A HOLIDAY TRADITION

 

One of my favorite holiday traditions is one in which our family celebrates Thanksgiving at the hunting shack.  Many years ago my wife’s family restored and converted an old chicken coup and granary into hunting shacks.  The chicken coup is mainly for eating and socializing, while the granary is used for sleeping, a nightly card game or perhaps even a movie. However, when these buildings were restored, it didn’t just create a hunting tradition, but also one that family gets to experience every Thanksgiving.

In 2014, a November snow storm and work conflicts caused us to break tradition.  So this year was my daughter Brinley’s first Thanksgiving at the hunting shack and my little “turkey” had a blast exploring and playing outside with her big brother.  Though sometimes Mother Nature and life get in the way, we always come back to the shack.

 

This was also my mom (Janice) and dad’s (Chuck) first time celebrating Thanksgiving at the hunting shack.  With both of my sisters celebrating with their significant others this year, they came to share in the experience.

While my father-in-law Steve, just in from his morning pheasant hunt, put the final preparations on the squash, my son Reese took one of the cousins out to shoot his Z-Tek bow.  One of the many activities that the cousins enjoyed at the hunting shack while waiting for the big feast.

I understand that not everyone hunts, but there is something to be said about deer camp and the tradition that brings so many families together during the fall.  Even though it may seem like a normal Thanksgiving, it is our way of giving everyone the chance to experience the hunting shack and really show them what brings us back every November.