Gil, the little Lindner Daly lacked a buttplate, just raw wood but fortunately it hadn't been cut and the edges were still sharp. Kathy Yale made a beautiful leather pad for it. Then, the horn tip on the grip cap had come loose sometime in the past and had been crudely glued back on backwards. And there was small wood chips around it. David Yale was able to remove the horn cap, repair the chipped wood and replace the cap. It takes a magnifying glass to detect the repairs now. Worst of all were the bores. Some idiot had "honed" them to remove evidence of dents. Main problem was they had stopped the hone about 5" short of the muzzle and I had questions if the barrels could be restored. But Mike Orlen worked his magic and they are now perfect with properly shaped chokes. Wall thickness remains very good. I have no idea how he was able to do it but my hat is off to him. The only remaining repair is it's slightly off face but I have a shim in the hook that has made it a perfect fit. When the shim eventually pops loosed I think I'll have Ken Eversol make the permanent repair. Seems I always put more money into a gun than it'd bring but I just write that off to my fun account. To heck with it--I want it right. Overall, the gun is in incredibly high condition so I'm very pleased with it.

My foot? Well, I made it 70 years without breaking anything but did a number this time. Yesterday, x-rays showed a lateral break of the fibia in the ankle so I'm pretty well stove up for the winter. Foot is swollen like a rattlesnake bite and black 'n blue end to end. Got one of those boots on rather than a cast. Oh well, could'a been a lot worse. Doctor wasn't happy with me that I drove seven hours home with a broken foot (as though I had a choice).

When an old man dies a library burns to the ground. (Old African proverb)