Another Hunting Season has Come

It  is another cold, clear morning In Central AL. It is 34 F, with minimal wind. I just had a spike buck and a small 6-point walk about 10 yards in front of me at about 0730. The bigger buck paused briefly to browse on some honeysuckle. I know some readers might be opposed to hunting, and I understand. But you won’t find anyone with a greater love for the outdoors and a stronger desire to preserve it than a bona fide hunter. I sit here in the cold with a big grin. The woods are at the height of color as I sit here on 25 Nov. This is my third season to hunt this area and I a finally feeling a bit familiar with it. Last year Andrew and I took 4 deer out of here with 3 of the bucks. I wrote about the last one, a trophy indeed.

            This is my 7^th time to hunt this season. I have hunted more than any of the 10 members of the group, though EM has been to the property and signed in a couple more times than I. One of the best things about this club is the lack of competition for desirable hunting locations. I have rarely seen another hunter who wasn’t hunting with me. The lease is quite large, so we could handle our full complement of hunters if necessary.

            I have done more WORK whilst hunting here than anywhere. The first year I revised a textbook. Last year I was writing, editing and rewriting the book that came out this past August. This year I have edited a dissertation in part, and a paper for a former Ph.D. student. Now the semester is almost done, so perhaps most of the work is behind me. I love my little laptop which makes this practical. It is a bit hard to type in the cold, but I take breaks.

            Now the sun is melting the frost of the leaves on the bushes and weeds around me. It is a bit after 0800, and the sun evaporates the frost, which then re-cools to form little droplets in the air, creating a fog that makes the weeds look like they are smoking.  This goes on for an hour as different parts of the woods become sunlit.  Neat to see! Now a young Carolina wren flits about only 7 or 8 feet to my left. I saw a larger relative the last time I was in this stand. These are my neighbors and friends. The sun will slowly warm up the earth around me. It is a rhythm that has played out millions of times and will probably repeat a few more times before G^D brings all this to an end.

            And, what a Blessing that I get to enjoy it one more time.  Thank you, L,^rd!