Body Count '16 - #6-11

I'm only a couple months behind on my Body Counts. Gettin' hitched takes up a shit-ton of time, and I'm tryin' to get caught up.

The month of June was purty lean for the ol' whistlepigs, but they showed back up in July... mostly shed-dwellers, with one from the farm thrown in for good measure so the ol' .223 didn't think I'd forgotten about her.

Cuffed

The girl and I threw a little shin-dig last night. It was hotter than the hinges of Hell, but the company, music and food were all top-notch. Sans the heat and a quick storm that blew through about an hour before the ceremony, everythin' went off without a hitch. The girl did a fantastic job of plannin' and preparin', and a good time was had by all. It took me a little while to figure out I had a keeper on my hands, but it was well worth the wait. I'm proud to now call her my wife.

Picture courtesy of my old friend James, who is a consummate gentleman and a master of his craft.

Worth sharing

I've cut down on my social media intake and output considerably over the last year, and have never done a damn thing on Twatter, but I figgered this screenshot I stumbled upon was worth sharing.

Sometimes it'd be nice if logic would prevail in the political world....

Camp Needanap

As in year's past, I'm workin' at Gettysburg Bike Week. And, since I'm lazy, I decided to just set up shop down at the farm rather than drive the 25 miles home every night, then turn right around and head back in the mornin'.

So, once again I've set up Camp Needanap. The scenery's nice, and the five minute commute is a helluva lot nicer. It'll do just fine for this ol' boy.

Spring Gobbler 2016

As always, the turkey season up here in Pennsyltucky always comes and goes entirely too quickly. As a group, most of us hunt just about anythin' that's in season, all year 'round, but we purty much spend eleven months outta they year preparin' for the month of May.  I read a quote outta Ray Eye's Turkey Hunter's Bible that purty much sums up my feelin's on the subject...

"You want to hear it one more time, another gobble, so even when you don't get the one you want, you hunt out the morning. Marshall McLuhan, famous for his studies of human culture, claimed that language is man's richest art form, something that distinguishes us from animals. If that's true, then it would be on a technicality. Because our words will never compare to the gobbler's voice, when the measure is our emotional response, and the way it keeps us in the woods after we can't even see through them anymore. A gobble rings all the way through, unhooking the part of our brain responsible for reasoned thought."

Of course, the hardest part for me is whittlin' down the calls I plan to use. I've amassed a bit of a collection over the years, and if I tried to carry 'em all in the field, I'd prolly have a stroke. After much deliberation, I narrowed it down to some of my favorites.

As always, the season began with the youth hunt durin' the last weekend of April. My little buddy Dax, who ain't so little anymore, is on his last year of a youth license, so in our sixth year of goin' after 'em, we had one last shot to try to tag a bird. Lo and behold, after a good soakin' at first light, a trio of jakes walked right down the hill to us, and Dax made a good shot to take his first spring gobbler.

As we were takin' pictures and gettin' our stuff collected, we heard a shot down the hill where my brother was set up with his youth hunter. After five years of gettin' skunked up there, we managed to double up within 15 minutes, and still be back to the cabin before breakfast! Made for a very memorable mornin' for our young hunters.

The regular season started off quickly, with Tater puttin' his tag on an aggressive jake right off the bat.

And although the season seemed to progress rather slowly after that, we still managed to pick away at 'em.

Ron took a nice longbeard durin' the first week.

Matt, who has a 9-month-old son and was gettin' ready for a hitchin', knew he wasn't gonna get much time to go after it, so he was more than happy to put down this jake, which wound up havin' two beards.

Cousin Danny, Dad and I spent most of the second week upstate goin' after 'em. We hunted our asses off, and had plenty of action and tons of close calls, and toward the end of the week, Danny finally managed to put his tag on a jake.

I came home to work for a few days, then headed back up for another week. Again, I hunted hard, had birds close, and in general had a helluva good time, but the huntin' was just tough. I generally don't shoot jakes much anymore, but when a trio of 'em walked up on me and sounded alarm putts at me for the next hour, my nerves were purty much shot. When one stuck his head in an openin' at 40 yards, I let 'im have it.

