Dove Season

All good things must come to an end. This summer, it has been so nice to not open my fridge door and find something with fur or feathers on it sitting on the shelves. My garage hasn't had decoys and camo lying around. No mud has been in the driveway from a truck that has been deep in the woods.

Well, this weekend it all begins. I knew that it was coming. Not only did I receive a memo from Christian listing all of the important dates of the hunting year, but targets are showing up in the backyard. Deer stands are out there waiting to be put up in the woods. Food has been thrown out for the doves. When Christian gets home, he asks how many doves we saw in the yard that day.

Jackson shot his first dove out of our kitchen window.....

Tonight, we were sitting at the dinner table and Christian got up and went to the window. He said, "Y'all want to see me shoot a dove with my bow?" Of course, the boys were fired up about it. He went outside and the boys all gathered around the window. I just sat there eating my dinner wondering how this became my life. Then, Jackson yelled, "He SMOKED it!" They all ran outside. While I was cleaning up the kitchen I kept seeing the boys running by the window holding that poor dove by its leg. Later, I took Sarah outside and she walked over to the dead bird on the ground. She picked up a stick and poked it and said, "EWWW!" I started to smile thinking how proud I was that my little girl thought that the dead dove was gross and didn't want to pick it up or anything. Then she put the (same!) stick in her mouth and started chewing on it. (Sigh....)