Some Things Are Just Worth It

I'm sure we all have a habit or two or quite possibly a passion for a particular thing that costs money. To each his/her own right! As I sit here and pay for my upcoming hunting lease and a truck camper to stay in. I think wow that sure is a whole lot of money. I have different ways of justifying the money in terms of how much I would spend at a bar if I were to stay in town the weekends that I disappear. But some things we shouldn't have to justify.
Most probably think I'm a little crazy to not only spend that kind of moula but to creep around on top of a hill with freezing temperatures in a constant rain with a pair of deer horns. Moving ever so slowly and stopping to rattle the horns together. And out of nowhere and I mean like a ghost..one of the coolest things I've ever seen appears. Sure nothing was bigger or badder than an eight point buck but the feeling of being in their environment and not being detected and witnessing a wild animal standing only 10 feet from you is priceless.
Or the feeling of almost freezing while sitting in frozen swamp water with the stanch of a swamp. Waist deep water with a mud bottom that you constantly sink and get stuck in. Moving around is a challenge due to all the dead timber you can't see to maneuver around. This is a duck hunt. What you can't put a price tag on is watching your dog spot birds in clouds so thick you can't see anything. After paying close attention two beautiful Mallards show up for the taking. Seeing the desire in that dog hurdling over fallen timber, mud and swimming the whole way just to bring you the prize.
What about a crisp morning stroll over what most would call crap land or west Texas waste land. The dew hasn't lifted and everything is glowing with life. Its there you just have to know where to look. Everything from the most basic weeds are a primary source of food for quail. I get so excited picturing a line of dogs honoring each other on point. As we all slowly approach the very proud lead dog on point. With all the anticipation and estimating the flush they catch you by surprise every single time and startle you. The thoughts that you collect on these morning strolls could take the place of every kind of depressant drug in the world if people only knew.