A few of the other fellas came up for the weekend, and although we all had action, Joe was the only one to tag a bird, a beautiful longbeard that his guide got on video.

After headin' home that Sunday and workin' Monday mornin', I pulled into the driveway, and came rollin' outta the truck and blew a crow call just for grins, and I'll be damned if a bird didn't gobble behind the house. A mad dash to get my huntin' stuff together commenced, and I snuck down into the back corner of my woods and got set up. An hour and half later, I finally coerced him into the woods and made my shot. Turns out it wasn't my best shot, but I still manged to get my hands on him. After puttin' dozens of miles on my boots and about 1,300 miles on the truck huntin' em elsewhere, I managed to take a fine longbeard 50 yards out my back door.

That same morning, Ron finished his season with another fine longbeard, in a hunt that was almost a duplicate of his first bird of the year.

Memorial Day weekend found me back upstate huntin' with my family. Saturday, I went out with Dad and Jesse, and although we came close, we couldn't get Jesse on a bird. With a demandin' job and three youngn's runnin' around he doesn't get to go out very often, so it was nice to spend a little time in the woods with him.

Monday, I headed out with Dad and Joe. Our initial setup didn't pan out, but a bird was gobblin' across the valley so Dad and Joe headed over to see what they could do. A short while later, the guns went bang, and Joe's season was over with another bruiser of a double-bearded longbeard, while Dad tied his tag on a nice jake.

Overall, it was a tough season, with birds really bein' difficult and not workin' to a call at all, but we still managed to get some meat in the freezer. I spent as much time in the woods as I ever have, and enjoyed every second of it. I had a ton of action and countless close calls, and managed to luck into two fine birds. Of course, the scenery along the way is a big part of why we run ourselves into the ground for a month straight.

With the season out less than two weeks, I'm ready for next season already...

Deer burgers done right

I'm still alive. As my girl will attest to, not much gets done once the PA spring gobbler season arrives, includin' bloggin'. Since we're damn near to the end, I'll wait a week and give y'all a wrap-up. The short story is, it's been a tough, weird season for the dirty birds up here, but we've still managed to knock a few of 'em down.

In the meantime, I wanted to pass on this here recipe for any of y'all that haven't found it yet.

Suffice it to say, I generally have a good stash of dead critter in the freezer. However, I ain't much good in the kitchen, but I can do alright followin' other folk's recipes that know what they're doin'. When it comes to burgers, I usually just jump onto the good ol' interwebs and search for "Venison burger", grab one at random and go to town with it. This recipe is one of the only ones that I've cared to save, and everyone that I've fed 'em to has raved about 'em.

Without further ado...

* * *

Jamie's 100% venison burger

1 pound ground venison (preferably neck meat)

2 tablespoons minced roasted garlic

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

2 tablespoons worchestershire 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Black pepper to taste.

Mix all the ingredients together and form patties.

 

* * *

 

The curator of the recipe recommends some cheese and yellow mustard. I melted some American cheese on it and put some Sweet Baby Ray's on it, and it was just fine. I've done up this recipe on the grill, on a cast iron skillet, and a regular fryin' pan, and while the regular pan was just fine, cast iron or the grill makes it that much better.

 

H/T to JCC for postin' an awesome recipe. Judgin' from some of his posts, I need to spend a bit more time over there and see what I can learn.

Body Count '16 - #4 & #5

Hunters are the only lunatics that go on vacation and still set their alarm for 3:30am. Hence, the reason I'm on Day 6 of my "vacation", and just now gittin' around to updatin' this here blog....

Anyway, I found these two dummies last week. Fetched up another shed-dweller with the .17 after work one day, and found the other'n at Grandma's the day after while I was waitin' for her to get home. I had just got back from the turkey woods, so I decided to let the Browning have a crack at it. She done alright for a scattergun.

It's been an excitin' turkey season thus far... more to come on that later.

Skulls from last fall

I just wrapped up a few skulls from last year's huntin' season. One is a good friend's father's goat from their Wyoming vacation with Bear Track Outfitters. The other is my aunt's husband's grandson's buck. The goat turned out good, but I screwed up on the whitetail and left it in the pot too long. It got purty dry and I lost the nosepiece, which I hadn't done since my very first one, a few dozen skulls ago. I ain't real pleased with myself on that one, but thankfully, the whole damn thing didn't fall apart, so it still mounted up half decent.

