September 03, 2020
By Layne Simpson
“A Christmas Story” is one of my favorite movies because it does a wonderful job of depicting small-town America as it was during my innocent youth. And just like Ralphie in the movie, at a very young age I began subtly pestering my parents for a special Christmas present. Mom never budged but Dad, possibly seeing an eventual hunting buddy in me, placed a Daisy Red Ryder carbine with my name on it beneath our tree. And what a terrific gift it proved to be.
During summers, the Red Ryder chalked up long strings of one-shot kills on huge grasshoppers that invaded our farm. Mockingbirds, robins and cardinals were off-limits, but chipmunks digging up the flower garden and...
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