We had a hunter safety class last night.

Instructor contacted me probably almost two weeks ago, asking me if I could do my standard "Principles of Wildlife Management" slide show.

No problem. Done it enough times, I can swing that with little notice.

He got the two wardens volunteered with a little less lead time. And wasn't really clear with them what portions of the course he wanted them to cover.

So they both came prepared to cover the same portion. And neither was prepared for two segments he did want done. And had to wing it. With varying success. For two full hours, leaving me the sleepytime hour from 8 to 9 for my talk.

About halfway through their sessions I look out the front windows, and its snowing. Heavy, wet white flakes.

Class also had a lot of questions on chronic wasting disease ("mad deer disease"). It's been in the news again, lately. Fortunately, I had just read up on that and related current events, so I was able to handle those well.

Both wardens boogied after their sessions. One to check on a bear reportedly raiding a garbage dump, the other to tend his pink-eye (making the rounds through our schools). Leaving me to wrap up. With a tired audience.

Took most of the full hour to get through the presentation. Kept it more informal than probably any other time. And fast.

Best of all, I remembered my laser pointer. No interruptive walks to the wall (no screen available in the Depot... just really loud trains going by three meters away (literally) about every 40 minutes) to point out browse lines, teeth marks, deer turds, abortive antelope fetuses, decomposing drowned antelope carcasses, dead deer teeth, or bone marrow of a starved antelope (yes, those are all in there, with a bunch of other neat shots, too).

When the picture of Lady eating the thistle came up, I told them her name. And that she died of chronic wasting disease. Don't know why... it didn't matter to any of them. But she was a sweet doe, and it felt good to say her name aloud again.