Long winter evenings

Hunting season came and went, so now Ol’ Dutch is into what is known as “free time.”

During the season of chasing elk up and down every hill and dale in Colorado, I am so tired in the evenings that all I can do is drop into bed like a big, ole beached whale, which means about 30 days of whale watching for Miss Trixie.

But now, even with the farm chores and projects to do every day, I actually find myself bored enough in the time-change-induced darkness to watch sports.

It's not that I do not like sports, nor dislike playing them when I get a chance, but I find them to be like sex. If I cannot participate, I just as soon not indulge.

Lately, though, I’ve been watching some games as it does pass the day in the cold dark of winter when Miss Trixie goes to bed about 5:30 replete with her electric blanket on high. Of course, it gets about as hot as the fiery furnace as told in the Bible and Ol’ Dutch is starting to really feel like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego facing Nebuchadnezzar on that fateful day.

No hot woman is complete, however, without the window wide open to cool her head off and send a chill over Ol’ Dutch all night. And poor little Cooper does not know whether to sleep on the hot pad or off, which means he is up half the night. He gets so hot that he comes up beside my pillow and puts his little butt right in my face, which is always a treat.

There are a few teams that I do like to watch like the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs, but I am just a passive watcher and really do not care who wins any game. Miss Trixie, on the other hand, is Texas-born and raised and when the Dallas Cowboys are playing, she does like to watch them.

When I moved down here to Texas it took me a while to figure out who “the Boys” were as that is how people talk about their beloved team. As in the Cowboys. And win or lose, the latter which has plagued them for many years, these Texans are true blue and support their “boys” to the bitter end.

On Sunday, the mighty Kansas City Chiefs faced off with Dallas, but I can’t tell you anything about it as grands #1 and #2 came to stay and so I was kept busy during the game.

That also translated into long nights of musical beds as they are up and down like a jack in the box and seem to switch beds each time they stir.

I guess the worst thing about that is these children have no idea how to sleep in. They are up bright and early at 6 a.m. and look none the worse for wear. While Dutch and Miss Trixie resemble the walking dead.

Their mother Tinkerbell, headed out of town with some church ladies so that left me and Miss Trixie in the babysitting department so my son Bubs could go to work.

Tinkerbell does a great job with the kids and also managing Bubs so she deserves some time off. She says they relax and have devotions, but I think she and the other women dwell mostly on the part about turning water into wine the way it sounds.

It suddenly occurred to me that Ol’ Dutch has not gotten a day off since the day he retired. How I miss those long weekends off where I could get my own stuff done or go fishing at the lake.

Now it is just a constant stream of things to do and Miss Trixie scheduling social events like Martha Stewart on overdrive.

I guess I will survive it somehow. Sometimes I long for that old “escape social activity by going to work” and envy those still slaving away. Well, maybe not.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who may read this. May God bless you this year with all you need and keep you safe in His Loving Arms.

Kevin Kirkpatrick and his Yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV or hike daily. His email is [email protected]. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com.