Back from the South.

Today we returned from my parents house and I am glad to be home. The trip home was very rainy and hazardous at times but we managed to make it home without incident. We did see a truck that must have hydroplaned and was in the ditch facing the wrong direction in the South bound side. We got to spend some time with my parents and we got to ride the extended safari trail back up into the woods. It was fun and I was amazed that the golf cart would negotiate the hills and water crossings. We went to my Grandma's house and enjoyed pizza and I got to see my Aunt Rs new puppy named Lil Bit. It is a chihuahua and terrier mix very cute and gave her kitty's a rough way to go. This week we will be back to life as usual until Wednesday and then it will be 2nd deer season. I hope to end the season early and enjoy a couple days to relax. I have been able to sleep late for a couple week. I need a couple of days to get back into my old sleep schedule. Looks like the weather over the next week or so will be good for sleeping and not much else.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner....RUN!

In just a couple of days it will be Thanksgiving and Needles and I will be down at the homestead. We are leaving tomorrow night so that Needles can be down there to help with the preparation of the feast. I am going to try to restrain myself and not eat so much this year but I seem to say that every year and by the time it is over I am in full triptophan coma with a side of belly ache. We will have to return because I have to work Friday but that evening we are going South to the promise land and spending the weekend with my parents. Hope everyone has a great Turkey Day.

I am back from my hunting trip and I would have to say that it was a successful one but frustrating. We arrived at Needles Mom's house Thursday and stayed the night and I headed out to the tree stand Friday morning. I sat it the stand for 3 hours that morning and saw nothing. Not even a deer far off in the distance. Frustrated yet anxious to get back in the stand for the evening hunt I left for the stand early and sat another 5 hours and again saw nothing. Very frustrated and perturbed that the recent irrigation work around my hunting area the week before by the farmer that leases the land may have just screwed my whole hunting season I returned to the house to warm food and a nap. Saturday morning started the day anew. I was in my stand for almost 2 hours when the first deer of the season walked within range. It was a young doe and I heard something coming up behind her. I let her walk and waited on what else was coming into range. I could see it was a small buck but not sure since he was behind some brush. I shot and upon investigating my harvest it was a nice young 6 point buck. He will be good for the table. I commenced with what needed to be done and returned to the house excited at my success. Needles and I took the deer to the processing place, made decisions on how we wanted the meat prepared and returned home. I took several pictures of me and my kill and I even did a short video of me standing over my deer in the field and told how the hunt went down like on those big time hunting shows. I looked at the pictures that were taken and enjoyed flipping through them until I accidentally hit the format button and erased them all. I have no pictures of my deer. The only saving grace might possibly be Needles uncle K which took a couple of pictures which I hope turn out. So you see it was a successful hunt but a frustrating one. We will see what 2ND season has in store for me.

It's almost here.

Tomorrow is my last day of work this week. Needles and I will be heading to her old homestead for the first deer season. I have yet to pack any clothes but everything for hunting is ready to go. I am going to be worthless at work tomorrow. My mind is already in the woods and in a short while my body will follow. I probably won't sleep a wink tonight. It's like I am a little kid and tomorrow I am going to Disney World.

With the way this week has gone and some of the frustrations at my work, my co worker says I need to go and kill something. Nah It's not that. It's just setting in a tree stand and feeling the stress of life drift out of your body every minute you spend in the woods does a body and mind good.

I am ready.

This is the pattern I am shooting. 4 shots at various yardage all within a space about the size of a saucer. The first shot was without adjustment from last year at 30yards and I shot 2 3/4" shells. This year I am shooting 3". The yellow center dot is roughly an inch. If the deer walk within 75 yards of me, they are game. Can't wait til Friday.

It won't be long now...

Before to long I will be too anxious and not sleeping the night before the big day. I will be walking into the darkness, and feeling the bite of cold on my face. My breath will be like white puffs as I exhale in my hike. I will walk for what seem like forever to get to my stand. I will walk as quiet and deliberate as I can until I get there. I will then settle in and lean back again the tree and stare out into the blackness. Slowly the pitch black will give way to dull gray shapes and distant birdsong . Within a few minutes colors will start to come into focus and the foreign shapes reveal a more recognizable view. The frost of the morning will be clearly seen on tree limbs and leaves, birds in full song interrupted by the far off report of others on the hunt. If I am lucky a squirrel might stir from its den. He will scramble down a tree and across the leaf litter on the ground making as much noise as a elephant in the early morning stillness. I will fight off the last cold shiver as the sun shows it's crown over the tree lined horizon. It starts to melt off the frost and give the woods and everything in it a pinkish hue. Before long my stomach will start to day dream of breakfast while all along my fingers will twitch to be wrapped around a hot cup of coffee and my toes to seek a warm heater. Even if the hunt isn't successful there is nothing like watching nature come alive in the early morning. I can't wait.

Do Nuthin Weekend.

This weekend was a Do Nuthin weekend, but it is amazing that for a Do Nuthin weekend we have had stuff to do. Yesterday we HAD to rearrange all the Halloween stuff in the garage in order to get my Jeep inside. I have to say that I think we gained more room and things are more organized than they have been in the past. We also went to the big city to do some long needed grocery shopping. With all the goings on in the last couple of months we haven't been able to do the necessary evils of life, ie. grocery shopping, house cleaning, kitty pestering, sleeping, you know what I mean. I still have a couple of jobs to get done this weekend and have been procrastinating. I have to change the oil in Needles truck and mow the lawn. Two jobs although not difficult, but it seems to take a stick of dynamite to get me off the couch to do them. This morning we had a nice B'fast of cinnamon rolls and 89er's blend coffee. Tugger is laying in the floor with his eyes squoze shut and Copper in his own little world pouncing dust particles moving through the sunbeam streaming in the window. (He's not right.) This is a great DO Nuthin morning...