tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89028482571719224292024-02-06T22:02:05.995-05:00Sacred HunterExploring spiritual connections through hunting and fishingBCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-31677908018154192292019-08-05T15:51:00.000-04:002019-08-05T15:51:20.466-04:00Art is Life Interpreted<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The intrinsic values of fly fishing and fine art are
intertwined to depths unimaginable to the untrained eye. The rhythm of motion in
a perfectly thrown cast and the fluid stroke of a brush. The arcing line of a
weight-forward fly line and the loading of a well-structured rod blank imitates
the weight of paint on the brush as the artist transfers the subtle nuances of
color to the canvas. The ethereal colors of the brook trout’s blue halos surrounding
the burnt orange spots are reminiscent of a summer sunset on a palette of
bluish-purple sky. It is no coincidence that the range of colors offer us proof
of a Higher Power’s joy in creating scenes that draw awe and wonder from those
of us lucky enough to still be walking on this earth. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaG35XyqLeOzaCQnmlRbh5G8PW_lZuFUl4wfPfqlVOQHhMnGmYJpfJJU48dApyKhEA0fMwxxF5iMjr9A5ctVYLubedReO3Rsa3BUwFvwI2PunQIjF9Wg2asKpFfYUY3nMVbFl6O8U4hF32/s1600/Katie+summer+fishing+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaG35XyqLeOzaCQnmlRbh5G8PW_lZuFUl4wfPfqlVOQHhMnGmYJpfJJU48dApyKhEA0fMwxxF5iMjr9A5ctVYLubedReO3Rsa3BUwFvwI2PunQIjF9Wg2asKpFfYUY3nMVbFl6O8U4hF32/s320/Katie+summer+fishing+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My wife, Katie, who is a remarkable artist, spends her
days capturing these salutary moments of bliss. It’s no wonder that she has a
love of fly fishing. For those of us who are fortunate enough to be blessed
with the ability to notice and revel in the beauty of a present moment, fly
fishing and art are the essence of natural connection. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sometimes I sit in the old worn leather chair in her
studio and quietly watch her paintings evolve from thought, to spirit, to brush,
to canvas. She is able to capture the essence of a feeling in the same way that
holding a brook trout in my hand, as its colors sparkle in the sunshine,
engages my deepest most spiritual connection to our world. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQW_YzBSiJ3BKDKwJtU1_wmaX6Rr_ZU4HmbGsZ4JSpPHB0WRRM-M1RXrZEEqcU-1fKsBqNx3K8LR7Km18euh7nqN8e4x_R_co-u0188JGVAxFqcvnz9nAPi84k24FQrI5OnqrzcfVY0LS/s1600/Katie+summer+fishing+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQW_YzBSiJ3BKDKwJtU1_wmaX6Rr_ZU4HmbGsZ4JSpPHB0WRRM-M1RXrZEEqcU-1fKsBqNx3K8LR7Km18euh7nqN8e4x_R_co-u0188JGVAxFqcvnz9nAPi84k24FQrI5OnqrzcfVY0LS/s320/Katie+summer+fishing+012.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we stand in the gurgling stream near our house at
sunset, casting colorful flies into the dark blue waters below the frothy white
falls, I watch her work her Sage fly rod with the same precision and rhythm
that she bestows upon her brush in the studio. The fly line forms a beautiful
“U” shaped arc behind her and builds its speed as it whips toward the pool. The
fly, an elk hair caddis with a rust colored thorax, reaches the apogee of the
arc, then slows down to land gently just below the tail of the froth. The fly spins
on the rippling water as if it were alive and begins to drift downstream toward
the slower water at the bottom of the pool.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Katie is watching the imitation with the same focus
and intensity that exemplifies her work in the studio. The timing is
immaculate. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As the voracious fish breaks the surface of the
stream, Katie is leaning into the cast to engage the trout the moment that it
opens its mouth to swallow the deceiver. The instant that the mouth closes on
the fly, Katie lifts her rod swiftly, but not so much that it pulls the fly out
of its mouth. The rod bends at the tip and throbs with passion as the dynamic
tension of the artist and her subject commune in a moment of metaphysical
connection. Two spirits interlocking in a world separated by only water and
air. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs37r_lWaA1xKzcYdYXYBI-ywZrgCxLSraOyFq9GWemvNgm_s7iNV17jL5MTtNcC6OePx5xD5yx-MljAOHu7G72WiE_loYL9tMnDJZjOpNqCamm35bx72Ds8dfVbvKqeBnqPdznYT5XofX/s1600/brookie+colors.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="408" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs37r_lWaA1xKzcYdYXYBI-ywZrgCxLSraOyFq9GWemvNgm_s7iNV17jL5MTtNcC6OePx5xD5yx-MljAOHu7G72WiE_loYL9tMnDJZjOpNqCamm35bx72Ds8dfVbvKqeBnqPdznYT5XofX/s320/brookie+colors.png" width="231" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The fish leaps into the air above, flashing its
iridescent orange fins rimmed with white borders. For the moment, these two
beings are enmeshed in the dance of life. The eternal struggle of mortality and
all its wonder is represented by beauty and nature in this, the pinnacle of the
present. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She coaxes the brook trout to her side, tenderly
slipping the net under its flanks and raises it above the water. Extracting the
fly from the side of the brookie’s mouth with as little discomfort as possible,
Katie raises the aquiline wonder to her face and offers it a blessing, then returns
the creature to the comfort of its world. For a moment, the brookie seems to
pause and reflect on what just happened. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Was that an angel that just held its
body and released it? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next day, I rise early to go to work and Katie is
already in the studio working on a new painting.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I notice the blue halos around the burnt orange spots
on the flank of the subject that is being created out of oil and canvas and
smile. </span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-43678682415456600572019-08-05T15:34:00.002-04:002019-08-05T15:34:59.883-04:00His Majesty Falls<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I woke up
late, exhausted by another week of slogging through the mire as a slave of
commerce. My heart and my mind were already in the woods, but my body required
extra rest. I’ve never been one to sleep in when it comes to hunting or fishing,
but this time was different. My wife had been out riding her horse the day
before and told me of a big turkey that flushed out of the field in front of
her and flew up into the trees, spooking her and her equine partner. Rousting
out of bed at 9:00 – late for a hunting expedition -since all hunters know that
peak encounter times occur most often at dawn and dusk – I lazily dressed
myself in camo and headed to the woods.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oGtrVXjheFXduqaTPxoQlgbck0j4w4_Z2b5a74ML0aUoRRJjCMATfaPFEtUig3SuHCtOuJZtl3VssZgQ1dM1Dz_Jo3gOrcyuZzKK6Pc5L5WK3y5_doMxyCcYpnNsPpEnnLnOY6GStIW8/s1600/Spring+turkey+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oGtrVXjheFXduqaTPxoQlgbck0j4w4_Z2b5a74ML0aUoRRJjCMATfaPFEtUig3SuHCtOuJZtl3VssZgQ1dM1Dz_Jo3gOrcyuZzKK6Pc5L5WK3y5_doMxyCcYpnNsPpEnnLnOY6GStIW8/s320/Spring+turkey+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I clucked
every 100 yards to see if I could elicit an answer. Nothing. I hiked back into the
swamp and set up my decoys to sit and listen. I crawled under a wild tangle of
shrubbery and leaned uncomfortably against the base. I let out a loud series of
clucks and far off in the distance, I heard him. He gobbled viciously but must
have been about a half mile away. I picked up my decoys and packed them into my
turkey vest. I hiked through a wet swamp, my feet getting wetter each time a
hummock gave way to the water underneath. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Turkey
hunting is a fascinating means of dialoguing with an animal. In nature it is the
hen that calls out to the tom “where are you?” and the tom will gobble back
giving away his location, to which she is obligated to pursue him. In hunting turkey,
the goal is to get a tom to do exactly the opposite of what nature has taught
him. The hunter has to convince the tom that he is a hen that is ready to breed
and is not going to seek him out but begs and pleads with him to come find her.
