yearly post

So a friend on Facebook talked about a blog. So here I am updating my blog! One year to the day. Yah I know I am a slacker. Been an ok year. Compared to other years.

Haven't screw my back up . Since. ....oh about 9 months. Which is awesome. Maybe this year I will fish a NAIFC tournament after all!

The hell is nite mares aren't around as much. I won't explain how nice that is. I am sure you understand. Lots of shit going on at the fire department.  It's kinda like a room full of adult 5 year old drama queens. But I guess that's part of life. I did get my letter from the big shots at the government. Only 12 more hours of doing training classes and I can apply for my State Instructors Permit. I don't ever see teaching classes for a living but, but it was a goal I have had for a long time. Since back in the days when my brother and I would respond to the fire house with Dad. We would wash the same truck everytime. The truck that never moved. We stocked the fridge with beer. Played pool. Slid down the brass pole. Back when you could have one. God only knows that the government thinks it's OK I go into a house fully on fire, but DO NOT slide 10 foot down a pole. Nice work.

My photography has stalled. So has my bike riding. And my hunting. And my fishing. Times change I guess. But ice fishing will be hot this year. Gonna keep my back in one piece and gonna fish hard. Hopefully get the kids out more. Get some other family's out fishing. Those that aren't so lucky to be set up as well as I am.  Get the kids out and have some fun. People may find it hard to believe that some guys will grill steak on a grill in the shanty!

Maple syrup season was insane this year. It started the end of February and ran till the beginning April. I put out 10 gallons.  Which is 9 gallons over last year. Gave it all away. I enjoy making it and my reward is seeing people enjoy it. I tapped 4 trees in my yard and oh about.....10 at moms. Made for long nights. Get home and start boiling at 7th and go to bed at 2am. Then repeat. 4 or 5 nights a week. But it was great.

So I guess that's it. Jamming to the new Eminem CO and texting a friend in North Carolina. Time for me to go to bed. I would love to say I will blog more. But most of my entries are of me saying I will blog more and it is obvious I dont.

Good night.
God Bless
And use a 3 mm jig and 1 lbs test line. If you want better fishing tips call me. I will take you out. 616.262.0376 (once we have safe ice)

I am a Rock

So here it is November the 12th. So if you happen to keep an eye on this blog you will be in shock! I think this may be my 3rd update this year! and the second in a few months. No the world isn't going to end, that happens in December, so You have to wait until January for that story!

The Iceman has come and gone. The weather was...well, it is called ICE-man for a reason. Took about 3000 pictures, and even sold a bunch.

I took a ride on a ladder and did well. Took it all the way to the ground and came up kicking. Well, ok I wasn't kicking, but i was able to walk on my own. Took a day off to relax and then back to work. but I got this back thing fingured out, I got the meds, I got the stretchs and I got the rehab all figured out. I just don't have the paper work on the wall so I can get paid to show others how to do it.

So this year, not counting shitty ice, my Brother getting whacked by an asshole in a car and blowing my back out twice, has been pretty good.

This is the time of year in Michigan you hear a lot of adds for the Male Strippers coming to the State. The DNR (department of natural resources) hears these adds and does all of us guys a HUGE favor and opens White Tail Deer season. I love the DNR. This time of the year I am little by little getting, how do they say it? I am "getting my poop in a group". It would suck to only plan for 30 hours and find out you had forgotten something important. Something like the latest "outdoor life" magazine, or your pop.

But his year I will be at the local hospital pacing back and forth. A great friend of mine found out that she has two Tumors. Her and her husband laughingly call them "the twins". The doctors for some reason decided to do the operation on the 15th. I guess they felt since they had to work they'd find a gal who had friends who hunt and pick her. The skinny vegetarian will have hers done and the 16th. But non the less, I will be there. Can't say I even thought twice about hunting. I need to be there, as she would be there for me. I have hunted since i was 12 or 13 (you do the math) so I have 32 years of "openers" under my belt. And I hope to have many more. So to miss one really isn't gonna hurt me. I'll miss it, sure as hell, but I will know I am right where I need to be. There in the hospital. Hoping and praying she beats the 10% odds.

