Friday, 11/13 (!)

 Two totally unrelated things today, the first being that my favorite three-year old in the world becomes my favorite four-year old in the world!

It's my nephew Abel's 4^th birthday tomorrow, and as he's growing up we have quite the interesting relationship. For the first two years of his life, he would cry every time he saw me. He didn't do that for anyone else; I was just the lucky person in that regard. Since then, though, he knows me as the uncle with the camera, and since Abel apparently wants to be a model when he grows up guess who's become one of his favorite people in the world?

Yup. That's me; coolest uncle in the world.

So happy birthday, Abel. And if anyone disagrees that maybe he might not become a model some day, look at one of the (hundreds) of pictures he's had his personal staff photographer take--

See what I mean?

8-)

*****

Secondly, happy Deer Season weekend! That’s a real holiday, right?

For the 22nd time (22 times???????) I present an epic “poem” (using the word rather loosely) to commemorate the U.P. national holiday. Even though I've never personally celebrated the holiday, I know a lot of people do. So if you are, I hope it's both a successful and safe day.

And remember—if you stay hydrated your hangover won't be as bad as it could be.

(jim@wmqt.com)

“’Twas the Night Before Deer Camp”,

by Jimmy Koski, grade 3.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE DEER SEASON

AND ALL THROUGH THE CAMP

HUNTERS WERE UNLOADED BEER CRATES

AND LIGHTING UP LAMPS

THE RIFLES THEY HUNG

IN THE PICKUP WITH CARE

IN HOPES THAT A 10-POINTER

SOON WOULD BE THERE

I IN MY ORANGE

MY BUDDY IN GREEN

SAT DOWN TO A CRIBBAGE GAME

THE BIGGEST EVER SEEN

WE PLAYED THROUGH THE NIGHT

AND EMPTIED THOSE CRATES

BUT MORNING SOON CAME

WE DIDN’T WANT TO BE LATE

WE SET OUT AT SUNRISE

AT DAWN’S EARLY LIGHT

PUT DOWN A BIG BAIT PILE

IN HOPES THAT BAMBI WOULD BITE

WE SAT AND WE WAITED

AND WAITED SOME MORE

I KEPT MY EYES OPEN

MY BUDDY STARTED TO SNORE

WHEN TO MY SURPRISE

STANDING RIGHT BY A TREE

WAS A BIG 12-POINT BUCK

MY PANTS I DID...WELL, NEVER MIND ABOUT THAT

I BROUGHT UP MY RIFLE

I LINED UP THE DEER

THEN MY BUDDY WOKE UP AND YELLED

“HEY--WHERE’S THE BEER?”

THE BUCK RAN AWAY

I LOWERED MY GUN

MY BUDDY JUST LAUGHED

SAID “LET’S HAVE SOME FUN”

WE WENT BACK TO DEER CAMP

AND HAD US A BALL

SO LET ME SAY THIS--

GOOD LUCK DEER HUNTING TO ALL...