Opening day and I have a tale for you which will be accompanied by a picture.

To start with, I overslept. I THOUGH that I had set the alarm clock for 4:45AM. But I goofed somehow and woke up at 5:09AM. I jumped out of bed like a shot and ran around like crazy. Fortunately, I had put almost everything that was not going on my body into the car last night. BUT I had to get dressed, feed and medicine the animals, take Chelsea out and gather the last things on my list.

I was out of the house by 5:20AM. I can't believe it either. Dick felt bad. He was not looking at the clock at all- he knew that I had "set" the alarm and wasn't even thinking about it and he was up too.

I got out the the site JUST on time. Everybody was ready and we all walked in together after our last minute instructions from Jeff. He always gives the pep talk. Have fun and be safe are the main instructions.

Jeff took me to the new site which is as I said, much closer to the road and close to his stand. I got all settled in, loaded my gun and waited for dawn. It was beautiful out there today. I watched a special star that was peeking down through the tree branches fade as day came in. It was a long wait. I always bread up the wait by saying my rosary, snacking, singing songs in my head and working on the bones of a poem. I can do those things while watching for deer.

Then shortly after 10, I heard rustling going on over to my right. I shifted my body slightly and brought my gun up to be ready to site it in. Then over the hill broke a gorgeous buck. He was big and had a perfect rack. As Dick and I would say - Bambi's Dad. I shouldered quickly and took my first shot. I missed. He shot down the hill in front of me. I chambered another shell and fired again. I missed. I chambered and got one more shot off before I no longer had a clean shot. And MISSED again.

A few minutes later I heard a shot from that direction and a few minutes more another one. So I was praying that someone in our party had brought it down. A few minutes later, I saw Jeff (orange is hard to miss) off that way. He called me on the cell and he had indeed got it. He is calling it our deer because if I had not shot, it would not have gone that way and set up for him. I got to see the gutting process for the first time and I brought the liver and heart home with me to clean. I will divide the liver, which is huge, up for Cory, Randy, Shane, Mother and me and I get to keep the heart.

Then I headed out to the car. It was about noon. I got in the car and tried to drive out. I had pulled off the road onto a kind of soft shoulder that had been built up with gravel. I got stuck. So after trying to call Jeff, who had his phone on vibrate and I guess I didn't vibrate hard enough, I walked back to his stand. Randy was there too and came out with me to drive the car out. He had little trouble. Brothers are sure wonderful creatures. And so handy to have around.

So. I was home at about 12:30. I showered, ate and napped for an hour and a half. I fixed a pizza for our supper and when the guys got to Mothers to hang the deer I drove on over for pictures. I will put them on tonight for you to see. Lee got a nice doe and Jason and his party have three deer. So - at this point we will be butchering 5 on Friday.

That is all for tonight. I have to change Dick's bandages and then get to bed. Tired city at this house.

God Love You

Mary