Deer Camp

[Bobby Bass]

Traffic picking up along Main Street here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Pickups and SUV's with orange clad drivers and passengers making stops and picking up forgotten items left at home on kitchen tables. The lucky ones have taken off from work a day early and are already settling in to deer camp. Wood to chop and mouse traps to empty. Stoves to clean and floors to be swept. Cupboards need stocking and rolls of tp stacked on the little shelf in the outhouse. The beam for hanging deer will need to be checked and rope coiled at the bottom. The wall of honor will be dusted and time spent looking over the collection of pictures stapled to it. A few more will be added from last year and with it some more stories for the deer shack or the Hotel as we call it.

The old school chalk board will be wiped clean and the menu for the first supper will be printed in nice block letters. The bar will be stocked and ashtrays wiped. At each new arrival another slot on the wall gun cabinet is filled. Bunks are claimed and sleeping bags rolled out. Favorite pillows are fluffed and tossed on top. Coolers are emptied and stacked just outside the door. A new propane tank is hooked up and the old one secured in the back of the pickup. A broken antenna wire is twisted together running out to the Pine and the crackle of static and Garage Logic makes background noise.

Each new arrival brings everyone to the door as they are greeted with handshakes and slaps on the back. Quick work is made of unloading and soon the Hotel is filled with laughter and insults. It does not take long to catch up. Chairs are pulled up to the big circle table and cigars are lit. A few more will arrive tomorrow and the circle will be complete. Some will stay for the weekend some will last a week. A vacation planned for the day after they left last year. Some will be there the entire deer season or will make the drive back and forth from home. The stew pot is started and placed on top of the old black cooking stove. It's aroma starts to fill the air of the hotel, mixed with cigar smoke and the sound of cards being shuffled. Plans are discussed and fingers pointed at the hand drawn map on the wall. Like generals we all stare at the map looking for something we might have never seen before.

The lamps are lit and windows cracked open. A little smoky and getting a tad warm inside. A few guys head to the porch and sitting in old chairs and testing the swing they drink strong coffee and pull on cigars till the ends grow red. Sun settles down into the trees and the woods around them grows suddenly quiet. They stop talking and are wrapped in there own thoughts of nights past. First one then another notices out past the feeder just at the edge of the clear cut a doe and two fawns are working there way towards the feeder. The doe has her head up and she is sniffing the breeze, the fawns are more intent on checking the feeder. Soon all three are in the trough feeding. The guys on the porch sit quietly, watching. Seeing fawns is good. About then a pair of headlights and the sound of an engine can be heard working it's way through the grassy trail to the Hotel. The last members of the party have arrived, twelve hours early. From lake Iwanttobethere have a safe season.

[Shack]

Another nice story Bobby Bass!

Thanks!

[The Donk]

Wow, that is really close to our experience! Have you been looking in our windows?

[ZOOM]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!