Belle, Look there's a deer!!!

So after church this morning we took a drive. I'd wanted to get out and see what the rivers look like now that it has snowed and they are almost frozen if not frozen already. Tony and I have both realized that we aren't made for the city. Even though Austin is a smaller city we can't wait until the time comes that we can move out in the country.

After church we loaded up Belle and brought her along for the ride. She loves car rides. Everything is very pretty in the snow, the world just looks so clean. (Ask me in February if I still have the same sentiments about snow).

On our drive we saw a doe. Deer look awesome in the snow too. Than about 10 min later we say a spike buck and I believe he was an 8-pointer. Belle saw these too and she went nuts. She whined and whined and whined. The tail was a wagging and everything else was going on. It was pretty amusing. I didn't get a very good picture of them but I did manage a shot of them while they were running away. It's not the best but you should be able to make them out.

Dinner and Dancing

Last night we went to the plant's Christmas Party at the Austin Country Club. We had lots of fun...or at least I did. I can't speak for Tony but I think he had a good time. The appetizers were great....some tasty bacon among other things, and the meal was delicious as well.

After the dinner was some dancing. I saw some moves like I have never seen before.

It was a great relaxful event and it was a lot of fun to get all dressed up for a fancy night out.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

Here's a photo of our small but doable Christmas tree. I decorated it on a cold night this past week. We had Bing Crosby playing and Tony had started a fire. It was wonderful. All I needed was a nice cup of Hot Chocolate. We didn't manage to get the light up outside this year. We got snow the first couple of days we were back from Thanksgiving and it's been freezing since. Oh well, there is always next year.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Sorry I know this is a little late but it amazes me how time flies. I can't believe Christmas will be here soon. Tony and I went shopping today and I believe we are done with all that.

Wanted to tell you all about our Thanksgiving holiday. We left Austin around 4:30 and the drive was...umm...okay. It had been spitting outside all day and thank goodness Tony had replaced my windshield wiper a couple of days before, because it was difficult to see through the nasty rain and spotty snow. After we got through Des Moines, we got stuck in traffice for about 30min. For those of you that haven't driven South of Des Moines on I-35...there is nothing, I repeat nothing that should make traffic at a standstill. Apparently a lane was closed because they have been doing construction. Well, the lane wasn't actually closed, people just saw the sign that it was and so they got into the other lane, like any good driver would do. But it still sucked...mostly because I was driving.

The rest of the trip down was pretty uneventful and we didn't have any blinker problems this time either so I was thankful for that.

Thanksgiving Day we woke up, watched the beginning of Macy's Thanksgiving Day, and heard mom say her famous line (and it wouldn't be Thanksgiving if she didn't say it), "_____ number of years ago I was getting ready to march in this parade. We had to wake up at 5:30 to be there." Mom, I thought I wouldn't share your age with the whole world :)

For dinner we went to Grandma Sally's home and had a wonderful meal with our wonderful family. It was a pretty low key day which was perfect. It was a nice time to just sit around, relax, have good conversations, and eat some wonderful pie and peach cobbler.

Friday, I went shopping with my mom and sister while Tony took off with Wayne and Joe to run the trap line. If I remember right they caught a couple of beavers.

We didn't get up at the crack of dawn to go shopping, we left around 7:30 which was fine by us. We ended up with a few bargins and had a wonderful lunch at Carlos O'Kellys. I can't tell you how bad I've been craving it. It was delicious.

Friday night, the Michaelis' came to visit. It's always great when we get to see you guys. Maddie and Emma we miss you bunches and Conner you are so goofy. Good luck with the rest of the school year.

Also that night we headed to the Paxico bar for a couple of drinks with Adam and Loretta. Glad we could catch up!! Sorry the bar closed so early :)

Saturday we had Thanksgiving with the Erikson side at Mom and Dad's. Once again the food was great! Elaine made rolls....yum. For those of you that don't know, when I was younger my Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter meals mostly consisted of 4 rolls, some corn, mashed potatoes and a small, very small amount of turkey with ketchup. Have had since broadened my choices but rolls still get me every time. At least now I eat more of the other stuff and no ketchup on the turkey.....I'm a big girl now...haha. Oh, and I also discovered I have a new found love, sweet potatoes. Never used to eat the things, the orange turned me off, but oh my I didn't know what I was missing. We even had a "fake" Thanksgiving earlier this week with a couple of friends and I was super excited because I didn't have to wait until the next big family meal to have sweet potatoes :) Oh the little joys in life.

Anyways that afternoon the boys all took off to the farm to do some shooting. I hear they had a pretty good time and everyone came back in one piece.
Us girls played some Taboo and went for a walk(Jack and Dee, once again I apologize if Belle has made Allie terrified of large dogs). It was such a BEAUTIFUL day.

