent me his number. He had gone back into the Air Force Reserves and is doing his monthly drill this weekend up at Robins AFB.

I called him this morning and we talked for about a half hour. Found out they still live up in SW GA (near Pelham), on about a 65 acre farm with a pecan grove, and he also has about 85 acres his wife's grandmother gave them when she died. He said he has deer all over, even has a few stands set up but nobody's hunted them in a couple of years! Also mentioned a stretch of woods that are full of hogs, and I think he said he hunts turkeys on the property sometimes. They never had any kids, so he spends most of his free time racing motorcycles and going on trips with his wife. They've invited me up for a visit, so I'm gonna try my best to get up there some time before Thanksgiving. Will be great to see them and catch up a bit, and I'll dang sure be taking my hunting stuff!