Was it a dream or did I really just do these three things in the space of 120 hours? Hunt hard on the ground in the hills and hollers of the Ozarks. Drive to New Orleans and accompany our lovely daughter to her bridal dress fitting at Pearl’s Place and cheer on our daughter’s friend, an interior designer who happens to be on the Big Easy Rollergirls team to victory?
None of it really goes together, except to make a somewhat catchy headline.
Daughter: Can you make it to my dress fitting on Saturday?
Me: That’s in the middle of rifle season.
Daughter: I’m only getting married once.
Me: OK! I’m there.
So Baby Boy and I hit the road to New Orleans, during the middle of can-you-believe-it rifle season, and spent time with daughter and her fiancé, who happens to be Camo Mom’s son. None of us had never attended a roller derby event before now and believe me, it’s a lot more interesting than sitting on a ridge looking into a draw hoping that a deer will wander by. A lot more interesting …
Olive Chaos signs autographs after the bout.
Afterwards, people would ask me, “Is that the real deal or what? Isn’t it like that fake wrestling?”
No, it’s not like fake wrestling, folks. Our daughter’s friend, Kris, is on The Big Easy Rollergirls team and skates in the pack, trying to keep the jammer from cutting through, like a hot knife through hot butter at times. Those women took some major spills. With names like Bulletproof Barbie, Lexecutor and Olive Chaos (That’s Kris, btw.) … and with the brawn to back up the boasting, these women did not make skating look easy at all. You know, how when you watch tennis and it looks easy, or golf? Uh, no. This looks like it hurts. I’ll take shooting trap any day over this sport.
Oh, and speaking of interesting stuff and way off the topic, we stayed at Avenue Inn on St. Charles, a beautiful B&B that has off-street parking, congenial hosts and quiet accommodations. My daughter and I treated ourselves while the boys stayed at the flat with the dogs. That’s the bride’s prerogative.
And then, after sushi and street cars and seafood and immersing ourselves in the whole New Orleans’ culture, we headed back north for the rest of the rifle season. Where the wind blew and blew and a front moved in and out and where I was thankful for my many layers of camo.
And my only shot and only opportunity — after hours and hours in what many Missouri hunters have termed a rather lean rifle season statewide — came as a doe wandered through the woods about 75 yards from me, but way over my right shoulder; unfortunately, our son and his lovely bride sat on a ridge overlooking a draw at about a 45 degree angle from me. Even though we had a hill between us, I still could not pull that trigger. You just cannot take bullets back and so, I let the doe walk away and live another day.
Our daughter-in-law and her dog, Vegas, on a lunch break at the hunting trailer at the ranch.
Our son and his lovely bride, whom you can see on the right, hunted together this year. She recently acquired her Louisiana Hunter’s Education permit, but he was the one who was in place to take the shot on a button buck. So, they will have meat for their freezer. Supposedly, the folks at the local processing place said it was a lean year and a lot of people would be delighted to have even a button buck’s worth of meat.
Our daughter goes on her first deer hunt up north of our place this weekend with her fiancé — Camo Mom’s son, in case you didn’t catch that earlier. I’d love to be a squirrel perched above them, watching that whole thing. This is the girl that wanted to go to the mall instead of to the woods. And the girl that looks as marvelous in her new camo as she did in her princess bridal dress.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
Barb;
Great article. I agree, daughter looks great in both camo and lace. What fun. My niece is a roller girl for the Colorado Rocky Roller Girls. It can get rought out there, hence my niece’s name, Mae Q. Pay.
Congratulations to both you and Camo Mom.
Tammy
Barb, what a great article!!! Wish I could have been there, but lots going on in our lives these days as there was a shower for our other son, Casey, and his wife, Tracie, expecting a baby in January. Sounds like an amazing 120 hours though. Isn’t there a 120-shock treatment that some inmates have to go through? It’s too bad they couldn’t go through in their 120 hours what you did.
And your daughter looks just as beautiful in camo as in lace! Those two are destined to do great things for this world, I can just feel it!!
So Deb! It would depend. Frankly, I don’t think Camo Mom’s son would allow it either! In fact, that’s where they are today … out hunting.
So Barb – Gary wants to know why you would ever allow daughter to get married anywhere around or near anything related to hunting season? Other than that I think you live a FUN and eclectic life!
Adam said I’m not allowed to have babies during hunting season!