Bayou Bill's Best Stories: (Most of Them True)

"Countless small and large outdoor joys are to be found in Bill's book, a capsuled lifetime of discovering delightful living and lore... " --Midwest Outdoors

"... what a truly marvelous story teller he is and how he seems to have covered every facet of the out-of-doors during more than a half century." --The Daily Clintonian

"... a book any Hoosier can sit by the fire and enjoy this winter." --Osgood Journal

"Bill Scifres, unlike a lot of us, never forgot how to have fun.... His niche in life is obviously to write about the outdoors, and we are the better for it." --Indianapolis Star

"Outlandish characters and a lifetime of misadventures touch on the timeless tradition of humorous tales and anecdotes. Scifres is one of many regional raconteurs widely enjoyed, who sustains the storytelling tradition." --Come-All-Ye

Readers of the Indianapolis Star have enjoyed Bill Scifres's column "Lines and Shots" for over 37 years. The premier outdoor writer in Indiana, Bill is also a born storyteller. This collection gathers some of his best accounts of a lifetime of adventure in the out-of-doors. From The Great Turtle Adventure to the discovery that Santa Claus was really a mink, Bill's message is the same: Nature is full of wonderment and pleasure and there is always something enjoyable to do outdoors, no matter the season. The good old days are alive and well in Indiana.

Like any good storyteller, Bill has a gift to see connections, drama, and adventure in experiences and observations which may at first seem commonplace. In his telling the ordinary pleasures of the outdoors, especially his apprentice days as a youth in and around Crothersville, become imbued with pleasure and meaning.

Preface

The Whys and Wherefores of Bayou Bill and Family

My Changing World

B-A-R-U-M-P-H! One Fine Father's Day Present

A Smorgasbord of Turtle Stories

Cooner

Never Trust a Cattail

Santa Was a Mink

Christmas Vacation

When Squirrels Cut Hickory: The Story in a Nutshell

The Currect Way to Hunt

The Making of A Bird Dog

My Dual-Purpose Retriever

Big Mitch and the Bullheads

Dabble Away the Day, or a Close Encounter with a Bass

Throwin' Naturals

The Dragon Wins His Share

Uncle Harold, Uncle Remus and Some Brookies

The Monroe Reservoir Bass Story

Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z

Some of My Best Friends Were People