One of those days... pic/heavy

[netman9]

"One of those days" or should I say two? We woke to a 4AM alarm with ducks and geese at the top of the list of things to do. Made the one hour drive to Lake Anna, epi center of 43 after shocks since the quake, splashed two boats with four youth hunters on a day just for them. What a set up as the sun lightened sky brightened the flooded creek set back in timber. Woodies should start plopping in any time now. Then, a big TOM flew from the far bank right across the decoys landing just out of site in the underbrush. The next hour was about as good as it gets... for turkeys and youth day for Fall turkeys was last Saturday. We still had fun as several birds surrounded us calling and the jakes giving us thier best gobble. Turns out the only action we had was the action of the buddy boat making right hand turns, steering failed and left was not an option.
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Check that off our list but not before Nolan sends us an update on his morning deer hunt or should I say squirrel hunt.
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Anyway, Item #2 was camping in the mountains over looking Skyline Drive and the Shenandoah National Park. Yep... over looking... looking down on... what a view.
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We're meeting a group of friends mountain top, some of which set camp Thursday spending a couple days with bow in hand. A neighbor left behind gave me a call asking for a ride. How could I say no. Turns out she brought the beer for the drive in... once you enter the gates to the property its a slow two beer drive to the top. Close the gate and boys are armed with wrist rockets and crabapples ready for the no trespassing signs and they were cracking us up the whole drive in, Wyatt taking 17, Nolan 22. Every now and then they would pair up on a sign with the apples making a loud pink against the tin signs. Think about the youth, standing in the bed of the truck on a logging road shooting and hitting their targets on the go.
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One beer down and I spy a mule/gator heading down in our direction thinking one of our crew? Turns out he was a nieghbor on the mountain that shared the road. This is where our traveling companion looks over and says her famous saying, "God, I love our life!" Turns out the guy was heading down after a successful hunt.
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This is going to be a good time as we crack the second bottle with lime to finish our trip to the top. The weather forecast couldn't be better with clear sky's, next to no wind and upper twenty's!
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Speaking of clear sky's, a couple set and ready for dark!
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Darkness finally came with cold temps and our time to gather the eleven kids in camp for a lesson on how not to get a fire going.
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Gas and roman candle in mouth... DON'T... I REPEAT... DON'T DO THIS!!!
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Or you could start a huge fire... chairs and all!!!
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Go back to that last picture of the fire. See the roman candle smoke trail from the guy still holding it in his mouth?
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Lights out... kids to your tents...
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Ok. Fast Foward to Sunrise.
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I missed the red sun as my camera was some 1/4 mile from where I was standing when one of the kids spotted first light as we stood around the morning "kids fire". Funny how the sun just sits there until you look for a camera then it rises in under thirty seconds lighting the sky for impossible shots.
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Food? Almost forgot, what camp would be complete without food?
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Dinner
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And the most amazing breakfast.
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You ever wonder what 50...fifty eggs would look like in an omelet?
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Some of the kids including Nolan, Wyatt and there good friend Kevin headed out early for native trout in a stream on the back side of the mountain returning for cleaup duty.
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And my favorite fire side picture of Ewing enjoying a cup of hot chocolate.
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Fishing... They got after the native Brooks between first light and nine o'clock breakfast call... fish landed? Nolan quit counting after twenty and the others never started with a count. Boys did manage a few pics on their phones they shared with me.
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Size doesn't matter when looking for trophy trout. Bait? You know what they use when spinning and not using the fly.
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Broke camp and headed off the mountain late morning not headed for home.
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But to the body of water the native trout stream dumps into for some keepers to take home.
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There you go, I could post a ton more pictures of fish... but I won't... "One of those days", or should I say two? Netman

[Agitated88]

that is freaking awesome!!!!!

[gottaflylee]

God I love your story's with the kids. Great pictures and I felt as if I was with you guys and now I see you are also a Pyro at heart...

Thanks for taking the time to share with us...It Is All About The Kids!!!