When we got back for our walk the boys were home. During the rest of the afternoon into night football was watched, battleship was played, puzzles were started, and I learned that I need to learn more of my historical/national landmarks thanks to my ten year old cousin during a game of Catch Phrase. (Thanks John, I don't think there was any way I was going to come up with Old Faithful...but it took you no time.)

Sunday we had to head back. Nothing too exciting on the drive home except we almost ran out of gas, and then once again while I was driving we got stuck in traffice for at least 40min.

Tony and I are so very thankful for each and everyone of our family and friends. We have been very blessed this year. With buying our new home, graduating college, and starting the next chaper of our lives. It's hard to be away from everyone and we miss you all greatly.But I truly believe this was God's plan for us at least for the time being. No one knows what the future holds but we just have to put our faith in Him that He will lead us through.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays mostly because there is no fuss. It's simple. Just food, family and fun. I thank God every single night for the gifts that He has blessed me with and I ask Him every night to watch over my loved ones and continue to provide for us all.

May each and everyone of you continue to be happy, healthy and loved.

Love you all,
Lisa and Tony

Last day of water trapping

Well I have had some traps out this last week but haven't had much luck. The beaver ditch is frozen but I set 4 traps in runs under ice and a baited set. Four days set out and no beavers. Two muskrats in the four days, but one had been chewed up by a mink so I left it there. One snare was closed but no action with coyotes other than that. I set coon traps on the river on Thursday. It is a nice shallow river that is easy to walk through. A lot of coon sign was around too. I put out 20 sets in about 3/4 mile.

That night got down to 2 degrees with the windchill and it stayed that way until noon of Thursday. I was not optimistic that the coon would be out, and decided to pull all traps. I could almost walk on the beaver ditch ice but most wouldn't hold me. I was cutting ice with my hammer/digger tool. When I got out of the water my waders would turn to ice in about a minute. But, my feet stayed nice and warm with the trucks heater.

On to the river with my boat in the back. I was pretty disappointed when I got to the bridge and saw that most of the river was froze over. There were a few areas of fast flowing water that weren't ice. I grabbed a 5 gallon bucket and my tool and took off into the water. I have to stay in the water to stay legal. Again, not enough ice to support me, but enough for me to keep trying. It was about 1 1/2 inches thick in the thick places. At least I knew the water depth from the day before. I would say I had to break the ice for about half the distance I had sets. I went about a hundred yards and thought I had sets but couldn't see them. I dig a hole in the bank and have my trap at the bottom in the water. All I do is look for a hole in the bank and know that my trap is there. I realized when I got to a place where I knew exactly where a trap was that my trip just became a lot harder. All of my holes were under the ice! I had no way of knowing where my traps were.

So I had to go to the spots where I knew I had sets, but also every spot that I thought looked like a good set, because I may have set a trap there and forgot it. I had to go to the side of the bank where I knew or thought I might have a set and stomp down the ice until I felt my trap go off. If it never went off, I drug my metal tool on the bottom and tried to feel or hear the chink of metal. It was tough but I got all of my traps out of there.

Heading back got to be a chore. I believe the five gallon bucket weighed about 40 lbs and got very heavy. I think it would have been twice that much if I was using rebar stakes. Once my bucket got filled up, I started putting traps inside my waders. (Bet thinking of that will make you laugh). I was relieved that on the way back I already had a trail broke through the ice and I could just walk on out. WRONG! About halfway out the ice had refrozen over my trail. That really broke my spirit. Also, there is a small pinhole in the right leg of my waders. I put duct tape around them and it helped a little, but not much. I felt my right foot getting pretty wet. I knew I needed to get out of there and back to my warm truck where dry socks awaited.

You might have a picture in your head about a poor little boy freezing and barely moving in the icy water, but that wasn't the case. I'm sure I looked strange with trap chains and cables coming out of the top of my waders and shiny duct tape on the bottom of them, and you'd think I would be shivering in the 2 degree windchill,but I was sweating once I got back to the truck. I was glad to see that none of my traps had been taken out of the boat on the back of my truck. I got in my cab and couldn't find my emergency socks that I now remember are under a jumper seat in the backseat. I stripped off my waders, which was difficult because they were practically an icicle. My right pant leg was wet from the knee down, and my sock was soaked. This was the first day I've driven any vehicle barefoot. I didn't have another pair of boots, and the warm air felt good.

My boat is put away for the winter. The coon and muskrat are still sitting in the garage hard as rocks. I couldn't get the christmas lights hung up because there is snow covering the roof. I didn't get the mud tires put on my truck soon enough for the snow. My trapping season has now switched to ice season, and now I must wait until it gets thick enough to walk on. Lisa and I went Christmas shopping today and it felt good to stay warm all day.

So far this season, I've caught about 60 coon, 20 muskrats, 6 beaver, 4 mink, 2 possoms, and 1 red fox. From now on I'm going after mostly beaver and muskrat.

If you're still wondering, no I didn't catch anything that day.