To the country...

We retreated to the country this weekend. My husband's family has a "clubhouse" out in the country in south Georgia. It's a place so far away from anything. The clubhouse is mainly used for my father-in-law's hunting weekends, but every once in a while Jim and I retreat there for a quite weekend and to get back in touch with nature. We took a 2 1/2 hour hike Saturday morning and saw deer, turkey, ducks, and hawks. We walked around the swamp area where last year we would have been in two feet of water, it was dry! It was so nice out too, this weekend was unseasonably warm for December. It was around 80 degrees! The above picture is of me on the top of a tree stand. A few years back a friend of mine from central Pennsylvania bought a tree stand for her husband for Christmas and I didn't know why. I couldn't figure out why she would buy a Christmas Tree stand for her husband. Little did I know, he was a hunter and that's what they call those things I am in. Had no clue! Apparently hunters sit up there to scout out deer. They have to climb up there with all their gear and wait patiently for the deer. They can't move, they have to check everything out by just moving their eyes from side to side for hours upon hours. You can't bring a good book along or listen to your ipod. And then once you see the deer you have to balance on the 2x2 foot platform while shooting your shotgun. Something I could never do. I could not even let go when I was up there, let alone balance with a shotgun in my hand and shoot while trying not to fall off from the backfire of the gun. I am impressed with hunters that can do that! The whole patience thing gets me... I wouldn't be able to last but 20 minutes. Anyway.... we had a good time and we are now back in the city. It's so good to get away sometimes. And the clubhouse is the perfect place.