Today many of us will be gathering around a table with family and friends to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. At our home, I’m going to be preparing a small feast for an intimate holiday gathering with my immediate family; my wife, Barb, our teenager, Abby, Mariah, who will be 12 in a couple months, and DJ, who will celebrate his 10th birthday on Sunday. So, we will have an extended weekend of celebrating. Barb is recovering from a knee replacement surgery so she gets to “commandeer” from her recliner. It was nice to sit around the table and each of us take a few moments to share a few things for which we are thankful. The turkey breast, honey ham, noodles, stuffing, corn, gravy, potatoes, cranberry jello and dinner rolls all turned out great. We all had our fill and the girls cleaned up after the meal; saving room for some dessert after our traditional Thanksgiving movie. {Christmas Vacation}
Its days like today that I enjoy being with my family, but I can’t help but think about all our extended family and friends as well. Being from a family of 10 kids, I’m used to being surrounded by lots of noise, lots of laughter, and what sometimes seems to be “mass chaos”. I have to say, sometimes it’s nice to have the more quiet event, but if I were going to be honest, I always miss being around family and friends. We seem to always have a swell time, regardless of the circumstances. Like many families, ours is not absent from adversity. My thoughts also go out today too many of our good friends. We’ve been blessed to have some of the best friends in the world. Some are close by and some not so close, but the great thing is that miles can not keep them out of our hearts and minds. The Johnson’s down in Florida are enjoying their first Thanksgiving there. The Noe’s are all gathered down at “The Camp” celebrating. Brad & Julie are sharing the day with their family and are also in our thoughts. The Paxton family is gathered at brother Ted and Jeans home and enjoying a great feast. The Shaw’s, the Eiland’s, the Ballard’s, the McCune’s, the Moore’s and so many more have touched our lives and made the journey all the better. Here’s wishing you all a safe, happy and joy filled Thanksgiving and a blessed December. That’s the view from my stand!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Dream
It’s been a while since I’ve posted to “The View from My Stand” and again, my apologies. Life has certainly been pretty crazy this fall. Hunting season seemed to sneak up on us and 2010 has blown by like an evening breeze on the lake. I’ve had some things on my mind of late that I’ve been trying to put into words and I’m going to attempt to do so in this posting. Many of these thoughts are being shared for the very first time. Tomorrow will mark two years since we received that phone call from my brother Jim; the phone call to tell me that our brother Mike had unexpectedly died. A phone call that peeled my heart back like the winter stripping of the deciduous trees, and a section cut out in the way a seasoned butcher butterfly cuts tenderloin. I didn’t want to believe it, in fact, in my mind I quickly began bargaining with God to make it not true. Obviously, to no avail. For several months after that day, I had a difficult time caring about a lot of things, mainly myself. I gained more weight than I’ve ever carried; I was less motivated to do much of anything then ever before; I wasn’t treating my wife and kids the way I should; I was extremely pissed at God. It seemed that a blanket of gray covered my life, bound and secured like a backwoodsman’s mummy sleeping bag. I found myself regretting and wishing so many different things.
1. I regret not calling Mike in the two weeks leading up to that day, for many reasons.
2. I regret that we didn’t get the chance to do some things that we had talked about.
3. I wished that it was other people that I knew taken from us rather than Mike.
4. I wished that it had been me rather than him.
I recognize that some of these thoughts are selfish and not exactly clear thinking, but sometimes trying to wrap your mind around “why things happen” rebels against your logical judgment. I’ve always had a belief/faith in God, but I have to tell you, we were doing some serious WWF cage matches during this time. With the help of a loving family, some incredibly good friends, time and a little different view on life, I’m glad to be sharing these thoughts with you today. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Mike and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We made years and years of memories that I get to share with my kids, his kids and anyone else who will listen. All of this brings me to the story that I want to share with you of this past weekend.
