We rely on the good will of our fellow man and the forbearance of reptiles

I may need a little more than that tonight.

Yes folks, somehow I have been talked into performing another wedding. This makes four, all friends of course, and all performed in the Capay Valley. Tonight is the bachelor party at deer camp.

If you are picturing deer camp from Field and Stream magazine with a small cabin tucked into the forest with rocking chairs on the front porch, you would be wrong. Think five miles of steep winding dirt road taking you deeper into the chemise brush, rocks and live oak trees. At the end you find a small collection of wooden structures that you could call cabins, or you could call them rattlesnake condominiums, which would be a better description. Don't get me wrong, we would love to have running water, indoor plumbing and electricity, but we still love deer camp.

The trick to surviving a night a deer camp is strategic planning and logistics. If you get there early, you are toast. The parking area is small strip of road that leads into camp. If your rig is in the front, there is no way you are going to get everyone to move ten trucks to allow your escape. So get there late or park in the brush on the side of road. The next issue is rattlesnakes. They are everywhere, under your truck, in the outhouse, in you sleeping bag, and just for fun there are the snakes that just seem to cruise through camp for no apparent reason.

Now I come to the real danger of deer camp, your friends. These people who hold down a regular job, own a house, have a family and speak passable english, turn into something else when they arrive at deer camp.

For starters each one brings an ice chest stuffed with enough beer to supply a Navy destroyer for three months. Then someone will bring out a bottle or two, or three of Jack Daniels or Black Velvet and that is when the trouble starts. Arm wrestling matches turn into Mixed Martial Arts matches, throwing rattlesnakes at people becomes a game of skill and poker games that end with flying beer cans and more mixed martial arts matches are all part of the fun. When the first bottle of hard liquor come out, that is my signal to say my goodbyes and get the heck out of Dodge.

That is my plan for tonight, while most everyone is spending the night in camp, and thats a good thing because no one will be driving anywhere, I will be home by 10:00 and be sleeping in a nice bed.

I will be at church Sunday at 7:30 helping to set up while they are still sleeping off their hangovers. Come to think of it, I am not sure who is getting the better deal.