End of a Season

It's all over... and my wife couldn't be happier.

The 2008-2009 deer hunting season in Virginia has officially come to an end. Daleen is very happy now that she doesn't have to listen to my alarm clock go off at 3:30 most mornings I am off from work. I'm not too sad about it either. I need a break and I like sleeping in too.

Now the countdown is on once more. It's already nine months and counting until the mayhem begins all over again for the 2009-2010 season. I have already been thinking about what I did this season and how I can make improvements for next year.

It's been an awesome hunting season. I put plenty of food in the freezer and I also let a lot of them walk away. I learned a lot of new things this year, met some really great folks, and built up better relationships with some guys I already knew. I even got to spend some time with a relative I hadn't seen in ages. Best of all, I spent countless hours in the woods, just sitting, taking it all in. In case you didn't know, Virginia forests and farmland are extremely busy and loud places. You just have to sit still long enough to notice.

Of course it wasn't all fun. I think I got the biggest scare of my life while hunting this year. Also, those deer I harvested didn't just walk to my truck and get into the back on their own. (I definitely got my exercise.) And while I like processing the venison myself, it is a lot of work. It's really not all fun.... but that is all part of the package.

Overall, it was a great season. A dream season. I can't wait till next year. I actually don't have to wait the whole nine months this time. I'm kinda cheating this June and going on a weeklong hunting safari in South Africa with my brother-in-law and his buddies. New places, new friends, new challenges. It's going to great.

In the meantime, Daleen is going to be happy. No getting up early. No wondering if I'm going to be home or out in the woods. No wondering if I am going to get around to my honey-do list. She deserves a break from my absences. I'm going to enjoy it too..... until the woods beckon once again...