This year’s trick-or-treat was not so hot. I’m talking rainy, windy, and super duper cold. It was our first time trick-or-treating in town, and despite the miserable weather, we still scored plenty of candy, admired some amazing decorations, and managed to finish our route without succumbing to frostbite. Even our dog, Artemis, was shivering—but that didn’t stop her from stealing the show in her costume! Next year, though, we’re hoping for less “trick” and more “treat” in the weather forecast!

All in all, it was a good Halloween! We even made it to two Halloween parties this year. Of course mom had to be a party pooper because that’s how she rolls, but the rest of us knew how to have a good time!

It was amazing, fun, and totally exciting—my first buck ever! Since it was bow season, I borrowed Grandpa’s crossbow and then Dad and I climbed into the tree stand early in the morning. We sat quietly for about two hours when we spotted our first buck chasing a group of does. Not long after, another doe appeared from the south, and right behind her was a buck. Dad whispered, “This is the one. Get ready.”

He pointed to a scrape spot nearby and said, “If the buck comes through there, you’ll need to use the first sight.” My heart was racing as I got into position. Sure enough, the buck walked right to the scrape spot, just like Dad said. I aimed, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger. The shot landed, and the buck took off, running about 200 yards into the woods.

We followed the blood trail but couldn’t track him down right away. After a while, we decided to regroup and grab some breakfast. An hour later, we came back with reinforcements: Mom and Artemis. Mom found some blood that we hadn’t seen previously and then Artemis was on the trail immediately! I decided to follow Artemis closely, and that wonder dog took me exactly to the crime scene (as mom would call it). And that’s when I spotted him—my first buck, resting right there: A 10-point beauty!

It was one of the most thrilling moments of my life, and an event that will go down in history as the day a couple of us officially lived up to our names:

Jäger / Jaeger (German pronunciation: [ˈjɛːɡɐ]), a German name for hunter [noun] a person who hunts; huntsman [noun] a hunter.

Artemis: (/ˈɑːrtɪmɪs/; Ancient Greek: Ἄρτεμις), Goddess of the hunt.

It takes a lot of guts to carve pumpkins… I have to use sharp objects, lots of muscle, and even a headlamp at times! But Genesee and I love scooping out those slimy insides; it’s half the fun (and half the mess)! The real challenge, however, is turning those pumpkins into spooky masterpieces.

Challenge accepted! In the end, our jack-o’-lanterns were the spookiest pumpkins in all of the land. I mean, check out Genesee’s frightening candy corn pumpkin! And watch out for the Minion & Gru pumpkin; it’s absolutely “despicable!”

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