daniel troy carmichael

Buck the Trend: Stories from the Hunt

Buck, 185+ pounds 8-point White Tail harvested January 18, 2008, Butler County.

Last week I wanted to post this story yet did not because I was more excited by this one that I posted instead. This slightly atypical buck had been doing a lot of fighting this rut, evidenced by one of his tines being broken. His brow also shows the work of hormones. He was moving fast and could have been taken by longbow, but I had the Marlin .45-70 Gov in my hand, instead.

This is the largest deer I've taken by gun, though I have taken one much larger with shotgun in a dog run in 2001. Ashley and I have been having difficulty finding grass-fed, grass-finished beef. Buck here benefited by this year's bumper crop of acorns so it looks like we've found a replacement, at least for several months, to our lack of quality beef.

Just like Bob (Cat) and the one deer I took a shot at this weekend, my first shot clicked on safety. In the case of this weekend, I only had the one brief moment. I still can't believe the hammer fell on safety--it has never happened in all my years and then it happened three consecutive shots over three consecutive weekends. I need to remember: hammer back, safety off. I must've been elsewhere in my mind.

After this weekend's hunt, during which I had seven shots at deer I could not take because my bow was in my hand, I've decided that next season I'll take the bow only as long as I can be in a stand. Ground hunting and having a deer walk past me twice within just feet is frustrating when you can't take the shot because you've got the bow. And then watching big animals pass because they're too far away, well, I guess that's why they call it "hunting"!

Anyway, these past three weekends were good times in the woods and with Christian men. God is good and I am blessed to have land I can go to and walk and enjoy the wonderful creation around me. I missed the walks in the woods most of all during my sixteen year sojourn in California.

PF Chang's and Answered Prayer: Amanda's Story

Faith is action in the face of doubt. Britt

Ashley and I are on a strict budget after receiving a big pay cut at the beginning of last December. Of course, we are hoping and trusting God that our new business venture, beginning soon, will work well for us. We really don't have the budget to go out and eat but, last Saturday night, as I was coming back from a successful hunting weekend (more on that in another post), I felt that I should take Ashley to dinner. I don't know if it was God or not--call it faith, call it presumption, call it something--but I just decided to do it, despite the budgetary constraints.

So, when I got home, I changed clothes and took Ashley to P.F. Chang's. We had a good time and, in the course of our dinner, noticed that one of the servers, a young woman, had a brace on her right hand and that it obviously pained her to do her job. I stopped her, asked her her name ("Amanda"), and what was the matter with her hand? She told us her story. I asked could we pray for her? She said, "Yes", so I told her that, as she walked away from our table, we would pray right then for her hand. We did. I thought that was it because I knew I would probably never see her again.

But on Tuesday, at Ashley's Bible study, the discussion came up on how most miracles appear to hinge around evangelism and folks getting saved, getting right with God. One of Ashley's friends started sharing a recent story her son's girlfriend had told her. It seems that both her son and his girlfriend are not following God. And both are servers and P.F. Chang's.... You can guess the rest of the story--some couple had prayed for her.

It has been my experience that, when God performs healing miracles, those who prayed for them to occur are rarely there when the miracle happens.

Well, we just got back from church where Ashley's friend's son and his girlfriend, Amanda, were at church tonight, perhaps the first time in a long time. Amanda woke up Sunday morning, the morning after we prayed for her, and God had miraculously healed her hand. A miracle, and that led to her and her boyfriend coming to church tonight and hearing a message of God's power and love. I pray for their salvation and right relationship with Jesus.

 

Little miracles, major miracles, they are all the hand of God. Whether it is trusting God for a gallon of milk or the salvation of millions, it is more important to trust God in the face of our own doubts than to wait until we somehow have no doubts to then trust Him. I am thankful that healing is not a result of how good my prayers are but, simply, how sovereign and good God is. I am simply a vessel. Have you prayed for someone today?

A Trip of Hunting Firsts

Troy (Carmichael) and Bob (Cat). Taken with my Hermes phone.

I spent several days hunting recently and it held a lot of firsts for me:

• The first time to miss a shot at an animal with my .45-70 Marlin.
• The first time to miss a shot at a deer.
• The first time to be hit with my scope; on a .45-70 I promise it hurts and bleeds a lot (see the photo between my eyes)
• The first time to miss a second shot at a deer.
• The first time to blow my ear drum shooting a rifle (head/tree/gun all at the right/wrong angle); the ear still hurts and vibrates at certain pitches.

This was all the very first morning and dealing with a very fortunate doe. I also had my longbow this weekend and, the morning of the second day, was about to take a shot at the second doe I saw this weekend. She was just about to come out of cover when Bill, one of the men I was with, took a shot on the other side of the hill. The doe took off at the loud noise so, strike two. And Bill? he missed his shot, too!

