Our Missouri'able Vacation...

We're back from a great vacation in Missouri. Aside from scratching my cornea, we did lots of hunting, shopping for the kids and eating really, really well (5 lbs so well, in my case). We went to visit Christa's parents and family for 12 days in Springfield, MO. Christa's two sister's and their husbands and children were there, and her brother Greg, too. The two weekends were spent at the farm house, a 1200 acre "Meat Apple" farm of mixed deciduous forest and open grassy meadows. Midweek we spent at Papa's and Grandmama's new house in Springfield.


I managed to read a book, The Ionian Mission, #9 in the Master and Commander series. Kind of a let down at the end, but a good vacation read. I also shot two deer: one a resepectable buck of medium size; and unfortunately a button buck I thought was a doe (that is why you get one "antlered deer" tag and an "antlerless deer" tag). But, the meat is all the same and we now have our year's supply of venison. Christa hunted as well, but she has higher standards of what she will shoot (must be a big buck). But really, the fun of it lay in sitting, very still, under a tree for three hours in the quiet morning air watching the sun come up through the trees and over the meadow. In the evening, it is the opposite, as your eyes follow the close of day until it is so dark you can't see anything, much less shoot at it. For those who may be curious, we "harvest", field dress and butcher the deer ourselves (See the pic below). A great deal of work, effort and care goes into preparing this food (my great Aunt would be proud to hear me calling it "processed food") .

Alden had a great time, and played for hours in the leaves. Isaac learned to roll over and is now on cooing terms with his parents. We're spending Thanksgiving here in Tucson (rotisserie chicken for a change). We hope you all have a great thanksgiving with your families, wherever you may be. Even if it's in an airport.