Body Count '16 - #3

I was beginnin' to wonder if I'd wiped out the population under the shed last year, since I hadn't seen one at the house at all yet this year. It's a double-edged sword, really... while I dislike the fact that the destructive little bastards call the ol' shed home, it's nice havin' a replenishin' target supply to whack away at over the summer to keep my trigger finger sharp.

I figured they'd get there soon enough, and I wasn't disappointed. This little booger showed up yesterday afternoon, and I quickly got the .17 on the board for the year.

Ray Eye's First Turkey

For most dedicated members of the turkey huntin' fraternity, Ray Eye is right up there with the best of 'em. He's written a few books, done the TV and radio thing, and left a pile of dead turkeys in his wake.

It's the story of his first turkey, however, that always leaves me with goosebumps. With the seasons in full swing though most of the south, I thought it'd be a good time to share it as we prepare for our season here in the northeast.

• • •

My grandfather took one last sip of coffee, pushed his breakfast plate aside, and stood as he pulled out his pocket watch. Opening the lid of the old timepiece, he said, "You'd better be going, boy, if you want to kill turkey." His words caught me off guard, so much so that it was several seconds before I could stammer a reply. "But pop, aren't you going with me . . . ? I've never been turkey hunting before." "I'd like to, Ray, but you know I've got chores to do," he answered putting a hand on my shoulder. "Besides, the only way you're really going to learn is to get up there and do it by yourself. Now come on, you'd better get going."

I stood there in a state of shock and watched the old man leave the room to get his trusted Winchester 97 and a handful of shells. Following him to the back door, I still couldn't believe what was happening. Just outside the door he reached up and took down a kerosene lantern, scratched a match against its base, lit it, and handed it to me. "You know where to go on the mountain and what to do, boy. God knows we've been through it enough," he said as he stuffed the shotgun shell into my faded bib overalls. "Just remember what I've told you and be careful." He placed the shotgun in my other hand and gave me a pat on the back that nudged me on my way.

Holding the lantern high I headed across the yard, now more scared than excited. Those first few steps that I took as a nine-year-old were the toughest I'd ever taken-or would ever take. Some of my first memories are of the weekends spent on my grandparents' farm deep in the Missouri Ozarks. Located three miles up a valley, or "holler" as they call it in the hills, the farm had been the home of three generations in my family.
The old two-story farmhouse was typical for the hills. A clear, spring-fed creek ran only a few yards from the front door, past the barn and other outbuildings. The house sat in a rare Ozark meadow, surrounded on three sides by steep evergreen- and hardwood-covered hills. The highest of the hills was simply referred to as "the mountain" because it was one of the highest points in the state.

In 1962, the year I headed up the mountain that dark morning, most of America was in the middle of a rapid modernization. Not so in the backcountry around the farm. Life had changed little since my dad was born in the house decades before. Electricity had just arrived, but indoor plumbing hadn't and the telephone never did. The roads were a far cry from what most Americans were used to. During the spring, the dirt path leading to Grandpa's turned into a muddy trough. But there were advantages to living such a life. For one thing, it was simple. Everything was hard work and you did the best you could with what was at hand. Also, there was closeness between family and friends that sometimes slips away with progress.

The primitivism of the mountains made them sanctuaries for wildlife. Small game was abundant, and deer and turkeys had never been pushed or shot out of the rough backcountry. Hunting was a way of life, as much a means of putting food on the table, as it was recreation. Like previous generations, I was educated at an early age. I listened to men tell old hunting tales and tagged along on squirrel hunts before I was five. I loved it all, but turkeys held a particular fascination. They seemed to possess an almost mystical quality. They were rarely seen but always there. I can remember one spring morning like yesterday. Black storm clouds were marching over the mountain, and Pop and I were hurrying to get the last of the chores done.

