It was a cold and rainy day for the first day of deer hunting in Western Pennsylvania.  I was all excited about my first day out.  I was the first one up at 3:00 a.m.  getting my shower, putting my make-up on, and getting my hair done.  I really wanted to look good for the deer, and for my articles.  I invited the longtime neighbor over Patty who is a real outdoor huntress to the pole-barn for breakfast.  I was also hunting with my husband Rick, my brother-in-law Roger, and their friend Richie.   I made a delicious French Toast Breakfast Casserole for all of us and served grapes, orange juice, and coffee for our morning energy.  It was a great time with great friends and family.

We were all upset, because it was raining really hard.  We waited as long as we could to go out to the pasture before it became daylight.  The weather wasn’t on our side this morning.   I have a one person tree stand and it’s only big enough for me.  The guys don’t fit into it comfortably.  So my husband Rick helped me get in my tree- stand before he went off into the Ameristep Bone Collector Blind, which was set up about 700 yards from me in the woods next to the pasture.  He had it made! He had a light, heater, a place for his gear and chairs to sit on comfortably.  The rest of us were hunting from our tree-stands in different areas on the farm except Patty; she was hunting from a different farm.  Rick was out of all the harsh weather conditions.  He was spoiled the first day of buck season.  Here I am in my one person tree-stand with the rain and the wind waiting patiently for a nice buck to come my way.   The weather that morning was really crazy, because it would rain softly, stop, then start again. Then it would get windy.  It did that all morning long.  I sat there the whole morning with the bad weather.  I was waiting patiently in my tree-stand for a nice buck to come my way.  I could see does all around me eating and walking below my stand; but had no bucks in sight.  I knew I would have a great shot if one would walk in my direction.  In the meantime, I watched and listened to the sounds of the wind and rain.  I had a squirrel in my tree with me, but it didn’t bother me.   I was praying for good weather soon; because I was getting cold and wet.

It’s almost lunch time and I haven’t heard anything from my husband Rick.  The rain had stopped and the sun is starting to shine.    I called Rick on the radio and he invited me over to have lunch with him in the blind.  I was really excited to hear that I can get out of my tree-stand.  This was the best news I heard all morning.   I had packed our lunch for us both, so we didn’t have to hike back to the house.  I had made us sandwiches, brought along celery, carrots, pickles, grapes, chips, and tea.  I even brought along a breakfast bar.   We had so much fun exchanging notes on what I saw, and what he saw.  I told him about the squirrel in my tree.  Then I find out later from my husband Rick that my brother-in-law Roger had to go inside his house that morning to dry out and warm up.  I was surprised to hear this news.  I didn’t even think about going in the house, because I was afraid to jeopardize my hunting adventure.  He apparently was really cold and wet, since the rain and wind was hitting him straight on.  The way my tree-stand faced it wasn’t that bad on me.  My sleeves were wet and the back of my jacket was wet, but other than that I kept pretty dry.  My husband Rick called me an extreme huntress, because I stayed out there all morning waiting for that perfect shot.  I was also afraid to get out of my tree-stand in case one did come my way.  Plus, I didn’t know that I could get out of my tree-stand.  I thought I had to stay there until I shot my buck;  (with my luck the deer would come after I climbed down from the tree)  so I was afraid to leave.  He then told me that Patty was the first one to get a nice buck on another farm.  I was so happy for her!

We sat there in our blind and waited for the deer to come our way.  I sat there in my chair all comfortable as I watched out the window for deer.   I had the heater on me and I fell asleep in my chair, while my husband kept watch for the deer.    I really do appreciate hunting with my husband Rick.  Having lunch together in a blind is what made this an enjoyable and memorable event.   I really enjoyed hunting even though we didn’t see anything to shoot at.  It was another experience we both enjoyed.