My thoughts exactly...

February Update

Well, no success rabbit hunting this month. Aristos and I went out on two Saturdays but didn't even see a cottontail. The first time the snow was deep, and I think it was a bit too cold. Rabbits were probably holed up snug under the snow. We saw tracks and droppings, but no rabbits. The next time we went to the woods, we brought four of our kids along: Aristos's two boys, and my two girls. We went to my parents' property, but didn't hunt long. I think the kids were just a little too noisy. I also suspect that the hunters my Dad allows to go through once a year had an effect on the local population. Despite the lack of hunting success, we did have a nice lunch around a fire in the field. It was good practice for future trips, and I was able to get a nice, hot cooking fire going. I scavenged wood and tinder from the area, just dry grass and various diameter sticks, and used a lighter for ignition. I'd like to get a flint and steel, to try on warmer trips. But the wind was cold, and I was happy when I finally (after about 15 min.) got a sustainable fire. We cooked hot dogs and marshmallows over the flames, and most of the kids had a blast. My younger daughter had a bit of a meltdown due to cold fingers, and I think it hurt too much to thaw them out over the fire. Good thing Grandma's house was a short walk away! The kids had fun exploring the woods and watching my parents' chickens. Any time I can get them outside for a few hours to do something fun helps to increase their enthusiasm for the outdoors.
One of my future trips has been set: there will be a second annual St. Joe River trip in early May. I plan on bringing the girls, plus a friend of mine (and possibly 1 or 2 of his kids) will also be joining us. I'm hoping for more sunshine, less rain this time.
Still haven't used that Cabela's gift card. Still going back and forth about what exactly to use it for. Most likely, it will be a rain jacket. But who knows what "must have" I'll come across?

Recent Hunting Success!

On January 17th, Aristos and I headed to Lapeer County to do some rabbit hunting at another teacher's place. This friend of ours has about 15 acres of great rabbit and deer habitat. Swampy areas with small trees and grasses, rows of pines, brush piles, and ditches. After two earlier hunts with my .22 that resulted in no bunnies bagged, I decided to upgrade to the pump shotgun. Aristos and our host also toted shotguns for this hunt. We brought along two of the beagles, Rufus and Naala. Poor Chloe has developed cataracts and I'm afraid she would run into something and hurt herself. Rufus took last season off to heal a torn ACL, but he looked great this day! Naala showed the best hunt of her life as she chased rabbits back and forth through the underbrush. Our host was a combination third dog/third gun as he took on the task of driving the rabbits towards us. He knew all the spots the rabbits liked to hide, so we heard "one coming your way!" quite a few times.

It was a short hunt, only about two hours long, but the results were fantastic. Aristos had a banner day with 3 rabbits, our host took 2, and I found the mark on one as it sped from under a brush pile. That only equals 6 rabbits, but we bagged 7. One was truly a group effort. It was the smallest, fastest rabbit of the day and also hardest to hit. The dogs were running it through a thick, swampy tangle. When it broke cover we sent as much lead towards it as we could. When the rabbit finally stopped moving, there were empty shells littering the ice and snow at our feet. Later, I discovered that the rabbit had been hit at least twice, so each hunter received 1/3 credit. Who cares, though. We all agreed that it had been a great hunt, we saw a lot of rabbits, took many shots each, and enjoyed a sunny winter day. It was a hunt that we will remember for years and years, and ranks alongside with my 5-rabbit day and 10-point buck. The next hunt is scheduled for next Saturday, and wouldn't it be great if we could repeat our success?

On the paddling front, I have at least 3 trips in the works for the warmer months. The first would be a repeat of last year's Indiana trip. We had a great weekend, despite the near-constant rain. The second trip is a fishing trip on the Manistee River in northern Michigan. Some teacher friends of mine went last year, and have been talking to me about joining them. Sounds like a good time, right after school gets out in June. Finally, the annual Algonquin trip will take a new turn this year. The guys plan on bringing a few kids along this time. My oldest daughter Anna is slated to experience AP for the first time, and hopefully not the last. Other trips, paddling or just on land, are likely to occur as well. I can't wait to get the family out to the woods and on the water!

Oh yeah, I got another Cabela's gift card for Christmas again. Last year I bought a PFD and rain pants with it. This year I will probably replace the raincoat that ripped on my Algonquin trip in August. Any other cool ideas?

Big News

I've only been out in the field once since my last post. I took my older daughter to my parents' farm for some rabbit hunting. She was sporting her new birthday present vest and was ready to toss a bunny in the game bag if needed. Unfortunately, no shots were fired, as no rabbits were seen. The dogs found some scent trails, but we were unable to position ourselves in the right spots.

Since then, I've taken a bit of a hunting hiatus as I have been anticipating the arrival of my third child. Well, now he's here! With a November 19th birthday, I see a lot of hunting-themed birthday presents in his future! I doubt we will take many canoe trips on his birthday, though.

My next hunting day will probably be my annual celebration of Rufus's birthday, in early December. Most years, Rufus and I go out and bag a rabbit or two. Last year, he was recovering from a leg injury, but now he is mobile enough to hunt again. I don't know how many more years we'll be able to celebrate with a hunt, but I know chasing rabbits is his favorite thing to do.

Not Again!

Two apologies for blogging lapses in a row? I am a terrible blogger! So what has occurred these past two months? First, my trip to Algonquin Park was a fun adventure. 8 days instead of 9, half of them rainy. I plan on publishing a trip report eventually, but I am still waiting to get copies of the pictures (soon, please, Brent and Bryan?). I could relive the afternoon on Burntroot Lake over and over. Relaxing in a hammock strung between two cedars, blue sky, peace.

