I was over my parents until late last night for the family dinner and then I watched the Redskins game with my dad. Otherwise, I would have posted first about yesterday.

I really had a great time too, as did my dad. I was really impressed with his shooting yesterday, and am wondering if it is just easier for him to pick up the targets in the wide open sky versus in the woods at the PG Trap & Skeet course. Then again, maybe it was because he didn't get much sleep the night before and he was working on auto pilot. He was out playing cards the night before and slept the entire ride home.

For those interested in scores, Skeet was the big wiener. Oh, I meant winner. He beat the second place guy by 2 birds.

Regarding the pheasant, I was about a mile behind that thing when I pulled the trigger. The waders and dog were about 70 miles away at home and since I just got over one heck of a cold (i.e., just finished up my antibiotics in the middle of last week), I decided to pass on having to retrieve the pheasant. It was pretty neat to see a pen raised pheasant flush that hard and that straight away with its head down. Most of the pen raised birds I have shot have flushed straight up.

My father raising me probably qualifies him for sainthood. However, if it doesn't, raising my two brothers and two sisters certainly does. He and I have had our moments over my 34 years, but he is still my best friend and always will be, and God help the person that talks bad about him in front of me.

When my sister and her boyfriend found out that we went to Pintail Pointe and didn't invite them, they were kind of pissed. However, my excuse was that I was shooting with some professionals and then I had to let them know that Greg, my sister's boyfriend, might have shot Skeet for flirting with my sister, or maybe my dad might have. LOL I really don't want to participate in a murder trial anytime soon.

All kidding aside, Skeet is really a people guy (i.e., he gets to know everybody). Or is it that he is a lady's man? Let me think, he talked to about 20 women yesterday and 2 or 3 guys. I'll let you guys make up your mind on that one, and don't believe him when he tells you it was me talking to all the women. LOL

It was also nice to see that many women out shooting yesterday. To keep our sport going, whether it be shooting or hunting, I think we need to introduce as many people as possible to it. It was also nice to see some kids out there shooting.

Del & Skeet, we should try to get together again. I've got two pretty good fields for resident geese, but sometimes they are hit or miss. I'll let you know if the geese start using them. One farm, about 200 acres, still has its corn up. My motto is, "Have guns, will travel." If you guys want to shoot clays again or go on a hunt together, just let me know. It is always a good time to hang out with light hearted, happy people, that know how to have a great time.

Rubicon, I'll invite you too. Hopefully, you won't be on call next time.

Hey guys- Rub it in!!!!!- I spent Sunday on the dark side of the bridge at a nursing home with water pouring out of the bricks in the front of the building- maybe next time, sounds like you all had a great day though. Ill be heading to Deale Island this weekend. Fabs, you could a come down the road and got rusty to get that pheasant for you. Would a only taken about 10 mins each way.

I never assume that I can borrow anybody's dog, but I'll keep it in mind the next time I have a shot at a pheasant over water at Pintail Point. Seriously, when I started my swing I had the entire intention of killing that bird, but right as I was catching up to it I thought about the water and stopped the gun when I pulled the trigger. No sense killing game for nothing.

By the way, why is my side of the bridge termed the "Dark Side"? Skeet had been using that term on Sunday and now you are. We probably have more lights on this side of the bridge than you guys have over there. LOL

If I could make a living on the Eastern Shore and also convince the wife to move out there, I probably would. Heck, I have been looking at houses and property up in Washington County. I could sell this townhouse and buy a really nice house up there for just a little more than the sales price of this townhouse. Plus, I would be a lot closer to a couple farms I hunt up there. Then again, I would be a lot further from the Eastern Shore. Maybe Montgomery County is where I am going to have to stay (i.e., between all the good hunting spots).

