The Land That Talked to Me.

Greens to yellows, reds and golds, the cool, cold air brings on the changing of the seasons. As I drive along the roads and highways looking at the many trees throughout our lands and the sheer beauty each leaf holds, I realize that God has indeed blessed us all with a beautiful earth that we are slowly destroying. Hundreds of thousands of acres of trees, grasses, bushes, rocks, hillsides, pastures, streams, rivers, lakes and even our oceans turning into concrete and wood dwellings. Even the wildlife is being run out of their homes and killed out by people who just don't care for anything other than making money from our lands. Well this past week my wife and I had our 20th year wedding anniversary and we chose to head for one place where man has yet and will never begin to destroy--- The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The three hour drive to get there was all worth it as we entered the park hills and began the climb following the slow moving traffic. The woods and streams seemed to have an air about it that just reached out and grabbed you. Shadows cast by the trees and rocks seemed to speak to you as if they had a story they wanted to tell. Folks stopping by the sides of the roads everywhere taking pictures and looking but not a single one of them listening to the many stories being told. By the time our vacation trip was over I'd found the story I was looking for. A story of a land and the people that live there. Though this story is much to long to put into one post it is one that will be told in it's entirety in my next few postings. This story is of the Cherokee people and the land called The Smoky Mountains.

Scouting Adventure with the Grandkids

Friday,September 4th, The day started out slow and easy, coffee and tv then down to dads to try to repair a riding mower for the upcoming yard sale on the 26th of September ( yes I know opening day of bow season here but they'll just have to make due till I return from hunting that morning. ). My dad and I worked all day long on the mower ( trial and error mostly.) trying to figure out the starting problem with the mower and finally gave up on it around 3:30 p.m. when I got called home for supper ( fried chicken -- mmm won't be late for this meal.). After supper I decided to go do alittle scouting across the lake bed to see what the deer were doing over there. On the way to scout I decided to stop and pick up the grandkids that wanted to go along. I ended up with four of them going with me so we loaded into my truck, went to the other side of the lake bed, checked a few mud holes on the way in, then parked the truck, got out and headed of further up the road bed and into the woods. As we entered the woods I explained we were looking for fallen acorns, tracks,rubs and of coarse deer. We worked our way through the woods as I answered questions from the boys about deer hunting and the upcoming hunting seasons. Probably the best question was how I find my way through the woods at 4:00a.m. without a flashlight? this I told them was an easy task to do if you scout the area carefully and take time to look at every detail as you are going in and memorize the surroundings to your hunting stand. You remember every little overhanging limb,bush,rock,stump,fence and fields that you encounter on your way in then picture that scenery in your mind every morning in the dark as you walk to your stand, by doing this you never need a flashlight to see by thus spooking the deer off. The boys had gone with me before to put up stands and hunting and were amazed at how easily I made this act look. By now we had gone well into my hunting area and the sun was beginning to set so I delegated one of the boys to lead us out of the woods back to the truck. This proved to be quite a chore because nobody had really paid attention to detail in the woods and they said everything looked the same. This is when I began lesson number two and the most important one of all for them all. Lesson number two was simple-- stop, look, listen and think. When you think your lost or don't really know where your at in the woods in the dark, stop and look around for familiar things close by, check for security lights in the distance, look for the moon and stars, listen for sounds of cars on roads and highways, tractors on a farm and finally think of the route you took coming in (directionally ). Picture the route in your mind from the truck to your stand and if need be to your harvested animal ( if your lucky enough to get and make a shoot.) then simply reverse this route in your mind to get back to your truck safely. The best plan of action when you start out hunting an area is to scout it fully and completely so you know every square inch of the area. Lesson two over and we were still in the woods following our leader through the brush heading into thicker brush and deeper into the woods away from the truck. Finally I decided the boys were going to be getting tired before long of fighting the brush and briar's so I guided them close enough to an old grown up road bed that they realized where they were and we got started back on track to the truck. One of the boys then decided he knew exactly where the truck was and was going to be first one to get there so he ventured out far ahead of the rest of us just as we cut of on a shortcut and ended up at the truck before him, rode around the road beds looking for him and finally parked again waiting for him to come out of the woods. The boys all had a great adventure scouting the woods with pepaw and learning new ways and tactics for the upcoming years hunts even though one got poison ivy, they were all covered in ticks, a couple of them had scratches from head to toe and mosquitoes ate them alive but the main thing was we all made the adventure safely and laughed about it all the way home.

Gone Far Too Long.

