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!