Standing with numb toes.

Today I had the honor of joining the brother-and-sisterhood of those who get up way too early in the dark and the cold (it frosted today in North FLA!) , drive with half-open eyes to the countryside, and sit in a stand (or in my case a blind dug into the side of a dirt pile) to await the glorious coming of the dawn.  I also joined the sub-set of the above mentioned group who walk out of said stand hours later with numb toes and hope for the future, because no legal cervid presented itself for selection.  Not that I would ever complain, I loved every minute of it.  Watching the day form itself before my eyes is always a treat, especially so when no ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, or other members of the phylum Arthropoda lining up to partake of my precious bodily fluids. 

My friend John, who's inlaw's land he and I were hunting, is still a dedicated bowhunter.  He was on a tree stand nearby.  I was out with Aunt Mary's .270.  I had on a pair of the headphones that cancel loud noises but amplify soft ones, so listing to the woods come alive was even more incredible.  I made good friends with a yearling squirrel who foraged around "the bunker".  About 8:30, well after sunrise, a good-sized doe nibbled around in plain view almost exactly 200 yards from me.  A .270 could do that, but its antlered deer season right now in FWC Hunting Zone C. 

We are a little too modern in some ways, as we were texting each other about the mornings developments.  Just when I asked if John was ready to call it a morning (it was damn cold for us acclimatized to FLA) he said a doe was headed to me.  And so she was, a little small but vectoring slightly to my right.  She ended up passing about 15-20 yards away, going into the overgrown hardwoods behind me.  The wind was blowing straight to me from her, and I could smell her musty odor for a few moments.  That will be a happy memory for a while.

Back at John's house, his wife Erin had made pumpkin pancakes and they hit the spot.  John gave me some fish they speared recently in the gulf (suppose that's where the arrow thing came from, huh?). 

On another note, today is what we consider to be our anniversary, 11 years now since the hubby and I met in real life (as opposed to online chat).  We are planning to take it easy today and celebrate it with a day trip to Cedar Key tomorrow, probably with a few stops along the way.