Where to begin this post is the deliema. By looking around (rather quickly ) I can see that I've been gone far too long from my blogging. Things have been happening that I just couldn't imagine. Anyway that is the past and done with, nothing I can do about that but on the other hand here on the home front I've been busy with work around home and at my parents and then there was the big face off with my live-in daughter and her boyfriend which finally ended in me putting them out of the house after the boyfriend knocked holes in my walls with his fist. That was the breaking point I just couldn't stand for any longer so they had to go. My deer food plot has been planted and is growing with leaps and bounds ( looking great ). The deer are just starting to find their way to it as they change their seasonal routes ( 5 deer-4 does and one small 12 inch spike buck so far ). Rabbits, squirrels and birds of all kinds are also using it. I ended up planting rape, buckwheat and cinnamon red clover but the clover came up in small patches. If the food plot works the way I hope it will next year I'll be adding more clover to the outer edges of the plot and possibly another plot across the field. September 26th is the big day here in Tennessee for bow season and I can't wait for it to get here and the good thing is I've checked my calendar and found out that I'm off work for almost every opening day of every season this year so I won't have to put in for vacation days off. This weekend is free hunting day here in Tennessee and opening day of squirrel season but I'll be working and usually wait till the leaves have fallen off the trees before I go for those wiley varmints due to using a 22 rifle for head shots. I'll try to do more post more often now so I don't get tossed to the wayside by my readers but for now I'll just visit some of my blogroll friends and renew old acquaintances that I've missed.

Preping For Deer Season.

I've finally slowed down enough to start back writing on my blog again. Just to fill everyone in on whats been going on with me is as follows. First I've been busy with catfishing with my grandchildren, second I've built a new deer blind at my dads place which will be shared by my grandchildren this year along with a food plot ( though not very big ) that is now ready for the seed to be sown and covered then third I've had to take on doing alot of the work at my parents home due to their diminishing health ( cutting the grass, weed eatting, plumbing, painting,etc. etc. etc.)which is going to take up more of my time then I had planned on or was wanting but hey they raised me now its time for me to return the gift. My daughter was to be married back in June but that got postponed with no set date in mind and still no place to live but my home. Looks like I have a live-in for life if I don't set my foot down and make her find a place of her own. I'm going to try to get pictures of the deer blind and the food plot for my hunting website before deer season opens. I'll be practicing with my bow from now until deer season opens in September and hopefully if the right moment presents itself I'll be ready. I've marked the yardage off on my food plot with a tape measure so as to take all the guess work out of my shooting distance on the plot and have three deer trails coming in on it now. Regardless of where the deer enter or exit the field they have to come by my blind. With all the work I have ahead of me now I'll do my best to continue to post on all my websites for all to read.

OBS Challenge.

I posted my answer to the OBS Challenge on my second website for those interested in reading it. http://fishingafield.blogspot.com

Friends of the Net.

Every once in awhile everyone gets an idea about something to write about from a comment left on a post. Monday Othmar left me a comment which put me to thinking about all the friends that I've made over the Internet either here on one of my websites or on my Facebook. Now a body never really knows for sure just what type of person they have leaving comments on their post when it's the first few comments left by that person but sooner or later a inquisitive mind has to check out the background information on everyone leaving comments just to get to know the return visitors a little better. From that point on a relationship is formed and a friend is made usually for life. Many of us who write articles on a website, use Facebook, twitter and other places on the web find friends that we've gotten to know over the years but may never meet. The fact is though that we are still friends with these people and share some kind of close bond with them through our writings and comments. Though our time may be limited on the net we all enjoy checking out sites and commenting on the stories and articles we read and looking for new friends and sites . Even though we may not get to any one specific site everytime we get on the net to leave a comment, the friendship has been made and sooner or later we will always return back to those websites just to remind the writers a friend dropped by for a visit. We've all become such great friends here on the net and one day hope to be able to meet each other in person but until that day happens all we can do is keep reading, visiting websites and commenting. Take time now to renew a visit a friend on the net that you haven't visited in awhile and leave a comment for them just to say hello, They'll be glad you did I'm sure. My next boot-up on blogger I'll be visiting all the sites I can just to renew old friendships until I've visited all those listed on my blogroll and those listed as followers who aren't even writing post but still follow my stories. If I don't get to you on the first round just wait and I'll visit you very soon. Until then keep writing in good health and visit someone today.

Blinds, Food Plots, Fishing and Weddings.

