TC, the boys are coming!  #48

Looking back on the years, TC and I have been blessed to have two boys. Our goal was to hopefully give them all the tools they needed to be successful when the time came to leave the nest.  That included the tools to understand the woods and how to treat the animals that live there. I always taught them to only take what they needed and to abide by all the rules and laws that governed hunting and fishing.  We spent time fishing and learning how to handle a canoe. We spent time hunting and how important it was to make sure to respect the gun and others when hunting. We watched them grow up and we were very proud of them. So when the time came for them to start their own life, there was a void that was left by their departure. As parents, you are always aware that the time will come when they move on, but you just don’t plan for that time to come so quickly.

So, when they call and tell you that they both have some time off from work and want to come visit, you drop what you are doing, and prepare for their arrival. Now, the plan was for them to fly in and spend a couple of days in the woods hunting partridge. The scouting report on birds was up and down and by that I mean some were seeing them and some were not. No matter, the time spent with family is good enough, but getting to see some birds and having them shoot them was just the cream on top of the cake so to speak.

We set out that Friday morning, destination, Ashland and some old tote roads that I had been on a week before. At that time, I had seen a few birds and was in hopes that they might still show up. Before we got to the gate, we made a decision to instead travel down the Pinkham Rd toward Portage and hunt on some roads that branch off. It wasn’t long after taking one road which looked really good that we spotted our first bird. Like clockwork, the boys jumped out and went into hunting mode. With shotguns drawn, they stocked that bird and down it went.  We continued to ride that road, which appeared to go on and on. Eventually, we turned and headed back to try another one. Before we got to the Pinkham Rd, we decided to stop and cook some lunch. One of the highlights of our trip has been to cook a hot meal on the Coleman stove we have had for years. As we were pulling into the area we picked to have lunch, Ryan got out of the truck and started to walk back to the woods. It wasn’t long before he started yelling, Bird! Bird! And there it was trying to walk up the bank behind us. Like precision warriors, they both got their shotguns out and after that bird they went. In very quick order, they aimed, fired and down went the partridge. Now we had two. We finished lunch and drove a few more roads, but didn’t get any more birds. During our ride, Ryan yelled out, “there’s a really big moose!” Off in the cutting, was an enormous moose with a wide rack looking at us. We got out, took some photos and all of a sudden, the moose wandered off not really concerned that we were there. When we got home, we fried up the meat and had them as appetizers. TC and I held back so both Andrew and Ryan could have their fill, which they did. We laid out our plans for the next day and off to bed we went.

Saturday came, and we headed back to the North Maine Woods. Again, we had food for a hot meal and the trusty old Coleman stove. We spend pretty much all morning riding the roads and as we stopped for lunch, had not shot a bird. Now to give you some idea of what was on the menu? Saturday was tacos. TC had prepared everything the night before and all we needed to do was start up the stove and heat up the meat and the shells. If you have not had a hot meal in the woods, I can tell you that no matter what you bring, it will seem like it tastes better than if you had the same thing at home, and this was no exception. At the end, we had eaten just about everything and then moved on to the treats TC had made just before the boys got home. We put in some miles that day, and although we saw some partridge, we did not get any. As I was driving home, I noticed that both Andrew and Ryan had their eyes closed which reminded me of times past  when we would go in the woods and by the end of the day, they were just plain tuckered out. That to me was proof that they had had a good time.

Sunday came, and we knew that their plane was leaving and it would take them back to their homes and our home would once again be quiet. TC and I had so much anticipation and joy at knowing they were coming, but the time had flown by. As we took them to the airport, and they checked in, and we said our goodbyes, sadness gripped me and on the ride home I could tell that TC hated to see them go, because she was so quiet. But, we had had some quality time with our boys, and they had gone back to their roots which included their love for the outdoors. I guess there is some truth to the phrase, “You can take the boy away from his roots, but you can’t take the roots out of the boy. For TC and I, we just hope that they continue to enjoy all that the woods has to offer and to practice everything they have been taught. Watching them while they were here, I have no doubt that they have never forgotten that and practice it every day. That is just part of what makes a parent proud.