Caught him [or her?]...... and Seven Deer.

Wow, what a morning this is turning out to be. The first thing I did in getting into the office early this morning, before the sun had announced its eventual appearance was to check a mouse trap on my work desk ........... the red flag was up, I had caught Rudolph. Now Rudolph is the 10th great grandson of Ralph the field mouse I caught last year in my office. Ralph's crime was not that he was a field mouse, I basically like field mice, I think they are cute, [remember I have a family history with them]and aside from their untidy habit of leaving evidences of their presence, they are okay. Ralph just insisted on making public his appearances rather than staying in the background, so drastic measures had to be taken. Early Sunday as I was meditating at my desk Rudolph and I became acquainted. He appeared on my desk, and sat looking at me, he didn't even have the courtesy of replying to me when I inquired about his health, that was his first mistake .... then he procceeded to decorate my work space with his leftovers; so I had to make the decision to take the same drastic measures that had proven so successful with his forefather. My office secretary finds great amusement in how I chose to name these visitors of ours, especially since we don't know whether they are male or female; but you know my parents always forbid me to hit a female, so I guess it just eases my conscience to believe all field mice that must be dispatched are males, though its the females that keep having babies. I guess its six of one and half-dozen of the other.

Then I went home to take my good wife to work. She wasn't quite ready, which is normal so I decided to sit in front of the picture window. It was one of those beautiful mornings where the fog is so thick you can barely make out the landscape. The closer the obstacles the darker they were, then as you looked further in the distance the objects were lighter .......... I don't know how God does it, but He
is the Master Painter! While sitting there 7 deer, and that's not pastoral exaggeration, each one would be a fine kill, ran across the front yard, and across the roads into the woods - what a great sight, reminding you of an adult deer marathon! About that time my good wife calls out from making the finishing touches
on hair, 'did you hear that shot?' Then it dawned on me, this was the first day of deer season, and for the first time since 2000 I did not have a hunting license. I
guess its a combination of things that keeps me from hunting; [1]last year I got a license and didn't go hunting once [2] my growing senility can't take the waiting and cold like it used to [3] I'm not altogether that excited about field dressing a deer and would probably make a mess of it, put probably the biggest reason is 'just to doggone lazy. ...... I would certainly be willing to accept any 'backstraps' anyone wanted to give me though!

I also got an email from Don this morning. He's an old online classmate from when I was getting my Master's Degree a couple years ago. He's gotten remarried and happier than ever, and has written a book. YOu can find it on Amazon.com, its 'JOb's Wife,' I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I get an original signed copy and will be more than happy to promote it for him in a review. My book, which is more like a journal, is also available on Amazon.com; but there are so many grammatical errors and the good wife doesn't like some of the pictures, I'm not going to tell you the title, and since you don't know my name that route is blocked also. Maybe in three months after the rewrite I'll share more.