This makes the whole pursuit quite difficult. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo_FHQFwUJ_AcHejE6CWjJrWCpcc6XWwFjIbaInHp2_BsXieAxndb83ykC_sRvMcSjG6tdW-4jba-oit261c2EqpCkE25uhncb-1_F6yoKBIh53v08WQPpxm9i4dZRAxHwy1IQjgdxutx/s1600/Spring+Turkey+and+trout+fishing+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo_FHQFwUJ_AcHejE6CWjJrWCpcc6XWwFjIbaInHp2_BsXieAxndb83ykC_sRvMcSjG6tdW-4jba-oit261c2EqpCkE25uhncb-1_F6yoKBIh53v08WQPpxm9i4dZRAxHwy1IQjgdxutx/s320/Spring+Turkey+and+trout+fishing+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">This
particular bird was on posted property, across a small stream, up a hill and
all the way to the end of a long field. I had to call very convincingly to
attract him past these obstacles – which by the way, is also against their
nature. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I found
some dry ground on the edge of the swamp and stopped. I looked at my watch. 11:30.
I called again, and knew I had but a half hour to complete my mission. I could
feel my heart beating heavily in my chest, blood pulsing through the veins in
my arms. For the next half hour, I gave it all I had. I clucked, purred, putted
and screamed my romantic desire to the whole forest. Each time, at the end of a
monologue, he would vociferously reply that he wanted very badly to meet me. This
dance went on for 20 minutes and each time he answered he was a little closer.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I looked
at my watch again. 11:55. This game was nearly over, as the closing time each
day in May is high noon. Just like the old Westerns, this drama played out with
the deadline approaching quickly. Then suddenly he stopped communicating. This
meant one thing. He was seeking visual verification of this hot young hen. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Then,
behind a fallen pine, I saw the full fan. This was a big bird – monarch of the
woods. He strutted back and forth behind the tree when a hen popped out from
behind the root ball. She took three steps forward and turned to the fully
fanned tom. He took one step toward her. The hen took three more steps forward,
putting inquisitively. Again, she turned to him and he took one more step
forward. He was now behind the root ball of the fallen pine. I lowered my head
to the stock of my shotgun and took a deep breath. I cocked my wrist to one
side to look at my watch. Being legal is in my nature. This could play out
either way. 11:58. I looked back up at the hen as she took three more steps and
turned to the tom to give him the okay that the coast was clear. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jzsoXk7RL0PKWc4-2cDR_5QQAhzi4w2GLYa23oUhKcoEG-rbTNtdIRIJmVmeHscWCl_KQtsII71P2_rW-2C4dkVlqqAoWcmcVDotV-jQKhSHIY6x9GSOHdG-RZ2bEg0rbLw-8b1vnNF9/s1600/IMG_8711.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jzsoXk7RL0PKWc4-2cDR_5QQAhzi4w2GLYa23oUhKcoEG-rbTNtdIRIJmVmeHscWCl_KQtsII71P2_rW-2C4dkVlqqAoWcmcVDotV-jQKhSHIY6x9GSOHdG-RZ2bEg0rbLw-8b1vnNF9/s320/IMG_8711.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">His bright
red and blue head thrust forward from behind the tree and I placed the bead of
my shotgun on him. For one moment, we were hopelessly entwined in the dance of
life. He, the monarch, and I the peasant in his kingdom. We joined breaths as I
pulled the trigger. The echo of the shotgun bounced off the distant hills in
the valley and the king lay still on the forest floor. I looked at my watch.
11:59. I walked over to him and kneeled to pray. “Great Spirit, thank you for
presenting me with this beautiful being. I promise to honor his life and share
his grace and majesty with those deserving of his glory. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Thank you, Great
Spirit. Thank you, God.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The walk
home was a long one and at one point a tear of remorse and gratitude rolled
down my cheek. I let myself feel it track down my cheek to the side of my mouth,
where I touched it with my tongue and felt its salty sweetness. This is life
and I am a part of all that is. </span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-30134111465603135462019-07-29T13:22:00.000-04:002019-07-29T13:22:27.583-04:00Opening Day of Trout Season<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Even us
whacky ice fishermen who love the cold barren environment on the frozen lake,
share a certain affinity for the second Saturday of April. Known in some
circles as the “Glorious Opening Day of Trout Season”, for many of us it is
simply the celebration of swiftly flowing water and the hope of hooking up with
nice holdover rainbow. For others it means a trip up to the Willoughby River to
watch the spawning steelhead catapulting themselves over the rapids as they
swim upstream to spawn. Still, for others, it is the mere camaraderie of
sharing a hot cup of French roast coffee from a thermos, talking about the long
winter and how many cords of wood we set aflame in our woodstoves. Whatever the
reason, whatever the motivation might be, it is indeed a glorious way to
embrace the spring. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUGU27dmJpDcDwLNydBYITpFgwJa5lYGwqvRpq7zBTK-c_qNNcM2aS4SinfZqYW2wgxlgPEZ6UPiBIhXkxk7Zwq-cnlFIb5uWWpTtoQEbtTzpeUTNPEc2mLxzqjLpzbbvlUeHu3c2zDra/s1600/Early+Spring+Bullpout+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUGU27dmJpDcDwLNydBYITpFgwJa5lYGwqvRpq7zBTK-c_qNNcM2aS4SinfZqYW2wgxlgPEZ6UPiBIhXkxk7Zwq-cnlFIb5uWWpTtoQEbtTzpeUTNPEc2mLxzqjLpzbbvlUeHu3c2zDra/s320/Early+Spring+Bullpout+020.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Hope
springs eternal in the heart of an angler. Even though the chance of catching a
tired but hungry trout on a deep beaded nymph fly is remote at best, it is the
love of the fight that brings us to the streamside. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">We will
cast all morning long at every possible hidey-hole in the river. Drifting our
fly over the rapids and into the tail of a deep pool, there is hope, there are
prayers, that maybe, just maybe, we might feel that tug on the rod and be quick
enough to set the hook into a big kype-jawed brown. Sometimes, it does happen
on the first day – but it is the hope and faith that keep us there in
conditions that are not amenable to the salmonids. Frustration does not exist.
Persistence and faith are the virtues of the experienced angler. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Much like
the book “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>A River Runs Through It</u></i>”
by Norman McLean, fishing for trout is closer to a religion for some than those
who attend church every Sunday. The sheer power of nature as it is reflected in
the hydraulic energy of a briskly flowing stream. The rearranging of pools and
underwater landscapes can be dramatically altered by one ice jam in a brook way
up in the mountains, suddenly releasing its pent-up energy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTU4Q1fcZCdHQSoqJzlI6JyouNZcb0XY7ABJHxGH3ccpqQk0_m0hF6JO7gxErBssvDJwajWsBd6n6JOUpXB4Ajc3X5PcTGP5vFPspZz0gaaYyR5_iWWP1uzFkQ4r2EofAcGBwSswMDNa1/s1600/IMG_0274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTU4Q1fcZCdHQSoqJzlI6JyouNZcb0XY7ABJHxGH3ccpqQk0_m0hF6JO7gxErBssvDJwajWsBd6n6JOUpXB4Ajc3X5PcTGP5vFPspZz0gaaYyR5_iWWP1uzFkQ4r2EofAcGBwSswMDNa1/s320/IMG_0274.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">If one is
reflective enough to stop and think “how in the world can a trout survive a
winter where the river is locked up and then not get washed out when the giant
waves of ice water cascade down from the streams into the river?” How did this
trout eat all winter? Where did he hide? What is this remarkable instinct that
drives them to expend so much energy to jump up and over the falls? If you take
the time to ponder these piscatorial philosophies, you will inevitably find
yourself with a deepening respect and love for these fish. It is this love,
this respect, that draws out the best in humanity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">We can
return to the stream each year, like a pilgrimage to a watery Mecca, to find
the best of ourselves as we cast our lines into the murky depths and pray for a
connection. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Lost in
thought streamside, hours pass by and we find that we are in what athletes
refer to as “the zone.” It is at this pinnacle of mindfulness that it happens. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Bang! The
rod bends down toward the rushing water and we bow with it, then raise the tip
up quickly but not violently, so as not to pull the hook out of the mouth. The
fight begins. The rod begins to thump and swing from side to side as the fish
seeks to shake the entomological deceiver from its jaws. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Keep the
tip up and enough tension to keep the hook set - but not too much. When the
fish swings downstream, walk with him. When he swings back up into the raging
current, play the rod to the upstream side. It’s like a beautiful choreographed
tango where two beings are mirroring each other, connected by a thin piece of
monofilament line and a tiny hook. Delicate yet powerful. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Finally,
the fish begins to tire, and you gently retrieve the line allowing it to swirl
at your feet. Do not reel. Honor the retreat. Once the fish is brought to hand,
take the time to admire the beauty of this miracle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizH0SSJiLqTb1R7LtESuW8e-6Jl9S4sFWNfsO_iYsS0iF-2kPWfAi3clyfDuw8pHw9u4mryig591lbCqfMoyR2hEf0KMDR3LBuVWPg-M7WAqtc5EqAohXPaTiPhmHRTwjHPzA052FcZtvs/s1600/IMG_0403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1600" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizH0SSJiLqTb1R7LtESuW8e-6Jl9S4sFWNfsO_iYsS0iF-2kPWfAi3clyfDuw8pHw9u4mryig591lbCqfMoyR2hEf0KMDR3LBuVWPg-M7WAqtc5EqAohXPaTiPhmHRTwjHPzA052FcZtvs/s320/IMG_0403.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Will his flesh nurture
yours tonight or will you choose to release him back to the stream to live to
fight another day? It seems that that the older I get the more I choose the
latter. </span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-1349454939034665172019-07-29T12:36:00.001-04:002019-07-29T12:36:31.175-04:00The Great White Perch Festival<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Come join
the party! All are welcome - just make sure you have your fishing license! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
last week of February and first week of March are reserved for the Unofficial Great
White Perch Festival on St. Albans Bay. Provided the ice is still safe (usually
the bay has around two feet of good ice this time of year) you will find, on a
sunny Saturday or Sunday, at least 100 people enjoying the ice fishing for
Vermont's favorite invasive species, the "white perch." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">"Whitey," colloquially named, is really from the <span id="goog_40729581"></span><span id="goog_40729582"></span> genus Morone
Americana. Morone Americana is actually a member of the striped bass family.
