Meet the Newest Member of our Family

I am really excited because we have a new member to the Hunt, Eat, Live! family. It has been nine long months getting to this point, but I am really excited that the wait is over and our new little package has finally arrived.

It began last fall, right around the same time as duck season started. The Wife and I were feeling like we needed something more to fill the house. The Boy and Daughter were growing up and it just seemed like the right time to bring another little two-legged critter into the house. I had actually been thinking about it for quite some time, probably a year or so. I was just looking for the right time to talk to The Wife about it. When I told her about my idea, I think she was a little surprised that I had been thinking about it for as long as I had.

The Wife was very open to the idea and we talked at length about what would be the "right time" - as if there is such a thing. We should have known that we were going to jinx ourselves because as soon as we had settled on proceeding with our little idea, buda-boom, bada-bing, it happened. Surprise! In my mind I knew there was always the possibility of it happening, but when it really happened, there is that moment of, 'Oh wow, this is real. This is cool!"

There is nothing like a little reality shining in your face to get you to focus. First thing we had to do was to figure out where to put him. The logistics of bringing a new, fragile, little body into our space was daunting. Because all the rooms in our house were already occupied, we are temporarily making space in our formal dining room - no kidding - until we can identify a permanent room for him to call his own. The other thing we had to get in order were our finances. When we first found out, we immediately had to set some money aside so that we could afford to bring him home!

Time seemed to drag on, and the waiting became the worst part. When would it happen? How would we know? In the end though, you always just seem to know it will work out.

So I am thrilled to give you the first peek. Below is a picture shortly after arriving home today. We placed him outside to get some nice photos of the big arrival to share with everyone. Enjoy!

Ok, that was dirty pool, sorry. Just kidding mom! Don't be mad, everything I said in the post up to this point is true! Although I will admit that it has a slightly different context than on the initial read.

This particular bird was special for a number of reasons. Foremost, because in 28 years of duck hunting I have never harvested a golden eye before this past season. Having been raised hunting ducks in the mid-west, we certainly did not have any wayward sea-going fowl. And even though I have been hunting ducks in California now for a majority of my years, it has been in the Central Valley of the state where a stray sea duck would be an usual sighting indeed. But this little fellow and I had a chance meeting, one that has very special meaning.

Stay tuned this week to read the story of what brought me and this beautiful specimen together as well as the Master Taxidermist who helped preserve that memory for a lifetime. I'll also be revealing an upcoming interview that I have secured that you won't want to miss. Until then, hunt, eat, and enjoy life!