A little birdie told me that our 2024-2025 hunting season ended on Wednesday, March 19, and that it was a good and safe hunting season. My best friend once asked me what would be more exciting to me – the last day of hunting season or the last day of basic training, since he and I both went for a visit with our favorite Uncle Sam at about the same time.
I told him that it would be the last day of hunting season by a large margin. As I explained to him, if the beginning of season ever rolled around without me being excited that I would know that it was time to retire – which I did. I then added that if ever a season ended when I wasn’t excited about the last day, then I would probably have myself committed to a mental institution!
In basic training I was mostly responsible for myself only, but in our hunting season I felt responsible for every guest and employee. While I always tried to stress safety, and give my worries to God, that coping mechanism only worked at times. I told Cader IV that one day he would be the only person who completely understood that pressure cooker !
The little birdie that told me the season had ended was a birdie that somehow made it until the end of season, and could hardly maintain its glee while the bird dogs that hunted and retrieved them are in the kennels and earning some well-deserved rest. We took the balance of this week for taking inventory and summerizing our cottages and lodge grounds.
Weather permitting, we will resurrect our inner General Sherman and begin a controlled woods burning of approximately 50% of Riverview’s woods. For me, burning the woods marks the beginning of a new year much more so than the date of January 1st on the calendar does. This also marks the most pleasant time of the year weather-wise, and we all know to enjoy this brief period of time before it turns hotter than the hinges of hell.
Please allow me to close with just a few more observations of human nature that I have gleaned in my 75+ years:
1) Maybe we should start telling young folks that the brain is an app so that they will begin using it. I recently ordered 6 chicken McNuggets only to be told by my order taker that they could only be ordered in quantities of a dozen AND half- dozen. HMM, here’s your sign.
2) We all know that mirrors don’t lie. I’m just hoping that mine doesn’t laugh.
3) Never, ever ask Google for medical advice. I’ve gone from a headache to clinically dead in less than three weeks!
4) I just finished my financial planning. It appears that I have enough to live on – IF I ONLY LIVE for the next three weeks!
We very much appreciate your loyalty and friendship. We work VERY HARD TO EARN THAT LOYALTY EVERY YEAR! May God bless you and your families with a pleasant and joyful spring!