A good day in the off season

[TARNATION !!!]

Today began about as normal as any day does. Cuppa coffee and a check of cyber world and then off to the doc's office - this time routine stuff for Kay. I dropped her off knowing I would have some spare time on my hands. Our gunworks shop was a short drive away, so I went to browse the consignments and general chit chat. One Ithaca that had seen better days, stock taped up like a hockey stick. Lots of Model 12's in but I just looked. Browsed in the ammo area and buried amongst the normal fare was a box of Canucks, a well known brand from my childhood. Pulled it out and it seemed so familiar. Opened it up and they looked pretty decent. Emptied the box and studied each shell and then put it back into the box. That seemed eerily familiar, filling the box, alternating each brass end as I went. That was my job as a kid after a hunt when the gear was being cleaned and put away 'til the next trip. Pockets were emptied of loose shells and handed to me. I took it seriously and was very careful about alternating each shell. Here I was doing the job again with one of the two only brands ever used by Dad. Canucks and the mighty Imperials. As I examined each one, I found a re-load. So 24 originals and a reload. The marked price was $15. Now that's not a lot of money but it needed to be haggled just a bit with that reload and the fact that the last box of Canucks I purchased was likely under 2$. I mentioned the reload to one of the guys and how that was causing me to re-think making a purchase. He said if you got 10 bucks, they're yours. I did have two fives, so the deal was sealed. #4's for late season roosters with a GHE that can handle the load. Headed back to the doc's and Kay was just finishing up. A quick lunch, a few stores and home for the dog hike. A nice hour on the snow shoes with the sun glistening off wind packed snow drifts and the dogs eating candy the whole distance. (Dog candy is strewn all through the area by hordes of jack rabbits). Back home and a quick change and Kay and I headed off to an annual game dinner hosted by the RCMP and Conservation Officers. The fare included whitetail deer stew, elk meat balls, moose stew, mule deer sausage, wild boar and wild pacific salmon. No birds this year. These events always have door prizes. The grand prize was a weekend fishing at a great lodge in the far north (Jan Lake for those who know Saskatchewan). I didn't win that but Kay won a decent 52" hard case which she thought might be useful for hauling a Parker back and forth to the pheasant fields. I think she said I owe her big time. Not sure what she has in mind but I'll go along with it. Yep, a good day all around.
Cheers,
Jack