The Lease

This last week we went to the deer lease, which is about 950 acres of dry, flat, brushy, cactusy land in west Texas. Despite that description, the area actually possesses a strange, primal beauty. Completely unlike the overwhelming, awe inspiring quality of the Alps, but a beauty nonetheless. It was a great time to sit back, read, and enjoy the wildlife. Sitting in the stand with Justin in the morning we saw an abundance of deer, who would come so close you could see the lashes around their giant black eyes. We were serenaded by a giant pack of coyotes, whose high pitched caterwhauling sounded much like a large group of obnoxious drunk girls in a bar. Eerily similar, in fact. We also got to see one of these little critters, and Justin saw a bobcat running by. Happily, we didn't see any of the giant rattlesnakes that the area is famous for. Justin had killed a five footer there a few weeks before, and I didn't relish the idea of a repeat of that experience.

Nobody shot any deer, which was fine with me - I much prefer just shooting them with a camera - but Louis did get a boar, which was wonderfully delicious after several hours roasting on the pit. After meals, we sat around and drank some Shiner and played Texas Hold 'Em, a game I am new at, but beginner's luck was with me and I managed to stay in. All in all, a grand few days.