Took a rough phone call this morning. A friend called to tell me we have lost half of our beehives already this winter. I was absorbing this when he told me that another friend had passed away two nights ago. Ken was active in pretty near EVERY hunting, fishing, and outdoor conservation organization in the whole state. He served numerous terms on boards of directors for those organizations. He was always generous with his time and his money and his not inconsiderable influence when he felt the organization was headed in the right direction.
Five and a half years ago when Maggie and I announced we were starting the Black Hills Raptor Center with no budget, no resources, just hope, Ken walked up to me to shake my hand. In his hand was a healthy wad of large denomination bills. He looked me in the eye and said "Feed the birds, teach the kids. Do that and I will back you." We ran off that cash until we had a revenue stream started up. I always felt he was the third founder of this non-profit.
You would all have loved him, and he would have loved this crowd, as well. He instinctually got it, this whole "passing it along" idea. I have never liked bourbon particularly, especially the cheap stuff, but tonight I am raising a glass of Cabin Still to Ken.
