Rain Delay

I got up about midnight and noticed it was raining pretty good. I was hoping it would stop about daylight so I could go hunting. I was pleased to see that it had indeed stopped when I got back up at 5AM. I got dressed and headed out for the woods.When I got to my usual parking spot, I changed into my hunting clothes and then walked about 1/2 mile to my treestand. It was barely light enough to see and I walked right up on one deer feeding under a big oak tree that I have been meaning to put a stand in or near for the past 3 weeks. (Note to self: Put stand in big oak) I think she surprised (read as "scared") me as about bad as I did her. I went on to the stand I would be hunting from and got everything situated "like I like it". About that time, it started to rain. Not a hard rain, but a steady rain. I've stuck it out before and intended to do the same this morning as I assumed it was just a rogue shower passing through. I stood up and tried to make myself as skinny as possible to minimize the area exposed to the rain. This worked great for the first 10 minutes. Then it got harder and harder and eventually was raining so hard, I could barely see the ground beneath me. And that "get skinny" trick? It works fine in a light rain or even a short hard rain. But when the rain soaks through your clothes across your upper back and shoulders and starts running down the rest of your body. It's time to be looking for shelter. Did I mention I had a poncho in my backpack...in my hunting closet...at home? (Note to self: Bring backpack the next time it looks like rain) After I was pretty much soaked to the skin, I decided to get down and go home. One of my main concerns was my cell phone. I keep it with me but turned off just in case something happens and I need help or something. It was in my shirt pocket under my ScentBlocker jacket and the rain was already running down my back so I knew it was just a matter of time before it started down my chest. And it's a company phone. I would hate to go tell the boss that I ruined it because I didn't have sense enough to come in out of the rain.So I'm hoofing it double-time back to the truck and can really start to tell I didn't sit there very long after the 1/2 mile hike in. And the fact that it's 80% uphill isn't helping matters. It gets easier later in the season after I've walked to and from these stands about 75 times. Nothing like walking up and down hills to get in shape.And you would know as soon as I can see the truck, the rain stops. Completely. Notsomuch as a sprinkle. But it's too late now. I'm already soaked. And I'm too damn tired to walk back to the stand. The wind is wrong to hunt either of the other 2 (closer) stands I have up on this property. And the truck is right there in plain sight. Too much temptation to turn around now. So I change out of my wet clothes and head back home. On the way, I run into another hellacious rainstorm. I'm driving west. The rain is headed east. I realize that I've made a good decision to come on home because had I walked back to that stand, I would have been there probably about 10-20 minutes when this little storm passed over. And there was no way I would have tried to sit through this one. It was worse than the one that got me to leave to begin with.So I got home, threw my wet clothes in the washer and start it up. Then I cooked sausage and pancakes for the women. Tossed the clothes in the dryer and enjoyed a hot and hearty breakfast in the dryness of the great indoors.I had planned on going back this afternoon but the wind is pretty brisk and out of the west and that's not the most ideal of conditions for any of my stands. So I just seasoned up 4 cornish hens, stuffed then with chunks of onion and a couple of cloves of garlic and put them on the rotisserie. The ladies whipped up some good eats to go along with them. They've ran an errand while the hens finished cooking so I'm waiting on them to get back. I was kicked back on the patio, drinking a Coors Light (or 5) and watching the grill when I decided I'd come throw up a quick post about the day's misadventures. And here I am. And now here I go, back to the grill and the beer.

So how was your weekend?