Huntin with the Cuzzes

During the Christmas break, all of the clan was blessed to be able to get together and enjoy some good fellowship. We have a good family with plenty of love. One evening, Uncle Cooney and Cindy's two boys Parker(8) and Peyton(5) came over to go hunting with Umpie Mike (that's what TaTa (Taylor)called me when she was a baby, and it stuck).

So here we go. Me, Hayden, Hunter, Parker and Peyton all start walking toward the stand. As we walked by the pond and started to near the woods, Peyton started to cry. I asked him what was wrong and he simply said, "I want my daddy". Now why anyone would feel comforted by the presence of Cooney leaves me scratching my head, but hey, this is the boy's daddy. So I told Peyton that his daddy wasn't here, and I asked again about what was bothering him. He then explained to me that he was afraid of the woods. He told me, "There might be a King Cobra in there".

While I am trying to reassure him that everything was going to be fine, the other 3 boys shifted into counseling mode and started to help me out. Or so they thought! One tells Peyton, "There ain't no King Cobras. Just rattlesnakes and copperheads". Another chimes in, "There ain't no King Cobras, just rabbits, and deer, and bear". I highly recommend staying away from these boys if your ever standing on the edge of a bridge.

Finally, I am able to calm Peyton down. Not only did I convince him that my gun could take care of any King Cobras, but it could also take care of rattlesnakes, copperheads and bear.

We make it to the stand and all climb in. It was a little crowded, but not all that bad.

One thing I haven't mentioned, is that before we left the house I gave every boy a flashlight. I figured this would make each boy feel a little more comfortable walking home if it had gotten a little dark. I had no idea the flashlights would be the focal point of the hunt.

Now I don't know what it is in the male constitution that draws him to flashlights, but it is real. Men like flashlights. Boys like flashlights. We can't have too many. And they can't be too bright. Some believe a male's self-worth is measured by the brightness of his flashlight. If you don't believe it try this...give two men flashlights and I guarantee you they will see whose is brighter. See what I mean.

So here we sit. 1 man. 4 boys. 5 flashlights. All inside a 4 x 8 boxstand...8 foot off the ground. As the sun set, and daylight faded it must have looked like...Well. Did you ever see Close Encounters of the Third Kind? Do you remember the space ship with all of the lights flashing from every opening and portal?

Surely the wildlife behind my house felt as though they had been invaded by something from beyond our realm. They had never seen anything like this. Lights flashing. Condominium shaking. Whispered giggling. Repeated funneling.

Oh, just in case your wondering...we didn't see a deer.