Merry Christmas to me...

Bought a gun tonight. Charles Daly over/under 12 gauge, model 700, Miroku. The gun was manufactured in Japan in the late 60s. The gun stopped being made in 1976. Miroku now manufactures the Citoris for Browning. The top barrel is improved modified and the bottom barrel is full choked. There is heavy engraving and very nice checkering throughout. These photos don't do justice. I plan on shooting a lot more skeet and hopefully doves with this beaut.

Back to Meechigan.

We made it up to Michigan for the holidays and it is so cold it could freeze the balls off a brass monkey. You go outside and it feels like you could chip your face off of your skull. When I got in the truck to go shopping yesterday, the temperature read from 0 - 4 degrees as we traveled. Son, it's cold. That did not stop Mikey from playing outside though. He went nuts in the backyard of Grammy's house. Sammie was more sensible and stayed in. We went to see my Oakland University Golden Grizzlies take on the powerhouse of the University of Michigan Wolverines when we got here. The Grizz came within 4 with six minutes left in the game, but fell in the end to U of M. We met our friends at the game. Nice.

Mikey - They got 10 to 12 inches of snow the day before.

Mikey's body finally shuts down from the cold.

Mikey and his buddy Tyler.

My dad and my brother. OU!

Sammie with her gingerbread crib at grammys.

YOU MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE!

Put this in your pipe...

Went to the Pace Christmas Parade the other day with a bunch of friends. Mikey marched with his Boy Scout Troop and threw candy to us. Here are the photos, as well as a few others...

Pace HS Marching Band

Santa just clearing the high voltage power lines

Mikey representing Troop 419. Semper Fi.

Mikey's classmate and friend, Erin Peters, twirling a mean baton

Lori, Tommy Kong, Jon, Mary, Paul Vanwashmendoza, Ras, and Stairz

Mikey doing chores

Sammy chillin' like a villain on penicillin

Mikey's room now has bugs

Mikey working on a school project of a model of where indians used to live. Mikey likes working on all school projects naked.

Barley and Santa meet again.

The great Barnaby Jones

Deer Camp - Part Deux

The official Rustlin' Oaks Deer Camp took place this past weekend at Larry's cabin in Hale, MI. There were four guys, lots of beer, many poker and euchre games, but no deer hanging on the buck pole. It was cold in the mornings, usually in the teens, but other than that, the weather was good. Not as much snow as we had hoped, but we did hike some beautiful areas. LaCoe, Duane, Larry and myself bagged about 3 cases of beer, and 0 deer. Here are some shots, as well as some Thanksgiving photos at Roxannes.

Here is the infamous cabin where the Rustlin' Oaks Deer Camp is the tradition.

Inside the cabin, Duane and Scotty prepare for the hunt.

Right below my ladder stand, there was a bobcat den with fresh tracks. They are putting a hurt on the squirrels in the area, but I think bobcats are cooler than squirrels.

Duane, Scotty, Larry, and myself standing on the bridge over the South Branch of the AuSable river. Walked 5 miles, saw one doe, drank some Captain Morgans.

The mighty AuSable river

This was a field we pushed. Saw no deer. Drank a beer when we were done.

Becoming one with the elements. I also became one with Budweiser during this hunt. Saw no deer.

This is the spot where I dropped a spike the previous weekend. Saw nothing this weekend.

Uncle Jason was very excited about Pumpkin Pie at Roxanne's place. Maybe too excited.

Traditional Thanksgiving family portrait

Deer Camp - Part 1

Larry and I were both successful during opening weekend in Michigan. We both took spikes on the 16th, 30 minutes apart and only about 100 yards from each other. The deer even looked the same. My buck came in on a grunt and I hit it at about 75 yards. It ran about 200 yards before it decided to fall. Larry took a 100 yard shot and the buck fell in it's tracks. It was a great hunt on State land near the South Branch of the AuSable river. We are going back this upcoming weekend for the Official Deer Camp. Larry, LaCoe, Duane, and myself will take to the woods to play havoc on Mother Nature's bounty. If it's brown, it's down.

Using the antler on my buck to pick the cute furry bunny rabbit out of my teeth.

Coming back to MI

I will be back in MI for a couple of weeks. I fly in the day before opening day gun season and am driving up to the cabin to hopefully take a big buck. I am going up with Larry "sure shot" Schmidt. For $138 out-of-state deer license, I gots to bag me a buck. Here is a picture of the buck Larry took off his property two years ago. I knocked out two does last year. The hunting forecast is very good this year in that area. Plus, Duane and I planted some food plots out there a few years ago that should have the bucks straining to keep their heads up because of the sheer antler mass.

Halloween

Halloween was very nice here in Pcola. The weather was in the low 70s all day. I took the day off of work to go to Mikey and Sam's open house at the school with Ras, Grammie and Grampy. Then the kids got home and got in their costumes. Sam was a witch, like her Grammie, and Mikey was Anakin Skywalker. Grampy went as a wise 'ol wizard. Ras put on her hot 70s outfit and I threw on a tight blond curl and some platform shoes for a lack of a better costume. Not many folks in our sub yet so we walked around the sub in front of ours with our friends. It was a good time.

Looking in on Sam's class. The kids don't dress up for Halloween at school. Some sort of political correctness or religious junk. They were allowed to dress up as cowboys though. I wore my cowboy hat. Sam's teacher is on the far right. Ras is pictured in the middle, not dressed like a cowboy at all.

Barley got stuck wearing the same costume he wore last year. You can see his disappointment in his expression.

Sammy getting ready to soar.

Mikey using the force of the dork side.

Lacey, Sammy, Caleb, Wyatt, and Mikey

I got next...

Grammy making the doughnuts. Terrifying.

We ate at the Fish House yesterday. Mikey ate Mahi Mahi. Sam had a salad.

Grammy and Grampie take over guest room

My parents drove down from Michigan for a stay that will take them through the Halloween weekend. We are doing a lot of stuff as I have taken a couple of days off. I am sick though, which has put a damper on my efforts to whack and stack some Florida deer. Here are some photos from the visit thus far...

Ras and and my dad ran a 5K. It was a P.R. for Ras. Dad's P.R. days are long gone.

Dad came in 1st in his age division, Ras came in 3rd. Here they are with their hardware.

Mom, Sam, and Mikey under the Florida fall foliage.

We went to a Fall festival where Mikey took aim at a vicious bear. Moments later, the bear attacked and mauled Grampie.

Mikey demonstrates one of the feats of strength at the Fall Fest.

In front of a huge Agave plant.

A Persian Shield plant. Big.

Ras is the leader of the local Girl Scout group. Last night was the initiation ceremony. Thank you 'mam may I have another!!

Grammy and Sam made Halloween witches finger pretzels. They were scary!!