Apocalyptic Homesteading (Day 1103)

about 2 years ago

Hello Everyone!

A day of sleepy dreaming, A spin on giving thanks for nothing, A holiday bang & A hiking gone investigatory!

It is that time of the day again when the last few rays of sunshine are creating a faint glow on the western horizon... and I find myself settling in for the evening to do some writing. Somehow I keep managing to remain in my routine with it all (as far as the timing goes) and often find myself looking forward to this time of the day.

As far as days go it was far from being productive aside from getting a bunch of rest... which I guess could be considered to be 'productive' given how weird my sleep cycle has been lately. Although I did not quite sleep the entire day away... I assuredly tried to!

I could have gotten up at many points during it all (and I did get up a few times to let the dogs in and out) but decided that dreaming was a better way to spend my time. The times that I did 'wake up' the experiences of the dreams tended to fill my mind's eye... and I figured it best to just get back to sleep as soon as possible each time... just to see how things played out.

Something else that kept happening during all that 'sleeping, waking and dreaming' is that I kept having different phrases pop into my head about giving thanks. Most of them were incredibly snarky and rather cynical but in the most humorous (and mayhaps thought provoking) ways possible. One of them was a play in meaning on the term 'thanks for nothing' where it was more like saying 'thanks for adding zero stress to my life' which I still find humorous all these hours later.

Anyways, the weather remained on the chilly side again today and although the wind gusts were not as strong... the wind itself was a steady breeze of chilly air. It was even 'sunny and nice' which made it an incredibly picturesque autumn day and moreover 'Thanksgiving' day.

Just before dark I was scrambling around doing all the routine chores that needed done... and all of a sudden the golden silence was broken... by an incredibly loud gunshot that did not fit inside any of the locations that I usually hear shots from. In other words it did not come from a place where the various neighbors tend to shoot their guns and as a side note it did not sound like the same caliber as their guns either.

Overall it was the placement/location that I heard the shot from that did not 'sit right' with me and all things being equal... I found myself going for a hike in short order to investigate. Not that I am the 'beat on my chest' kind of fella or anything but if someone was poaching here it is in my 'job description' to find out whatever I can... and if necessary act upon my findings.

The hike was really nice actually and per usual I ambled along at my slow (but brisk) ambling pace... doing more listening than actual 'looking' and whoa was it frigging quiet! It was not the kind of quiet either that (in my mind) should have been there maybe five to ten minutes after hearing the shot... but the kind of ongoing silence that means something is continuing to disrupt the normal activity of the wildlife.

Although I did not see anyone around I also did not get off the beaten path enough to look in the woods... where I would be dumb to go and maybe get shot myself by someone thinking I am an animal myself. It would have been incredibly dumb actually... especially that late in the day when the shadows are long and the sun has mostly disappeared over the horizon... on a holiday no less!

Since we are now in hunting season around these parts... I really do need to be careful (and watchful) but mainly I need to keep the tiny deer population here (on site) as much as possible. All of which means not accidentally flushing them during my hikes or letting the dogs run (or be walked) at the times when I know that they are out and about.

As far as that lone gunshot goes though... I will go investigate further during the day tomorrow when I have better light... and tonight I will just keep my ears peeled for anything 'outside the norm' so to speak. Since it is a holiday anything is frigging possible and there is a chance that it was a 'one off' by either one of the 'nearby' townsfolk or someone visiting a neighbor for the holiday.

The term 'just another day in the country' comes to mind about all that jazz... but honestly folks doing any kind of armed trespassing is never a good thing to have to deal with. There is just too many things that can go wrong even with any sort of malicious intent put aside... because not only do accidents happen... but misunderstandings can escalate quickly (and in ways they never would) due to weapons being involved.

For now I am not all that concerned over the whole affair because I have yet to even establish where the shot came from let alone why it occurred. There is a good chance that someone might have been bow hunting (or tracking a deer they shot elsewhere) and having found the deer they dispatched it. All of which are totally legit reasons... and also their mere possibility (along with other possibilities) is the reason I do not jump to conclusions with such things.

In short if someone is hunting here then that will not last long. If (and I do mean if) I find where they have been hunting then I will have to be sure to run the dogs there... let them crap it up pretty good... and do what I can to make sure the deer avoid the area altogether. Knowing me I would probably even build one of those creepy wooden sculptures that I make... and stick it right where the deer would normally be grazing... just to get the point across!

Well, I think that is about it for this entry! I hope that everyone is doing well and has a nice time and if applicable a good Thanksgiving.