Boulder Mountain Grouse Hunt...and When it rains...it pours.

This year Shane forgot to put us in for the Sage Grouse hunt.  Allen couldn't believe it when he found out that Shane of all people had forgotten to enter us in the draw.  Hind sight being what it is, it is probably better that we didn't draw out this year because I would not have been able to hunt.  That being said, we could still hunt Blue Grouse.  Shane got everything ready to take our little family, to where his camp has been all summer, so we could enjoy a weekend on the mountain and he could take his pup out to hunt.  We loaded up on a Friday afternoon in September and headed out.  Friday night we got there just in time to set up camp and eat dinner.  He had invited Allen and Connie out the next day to get a load of firewood and then eat dinner with us.  It is always such a joy to be able to spend time with them.  They got there early enough that after the firewood was loaded the guys still had time to go hunting.  Connie, Haylie and I stayed in camp and played cards and visited.  We absolutely love to spend time in the outdoors as a family, and I am very sad that we didn't get to do more of it this year.  I am really looking forward to having "a great outdoors year" next year.

This is how Haylie spent a lot of her "down time."

The paper plate in the bush was her target.

Little "Princess Single Feather" was a pretty good shot. She kept shooting and shooting until she got it exactly where she wanted it.  She ended up putting it right in the middle of the bulls-eye before she went on to something else.

Shane, Brody, and Gunner with the day's kill. Way to go boys!

Getting Gunner to pay attention to me instead of the bird was not an easy task but I did end up with a pretty good picture. 

One afternoon the kids were helping pull weeds down by the fence when all of a sudden we had a massive rain storm.  We've had a lot of these this year.  It seems like we had never ending rain for several weeks.  I didn't have to water nearly as often as most years and for that I am indeed grateful.  I looked out my window just in time to see both of them dive under a tree and try to squeeze together so they didn't get soaked.  I immediately went for my camera.  Unfortunately, I didn't break any speed records and by the time I got outside Haylie had jumped ship and headed for the house.  Brody, on the other hand, waited out the storm for a little longer. 

Trying to stay dry.  I don't think it worked so well.

Headed for the house. 

Kind of wet and a little cold.  Besides, lightening was popping all around and this mama is a chicken and told him to get out from under that tree.