September 17 2005

Well gang, a lot of us are about ready for summer to be over. Probably, no one more than Jose de La Norte.
The other day, after twelve hours of working outdoors managing his construction business, he came home with a case of cold beer and set his central air-conditioner as low as it would go.
After taking a shower, a cold one, he popped a bottle of beer, watched the news on TV, and then inserted a video tape about elk hunting. He just loves elk hunting.
By the time that the tape was over, and he had knocked back a few quick beers, the house was getting pretty chilly.
Jose got a happy gleam in his eye, went to the hall closet and dragged out all of his hunting gear. It was time to check out his equipment before the season’s first hunt, Run his hands over everything. You know how it is.
The first thing he did was to put on his camo one piece thermal suit. Then came the camo ski mask. After sitting around in a pair of shorts with the A/C working over time, it felt pretty good. The suit was a little tighter in the gut this year, but not too much.

Then he lovingly removed his Ruger 30.06 from it’s case and recalled that last season the shells had hung up a little in the breech.
So he shoved a few shells into the magazine and then loaded them into the breech, ejecting them immediately onto the couch. Smooth as silk, no problems. Then his eye caught the painting on his wall of a bull elk bugling, took it off the wall and hung it at the end of the hall on the door knob of the pantry. It was time for a little "dry fire" practice for the first time this year.
He went to the living room, dialed down the Leupold scope to three, and just stood there looking slowly around the room. Suddenly, as if he had seen it for the first time, he raised the 30.06, put the cross hairs on the big bull’s shoulder, and squeezed the trigger.
And –Boom! the big gun went off. Surprised, Jose ran to inspect his poor painting.
Naturally, a passing neighbor had witnessed the whole scene through the open drapes of the living room. And seeing the mask and hearing the gun shot, and being equipped with a cell phone, of course, he dialed 911 at once.
After the SWAT team and all the TV personnel had left, the police Lieutenant carrying Jose’s rifle in it’s case paused at the rear door of the squad car and said, "We’ll give this back to you Jose, as soon as we get all this sorted out. If you want, we can have one of our SWAT boys check out your scope for you. You didn’t come close to hitting that elk in there….. or was it buck fever?" he grinned.
Boy, what a wise guy.

Till next week
Helga Biermeister
Secretary