With the first rumble of thunder came a gobble from a nearby ridge, then another and another. I stood there, my mouth hanging open in amazement as the hills around the farm came alive with gobbles. Pop finally snapped me out of my trance and we made it to the house just as the first of the big raindrops banged down on the tin roof. As a youngster, I had turkeys on my mind constantly. In the woods I was always looking for turkeys and I always asked my dad to explain any kind of evidence of their presence. I badgered poor Grandpa relentlessly, asking him to retell stories about turkey hunting when he was young. Looking back, I now realize he showed a great deal of patience and answered most questions to my satisfaction. Except for one: "When will I be old enough to hunt turkeys?" "Someday" was his standard answer.

One fall day his answer changed. The smell of homemade bread was in the air as we cut wood for the cook stove. Pausing to watch me work, Pop smiled and said out of the blue, "Ray, I think you'll be big enough by next spring." He didn't need to explain; I knew exactly what he meant. A little later he gave me what became my most prized possession my own turkey call. Grandpa had made it by hand, using a piece of slate from the chalkboard at an old one-room schoolhouse. For a striker he'd cut a piece of cedar from a fencepost and fit it in the bottom of a hollowed-out corncob.
The call was my life and I practiced religiously. Teachers took the call away from me more than once for using it at school. Grandma said I sounded like "a cat caught in a fence" and Pop kept telling me to keep practicing. The winter of 1961-62 was the longest of my life, but it eventually ended.

Turkey season was only a week away when Pop shook me awake one cold April morning and said, "Get up. We're going up on the mountain for a while." I did my best to keep up with him in the predawn darkness as we crossed the creek, headed across the dew-covered pasture, and found the old trail that would take us up the mountain. We walked quietly until we came to a huge oak at the junction of two ridges. I started to ask one of the dozens of questions that were floating in my mind but Grandpa quickly silenced me with a finger to his lips. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he let loose an imitation of a barred owl. Imagine how I felt when a turkey gobbled down the ridge to the northwest. We stood there for a while and listened to the sounds of turkeys gobbling all over the hills. Each time one called, the bird in front of us rifled back a reply.

As we turned to leave, Pop whispered, "This is the place, boy. You'll want to sit with your back against that big oak, facing down that ridge. Use your call and whatever you do don't move until you're ready to come home" I was a bundle of nerves and anticipation the night before my hunt. Hoping to make the next day arrive faster, I slipped into bed after supper, already wearing my hunting clothes, except for my oversized brown jacket and old tennis shoes. Sleep was slow to come. I lay in bed listening to the calls of the whippoorwills, the coyotes yipping on the mountain, and the steady sound of the stream flowing nearby. I'd been awake for hours when the smell of homemade biscuits and frying bacon and eggs drifted upstairs.
Normally I'd have devoured the breakfast in front of me in a matter of minutes, but not that morning. I picked at the meal and never took my eyes off Grandpa.

When he broke the news that I'd be hunting alone I was heart broken. For years I'd pictured us hunting together. The thought of trying for one of the mountain's phantom birds alone was beyond my young imagination. I tried to present myself as a man as I headed toward the creek. In some ways today brought the realization of a lifelong dream. I was going up on the mountain to try to kill a turkey. The fact that I was carrying Grandpa's favorite shotgun was an accomplishment. But inside I was as scared as I'd ever been. My hands full, I had trouble crossing the stream. Midway across I missed a steppingstone and ended up knee-deep in cold water. I made my way across the pasture, wet shoes squeaking with every step. I'd walked the trail to the top of the mountain dozens of times, but never had it seemed so long or so frightening. I finally arrived at the big oak, put out the lantern, and sat down.

I strained to remember everything Grandpa had told me as I quietly slipped the blue paper shells into the pump gun. I sat there shivering from both cold and fear; desperately hoping Pop would come walking up the trail.
With the reddening of the eastern horizon came the sounds of life in the timber. At first I heard only songbirds, and I began to relax a little.
Then came the eight-note call of a barred owl. I caught my breath when the turkey gobbled from down the ridge. I picked up the slate call but couldn't use it. I was afraid, afraid I'd goof up and scare the turkey and ruin my dream. Again and again I tried to rub the cedar against the slate but each time I pulled back. Finally I shut my eyes, swallowed the huge lump in my throat and shakingly rubbed the peg against the call. I winced at the gosh-awful noise it produced.

