Chapter 13 The Guys Go To Deer Camp

After seven hours on the road, the guys are finally nearing the cabin.

Basil's Granddad built the cabin 60 years ago. Over the years, family history has accumulated, the kids little fishing rods and life preservers, the new chair and the hooks to hang the bows on. But some things have stayed the same. Granddad's pin-up picture is still on the wall. The wood stove is still temperamental. The log foot rest is still the place to find magazines, newspapers and flashlights.

When the cabin was first built it was a tiny little one room building.

A picture of Basil's Dad from a long, long time ago.

Elissa won't let Matt wear do-rags at home. He's up here in the wilderness and he's going to wear his do-rag. The chill still hasn't gotten out of the cabin corners, two more chunks of wood should bring the heat up.

"Well guys, I'm going out to catch up on my reading, don't wait up!"

"Basil, remember when your Granddad took us out to shoot the stump with his muzzle loader? Your Granny was hollering out the door, '"The boys are only eighteen. Do you really think they should be learning to handle that pistol?"' Pete smiled.

Laughing, Basil reminisced, "She used to have dinner ready, so that when we brought the fish in, the fry pan was spitting grease."

"Tyler won't let me have fish fried in grease," Pete grumbled. "We should bring the boy and come up for a week in the summer so he can have some man time. The way he cried when we left yesterday, just about broke my heart."

"His dad was wiping his eyes for the first fifty miles," Basil agreed.

Russ was over at the bow rack getting a good look at Granddad's pin-up. "She was quite a beauty, wasn't she?" he asked the guys.

Basil smiled with fond memories, "He heard her sing in a saloon. Granddad said she sounded like an angel. Granny always pretended to hate that picture, but she always made sure it was hanging straight and dusted."

"Russ, do you remember the time Basil's Dad brought us up here and the porcupine was chewing the porch step?" Pete grinned. "We sure learned a lot of new words that day!"

"Hey Basil, what did you see on your scouting drive today?" Russell questioned.

"It didn't start off well. Someone had put some squash and pumpkins under a pine and a group of reindeer were feeding. There was a picture in my mind of the six older children telling me not to shoot any of Uncle Santa's reindeer."

"A quarter mile further into the woods, I found a huge buck rub."

"The Huron River was flowing fast today. Even with seeing it all my life, water that looks like root beer still boggles my mind."

"The cedar is still growing out of the stump in the pond."

"That big old rock is still at the corner."

"Finally I spotted a doe. By that time, I needed more gas and lunch. So I headed for the crossroads. It is going to be another great deer camp!" Basil finished.

"Now if only we remember to get another deck of cards tomorrow. I still can't believe Matt used the cards to start the fire." Russell griped.

"And if we remember to get some chips 'n dip, a couple bags of cookies and some thick steaks," Pete added.

"And if we remember to call home tomorrow," Basil contemplated.

"And if we remember to get another memory card for the camera so we can get plenty of pics," Matt concluded.

This episode is for my husband. A man who loves the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and deer hunting.