Fabs- Dark side has nothing to do with street lights- closest thing to a street light in my neighborhood is the beacon at Bloody Point lighthouse. When I started looking to buy a house I first thought about Calvert County ( have a son in Solomons) but didnt like the thought of route 4 which just keeps getting worse. Made a trip from the dark side to the right side of the bridge and put a deposit on this house one week later and closed three weeks later and I havent regretted it. Commute is 15 mins quicker than it was from Deale and no traffic lights. We have lawyers over here too. Greta Suskrin lives over here -but she commutes .

Skeet, I cant begin to imagine what it must have been like down at Deale Island. They say you could hunt anywhere around here until it started building up. Neighbor said his goose blind was his back porch for years. I lost the last place I had to hunt on the dark side this year. Farmer let a guy hunt and he fell out of a climber and is now suing the farmer so now not even the farmers family can hunt it.

Rubicon,

You have got to be kidding me about the hunter suing the farm owner. I cannot believe that one. First off, I cannot believe that the hunter even has a case against the landowner, especially if he didn't pay the landowner anything to hunt on the property. Even if the landowner were paid by the hunter, the landowner would not have a duty to the hunter other than letting him know about know dangers. I am praying that this is a lie by the landowner, because this really makes attorneys look bad. Plus, I have no idea why the farmer's family cannot hunt the land.

It sucks, but farmers and landowners should include a disclaimer in all permission forms. It really sucks nowadays where a person cannot get oral permission from a landowner because the law says so, and a landowner cannot give oral permission without worrying about being sued later (i.e., the farmer needs a permission form with a disclaimer/release in it. I have had a landowner ask me to put a Hold Harmless clause in my permission form, and I was more than glad to do it. The Maryland DNR should come up with a simple Hold Harmless permission form for the landowners and hunters to use. That will make everybody feel more comfortable about these things.

As far as the Dark Side reference is concerned, I understand the meaning. Kind of like the Dark Side of the Force in Star Wars. I hunted Deale Island once in my life about 9 years ago and it was pretty good back then. There were 4 of us and we split into two groups. The other two guys limited out and me and my hunting buddy got 2 ducks a piece. That was my first time hunting ducks with the intent of hunting them (i.e., I shot ducks before, but just because I got lucky while hunting other animals). That was the experience that really got me hooked.

As far as development is concerned, when I was younger my dad would always point out places that he hunted quail in PG County. I thought he was out of his mind because he was showing me parking lots at shopping centers or housing developments. I was too young to understand "progress".

As far as moving to the Eastern Shore, it would be tough for me because all of my clients are from around here. I would be driving a lot to see them and the drive from the Eastern Shore towards DC in the morning is pretty tough, not to mention the drive back in the afternoon. Right now, I am pretty close to the middle of the state and I have been in Court in Washington County, Frederick County, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Howard County, Calvert County and Charles County. Most of the small businesses that I am working with are located in Montgomery, Baltimore, and Prince George's County. At the end of the day, it would be easier for my wife to work as a pharmacist on the Eastern Shore than it would be for me to continue my practice. Heck, we were debating whether or not to move to North Carolina because they were offering $300,000 for pharmacists down there and a 5,000 sf house with a pool, 6 bedrooms, 5 baths, 6 acres, and a 2,500 sf separate garage (i.e., my dream garage) was only $600,000. I told the wife that I would be a stay at home daddy and take the kids hunting and fishing when they were old enough. The big problem is leaving my family and friends from this area.

Dark sides and other things
 

Fabs...Dark side has a basis of reference to the movie Star Wars. The Dark Side of the Force. Most people who used to live over there and moved here seem to have had their eyes opened and they can see the light...again. Therefore you live on the dark side of the bay. Rubicon is right too. There are attorneys over here . And you could sell that townhouse and buy a mansion over here. Just think...I saw about 50 cars go past my lane today..maybe 60....maybe less. I really don't count. Used to. There were days 20 yrs ago when I saw as many as 3 or 4. Of course there are always tradeoffs to everything. With all the dark side folks living over here you can surely make a good living here.

