The Prima Shear place was not far from Lost Creek, a fairly good sized body of water that snaked across Walker county, joined up with other streams and ended up in the Gulf of Mexico. Sometimes it was fifty foot across and other times it would be twice that amount.

Plenty of water all year round and lots of cover, the creek banks and surrounding land was a haven for wild animals, fish and snakes. The stream was a natural barrier. Being such meant that it was used as part of some farmers fence to restrain his live stock. I mention this because the ever day presence of the animals kept the land open and easy to move around in. The meaning of a "Cow path" was easily understood when viewing the property along the creek bank. It was in these area's that me and Lowell along with the Wideman Boys spent our time. I think there was about four miles of creek bank that we played on. Learned to dip, chew and smoke while running them creek banks. I'd like to say we caught all kinds of big fish but we didn't. Lots of Brimm, Suckers and maybe a Cat fish now and then but never anything big. That aint saying the big one weren't there. Dawned if Louie Tittle and his boy Quinton didn't take some nice fish out of the creek so I know the fish was there. Grace Atkins would hook a good one now and then. It was fun just watch her reaction. I hate to admit it but it was funny watching Grace fight that fish with just her one arm while trying to keep her balance on the steep creek bank. Grace refused to let that missing right arm cause her much grief. She was a fine old girl.

Our hunting adventures on Lost Creek were  more successful than our fishing attempts mainly because Ed and Tom was the best dog gone sling shot marksmen I ever met. My cousin Charles ranked right along beside them. Contrary to popular belief Kids our age weren't allowed to indiscriminately use firearms as a rule so we learned how to use a sling shot. If you was really lucky you'd have a Daisy BB gun. The little Red Ryder model was the standard. If you was lucky and rich you had a Daisy pump type gun which cost about nine dollars versus the four dollars for the Red Ryder. I got to admit that the sling shot with a good smooth piece of "Flint rock" was "hands down" better than the BB gun. Aw but the Red Ryder had "eye appeal" and made a feller feel the part great hunter and explorer. However, a well made sling shot with the much sought after "Red Rubber" was a prized article not to be easily dismissed.

Somewhere during that summer we all changed. Maybe it was part of growing up. Tom was the first to voice his opinion. He made enough sense to convince me and the rest of us. The idea that we just killed or wounded small animals and birds for no reason was wrong. We vowed to not kill anymore of the wildlife. I thought it was a good thing to stop so I did. We had killed Rabbits, birds, Squirrels and about everything else including two snakes.

As I said we run that creek bank from the big bridge by my uncle Jim's house all the way back up to the Hokum property. I liked this area because there was a lot of "White Water" at that point due to streams emptying into the creek. This was also the "Head Waters" where Cheatom Creek broke out on its on. Me and uncle Bucks boys spent lots of time on this little stream. Cheatom Creek eventually made its way several miles cross country and ended up flowing back into Lost Creek.

At the point where the two streams rejoined it formed a large body of water. What we all called the "mouth" of the creeks. It was "Swampy" and snake infested. It also was the site of one of those special places that you don't tell about. The finest "Cain Break " I ever saw and so full of snakes that you couldn't walk with kicking one up. My cousin Charles and a little Rat Terrier named "Devil" would just wade into the Cain and start cutting out the ones he wanted. He knew the rest of us couldn't come in there so he'd throw the Cains out to us. We'd take twenty or thirty out of there and head back to the house.

The green Cains were about fifteen feet long. They needed to be dried and cured before you could fish with them. Charles devised a way to hang the Cains from a high tree limb and tie a heavy weight on the free end. He'd then pull the bunch of ten Cains up into the tree until the weighted end was off the ground. The Cains were left there to dry. The process took several weeks but the result was a good strong light weight fishing pole. Life was good!!