I got up very early, being as quiet as I could so as not to bother Brian or the other guys in camp. This was made easier by turning in early the evening before. Somehow, DishTV was stuck between games and non-available subscription TV. All four of us tried unsuccessfully to get back to normal TV. How many people does it take to work DishTV? Apparently more than four.
I took a quick shower and finished packing up. Rick's cleaning lady had taken my Caribou Coffee so I did not bother making a quick cup to drink or to take with me. She had asked me if anything in the refrigerator was mine and I had told her no; she never asked about anything else.
I was out the door by 4:15. Traffic was predictably light at this hour. I'm always surprised how long it takes to get to the interstate from camp.
Once on the road I was desperately wishing for coffee. Fatty convenience store "cappuccino" worked as the brewed coffee looked a little suspect.
After some time on the interstate it started to get light. There was very light rain until I got out of Asheville and headed into the mountains. Then it started to rain quite hard.
As I approached Knoxville, the rain changed to a true frog strangler. Huge waves of rain poured down. The rain did not slow me down much though and probably not as much as it should have.
After an hour or two of very heavy rain, the rain lightened but continued until near the Ohio River. I went through Cincinnati near the beginning of rush hour, but early enough that going through the downtown area was not that bad.
I was home in about 11 hours even.
I've been hog hunting every year for many years and this is the second time I have come home without a hog, the first being my first year. I really wasn't bummed about this until I started to unpack.
The beagles were very happy to see me as I got home. I got all my stuff out of the truck and started laundry for my hunting clothes. Everything else was put away. Normally after hog hunting I have a flurry of activity as I not only get everything unpacked, but also have to debone a bunch of meat to get in the freezer. While it made for an easier evening, I felt like I was missing something.
I'm writing this a few days after I have been home which allows some time for reflection.
In some ways, this could be considered a not-too-good hunting trip. I missed two shots on decent hogs and suffered the friendly humiliation of loosing two shirt tails.
The reality is different. I had the hog hunt I've always wanted on the first night with many hogs running around all evening. I'm sure I saw approaching 30 hogs that night even if many of them were small. I saw the black and white pig I've always wanted, but chose not to shoot.
I saw more "shooter" pigs on this trip than I have on any previous, even if I couldn't connect. I'm not sure how to define what a shooter is, but it doesn't matter.
I was able to spend time with great friends, have a break from work and meet new and interesting people. If that doesn't define a great adventure then the definition is wrong.
I've already booked for next year. I'll get them then.