Whether it was in response to my call or just coincidence I'll never know, but the gobbler sounded off. Several more times I tried to force some yelps from the call but couldn't. I finally dropped the call in frustration and clutched the gun that was resting on my knees.

By then I could hear turkeys gobbling all around me, the closest two being the bird in front of me and a tom on the next ridge. I waited and listened to the birds gobbling; I could tell they were not moving. Suddenly came the soft yelps of a hen turkey behind me. I began to panic, fearing the hen would call the gobblers away from me. I started to get up to move closer to the hen but suddenly I remembered Pop saying, "Whatever you do, don't move . . .." Even though it looked hopeless I stayed. Soon the three birds were calling almost nonstop and the two gobblers were headed my way. Then I realized that the hen was actually a blessing. To get to her the gobblers would have to walk right past me.

Since I was too nervous to call she was my only hope. I could hear the two toms getting closer to each other but wasn't prepared for what came next. From just below the ridge came the loud noises of deep turkey purrs, flapping wings, and feathered bodies thumping together. I didn't know it at the time, but the two birds were fighting for the hen. I was shaking so hard I thought for sure the turkeys would see me, and the end of the gun barrel was drawing circles the size of donuts. Hearing the sounds of tree limbs breaking I watched a big turkey rise through the trees and sail out across the valley. A loud, triumphant gobble sounded from the scene of the battle, and the hen responded with a series of clucks and yelps.

My pounding heart went into overdrive. Breathing was hard and my black-rimmed glasses started to fog. The next time the tom sounded off he was so close I could hear a rattle in his gobble. Like a ghost he suddenly appeared to my right, head tucked back, feathers puffed out and wings dragging the ground. My first response was to swing the gun and shoot, but in the back of mind I heard Pop stressing, "Never move a muscle when you can see the turkey's head. If you do he'll spot you for sure. And remember to aim just for the head." Seconds seemed like hours but I waited. When the bird stepped behind a big hickory I twisted my body, cocked the hammer, and raised the gun. There was a deafening boom as the old gun went off when the turkey stepped back into view. In my haste I'd tucked the stock under my arm and the old Winchester had raised up and struck me in the face, bloodying my nose and sending my glasses flying.

Holding onto the gun with one hand I rummaged through the leaves, found my broken glasses, and poked them on my face as I ran to where I'd last seen the bird. My foot caught a root and I tumbled down the ridge. When I finally stopped rolling I looked up and there he was, stretched out, his feathers glistening in the sun. I arrived down at the farm, soaking wet, covered with mud and blood, half dragging and half carrying a turkey that weighed half as much as I did. Grandpa heard my shouts and was waiting for me. He admired the bird, congratulated me and then laughingly said, "You'd better run along and get yourself cleaned up before your grandma has a fit." I spent the rest of the day telling and re-telling him how I'd killed the big gobbler, fibbing a little by explaining how I'd called the bird myself. He smiled and listened to every word.

I learned a lot about calling turkeys that April morning and I've learned a lot since. In fact I've learned enough to make my living at it. I present seminars all across America, appear on hunting videos, have an outdoor radio show, hunt on television, and pro staff for many great outdoor companies. Grandpa and Grandma had to move off the farm and into a small community nearby. We lost Grandpa in 1976 and Grandma continued to tease me about sounding like "a cat caught in a fence."
It wasn't long after Grandpa passed away that the entire family was gathered at grandmas. As usual, the talk turned to hunting and someone brought up the subject of my first turkey. My eyes began to moisten and I walked over and leaned against the fence to look out towards the mountain that held so many fond memories of Pop.

A few seconds later I felt Grandma's hand softly rub my shoulder as she said, "You're thinking of Pop, aren't you?" Never taking my eyes off the mountain I bit my lip and nodded my head. She lovingly moved in beside me and softly said, "Ray, do you remember that hen on the mountain the morning you killed your first turkey?" I looked at her, swallowed hard and said, "Yes." Ray, "That wasn't a real hen calling behind you," she said, "that was your grandpa."

I have issues.

Inventory is gettin' interestin'. The hardest part is figgerin' out which four or five calls get the nod for the season.