The shiny silver fish can grow up to 19.5" inches and weigh as much as
four pounds, however the ones we commonly see in the lake are more in the range
of 10" - 14". The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department considers it
an invasive species as its primary diet is yellow perch and walleye eggs and it
out-forages many other species for food. For some unknown reason they seem to
migrate to St. Albans Bay in large numbers at this time of year. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiLSAEH08Pej9qYyeLP1ZqSEVTdgv5JVonpJqFH2YAHKsr2ehQzfbF_d7NNQoCw7ERuJNQGHTZf9358deQxn_kyQsQxQb1NsprLC-Dcq9F6KXLQGP8NK2c7wUMt5wMgOrprZ7f-Okbh4Z/s1600/Boy+Scouts+%2526+White+Perch+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiLSAEH08Pej9qYyeLP1ZqSEVTdgv5JVonpJqFH2YAHKsr2ehQzfbF_d7NNQoCw7ERuJNQGHTZf9358deQxn_kyQsQxQb1NsprLC-Dcq9F6KXLQGP8NK2c7wUMt5wMgOrprZ7f-Okbh4Z/s320/Boy+Scouts+%2526+White+Perch+074.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Since they are
considered invasive, there are no possession limits on the fish and people
frequently catch as many as a couple of hundred in a day, many of which are
sold to fishmongers like Ray's Seafood in Essex Junction. As there genus will
dictate they are great fighters and are quite delicious when fried or baked in
a white wine and butter sauce with a light coating of bread crumbs and a
squeeze of lemon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Wanna'
join us? Go online at www.vtfishandwildlife.com and get yourself a license,
then drive to the St Albans Bay Access off of Lake Rd and take a hike southwest
to Hathaway Point. You'll see a crowd of people sitting near one another and
from a distance you will likely hear a staccato series of what sound like war
whoops. Rods will be raising up quickly, setting hooks on the voracious whitey,
and you'll see people laughing and cajoling over "the one that got
away." Pull up a pickle bucket and pop a hole with your auger. If you
don't have one just proceed to the nearest open hole, look around, and ask the
nearest person if they mind if you try that one. Bait your lure with a chunk of
earthworm or a few "spikes" (maggots for those not in the know) and
lower your bait down just above the bottom of the bay - about 15-20 feet near
the green buoy) and slowly start jigging - no, not the dance - the gentle up
and down motion of the ice rod. Although, be aware that if you do decide to do
the dance, it is likely that a few folks that have gotten into their adult
beverages a bit early, may come join you. Within a few minutes you should get a
hard tug on the line and when you do, set the hook quickly by raising your rod
abruptly about 1' in the air. From that point on the fight is all yours! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u-f5qGZ5jHUZta3ykIjJnDPfPlMAT0B2vXQFk3OOEwmL9jotSy2-w1xI2hhyphenhyphenXnrlD8FnhbFs7wZw8MUxiB2dQICXSJhtHu953hEk2_hQa-AOyhXf5IQ-GssTpoc4b1DZk1dYky6J5OEA/s1600/St+Albans+White+Perch+Feb+%252714+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u-f5qGZ5jHUZta3ykIjJnDPfPlMAT0B2vXQFk3OOEwmL9jotSy2-w1xI2hhyphenhyphenXnrlD8FnhbFs7wZw8MUxiB2dQICXSJhtHu953hEk2_hQa-AOyhXf5IQ-GssTpoc4b1DZk1dYky6J5OEA/s320/St+Albans+White+Perch+Feb+%252714+106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">These
fish love to pull, thrash and tug every which way they can and when you've got
a nice one on you'll know it. Just keep reeling up and try to keep the line from
abrading the edge of the hole because it can break against the sharp edge of
the ice. Keep reeling. The rod will throb mightily and you will feel the full
fight of the fish. Keep reeling. Keep the pressure on him. When he finally gets
up to the hole, you'll need to finesse him through. Sometimes the hole (usually
about a 6" diameter) looks like it's going to be too small to pull this feisty
denizen of the deep through the cylinder of water. But wiggle the rod a little from
side to side and gently ease his head first up through the hole. When his
silvery head is above the surface, grab him by the mouth - not the gills and
not the back - which can be very sharp gill plates or dorsal fins - but by the
mouth, like the pro bass fishermen you see on television. Hoist him up high and
let out your best war whoop! You've scored! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Now, get back down there before
they move to another hole. Great Spirit, bless the invasive white perch, for
tonight we shall dine with glory. </span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-23871388741815332992017-06-19T21:50:00.004-04:002017-06-19T21:50:48.131-04:00Return to the Mountains<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoatk1D0UKh55qgAU57EskH-2KafYRxU5ohHCBzW5jdtRwCzHVU0soNqEQliR319f7dd_iqpnm0BPuMmA1HaYL4LC4J4UX9Cx2qY1vbsYIdrft926AY2GydomJDvzWyUF6P4l8JBiJp5N/s1600/Summer+Brookies+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoatk1D0UKh55qgAU57EskH-2KafYRxU5ohHCBzW5jdtRwCzHVU0soNqEQliR319f7dd_iqpnm0BPuMmA1HaYL4LC4J4UX9Cx2qY1vbsYIdrft926AY2GydomJDvzWyUF6P4l8JBiJp5N/s320/Summer+Brookies+075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
garden is in and the first sprouts of radishes have poked their curious green
leaves out of the fertile soil. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The hay grasses have reached their zenith and
are blowing gently in the breeze like verdant waves. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Tonight my wife, Katie, and I will dine on
fresh dandelion greens and wild leeks, and perhaps, if I am lucky this evening,
a plate of fresh buttered brook trout with a dash of lemon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It is late
afternoon, with still quite a bit of light left in the day. With permission
granted, I say goodbye to my lovely wife to pursue piscatorial pleasure in the
mountain streams. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br />I climb into the truck and head toward the mountains, passing through
the valley's green fields. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In
Bristol my truck begins the lumbering climb to Lincoln. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I downshift and scout
the swimming hole.. There are many cheerful bodies
swimming, jumping and taking in the late sunlight of one of the longest days of
the year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Upward the truck winds, paralleling the river as it snakes toward the
headwaters. I find an old road that follows the river and pull over on a gravel
shoulder that balances precariously against a few well rooted tamarack cedars. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
fragrance of cedar and honeysuckle encircles me. <br /> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I stop, climbing out of the
truck to breathe deeply the fresh flowery air. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_vkpv5EC9S0Edxyhd_Dk3Rg0uBHJy1wLZv6qXmPs8Hr1n3P24EbzshMfB3AE4ZvqvnveJHBMMdYY-R51vbci2TF9OTYE83h5MK-mlnZmhVOmedeft1ID-yyduf8qyNw7f4fyDK4IX-mS/s1600/Stowe+Brookies+%2526+Chanterelles+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_vkpv5EC9S0Edxyhd_Dk3Rg0uBHJy1wLZv6qXmPs8Hr1n3P24EbzshMfB3AE4ZvqvnveJHBMMdYY-R51vbci2TF9OTYE83h5MK-mlnZmhVOmedeft1ID-yyduf8qyNw7f4fyDK4IX-mS/s400/Stowe+Brookies+%2526+Chanterelles+019.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Climbing
down the steep embankment, I pick my footholds carefully. Not like I did as a
youth, but with the careful precision required for that of a middle aged body. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Stopping
to read the water and immerse myself in the mise-en-scene, I take a moment to
watch the sunlight streaming golden pillars through the canopy of trees. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Upstream I spot a dark pool with a small waterfall spilling frothy white foam
into the head of the shadowed depths. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I attach
a rust colored thorax elk hair caddis on a piece of 4x tippet. I am aware of my
body aging as I use magnifiers to tie the improved clinch knot. Sitting on a
well shaped boulder, I notice my left knee shaking. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Am I getting old or is this
just a sign of muscle fatigue? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
breathe deeply and say out loud “thank you” for allowing me to reach this age now with 50 years of flyfishing under my belt. I am reminded of a scene from the
movie based on Norman Maclean’s “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A River
Runs Through It.</i>” An old man is standing in the river tying on a fly with
wrinkled old hands and the narrative is delivered in dulcet tones “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in the Arctic half-light of the canyon, all
existence fades to a being with my soul and memories and the sounds of the</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">river and a four-count rhythm and
the hope that a fish will rise.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">”
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1i9VO1-mUZG65OdD4Rq_nwJ4fBrPWU3gL-gxtIXTLjtOyUxZpoa-lhnytb8k8e6WB5Df04LPIiKzcBBOVDLPJWkZD3AQ0k_-sV08G4vhHtUd9BzEhvMLpy0TXsdNgsj11DnuIc0OiiEM0/s1600/Stowe+Brookies+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1i9VO1-mUZG65OdD4Rq_nwJ4fBrPWU3gL-gxtIXTLjtOyUxZpoa-lhnytb8k8e6WB5Df04LPIiKzcBBOVDLPJWkZD3AQ0k_-sV08G4vhHtUd9BzEhvMLpy0TXsdNgsj11DnuIc0OiiEM0/s320/Stowe+Brookies+036.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For me
