We will be home for Christmas this year enjoying our new addition. We have the 9 foot tree up already, the boys are stoked for Santa to show, snow is on the ground. Lots of fun for the kids. We will do some sledding and just working around the place. Dee and I get from the 20th till the 3rd off... I can't complain.

Hey guys, hows everyone doing? Hunting time is running out real fast for me. Even tho I have till the end of the year, it is just about impossible for me to get out after Christmas. I get my son this year for Christmas, so that means I will be on the road to North Dakota to pick him up the weekend before Christmas, and then I will have him thru the end of the year. We usually have so much going on when he is here, that I just dont have the time to get out. But I will be hitting it hard right up until he comes. My wifes Chrismas party is this Saturday, along with my stepsons basketball game in the afternoon, so that will kill saturday, unless I can get my but out of bed in the morning. I have that problem too with shutting my alarm off when it goes off.[:@]Well guys, good luck. Talk to everyone soon.

Do any of you guys or your wiveshave Ipods? I got Kelly one and it came today. Just wondering if it's compatible with the MP3 files that I already have on the hard drive, or will I have to open an Itunes account?

I know this is totally random, but I figured I'd ask. Now I need to get the little gizmo that lets you play Ipod music through the car stereo - isn't technology great?

So Troy - what is the weapon of choice for the Pottenger sledriding festivities? Plastic Sled? Wooden Toboggan? Runner sled? or your standard 18-Wheeler Inner-Tube? I've always been more of a tuber. They cushion the blow during high-speed collisions/crashes.

A nine-foot tree? Holy Moly - you're gonna have a whale of a time getting that sucker out the door! I bet it smells good in there though. I like the smell of fresh pine. Meanwhile, we're sporting a 7.5' plastic Wal-Mart - end of 2005 season close-out special. LOL

Did the rest of you fellas get your xmas decorations up yet? I was out there yesterday running the rest of the lights around the deck with theWarden barking orders from inside. Luckily, the sliding glass door was closed, whichkept her muted. LOL

LOL Fran...We did put up our Christmas decorations last weekend. The kids put up a tree that looks like Helen Keller decorated. Its in the family/game room. The big tree is in the living tree, its a 7 1/2 ft pre lit job. Looks pretty good for a fake tree.

Sledding sounds like fun, it rarely snows here anymore. When it does, its usually followed by -10F weather, so the sled gets little use.

I'm cleaning my muzzleloader tonight to get ready for the upcoming season. After that its bow only for me till mid Jan.

An Ipod might be on Loretta's list...she still needs to decide whether to give me the ok or not. I have no idea how to use any of that sort of technology. Ask any 12 year old, kids these days are amazing how much technical stuff they know. Crazy.

Lights are up outside, but i can't take credit for them. I learned long ago to be a shoddy light hanger upper and it gets you out of it[8D]We'll be getting a tree this weekend. She's got a lot of interior decorations to put up yet. By the time Christmas comes, my house looks like a store that sells decorations. Other than a few christmas parties and the normal family visiting, we have no special plans.

Fran,

Just the old standard plastic sleds. Kids have a heck of a hill here off the front yard to bail off! We may get the quad out and an inner tube as well.

Dee wakes me up this morning bout 4:55 a.m. and says "Troy theres a big buck in the yard!" Sure enough a nice 4x5 working his way through the field with his nose in the deer tracks in the snow. The moon combined with all the snow made for almost daylight type conditions. He's the 2.5 year old I videoed quite a bit in Oct feeding in my front yard after hours. I am glad he made the gun season. He'll be a hawg in the future..big bodied buggar too.

Mike, it was good to get to visit last evening, thanks for callin'. I will keep an eye on the mail.

Rybo, thanks for calling as well. I really enjoyed our visit, and best of luck with the pistol this week.

Darren, hope you get a few more bowhunts in! Best of luck.

To the entire XX team.... lets hunt em hard right up until the last second of the last day.

Man, I'm flat whooped today. I sat up about all night loading that stupid Ipod with music for the wife. Making playlists - xferring files to this Itunes thingamabob, then moving stuff around. I was seriously ready to pitch that thing out the window. Ipod = not as easy as advertised.

I had to wait for her to fall asleep to do it, too, so it went into the wee hours.

Ryan - here's a tip: If you get Loretta the Ipod, do not attempt to load it with music. I know it's a nice gesture, but really not worth the effort. I got screwed b/c I opened the package, so she'd know that I had it out (or accuse me of buying a stolen one) LOL. Keep that sucker in the packaging.

I can't wait 'til Saturday - I have a doe tag left and I'm going hunting. It's the last day of rifle season - second archery reopens around New Years, so this is my last day out for a long time. Not sure if I'll even shoot a doe if I see one, but I just wanna get out and try to put a buck in somebody's lap. Heading out with my mom's brothers, and while I'm out - I'll be scouting some new areas for '07.(and finding some shedhunting grounds for Feb/March).

Keep your noses on the grindstone guys - we only need two bucks to win. If we put in a little time, we'll pull off an unprecedented late-season comeback. The table's set.

Hi Guys - sorry have not had much time to post - try to get on every couple of days to catch up - but have just been hammered at work - and home.

Luckily - the I-pod has not made it to the 5 year olds yet! - but an I-pup was on the list!

Troy - UPS is heading your way - should be there for this weekend!

Gotta run - will try to get back on this evening or tomorrow and catch up.

Take care - best of luck to all still whacking - and the slackers too (including me!!)

Mike

OH - we should try to post some christmas tree/decoration pic's!

Mike thanks so much bud, I think it was meant to be that i didnt kill one yet ...cant wait..thanks again

Fran good luck in your scouting! Never know you may find some sheds from last year too.. no snow? all the leaves are on the ground..those are good shed hunting conditions..

Troy - I've seen a couple reports of guys around PA killing bucks and pullingan antleroff while draggin' em out. Stress levels have been high, I'm sure, and now we have a stretch of harsh weather setting in. Might get some early drops...

We finally got some snow today, hope it stays on the ground through Saturday. I love hunting the snow, but never get to do it anymore. I'll fill my doe tag for sure if it snows, just on principle.

I found my best shed ever on the last day of rifle season 2 years ago - a big, gnarlyfive pointer - only the ivory tips were sticking out of the fresh blanket of leaves. Real pretty. Not chewed up at all, either. I spotted it from a good 20 yards out too in a really active winter yarding area, so that was really neat. Looked everywhere for the match, but no dice.

By the way - do any of you guys have a complete list of the Team XX full names andaddresses - I've got christmas cards to send out, and I'll make sure y'all get one. If you're lucky, I might stuff the envelope with a stick of staledeer jerky or a gently-used tarsal gland.