Campfire Engagement
The 14th of the month is a special day to Philip and I, our first date was on Valentine’s Day, so we recognize this small milestone in our relationship. October 14th we were on Kowalski Mountain bow hunting. He had gone to the shoot house that evening and I had gone to the Honey Hole. Little did I know, Philip was planning a very special campfire engagement.
The Deer Come In At Dark
Just as I was ready to leave and darkness was really beginning to fall, I hear the deer come in. I can see their shadows, a young deer and a doe. So close, within 10 yards. I hold up my bow to see if by chance I can aim but it’s just too dark, I can see the shadow of the young deer, but not my pins so I can’t take a shot.
Where is my Knight?
It’s getting darker by the minute, and I’m stuck in this blind. The deer are right outside and I can’t give away my position. I text and call Philip but don’t get any response.
Finally the deer seem to have moved off some and I creep out of the blind, it’s much darker in the woods than I like, I hurry out of the woods, eventually running the deer off. They didn’t blow, just ran away from my hasty exit from the woods.
When I arrive, Philip had a roaring fire in the fire pit all ready for his campfire engagement, he meets me at the end of the bridge with a kiss, but I’m in a bad mood. I tell him about my hunting woe and then we head to dinner at Joy and Danny’s.
Restoking the Fire for a Campfire Engagement
Later that evening, I’ve calmed down over my hunting disappointment. We head back to our place, the fire is still aglow in the fire pit, Philip stokes it back up and we enjoy the flickering campfire light on this moonless evening. The fire is just aglow and it’s very dark… I can’t see what Philip holds up to me, but his words are clear, I gasp, I suspect it’s coming soon, but even so I’m surprised and thrilled to hear…
“Will you marry me?”
I can’t see the ring and Philip gets out his phone to shine on the beautiful sparkling ring he choose for me. As with everything, Philip put a lot of thought into choosing a ring for me. He knows I work hard and need something durable but with a lower profile that I won’t get hung up but still a beautiful ring that I will love.
“Did I say yes? YES, I’ll marry you!”
Philip looked up into the dark Kentucky sky and saw a shooting star at that moment.
A Wise Man
You can probably guess, Philip had intended to propose earlier that night when he met me at the end of the bridge, but he decided maybe it wasn’t the right time. He’d told me once that he would propose when I got my buck… after 3 years of bow hunting, I’ve yet to get one, or any deer for that matter, so I’m glad he decided he’d ask me anyway.
Philip’s Side of the Story:
October Kentucky hunting trip from my view
My original plan was to propose in November, but with a granddaughter due to arrive anytime I had to move up my plans. I paid a visit to Barbra-Sue’s parents to ask for permission and present my plan. They gave me their blessings.
When I got home Faith was just leaving the house after taking care of her ducks. I just had to show her the ring and tell her my plan. All she said was “Oh my!”
The Plan
So my plan was to set Barbra-Sue in a stand I had prepared for her success. When she successfully harvested a buck, then I was gonna tell her to let me make sure it was dispatched. I was going to slip the ring on the antlers. Then let her come up and get a picture with her harvest. As she picked up the deer I would be ready with the camera and ready to propose.
Always Have a Backup: A Campfire Engagement
My back up plan was to propose on our anniversary the 14th. As I patiently waited for her to get a deer, the 14th had creeped up on us. So plan (B) was gonna have to do. During the day I get a text from her Dad to check on her success, I had to say she hadn’t gotten a trophy yet.
Later that evening I planned on coming in early from the shoot house so I could get a camp fire ready and meet her at the bridge ready to ask the big question.
The time has come, fire was ready, she’s walking across the field and came to the bridge. I had ring in hand and then she proceeded to tell me her knight in shinning armor didn’t rescue her from the deer. She was very upset, so I apologized and tucked the rings back in my pocket. So after that sad moment I could only hope another chance would arise.
A Second Chance at a Campfire Engagement
So we went up to my parents for dinner. After dinner she settled down and she wanted to sit by the fire. I immediately thought I might just get my second chance.
As the stars lit up the sky and the fire warmed us up, I popped the question. Will you marry me? Her face lit up and said yes. At just that moment we saw a shooting star, it couldn’t have been at a better time.
As we promise to walk together the rest of our days, may they be blessed, may they be full of grace and may they be full of adventure….
Here’s to forever…
The soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Philip Kowalski.
See our wedding, right here on Kowalski Mountain.
About the Author: Barbra-Sue Kowalski grew up on a small hobby farm. She was always drawn to farm life, however, she was stuck in an urban life far from her roots. Barbra-Sue was a single mom for 13 years, raising her 3 children on her own. She met Philip in 2018 and they married in 2021. Between the two of them, they have 5 grown children and 5 grandchildren. These empty nesters are following their dreams! As they both turn 50, they are building their off-grid homestead to live the life that they dream about. Learn more about Philip and Barbra-Sue here. Contact them here. To leave a comment on this post, please scroll down.