flyfishing has never been a competitive pursuit but one that allows me to feel
an absolute connection to the Universe. In the small streams of our Green
Mountain state, I am where I feel I most belong. I pause in reverie. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Focus. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In order
to hit the sweet spot at the tail out of the riffles I must execute a sidearm
four-part cast with a gentle counter cast on the presentation to set the fly in
a drift that will match the current. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
first cast misses its mark and the fly swims frantically toward a swirling
rock. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I lift
the rod to correct the cast and prepare for another attempt. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But, as
I lift the tip, a dark shadow bursts out from behind the rock and viciously
attacks the caddis imitation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I raise
my rod and bow to this creature blessed by the Great Spirit to have the most
beautiful colors of all fish. The brook trout. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
brookie is not really a trout at all, but a member of the salmonid family known
as char. These magnificent little beasts have survived all that this world has
thrown at them since the glaciers retreated. All they require is clear, cold
water and lots of shade. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I play
the feisty fish with all my spirit enmeshed with his own. He runs left; I bend
my rod to the right. He runs upstream; I lift my rod to keep the tension on. As
he tires, he begins to swim toward me and it’s time to strip in my line – fast –
before he can shake the hook. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After a minute or so he relaxes and lets me bring
him to hand. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_F4b4_afEDo2LfR_yHccgxZ08KehbyNniNeB-HJ-6Ruo2nTNOYPv-t9bfLQoXL812JPeeBGSkSuKEiYo_5MIv8NP4q0uHQuDq179ce68dS5NhwkskIIeRhOAUCKgCmsEKf3Vu8kHVDdz/s1600/Stowe+Brookies+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1600" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_F4b4_afEDo2LfR_yHccgxZ08KehbyNniNeB-HJ-6Ruo2nTNOYPv-t9bfLQoXL812JPeeBGSkSuKEiYo_5MIv8NP4q0uHQuDq179ce68dS5NhwkskIIeRhOAUCKgCmsEKf3Vu8kHVDdz/s320/Stowe+Brookies+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I gently
hoist him up to inspect his regal blue halos surrounding the burnt orange dots.
His fins reflect in the sunlight – bright orange with white tips. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I raise
him to my lips and kiss his snout. Without judgment for others, I make the
choice to release him back into the pristine waters of the river. He shakes his
head and slaps his tail once as he returns to the deep pool.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHd_8C8q6l1-BL1Id4H3_GlrRcjbGxv6C6M6rbnJE0DET9qx_wP2g7FiTqu3lM2tM583tZdbZyOockdKQcCysBWXrW7b9KQRt4JQZmZh5u_4QNqbNxWHk_okKKorA9Bpj9zubhtBi538JH/s1600/Stowe+Brookies+%2526+Chanterelles+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHd_8C8q6l1-BL1Id4H3_GlrRcjbGxv6C6M6rbnJE0DET9qx_wP2g7FiTqu3lM2tM583tZdbZyOockdKQcCysBWXrW7b9KQRt4JQZmZh5u_4QNqbNxWHk_okKKorA9Bpj9zubhtBi538JH/s320/Stowe+Brookies+%2526+Chanterelles+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">On my way out of the ravine I spot a treasure on a bed of decaying pine needles and leaves. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Tonight,
with our salad, we will be eating chicken with chanterelles.</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-56411917220270902642016-09-26T21:55:00.001-04:002016-09-26T21:55:44.259-04:00Honoring Remi<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The old
green Mansfield canoe glides silently through the bay, its bow pointing toward
the narrow ribbon of moonlight reflecting on the water. Reeds brush gently by
the gunwhales as we maneuver our way down the murky channel and into the
cattails. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We can
hear the raucous laughter of mallards from a pool deep in the swale grass
behind the trees. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We
whisper to one another “That’s Right!” at the same time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Whistling wings whiz
by our heads as we turn into the small slot in the puckerbrush. The sides of
the canoe squeak loudly against the ragged edges of the woody
branches, like nails on a chalkboard. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YlmdqPF_prYLlTFfFEnBLrO7uYgiLokNaxWufTwJqV0a9k9rvlnmd0ZkTnAWUpUOiDBnWjzGgNRQnPWWY350gVc7wOEE3FHjAkmn8TO2e2Xmt5MpW6oFk1ltRqs7QY_Q7_8PcTTfapWs/s1600/2nd+Day+-+Saxes+Pothole+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YlmdqPF_prYLlTFfFEnBLrO7uYgiLokNaxWufTwJqV0a9k9rvlnmd0ZkTnAWUpUOiDBnWjzGgNRQnPWWY350gVc7wOEE3FHjAkmn8TO2e2Xmt5MpW6oFk1ltRqs7QY_Q7_8PcTTfapWs/s320/2nd+Day+-+Saxes+Pothole+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I am
hunting with my friend John Lesher in a new spot. The water level in the lake
is so low this year that we had to forego the blinds we normally build in the
larger backwaters. This year is going to be all about adaptation and honoring
our canine partner of twelve years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We slide
out of the canoe in our waders as quietly as we can, mud swallowing our feet in
the decaying detritus of swamp gas and pungent wetland vegetation. We have to
lean forward with each step to navigate the morass, our rear feet making a deep
sucking sound when they are finally freed from the primordial ooze. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2ebR_-dkbCBFbFmuCRatKpXr2ZjF8v8d5WOUGugImxe-Kc9KWm-PFVlnO-HGsE4dhh1lCfjQgKS-y34BtGgfJGcZ0BtX7q04Q4qU28yrYs1arV59Cxm9tvdHzgxe3iZgr1ODY2UfqiOl/s1600/1st+Season+2014+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2ebR_-dkbCBFbFmuCRatKpXr2ZjF8v8d5WOUGugImxe-Kc9KWm-PFVlnO-HGsE4dhh1lCfjQgKS-y34BtGgfJGcZ0BtX7q04Q4qU28yrYs1arV59Cxm9tvdHzgxe3iZgr1ODY2UfqiOl/s320/1st+Season+2014+021.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I love
this. I love everything about this sport. The mud, the smells, the sounds, even
the challenge of setting decoys in a small pool of water surrounded by muck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We get
the wood duck decoys situated to the side, greenwing teal to the rear and
mallards to the front of a “J” hook pattern, the top of the letter facing into
the wind, creating a landing zone in the crook of the bottom of the pattern. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We retreat
to the canoe, and comfort John’s 12 year old yellow lab, Remi. This will be his
last season. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He will
not be asked to retrieve or suffer the indignities of getting stuck in the mud
chasing a duck. This year John and I will retrieve the birds and offer them to
him in a gracious manner of consent that he has been a great partner for 12
long years, retrieving hundreds of birds, and as he always has, guarding the ubiquitous
donuts. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Remi will be our Guest of Honor this season, allowing him a chance to
bask in the glory of what he has most loved during his glorious dozen seasons
with us.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As the
dark purple horizon begins to show shades of sage and burnt orange, the swamp
awakens. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We still
can’t see the birds, but we hear them landing in the decoys and flying just
over our heads along the tree line. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">6:32am is legal shooting time on Opening
Day and we stare at our watches, hearts racing in time with the sweep second
hand. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There are a half dozen birds in the spread, and although we can see the
wake caused by their swimming bodies, we cannot distinguish the species. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We wait
impatiently. The cup of coffee is sitting on its side amidst the oak ribs of
the hull, black liquid mixing with the mud in the bottom of the boat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The time
has come.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: serif;">O</span>n the
count of three we rise to our knees and raise our shotguns in unison.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">N</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">othing
moves. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The birds continue to swim in the decoys.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Remi
whines and trembles in anticipation. Although he cannot see the birds, he knows
they’re there. Likely he can smell their oily undercoat.</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Suddenly
a flock of bluewing teal strafe our spread, miniature fighter jets, their wings tearing
the cool morning air. They race forward and circle back to land at the rear with the plastic
deceivers. As they make their final approach, we both shoulder our guns and
fire. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
season has begun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Remi
smiles.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-44900542799693999272016-08-01T22:22:00.000-04:002016-08-01T22:22:42.906-04:00Competitive Hunting - Opinion<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This is
