It drizzled most of the day and was quite dreary.

Went to Plymouth for lunch with the bank people. Two of our ladies are on a bus tour of Branson but there were five of us still there. So we had a nice lunch and visit. Then I stopped at Walmart and got some Christmas presents and some MSM Glucosomine. That stuff sure has helped relieve my arthritis pains. As rainy as it has been, I have had very little discomfort. I am trying to get Bret to go to get some. He has developed pains in his joints and I know it would help him too.

Tomorrow is the big opening day of Deer Hunting Season. I am all set. The clothes are laid out and I checked my gun and ammo. I still have to get up at 3:30 AM to be ready on time. No shower, I don't want those deer to smell me, if possible. But I have to get dressed, have some coffee and pack a lunch and the car. Wish me luck and pray that it is a safe hunt.

I hope it will be my year. I have gotten a couple of shots off but never bagged one.

I love the dawn out there. It is usually very dark, then shapes start to form out of the dark. Soon a person hears sounds of birds and rustling of little animals in the leaves. Then I usually hear a farm dog start to bark and soon there is a flurry of shooting in the first half hour of the day.

It is so peaceful. It will be warm enough tomorrow. I just hope the showers stay away.

I found out that a St. Hubert is the patron saint of huntsmen. Apparantly while hunting, he saw a cross in the antlers of a stag he was chasing and it made him change his worldly ways and eventually he became a bishop and all that stuff. His feast day is November 3rd so we are in the right month. I took a poetry class from Susan Firer. She writes a lot about the saints and their extremes and does write of Hubert briefly. Here is the segment. I hope she doesn't mind my sharing.

A BOARDING HOUSE OF SAINTS

St. Hubert, patron saint of hunters &trapers,
peppery, sacerdotal Hugh of Lincoln (emblem the swan).
Michael patron saint of grocers,
Martin De Porres patron saint of hairdressers,
Teresa of Avila patron saint of hedache sufferers.

And she goes on to list tons of other saints and what they are the patrons of. We have one for almost everything.

Next week Tuesday, our Plymouth soldier, Cpl. Brian Prening, will be buried. I ran into Jim and Alice Wilsing at Walmart today. Jim is playing his bagpipes at the funeral. A fitting tribute for a brave young man. I pray for his young wife and children, one yet unborn. Please keep them in your heart too.

Love

Mary