Now I have to make another statement. . In regards to Fabs and Delduckas well as Aldo(Fab's father).. we really did have a great time yesterday..and I am always up for doing the same thing again. I am always a little hard on Fabs...just because he needs it. BUT he is a good guy and a good shot. None of us wanted to go swim for that pheasant for certain. I had him dead to rights at 20 ft...and didn't shoot. Always enjoy shooting or hunting with gentlemen. I always figgered some of that gentleman stuff would rub off on me. Sometimes it does. I'm just a down home country boy. Oh and I talked to more than 3 or 4 men too. It had to be at least 6 or 7...not counting the trap kid. But I must admit...I do like the wimmin folks better than them ol hairy men for certain.

Rubicon..I can remember going down to Deal Island when I was a kid. It was unbelieveable. Miles of marsh before ya got there. And Elliott Island. One lane road with turnouts to let people pass... In the middle of a marsh Don't run off there or you are gone. Even Kent Island. I remember when the prison camp was down there. The prisoners used to get out on some little docks they had ther and catch crabs to eat. And I literally knew 90 or more percent of the people who lived there. Watermen and farmers...and hunting the Turkey point farm. Ducks and geese galore and a dirt road down to it. Got to end this discourse. Anyway.. You have to make it out with us for something soon. Weather is ok for another month for fun stuff Let's do it again before all the nasty weather hits. Next time I'll even try to shoot better!!

Skeet,

You aren't supposed to be confessing. That takes all the fun out of it. By the way, most of my friends and family are hard on me too. However, I give as good as I get. Even though my friends and family are tough on me, I know they care about me and I do likewise. However, if a supposed friend shows me that he is not a loyal friend and/or he does not care about me, they are no longer my friend. I don't ask that my friends not make fun of me, I just ask that they don't make fun of me when they know I am hurt.

As far as getting together again, I am always up for it, even if the weather is crappy. I know I said I don't usually shoot in the rain, but Skeet should remember me shooting in PA in a down pour. The rain doesn't bother me when I am having a great time.

Skeet, you might say that you are a country boy, but it seems to me that most of the country boys are the gentlemen out there. If there is one thing I notice when I am in the "country", it is that people in the country are more courteous than people in the city. In the country, people say please, thank you, and your welcome. People hold doors open in the country, they stop at stop signs, and they allow people to merge in traffic. That isn't how it is in the city. People are always in a hurry around here, that they don't usually help other people. Almost everybody thinks about themselves only. I saw my neighbor struggling trying to change his car battery today when I went out to check my oil. I looked at his tools and knew he was going to be in for a long night, so I offered to help him. It took us 15 minutes to get it changed and he was pretty happy about the help. He even offered to watch my dog for me if I need it. As far as I am concerned, you are a gentleman Skeet.

Elliott Island isn't too bad. Granted, it isn't like it used to be, but it isn't too bad.

As far as shooting goes, I'll try better to keep pace with you next time and I'll pay attention to the score sheet a little better. LOL Usually, I keep track of the targets I miss, but I was having so much fun that I never really kept track. Then again, I'm not too good with math.

One of my hunting buddies lived on Deale Island summers as a kid. His dad bought a piece of swamp land and started clearing it by hand, built a little cabin in his back yard in Bowie and carted it over there piece by piece and assembled it, drove a pipe in the ground for a well and they had indoor water even though it was not drinkable. I think Crash was about 6 . then his dad bought a used aluminum boat with a small outboard and said when you can pull the cord and start it you can run it. Once he got it started he ran the devil out of it and a little mini bike. We went by the old house on our last trip down there. Have another buddy at work that grew up down there also. His parents have now passed away and he has two houses and a bunch of land on the island. I hear about how these areas were and know wha t life was in the mountains and it makes me even more certain I was born 100 years too late!

Yeah, we say that we were born 100 years too late, but I think things are just fine as they are. There is always something to complain about. 100 yeas ago, the standard of living was much worse than it is today and there weren't many, if any, cars around. Travel was pretty much unheard of and you died a lot younger.

If hunting were as good today as it was 100 years ago and we had the technology of today, then I would be in heaven. However, this is called real life. Heaven comes later.