I am glad the week started, I need the rest.

Opening weekend. for kids.

This happens the weekend before season starts. and it means that I have to bust my butt to get everyone ready to go.

I had to find all their hunting clothes. wash them in special no smell soap, then put them in a sack with cut limbs and such, to mask any odors that didnt come out (back when I had time to hunt, I would take my book, or yatzee handheld game, Dr Pepper, some food, and smoke the whole time I was in a ladder stand. if you dont know what a ladder stand is, its a ladder, about 15 or more feet tall, leaned against a tree with a small, and I do mean SMALL, platform on it. if you fall asleep you take a chance at falling out. I always killed a deer). Then I have to wash their sheets, in the no smell stuff, keep them out of their room, till bedtime, make sure all the ammo, guns and accessories are readily avalible. Plus be up the next morning well before time to leave to make sure they are able to find everything that I have laid out.

Matt went first. We had high hopes, the deer cam is showing some good deer movements, of course its all at night, or mostly. They are coming back through around 9:30-10 am.
So Matt goes first. They came home at 8:45. Matt had seen a coyote. Not exactly something to fill the freezer with, but a blessing if we can kill them nonethe less.

Seems he got all nervous, plus he was COLD. it was in the low 50's. and was shaking like a leaf. He couldnt even get the gun up and shoot. SO BR took the gun, techincally, he cant kill a deer this weekend. BUT he can kill a coyote. he shot and missed. He said it was running off by the time he got the gun. OH did I mention that we only found 4 shells for the .410? the shotgun the kids were using? We have 40 rounds of squirrel shot, but only 4 slugs. and you need slugs to kill a deer.

So, they came home empty handed. Matt had decided he was ready to leave. He thought BR was mad at him. BR was not mad at him, but at himself, for missing. He did bring the SD card from the camera home. And when he walked back down there 8 minutes later to put it back, he saw a deer at the feeder. I swear, 8 minutes.

In the meantime I had to go to the ER and get my mom. SHe has had a bad cold for a few weeks. She is a heavy smoker and has emphasema and on Friday started feeling realy bad, and couldnt breathe. I wanted to take her to the DR then, but she wouldnt go, BR was home for the night and I could leave the kids with him. Around 2 or 3 am she called me in a panic. She was not able to breathe. I calmed her down, and tried to get her to breathe in a paper sack. But she said she was doing a little better. I offered at that time to take her in. She said no. She called back at 5 to get the phone number to call an ambulance. By then BR and Matt were getting ready to go hunting, and I couldnt ask them to stay and take care of the other 3 kids. So she went in by ambulance, which was best, She needed oxygen the whole way.
Anyway, I was waiting around for her to call, when she did I went in and got her.
Then I came home, and we watched the TExas Tech game. Rayley wanted to go hunting, and was upset when she heard the schedule. it was Matt on Saturday morning, Brett Sat. eve, Brett Sun morning and Matt Sun eve. I told her that her daddy would take her on Sunday afternoon.
This appeased her, and she got over having missed the costume party we were supposed to go to on Saturday but had missed cause I had to run in to town already.
They had been looking forward to the chance to wear their costumes more than once.

Anyway, We watched the game. Then BR took Brett out, it was around 4, and they were staying till dark. They showed back up well before dark. Brett had fallen asleep for about an hour and wouldnt sit still.

The next day Brett got up and they went out. They came back around 9. After talking for a little while, and looking at the pictures and seeing that the deer were coming in later cause of the cold snap, they decided to go back out for an hour or two.

About 20 minutes later they were back. To get Matt. Rayley was waiting for her turn, and somehow it was decided I would get to take her. Anyway, they came in to get him, so he could help them search for the deer. Seems Brett had seen one. He actually spotted it. And BR had told him to stand up, get ready, and Brett had tried and tried to shoot it. He kept asking "now?" "Now?". and finally BR told him yes. They said that she never flagged, clenched up and took off. All signs of being hit. But after 30 minutes of searching there was no sign of blood. No hair, no nothing. So they had to accept that he had missed it. After walking all over out there it was decided that it would be best to not hunt that evening, since the deer wouldnt be back in more than likely anyway. This didnt make Matt happy. But we all settled in, had lunch (I am SOOO not used to this 'light' cooking... them calories add up QUICK!) and were watching the 'boys play.

Matt had just about convinced BR to take him out. BR knew they wouldnt see anything, but that was okay.
And the phone rang, BR's grandmother and aunt were at his moms and wanted to see the kids, so we loaded up and went over there for a little while.

