Happy belated Thanksgiving to my family and friends. I hope everything was spectacular. Ours was grand. My rents made it back to California. We had a blast. Jim and I framed and blocked the new garage. It is my understanding that I will have to finish everything by March.

I apologize for skipping out last week. This is a hectic time. Early deadlines aren’t my cup of tea. I plead the fifth — a big shout-out to my lovely editor-in-chief. Steph is a good egg, and she always makes me look good. I had a few Webb Weekly encounters of late. One is too good not to share.

I helped one gentleman with a granite wall cap, and he recognized me from this page. We spent the next hour talking about fishing and golf. He was very complimentary of my articles and certainly made my day. We already made plans for a trip this spring. Oh, the joys of this part-time gig.

I would like to congratulate the South Side Mounties. Tonight (as of my writing), they play in the State Semis. I will be cheering. But regardless of the outcome, I am extremely proud of Coach Eiswerth and his guys. I had a chance to call three of their games this season. I always enjoy catching up with Coach. He is a terrific dude. Chris does things the right way. He is a great mentor and knows his Xs and Os. Eiswerth was excited about this group from the beginning. They always play tough. The team experienced a few tough losses early, but they have since rallied. The Mounties are playing some great football. All hands on-deck. Fantastic stuff, guys.

Several have asked why we, the Webb Weekly, didn’t cover any of the postseason games. Well, that’s a long story, kids. Unfortunately, the PIAA charges a very hefty fee once we get to the playoffs. Yes. We chatted. But we did not come to an agreement. It wasn’t fair to our sponsors, nor did we want to make anyone mad. They defend their costs as they say the streamers are taking away from the crowds at these games. Um. Perhaps. I plead the fifth. We will be back next year. Basketball season is here.

No, I am not a hunter. It was something that my family and I never got into. Hundreds of my friends are into it big time. I have written many articles on this topic. One of my favorites was when I attended a gun raffle. Yes. I sat around the table. Listened to stories but had nothing to add. No worries. I am still a fan. I love this time of year when I see so many youngsters in the woods with their grandpas and dads. I am known to LOVE every photo online of a harvested deer. Big or small.

I have also told you that I am very tight with my bearded brethren. My Amish friends also hunt. They might not use the technologies, but they are a very successful group. Nothing goes to waste. They aren’t looking for a mount. I have entertained many conversations on bear hunting or tracking whitetails through the woods. No state-of-the-art game cams. Just a little knowledge and some luck.

I received the best voicemail ever. It was an early missed call. It was from a young, bearded buddy who builds cabinets in Howard.

“HELLO JAMIE. THIS IS BENIAL FROM GLICKS. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WORK. BUT I GOT ME A NICE BUCK. CAN YOU SWING BY AND TAKE SOME PICTURES? I’D LIKE TO ENTER HIM IN YOUR WEBB WEEKLY CONTEST. OKAY. CALL ME BACK. OR JUST SHOW UP. THANK YOU, JAMIE.”

I reached out immediately. Yes. I had to leave a note. I told my young friend that I was on it. I would drive up soon. We connected the following morning. Benial greeted me with a smile. He is a great-looking guy. I refer to him as an Amish Johnny Depp. That’s a compliment, man. We talked some, and he showed me his impressive buck. Again. I am not a hunter. But I know a few things. I couldn’t believe the size. This was a healthy deer. Of course, my gift of gab took over as I had the entire shop in tears. In order to qualify, we needed a picture of Benial holding his prize. He didn’t know what to say. Remember. The Amish don’t do selfies. I am just kidding, brother. Perhaps we can make an exception here. Oh, it was comical. We all laughed. Another experience that I will always cherish. Cheers.