Well, Christmas is over. Soon it’s going to be 2020 and despite past dire predictions from science fiction writers and movie producers we’re still hanging in there, no apocalypse in sight.
It’s been two years now since my wife, best friend, fishing partner and better half passed away. During those last painful months we grew closer than we had ever been, the eternal bonds forged tempered in that crucible.
It’s taken all that time to emerge fully from the fog of despair and hurt. The hollow emptiness is still there, sometimes tearfully so, but ones finally able to be at peace with the loss.
During this time my love of the outdoors, family and friends have been a lifeline. Having activities to look forward to — visits, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, first days, trips and the changing seasons — all contain their special spirit of promise and keep one functioning, looking forward and not dwelling on past misfortune.
So, with 2019 drawing to a close and peace in my heart during this holiday season it seems proper to review all the good I’ve experienced during the previous 12 months.
The first three months have the worst weather and a noticeable lack of holidays. Shoveling snow, keeping the wood fire burning, writing and reading occupied a great deal of my time. Then, of course there’s always work to do near our stands. It amazing how fast saplings, brush, trees and thorns grow around apple trees. Having neglected their maintenance far too long, ash, maple and cherry sprouted up 20 feet, seriously shading them. Multitudes of smaller stuff appeared all of which sucked nutrients from the apple and pears. Jim and I sawed, trimmed and pruned until our backs screamed, but there’s still much remaining to do. Of course, this keeps you in shape. Finally, April arrived. Thank goodness!
Ah, lovely, refreshing April, when the long awaited trout season once again opens. New York begins on the first and Pennsylvania the second Saturday. The New York opener has had a long run of truly rotten weather for many years and whether one is able to fish at all is sometimes in doubt due to very heavy rains…2019 was no different. With the larger streams over their banks and the freshly stocked trout in the park refusing to show themselves it was a slow morning. Hardly the dream-like, ideal opener I’d hoped for, but Dave Ling and I were fortunate, found a head water that was fishable and managed a fish fry by day’s end.
Pennsylvania has had a recent history of high water as well, but not as severe as New York’s. This year the streams were high and fast, but you could fish. Nate and I managed our limits and a few releases. The rest of the week became very difficult due to even additional rain. But I caught some nice trout, including a beautiful golden and later on an overlarge rainbow. Just when the streams dropped and presented ideal conditions, it was time to hunt gobblers in Missouri.
Missouri is still a great state to hunt gobblers, but due to some very late, wet springs and poor hatches it is no longer the mecca it once was. True, the turkeys are noticeably larger and heavier, but where you used to hear half a dozen or more gobblers from a single location, you now may only hear 1 or 2, or perhaps none. Still, I managed to bag a beautiful, double bearded bird and should have had another. I still make mistakes, unfortunately, if only they weren’t the same ones I’ve made a dozen times before they may be easier to tolerate.
In fact, the gobbler hunting in Pennsylvania was better than Missouri and I had a great season. Long, tiring, exhausting with a bad fall and damaged eye. Still, I love the sport and few endeavors brings the delirious thrill bagging an elusive long beard does.
Walleye fishing was also memorable. I caught, on the average, larger walleyes this year than ever before. There’s nothing like opening your freezer and seeing numerous bags of walleye fillets. In fact, it’s time I thawed one and had a fish fry. Worm harnesses, vertical jigging and casting silver buddies were my most productive methods.
I was most fortunate during deer season this year. I was able to score early on a buck in archery season. This good fortune freed me up to hunt squirrels, one of my favorite pastimes. I also located a flock of turkeys and bagged a bird the next morning, calling it in through a clear cut — much to my amazement.
Luck continued smiling on me during a Missouri deer expedition, bagging a beautiful, long-tuned 9-point official scored at over 130 and winning me a free hunt for 2020. The fates have been kind indeed.
As you can see, 2019 was a fantastic year, so good in fact it makes me a little nervous. Good luck is often followed by bad, your luck kind of evening out. Still, I’m optimistic, as you have to be in this life.
I hope many, if not all, of my readers have fond memories to look back upon and cherish. Life is short, precious and unpredictable. Plan now to set time aside in the coming year to create as many memories as possible with family and friends. You’ll never regret doing so.
