Finally the Deer Shot, Don't tell O'Brien

I promised you a photo of the angry doe. Well here she is.

I spotted this small herd of deer while hiking at Fort Snelling State Park. The 6-point buck about knocked me down running across the trail. I grabbed my monopod and started stalking the herd. Surprisingly, they move very slowly. I really wanted another shot of the buck, but this doe stomped out into the clearing and snored her disapproval. I actually had time to set up a tripod before she snored again and started stomping toward me. I shot a few photos and then backed off. The DNR Ranger (who loved my photo) told me she was probably protecting a fawn and would have attacked. I was wise to back off. I just wish the buck would have reappeared.

If you wonder where I get my sense of humor, it is from my Dad. I discovered that Thursday evening.

He has his good and bad days. Up until Saturday he was, well, Dad. Sunday and today he slid back to basically being an old man who struggled to know who I was. He didn’t remember Thanksgiving (that is all he talked about for 2 days) and kept asking me if I knew about our brother who was killed in WWII. (My Uncle Philip died in New Zealand in 1942 during a classified mission.) I corrected him several times, telling him I was his son. He got quiet for about a 30 minutes, then announced he would like to do something.

I loaded him up and went for coffee at a local coffee shop. There he grumbled about the cost of coffee, eyeballed the waitress and announced my availability along with his desire for a grandson. After the waitress slipped me a fake number that we both did to quiet Dad down (she was a high school student for God sake) my matchmaker Dad was happy and ready to go back. He actually likes it at the assisted living home. He just has moments where he thinks it is boring and time to leave. I guess I am here to remind him how good he really has it there.

Now let’s step back to my wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. There is a side note on the sunset photo story that happened the next day. Cheryl, my Sister, hosted this rare family moment and wishes to top it for Christmas. She wants our Brother Phil up here for the next holiday meal. His son is working and unable to bring his father up here for Thanksgiving. She suggested I drive down to pick Phil up and bring him up to celebrate Christmas with the entire family, then return him to the nursing home the next day. When I mentioned to her that that is a 6 hour trip and I would be spending 24 hours on the road in 3 days, she sharply ask, “Did you have any other plans over the holidays?”

DOH!