Well let me see where to begin. I've been busy visiting family in Alabama,working around the home front, my job,and working with my grandchildren trying to build a deer blind at my dad's place that's big enough for two of us as I have four of my grandchildren wanting to try to take a deer this year. The walls are up with the roof so now I have to get some hinges to put the door and windows on with then figure out the camo on the outside of it. It should make for a great year hunting with my grandchildren whether we take deer from it or not. I'm also planning on planting a food plot in front of it to help attract the deer and starting a feeder tube in the field close by it. A salt lick may not be a bad idea either if I have the time to get all this accomplished. My smoking habit is still an ongoing process I'm still working on and I've been fishing in our company bass anglers tournament at work that we've just started on may 10th. Two tournaments so far and my partner and me have come in second place but this you'll have to read about on my fishing blog ( http://fishingafield.blogspot.com ). I'm also planning a trip to Gatlinberg this October for a wedding vow renewal with my wife on the 27th ( 20 years ) and my youngest daughter is having a wedding June 21st redneck style ( with real shotguns and everything and everyone drssed in camo including her and her groom and plenty of beer for all). I've had a long year already and it's passing me by fast. I've also joined Facebook and enjoy that alot and have found many of my fellow bloggers there too. I've added a few new links to my blogroll which some of you may want to check out which deals with outdoor clothing, hunting equipment, fishing equipment and climbing gear of all kinds. look under " outdoor gear " for the urls of these three sites. Okay that's about it for now so let me go now to my other websites and update them with some new articles then I've got to get some sleep so I can go to work tonight. Hunting seasons coming quicker then we think so everyone get ready and have a safe year out there this year.

Traveling and Relaxing.

Just a brief update to let everyone know I haven't passed on yet. I'm actually in Alabama right now on my daughters computer enjoying a relaxing weekend with my wife, daughter, her husband and four of my grandchildrens and an ex-son-in law. We came down Friday morning after I finished a 12 hour shift and arrived around 12 noon. We'll be leaving here Sunday morning around 11:00 a.m. heading home. I've kind of left my postings for a while to catch up on some chores at home and find time to relax and work on quitting my smoking and take stress management classes online through my work insurance. As for my smoking, I like 10- 12 cigarettes before I start using the nicotine patch therapy to finish off my habit for good. If I plan it Right without pushing it to fast, it should be about a week or two before I start the patches. I'll start back visiting sites again sometime after I return home this weekend.

Just a Short Progress Update.

My hunting is been put on hold for a little while to take care of some of my chores around the house and help a friend- neighbor. I've been busy trying to get my garden out between rains and had to work on my chain saw tuning it up and getting it ready to cut my winters wood supply. I've also been trying to take my grandsons fishing on at least one of my days of work ( you can read about that adventure here at http://fishingafield.blogspot.com ) and plan on going again this weekend which is suppose to be in the 80's and sunny. I still have alot of work around home and my dad's to do but I will try my best to get something posted here on my hunting site as well as my other to sites for all to read. In the mean time I'll be reading other sites and looking for new sites to join the OBS. Everyone keep up the great work and I'll be by soon. Get out and enjoy the great spring weather and the outdoors.

Why Did I Join The Outdoor Bloggers Summit?

Kristine over at the Outdoor Bloggers Summit posted this challenge to everyone and I finally decided that I needed to get with the program and follow up with her challenge so here it goes. Why did I join the Outdoor Bloggers Summit?, the answer to that question was simple now that I think about it. The real answer was because it was the only place that I had found at the time that allowed me to read updates of what everyone was doing, locate new sites that I'd not visited before, make new friends around the world, try to gain exposure for my websites and read some really great articles on new products for the outdoors person. There were times I'd visit leaving my comment and others I'd visit just to read everyone elses comments which I find to be of great value and benefit to all ( so don't ever forget to check out the comments folks after reading the articles ). The Outdoor Bloggers Summit I feel has grown with epic preportions ( and will continue to grow ) in a way nobody thought was possible and has given everyone so much insight into the outdoor world without regards to your choosen adventure of the outdoors. I'm a proud supporter of The Outdoor Bloggers Summit ( displaying the Outdoor Bloggers Summit badge on every website ) and will continue to support this website in every way possible including trying to recruit new members. The OBS has now moved to a new site(http://OutdoorBloggersSummit.com/), taken on a new look which makes you feel at home and is easy to browse through and use and as far as I know has rejected nobody wanting to join us there ( the OBS is open to everyone wanting to join us ). The Outdoor Bloggers Summit is a website that was designed to bring outdoor bloggers together and has done this and will continue to do this through our support and hard work. Joining the Outdoor Bloggers Summit was one of the best moves that I did when I first started blogging and I'm glad to be a member and supporter of the OBS.