Monday

The boys and I returned home just in time to see the end of the Saint's football game. It wasn't fun. They got whipped pretty badly. One might say, almost as bad as I did. Pat and I found a great place to hunt in the woods. Buck sign was everywhere. We both knew we were each going to get one. Although we had a great time hunting together, we never saw a deer. Matthew and Christopher hunted together, in a different location. Matt had a doe walk under his stand. Chris had a yearling approach within twenty feet. Two hours later, six more came bounding by, all does. Combined, Matt and Chris saw eight deer. With the bucks only season in progress, we came home empty handed. The pressure is increasing to bring home the venison as I watch my stockpile of sausauge growing smaller in the freezer. I may be forced to put the boys on half-rations (fat chance of that happening!). David also went with us on the trip. He hunted one evening, said he had had enough. And added that since he couldn't shoot a doe and bring the venison home to eat, it was a waste of time. He finished by announcing, he was going to stay in the camper and sleep in, the following morning! He did, too. He ignored all of my pleading. Talk about someone with his priorities in order. In hindsight, I think he may have really had the right idea and outsmarted all of the rest of us. So here I am, back at work, no deer in the freezer, but I didn't come home entirely empty handed. I managed to bring home a nasty little cold. Another good memory was made with the boys, in God's great outdoors, I can't wait to get back. I really found a lot of big buck sign and I know Old Mossyhorns is standing in front of my climbing tree right now, snorting a little laugh and pawing the ground. Maybe next weekend . . .

Until then,

Make it count!