We visited for a while, Bow showed off his new walking skill, and used all his cute tricks, convencing them he is an adorable baby, and not a hellion.

As we were leaving, BR had decided it was time to get back so Matt could hunt a little, my phone rang, it was our mechanic. He had a few minutes and was willing to meet us at my grandfathers where BR's truck was parked. To see if he could do something to get it going so we could get it in to him.
5 minutes later they popped the hood and with in 2 minutes he had decided it was the fuel pump. But wanted to make sure. He got under it, started hitting the fuel tank, while BR turned the key. The dang thing started right up.

We have to take it in later this week. that and the oil pump need changing. a cool 400.00.

While he was there, I asked him about my front end popping when I was in a parking lot turning. He looked, had BR shake the truck, and told me to bring it in next week. He would change out some dang barings, or balls, or something. All I heard was "do one, may as well do the other" "600.00" and "will eat your tires" OH and "just a little longer before it screws something else up"

Well great! I know there is never a good time to have to drop a truck note into the truck, on TOP of the note, BUT dang... right here at Christmas?? seriously?

Anyway, we headed home. Brett wanted to try to shoot the .223 rifle. He had realized that the kick of a gun only hurts if you aint aimin at something. SO he was willin to give it another try. They shot a box full out of it. OH, did I mention while I was in town BR called. Telling me to pick up some .30-.30 shells? to put in the boys .410? yep. and some more .410 shells. well they were out of .410 shells. But were willing to take all my money for the .30-.30 shells.

Rayley went out to shoot with them. She was bound and determined to shoot the gun. Matt was happy with the .410. I bribed him with a snack ticket for lunch if he would shooot it just once. He did. But still swears that he will only use the .410.

So the whole weekend and not a single bite of fresh meat.
Then today, I went to town to deal wiht some stuff, and BR called. Seems he went out to sight in his gun. a .270, and make sure it was dead on. He 'lost' a box of shells. Literly. He shot them, but they didnt hit the target. So he double checked the scope. turns out he didnt finish seating a screw or some such crap. so it was off. he wanted me to pick him up 2 more boxes. I went in to get them. 26.00. For 12 shells. Talk about sticker shock.. I about had a heart attack right there.

Something better come out of this season. we got NOTHING last season. and spent a fortune doing it.


I think the hardest part of all of it, is keeping the dogs in. We have pictures of them (from the camera, I swear, this is the cheapest form of entertainment I have ever gotten for anyone. I paid less for this than I did Deisel to drive the hour to get it and its given hours and hours of enjoyment) anywy, there are pics of them down there all in the corn and such. and when BR goes out with a gun, Duke knows he is hunting. He thinks he is squirrel hunting, but he still wants to go. So I have to deal with them in here, along with the kids that are not hunting at the time.

OH, and the rabbit is doing great. I guess. But it has opened doors for other 'projects'. Brett and Matt came running up to the house a few weeks ago. They came in, went in their room, walked around, got a lecture from me.

I had gotten a phonecall from my grandfather, he had went to church and no less than a handful of little old ladies had told him to call me and tell me my kids were hanging on the fence on the side of the road. First of all, we sit 25 feet from the road, up on a hill. with a very large gulley between us and the highway. Second, they were on MY FENCE. INSIDE the pasture.

He told me they were saying "even that little girl was hanging up there waving", or "they were running up and down the fence line, that girl throwing rocks at them"

So he called. Well the lecture was they aint supposed to be climbin my fence. It breaks it down. I aint a fan of strechin fence.

Anyway, I lectured, they got a drink, talked for a few minutes. Finally I realized Brett had something in his hand. I am used to the lizards and such being brought in. SO I told him, to take his new friend out and get rid of it. I didnt need another lizard in here.

"OH MOM!" "I forgot"
"forgot what?"
"you still have some baby rabbit milk right?"
"yes"
"well, you need to take care of this one too"
and he holds up his hands
"Duke and Darla found the nest, and we saved this one, isnt it sweet?"
"Brett, I dont want anything else I have to take care of"
"but mom, its eyes aint even open yet!"
"BRett, if its eyes are not open, the chances of it living are VERY slim. take it back, put the nest back together as good as you can, and leave it. Its mom will come back"
"but mom!! I think you could do it!"
"take it back"
so Matt says "show it to her, she will fall in love and let us keep it"
damn, I hate it when my kids outsmart me
So he opened his hands.
and there is a long naked tail, and a nasty pink body. He had found a rat!!