November 2013

Since I was in the mood to be outside enjoying nature, I asked Steve if we could go for a walk. He suggested I go with him to put up his deer stand. We did this together last year and it was fun (aside from the poison ivy part) so I agreed. It was time outside with my man so what’s not to like?

After parking the truck he informed me, since the ground was wet, we would carry the stand and equipment the rest of the way. This came as a shock to me since last year we just pulled the truck right up to the tree. We were at least ½ mile away from our destination and this tree stand was not light.

This may have been good information in the beginning when I was agreeing to this adventure in place of a walk in the park. What I had pictured as a leisurely stroll, enjoying nature with my husband, had turned into ½ mile of carrying heavy equipment. Each time we stopped to rest (did I mention the equipment was HEAVY) I felt more and more agitated. Although I did not speak a word out loud I assure you I was having an entire conversation in my mind. I mean, I was really letting him have it! Then it hit me. I was responsible for this because I had not clearly communicated my need to him. He made a suggestion and I agreed. Had I better communicated what I had in mind he would have known this was not going to meet my need. In that moment, I agreed to work on being a better communicator next time and I chose to move forward with this hike in the field enjoying it to the best of my ability.

I climbed into that deer stand high in the tree and looked over the beauty of the fields. This was every bit as beautiful as a walk in the park. It just took a little work getting there.

As we walked back to the truck he told me to keep an eye out for coyote droppings. I’m thinking: “Isn’t that nice. He doesn’t want me to step in coyote droppings.” Nope, once again I was wrong. It turns out he wanted to harvest the droppings to use as lure for future adventures in the fields. My female mind would have never gone there. Marriage is not always a walk in the park. Sometimes it’s a hike in the fields collecting coyote poop and allowing myself to enjoy the experience. Thankfully, there were no sightings on that day!