The boy, he grows.

[Treeman]

It has been an amazing trip this life I have had with my boy, remembering how he also wanted to open gates on the farm and having to help him lift it so he could push it open to his first "alone Dad, I wanna do it alone". Got a photo of him at his firstalone opening gate, like genuinely his first ever gate caught on for eternity.
I recall having to hold my hand over his one eye so he could aim to his first .22 shot at a water bottle.
100_2588 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

Just recently I was up above Cody on a hill and he was below me stalking a warthog, I watched in fascination as he did it all alone now, he took a shot and the pig ran in a semi circle from shot around Cody never really getting further from him. I watched him shoot and like we have spoken so many times before about him needing to practice, he shot and reloaded and shot the running pig down. Later he said, "I didnt even think about it dad"
Moments stored in my heart.

Saturday we fetched a meat Impala and the dog was used to track the Impala which actually should have been left 10 minutes, but it was disturbed and did a adrenalin sprint. The animal was found standing and as it turned to leave again I saw cody 50 - 60 m ahead of me(the lil shit now outruns me easy easy), he lifted rifle as he cocked it and shot the Impala at 74 m standing freehand.
If you zoom in on picture, I am at point of firing till he finds animal down and he is at animal.
 20241019_174913 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

Then I recall getting him to help drag the animals out the bush, I recall how much easier the drag got year by year as he grew and offered more and more effort to the drag. I recall how he started complaining that it was easier to just drag it himself rather than trip over each other. I recall the other day how he came out the bush with an Impala over his shoulders and then on Saturday this again. Click on to go to video.

20241019_175848 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

[Daneel Du Preez]

You have an awsome young man there.
There is a saying, goes something like you take him on a hunt and dont worry that he might slow you down. Suddenly he is taking you on a hunt and doesnt worry that you are slowing him down.