Deer Don;

            This morning started like hundreds of other mornings in Hewitt, TX. How was I to know this morning would be profoundly different?

              

               I got out of bed at 6:00am got dressed and made coffee.  I turned the TV on to catch the news and also turned the computer on to see if I had mail. About 6:30 I went into the front room and pretended to look at the Wall Street Journal. I get the Journal because I had some airline miles that were going to expire and I could get magazines and the journal for free.

               About 7:00 I shave and finished dressing as usual then I got another cup of coffee and went outside. I go outside each morning to have coffee and wait for Gabi to get ready for school. I drive her to school each morning and my amigo Tejas rides with me.

This morning I had walked to the end of the drive way to observe the fine November morning. The temp was about 68 degrees and the blue Texas sky had some small puffy clouds. 

This excellent morning was about to become somewhat exciting for me and Tejas.

               Now that I think about it, if you read the posting from August 24th, “Cash Crop” you may think I was telling the truth back then. This event would have been easier to explain if I was smoking something but I was not.

               As I stood there pondering the workload I had placed upon myself for the day I noticed something to my right. Just as it caught my attention Tejas saw it and immediately went into the attack mode.

               I could not believe what was happening. A full grown Buck (aka a white tailed deer) came running full speed from our neighbors yard, through our yard, he jumped our drive way and proceed through the other neighbors yard. Tejas began the pursuit but I called him off. The deer continued full speed up through yards and about 4 houses’ up the street he turned right and vanished between the houses.

Deer hunting, (gun season) started last Saturday. This buck was evidently evading a hunter.

               Stoned Stunned I looked back to my right to see if there were more deer following him. My neighbor and her son were standing on their sidewalk; I assume they saw him and can back up my story.

               I called Donna, my wife of 43 years, to tell her what I had seen.  It was as I thought, she did not believe me.

Why did I call her rather than walk inside to talk to her, you ask? It is easier on retired people to call than walk. It also kind of bugs Donna when I call her from the yard.

               Many years ago when there were fewer houses in the area we had seen Road Runners, Horney Toads and Wild Turkeys in the neighborhood but never a Deer.

Speaking of Wild Turkey, a bottle of Wild Turkey would be a good Christmas present for me if you have not decided yet.

               I only got a quick glance of the beast as he passed within 20 feet of me, I did see at least 4 points. He had a tall rack and it is very possible he could have been a six pointer.

               The rest of my day should be somewhat boring as I plan to mow the grass.

               Donna, my wife of 43 years, is making tamales today. She had cooked the meet yesterday and will be doing the hard part today. Most everyone enjoys Donna’s tamales including me.

               Well I need to get out of here and get to work in the yard.

               Donna just asked me to taste the meat that goes into the tamales, and it is good.

 

From the ex-deer hunter mind of                Don Ford

 

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