NATCHEZ — When The Dart landed on 1808 Robinson St., young Matthew Starr, 5, was riding his tricycle outside his house.

Soon, he moved to the backyard with his mother Mary and younger brother Tanner, 2, where the family was working to stay warm.

Mary Starr helped her children start a fire, and Matthew provided the entertainment.

“I went hunting in Alabama with my dad,” Matthew began.

Matthew’s father, Richard “Bingo” Starr, is the head chef at the Carriage House restaurant.

“We didn’t sit in a tree stand, we sat in a hunting stand!” Matthew clarified.

“We stayed in the stand for 15 minutes. We didn’t see no deer, but we saw a big blue box. It had wasps in there, and a big giant spider. I’m scared of bigger spiders and big daddy long legs.”

Matthew did say that he and his father saw a couple of does later on in the hunting trip.

“We saw two girl deers,” Matthew said. “One was real far, the other was real close. We didn’t get either one. The close one saw my dad, but he didn’t see me, and then both of them turned and ran.”

Matthew said he’s yet to take a deer, but he isn’t going to stop trying.

“My dad’s trying to get me to,” he said. “One man in our camp shot two boy deers. They got them in the noses, and I don’t know where else they shot him, but one went in the eye.”

When he’s not going on hunting adventures with his father, Matthew enjoys playing in the wooded area in his backyard. While rummaging for lost toys one day, Matthew said he found a torn up window screen, which he dragged up to the house and made into a toy.

Mary Starr said Matthew likes to play soccer, tee ball and goes to Adams County Christian School daycare.

“My favorite sport is soccer,” Matthew said. “I like scoring goals.”

Matthew was born in New Zealand, where Mary Starr is from, and has dual citizenship. In addition to the two boys, she also has a daughter, Penny, who is 3.

Mary Starr said Matthew’s storytelling is a regular part of the family’s life.

“He likes talking,” she said. “He doesn’t have any problems.”

“Yeah,” Matthew said.