Since 1997, our little group of family and friends have been gathering in the Sam Houston National Forest during November for a rendezvous of camping and hunting. Regardless of the weather conditions, we always enjoy being out in the forest and have a great time of camping and outdoor cooking. Once in a great while, we even actually manage to get some venison for the freezer.
   This year nephew Anthony and I went early to secure a large enough site to accommodate our group. We enjoyed a couple of cool mornings before record breaking heat set in, just in time for the opening day of deer season.
   Due to the hot dry conditions of the preceding months, fire restrictions forbade the use of wood or charcoal fires, forcing us to do without a campfire and our traditional dutch oven meals . No matter, for whether we cook on the coals of a fire, on gas stoves, or even on our tiny alcohol burners made from Pepsi cans, we always eat good in our camp.

Thursday morning ... sunrise in the
solitude of our camp.

The solitude didn't last very long.
Our group quickly filled up the site with camping trailers, tents and gear.

Gary set up his big tent to use as the cook shack. This is the same tent that served as home several years ago, when he, Wonda and Anthony spent the winter in the mountains of Idaho . Nowadays the tent sports a metal frame instead of one made of lodge poles.

Friday evening's meal of Venison Stew started with the browning of the meat.