an opinion. My disclaimer is that if you disagree, do so respectfully and I
will respect yours.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I do not
like competition in my outdoor sports.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Maybe
that came from not being very good at baseball, football, basketball, hockey or
any team sport. I was always the last guy chosen for pick up teams. On the
other hand I was in fierce competition with myself as a freestyle skier in the
80’s. But I didn’t like “measuring” success with numerical values.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When I
found that my heart sought refuge in the outdoors, I realized that I wasn’t “hunting”
for recognition, but for connection.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">While my
friends were intent on bragging about how big the racks were on their bucks, or
how many rabbits they’d shot, I was driven to learn about the intimate details
of how my prey lived. It was never about killing – although that was a part of
the process. I found that I wanted was to feel my own heart beat in unison with the
deer I was watching. I wanted to breathe the same air, share the same mystery
of its wildness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbU8rXdHqkgyxPgMeNz6F6qk6_p4g6kGro8AGeMWb1VuEO2fQkF0Ow25rqmodF2tDmd8tjgNG0-RjplN-vUNOsbI9OQeNgDj2fWtP_tYvM8TIWoRmfrJLVVpukgyLcl7sjgrJccOcdaKx/s1600/random+shots+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbU8rXdHqkgyxPgMeNz6F6qk6_p4g6kGro8AGeMWb1VuEO2fQkF0Ow25rqmodF2tDmd8tjgNG0-RjplN-vUNOsbI9OQeNgDj2fWtP_tYvM8TIWoRmfrJLVVpukgyLcl7sjgrJccOcdaKx/s320/random+shots+020.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My first
and greatest love has always been waterfowling. To me, the beauty of
communicating with a big greenhead mallard and coaxing him in to my decoy
spread is paramount to seeking nirvana. Becoming at one with the bird, I
seek to understand the intricacies of his language. What does it mean when he
purrs before he lands, red legs down in the turgid water? How does the hen
seduce the drake to come to her little puddle? What dulcet tones ring out from
her sage green bill to attract the wary male? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I study
Canada geese relentlessly; I ponder the meaning of their body posture and what it means to
others in their flock. I watch the sentinel’s head crane about, taking
responsibility for the entire flock’s safety. I wonder at the soft moans of a
feeding flock, and marvel at the stretched neck as an active feeder pushes
others away from his food plot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrP-sFznwu6qo0z5AN5-7s2vv38IBomqj-Zd8anNGo1BjPVfvPH2KYSznBt5dMhmYwfdc0Rh9-2_pBtrJCHNP8DXTXHiJ34s9l1auxrdgmCGoNvuufeT-1h6eyrDCklKKG4c6aAIVeRJY/s1600/Deer+Camp+2013+094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrP-sFznwu6qo0z5AN5-7s2vv38IBomqj-Zd8anNGo1BjPVfvPH2KYSznBt5dMhmYwfdc0Rh9-2_pBtrJCHNP8DXTXHiJ34s9l1auxrdgmCGoNvuufeT-1h6eyrDCklKKG4c6aAIVeRJY/s320/Deer+Camp+2013+094.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I hunt because
I seek connection, not because I seek recognition for how many birds I shoot in
a season or how big my buck is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There
are those who hunt for trophies only, often time to challenge themselves. Many
trophy hunters are very finely honed and skilled outdoorsmen. Heck, you have to
be, to find and select only the most dominant genes in the pool. It takes great
restraint and planning. I respect those who choose to hunt this way. And
believe it or not – many of them are still humble. Those are the type of trophy
hunters that I respect. They do it not for their ego as much as for the
challenge. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We have
one or two of those men in our town. They are quiet, unassuming men of
character. They contrast the road hunters who seek to brag about the 10 pointer
they shot from 300 yards after spotting it from their vehicle in the last
minutes of daylight. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">One of
the greatest hunting families in history, the Benoits of Duxbury, have shot
more trophy bucks than anyone else can claim, and yet, they have never had any
of them “scored” by the Boone & Crockett Club. They never believed that an
animal should be assigned a numerical value to its body or antlers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In my 37
years of waterfowling, I have shot many ducks and geese, but each one of them
is a trophy to me, in its own way. I remember certain shots and certain pieces
of land, particularly swamps, where I watched flocks of whistling teal
dive-bombing the decoys at jet-fighter speeds against a sunrise that was
indescribably beautiful. I have slogged through mud two feet deep for hundreds
of yards just to retrieve a drake wood duck with its pontifical crown. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I do so,
not so that I can brag about the shot or the calling prowess, but to relate to
the bird on its most intrinsic level. We are both of the same energy. We share
the air we breathe, the water we swim in, the same sunrise and the same love of
the mysterious migration that happens each year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I am
never going to be a trophy hunter. That said, I would not pass up a trophy if
it stepped in front of me, but it is not what defines my love of hunting.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLcPjULC7tzHLOrLIhxt0-c_DqazNQLnnOw4JLBwsrwYGfZ0CC-v3zxqb6fSo-vWCzpfyN67SZn-vrAv921Z_7nm5Ioqu9FbDmDmNOZHPAqNGSuz6nHHAckIZYfYVo4VEm1vX_318oAz6/s1600/Fall+2015+113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLcPjULC7tzHLOrLIhxt0-c_DqazNQLnnOw4JLBwsrwYGfZ0CC-v3zxqb6fSo-vWCzpfyN67SZn-vrAv921Z_7nm5Ioqu9FbDmDmNOZHPAqNGSuz6nHHAckIZYfYVo4VEm1vX_318oAz6/s320/Fall+2015+113.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">With the
utmost respect for those who do, and who do so out of the same love and
admiration as I, I honor you. Not for your scores on the mountain goat you shot
from 500 yards, but for the love and drive that it must take to climb 10,000
feet up a mountain to set your sights on a perfect specimen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It is
this love of the animal and the desire to become one with it that exemplifies
what it means to have a hunter’s heart.</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-5430216467923578022016-06-09T09:42:00.001-04:002016-06-09T09:42:32.868-04:00Hittin' the Road in June<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In June I
like to drive the back roads of Chittenden and Addison Counties with a Vermont Gazetteer
in my lap and proceed from one waypoint to another checking for the tell-tale
bolting stalks of wild asparagus, marking them with an “x” on my map. I have
been doing this for several years now and have trained my eye to look for
ditches, fences and sunny shoulders where, most frequently on the western side
of the road, a few standing plants have passed and begun to branch out into the
frilly dill-like leaves that indicate a hospitable environment for this, my
favorite wild edible.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjod0E03LjvCukpqsi0qPCWlnyZu1CV2V4oyUUxCDF-e3Hl9s1eS9azFz600Gltv2G2jT_O0vEysB5wMrZBIqDE4yk0p3daCuF9zPLsVQ0VLRtGCXVZs1g_1PHDtDsaVPzouprDqDwHlZGS/s1600/Salmon+%2526+Fiddleheads+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjod0E03LjvCukpqsi0qPCWlnyZu1CV2V4oyUUxCDF-e3Hl9s1eS9azFz600Gltv2G2jT_O0vEysB5wMrZBIqDE4yk0p3daCuF9zPLsVQ0VLRtGCXVZs1g_1PHDtDsaVPzouprDqDwHlZGS/s320/Salmon+%2526+Fiddleheads+022.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Summiting
a small hill east of Snake Mountain, I spot them in the distance. The elusive,
magical wild asparagus. I slow down and check my rear view mirror for
interlopers. I am on a dirt road and no one else is behind me. I jump out of
the truck, leap over the bank into the ditch, and begin scouring the long
grasses that surround the beefy stalks. Score! One, two, three…four nice 1/2”
round stalks with the tiny buds still clinging tightly to the main stem. I spot
four more but let them be, to mature in another year. I hop back in the truck
and mark the spot with my “x” and head north to the river in search of
fiddleheads.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Most fiddleheads
have passed, except in a few shady riparian riverbanks. These delicious wild
edibles are found along river and stream shorelines, where they can sprout up
through the root balls surrounded by sandy soil leftover from the late winter
snowmelt. The tiny sprouts are tightly bundled and wrapped in a brown
paper-like sheath. The inner edge of the spine is concave and snaps off
crisply. Sautéed in butter or olive oil with some finely minced garlic or
shallots the flavor is as close to rapture as a vegetable can attain. I
describe their taste as a cross between a snappy asparagus and an earthy
artichoke. Beside a few freshly caught brook trout, garnished with fresh dill
and a slice of lemon, there is no finer wild feast that can be had by man or
beast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Wild
leeks, colloquially known as “ramps” were harvested earlier, during turkey
season. I find them consistently on western facing slopes in wet soil and rocky
terrain. The leaves are broad and somewhat waxy terminating to a rounded point.
