Indepence Day

Been on vacation this week and haven't got much done because it's rained every day for the last 10 days. Oh well. Caught my first decent smallmouth. Tomato plant doing good. Have had an unusual number of hummingbirds this year, 6 or 8 at a time. I get so lost watching them, Mom would really love it.

Keepin' Busy

Spring is a wonderful time, everything coming to life. My new projects have been installing crank out windows for the kitchen, then using the old window for the garage. Building planters for the garden in the yard, as anything outside the fence would be deer food. Made a ring out of a silver dollar. Also put a vent rib, brass frame, and antler grips on my Ruger Blackhawk. My friend picked me up 2 more neon signs at a garage sale for 10 bucks. Tawny and I found this enormous deer head at junk store. It changes the whole look of the front porch. But I worry about the temptation of someone seeing it from the road and stealing it. I stole it for $125, but I still don't want it to walk off. By the way it scored 149 3/4 B&C.

Brothers in arms

Been on vacation this week and still trying to get over Dad.You know the hero isn't supposed to die in the movie. Somehow my hero did. So I thought a week of turkey hunting near the house would be the ticket to renew the soul. So I called my little brother Rob to see if he'd be interested in seeing the cabin and get some turkey huntin' in. Well before we new it, it turned into  a brother weekend, I couldn't have asked for anything more.   Rob and I didn't get a turkey, saw some and had a good hunt anyway, as we don't get to hunt together as much as we would like. Mike and I got caught up and had some good laughs, and Dennis and I got to do 2 canoe trips 6 miles downstream past the swinging bridge and 8 upstream to the house. The upstream stretch had a lot of

 ugly log jams we had to navigate, but nothing we've haven't overcome before. I also got to cook up the kitchen sink of wild game. Alligator,bear,wild boar, buffalo,pheasant,and deer. It was a pleasure to cook up all my wild game specialties for my brothers to enjoy and appreciate where their food comes from. There is nothing more natural. Just got my carport converted to a garage by a  local Mennonite fellow. I now have a SHOP to officially do stuff. Having all my  brothers here to just hang out at my new digs with no pressure or distractions was something we rarely get and will rightly cherish. Being able to do next weekend would not be soon enough. I think for me was the most and best healing medicine I could get. And I guess Dad would have said it best. " Get over it." I'm trying Dad.

Back to normal ?

A few months before Dad passed away he was insistant that I take an old double barrel shotgun. I felt funny about it, but he was determinded. So I took it home, cleaned it up and found it was made between 1902-12. Now what, I know take it hunting. So my friend from work Chris and I went pheasant hunting. It was cold and snowy, perfect for hunting birds. When the first bird flushed and I smoked it with a 100yr old gun, I new Dad would be proud. I know I was. 8 birds fell to the old girl. Life is much more different now that Dad's gone. That crutch to able to call for anything is not there. Not being able to ask how to fix something or tell him about something I made or fixed is maybe what I miss the most. That's what Dad was, making something or fixing it. But I seem to have a different confidence about things, and I've never felt closer to my 3 wonderful brothers. Maybe because the pool of people you can count on for anything is growing smaller. I not sure. I guess time will tell. But hunting on that cold snowy I felt like Dad was right there with me, and I guess as long I never forget he always will.

New Year's Day

It's been a tough couple week, holidays, my emotional rollercoaster, watching the days pass wondering? Have I done enough? Said enough? Too much? For a person who prided himself in having answers only seems to have questions. I am rattled to the core. I do want to send out a happiest birthday for my best friend Bub who turn 13 today. He's getting stiff and gray like a few more of us. He seems healthly and happy. We was quite happy to see it snow too. Made the mountians look even better. Happy New Year everyone.

Christmas

Notice I didn't say merry, well thats because we lost Dad to his battle with cancer on Thurday the 20th. Now Christmas to me was never a religious time for religion has never done anything for me, but my family has. That's what this time of the year is about for me. Dads battle was long, hard and valiant,as with most things in life. A little before he died he got to go flying which was one his greater joys. He even got to see a WWII  German ME 109, he was thrilled. As a man who loved to build and fix things. Thats what I'll miss the most. Showing him something that I built or telling how I fixed something. Maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. First Mom, then Pat, now Dad, it seems that the list is growing. Give a man fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man fish, feed him for life. Went fishing yesterday, didn't catch anything. Need to lose some weight anyway. Miss you Dad.

Deer season

I just finished  my 1st deer season in Ohio. Not quite what I expected, now it wasn't the area, so much as the property. I did a semi-guided hunt with Pike-Adams deer hunts at a price cheaper than a lease. It is a good property just the landowner wouldn't quit logging why season was on. Anyway saw a few deer, no bucks other than a spike. A huge 15 pt buck was taken a nice 10pt lost, but I managed to kill 2 anterless deer, which puts me at 60 taken during my tenure.Not sure if I'll do it again, but I will for turkey season. Good thing, bought a new smoker before season and my freezer died during. The last thing I wanted a new freezer empty, and a non smoking smoker. Not a problem now. Got my first taste of how fast the river comes up and then goes down 8 to 10' a couple weeks ago. No sweat this time,but I bet my times coming. Trimmed the dinning room out 2by rough saw cedar, had some leftover so decided to make a TV stand which I am very proud of. The little cabin is coming along and couldn't think a more peaceful place to grow old. Bub loves his fenced yard and he thinks he's top dog being able to let himself in and out.