Kansas Hunt, Day 3, Monday 112513

Back to CO today after hunting this AM.  Most aches and pains are gone except the odd crap in my upper back and the butt-hip right side (from the long sit on the drive). 

The morning was not showing any birds, and then I had one flush by the dogs right in front of me.  I was sitting there, watching the cattails, knowing it was going to come out, just waiting for that moment … and I missed the shot.  I was probably a half second behind on the first and then by the time I pulled the second it was gone on the wind.  This brought quite a set of heckling from my compadres in the field.

Great weekend with JZ, Don, and Hans the dog.  Out hosts (Marty, Sandy) were wonderfully hospitable.  Pretty certain I have put on 10 over the weekend on the cake that TZ sent along, pan fried steak and taters last night, and the like.

There is a beauty here that I probably would have found too stark when I was a young man.  The largeness of the sky, the sea of field after field of wheat and grain, with buffalo grasses moving in a slight breeze on a crisp morning …

I realize hunting is not every one’s gig. It probably is an absolute turn off for some.  I was drawn to it because it is something I had not done. There is the whole thing of learning about how to actually hunt, manage a gun (I still have a lot to learn) towards a flying target, watching dogs work the field – it is simply something I had really never put together in that way.   Sharing this with my father-in-law and watching that pass through the generations was beyond special.

From the “my wife thinks it is good news, but I am not so sure department”:  we made a pit stop in Colby and I got a coffee.  The young lady at the register looked up at me, made an unspoken judgment and then rang me up the senior priced version of the coffee.  That might be reason for me to dump the beard but my wife thinks it is all the more reason to keep it.

Kansas Hunt, Day 2

Long day in the field.  Started just before sun up with it cold (teens, good wind) and worked to the sun down with a mid morning break for breakfast.  Chased out a fair number of pheasant hens, roosters, and got a few shots off but got none of them.

JZ’s gun blew a barrel.  He was pretty upset about it as it was his first gun.  We were happy that he was okay.  The gun has a lot of history, being one that his uncles and mom learned on. 

Shortly after that, a prairie chicken came up in front of me so I got that on a clear shot.  First bird.

Great day with the boys and the dogs. 

The time off from not running is slowly allowing some of the creaks and cracks clear up, but others (like the upper back thing I got last week) are still working their way through.  My head is clearing a bit and turning from the desire to get out every day.  I still do, but I am a bit less burdened by the need.  A slight shift, hard to describe, and one that I am a bit of afraid of (what if I never want to run again?) but no doubt, necessary at this point.

Lots going on back in the real world that I am behind on I guess.  Cheserek upsetting for the win in NCAA XCs (was convinced that was KK’s race without question) and CU winning the team title (when I called OSU).  Need to catch up on that NXR, JFK, etc.  But later.

Kansas Hunt, Day 1

Drove here most of the day, but then got out with Marty, JZ and Don this afternoon.  Marty got a pheasant, the rest of us got nuthin.  I got a shot off at one in a ridiculous distance.  When asked what I was thinking with such a ridiculous shot by the jeering crowd, I said I came to shoot birds – not to just watch them fly.

Friday 112213

Going with has become the theme over the last couple of days and weeks, no running today.  November  has become the down month for me, and a bit of a reboot in the physical regard.  It still gnaws in the back of my head, but I am working through that. 

After wrapping up work for the week, it was back to the house to pack up all the gear in prep for an early morning exit to KS for hunting with the boy and my father-in-law.  This actual hunting is a new activity for me.  I have gone shooting at various times, but actually going out hunting for anything is something I have not done.  If I am as good at it as I am at fishing, I will come home empty handed. 

So I am looking forward to this because of the newness of the experience.  But also I am eager to be in this moment where  my son and his grandfather share something special with each other.  In that regard, I am hunting for something other than birds, and I expect to exceed my bag limit.

Thursday 112113

Life is dealing me a break. 

Slept in, meaning I did not get up what I would call early to get a few miles in before in the office at 7.  I can’t just get up at 5:30 to get that run in and then bang to work.  i mean I can.  But I don’t like to.  I wake up.  I read for a bit to wake up.  Have a cup of coffee.  Get the run gear on.  Have another cup of coffee.  Check the weather.  Get pissed that my GPS is not right. Synch the iphone.  Go to the bathroom for the fourth time.  Check the weather again.  Have another cup of coffee.  Eventually get out. 

This morning I just slept, then got up and got dressed and went to work.

Then … a long day in the office.  As long as what I would have on a road trip.  But when on a road trip, I often have no reason to not get out when the office day is done.  But here, I go home and not to a hotel. 

Had one of those moments at work where you are talking work but the conversation slips a bit to personal life.  “oh, you play guitar?  What do you play?”  They reply sheepishly that they like to hit on a Gibson Marauder.  Whoa, that has my interest as that is not typical to be both a Gibson fan and to be on a pseudo vintage axe.  What is up with that?  And they tell you they play a bit with a few guys.  You let it go to get back to work where you are discussing process and regulation and blah blah blah but you are way more interested in hearing about their music.  Anyways …

It is those weird moments where you connect personally for a second, but you are sort of supposed to not to.  I love that moment.  A lot.

Tonight, after we finished in the office I hit the BOSTAC meeting.  Topics up for consideration were prairie dog relocation, proposed use of RC aircraft in an open space, trail kiosk signage, and the like.  I got home at 9, and it was easy for me not to lace up to head out into the dark, snow and cold.  Break dealt, I guess I will take it and not sweat it.  Probably a good thing as I am feeling a bit fried with work, getting worked, the hip, the weather and all of it.  Just time to take a break I guess. Maybe that is lack of discipline though when I don’t get it in. 

Or it means I am slowly asking why and becoming retired.  Longer response on that forthcoming,

The break should extend through the weekend as we are expecting to head to KS for some birding.
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Ended up chatting with KZ late last night, catching up on a variety of things she has going on, coming up.  It is cool to see her managing it, and considering those things in increasingly a more adult (but not yet an adult) way.   At one point though, she was expressing some frustration at how some kids just have talent.  To her, they can just show up and outperform her – be it in the arts, sports or athletics.  It is a reality that is hard to refute.  Yeah bug, that is probably going have an element of truth to it.   “It is not fair.  The only thing I am above average at is how hard I am willing to work.”  Well bug, that is probably the best thing to be above average at.  I know that is not what you want to hear, or you might even think that is just what I supposed to say as a Dad, but really, I believe it. 
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Thanks Brett.

Various news things, running and not,  that have got my interested eye: 
-Another recap of the hearings on software as a medical device (the proposed Software ACT) (not running related I realize but there was a sidebar of interest).  “
-This appears to be the Fed DOJ flexing its muscle against the the state of CO in the area of pot more than anything but I am probably cynical.
-So Cain is going pro.  Hmm … that is one less freshman in college a girl from Niwot will need to worry about in the collegiate ranks some day.  Got to figure that Cain will be going to college at Portland or Oregon though.
-I guess I need to listen to this podcast that  argues that one reason Kenyans are better runners is because they get circumcised as young men (rather than infants).  Don’t tell my son, but his 5k might get better real soon.
-G&T for a year is quite an order.  By the way, he is taller than he looks on his blog.
-you’d like to see it not go out in 70 seconds. But it’s just kind of what happens. No one’s going to go out and do 63s, so you hope they do 66s. Great interview, particularly how Derrick hates Ducks.
-Still trying to figure this CRA thing out.
-Scott Jaime is definitely a badass on his feet over the distance and Matt Trappe is a badass with a camera.