I am a Rock.

That has been her saying for a year and a half. It all came about after a Medical call we both went to. A young beautiful girl ran to her Father for a ride on the mower. She slipped and fell and her Father struck her as he backed up. I do not have to give you much more details than that. I lost weeks of sleep, no need for you to loose any. But this call effected us, her and I. It sent us both into a spiral that I was sure would find us both in hell. But I made it with the help of some professional help and hers, and we got out of it. For the most part anyways. When people would ask her how she is doing she'd just answer "I am a rock". I always wanted to slap her for saying that. We both knew we were in hell, and just once I wanted to see her stop keeping it inside, to watch her explode into a screaming ball of terror and let someone have it. Would it have helped? Not the slightest, but Gad damn It would have been fun to see. Cuz I knew I wanted to. I was sick of being up all night, listening to the voices.

So this November 15th, enjoy the time you have in the woods. Send me a photo. 616.262.0376. I will be where I need to be......

I am a Rock

Hey look its September!

This is my every once in awhile blog post:

Hot summer, and I hope the winter is equally cold. I need some darn ice!

Last week my brother was whacked by some dude in a car. That story, although serious, is not something I have the time to write about right now. So I will do that tomorrow at work. As of right now I just uploaded some pictures of a race and we are off to the zoo.

See you tomorrow. 

Ice is gone!

Well, once again...i have not updated this blog in months.

My brother in law, Chase, and I signed up for a NAIFC pro fish tournament. I decided to pre-fish the lake on Feb 18th. Planned on meeting some pros from the Detroit area. But while I was getting onto the ice I had some back issues. I laid on the ice for about 20 minutes before some guys picked me up and carried me off the ice. After a long painful journey, to much to write down, i got home. Later that night the pain set in big time, had my son call 9-11. My brothers from the Fire Department showed up. Gave me great care, and a little bit of a hard time, but i end up in ER. Spend a few days at home in bed. The tournament ended up cancelled due to poor ice.

So here it is months later. I am pain free in my back. But the nerve damage is still there. It is great to be on your feet most of the day and have a part of your leg just fall asleep. But i'll take that any day!

Crap fishing is going pretty good. First trip out me took a mostly suckers and a few crap. But last weekend we spent all night on the lake. Took about 10 crap. The two biggest I shot and were both ounces from being 30 lbs, Brett shot some dandies, his biggest two were in the mids 20 pound range.

Ok, i have said it in all of my posts. I'll do better at updating. But you know I won't!

Be safe

Trained to survive, willing not too.

WOW + Ice!

Well, it appears it has been awhile since I have been here! Over a year! shame shame.

January 7th, Saturday.

Went ice fishing. It was not safe ice, but it was ice. We walked on on a lake near Newaygo Michigan. If you hit the ice twice with the ice spud it would go through. We walked out and found a safe place to set and fish. Only used one pole and we didn't dance or move. We did yell at a guy on shore for turning on his porch light. We feared the heat from it would make the ice less safe!

January 8th, Sunday

Drove to Lake Mitchell. It had ice, and safe ice. Fired up the new Jiffy Auger and drilled some holes. Never found fish and the water was only 6 foot deep. Depressing, but it was ice fishing.

We moved to Lake Cadillac. The ice was just as safe. Drilled 20 holes and the deepest we found was an amazing 9.5 feet. WTF? We fished and marked a few fish. But never got a hit.

Hope better ice comes soon down here in the southern part of the mitten. Cuz we got to get on the ice. We are signing up for a NAIFC Pro tournament and we have some serious pre-fishing to do.

Ok, so i am going to keep the ice fishing season posted here. Maybe that will remind me to update this blog more than bi-yearly!

If you have ice, and want fishing friends call me. I am set up for 3 people. Call me.

DC part 2

...........I stayed here for awhile. A half hour maybe. I took lots of pictures not knowing when or if I'd ever be back.

I got up and walked slowly toward the visitor center. It was then remembered about the Marine WWII memorial and headed that way, water less. It was a very long hike, seamed like 5 miles, might have been 1. I took a few turns wrong and ended up toward a Kennedy. Then I pulled out the darn map and saw a trail that would take me right to the spot I was looking for. The walk took me back toward the visitor center. I did make it there and it was awesome. Again I took a lot of pictures. And left a lot of sweat behind.

