As the year pushes its way to a finish and life continues to mystify and amaze me, I find myself taking pause to thank my God for all He has given me. I am truly blessed and challenged as we all are. This shot was taken near the full moon in November on my third unsuccessful deer hunt this year. It was down in this canyon that I suprised three does that sprang up and darted off leaving me to ponder how slow and clumsy a human can be. Just as I began getting philosophical, a fourth doe, probably asleep in the warmth of the sun’s rays, lept up and bolted off. I glassed the area in vain hopes of spotting a rack somewhere in the cover of the trees. No such luck.
Continuing on down the deer path I laughed to myself how a couple of years back I would have attempted to follow these does. Now older, slower, and more wise I decided it was best to head back to the comfort of a dry tent and a warm sleeping bag before the rain came. It was a good choice.
As I lay back inside my sleeping bag, exhausted from the day’s events, I pondered how lucky I was to even be here at age 63. I comforted my ego with the rationalization that no other cars or hunters were anywhere on this track. I wondered again what my friend John asked a few years back, “How many more of these deer seasons do you think we have left in us?” I answered to myself, “This one, it’s the only one that matters.” Maybe next year I’ll get that buck.
Renaissance Sober Living 