Little A's First BUCK

Jr got his first buck and he came to show his Grandma and Grandpa.  Of course you have to take pictures of the first deer..... and the 2nd and the 3rd and the 4th...... it never ends with hunters.  Jr is starting a bit young but he too cute to not share.

Grandpa and Uncle Ken I got a buck!!!   Uncle Ken will you gut it for me? 

Uncle Ken hears that a lot but of course he does it with the biggest grin ever.  One thing he likes more than shooting his own deer is being there when the next generations shoot theirs. 

Daddy teaching him how to tag it.

And then throw it on your tailgate and drive around town showing everyone your 6 pointer.

Are you ready for hunting?  These guys are.

Up North Painting and Deer

Our last weekend up north was a cold one so I decided to tackle a painting project.  I started in the kitchen with primer and couldn't find a way to stop in the kitchen so I went through the dining room and then down the hall and then into the laundry room and...... oh it goes on and on........ I wanted all the rooms painted eventually anyway.  I couldn't see letting the ugly wood cabinets either so off the doors go and primer is covering them in the kitchen and laundry room.  Our plan was to go out for supper for our Anniversary but both of us agreed to stay in and enjoy our night.... me painting and John flipping channels.  

Sunday morning we're up bright and early, made some breakfast and I grabbed my paint brush since I only had one half of the kitchen to prime yet, I can get that done before we have to head home.  One swipe with the brush and for some reason I hear my phone and it's on silent.  It's John's brother Ken who needed help tracking a deer he shot.  Of course I say "yes we'll leave right now"  Pack up the brush and primer and leave this place a mess.

I wanted to capture a few pictures of the process but in the rush I just used my phone.  This is showing half the kitchen primed and the island sticking out not touched.   

This is the wall in the dining room, I'm kinda liking the distressed look of the primer.  

My arm was still hurting but I tackled this job anyway, it's gotten better but not totally gone so I have just learned to live with the minor pain I have.  Painting might make it worse but that was a risk I was willing to take.  Amazingly enough the painting has actually made it feel better I only have pain now when sleeping and putting my jacket on.  I can totally live with that.............. then tonight we had a wet heavy snowfall.  I wiped off my truck before leaving work and threw a few snowballs at one of the guys.... hopped into the truck and called Lynn to tell her to stay home tonight with the kids.  She's on my truck phone and I put the truck in park as I wait for her to answer and I open my door to wipe off a ridge of snow on the windshield that I thought might be an issue for seeing left.  I step onto my running board and push myself up at the same time to stand on top of it and it's covered in ice, my foot slips I go down I catch myself with my left arm on the door, my feet are slipping everywhere trying to stop me from falling on my head on the blacktop.  My right arm is grabbing at the door trying to hang on and the left is losing it's grip.  In slow motion I fall onto the ground and can't get my bearings because of the ice that I'm slipping on, Lynn yelling on the phone, me laughing my head off and the guy I threw snowballs at yelling at me "What the heck are you doing?"  I hurt, I hurt everywhere but I'm so thankful I put the truck in park instead of holding the brake while I open the door to wipe it off (I've done that many times).  I just might be a bit embarrassed to go to work tomorrow and explain that story cuz I jumped off the ground, wiped off the snow that was stuck to me everywhere and hopped back in the truck without saying a word to him..... I'm such a dork.

If you're still reading this.... here's the deer that we left for.  It took them on an adventure all day long but they did get him right before dark.  I'd say he's worth the half painted cottage.

Hunting results so far

Hunting season is a big deal at this house.  It starts sometime in August and doesn't quit till about January.  John enjoys his time at the shack with his brothers, nephew and son just as much as he enjoys hunting.  The stories that we hear from each year just keep getting better.  I don't think they care if they get any deer just spending the time together is enough for them.  But this big guy happen to walk by John on Monday morning and of course you can't just let him walk by.  

Sorry for the tongue and blood in the photo, guys like that stuff.  I ask John to put his tongue in his mouth and I get a "are you kidding me" look and I'm not touching it so you have to look at it like this.   The walls at the shack are getting a bit crowded so maybe this won't be a head mount..... yeah right who am I trying to kid I'm sure they spent hours talking about where this one will hang which way they have him looking, if he's a brother to one of the others, if he's bigger, taller, wider..... their nuts about their deer but that's okay because they do it together and there is nothing better than spending time with each other.

  

Leather Crafter

I took photos for a local leather crafter today.  He is making leather stamped gun slings and they are beautiful.  Beautiful is probably not the word to use for manly gun slings but I don't know how else to describe them.  The minute I put my hand on this sling visions of my sister Sharon came back to me.  Sharon is an artist of everything and at one time she stamped leather and all the boys in the family got leather wallets or belts.  She can paint, sew, draw, knit..... everything and anything that can be done, she can do it.  When we used to draw names for Christmas all of us would dance a little jig, rubbing it in everyones face if one of the Well's got our name because we knew something home-made was coming our way. 

I'm thinking the guys in this family are going to be dancing the same jig this year if one of these slings is under their tree. 

Smell that leather, feel that texture, touch that home-made gift..... oh yeah

Let me know if you'd like one of these for the guys in your life, I can hook you up.

John's Big Buck

John went hunting tonight, 2nd time this bow hunting season.  He hasn't been seeing much on the deer camera so his hopes weren't very high.  He enjoys the time sitting in the tree watching nature so if he doesn't get a shot at anything he's still happy.  I usually go out to the cabin before dark to see what he's seen and listen to his stories..... over and over again (you know deer hunting stories).  Well I'm just about ready to pack up and head out as John drives in the yard.  He heads to the garage but turns to the house just before he goes in and puts both his hands on his head with a big ole' smile on his face.  In deer hunting sign language means "I shot at the big one". 

For the next 45 minutes he paces, and paces and paces..... calls everyone he knows who isn't busy on a Friday night to help him track (he took me once and I think I'm the last resort now).  So the guys head out and 30 minutes later Adam is calling "where are you with the camera".  Shan, the kids and I hop in the truck and find a bunch of smiling guys when we arrive at the cabin.  Grandpa John got himself one nice buck!!

Last years buck still isn't back from the taxidermy...... last years buck. 

And here is this years, a nice 10 pointer

Love that Commercial

I love the American Express Commercial that shows all the smiley faces that are naturally placed items. I decided to go on a smiley face hunt in my house. It started out rough and I thought my search was going to come up short but I actually found 11 faces in my house, some are a stretch but the left side of my brain (creative thinking) can see them.

CHALLENGE - Go hunting for faces in your house or outside. It was actually quite fun and if you need a reason to smile looking at them will help you out.

He's Big, He's Wide, He's Mine Connie

They found him in less than 30 minutes and he's got gray ears and nose!

John climbed into his tree for the first time this bow hunting season at 4:00 yesterday and was finished with this nice 8 pointer by 4:20, shortest hunting season he has ever had.
He is big and he is wide and he's gray.