They're off on the hunt

Yesterday morning at 3am, the guys headed off to their hunting trip in western PA. For those of you who object to hunting, don't worry, I'm sure no deer will be hurt on this trip. This particular group of hunters has not come back with anything in about 7 years and I'm sure DHs lack of experience will not improve their lot at all.

Even so, we were not willing to let this trip go without a fair amount of ribbing. DH is taking a lot of gruff from the hunting party because this is his first trip and they feel the need to haze him. They are approaching his hazing in a rather adult way that can't be described on this blog. But they are very much making him the butt of their jokes, so to speak.

We, however are taking the Save Bambi approach. And so on the night after Thanksgiving, after a spaghetti and clam sauce dinner with the neighbors and our Kansas relatives, we plotted and laughed and came up with a few prime ideas.

The next day, Marianne and I headed out to see the Westcott House in Springfield, OH and on our way, we stopped at Centerville's own brand new Christmas Tree Shop (don't you just love a bargain?). Our aim was to pick up a few deer-related decorations to use in our plans.

The Christmas Tree Shop did not fail to provide us with all the wares we needed. A pair of antlers for Nova's head, a light up reindeer that nods it's head up and down, and a decorative door hanger in the shape of the head of a deer. It made the whole trip out on black Friday worth it. And we got 20% off everything we purchased.

At about 9PM on Friday night, DH headed upstairs to take a shower and hit the sack before his early wake-up call. We brought the light-up deer in and began to assemble it. We did not notice the directions attached to the little plastic bag on the plug, so we really struggled with this. Just for fun, we applied the antlers to Nova, and Marianne began to decorate the deer head with a few tears in silver Sharpie. A little sign reading "Please don't kill me!" would round out the decorations.

As we struggled to put the light-up deer together, Nova wandered around the kitchen in her antlers, and Marianne was decorating the deer face, DH decided he had to come downstairs to wrap up some last packing things. Cousin J warned us he was coming, and I ran out to the garage to stash the light-up reindeer while Marianne hid the deer face. We did our best innocent act.

Then he went out to the garage. Why? I hoped he didn't' notice the light up deer. Marianne and I were looking at each other across the kitchen with worry. As DH returned to the kitchen, I noticed that Nova still had her antlers on and she was prancing around the kitchen. I mouthed to Marianne, who was closer to her, to take the antlers off and she deftly slipped them off Nova's head. We hoped DH hadn't seen.

We had to wait until 10 to get out and set up the decorations. Our next door neighbor Miss T was in on the joke and planned to help us get into the car and set things up. The idea was to strap the lighted nodding deer onto the hood of their car like hunters do with their catch. But Miss T was asleep already. So Marianne and I had to set him up in the drive in front of Miss T's Car. That was the car the guys were taking on the hunt. We also could not put the crying deer face on the dashboard of the passenger seat where DH was going to sit for the ride. So we hung it on the mirror.

The next morning at 2:30, I was awakened to DH getting ready for the trip. So I slipped the antlers over Nova's head so he could see them when he came out of the bathroom. He almost didn't notice. So I asked him if he was going to leave without saying goodbye to his dog. Then he noticed. Nova was lying on the bed next to me with her head hanging sadly off the side. She doesn't really like these antlers and I think she was feeling a bit sorry for herself. So she looked like a sad dog-deer. Perfect. He cracked up and told her he was off to kill her sister.

I heard from Miss T later that day that the boys loved the light up reindeer in the drive way and the next day I got to talk to DH who appreciated the crying deer face on his door.

But wait till he returns. I plan on stringing that light-up-reindeer-with-the-head-that-nods-up-and-down up in a tree by it's back legs. This will probably be the only deer these guys get to see strung up in a tree. I'll have to take a picture when I do.