It was a few hours later and I had called it day. Grabbed the Metro Red line and headed to the hotel. Worked on loading the daily pictures and took a shower. I later loaded a few shots to Face Book and had a friend note that I had visited him a day before his birthday. So i knew the next day I was gonna go back. And I did. Goofie singing Happy Birthday to some one in Arlington, but again, I knew if I didn't I'd regret it. I was SOOOO happy no one was around to witness it, trust me I kept an eye out!

Again, back on the Red Line and off to town. I did the Korean memorial, saw the Smokey Bear station and took a little tour. All in all it was way to hot to have fun, but I had done what I came to do and was happy.

One per month quota, Met.

I see i am right on course for an award for one crappy blog post per month. I really thought about putting off until tomorrow, but wednesday morning is Goose hunting. So sorry i'm not going to stay up blogging when I can be resting for hunting. It just won't work. Trust me it won't.

So my August started off pretty cool, well it was really freakin hot. The month started off in DC. We had nothing planned for the first day. That worked out well. Since the flights were all screwed up. We arrived in the afternoon and not in the morning like planned. So we had time to do a little walking around and we had dinner. Did I mention it was hot?

Day two was a day I had somewhat planned, notice I say somewhat. My plan was going to Arlington and seeing an High School friend Jeff Davis. And off I went, my second ride on the Metro. I kinda had it figure out now. I mean I made it all the way to Arlington and didn't get lost! Well, on the Metro anyhow. I got off the Metro and walked into the Arlington Visitor Center. I was sure I could walk right to section 54. But, I didn't remember "section 54". OOPS, take note, Arlington is NOT small, you want to be damn sure you know what section you are looking for. So I went off memory, another big mistake! I remembered the section he was in was two sections from the visitor center. So off I went. It was right about now I wish would have stopped and got some water! So anyhow. I took a short cut and headed across a parking lot, and past the first section. So as I get to the second section, it was empty! So off to the third section you know the one I am sure he is the one, I notice that I am on the wrong end. I'll say I was on the East side instead of the West. Honestly I never knew north, south, east or west the whole time I was there. So I figure crap one more section. At least I was upbeat! I was close and I was on the right end. So I went to the next section, it was huge and he was not there. To the next section, nothing. I stopped and checked out the useless map again and saw I was to far and I knew I was in the wrong place, for sure. So I headed to the Tomb of the Unknowns. i got there at 10 to noon. The bell sounded and I watched as the first Guard came out, shortly later the next Guard. I felt like I was in a good spot to take pictures and I was ready to go. To say I was moved would be an understatement. It was flooring. I shot alot of shots and watched as the Guards were switched and back they went. I have to believe these Men are the most dedicated people I have ever saw. The heat was intense and these young men marching like machines. I took shelter from the heat for about 20 minutes and then took my spot. I had scouted it out and got the place I wanted for my second round. I was on a mission. A mission to document my day there, and to not pass out. I finished with the 12:30 changing and headed back toward the visitor center. The closer I got the more upset I became. I really only had one single reason to go to Washington DC, it was to see Jeff. And the more I walked the more I felt defeated. I got to a place and it was like some one slapped my stupid ass. I had my new phone, and I could get onto the internet. Jeff had been a Guard for years, and on the Old Guard web site they had a page of Guards that had passed away, they also had some information. And on that site I knew they had Jeffs info. Section and Head stone number. I felt a small amount of relief. I was off again, still no water.

I found section 54 and in a short time stone 242. All I saw was the rear of the stone. I paused a for quite awhile. I guess I hoped when I went to the other side of the stone it would say Duffy Smith or something. But it didn't. i had found him. And after all these years it felt real. Real sad. I sat there for about an hour. Baking. I remember the times he would come over to his Aunts house, she lived right next to my Dad. We all took off behind the trailer park and would go sledding. And just plain hang out. I couldn't believe he was really gone........

more tomorrow I can't seam to see the key board anymore.