That put me in an interesting frame of mind that evening. I had my bow and gun. The squirrels started moving about and I finally had just it--I had to get something. I knew there was little chance of success with my 45-pound draw longbow shooting from high at a target 20 yards away but, the squirrel was obnoxious and it was worth a try....

• First shot at an animal with my longbow.
• First miss of an animal with my longbow (missed by two inches a squirrel at 20 yards). I have a feeling I'll have more misses in the future.

So now, my hunting trip was nearing completion and, for the first time in over a decade, I just wanted to get SOMETHING! That's when I saw my first bobcat in the wild. Aww, he was such a cute little cat...but also an unwanted predator. Unfortunately, because of angle and trajectory, my first shot was poorly placed (which I and Bob lived to regret). As the predator became the prey I had to snap a quick shot through the leaves where I believed Bob was as he was running away wounded. Fortunately for both of us, the .45-70 is a good brush gun so the leaves did not deflect my aim.

• First bobcat seen in the wild.
• First bobcat harvested.

So I bagged something, though I am not a fan of cat meat (anyone old enough to remember Paris Roof Rabbit??). Daniel really wants me to mount Bob so he can have it in his room; I may do that, eventually. For now, he's on ice in the deep freeze, awaiting my whims with a taxidermist, perhaps.

But what I found most interesting this trip was how many missed shots we had--such a rarity. However, the time spent served its purpose. I was able to spend quiet time, in the woods, praying, enjoying God's creation. Although I really wanted to bring home venison for the freezer, I'll still have the memory of how many "firsts" I had this weekend!

December at a Glance: Photos (part 2 of 2)

So much happened in December I split up this month's photos into two parts.

 

December 2007 (part 2)

 

Christmas Day was very pleasant with the family....

 

Lauren Claire was surprised by her little big gift.

 

 

Breakfast at home in our pajamas Christmas morning.

 

 

Daniel got cowboy stuff!

 

 

At the extended family Christmas at my parents Lauren Claire got some money for her mission trip to China.

 

 

And we took our annual Christmas photo at my parents.

 

The day after Christmas, we went to Mobile for Christmas with the Deakle's, Ashley's side of the family:

 

Elizabeth with her cousin Erin.

 

 

My two teens at Grandpa's.

 

Then all of us went to Bellingrath Gardens:

The teenager Deakle Girls, Elizabeth Grace, Elizabeth Ashley, Aubrey, and Lauren Claire.

 

Swans on the lake.

 

The girls getting warm with an LC blanket...

 

A view across the way at the Oriental gardens...

 

And toy soldiers, Elizabeth Grace Campbell and Lauren Claire Carmichael.

 

We also had some weather while in Mobile:

Picture taken at 12:06 in the afternoon. At 12:15 the rain came and stopped an inch later at about 12:45.

 

The New Year's Day Photo's I'll save for next month's Month at a Glance!

December at a Glance: Photos (part 1 of 2)

I liked it when I did this last month for November, so I am doing it again: it is now a tradition.

This month there are a lot of photos--a testimony to the busyness of our month! I am splitting it into two separate posts.

 

December 2007 (part 1)

In early December, I was blessed to have my family and I attend the wedding of my dear friend, Kara Till Ganter.

 

Chris and Kara's beautiful cake with them in the background.

We took the opportunity to take a family picture at Kara's wedding.

 

 

Next, Daniel had his Christmas program--at preschool!

That's Daniel on the far right telling Joseph there is no room in the Inn.

Daniel and Bailey holding hands after the show.

 

 

Then, of course, there was the HUGE event of Elizabeth graduating from Evangel House.

Mr. Mark, my kids, and the girls of Evangel House Christian Academy.

The girls outside next to the tree with Valentino, the dog.

The family picture in front of the tree.

The tree with the pier on the bayou behind.

Pastor Tommy Faulk of Lafayette First Assembly gives the ECA graduates a send-off.

 

 

Then Gracie had her Christmas program:

Gracie is in the front row wearing a dark dress.

 

 

After school was out, Lauren Claire and her friends decided to build a Gingerbread House Subdivision:

Lauren, Abigail, Hannah, Stephanie, and Lauren Claire.

 

Hannah, Abi, and Stephanie with one of the tract homes.

La and LC show theirs....

Can't wait to eat them!!!!

 

 

And, of course, Pre-Christmas-Day Festivities include.....

Viewing the "crazy house" on Virginia Street.

and Christmas Eve Dinner at the Carmichael's:

 

The living room at Christmastime.

 

Light dinner on Christmas Eve for twenty-plus folks.

 

 

Well, if you made it this far, please leave a comment, below! If you noticed, nothing from Christmas was included because this month's photos have to be split up into two posts! Check back soon for the rest of December at a Glance....