What do babies dream?

I woke up this morning and as always, I spent a little time staring at my beautiful little girl.

She was dreaming, making little whiny sounds and her eyes were moving quickly beneath her eyelids.

I wonder, what was she dreaming of? Something bad, something perhaps that had to do with something she saw on TV?
While we try to limit her time in front of the TV to only a hour here and there of baby educational programming, I suppose it is possible she saw more? Perhaps just that instant she saw the video game I was playing? Hard to say, however in general she is a very happy baby with lots of love and kisses, so I would think it would be a happy dream.

I lay and wonder, what is it that babies do dream? Is it puppies and stuffed animals with rattling toys in the mix? Maybe it was lots of strangers tickling her feet? Maybe she was staring up through the truck window watching the clouds as we drove down the road, her tiny hand gripping her soft doll.

I tucked my finger into her hand, I closed my eyes and tried to Imagine her dreams. I thought of a nice meadow, with short grass and flowers glistening in the gentle sunlight. It brought a smile to my face as I thought of our cowdog playing gently with her, and our cat strutting about, rubbing his side upon her as she crawled about in bliss.

Try as I could to empty my mind, I could come up with nothing more, I opened my eyes and satisfied myself simply watching her little arms curl up tight. I loved the comfort the sheets brought as she pulled them tight beneath her chin.

Whatever it is she dreams, I pray it is always happy and about a big and bright future.

I hope that is what we all dream from now on, puppies, soft plush toys and others that rattle, all the while being covered by the loving kisses of your older hairy sister with her nub tail wagging in bliss.

Is there any shame not hunting for a trophy?

Today I was asked by my someone, who is new to hunting if there is any shame in not hunting for a trophy? He stated he was really only interested in the meat, to me that answered his own question, and I said so.

To understand trophy hunting, one must understand wildlife conservation in Montana.
The Idea of "Sporting Hunting" in the US came to be as a method for preserving animals which were on the verge of extinction.

Sportsman's groups came together and helped to push this Ideal for fair chase and other aspects, to help the population grow.

Now that population has not only recovered, it is at a point where more need to be culled and more hunting involvement is a good thing.

Now mind you, I have never been one for sport hunting as I do not believe that giving a creatures only chance is to not be seen, or for you to be miss, is sporting at all, at least that has always been my mentality.

So as long as I can remember I harvested the first deer that came before me and usually a doe as well, filling my tags my duty was over.

Over the years I was often pressured to leave the young ones and to hunt old ones, by people who pretended to care, who pretended they were hunting for any reason other than bragging rights. I did so for a bit of time, but came to my senses and went back to simply filling my freezer.

Now mind you, I still have trophy's, which are more memories than anything else, I think the hunt itself is something to remember, and most come with a good story.

Above the doorway to my kitchen hands a small rack of a deer that by any standards is anything but a trophy. That deer however was hard to get, he dodged between trees and presented a hard shot, one that I would be proud of. A trophy by book standards he is not, but my Idea of adventure, he is the best trophy of them all.


Make your hunt your own, get out, enjoy yourself, the experience is wonderful and sharing that experience with friends and family can lead to a lifetime of memories.

The US needs animals culled, and by saving your tag year after year for those big ones only, you are not helping keep the animal population where it needs to be.

In the end it really should be about doing your part to eat healthy and understand where your food comes from, and it should truly be about appreciating what you are doing.
I am ok with you not eating what you kill, just so it goes to someone else who will.

"How horrible is it that another living being died to rot in your freezer"~Jennifer Adams

The Poker Playing Pseudo Muslim.

Not long after the American invasion of Iraq I was sitting around, as I did nearly nightly playing poker with the same group of guys.

Our games were the norm typical with a poker game, lots of jabbing, anything to distract each other to pull a few dollars off someone else, and way too much cig smoke in the air.

On this particular night the conversation was about those damn evil muslims, nothing uncommon, but it seemed a bit worse than normal. "Damn Rag Heads, what good are they?"
"Turn the entire middleast to Glass" on and on, you have heard it all before.

I am sitting there quietly, (I know you are shocked) taking it all in and waiting for my move. The cocktail waitress comes by asking each person if they would like something to drink, I would be the last person she would ask me last and I would hold up my hand and say "Allah forbids it" Nothing new for me, I rarely had even a beer when I went out, but that fact was not noticed.

The table became deathly silent, you could hear cloths brushing with restlessness against each chair as the players looked uncomfortably upon each other, and then down, staring at their chips, running them through their fingers.

I would leave it like this for a few hands, watching them scarcely breath, I waited until the waitress came back with their drinks, and then I would break the silence.

"Why the silence?" I would ask.

Someone broke it "Well now I know why you wear that damn dew rag all the time"

I would reply "ok, so for years now, nearly nightly I have sat and played poker with you fellahs, we have laughed, ribbed each other and generally had a good time, yet now, suddenly you think I am something which you do not understand so there is all kinds of hate" I paused. "So what is different now? nothing, I am the same person I always was, the same guy you play with night after night, without a worry, other than your wallets"
I smiled "Further, have none morons noticed I rarely ever drink anyhow?"
Not sure, they knew regardless the joke was on them.

Soon they would relax, and play would go on, with the usual banter continuing after that night.

Careful who you judge.






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