Over the Labor Day weekend, I took my daughters to a campground on the Au Sable River in Michigan. We shared a big tent with my brother-in-law and two nieces. It rained most of the time, but we had a great time and met some awesome new friends. We paddled a short section of the river that Sunday, and Anna impressed me with her first try at paddling bow! A wonderful daddy/daughters trip.

Lastly, Anna's 6th birthday was a week after Labor Day. I fueled her budding passion for hunting by buying her a hunting vest. Now she will match Daddy when she goes rabbit hunting! I'm looking forward to initiating the vest with its first rabbit soon. That's not too self-serving of a gift, is it? Is it as bad as a dad who buys his kid a video game that they can play together, then plays it for hours after the kid is in bed? I don't think it is.

Anybody out there?

My sincerest apologies to my small group of readers. Like many other bloggers I have followed, I had one of those lapses where nothing was posted for a very long time. Other than a short paddle at Stoney Creek Metropark with my family, I have been sadly on dry land since April. But soon I will be back in my favorite place, Algonquin Park! 9 days of exploring Algonquin's beautiful lakes and rivers. Currently I'm wrapping up summer school (last day tomorrow!!), figuring out the final provisions for the trip, and preparing to head to western Michigan for a vacation with the wife's family. I'm going to be very busy until I get to slow down and simplify my life for a little over a week. I'm looking forward to those Algonquin temperatures; it's been too hot and humid in Metro Detroit this past month!

Birthday Weekend

On Friday, April 23rd, I drove to New Haven, Indiana for a weekend of camping and paddling. This rural town is just a few miles outside of Ft. Wayne, and the home of my aunt and uncle. They have a farm, and the woodlot behind the fields was where I was to set up my tent for the weekend. The forecast was for a wet weekend, and we almost called off the whole trip. But we had camped through rain before, so we decided to hope for lighter rain than what was predicted.

I drove down with my mother, who wished to visit her sister. My uncle drove me out to the woodlot, suggested a patch of high ground for my tent, and helped me put it up. We then returned to the house for some supper, and I waited there for my cousin to arrive. Brent brought his two kids, Samantha and Harry. Brent's brother-in-law and nephew joined us as well. They had set up two campers in the woodlot earlier in the day, and we lounged in one of them for several hours, talking late into the night. Around 11:30, the adults found their beds, mine being a sleeping bag and air mattress inside a Eureka tent.

That was a chilly night! One of those nights where you wake up with a cold nose in the morning, and the last thing you want to do is unzip the sleeping bag. I had wisely packed my heavier bag instead of the one I typically use in the summer. It kept everything but my face comfortable. I quickly dressed for the day and headed over to the camper for breakfast. As we were eating, my cousin Scott arrived with two of his daughters and one of their friends. We finished breakfast, loaded up all the gear we would need, and headed out in two trucks for the put-in on the St. Joseph River.

I don't know the area well enough, but I believe we started at Cedarville, on the far end of the reservoir. During the first part of the trip the river was very wide, with houses lining the shore. We came to some islands that housed several types of birds, including geese, ducks, and herons. The kids enjoyed looking for wildlife, and were delighted to view a group of ducklings waddling behind their mother along the shoreline. Past the islands we approached the dam, and we had to portage around it. There was no set landing to be seen, and the shore was very rocky and difficult to traverse. It took some effort from the four men in our party to haul the two aluminum canoes up and over the hill next to the dam. The two kayaks were easier to carry. After a few minutes, everyone was back on the water on the other side. The river here was narrower and shallower. The canoes became stuck on rocks, so Brent and I paddled over to them to dislodge them.

Yes, this was the first time ever that I had paddled a kayak. Definitely different than a canoe. In the future, I would wish for a longer, narrower kayak. I found the short, flat-bottomed craft to be slow yet maneuverable. There were many times I would have given up the ability to turn quickly for some extra speed. This experience helped to affirm my love of canoeing. I miss the Swift Shearwater I rented last summer!

The scenery was pleasant the rest of the way, even though some parts were lined with houses. It was great to be on the water again after several months straight on dry land. The river twisted and turned through woods, farm fields, and suburban neighborhoods. It rained about half of the time, but never so heavy that we considered ending the trip early. After about 5-1/2 hours of paddling, we arrived at the takeout. My uncle and sister-in-law had moved the trucks for us so that we could load up the boats and head out right away. Everyone was wet and a little chilly, so we headed over to Brent's house for hot showers before returning to camp.

We ate a nice meal that included hot dogs cooked over a fire. When the rain showed up again, we retreated into one of the campers to snack, talk, and drink. The kids watched a movie while the dads recounted the day's events. Scott brought out a bottle of Evan Williams whiskey and mixed me a whiskey and Coke. After a second and a few beers, I was ready to find my bed. The other guys joked about me knocking on the door of one of their campers in the middle of the night, for it was pouring rain when I left for my tent. But I was just as dry as them in my tent. Saturday night was much warmer, and I slept with my sleeping bag half-zipped. There was speculation the next morning that perhaps the whiskey had warmed me up considerably!

It was comfortably warm in my tent when I awoke, noticeably warmer than the outside air. Still, it was comfortable if one was dressed properly. We had a great breakfast of eggs, pancakes, sausage, and bacon. Scott and I cooked some of the bacon over the fire, and I think it tasted much better that way. I packed up my belongings and the tent while the other guys secured the campers and hitched them to the trucks. We drove back to the farm where I was dropped off. Not much later I left New Haven with my mother and headed back to Michigan. The weather had not completely cooperated, but we made a good time of it anyway. The kids had a great time, and so did the dads. I hope this is the start of a new tradition.

My birthday was on Saturday the 24th and Scott's was on Sunday the 25th. We both agreed that this was a great way to spend our birthdays.