God's been good to me!

It's been a while since I sat down to write, mostly because hunting season is over and the weather still shows remnants of winter, who am I kidding...It's cold!

It's hard to extend feelings and aspirations about hunting without making it yet another story about the long shot or the buck of a lifetime. Hunting is a much deeper thing than that to me. It seems that there's something missing this time of year, oh, the hopes for the upcoming season, planning and dreaming are in full tilt but still there's a sort of emptiness when I look at my mounts, guns and equipment. Time spent alone at the computer at night researching seems to be all for not, yet I keep typing, entering and deleting.

Recently I've come into contact with a few of my old schoolmates. Most from grade school and into Jr. High. Some with good memories others with, well, I was young. All in all they are a large part of my growing up in the heartland and the memories have come flooding in. One of the things that I noted today is that out in farm country all of the kids jump on the bus and go home at the end of the day. I never realized how lonesome it could get. To have the hustle and bustle of a day come to a close with some play time and no ones around.

Funny thing middle America, It's all that we should be yet you have to grow up fast. As noted in an earlier blog the buck I harvested in Nebraska is at the taxidermist, I'm looking forward to some news in the near future. It takes about 6-8 months to get them back so it's sort of like opening a Christmas present, you kind of forget what it looked like and you anticipate the joy.

This year comes with yet another present, the new three (3) piece custom Leon Stewart bow will be done in early April. Having ordered two (2) sets of limbs it's actually two bows in one! So much to look forward to this year. Rich and I have decided to take it easy this fall, only one trip in the plans, and yes: it's Nebraska! The focus this fall isn't on wall hangers as much as on multiple species. Some upland game, waterfowl and deer hunting will be the order of the day and so on we go. The duck and goose decoys will no doubt be in tow as will the waders and brush pants. Oh so much to pack and so little time..lol.

I'm not quite sure how this fall will pan out for hunting. Nanny and Poppy are coming to live with us in a few weeks once the construction is finalized. Nanny is in or at least getting into the advanced stages of Alzheimer's. It isn't going to be easy. But then: what would you do in my shoes? God has been good to me over the later years of my life, between the memories of past and the Blessings of late I've come to know a life that for the most part has only been dreamed of. It seems that he has a plan, I'll follow!

Tonight I sit in New Jersey but my mind is afield in Nebraska. A mental break was needed and I took it, all the way out west! For once in my life cleaning a rifle, smelling Rem Oil and watching hunting shows can't cover the reality of whats to soon come.

I said earlier that I'm not sure if I was Blessed for having my childhood or cursed for having the memories, the memories may be all I have this fall, I'm glad I have them!

There is a great sense of accomplishment in a successful ethical hunt, there is a greater sense of accomplishment in helping another, and help Poppy and Nanny I will! For one of the first times in my life I actually feel like a responsible adult. It wasn't that long ago that my life would have been all about me and the challenge of helping in-laws wouldn't have been an option.

I'll have to make the call this fall as to whether it's more important for me to hunt of stay home and assist. Either will be fine with me! That's how I can say: God's been good to me!

January winds

Seems like it was yesterday that I was sitting atop a sandhill watching my hunting buddies across the valley. Suddenly, just like that: it's January and the Holidays are over. I find little comfort in the January winds however Nebraskaland magazine in hand I'll find some time to reflect I'm sure. This is the worst part of the year for me, hunting is all but over, the Internet hunting stores are having some slamming sales and I have a list of things that I wish I would have had for the fall hunts. I won't say it's not fun purchasing equipment and then anxiously awaiting the arrival of the UPS truck. It's just not that fun when the bill comes due and I spend 20 minutes asking myself if I really needed this or should I have purchased something else. Thats the issue with the January winds! I decided that for the most part I'm going to stabilize my arrow supply. Having purchased my first longbow late last year I spent a lot of time and money trying to find the arrow that my bow likes the best: Beman ICS Bowhunters seem to fit the bill. With my traditional archery stash soon to include bows set to 45, 50, 55 and 60 pounds I find myself caught between the performance of the 400's vs the 500's. So I did what any self respecting guy with a credit card would do: I ordered both! I seem to be spending quite a bit of time this January (keeping in mind it's only the 3rd of January) engaged in a search for my 2010 fall hunts. No doubt Rich and I will head to Iowa as planned however I'm torn as to my second hunt. Saskatchewan is calling, Nebraska is beckoning and my drive to harvest a wall hanger is on. But first.......... There will be a change this year, we've invited Poppy and Nanny to come live with us. They are getting up there in years: 85 and 84 respectively, and they need a little help. There aren't many things that I'll put in front of a chance to be where the deer live with the exception of Nanny and Poppy! Frankly I'm gearing up for a "put it on hold" year until I realize the full extent of the upcoming change. Construction is planned and the process of transition has begun. I kind of see it all as a chance to spend time with my father in law and make his final years as comfortable as I can; I'm looking forward to it. It's funny how no matter how much hunting you get to do it never seems to be enough, yet I somehow feel so satisfied the minute that I'm on stand for the first day of the hunt. Being limited to one hunt this fall is not an appealing process for me, I've wasted oh so many years living in the heart of Whitetail country and didn't even hunt them for the most part. Now that I'm older I'm finding it hard to relive or for that matter even catch up with the memory's of my childhood. That's what I think I'll use most when I'm 85, the memory of days afield and the successes as well as the failures. I have time for Poppy and I have time to hunt, for right now: Poppy is more important! I'll one day have a windy January and know that it may be my last and I'd sure like to have someone to talk to while I go through it and I'm sure that Poppy will too!