The last few years of Mike’s life he started getting into deer hunting. I like to think that I spurred that notion in him. We spent many seasons going pheasant and rabbit hunting; as well as lots of cold nights in the countryside on raccoon hunts. We didn’t get the opportunity to go deer hunting together and I wish that weren’t the case. If we had I know that Mike would love the property we are leasing down in Kentucky. Since September, I’ve had the opportunity to share some time with some pretty special people. My love for the outdoors is only surpassed by my love for my family and good friends. {Which I consider family} I’ve been spending some time at a 450 acre farm south of Louisville that we affectionately call “The Camp” with an old friend from when we lived in Illinois. My last post touched on our reconnecting. This past weekend was another memory maker. Along with the time spent cruising the property and in the woods hunting deer, it was great to get to see Brad’s children Rhiannon {28} and Brandon. {18} I hadn’t seen either of them since they were young, around 6-8 yrs old. It was as if the 10 to 20 years hadn’t taken place; great natured kids with a promising life. Without a doubt, Brad and Deb are very proud of them, me too. It was also good to see the matriarch of the family, Sarah Noe, Brad and Kent’s mother. I was introduced to a few people that I didn’t know, gathering as strangers and leaving as new-found friends. This being my third trip to the camp I thought it would be great to bring along a good friend from here in Ohio. So my pal, Matt Moore, joined me in the long weekend hunt at “The Camp”.
When we arrived a game plan was coming together on where everyone would be hunting and what was the likelihood of taking a nice deer come morning. A couple had been taken a few weeks before and many had been seen at different locations on the farm. On opening day we had 6 hunters in various locations on the farm with very high expectations. As it sometimes goes, the deer didn’t cooperate. We went from having 50 degree temps midweek, to having 70 degree Indian Summer days on Friday and Saturday. The deer just weren’t moving and only one was taken opening morning by Brandon. That afternoon we were all out in the woods until dark. A few deer were seen but no one took a shot. The evening was filled with lots of laughter and good times, to the point that my sides and head hurt from laughing too much. Maybe at another time I will tell you about the “Southern Baptist Hayride”…maybe I won’t.
Saturday night after I went to bed I had a crazy dream. My dream was that I was out hunting the farm and I shot three deer on Sunday morning. I told the guys at camp that I had that dream, but I didn’t tell them the entire dream. In my dream, I was hunting the farm with my brother Mike. We were having a great time enjoying the scenery of the rolling hills and tree lines. The deer came out and we harvested them. I’m not one to dream very often but this one was so vivid and clear it was as if it was really happening. We got up Sunday morning and went through our regular routines. Before heading to the woods I told the guys, “Today the deer are going down.” I went out and got settled into my stand and it wasn’t long before first light was upon us. The first deer was coming up out of the bottoms to the ridge I was hunting around 6:15 am straight across from the stand I was in. As I readied myself for the deer to top the ridge into the clearing I was thinking about the dream. Could it really happen? As soon as the deer cleared the ridge and started moving to my left it entered the shooting lane that I had chosen earlier. I grunted and the deer stopped in its tracks. I fired a round, hitting the deer right in the kill zone and it turned and traveled back into the woods about 75 yards. It was exactly 6:30 am. I usually wait about 15-20 minutes before getting down from the stand to track a deer. So right around 6:45 am I was thinking about getting down when out of the corner of my eye I caught some movement off to my right. About 115 yards on the other side of the clearing several deer were heading my way. As I looked them over I choose the biggest of the four and decided if they moved in I would take that one. As luck would have it they continued into the middle of the clearing on the ridge and again I grunted. The deer came to a complete stop and I sealed the deal. A round at about 70 yards dropped that deer in its tracks. I’ve only seen this happen a couple of times, but when I fired my gun the other three deer scattered off to the southwest. It wasn’t even a minute and they all returned and started milling around the deer that was down. It would have been easy to shoot another deer but the more I thought about it I decided two was enough. I know the “dream” didn’t get fulfilled, but really, who needs to harvest 3 deer in one day? I was very happy to get the opportunity to get the two. As I cleared my firearm, the deer milling around the fallen one decided that sticking around was a bad idea and with the closing of the bolt action, they bolted off into the woods.
