Sunday, September 30- Hunting, Cinnamon Rolls and Moonlight Adventures

Gosh what a packed day. :-) Today I got to try my hand at rabbit hunting! Actually It was more like a game of hide-and-go-F-yourself. The bunnies were quite content to hang out in their burrows giggling at us as we passed by, guns in hand trying to be quiet. I felt like a Native American but probably sounded like a dwarf. I wasn't exactly keen on shooting one of the furry types but the exercise and sun was fabulous.

 

Since our quarries were being quiet we set up pumice stones on a log down by the river and had some target practice.

 It was far more satisfying watching them burst into bits. I also got to try my hand at fishing. I've concluded that it's like knitting for boys. It's repetitive, you can zone out while you're doing it, and you get really excited when the project is done and you have something to show for hours of tedious work. See? Knitting.

 

So our outing was about to be a bit of a bust. We had gone out to find bait for an eel trap and were coming home empty handed. But as luck would have it, on our way up the driveway to the house the boys spotted it. A brown rabbit. Mikey stalked up the driveway, got to one knee and shot it through the eye. Boom. Eel trap baited. It really was a masterful shot.

 

While Mikey got to work skinning and baiting the line Brendan and I went in to catch the All Blacks rugby match. I got an education on scrums, wings, forwards, and this awesome cheerleader move they use to snag balls that are thrown in from the sidelines. Needless to say, rugby may be my new favorite man sport. It's super bad ass.

 

During all of this I was working on this batch of cinnamon rolls. Here's the recipe. Try it. But maybe use Martha's recipe for cream cheese frosting instead. I couldn't hold myself back long enough to take a completed picture. As soon as the frosting was applied all bets were off. Here's what they looked like before they got frosted. Prepare yourself for yummy noises.

 

The game was winding down and Mikey was still MIA. What happened to him? It doesn't take that long to bait a trap does it? Then we saw him. Punk was getting us dinner.

 

Evidently he threw in the line and two minutes later this guy went Golum on that rabbit. Wham bam thank you ma...bam! Bam bam...wham! *Ahem...Mam. (Evidently the monster didn't go quietly into the night and got bashed a bit.)

 

The game was abandoned at that point and the boys had fun skinning the buggar and smoking it in the shed. There are entrails in the yard now next to my garden. At least Sam has some company.Yum yum.

The boys did a good job. The eel tasted eely, which is to say, pretty good. :-) It was chewy! I had a small pile of partially masticated meat on my plate at the end of the meal that I tried to hide with other foods. Such a lady...

 

You would assume that would be enough for one day wouldn't you? But no. :-) Smith adventures take hold at all times of day. And after dinner Mikey, and I jumped onto the 4 wheeler with Craig and went zipping down into the gully in search of...bum bum BUM...Glow worms!!! There is a damp hillside down there with heaps of ferns that is ground central for glow worm habitation. They were so cool. And bright! They bioluminess in a bright shade of green. There weren't a ton all grouped together, more like individual stars shining in deep space. It was amazing. It was like being in a planetarium with starts all the way around you. That's my cup of tea.