Bright Idea Outdoors Weblog

A Hunting Story

Sometimes we come back from a hunt with meat; sometimes a trophy.  Some people are lucky enough to come back with pictures or video taken during the hunt.

But for most of us, most of the time, all we come back with is a story.  How we go about telling our stories ultimately determines whether the endings are happy or sad.

My son Jake came back from Virginia's Youth Deer Hunt with a pretty good story.  It's his story though, not mine, and if you want to hear it you'll have to ask him.

I just hope he tells it with a happy ending because I know I would.

Virginia's Youth Deer Hunt is this Saturday

Virginia's 2nd annual Youth Deer Hunting Day takes place this Saturday September 25.  During this great event, kids 15 and younger can use modern firearms and other weapons to harvest bucks or does.

The event is statewide, except in Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William counties.  Because I live in Loudoun, my son and I will head south to Northampton County on Virginia's Eastern Shore for the hunt.  Jake is eager to take a shot at his first deer.

Like last year, weather will be a factor as youth and their accompanying adults take to the woods.  In 2009, rain was the issue.  This year, unseasonably warm temperatures are expected throughout much of the Commonwealth.

Family Update

No outdoor adventures to report; I've been busy juggling work, kids and trips to the hospital to see my mom. 

She's doing well, and the kids haven't been bad either.  Both earned hard-fought wins yesterday; 14-6 for Nick in NFL flag football against a tough team that he could see again in the playoffs.  For Jake, it was an 11-10 win in a game in which he threw five strikeouts in two innings on the mound and held his opponent to one run during that time frame.

As for me, I'm doing a little bit of everything.  One moment, I'm working for the New York-based company General Counsel Solutions; the next minute I'm picking up a dead deer for a customer here in Loudoun County (psst; don't tell the boys in New York!)

Hopefully, I'll have a dead deer of my own to report soon.  Bow season is in here in Northern Virginia, and the Youth Deer Hunt is this coming weekend.  We've been planning to travel to Northampton County for that but are not sure at this point if we'll be able to with everything that's going on with my mom.

I'll let you know...

Surgery Was Successful

The news following my mom's surgery was good.  That's not to say everything is fine now, but the outcome was as good as we could have hoped for.

As I said in my earlier post, Mom has not given me permission to write in any detail about her health problems.  But I will say that all of your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated.

More news when I can.

More Hard Times

I sure have been on a good run of bad luck. 

The few regular readers I have left probably remember how I lost my job, my truck, my dog and my dad.  Now my mom is sick.  She has surgery scheduled today but has not authorized me to provide any more detail here.  I will say, however, that she definitely needs your prayers.

One of these days, this rough streak will end, and I'll get back to hunting, fishing and blogging.  In the meantime, I've got some blessings to count:

1) A courageous mother;

2) Three healthy, strong, smart kids;

3) A sister who will be with me at the hospital while we wait for news on our mom;

4) A pastor and church family who have supported me throughout this rough patch and have asked nothing in return.

5) Good friends who treat my kids like their own when I'm spending endless hours in a hospital waiting room.

6) My best friend; the most beautiful woman in the world; the love of my life; you know, my wife!

These are just a few of the many people who bring me joy even in the face of hard times.  Hopefully, my next post will contain some good news!

Happy Fall!

Tomorrow may be the last day of the traditional summer season, but it felt like fall yesterday when I caught a whiff of woodsmoke as I walked past kids battling it out on a football field.  It didn't hurt that we had a nice breeze and cooler temperatures either.

To top it all off, the early-antlerless archery deer season got underway here in Loudoun County.  I didn't go yesterday, but the low temp. for tonight/tomorrow morning is forecast at 49 degrees.  So guess what?

I'm goin' huntin'!