Body Count '16 - #2

Good luck favored me the other day, and I was able to add another 50 yards onto my Longest Critter Kill record. This chunker made the mistake of showin' himself across the neighbor's field while I was showin' off my groundhog gun to my cousin at the family Easter gatherin'. I was unsure of the distance, so a warm-up shot was in order, but I domed him on the second shot at a GPS-measured 353 yards. Not far by some folk's standards, but that's not a shot I'm able to practice, and I only get a few 300+ yard opportunities a year. I'll take it.

Roughin' it

My travels take me to Gettysburg fairly often, which is over 20 miles from the home fires. Alas, this weekend has me needin' to be in Gettysburg a lot, so instead of runnin' back and forth and burnin' a bunch of gas, I just packed up some gear and headed for the "campsite" at the farm (otherwise known as the location of several fine parties over the years). In this case, it'll serve just fine for modest accommodations.

Best breakfast sandwich ever

Tack this on the the many reasons I will never be skinny.

A few weeks ago, my coworker brought in a bag of Thomas Maple French Toast bagels. Once I caught a whiff, I knew I had to try this phenomenon for myself. While discussing with him how goddammed delicious they were, we brainstormed up the brilliant idea of whippin' up some breakfast sandwiches with 'em.

So, I assembled the basic ingredients...

...and proceeded to marvel in the culinary bliss. Washin' it down with delicious, pulpy orange juice made it all the better.

Unfortunately, they're a limited edition flavor, so I don't have long to get my fix. So, you best run to the store and grab 'em soon and give it a try. You can thank me later.

Findin' some geese

The late goose season recently ended here in Pennsyltucky. I managed to get out a fair amount of times, which was great since I really hadn't spent much time gettin' after 'em the last few years. I hadn't done much durin' the late season, but with the final few days loomin', I made some time to go.

The ol' man and I checked out a local pond, and we had geese from start to finish. Our setup wasn't exactly optimal though, and after an abysmal display of marksmanship, we had shot almost a box of shells and had two birds to show for our efforts.

A couple days later, the last day, Dad and I went to the same pond in the mornin'. As a family, we were sittin' at 47 birds on the year, and Joe was all gung-ho about makin' it to 50. Thankfully, Dad and I found our mojo again that mornin' and walked out with four birds, puttin' us at 51 with the afternoon shoot left.

That afternoon, Dad went to check out another spot while Joe and I set up another pond that had birds on it that mornin'. I shot my first goose on that pond twenty years ago, and it has continued to produce many memorable hunts since then. That day was no exception, as Joe pulled in a nice group of birds that gave us the purtiest toll I've seen for awhile. We swept a pair that came in a little while later to finish out the season on a high note.

And so another goose season came to a close, with our family havin' bagged 58 birds. Not our best year, but most certainly not our worst. Best of all, I got to spend plenty of quality time with my favorite huntin' buddies.

Fans from last season

I finally got around to knockin' out a couple of gobbler fan mounts that I had piled up from last spring. I have mine and the ol' man's sittin' around waitin' to be done, but I ain't quite sure what I want to do with them yet so they can wait a bit longer. In the meantime, the slayers of these particular longbeards will be happy to finally have their hands on these.

Body Count '16 - #1

And so it begins....

Found this dummy this mornin' while followin' up on a goose that I knocked down. It's all of 25° out, but this'n didn't get the memo.

I said last week when it got warm for a few days that I'd have one killed within a week. Took eight days, but oh well.

Pennsyltucky's dumbest politicians

The NRA's Great American Outdoor Show recently wrapped up just a few miles to our north in Harrisburg, PA. In its third year bein' run by the NRA, it has increased both vendor and consumer participation after Reed Exhibitions screwed the pooch, got the show shut down and lost the bid to host the show again. Long story short, it's a great show that brings a boon to the local economy (to the tune of 200,000 attendees and bringin' in over $73 million this year, accordin' to preliminary guestimates), and the NRA Foundation also pledges $50,000 each year to be used within the local community (last year, the H'burg PD received a brand new, fully-equipped police car). Needless to say, the show has a significant and positive impact on the area.

Well, enter H'burg's brilliant mayor, kickin' the gift horse right in the shins like a petulant child.

Harrisburg officials have pulled city police officers from the Great American Outdoor Show this year after negotiations collapsed over an NRA donation.

