Saturday, October 16, 2004

Bambi Must Die!

I've got 3 posts from this weekend (Friday/Saturday that is) coming up! I went up to my aunt/uncle/grandparents to swap cars, but more on that later.

On Friday, I joined my uncle and a friend of his on the upper floor (attic really) of my uncle's barn. Before I answer that burning question of yours ("What, pray tell, were you three doing in that attic?"), I must set the scene a bit more. My aunt, uncle and grandparents live in upper-state New York, not too far from Lake George. If you've never been up there, it's a nice area if not a bit touristy and a bit.. "out there" in nature. For example, my aunt and uncle's property is over 3 acres in area, very woodsy and primarily untamed. They have a garden in which they grow squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, potatoes and other assorted garden-grown things. My uncle owns easily over 20 rifles and at least one bow and assorted arrows. Again, upper-state New York.

So, the burning question: "What, pray tell, were you three doing in that attic?"

We were sitting, looking out from the upper regions of the bar for some hapless woodland creature to kill. Yes, you heard me right. "We're on a mission from God." (And that mission is to find a new source of venison for the family.)

Some of you that know me may well attest to the fact that I am no hunter. I do not own a gun, a hunting bow/arrow nor any other reasonable hunting apparatus with which one might terminate the life of a hapless woodland creature.

So what was I doing up there? Me, I was sitting looking out the window into the wooded area, learning what my uncle does every night as it gets dark. What were the two of them doing? Much the same except with cigarettes and beer and some occasional whispered conversation.

And as I sat there, I asked myself the $64,000 question. If I saw a deer out there and my uncle and his friend didn't, would I tell them? Would I inform them that Bambi had unwittingly strode into her final glade? I honestly didn't know. I probably would not have said anything and just watched the deer and/or my uncle and his friend as they killed it. But would I have told them first? I don't think so. I'm not positive but I don't think so.

After about 30 minutes of sitting there and inhaling second-hand smoke, I left and went back to the house.

So that's what my uncle does as dusk decends 'oer the land. He sits and waits to kill things. Not my choice of hobby but apparently it works for him. Although I'd like to wish him luck in his future hunting endeavors, I don't think so. I'd rather the hapless woodland creatures not be turned into tasty dinners. Then again I brake for squirrels so what do I know?