Conviction

So lately I've been visiting Dad and Daniel's blogs and have become convicted of my few-and-far-between posting habits. I'm going to work on that.

As always the first topic must be hunting! ;) Dad, Christopher, Zach and I went to an area near Vancouver Lake with Mr. Hardy Mr. Koch and his daughter. (We're hunting ducks of course :) The weather looked pretty good--cold and foggy, but no ice or wind. There's this long pond we call the "slough" about a half-mile walk from the parking lot. Spreading out into three parties of hunters, we determined to give any available birds some trouble. Dad and I had the dog, and I got a chance to set up my new hunting/photography blind/tent. Wouldn't you know it though...there weren't any ducks flying, and no opportunities to shoot! Christopher, Zach and I wandered around in the nearby fields pursuing C's latest hobby--coyote hunting--which he tries to attract with a call that imitates a dying rabbit or deer. When Mr. Koch heard it he said it was the worst duck calling he'd ever heard :) Anyway, our trio approached a large (and deep!) pond and flushed a pair of beautiful Mallards. Christopher was the only one to shoot since Zach and I were behind him, and he succeeded in injuring the male. You can read about his adventure on Dad's blog. What a duck to shoot on your first hunt in years!

More hunting stuff... :) Michael and I went to some nearby state land after lunch for a bit of grouse hunting--encouraged by Christopher's bird he shot yesterday. I got to use Dad's Winchester lever action .22 rifle, a very nice little gun. After tromping around in the brush for a while, we entered some promising habitat and soon flushed a Ruffed Grouse about 15 feet ahead of us. The trick with these birds is that they are very secretive and camoflauge, and they usually see you before you see them. To kill one with a rifle you need the bird to sit still... Somehow they never do--they must think we're going to hurt them or something :) I flushed it again a few minutes later, and Mike found it again a little later. Unfortunately we never had an opportunity to shoot. Dad posted on Christopher's bird yesterday.

In case you haven't noticed by now, my oldest brother Christopher is now home from his 5 month internship with Vision Forum Ministries in San Antonio Texas. He's happy to have "normal" weather again--like 35 degrees instead of 85. It's great to have him back for the holidays.

Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year everyone!