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Austin j wilder's avatar

Congratulations on your first deer. Are you going to eat the heart? I've enjoyed it from time to time. My favorite teaching about hunting is "Never pass up a animal the opening day that you will be happy to kill the last day. "

Deer are crazy animals. They know when hunting season is and change how they act during it.

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Tommy's avatar

No, I didn't take the heart home this time. I was flustered and rushed as it was getting dark. I'll likely do so next time.

Some bear or coyote likely got a nice treat.

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Austin j wilder's avatar

You going to do anything with the hide?

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Tommy's avatar

Unfortunately no. I'll ask them to tan it for me next time for sure.

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Austin j wilder's avatar

I always want to make a blanket with them but having dogs might be a bad idea

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Sheryl Rhodes's avatar

Congratulations! As a Pennsylvania native, I am curious as to what you think about living in our natural environment vs. the completely different experience of nature and climate in Southern California? For me, it was almost horrifying to visit CA as a teen because of the difference--the general lack of clouds, the lack of trees, "rivers" that were concrete channels, hills that were brown instead of green. I was wondering if you had a similar reaction going west to east?

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Tommy's avatar

Hi Sheryl! Hope allis well and you're enjoying this holiday season and snow.

I had lived in TN for several years prior so was used to being around woods-lite. I say "lite" because I think it's much more intensely wooded here but that may be because I live in North Pocono.

I don't remember the shock, but do regularly look off into the woods and appreciate how much it draws me out. I just want to be on my feet walking through them all the time.

CA definitely has a concrete and brown look to it, but I've found beauty there too. Away from the cities there are gorgeous deserts and the mountains are real mountains. People call where I live the Pocono Mountains and it took me awhile to realize that I was on a "mountain." I grew up with Mountains where we camped at more than 5,000 feet and still were nowhere near the top. North Pocono to me is a collection of hills.

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Sheryl Rhodes's avatar

"I don't remember the shock, but do regularly look off into the woods and appreciate how much it draws me out. I just want to be on my feet walking through them all the time."

I feel that way more and more since the Crud locked us down and forced me to re-connect with the natural world if I wanted to get out of the house. Now I am anxious to get out of the house and feel the daylight on my face.

The Poconos are beautiful and ITA they are big hills, not mountains lol. I'm originally from southwestern PA where there are some more dramatic big hills that are part of the Appalachians. If you've never been, maybe the fam would enjoy a trip to Pittsburgh and then south into the mountains. There's cool stuff like caves and battlefield sites and an amusement park called Idlewild with its Story Book Forest. Also Ohiopyle natural water wonder and Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic house, Falling Water.

Ah, now I miss home! Anyway, congrats on starting a Substack and have a very Merry Christmas!

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Tommy's avatar

Merry Christmas Sheryl!

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Sheryl Rhodes's avatar

Oh and if you are wondering who I am, we met at the Unsafe Space retreat last year and I saw your substack just now from your Facebook page.

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Robert Hartley's avatar

Just awesome!!!! Congratulations

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Tommy's avatar

Many thanks!

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