You know you live with a deer hunter when your granddaughter’s newest fort is a deer blind…AND it is prominently displayed in the middle of the living room floor. She LOVES it! She is her father’s daughter…hands down…NO denying it. 🤣
Gearing up for Deer Hunting Season
Early last week, Donovan called home and asked me to meet him in my truck in a nearby town at 6 pm. He had purchased a stand-up freezer from Facebook Marketplace. The man loves Marketplace. It boggles my mind how he gets the deals on there that he does.
I was like…ok…will do!
I arrive and we get the freezer loaded and strapped down in the bed of my truck. Then he announces we need to head to another town because he had purchased a couple of deer blinds from a guy too. In my mind, I figure he is going to want to switch vehicles so he can drive the freezer around. Honestly, my idea was to hop in his Mini Cooper and head home while he ran around gathering up his purchases. Why do I need to be included in this errand-running mission? He needs the truck…not me.
Try as I might…that boy made me drive my truck after loading his freezer in it. His plan was to follow me and watch the straps. Ok. Off we went.
The Brake Saga
I get down the road a bit and my orange ABS light came on. Ruh-roh! That is a problem…but it is orange, so I am not panicking. I was with Donovan’s dad for 19 years…who was a mechanic…and a good one. I was well-versed in mechanical things back in the day. Orange lights are warnings…see the mechanic at your earliest convenience. Red lights are pull over and shut off the vehicle. Catastrophic failure is imminent. SO I was told all those years ago. As a result, I have abided by this rule.
I called Donovan to warn him the light had come on. He said OK…watch your brakes…slow down early. Got that. Already had that in mind.
A little bit later…now the red brake light came on. That is a revolting development. I got back on the phone and told Donovan. He said…pull over in that parking lot on the right. Gotcha!
He checked a few things over. The fluid was fine. He said…we gotta keep going. I am like…Ok…but I am driving the Mini Cooper now and you can drive my truck. He just stared at me with that look on his face.
The Standoff
It was a standoff. 🤨
He says to me…it is a stick.
I said…I TAUGHT YOU how to drive a stick son. I KNOW how to drive a stick. Started driving manual transmissions at 16 years old. My first car was a stick. (How soon they all forget how intelligent and skilled their mother is.) 🤔
His response…the transfer case is going out of it. Yep…I know that…but that is YOUR freezer in the back of that truck and if I lose brakes, I don’t want to be driving that thing.
He relented. Victoriously, I hopped into the Mini, and off we went to pick up the deer blinds, this time, I got to follow behind and watch the straps.
Snarky Snapchat
Later, he told me he sent a snap to his younger brother of the dashboard…saying…it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Making fun of the lights on my poor old truck. She has driven 287,000 miles…been one Hell of a good vehicle for me. They can poke fun at her I suppose, but I am super proud of the old girl. Lots of great memories in her. 😍
Low Tire
We pick up the deer blinds and get home without any incidents. The brake light turned off and on intermittently on the way home. After unloading his purchases, Donovan went into mechanic mode. Turns out all tires were low on pressure, but one was especially low. After he aired them all up to the proper pressure, the brake issue was resolved. He took the truck for a spin and worked the brakes over well. Never had an issue. She is back to driving fine now.
The Freezer
The new freezer is pretty sweet. Super clean, like new, and fits well in the kitchen. We have 24 chickens scheduled to be butchered on Friday of this week and we needed the freezer space. Then we have deer meat that will fill up the rest of it when deer season gets underway.
Banned From the Woods
Around this same time, Donovan approached me one evening…knew by the look on my son’s face this wasn’t going to be good news. He says to me…Mom…you can’t walk in the woods or the trails anymore because I need the deer to get used to living back there. They will smell you and they won’t be there so I can hunt them.
I just stared at him. Stunned. Speechless. No words at all. Trying hard to process what I just heard. Couldn’t be. 😳
He started laughing at me. Then he pulls out his phone to show me where just a mile down the road is public ground with LOTS of trees and trails that I can walk on.
Ok…so I can scare those deer and make the hunters there mad at me?? Then risk getting shot on public ground???
I didn’t say a word. Too shocked. Forgot about that part of living in the country. Woods are off-limits in the fall. Revolting development.
I later learned from Vanessa that he tried to pawn the task of telling me I couldn’t walk in the woods anymore…off on her. She laughed at him and told him…nope…YOU get to tell your mother that news.
The Conversation
That next morning, I was sitting on the couch. Ahnalaya Ann crawls up into my lap and starts a conversation with me.
Ahnalaya Ann…Grandma…we need to go on our walk to the food plot.
Me…we can’t. Your daddy banned me from the woods.
Ahnalaya Ann…with a look of horror…WHY did Daddy do that?
Me…because I will scare the deer away and he needs them to come so he can kill them for the meat.
Ahnalaya Ann…well grandma, when deer hunting season is over…we can start walking again.
Me…by then…it will be really cold and there will be snow on the ground.
Ahnalaya Ann…then we can put on our hats, gloves, snowsuits, and boots and we can build a snowman and throw snowballs. It will be really fun, and I will be so excited!!!
She knows how to comfort her grandmother. 😂 She was just as horrified as I was but somehow took a negative and made it a positive for us both.
Front Yard
I have been relegated to the front yard. Painful, but I am going to enjoy it. I love sitting outside with the family and basking in the peace and quiet. I needed this time and this land. Super excited to see how autumn looks in Michigan this year. Ahnalaya Ann and I walked to a tree across the road the other day to look at the changing leaves. Wasn’t sure if they were brown or orange. Hoping for a spectacular fall showing this year. Also hoping my son gets all the deer meat he has been envisioning…sure would hate for my banishment and the deer drama to be in vain. 🤨