i'll let you know from the get-go, this may take a day, or two, or more to finish. the writing tenses will change and won't be perfect. i'll go with the flow of my memory. lots of pictures too.

it begins with being selected for a youth deer hunt in hale county on 30 January, this year. Ms. Sydney and I head up the evening before. spend the night in demopolis. i'm up for a shower at 0330, then dressed and ready. now it's time to wake the beast (9 years old) - 0345. our plan, formulated the night before, was to grab some breakfast at the huddle house in town and then head to the check station. well, nothing is open for breakfast at the odd hour we were heading out. thank goodness i had a couple of snacks in my bag.

arrive at the check station for the 0500 sign in (present license, hear the rules, and know what is legal to shoot). a state lands employee will escort the hunters to their respective stands. we will drive our personal vehicles. Ms. Sydney and I are the last in the convoy. we will travel to the v.i.p. north 40 stand (oooh, sounds cool to me!). *** state lands employee is not posted to this property and is not too familiar with exact locations.*** no worries. we understand. he apologizes. again, no worries - we understand. nice kid. it has rained a good bit here. the ground is soupy in spots. it was a working cattle ranch, the ground is very lumpy in spots. Sydney can't keep up with us. sedge grass is higher than her. whippy sticks are interspersed in the grass. we slow so she can stay with us. she's a trooper. never complained.

state lands employee (Michael) gets us in the general area of the stand and points that it's just ahead. asks if we can make it on our own. i assure him we are good. we continue through the sedge and whippy sticks, then mowed sedge areas, then more sedge and whippy sticks. we reach the stand - deluxe plywood shooting house. nice set of steps going up. no windows - not even cut out plywood that made the window openings. plastic patio chairs; clean inside; relatively new. cool, because i don't like buggy shooting houses! east southeast wind at 6. 43 degrees feels like 39. cloudy.

Ms. Sydney with a look i received from saying something "weird"


when i'm on "deer watch" she takes a reading break


view from the stand - right side


right side looking back


right side forward


front of stand


left side 1/3 view


left side 2/3 to rear


...more tomorrow