Ernest's Taxidermy & Gifts

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Saturday afternoon I was upstairs attempting to cut down on some clutter. I hadn’t been up there in quite a while. Too busy. Anyway, I found this travel blog from this past summer. And you will never guess where it was. It had slipped between the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe and was resting on the temporal lobe. Imagine that. Just when you thought it was safe to check your email.
It was July 20th. We were staying at Kamp Komfort and decided to drive into Monte Vista. Gave us an excuse to eat at Nino’s. Darn good Mexican food. After visiting the few antique shops in town we headed back toward South Fork. Just west of Monte Vista there is a Taxidermy shop. I had my first big rainbow mounted there back in the summer of ‘82. The summer of ’82 was the summer that the Go-Go’s had a hit album and hit single of the same name. Yes, it’s contest time again. Be the first to name the Go-Go’s hit album and single from the summer of ’82 and win……… something. If you need a hint, go back to the Kamp Komfort Blog and read the comment entitled “I’m an Idiot”. That should give you a subtle clue.
Anyway, back to the blog. I decided to stop in and see if old Ernie Wilkerson was still above ground. Upon entering the building I was greeted by a woman who appeared to be in her 80’s. I asked if Ernest Wilkerson was in. She said that he was working in the shop. She called to him and he invited me to join him in his shop. He was working on a rainbow mount. I explained that he had mounted a fish for me back in the early ’80s. He asked if I still had the fish and I told him I did. He seemed pleased with that news. He told me that he authored a book recently entitled “Colorado Outdoor Living…. 80 Plus Years”. I bought a copy. He signed it for me. He said something about “enjoying our outdoor friends”. Seemed a bit ironic, but who am I to judge. I eat meat; I wear leather shoes, boots, and belts. So I guess I do enjoy our outdoor friends. That day was Ernie’s birthday. We talked a while, bought a few items from the wife, paid our bill and went on our way.
I have finished the book I purchased that day. A very interesting life to be sure. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who may want to read the book. I will say that he was raised on a farm and found the work very hard. One day a neighbor paid him to “take care of” some four legged furred creatures that were causing problems. If I remember correctly, it had to do with a farm irrigation system and muskrats. He found that he got paid twice. Once for “dispatching” the varmint, on once more when he sold the hide. He became a Government Trapper and spent many summers protecting the sheep that graze on U.S.Forest land. He “dispatched” the last Grizzly bear in the state of Colorado. He kept and tamed orphaned mountain lions, coyotes, badgers, etc. and did considerable business with Disney and Hollywood in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. So if you want to know more, read the book. Or don’t. I have work to do. I’m going back upstairs to finish the job I started.

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Comments

[Denise]

Contest Winner?
"Vacation" and "Vacation" - not to be confused with National Lampoons Vacation. I hope I am the first. I want a really good prize.

[Little T]

Fish
If times get hard, you could always take that fish off of the wall and cook it up. P. S. -- The Go-Go's are now called The Went-Went's.