Surgery

    Just got out of surgery to repair a bulged  disk in my neck. Hopefully this will cure or lower the pain I've been in.
  Just eating lentil soup and drinking as much liquid as I  can.

Podcasts

   Anyone listen to podcasts??
I started a couple months ago.  There are soooo many out there. They cover anything that a person could possibly want to listen to.
  Im listening to mostly hunting and fishing podcasts. Its great to listen to so many ideas and different perspectives. The learning curve is amazing. So many tips and ideas on skills.
   Podcasts definitely help make the days go by faster. I get to learn and broaden my ideas of the world.
   If you have time explore the podcast world. There's something for everyone.  In fact my cousin now listens to a fly fishing show because of me. She really likes the broad spectrum of people being interviewed.
Take care

Hunting again

    Went trying to fill my deer tag last weekend.  I stayed local, about an hour from home. Lots of hiking and glassing. I saw lots of mule deer and mule bucks. But the area I was in was just for whitetail deer.
    I got a couple really good hikes in. My body is telling my I need to get out and hike/walk alot more.
  I found some old abandoned homes.  Love finding stuff like that really makes ya think about life. What happened to the people?
    My buddy called as I was leaving  and told me he just got his turkey tag filled. Then asked if I wanted to fill mine. Heck yea! Told him I didn't have my shotgun.  He said no worries,  I could use his. We met up and I got a nice little jake for Thanksgiving.
   Ruby was super excited when I got home. She helped me process and break him down. She was so full of questions.  It was great getting to show her where food comes from.  She kept asking about parts of the bird. What's this? What's that?
   One of the funniest things is when I split the crop accidentally and she saw all the corn and grain he'd eaten.  She said he didn't chew his food very well. I tried explaining to her her how that works but she was over it and on to something else.
Take care

Deer hunt pt2 & pictures

   I slept in the cab of the truck last night.  Sleep came pretty fast. Woke up cold a couple times. Turned the truck on for heat and back to sleep. Need to figure out how to keep the seatbelt out of my back though.
    Woke up to snow. Got dressed, drank a Gatorade.  Grabbed my gear and started hiking. Saw a doe but that was it. It was snowing pretty good and getting cold. Im thinking I hiked a mile maybe more heard a couple shots in the distance.  Decided to call it a day and go home. I couldn't feel my fingers.
    Stopped at the cafe in town got a good cup of coffee for the drive home.
  Stopped and checked out a couple spots I could hunt closer to home.  Just small areas.

    Home, kiss my girls and a hot shower!!!
  Some pictures from the trip.

Deer hunting

         2:30am
  Alarm clock goes off..... Turn the coffee on. Get dressed.  Grab lunch bag and coffee.  Glad everything was loaded last night.
    3:00am
On the road,  listen to podcasts, drink coffee. Stop and stretch twice and potty. Its as dark as the inside of a cow, no stars showing.
    6:15am
  Meet my friend at the cafe. Meet and visit with his friends. Eat a healthy breakfast of eggs, potatoes and sausage.  2 more cups of coffee.
     6:45am
   Drive to the hunt area, national forest. Hike down a logging road looking for deer in spitting snow. Listen to the wind/breeze whistle through to tree tops, but its completely still on the ground. The snow falls straight to the ground to melt. The tree squirrels chatter and scold us for imposing in their home.
   Drive to another couple spots, same deal. Not seeing any bucks. My friend shows and points out a couple areas I can hunt. He goes home.
   Now I'm on my own in an area I'm unfamiliar with.  Im liking this. It's a complete challenge. To me as a person and as a hunter.
   I decide to try an area he pointed out. The country is really steep and heavily forest. Lots of trees and brush.  I hike down another logging road.  Hear deer blowing.  Ok now??? Where are they? Still a gentle rain. Two deer blow from cover quickly. All I see is a flash of white tails and looked like big body's. Continuing down the trail I get a quick view of them break cover again, they're are gone now.
   Driving down the road I come across a flock of wild turkeys.  13-15 in the flock. They are in no hurry to go anywhere fast.
   It's now about dark. Time to find a place to park the truck. I go back to the place we started this morning. I'm just gonna sleep in the truck tonight.  Its so peaceful,  listening to the rain fall on the cab. There's no sounds other that nature and what I make. It's nice to be removed from the modern world for a moment.
  Hopefully I'll get a deer in the morning.  If not thats what it is. I'm just enjoying getting in touch with a primal human side that we as a people are neglecting.

Duck hunting

   I got to go duck hunting yesterday for the first time.  Lots of fun. Good bunch of dudes. Lots of laughs and good comradeship. We didn't get any. They were either to high or to fast. But I learned alot and had fun.

