It is September 15th. I'm a day early (or should I say night) on my return from break. It's also, as I was informed by Evil Sister's son, opening day of deer season. Okay okay, you all know I'm a bunny hugging tree loving bird and deer watching maniac and while I believe in a person's rights to carry firearms (as long as you are not involved in any Criminal Mischief), I am not an aficionado of hunting. We provide seed, corn and fruit for the wildlife to eat when they are on our property. Our property is posted against hunting. So, Jay called tonight to tell me he's ready to start on the pole barn he's going to build for us and in the conversation mentioned that he had just come in from hunting. "I can't believe it," he said, "all I saw was a turtle. Not one deer!" And it took me back a few years, to a time when I was still working. One of my brother officers was an avid hunter and usually quite lucky. He was talking about the hunt he had planned for the next morning. I was elbow deep in paper work and as I looked up at him found him grinning like a Cheshire cat. "You may as well sleep in Chris, " I told him. "You aren't going to get anything tomorrow." The next time we worked together he told me that he had gone home empty handed, never even seeing a deer the entire day. I laughed and said "I told you so!" This went on for weeks, Chris always telling me his hunting plans (knowing it bothered me, I think) and me telling him to make other plans. The season had been open for nearly six weeks and he came by our house one morning. He found me working in the flowers and walked over to where I was pulling weeds. "I don't know what kind of curse you've got on me, " he said, "but please, take it off. The season will be over soon and I've yet to get a deer!" He looked so pitiful, but I told him that I really hadn't cursed him, in fact had no idea why his luck was so bad. "But you'll take it off, right?" he said. I'm ashamed to say I was about to burst with laughter, but I assured him that the curse was gone and that I didn't really want to hear any details of his hunting trips anymore. He agreed to keep any such plans to himself, and he does to this day. So tonight, when Jay called and was telling me about his hunting plans I had to say it..."you don't want a Chris Curse on you do you?" He blew air out so hard I could it over the phone. "Oh no now don't go and say that! You've got it in my head now, take it off!" So my dear friends, while I know there are women hunters out there too (Chris's wife for one) I am not one of them. I have only three simple rules in regards to anyone pursuing this (odd) pleasure. They are as follows: I don't want to hear about the hunting trips, or their successes and failures, and I especially don't care to know how to field dress anything. Deal?

Gosh, it's good to be back! I've missed you all. I plan to spend time visiting all of you, I know you're been busy posting lots of fun things and I can't wait to see what you've been up to while I've been away!