This year, as I sat waiting for a gobbler to walk into my calling, I was
overcome with the strong fragrance of these edibles that were discovered by the
Abenaki and named “Winooski” meaning “wild onion.” After taking a nice young
jake, I sat down in the middle of the field of ramps and
picked a vest full of succulent specimens. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Here I wish to note that I employ
sustainable harvest principles for all my foraging and never take more than
1/10th of the population. In the case this year, I was surrounded by a half
acre of mature “Winooski” and felt fine about taking five pounds. When I
arrived home, I sprayed them off and cleaned them by clipping off the white
root and the green leaves and separating them. The white bulbs, roasted with
olive oil and sea </span></div>
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salt caramelize into a phenomenally sweet side dish. The
leaves are put in a Cuisinart with roasted pine nuts, garlic and, yes again,
olive oil. This year I also tried something new. I am a fanatical smoker – not
tobacco, but wood – and tried smoking some wild leeks over apple wood and beer,
which came out very nicely. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Now it
is time to head into the high mountain streams in search of one of earth’s most
beautiful treasures, the brook trout. Although a salmonid, the brook trout is
actually not a trout at all, but a char. The Latin name <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salmo fontanalis</i> means “of a spring or fountain” referring to the cold
clear water that it requires as habitat. It is Vermont’s state fish and is one
of the true signs that a steam or river is clean and well oxygenated. The daily
limit on these colorful piscatorial delights is, at this time, 12 per day. Here
I will make my opinion, albeit unpopular with the hook and bullet crowd, heard
now. I am against this creel limit. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwow0_GmKVnxjbA6FASv4rG5Piv9gLOL1GNmbTwrg7qsgnnOSU21YGHX3aiE2FvyjHYgmy5o6hGTE_n5q_9EQGjzvZUiPKHgCLVHiIH8r0JWcQw_cErorYBPlWZOf6IzqwWc0xSEBM3dd/s1600/Katie+summer+fishing+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwow0_GmKVnxjbA6FASv4rG5Piv9gLOL1GNmbTwrg7qsgnnOSU21YGHX3aiE2FvyjHYgmy5o6hGTE_n5q_9EQGjzvZUiPKHgCLVHiIH8r0JWcQw_cErorYBPlWZOf6IzqwWc0xSEBM3dd/s320/Katie+summer+fishing+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There is no need to take more than three or
four of these majestic fish (I believe in catching my own fish rather than
purchasing them at the supermarket where they have been farm raised on a diet
of chemically treated pellets that change the color of their flesh) for a meal.
And even then, with respect to the specific pool’s population, I would not
return again that season. I believe that a six fish daily limit is more than
sufficient to appease those who wish to catch dinner and those who would like
to feed a party of two. As my friend, Chris Thayer says, “brook trout and orange
juice is proof of a Higher Power.” Just look at the colors – green and brown tiger
stripes on the back, red dots with blue halos on the flanks and orange pectoral
and pelvic fins tipped in white.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghz_N1iMXnqpuqqDw4YWJxnj1BIlCFIMPP54fXlyDFX8TQ_7C8mfYPfu8CBaBHnCKsAFEJMEtAtLrEgct2JFX_9XjKxQ4QaYXB-VpT_ie1OH-Ad5vN1K6GxellR-5jc9tuDkinxmV-imt3/s1600/Stowe+Brookies+%2526+Chanterelles+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghz_N1iMXnqpuqqDw4YWJxnj1BIlCFIMPP54fXlyDFX8TQ_7C8mfYPfu8CBaBHnCKsAFEJMEtAtLrEgct2JFX_9XjKxQ4QaYXB-VpT_ie1OH-Ad5vN1K6GxellR-5jc9tuDkinxmV-imt3/s320/Stowe+Brookies+%2526+Chanterelles+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">On a
good day in June, I will spend the entire daylight hours driving the back roads
in search of fiddleheads, wild asparagus, ramps and maybe a few chanterelles to share
the plate with a few freshly caught brookies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As a
society we have moved away from providing for ourselves from the earth and
purchase most of our food in a store under fluorescent lights, wrapped with
plastic wrap in a Styrofoam container. However, June reminds me that the Great
Spirit still provides us with all we need if we only take the time to worship
nature and learn from our ancestors.</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-26669675897694078282016-03-29T01:27:00.002-04:002016-03-29T01:27:54.274-04:00Twin Spirits<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sometimes
life hands us lessons in unattractive and painful packages, but all of them, if
opened and inspected thoroughly, provide us with wisdom and understanding. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRY1RPx0N8v2WJTMM3hASIM4TYkywmtOAmT2ZKDexmZbxrjNBaBNTlUHZMSrkjbElUXHdJd3e6Rm28yp52b7LiRBBhmdXkmHHM2GgFcJVzGErVNNF621LMiIZ0ioIsGLGRE9Vp-xvnOm1/s1600/Ice+Fishing+FEb+2015+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRY1RPx0N8v2WJTMM3hASIM4TYkywmtOAmT2ZKDexmZbxrjNBaBNTlUHZMSrkjbElUXHdJd3e6Rm28yp52b7LiRBBhmdXkmHHM2GgFcJVzGErVNNF621LMiIZ0ioIsGLGRE9Vp-xvnOm1/s320/Ice+Fishing+FEb+2015+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A few
months ago I had a quarrel with a dear friend over something so petty (at the
time it seemed to emphasize our inescapable differences) that it tore us apart
by the sheer will of my own ego. I will share how absurd that disagreement was
because, again, it emphasizes the absurdity of the human need to be right. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My
friend, Chris Thayer, whom I have written about many times, and I,
had a shouting match about the fecundity of perch eggs based on the size and
age class of the females. Both of us were yelling at each other and the other
guys must have thought us insane to be so heated over this topic. It was about
being right, and we seemed to always disagree on everything we believed. The
argument blew up into a full-scale “I never want to talk to you again” war of
words. Forget that this guy had been there for me through thick and thin, a
member of our deer camp, my hunting and </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit83JH75cIFjngBaHI2E7OLIqxhEOsA8kYi0oFFVgDQO14YQVXry_gu2-oG92F9Cp8TovJdsmZmbuYMRvbW5jlAmEsJfSjHXjAI1kRTO6v-cn7l0NJ2SMYOOpj8TC9hT9fIu61aS_Zf9mp/s1600/Salmon+%2526+Fiddleheads+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit83JH75cIFjngBaHI2E7OLIqxhEOsA8kYi0oFFVgDQO14YQVXry_gu2-oG92F9Cp8TovJdsmZmbuYMRvbW5jlAmEsJfSjHXjAI1kRTO6v-cn7l0NJ2SMYOOpj8TC9hT9fIu61aS_Zf9mp/s320/Salmon+%2526+Fiddleheads+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
fishing partner, and my closest of
buddies I’ve ever known. I was throwing it all away. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A few
weeks ago, my painful lesson was delivered to me by a mutual friend. Chris’ 26
year old son, Andrew, had been in a terrible accident, and was fighting for his
life. Suddenly, my ego came into sharp focus for what it is; a character defect
that had to be faced for what it had done – tear apart the heart of one of the
people I have loved as a friend more than almost anyone I have known. My grief
for him was palpable. I had to make right what I had done. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The day
I learned of the accident, I was stunned. Three days later Andrew passed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">That
night I came home from work late. There was a full moon, and as I stepped out
of my truck, I looked up and cried uncontrollably. I begged Grandmother Moon to
forgive me. I begged for Chris to forgive me. I begged to forgive myself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcK5MSNrugT0MctPh-43i9Ujr7-ZujCXYdoT4iGV29UmEYl0cBcdbiO5tl7pZdgte5WkK5q15_a63mkjml7ahyphenhyphenrcCDEZayoU36n799PND5pt_gR4CUnD_FcGLru2FH3xdb-pZLwJFSZl6/s1600/Fall+2015+112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcK5MSNrugT0MctPh-43i9Ujr7-ZujCXYdoT4iGV29UmEYl0cBcdbiO5tl7pZdgte5WkK5q15_a63mkjml7ahyphenhyphenrcCDEZayoU36n799PND5pt_gR4CUnD_FcGLru2FH3xdb-pZLwJFSZl6/s320/Fall+2015+112.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For me,
my connection to nature and our universe has been all that I have been able to
count on for healing and enlightenment. Call it God, Buddha, Christ, Allah, The
