Grandpa Walton and my dad could have been brothers

[clb458]

In almost every episode of The Waltonsthat my husband and I watch, one of us comments on how Granpa Walton reminds us of my Dad. Watching "The Search" tonight and all the lessons Jim-Bob took away from Grandpa that helped them while they were lost, reminded me so much of the man I was so blessed to have as a father.

Daddy was born in 1914 in the Arkansas Ozarks and spent the first 20 years of his life there and thereafter returned with his five girls every chance he got.

I have so many memories of walking those old Ozark mountains with Daddy. Every step we made, he was teaching us. Nature's wisdom, her beauty, her cruelty, her nurturing ways and unfailing bounty. At an early age, I learned that Pokeberry, for all her goodlooks was poisoness if eaten. But he also taught us how to make ink from her rich purple juice and my sisters and I spent happy hours pounding, and squsihing Pokeberries to write secret messages to each other.

Daddy knew every plant, tree, animal, and rock in those mountains.
He taught us how to make drinking cups from large non-poinsoness leaves to sccop up the icy cold waters of Sylamore Creek as we hiked along her banks. He taught us how to read the various kinds of "skat" we would see on trails, the differnet nuts that the trees yielded, the plants we could eat if we were ever lost. He threw in lots of lessons on survival. If you are lost and near a creek, follow it downstream. If there is no creek. find a sheltered spot, stop and wait for help.

Daddy's been gone for 8 years now, but everynight Granpa Walton gives me a glimpse back into my childhood following another white-haired, thickly- mustached lover of God's creation as he throws out bits of wisdom to any young one willing to listen.

[Marilyn]

Grandpa Walton and my Grandpa Baker could have been brothers! Grandpa Baker wore the exact same clothing, had the same body type and laughed the same, plus was a farmer! I miss my Grandpa Baker.....

[ncwaltonsfan]

My Dad loved nature and the outdoors. He loved birds,trees,and flowers. Like Grandpa Walton,my Dad was very friendly and never met a stranger. He was very outgoing and loved life,just like Grandpa Walton. My Dad passed away last July but I will always cherish the memories I have of him.

[markb]

This is reall a beautiful post, clb. Well done. I wish everyone could be that lucky and have a grandfather like that. One great comment somebody made on the reunion show Sunday was that people loved the show because it reminded them of their family, or they wished they had had that family. I thought it was a brilliant summary of why so many of us liked the show.

[coalminerswife85]

Grandpa Walton reminds me so very much of my Papaw Jack. Papaw Jack always wore his bibed overalls, and would sit on the porch any chance that he got to whittle. He was always there with a hug or a story to make you feel better about what ever was going on in your life.

Papaw Jack was also like Grandpa Walton in the fact that he loved the women, there was never a woman to walk by that he didn't have to chit chat with and possably even flirt.

[bullgator]

Will Geer's love of nature is well known and it certainly added to his character traits as Grandpa Walton. I wonder if David Harper and the other child actors in the series learned from Will's love of nature, or did it just pass over them as just part of acting out the script.