Laura arrived on the Thursday. Madigan is ecstatic when she joins us. His other favourite person. A very good dog week indeed as Peter and Larry returned with their Tiffany Allegro and Madigan’s girlfriend Eva and her sister Luca.
The trip to Princeton had the one challenge I fore saw. That was coming down the steep mountain side and yes. The jeep shimmied as I did at one point teaching me I even have to go slower. The air alarm sounded once and I just had to put on the ceiling fan and open the window to clear the stale air. I don’t know what causes that but it happens after an hour driving when I’m doing over a hundred. I’m mostly aiming for 80 to 90 km. Laura was good company, someone to talk with and the miles/kilometers flew by.
I’d worried about getting into the Princeton Campground but it’s much bigger than I remembered with no difficulties whatsoever. We’ve been here many times in the last 25 years motorcycle camping and pulling littler trailers, and last with the F350 and Adventurer Camper. The trouble then was I was pulling a trailer with the Honda Rancher quad. There as a place to disconnect the Jeep and the Thor drove easily into a lovely riverside site with a terrific peaceful view.
I was actually out hunting that evening driving about and getting my first ruffed grouse. Laura loves Princeton and gambling in the Thor. The next day Saturday I was up at 6 am and away at 7 with the sun coming up. I’m always singing ‘sun’s coming up and I ‘m riding with Lady Luck’ when I ‘m driving at dawn. Beautiful time of the day. I’d made thermos of coffee and Madigan was excited in the passenger seat. Marvellous blue sky wealthier, the rain’s and cold not here year. Just fresh autum weather with fir and pine scented air and mountain logging roads. This is my first time hunting in the mountains and the Jeep is perfect I’d liked it in the Merritt cattle’s country back roads. Here it was even more a delight. I’d been using a quad for several years and it was a please to see the Jeep could do just about everything a quad could do. Madigan like being up front in the cushioned seat rather than outside behind me in his box on the quad. He’s a comfort dog.
I’ve my Ruger 30:06 stainless steel rifle for big game. It’s over 30 years old now and still a wonderful firearm. I’m enjoying the Chaippa 20 gu/22 L.combo rifle. The 20 guage has been the one getting grouse with 7 1/2 shell. I enjoyed target practicing with the 22 and maybe will try for rabbit with it but the 20 guage head shot is a no brainer no miss. I’m pleased. A grouse or two a day in the freezer.
Saturday morning I started late so I could attend my MD2 doctors meeting enjoying listening. I’m working two a half days a week while on this workcation. Usually I work four days a week so had a Monday and Friday day off.
Each day I see the deer in the town. I joke and say they get reservations a head during hunting season. I met a nice young man at a side of the road stop to put safeties on rifles and stow them. He joked that he read about a guy who put out corn in the field with a sign. “This corn is for birds. Any deer eating it will be shot.” There were a lot of hunters out this weekend. He said the mucipality should be putting out traffic signs and lights for the hunter population.
Getting out hiking in the morning is the first win for me. I’m enjoying my pedometer that tells me I’ve had three days over 10,000 steps, the highest 16 thousand. My body hurts at the end of the day and I sleep well with robaxin and aspirin. Madigan loves these hikes, following behind me on the way out then let free to range ahead on the way out.
When I shot the grouse he runs ahead and pounced on the bird killing it if it wasn’t already dead. One grouse had fallen down the ravine so he was kind enough to go down and fetch it back up to the road. I’ve seen deer and had the scope on 3 of 6 I saw in the fields. Unfortunately none had horns but it was a very exciting morning. I also delighted when I found moose camp with its horrible third world outhouse that was a life saver. I had to go but was having trouble squatting with the tired legs and knees so really appreciated the toilet seat even if I had to scour it with wet ones before I sat down. Stuff of nightmares but glorious relief.
Each day is memorable. Laura and I watch tv at night, mostly Cold Case or Blue Bloods. We did enjoy the first of the new season Marshall’s a spin off from the great Yellowstone series. Laura reads inside or outside on the lawn chair. The weather has been that warm. I’ve barbecued steaks when I return. It’s all very pleasant. Early to bed and up before dawn. Great dreams. One I was playing with a baby elephant while her mother slept. In another I was trying to get Obama to listen to Trump. I thought that amusing, me as a peacemaker but I’d been reading the story of the war in North Africa and the meeting of Churchill and Roosevelt. Extraordinary discussions of where to focus troop concentrations, Mediterranean , Pacific, English Chanel. Stalin couldn’t join them in Casablanca because the Stalingrad battle was full on. An Army at Dawn by Atkinson. So there it was popping into my unconscious. Good dreams and so peaceful out here away from the city.
Thank you Jesus. Thank you God. Thank you Holy Spirit!!!
