Between the morning and the afternoon hunt, we spent Saturday messing around camp and target shooting. I swear those boys shot thousands of BBs and spent a lot of the day wanting to "shoot the big guns"
The Island King and I shot targets with his 22 and I'll have you know that I did really well. I nailed the bulls-eye on the target repeatedly and any shots that weren't directly in the bulls-eye were in the circle right next to it.
The fact that I did so well made the Island King nervous so he decided that he needed to sit and rest the gun while he shot - just so that he got at least as many bulls-eyes as I did LOL He claims he did it because his back was hurting but I know better.
I don't know why he was worried - the man has a really good aim and usually ends up hitting his target every time and this time was no different. He literally tore the center out of the target. I used the rest the next time I shot and while I hit the bulls-eye every time I didn't come close to ripping it apart like he did.
The Oldest Island Boy is an amazing shot. He has a really steady hand and a good eye and it won't be long before he can outshoot his father. He consistently nails the bulls-eye every time - and he doesn't need a gun rest LOL
The Youngest Island Boy is still a little shaky and he never did get a bulls-eye but did hit the target every time which is pretty good for a little dude.
It wasn't long before the Oldest wanted to shoot his Dad's shotgun. He knows it's loud and I think he was torn between being excited and being scared. His dad set him up and he took a shot at a barrel on the other side of the field.
The look on his face right after he fired it was priceless
And he nailed it right in the center!
He was so excited and he said "Mom, you've got to take my picture with the barrel!"
He then shot the gun so many times that he now has a big bruise on his shoulder. He told me that he didn't mind because it was worth it LOL
The Youngest wanted to shoot the shotgun too but he isn't really big enough so he and his dad shot it together.
They did a great job of hitting a can and he was as proud of his can as his brother was of that barrel.
Right before dark we heard the weather man on the radio saying it was getting to get pretty cold that night and to expect a light frost on the ground. I don't like to be cold so I sent the boys out to restock our fire wood pile.
While the Youngest and the Island King were on their afternoon hunt the Oldest decided it was time to start a fire. He built a really good base and then asked if he could use my lighter to start it. He's not allowed to use a lighter but I decided that we could make an exception this time. He sat there trying over and over to light a small piece of lightered knot but never could get it to stay lit. After about 1/2 an hour he said "I really wanted to start a fire and surprise Dad when he got back but I just can't get it lit." He then asked what I would do if I needed to start a fire. I smiled and said "I'd go over there to my bag and get one of those little fire starter sticks, light it and put it in there"
He thought about that for a minute and then asked if that was cheating. "I don't know if it's cheating but it's getting cold and if I were in charge of the fire I would use one" I told him. He grinned, got a fire starter and made us a really good fire.
We cooked up a delicious beef stew that night and ate it with some cornbread I brought from home and warmed by the fire. I believe this is the best stew I've ever eaten.
We spent the rest of the evening sitting by the fire, roasting marshmellows and talking about everything that had happened that day. It wasn't long before eyes started drooping and the boys headed off for bed. The Island King sat there for a little longer and then he couldn't hold his eyes open any longer and joined the boys in the tent.
I, on the other hand, was wide awake. I sat out by the fire for another hour, enjoying the sounds the woods make at night. It's amazing how much snapping, popping and creaking goes on out there at night.
Finally it was time for bed. Morning comes really early in a cold tent.Labels: Done
