Deer Day 22 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Trust yours is safe and enjoyable.  Don't overdue the eating bit.

As has been a custom for the past 32 years, I shared the woods hunting with my father for Thanksgiving. I've lost count of how many ham sandwiches and crackers we've eaten in the woods for our "traditional" meal. But do not misunderstand, I have no regrets.  Sure we've missed out on some food and maybe some family gatherings, but we'll make up for that at Christmas.  What we got instead are memories of numerous deer hunts, lots of laughs, and a few deer - for sure not as many deer as years we've hunted.

Usually, we go out with Cousin Shane and Uncle DC.  This year we changed it up a bit.  The land we hunt in Carroll County could not support all the hunters.  So we left Shane and DC to the north property and we all hunted down here.  Nick and Alex joined us as the next generation to continue this tradition and we hit the golf course.

We all walked in about 7 am.  It was 23 degrees with 8 mph winds.  Just fine if you could stay out of the wind.  We got to see a Beautiful Thanksgiving Sunrise to start our day.

Life is a series of sunrises and sunsets.  
They are not unlimited.
Be sure to enjoy each one.

To be perfectly honest, as I was watching the sun come up and reflecting on the past 32 years of memories, countless deer could have walked right by me and I would not have noticed.  I don't think they did, but really, I don't care.  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

We all walked out at 9 am after having not seen a single deer.  That's okay.  It's not about the kill.  It's about spending time with family and appreciating the wonders of Nature.  For that, and all the freedoms I enjoy, I am truly blessed and thankful.

Three generations of hunters.
From L-R:  Craig, Nick, Alex, and Jerry


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