An Autumn Tradition

[Coach1310]

Good day all... I have posted this before, but some have said they enjoyed it so I will repost it.... I have a few chapters written.. I'll try to post one per day until the Thursday or Friday before Rifle Season.. I'm no professional writer, but really enjoy it...... so bear with me..

An Autumn Tradition

Chapter 1: Suburban Ritual

A glorious pink sky serves as the backdrop as I load the truck with the last of my gear. A cool fog hovers over the holding pond just down the street. Its waters covered with the panoramic reflection of fall colors. A nice piece of set aside land required to be left by developers years back. I’m sure this area was once a wooded, swampy haven to the many critters of Minnesota’s outdoors, but now it serves as paradise for split levels, minivans, sprinkler fed lawns and a glimpse of years past. As much as it bothers me to see that set aside swamp and wonder what might have been, I’m thankful it’s there. It allows a bit of respite in this urban chaos. A place to watch the birds, listen to the frogs and lose oneself, if only for a moment while daydreaming about a flock of geese setting their wings or that bruiser buck materializing from the brush. It allows us to feel everything that is right with the world. A journey back in time when life was slower and we were more in tune with nature and its beauty.

As the last treestands are placed in the truck, I hear the “thwack” of the doggie door and watch Shooter emerge with a little less ambition then yesterday. As I watch her survey the sights and smells of the neighborhood, I can’t help but wonder where the time went. It seems like yesterday, she was just a pup that you couldn’t stop playing with and now an aged dog, who watches a rabbit hop along the neighbor’s fence. She turns, without giving the rabbit the satisfaction of beating her in another race and finally notices I am loading the hunting gear. Immediately the wag of the tail turns to that of the puppy she once was.

Like all of us, many things get harder as we age, but certain things seem timeless. There are traditions that continue no matter the age or circumstance. We may not hike as far or hunt as hard, but we cherish the moments even more than we once did. The body may not be up for the same battles, but the spirit endures the passion for this time honored pursuit. As I double and triple check everything and open the door for Shooter, I can’t help but think of the many times we have done this before.

It’s early October and time to head up to the ‘ole Shack to make sure she is still standing, fight off the mice and enjoy a few days of peace and quiet. It’s a ritual of sorts. One that must take place for us to enjoy a tradition, so dear to our hearts, we can’t imagine life without it. A tradition we experience with friends and family, that cannot be explained, but must be experienced. It isn’t just something we do, but something that is a part of us. This isn’t just any, old tradition. This is an autumn tradition.