EXCERCISE AND FUTILITY

      The truck being in the shop during deer season will get you in shape. As I said, this morning I hiked to the cemetery stand. And no they haven't plowed access roads to the graves or our stands. I sat it out until 9:30 and saw nothing. Then I got down from the stand and tried to quietly ease myself down the ridge and follow the road through the open woods. I saw plenty of turkey and coyote tracks but little sign of deer. They must be herded up in someplace I'm not hunting. Now that all the ag fields are either fenced off or lay fallow and unplanted there is no sure-fire food source to hunt in this frozen wasteland. Once back on the road I shouldered my gun and humped it to the Post Office. My nieces, nephews and siblings are card senders. Thanks for all the Xmas cards you guys! I'm bad. I never send any out. But you know that.  

    Every morning the alarm goes off at 5:30 am and I get back at it. We devoured that little doe's back strap over the holidays and we all need more. With the warm up the previously frozen solid snow is now a crust that noisily gives way with every step. People pay good money for a workout like this. But today will be a pleasant memory compared to what's ahead for tomorrow. That's when Bird and Savage come up for our traditional drives. It's just like it sounds. Drivers attempt to drive deer in front of the standers gun. It's just like the Royal family on The Crown. Only instead of pheasants frightened to the wing by the hired staff we will painfully trudge through the soft snow in hopes of killing just one more...... I better be in shape.

   This is the last chance, the stretch, the clock is ticking. Even though the season ends on Sunday, Saturday will be my last day. I have plans to get so fucked up New Year's Eve that a loaded gun is not on the menu for  Sunday morning. I'm so through with '22.