Although Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse cited the donation as one of several reasons the city is "not supporting the show," he admits he's "no fan of the NRA." He noted the National Rifle Association had "explicitly worked against the city's interest" in promoting a Pennsylvania law that opened the city up to expensive lawsuits.

To be clear, the city doesn't specifically assign officers to the show. However, many officers will work the show off-duty, often takin' vacation to do so. Unfortunately, the mayor and his cronies have the authority to tell the officers what they can and can't do durin' their time off. Furthermore, I suspect that Little Liberal Papenfuse is prolly less concerned about the NRA's choice of donation than he is with his hatred of the NRA and the Second Amendment in general. Thankfully, the local commissioners get a boner by thumbin' their nose at their fearless mayor, and did their part to uphold relations with the local PD.

Two Dauphin County commissioners plan to give 300 tickets for the Great American Outdoor Show to Harrisburg police officers who were forbidden to work at this year's show.

Commissioners Jeff Haste and Mike Pries plan to present the tickets Friday night to the police union president at a reception at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel. They used campaign contributions to pay half of the cost of the tickets, according to Jack Sherzer, county spokesman. The National Rifle Association, which is sponsoring the outdoor show, covered the other half of the $10 group tickets, Sherzer said.

You'll have to read both the articles to get the full gist of all the bullshit politicin' goin' on, but suffice it to say, the Stupidbomb that is omnipresent in the Harrisburg mayor's office certainly went off again. While I love havin' such a neat show right in my backyard, I would certainly understand if the NRA packed up and headed to a friendlier locale after their five-year contract is up.

My winter in pictures

So far, the new year has been a lotta wakin' up early, goin' to work, comin' home and goin' to bed... rinse, lather, repeat. Yet, there's been a few items of interest along the way. Rather than bangin' away on the keyboard, I'll just catch ya up with some pictures I snapped along the way...

I threw in the towel right off the bat and asked the pretty girl of mine to marry me. Those aren't fireworks in the picture, that's just my head explodin'. But hey, as CenTexTim has mentioned before, marriage is a right of passage that every man should do at least once. I picked a good one and have been testin' the waters with her for a long while now, so I reckon I'll only do it once.

We introduced Grandma to the Hulk gloves at our family Christmas gatherin'. Hilarity ensued as she put the whoopin' to several of my cousins, and I snagged my favorite picture of the year thus far.

The ol man and us brothers headed up to bear country for a little grouse huntin'. As per usual, the very same patches that produced multiple flushes in bear season yielded no thunderbirds. Regardless, we had a great time with lots of laughs. We don't all get to hunt together as a family unit very often, so we usually make the best of it even if we don't bag any critters.

I also managed to sneak out with the ol' man and put the waffle to the ol' suicide pair. Hell, we hadn't even thought about gettin' decoys out yet, and they came in just purty as a picture. Sharin' a goose blind with the ol' man never gets old, and while those two were all we got that mornin', we had a great time as always.

 Then the snow commenced to fallin', hard and fast. Broke a few records in our area. It's a little tough to gauge at our place due to the trees and buildin's causin' weird drifts, but the unofficial total at our house was a hair over 27", with the closest town registerin' over 30".

There was a fair amount of shovellin' and clearin' to be done, but with the help of the ol' Cub, we were cleared out in no time. We spent more than we prolly shoulda to get that tractor after spendin' our first winter shovellin' damn near daily with all the snow we had, but I guarendamntee ya, I wouldn't have sold that thing for three times what we paid for it after clearin' up from the blizzard. The ol' gal just ate it up and pitched it out like nothin'.

 We've had a few more bouts of snow since. Shore is purty to look at, and thus far, it ain't causin' too many headaches. With exception to the last two winters, where it seemed to snow damn near daily for four months straight, I'm usually willin' to deal with the headaches in exchange for the aesthetics.

Then it got cold. Not that I mind too much. I'm a fluffy fella with plenty of insulation.

Other than that's it's just been purty much the usual winter doldrums. Not much to hunt, no real incentive to go outside, therefore limitin' the projects I really feel like gettin' into. Kinda gets a man down with the blues. So, even though it was a balmy 30 degrees today, it was clear and sunny out so I felt the need for some group therapy...