The Gift of a Day

[mobirdhunter]

I know that there are some among our ranks that enjoy the tradition of a holiday hunt. Our Christmas Day hunt has been an annual celebration for over 30 years now, and we’ve found ourselves out in weather that ranges as far and wide as weather does on the edge of the prairie.

Yesterday was a jewel among Christmas weather days. Bright, warm and with enough breeze to refresh (and move scent). We went to a farm close by that we’d set aside for the Day. It’s a small piece of ground that generally has a covey on it. We can walk it all in about an hour, and we did on this Christmas morning — to no avail. The covey was not home. Adjacent to the farm is a small Conservation area with a nice, small lake and a bit of surrounding old field cover. On a hunch we crossed over into the field and within only a matter of yards “our” covey was pinned my Aspen. My little DHE 20 took two birds on the rise. We lingered over the birds, Aspen impatient to go find singles, but today he had to be satisfied with just this find, and we headed back to the truck and then home.

The weather was so fine that we grilled outside, and sat on the deck with the dogs enjoying the winter sun. There are many kinds of gifts one receives at Christmas time, but none better that the gift of a day — a day spent well.

I hope your day was a gift however you spent it.

Photo Key:
1. We hunted near the small town of Gorin, a once thriving railroad stop. The trains still pass this way, and we hear them from where we hunt, echoing something of the past. So many North Missouri towns have gone the way of Gorin, abandoned and without hope for a future. It's sad to see what these small towns have become, but each town displays its Christmas decorations, probably put up by a longtime resident who remembers something of what Christmases past were like. Here is Gorin's Town Hall, all decked out for the holidays. Sad, but sincere.
2. Bruce Day commented in another post that maybe a wall should be built around the flyover states. I think he's on to something. When the day is right and the skies clear, not a minute goes by without a jet trail. We had to stop often on this hunt to find water for Aspen, who was enjoying the hunt if not the unseasonably warm temperatures. The sky was marked with planes taking people elsewhere. I am often thankful we are not a destination for much more than a deer or turkey hunter. And no one vacations in Gorin.
3. Not the red and green of Christmas, but the colors of our Bobs are as beautiful as any in my eyes -- subtle and rich, they are the color of the season to us.
4. My gift for this Christmas was the Day, as are all my days afield. My wife, Elaine, and Aspen gave me this gift Day.
5. Home early to savor the weather, the sunset was as nice an end to the Day as I could imagine. I hope each of you had a Day to remember, also.