Great Spirit or a Non-Deity, the power that created all of this was all that I
felt I could count on to comprehend, not just the loss of my friend’s son’s
life, but of my own spiritual dignity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This
past Saturday, I led a migration watch at Dead Creek in Addison and was blessed
by the sight of 800 snow geese that sat patiently in a field, feeding. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We all
watched in rapt attention and wondered about the miles and miles of flight that
these birds had endured, living and feeding, sleeping and flying, together, as
if they were one spirit. When one of my participants said “Let’s go get a cup
of coffee”, the birds lifted off and flew right over us. There was a brief
moment where two birds, flying in perfect unison, presented themselves, white
wings glowing in the sunlight, black wingtips nearly touching. I thought “what
a wonderful relationship those two have.” My very next thought was of my
friend, and a cold teardrop rolled down my cheek. The healing had begun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MSgsMvEau5zZ38av2_NJXMEXaUfOOBNK6_dfHVq_lGqsWZHZLLz8BJ85H0ZUDNl1S3EBAjkKrp7YSJJBnZk7TJdR7_qMipAbg9_6Abe1IXJ0io6RiL0ZhAVNbSSMEvaSLkgT4rrBUO1f/s1600/Snow+Geese+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MSgsMvEau5zZ38av2_NJXMEXaUfOOBNK6_dfHVq_lGqsWZHZLLz8BJ85H0ZUDNl1S3EBAjkKrp7YSJJBnZk7TJdR7_qMipAbg9_6Abe1IXJ0io6RiL0ZhAVNbSSMEvaSLkgT4rrBUO1f/s320/Snow+Geese+023.JPG" width="306" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I pray
for peace and serenity for my friend and his family. I pray that Andrew’s life
will serve me and others the lesson; that the value of life is so much greater
than one’s political or religious beliefs. And that we might all think before
we speak poorly about anyone. I pray that my relationship with Chris can be
healed and we can grow closer by sharing his loss. I pray that, one day, we can
once again be united in a spirit and friendship that was born of a love for the
outdoors. </span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-945892155187163502016-02-28T21:19:00.000-05:002016-02-28T21:22:44.511-05:00End of One Season - Beginning of Another<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NP2kIy9NWoNUdiJYb713NhG_-3H-m3PWcM9uoPCBMnoQ8lST5PaCDD3S6VU4Y9zhJ88KMpeUx1AKW7agtTI0EX2yp2dyxfG_A7VNLkcD20-mK47akLeJfGJLx0cqAQPUH-nTIYcNiMEz/s1600/Late+Season+Ice+Fishing+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NP2kIy9NWoNUdiJYb713NhG_-3H-m3PWcM9uoPCBMnoQ8lST5PaCDD3S6VU4Y9zhJ88KMpeUx1AKW7agtTI0EX2yp2dyxfG_A7VNLkcD20-mK47akLeJfGJLx0cqAQPUH-nTIYcNiMEz/s320/Late+Season+Ice+Fishing+068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">March is
such an in-between kind of month. The last ice of a strange winter is peeling
away from the shorelines. Ironically, the ice fishing is best in March. It’s
just a little challenging finding safe ice to sit on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">The
Vermont tradition of bullpout fishing begins to tug on my heartstrings. (I like
calling them “bullpout” or “hornpout” instead of their proper moniker
“bullhead” because it’s a colloquialism taught me by my wife’s uncle, Marvin
Thomas, of Shelburne, a seventh generation Vermonter). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">As I am
jigging for jumbo perch with my Swedish pimple and bibbit on the degrading ice
of a pond that holds decent ice structure into mid March, I am already thinking
about sitting on the muddy bank of the confluence of Otter Creek and Dead Creek.
Locals call it “Donovans” after the campsite by that name on the other side of
Panton Road in Vergennes. Once the ice is out of the river, the bullpout begin
to swim upstream to spawn. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y4-AZYnRhETp_N6ByOc0OtNh5010QN1LyYAbOmbo0Dof5FjhpKSQEVfz_nr7UyjL16SQJxXfvKcFZj62hHIIKO0NJ5bNLTBtlffavRXBiZVY3I-FmUxC3P3eZuvdd-qZc6ndOtfRP_RG/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y4-AZYnRhETp_N6ByOc0OtNh5010QN1LyYAbOmbo0Dof5FjhpKSQEVfz_nr7UyjL16SQJxXfvKcFZj62hHIIKO0NJ5bNLTBtlffavRXBiZVY3I-FmUxC3P3eZuvdd-qZc6ndOtfRP_RG/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">They are
a member of the catfish family and come in brown, white and yellow colorations,
with nasty spikes on their dorsal and pectoral fins that only an accomplished
fisherman/woman learns to handle properly. Nonetheless, they are delectable as
table fare. I like to fry them in a vegetable oil after rubbing the fillets
with Cajun spices. They are identical in flavor to their larger cousins but are
far tenderer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Another
name for this fish is “mudcat”, a portmanteau that acknowledges the fish’s
appearance with its love of wriggling in the mud. Thus, the bait, usually a
piece of large crawler or a chunk of chicken liver, is laying dormant in the
mud, held down from the current by a two ounce sinker. The bullpout approaches
the bait by using its sense of smell and typically ingests the bait and hook in
a slovenly fashion, swallowing the entire contraption.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RFzLu-T3duR73CV1nNPxNFl0z62IWMKbK1HIVa16BsClTeJcfoE2IXyGG80fJOmhdGw4ZE5-trPv8WTwlLjjsSNOXKtRRZ4IRMdYxhsikcf6PaKgRnU7nsZe4b7dw_8Cwbgl9_1svzTZ/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RFzLu-T3duR73CV1nNPxNFl0z62IWMKbK1HIVa16BsClTeJcfoE2IXyGG80fJOmhdGw4ZE5-trPv8WTwlLjjsSNOXKtRRZ4IRMdYxhsikcf6PaKgRnU7nsZe4b7dw_8Cwbgl9_1svzTZ/s320/006.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">I am
lost in my daydream and visualize being comfortably ensconced on my folding
chair, hot coffee in my right hand, a maple donut in my left, while my medium
weight rod leans on an old “Y” branch stuck in the mud at a 45º angle. The line
hangs off of the tip of the rod in a gentle bow, just enough tension to
recognize a tug from the bottom of the river. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">‘Pout
fishermen watch their lines with tremendous concentration, looking for the
slightest tug that straightens out the monofilament. When the line moves, the
butt of the rod is lifted, gently at first, then quickly and assertively to set
the hook. The battle is not typically a hard fight, but a larger fish will
create a good wake as it spins side over side into the shoreline.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">This is
where it gets a little dicey. Remember those nasty spikes? Well, the only way
to pick up one of these cats is to aim the belly of the fish into your palm and
rest your thumb under one of the pectoral fins and the forefinger under the
other, supporting the weight of the fish by the spikes resting above the first
knuckle of the finger and thumb. I often use my middle finger to squeeze the
belly and my remaining two fingers fingers to brace the lower belly. Unless you
are an expert, under no conditions should one attempt to pick up a bullpout by
the back, because the dorsal fin spike can easily penetrate the fatty tissue
between the thumb and forefinger. And it hurts! Trust me!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWQ6Z9zqrVYA4sMKvp7I-WQKsWqwgf7aJt-O91hm3oONj_939NG0hz6MTAofXjDhn0nbj9AGY2_ppViZvXB3A0aBhxX4BjAUVbIwFZJVjRJJcpFiaeTuLeoWCAe7YsZzd74VYSh4KRMaC/s1600/Bullpout+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWQ6Z9zqrVYA4sMKvp7I-WQKsWqwgf7aJt-O91hm3oONj_939NG0hz6MTAofXjDhn0nbj9AGY2_ppViZvXB3A0aBhxX4BjAUVbIwFZJVjRJJcpFiaeTuLeoWCAe7YsZzd74VYSh4KRMaC/s320/Bullpout+050.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Once the
fish is in hand, removing the hook is another lesson entirely. I have watched
the old timers remove it by sticking a stick down the throat and twirling it
around the line then yanking it out, hook and line together. It’s ugly but it
works. (I have never seen a catch and release bullpout fisherman.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">When the
run begins, it’s not too difficult to fill a half pail full of these delicious
mudcats. Some people disdain them, calling them filthy and disgusting, but I
think it’s because they haven’t eaten them when they are cooked properly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">As I am
thinking about bullpout fishing, I suddenly feel a tug. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">My
ultralight ice rod is bending down toward the hole and throbbing with life.
