House Cleaning

I promised these pictures for a while. I was finally able to get them this weekend. I attended a men's retreat this weekend. We talked about being manly men. What is more manly than holding a dead animal by the head? You can tell they are dead because they have "X's" over their eyes.





You can see that Dad is manly also.

I had a great weekend. I will write about it later. Right now I am tired, and I'm going to bed.

Hunting

I shot a 10 point buck last weekend. Actually that is why there has been a delay in posting. I was hoping to get a picture posted of him, but that will have to wait. All in all it was a good hunting season. We saw several bucks that were bigger than they were in years past. That area has seen a lot of rainfall, and you notice the benefit it has had on these animals. My brother-in-law shot an eleven, and my father-in-law shot a huge ten. It was actually the deer I wanted, but I really shouldn't complain. He is generous enough to let me hunt for basically nothing. He can shoot what he wants, but I had to give him a hard time about it.

I really enjoy hunting, at least I think I enjoy it. It is nice to spend some time outside in the middle of nowhere. (You can't believe the amount of stars that you can see at night) It is interesting to watch the deer interact with each other. I like the rush of adrenaline when you see a big buck, and the anxious moments waiting until you will have a shot. Even the disappointment when it doesn't work out. We have cameras set up at the feeders, and I love seeing what happens when I am not there. You learn to identify different animals, and it helps you decide which animal to take. The only part I have a problem with is the actual shooting of the deer. So does that make me any less of a hunter? I can't figure out what I am feeling from the time I pull the trigger to the time I collect the deer. I guess it is the fact that I am taking a life. I just can't put a finger on it. Maybe I will figure it out someday.

I will continue to go every year, if no other reason than to spend time with Dad (that what the grandkids call him). I married the oldest of his three daughters. Jenn says that he likes spending time with me because he always wanted a boy. Whatever the case, we have a good time and now my oldest has been going with us. In the mean time, I will wait 10 months for my new trophy to be hung on the wall.