Decorative Hardware

 I had camped on this mountain before, but this time there would be a little surprise for me waiting at my campsite when I arrived there later that evening.  It was the first day of  hunting season today, and I was heading back to my spike camp after a long days hunt to cleanup, make dinner and try and get some rest in preparation for tomorrow hunt.  As I was nearing my makeshift home, I noticed that there was a flame in the fire pit right at my campsite.  That’s odd I thought thinking to myself, there’s no way a fire should be burning there by itself, when I unexpectedly heard the distinct sound of a mans voice speaking deeply the words “hello friend”

I almost jumped off my saddle.  Then the man told me again in that deep rugged voice of his “hope you don’t mind me resting a little, been a long day on the mountain.  He seemed quite friendly,  so we introduced ourselves to each other and I told him that he was more than welcome to make himself at home.  Never in my life did I ever see such a rugged old man, all decked out with furs and skins, and all kinds of mountain hardware that he managed to carry on his back, and which seemed to be his only possessions.  We became good friends, and in the morning shook hands and went our different ways.  On my way down, I kept on thinking about the old man and  how he had became a part of the mountain on which he lived.