Now the work starts; tracking, field dressing and retrieving the deer. Luckily we have multiple bodies and a couple of ATVs to make the job a little easier. The 2nd deer I could still see from the stand. The first one I had to do a little work to find it. I went to where I thought it entered back into the woods after I shot and there was evidence waiting for me. The unfortunate part, the property had been logged 5+ years ago and now it was thick, thick, thick with briars and brambles that made it tough for a deer to pass through. I started down the hillside following the trail left for me. 75 yards down the hill and I finally found the deer. After getting some help dragging it the rest of the way to the clearing and loaded up onto the side-by-side ATV,
I couldn’t help but think about the dream. I didn’t harvest 3 deer, but I did get two; one for me and one for Mike. I was extremely pleased, not just because I got to shoot a deer, but because it was almost as if Sunday morning was a continuation of Saturday nights dream. In spirit, I know Mike was with me. He’s always in my thoughts and in my heart. It was invigorating to share the success of the hunt with all the guys at “The Camp”. That night I was humbled with the honor of preparing the tenderloins on the grill for the hungry hunters and our guests. Everyone enjoyed them immensely. That brings me as much joy as the hunt. Some of the guys had to be on their way Sunday evening so Monday morning just Josh, Matt and I went out hunting. Unfortunately, a heavy fog rolled in and visibility became a problem. We decided that breaking camp a little early and getting back to our families in Ohio would be a good idea. So we began to wrap things up. As much fun as we have and the pure joy I get just from being in the outdoors, it’s always good to get back home. We had another awesome weekend of fun and new friends. I can’t wait to bring DJ and the rest of the family down to “The Camp”. But until then, I’ll remember this last weekend as the deer hunting season that Mike and I finally got to share. That’s the view from my stand!
1. I regret not calling Mike in the two weeks leading up to that day, for many reasons.
2. I regret that we didn’t get the chance to do some things that we had talked about.
3. I wished that it was other people that I knew taken from us rather than Mike.
4. I wished that it had been me rather than him.
I recognize that some of these thoughts are selfish and not exactly clear thinking, but sometimes trying to wrap your mind around “why things happen” rebels against your logical judgment. I’ve always had a belief/faith in God, but I have to tell you, we were doing some serious WWF cage matches during this time. With the help of a loving family, some incredibly good friends, time and a little different view on life, I’m glad to be sharing these thoughts with you today. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Mike and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We made years and years of memories that I get to share with my kids, his kids and anyone else who will listen. All of this brings me to the story that I want to share with you of this past weekend.
The last few years of Mike’s life he started getting into deer hunting. I like to think that I spurred that notion in him. We spent many seasons going pheasant and rabbit hunting; as well as lots of cold nights in the countryside on raccoon hunts. We didn’t get the opportunity to go deer hunting together and I wish that weren’t the case. If we had I know that Mike would love the property we are leasing down in Kentucky. Since September, I’ve had the opportunity to share some time with some pretty special people. My love for the outdoors is only surpassed by my love for my family and good friends. {Which I consider family} I’ve been spending some time at a 450 acre farm south of Louisville that we affectionately call “The Camp” with an old friend from when we lived in Illinois. My last post touched on our reconnecting. This past weekend was another memory maker. Along with the time spent cruising the property and in the woods hunting deer, it was great to get to see Brad’s children Rhiannon {28} and Brandon. {18} I hadn’t seen either of them since they were young, around 6-8 yrs old. It was as if the 10 to 20 years hadn’t taken place; great natured kids with a promising life. Without a doubt, Brad and Deb are very proud of them, me too. It was also good to see the matriarch of the family, Sarah Noe, Brad and Kent’s mother. I was introduced to a few people that I didn’t know, gathering as strangers and leaving as new-found friends. This being my third trip to the camp I thought it would be great to bring along a good friend from here in Ohio. So my pal, Matt Moore, joined me in the long weekend hunt at “The Camp”.
When we arrived a game plan was coming together on where everyone would be hunting and what was the likelihood of taking a nice deer come morning. A couple had been taken a few weeks before and many had been seen at different locations on the farm. On opening day we had 6 hunters in various locations on the farm with very high expectations. As it sometimes goes, the deer didn’t cooperate. We went from having 50 degree temps midweek, to having 70 degree Indian Summer days on Friday and Saturday. The deer just weren’t moving and only one was taken opening morning by Brandon. That afternoon we were all out in the woods until dark. A few deer were seen but no one took a shot. The evening was filled with lots of laughter and good times, to the point that my sides and head hurt from laughing too much. Maybe at another time I will tell you about the “Southern Baptist Hayride”…maybe I won’t.
