How's You Day Going ?

I hate the two nights preceding the full moon.  I cannot sleep at all.  The night of the full moon is probably my best sleeping night of the month.  That is why I am worried about Monday morning.  The opening day of the West Virginia firearms deer season is on Monday and I'll probably oversleep.  Last night, I went to sleep at 10:30 and was wide awake at 12:45.  I messed around and renamed photo files, until I got bored with that.

Might as well go and try to find that elusive Thanksgiving gobbler.  So I take a shower and it is still 2 hours too early to head out.  Not a thing on TV.  There is a Craftman Truck race repeat, but of course I watched the end of that race, before I went to bed.  I already know what happened.  Goober head won and nobody cares anyway.  I'm not in the mood to walk around in Wal-Mart and watch the early morning dopers try to steal something.  Turn the computer back on, of course nothing is happening.  Why aren't you people on Facebook at 4 am?

Just as well head to the mountain; maybe I can get a nap in before daylight.  So I am backing into a grassy area on the side of the road and I am suddenly looking straight up at my front tires.  after somehow managing to get out of the truck: not an easy uphill battle.  I just shake my head and go on turkey hunting.  At about 7, I happen to walk underneath a trio of gobblers and I can see them sail for about a mile and go across the river.  Mess around and look for some deer sign for awhile.  Head the 1.5 miles back to the stranded truck and call a wrecker.  Fifty dollars later, it is noon and I'm back home.. Wonder how tonight will be?

Thirty Years Ago

I have read several mast reports and hunting predictions about the upcoming deer firearms season.  They all come down to one thing:  Food.  Most point toward white oak acorns, as the plentiful food source for 2010.  This is great if you live somewhere in WV that still has some white oaks; standing.

I used to have one of the nicest stands of white oak in the country; just up the road.  That was thirty years ago.  It was an area which was always full of game.  Now it is a clear-cut wasteland, not fit for anything.  It will be that way till after I am dead.
It used to be nice to go out around home and be able to hunt.  The most memorable Thanksgiving Day to me was one which the meat on the table; all came from the hill that could be seen from the picture window.  There was venison, oven baked squirrel and wild turkey.  The picture window view is now an impenetrable blackberry wasteland.

The view to the north , is of the newest wind farm project.  Really attractive.  So, the next time you journey to your favorite woodlands; you should be grateful that they are still there.  If you are not careful, your cherished places could become another wasteland; just like NW Randolph County.  Always remember that what once was; can become a used to be, very quickly.