Well, here's the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The good. We ate well, as always. Grilled chicken quarters, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, a cold cabbage salad, red skin potatoes, rolls, three kinds of cakes and peach cobbler, all followed up with a churn of homemade strawberry ice cream.
Lunch was followed by some time killing. Hey, it went to about 94 this afternoon with high humidity, the birds weren't gonna feed until about 3:30-4:00 p.m., so why sit out in the heat and be cooked? Sorry 'bout the profile shot of the guy in the green t-shirt.
(The ugly)
We shot for about two and a half hours. Man, it was hot. No shade in the sunflower field, but, the action was just as hot. Jackson, my 10 yr. old grandson started out a bit off with the "new" 20 ga. SKB, but soon got tuned in on the incomers and ended the afternoon with 8 or 9. Not bad for a new gun with a full length L.O.P. in the hands of a 10 yr. old.
I killed the limit with the Yildiz .410 S x S, while Jackson's little brother Lane, age 7, acted as our bird boy and shagged doves for both of us. Plenty of cold water kept us going until about 5:45 p.m. when we decided to call it quits and let the birds come in and feed unmolested. One guest, who works in a "controlled atmosphere" got too hot and got pale and started puking. Some friends got him in a truck with a/c asap, then carried him home. Guess he got alright. (The bad)
Almost all the doves were put in a pile back at the shed and cleaned forthwith. (I like that word, forthwith
)
A great day with the grandboys. One of these days Lane will be shooting alongside his brother Jackson and me, but for now he is happy just being out with the guys (and getting to wring the heads off birds that aren't dead
).
Tough work, but we get to do it all over again Monday. Lots more good than bad or ugly.
SRH
