Opening day of rifle season in Maine. All of us that hunt look forward to this day. This day means to each of us something very important.
As I sat in the woods during my morning hunt I began to think about previous opening days. Then it popped in my brain. This is the first year that my dad and I have not been able to go out opening morning. Of course, I had realized that he wasn’t going to be able to go this year. We had talked about it. My dad a few weeks back fell ten feet onto a concrete floor at work. He suffered from broken ribs, cracked head, and a dislocated shoulder. On Friday, the day before opening season he went in for surgery to relocate his shoulder. This of course meaning he wouldn’t be ready to shoot on opening morning.
For the past several years it has become tradition for dad and I to go hunting in Mariaville on opening morning. We walk up an old tote road to a power line. This is where we sit and rest. Oh yeah, and talk. Dad loves to talk. We then walk back down the same tote road to the car. This whole thing takes place in about an hour. We then take a ride around the loop and dad tells me stories of “the good old days” when he and his former hunting buddy used to go. He tells me the same stories year after year. Our hunt always ends with breakfast at Sylvia’s. I arrive home about 8:30. My wife every year says “your back already? Don’t you have to be in the woods to shoot a deer”?
I take hunting pretty serious and would prefer to spend the morning until lunch time in the woods. My dad’s view after hunting for 50 years is “i’ll take my gun for a walk to get some fresh air”.
Well dad, this year I took your gun with me for a “walk in the woods”. See I took dad’s 32 special with me on opening morning. As I sat there in the woods thinking about my dad laying in the hospital recovering from surgery my eyes filled up with tears. I looked at the gun and told myself “dad is with me today”.
Dad I can’t wait until we take that walk up the ole tote road next year on opening morning. Deer or no deer on opening morning is not what’s become important to me. What is important is that day my dad sets aside this day for me each year. He’s now 65 and eventually will not be able to make that trip. I realize that day is coming. The last Saturday in October, 2007 in my calendar book is already set aside for “hunting with dad” day.
Thanks for the great memories dad. Thanks for making opening morning special to me. I look forward to making more special memories of opening day with you.
