Huntress on the Rise

I have been hunting since my older brother took me on a juvenile hunt when I was 10 years old just after I passed my hunter’s safety course and got my license. He was an avid outdoorsman and I looked up to him. I know it’s cliché but it’s true. He was always laughing about my sincerity towards Bambi saying, “When Bambi gets a rack we’re going to shoot him.” I didn’t find the humor in it then, but now I have the fever. I remember writing in my journal in the fifth grade about going to my grandmother’s farm and shooting for the first time. It was a 4-10 shotgun and I was so excited because I knew how to respect the power of guns and had overcome my nervousness. When my husband, Alfred, and I were wed in November of 2005, he was surprised to find out that I have quiet the gaming attitude. He had a good woman he said because I didn’t nag about his wanting to hunt which was instilled in him by his father. When his father died in a car accident when he was 12, hunting became more than a pastime to him and I wanted nothing more than to share and cherish that time with him and learn more about it. I had some experience but not a whole lot of practice under my belt. I participated in 4-H all through my primary and secondary school years and had gun shooting at the range to add to my experiences. But not having ever shot a deer myself and having married the best teacher and hunting partner who has had some 30 deer trophies, I became enthralled with acquiring my first. There used to be women only hunts, which encouraged huntresses across the country to grab their guns. Somehow, the tides turned and hunting is again primarily regarded as a male dominated sport. I intend to fulfill my duty as a huntress and teach my daughters and my sons the responsibility, respect and the excitement of being a hunter. Even if only one of our children becomes as enthused about hunting as Alfred and I are it will be worth it. I feel very confident about this next deer season as my husband and I have scouted and have several leads on bedding grounds and last years rubbings and scrapes to prove it a worthwhile trail. I will get my first deer, but more than that, I will get to spend time with my gentle Romeo in his element. And who doesn’t like a little deer jerky once in a while? My daughter has already asked about hunting and knows that Alfred and I enjoy it together. I tell her that in time she will be old enough to hunt with us but until then we can hike and teach her how to observe the land for tracks and other deer sign and shoot the range. She gets excited when we talk about hunting and I feel we have already planted the seeds for a future huntress. I caught her reading Alfred’s latest issue of F&S and she had a plethora of questions about hunting afterward. These things and more have given me the feeling that we have got a little huntress on the rise. Like mother, like daughter.

Rights to your Flag

I have recently become separated from the world and its devious nature. I watch a minimal amount of television; news especially. The world had a hold on me that I was more than willing to give up. I listen to the radio only enough to understand the basics of my surroundings. Do not mistake me for a prude. I am well aware of the issues that burden and brighten my world. But, I will not subject myself to the ideals and beliefs in which the media surges into the minds of the masses. I am not apart of the masses. In short, the ideals I have are my own.
I have long wanted to write about the John Kerry blunder which now that I have found a venue will share. In his attempt to insult President Bush, John Kerry tore a hole in the respect we should all have for our political and military servants when he said that if you work hard in school and earn good grades you will be a success but if you chose not to then you would end up in Iraq. John Kerry is a fool. He doesn’t understand that those in the military, many who earn their degrees as they protect, are educated people and answered a calling to join the forces that protect this and other great nations.
People, like John Kerry, may be highly educated and may possess intelligence on a factual level, but are ignorant when it comes to the hearts of people. No one has the right to denounce the respect owed to our troops. It is people like him who make this war similar to the Vietnam conflict. (I say conflict because we never as a country declared war on Vietnam.) The soldiers who served and those who died in or as a result of Vietnam are now celebrated for their sacrifice, but during the years of fighting the people here, in their home country, spat on them and afforded them no respect for their service. John Kerry and those who agree with him do not have the heart of a servant and therefore do not have a place in political society.
Our fathers fought for the right to fly our flag. The Iraqi people have the same right. Our troops are not fighting in Iraq to replace their flag with ours but to give the flag back to its people. Who are we to say they aren’t worthy of the honor of flying their flag separate from tyranny? The French helped us to hold tight to ours during the Revolution. Are we not to pass that blessing on to the Iraqi people? War is tragic, but what is more tragic is an American man, a political servant of his people, shaming our men and women in battle. John Kerry and those who share his ideologies are traitors to this country and to the thousands of men and women who protect it.

Stand by your Man

I was standing in a processional line at a funeral with a friend. There were several other ladies who were to me vague acquaintances at best. We were all talking quietly about our children having a casual conversation when all of a sudden the conversation changed from that to how their marriages were one sided and their husbands were so immature and they were “raising” them. These women were actually saying it was like having another child only their husbands ate more and threw more fits. Some even went as far to say that they would get a divorce if they could afford it. Of course, I hope they were joking. I’m almost sure some of them were, but listening to them speak about their husbands and divorce and marriage so candidly shook me. And these ladies were actually asking me questions about my husband trying to get me in on the conversation but I couldn’t bring myself to talk about him that way. I love him and more than anything and I want to spend as much time with him as I can. When I said as much to them I couldn’t believe the snobbery that was wasted on me. Like it was “cool” to talk about how your man married up and if it weren’t for you he would still be living with his mama. Well, that was an in-crowd thing I didn’t want any part of so I insisted on the fact that my husband and I don’t fight and we are so goofy about each other that we just flirt and giggle all the time and we actually enjoy our marriage. When they figured out I was serious as they were my friend said, “You’re for real aren’t you? I don’t know anybody who is as perky as you. You guys must really be happy. That’s neat that you can say that and be as sincere about it as you are.” When she said that I was heart broken to think that maybe she wasn’t as happy in her marriage as I am. In my world marriage is bliss. But what I saw of these other women was “Desperate Housewives” who had too much time and watched too much cable. If you are a wonderful lady who doesn’t wash her laundry in public, and especially at funerals, and stands by her man I commend you. Do not be fooled by the little women who stab their marriages in the back with their curses. Words are very powerful; if they’re not careful they may get what they wish.