Saturday night after I went to bed I had a crazy dream. My dream was that I was out hunting the farm and I shot three deer on Sunday morning. I told the guys at camp that I had that dream, but I didn’t tell them the entire dream. In my dream, I was hunting the farm with my brother Mike. We were having a great time enjoying the scenery of the rolling hills and tree lines. The deer came out and we harvested them. I’m not one to dream very often but this one was so vivid and clear it was as if it was really happening. We got up Sunday morning and went through our regular routines. Before heading to the woods I told the guys, “Today the deer are going down.” I went out and got settled into my stand and it wasn’t long before first light was upon us. The first deer was coming up out of the bottoms to the ridge I was hunting around 6:15 am straight across from the stand I was in. As I readied myself for the deer to top the ridge into the clearing I was thinking about the dream. Could it really happen? As soon as the deer cleared the ridge and started moving to my left it entered the shooting lane that I had chosen earlier. I grunted and the deer stopped in its tracks. I fired a round, hitting the deer right in the kill zone and it turned and traveled back into the woods about 75 yards. It was exactly 6:30 am. I usually wait about 15-20 minutes before getting down from the stand to track a deer. So right around 6:45 am I was thinking about getting down when out of the corner of my eye I caught some movement off to my right. About 115 yards on the other side of the clearing several deer were heading my way. As I looked them over I choose the biggest of the four and decided if they moved in I would take that one. As luck would have it they continued into the middle of the clearing on the ridge and again I grunted. The deer came to a complete stop and I sealed the deal. A round at about 70 yards dropped that deer in its tracks. I’ve only seen this happen a couple of times, but when I fired my gun the other three deer scattered off to the southwest. It wasn’t even a minute and they all returned and started milling around the deer that was down. It would have been easy to shoot another deer but the more I thought about it I decided two was enough. I know the “dream” didn’t get fulfilled, but really, who needs to harvest 3 deer in one day? I was very happy to get the opportunity to get the two. As I cleared my firearm, the deer milling around the fallen one decided that sticking around was a bad idea and with the closing of the bolt action, they bolted off into the woods.
Now the work starts; tracking, field dressing and retrieving the deer. Luckily we have multiple bodies and a couple of ATVs to make the job a little easier. The 2nd deer I could still see from the stand. The first one I had to do a little work to find it. I went to where I thought it entered back into the woods after I shot and there was evidence waiting for me. The unfortunate part, the property had been logged 5+ years ago and now it was thick, thick, thick with briars and brambles that made it tough for a deer to pass through. I started down the hillside following the trail left for me. 75 yards down the hill and I finally found the deer. After getting some help dragging it the rest of the way to the clearing and loaded up onto the side-by-side ATV,
I couldn’t help but think about the dream. I didn’t harvest 3 deer, but I did get two; one for me and one for Mike. I was extremely pleased, not just because I got to shoot a deer, but because it was almost as if Sunday morning was a continuation of Saturday nights dream. In spirit, I know Mike was with me. He’s always in my thoughts and in my heart. It was invigorating to share the success of the hunt with all the guys at “The Camp”. That night I was humbled with the honor of preparing the tenderloins on the grill for the hungry hunters and our guests. Everyone enjoyed them immensely. That brings me as much joy as the hunt. Some of the guys had to be on their way Sunday evening so Monday morning just Josh, Matt and I went out hunting. Unfortunately, a heavy fog rolled in and visibility became a problem. We decided that breaking camp a little early and getting back to our families in Ohio would be a good idea. So we began to wrap things up. As much fun as we have and the pure joy I get just from being in the outdoors, it’s always good to get back home. We had another awesome weekend of fun and new friends. I can’t wait to bring DJ and the rest of the family down to “The Camp”. But until then, I’ll remember this last weekend as the deer hunting season that Mike and I finally got to share. That’s the view from my stand!
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