The new deer head is in.....

The first two pictures are of the deer I got this past season and just picked up today. A very nice, totally symmetrical eight pointer. The third picture is of the eight pointer I got in either 1996 or 1997 and while it isn't especially wide, it's a very high rack and it's less than 1" from the front tines touching each other at their ends.

First day of Spring and I had a pretty good day today. Went into work and completed the first stage of a Purchase Card system for DSCR (where I work) which was the first in all of DoD to roll out this system, only worked two hours and then went with my good friend Mike down to South Hill, where he's from, to pick up a vehicle he bought for his daughter Susan, a 2006 Honda CRV. It's loaded and is a VERY nice vehicle, I drove it back and wish I had something as nice. I believe she'll be thrilled with it. She's at the nationl swimming competition in Orlando Florida right now and is returning Sunday. She's 16 and recently got her license and is quite the swimmer - very close to olympic qualifying level, she's extremely dedicated to it and will undoubtedly pursue swimming at least through college, and who knows, maybe beyond. She could someday become the female version of Michael Phelps. That's probably a bit of a stretch but you never, never know, as Scott is wont to say. Mike, Sallee, his wife, and Pearson, their son, plan to pick Susan up at the airport with the new CRV. It will be a great surprise for her and it's just a wonderful vehicle.

I got the deer mount back today that I had mounted from last year's season. It's a very nice buck. It isn't spectacular or anything but it's a very nice buck and the second best rack I've gotten in my many years of hunting. The pictures are attached along with a picture of the other deer I have mounted that I killed in 1996 or 1997. That's how long it took me to get another deer worthy of being mounted. To be honest, I also got my first deer ever taken (in NY in 1974) mounted and it's a four pointer; it too is still hanging on my wall.

Plans are continuing for my trip up to NY to go with Shaun to camp and fish at the Siamese Ponds in the Adirondacks. I'm in the process of getting hiking boots, a pack, sleeping bag, mattress pad, tent, etc. so our trip will be even more enjoyable hopefully. Also hope the fishing will be a little better than last summer when we went. Shaun tells me, and it makes perfect sense, that the fishing willl be better in the early spring rather than summer time. That doesn't really matter all that much though because the Siamese Ponds are 6.3 miles from the closest road and it's part of God's beautiful outdors that many people will never experience. It's a beautiful place to behold, I'm here to tell you. We're going at the very end of April/first part of May.

Enjoy the pictures. I'm very happy with the new deer head mount. The first one was "Half sneak right" and this one is "Half sneak left" so they're sort of looking at each other.

Steve

Winter 2009 in Central Virginia

Congratulations Shaun on the nice perch in the previous post. I wish I had something as exciting to post. Also glad that you got through your surgery and I hope you're feeling much better by now. Mom tells me you went back to work today so I hope you'll be ready for our adventure into the Adirondacks fishing at the end of April/beginning of May. I'm looking forward to that like there's no tomorrow. Catching fish or not, it's the adventurte of hiking through the Adironkacks for 6.3 miles to get to our destination that makes it special; and having the area to yourself for the most part.

We had our first decent snowstorm here in Central Virginia in the past 12 years or so so there have been some exciting times at Ridgemont High here. It has also been pretty cold so the snow has hung around for a day or two. It started snowing Sunday evening and they closed all the local schools and we even got a day off of work for the weather. They closed Defense Supply Center Richmond yesterday due to the snow and icy conditions. We only got about 5" of snow at my house as far as I could tell but some of the areas around here got 6-12 inches and there was freezing rain before the snow started so the roads were treacherous, especially considering that none of the people down here know how to drive in the snow (I include myself in that group, I used to know but have been removed from doing it for thirty years so I admit I'm probably not much better than your average southern driver).

Anyway, it's been real pretty down here as evidenced by the pictures I've attached and we're enjoying our version of a Virginia winter. Snow is rare here so it's a treat. I worked from home today so in effect I had a four day wekeend from going into work. I imagine the schools will be closed yet again tomorrow but there's no telling.

I went without power/electricity from about 9:30 Sunday evening until 10:00 Monday morning but I consider myself pretty lucky there too because this girl I work with who lives north of here has been without power since late Sunday and is still without it - challenging times for the old water pipes when the temperature gets down to 12 degrees last night and is supposed to go down to 13 tonight. Luckily she was able to stay with a friend last night to avoid the cold.

Well, that's about it from here. Gotta get the dog in for the night and try to stay warm. I hope everything is well within my very limited reading audience.