It's been a minute

   Doing good here, its been a minute since the last post.
  Just staying busy with work.  Ruby is getting settled into kindergarten. Still long days for her. She's pretty much exhausted at the end of day. Sharon is getting used to having a break from Ruby. It was kinda hard at first.
   Ruby and I saved a toad from the basement window well acouple weeks ago.  She has the gentlest, kindest heart.
 

Colorado

  We took a quick mini-vacation to visit some friends in Colorado. Sharon went to the Rock and Gem show in Denver.
  Ruby and I went fishing with our friend.  Great times.  Beautiful area! We fished the the mountain outside Ft. Collins. Nice to get away, even if just for one night.

First day of kindergarten

  Ruby's first day of kindergarten.....
Sounds like she did great, one melt down. Not a bad one but she showed her teacher her very stubborn streak....lol. She was exhausted tonight when we picked her up. 
   Ruby is going to a rural school. Its a two room school.  In her class there's 8 students.  Her class is K-3.
  It's such a huge step. It seems like yesterday she was born.

Little fishing

   We went to the mountains here close to home. To fish and relax. Its about an hour from home where we went.  Just nice to spend the afternoon watching Ruby and the dogs play.
  I got to do some fishing. Caught a bunch of brookies on flies I tied.  Feels pretty good doing that. Ruby is now fearless with fish. She  loves help release them. Sharon brought a big blanket and relaxed in the shade. Good day for everyone.

Tying bench

  Here's where Ruby and I tie fly's. She has her own vise on the left and storage box for her tools and materials.  She loves tying. I love watching her create, and watching her learn. I'm trying to teach her to tie actual flies not just make up ones. But she is having fun and thats all that matters.
   A couple flies I tied up using a new materials and new patterns to me. These are kinda rough but they will improve.
  Take care and be safe.

Mini-Vacation

   We got away last week for a few days. We took a much needed break and just relaxed.  We up to where will always be home.  No matter where we live.  Dubois WY.

  My bride got me a guided fly fishing trip for Christmas.  Finally broke free to use it. It was amazing! I learned sooo much.  Caught 14-16 fish. I really wasn't worried about catching,  I wanted to learn and pick my guides brain. I highly recommend the Tickled Trout guide Leon in Dubois.  Great guy.
   Spent time just doing family stuff.  We did a nice hike. Ruby did the whole thing on her own. Probably 2 miles? Nice to stretch the legs.

Tying flies

   So I've picked up this hobby.... I'm learning to tie flys for fishing
It really is relaxing and engage's the mind. The creation is fun. There are so many patterns and different styles of the same bug. 
Here's a couple flys I've tied that are decent.  They need work but will catch fish.
Be safe friends.

Chatting w/ Mom

   I was chatting with my Mom this afternoon. She is going to South Africa on a mission trip at the end of the month.  Im pretty proud of her for going, its really stepping out of her comfort zone. She's never been out of the country.  Well my parent's did drive to Alaska for their honeymoon.
   She was ssy that they were having some communication troubles with the hosts in S. Africa. Them not calling back in what we consider a timing manner. Then it was explained to the church that the African people don't use watches or really use clocks.
   They live in the moment. I really like that.  We are always rushing here or there. Saying well we have 3 hrs to have fun then its time for dinner or whatever. Where as them is living in the moment.  If your having fun then stay and have fun. No time limits.
Be safe and live in the moment.

Date night

   My bride and had date night last night after a day at the lake. So nice to just sit down over dinner and relax, talk. The couple sitting next to us at the restaurant was celebrating 64 years of marriage.  Thats pretty darn amazing!
     We spent the afternoon at the lake playing around. Ruby and Sharon stacked rocks and Ruby practiced back floats, and throwing rocks into the water.
I got to do some flyfishing.  So that was fun. I caught a little yellow Perch. Ruby thought that was cool and wanted to pet it. 
It was a really good day spent with my girls.
    

Busy

   Soooo just been busy. Bet every one else has been as well.
   Ruby graduated from preschool now will be starting kindergarten come this fall. Im not sure we are ready for that. She is excited though.
    We went to Ayers Natural bridge yesterday to picnic just relax. Ruby had a great time playing in the water and making friends.

Birthday girl

     Today is Ruby's 5th birthday.
My buddy was born in a blizzard and our lives have been changed for the better. She is an amazing person.

Todays fishing

Didn't catch anything, but sure was nice to get out on the water. The scenery was great.
  Im having a hard time getting pictures to load. Guess need to spend more time figuring out how.

Ruby and I

Been awhile

I'll try to post more. I can't get pictures to load.  This thing is really frustrating right now.