Easter

It was 70 degrees on Easter Sunday - I think summer is close!

Jetta's Eggs

I shared some eggs with Jetta - see, Mom, I told you she wouldn't take care of them! Sharing is for sillies!

Mom and I

The Easter girls...........

Alright

Okay, I'll try the ears, but they still look silly!

Bunny Ears

No! I do not want to wear the bunny ears! You can wear them!

Easter Basket

What is this thing? Why does Dad have an Easter basket too? Isn't the Easter bunny only for Harleys?

Easter Breakfast

Dad made us breakfast on Easter morning before we went to church at the Orofino High School. Wait, where is my breakfast????

Easter!

There was a trail of Easter eggs to follow when I woke up this morning. Wait.........these things are plastic! Where is my breakfast!!

Mom's Turkey

Dad went turkey hunting on Saturday morning. He didn't get anything, but he found a good spot for Mom and I to go hunting. He came back to get us at 9:00 am. We all hunted together for about 20 minutes before I decided we should go home.

Mom stayed in the blind while Dad and I drove home. Mom wasn't there very long before a giant gobbler showed up just eight yards from the blind. Unfortunately only his head was visible from behind a power pole as he strutted his stuff for the turkey decoys. Mom tried her best to change positions to get a shot, but she couldn't quite get situated before the turkey wandered off with its harem. Sorry, Mom - you almost got us Easter Dinner!

Mom was pretty excited when she got home - I think we might go turkey hunting again sometime!

Coloring Easter Eggs

Dad and I got sentenced to coloring Easter eggs. Whoops, I wasn't supposed to repeat that :-)

Dad thought it would be funny to let me play with an egg. Mom didn't think it was funny when I cracked it open with my teeth! Looks like Dad will be eating egg salad!

I can help......

I can help, don't worry Mom!

Toy Box

What, this is a toy box? I know, a box toy! Now if I could only get all this junk out of here.......

Dandelions!

Wow - are new lawn has lots of flowers! You do have a green thumb, Mom!

Smile!

It wasn't me, Mom!

Jetta did it...........I promise!

A new hat!

Brandy and Samantha sent me a new Bass Pro Shops hat! Wow, thanks! Now if Dad will just take me fishing....................

Maple what?

Uncle Will made maple syrup! Can I have some? What is a tepee? Why does Dad say Uncle Will will live there soon?

Too many questions.........more Easter grass, please!

Success!

Thanks Mom! I'm almost to the bottom now! It goes a lot faster when you take more than one out at a time - so much for the hours of entertainment, Dad!

Mom, can you Help?

Mom, can you help me? There's so many presents in here that I can't get them all out to play with the giant brown present (the box)!

The best present ever!

Wow, look at all these squiggly presents in here! There must be a million of them. Thanks Will and Kate, I'll be entertained for hours!

Easter Present!

I got a present today from New York! Yep, my uncle Will and Kate sent me an Easter basket! The mailman said I get more packages than anyone on the block! Yipeee!!!!!!!!!

Easter Cookies

After turkey hunting we made Easter cookies. How many of these do I get to eat??

Our Turkey Hunting Trip

On Sunday, we all went turkey hunting. Dad took me back when I had to take a nap. Mom stayed out there for two more hours, but didn't see anything. Sorry, Mom, you should have kept me there to help call them in!

Pow Wow!

After we got done with Dad's turkey, we drove to Lapwai to see the Pow-wow. I got to eat all kinds of crazy things like fry bread! Mom even tried the tacos from the taco truck - way to go Mom!

Turkey Tail

Our neighbor, Rick King, helped Dad and I stretch his turkey tail out. Mom said it would make a good decoration in the garage. I think Dad has other ideas :-)

Dad's Turkey

Dad got a turkey on Saturday. He was pretty excited about it! Here's his account:

Friday was the opening day of turkey season - of course I was stuck at work. I heard the first shot of the season as I walked out the front door to head to the Hatchery. One less chance already!

When the work whistle hit, I was back to the house and changed out of my work duds in a few minutes. A quick goodbye to Harley and Amber and I headed up the "hill" next to our house. Amber and I debate what constitutes a hill and a mountain, but in my book it is a hill. In any case, I wandered around for most of the afternoon without seeing or hearing a thing.

In a classic rookie move, around sunset, I decided to take a break in the middle of a logging skid road after a series of desperation yelps. Five minutes later I caught movement out of the corner of my eye as a gobbler snuck in to check out the commotion. With my gun laying next to me, I never had a chance - he busted and ran down the mountain gobbling all the way to Orofino.

Dejected, I hiked back towards the house. Just before I reached the bottom of the hill, I jumped four birds. They skirted around me and then flew up in roost trees just above the road and only about 150 yards from our backyard.

The next morning I slept in until 5 am since I didn't have a long commute! By 6:00 am I had 4 jakes at 25 yards, but I decided to pass on the shot. It was only the second day!

Of course, when they started to leave, I had a change of heart - I didn't buy this turkey tag to make tag soup! My ensuing chase was frivolous as the jakes' gobbling had attracted another hunter. I met up with Mike - who had been awoken from his tent by the gobbling. Lacking a better plan, I tagged along with Mike for the next two hours listening to stories about his past hunts here. It was interesting, but uneventful. It started raining around 9:00 am so we headed our separate ways; Mike to his truck and me back home.

Back at home I told stories to Amber and Harley, ate breakfast, and watched the rain pour down. About 10:30 am, just after Harley went down for a nap, the clouds broke and the sun peaked through. I couldn't take it, so I grabbed the shotgun and headed back up the hill.

I only made it about 200 yards when gobbler let loose at about 100 yards. I quickly spiked in a jake and hen decoy and dove for the first tree available. By then, two birds were gobbling, but they sounded like they were headed away. After some more calling they turned and started heading down. About twenty minutes after I set-up, a gobbler and jake poked their head over some rocks at 35 yards. There was just enough brush in the way that I hesitated shooting.

The pair surveyed the decoys below them, but refused to come any closer. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I let out a couple of soft clucks and the jake couldn't take it anymore. That prompted the gobbler to follow. The jake was in the lead, and got to within about 10 yards before the gobbler split off and I was able to get a shot. At fifteen yards he never even flopped. I wouldn't have expected anything less with the 3 1/2 inch hevi-shot load at $2.50/shell!

What a great time! The bird had a 9 inch beard and 3/4 inch spurs - a classic 2-year old. My neighbor, Rick King, explained that many of the birds in this area are hybrids of the original Eastern and Merriam's turkeys they released. This bird looks like it had more Merriams than Eastern and the middle two tail feathers were slightly mottled - neat!

Now if I could only find one that thinks Harley's babbling sounds like a hen turkey!

Another Present

More presents! This is the best birthday ever! This one makes tons of noises for Mom and Dad - thanks Casey, Carolyn, and Sophie!

Another Fish

Dad was pretty excited that he caught another steelhead after work tonight. The guys at the boat launch were even asking him what bait to use. Dad didn't have the heart to tell them that it was only his third time steelhead fishing on the Clearwater river. Don't use all your luck up Dad, turkey season starts this Friday!

Presents!

I had to go to the Doctor today for my one year check-up. I didn't like the strange doctor - I want my old doctor.........wait, I don't want any doctors!!! I got more shots and check-ups. Mom told the doctor I only had a few more days of weaning (what does that mean?) before I'm completely done nursing and on to cow's milk. Mom is pretty excited!

I weighed just shy of 20 pounds and the doctor said everything looks good. Great - time to go home and open presents from BJ and Tanya Haase! Wow - thanks guys!!! I am the best little princess around!

- Harley