It’s a big perch. Probably a 12 incher. As I reel up the prize, I realize that
this may be the last day on the ice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">My
wife’s uncle Marvin should be calling any day.</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-43541860751743458442016-02-05T12:47:00.003-05:002016-02-05T12:47:58.306-05:00Jackpot! Yellow Perch<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Once in
awhile ice fishermen hit the jackpot. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I was
recently witness to such an event, and after considerable soul searching, have
accepted that it is alright once in awhile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">One of
my ice fishing buddies, Ozzie, and I drove north a few weeks ago to the St
Albans Bay area on Lake Champlain, in search of a rumor that the yellow perch
were hitting hard. Now before all the hardcore ice fishermen condemn me for
mentioning “their spot”, let me just say that by the time you are reading this
column, the situation will have changed considerably and the perch will have
moved on to other shallows.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Here’s
the story. Ozzie and I got a late start and by 7:30 am were still not sure
where we would go to try our hand. I had just acquired a new Vexilar FL8SE, an
economy grade fish finder, and I was eager to try it out. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We
pulled up to the Georgia Shore municipal playground and saw about 30 trucks.
“This is a good sign” I said. When we looked over the embankment, the ice was
littered with people. Not just any people, but people who kept raising their
rods quickly and hooking fish with what seemed like every five to ten seconds.
“That looks promising” Ozzie replied.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIeFMiXJOpZnC2DlBhtpk5OR_a_j3SI5j0FvejInejIIsKstp2nAEw8RqxI2f-1DdYLFU5v8sCLliS-5bBhbftqhaSftf-cH5OaApvRVrm9rtaci-b48BHq-zhrMwAIweWpx6xrIcoPTU/s1600/Mid+Season+103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIeFMiXJOpZnC2DlBhtpk5OR_a_j3SI5j0FvejInejIIsKstp2nAEw8RqxI2f-1DdYLFU5v8sCLliS-5bBhbftqhaSftf-cH5OaApvRVrm9rtaci-b48BHq-zhrMwAIweWpx6xrIcoPTU/s320/Mid+Season+103.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We
dragged our sleds out onto the ice and lined up with what seemed like a
straight line paralleling the shoreline. We cut a hole with my hand auger and
found about seven inches of good ice. I dropped the business end of my Vexilar
down the hole and it lit up like a Christmas tree with colors of red, orange
and green signifying fish holding to the 12’ bottom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
dropped a brightly colored bibbit with three spikes on the hook. “Spikes” are
what ice fishermen use to refer to maggots. (It keeps the squeamish amateurs
grossed out and swearing that they will never ice fish.) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Less
than one second passed and I had a bite. Then on the second bite I lifted my
24” ultra lite ice rod quickly and the fish was hooked. I quickly reeled him
up, looking at Ozzie, and winking sent the bibbit back down to the shallow
bottom. Less than a second later another fish was on. And another and another.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-NFIgD6YWUIQJ_JS4fIm8ctjrvOMTYxkTGlQHFoGYNhVjzNJuvTkHMwXutn4t7C2gMkDeIx4YMOQYFTvYaEgUe5MZ1xeamWTxy3veVBOGfaHei08snNy-KY0mBeM3SV9rkIpmfKPBmab/s1600/Mid+Season+096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-NFIgD6YWUIQJ_JS4fIm8ctjrvOMTYxkTGlQHFoGYNhVjzNJuvTkHMwXutn4t7C2gMkDeIx4YMOQYFTvYaEgUe5MZ1xeamWTxy3veVBOGfaHei08snNy-KY0mBeM3SV9rkIpmfKPBmab/s320/Mid+Season+096.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I began
to put back any fish less than six inches, reasoning that my mother-in-law loved
to eat “crispy tales” which are cleaned and fried so that there are two nice pieces
of meat held together by a backbone and a tail – no ribs or other bones. They
are eaten by peeling off the meat from either side of the backbone and devoured
with the “crispy tail” dipped in tartar sauce. Truly a Vermont tradition.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As I was
lost in my reverie it began to snow, lightly. The fish just kept biting, not
more than 10 seconds apart. It began to snow harder until I could no longer see
the shoreline just 100 yards away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
bucket began filling up. I kept pulling up fish and my friend Ozzie was doing
the same 20 yards away from me. We were like two laughing fools in a snowstorm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Then
suddenly, at 11:00 it shut off like, someone had just turned off the spigot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We moved
around looking for where the fish had gone. As we drilled holes moving south
along a small pressure crack, closer to shore, then further from shore, we
noticed two young guys who had never stopped catching fish.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLDxZy5jFUsK8oZbpCXWbQv_rFrxjKVDcgu9Uv__h9JS0gibnG3LG9VyvQ_EpAwv0u6J6EYXdCE-4Wn-t7TNIL0EktabTrkngAcVasVq-sRFvKZbYW1VNIsRk-XhRoU0kVKwOxs6BPFJ-/s1600/Mid+Season+101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLDxZy5jFUsK8oZbpCXWbQv_rFrxjKVDcgu9Uv__h9JS0gibnG3LG9VyvQ_EpAwv0u6J6EYXdCE-4Wn-t7TNIL0EktabTrkngAcVasVq-sRFvKZbYW1VNIsRk-XhRoU0kVKwOxs6BPFJ-/s320/Mid+Season+101.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We
walked over to them and introduced ourselves. They told us what they were using
and offered us their holes. But what was more impressive than their generous
behavior was a jet sled full of perch. Probably over 1,000 yellowbellies in
all. It seems our new friends, Jon and Devyn, had hit the jackpot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Hope
you’re not planning on cleaning all this yourself” I joked. “No way! We’re
selling ‘em!” Jon proclaimed. “There’s probably about $100 worth of fish
there.” He asked us if we wanted any. We declined saying that we each had a
half a bucket and we didn’t want to clean any more than what we had.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My
efforts to comprehend the good fortune that these two young men had experienced
posed a moral dilemma for me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“What is
too much? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If I
subscribe to the premise that Native Americans espouse; to take no more than
what one needs, how do I feel about commercial fishing? Secondly, were these
two guys, who have never had this kind of luck, and are not commercial
fishermen, damaging the resource?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
considerable deliberation, I chose to accept that these two young men, with
their generous offers of lures and bait, even sharing their “lucky holes,” were
not commercial fishermen and may never experience another day like this one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRwCV9nv1Dgc0TuY12f_o9Y0XPsJ9MDp4n02A3UG8Fl-2a2Ojl1qSUtluV4uc5gn6T1qSEQ4d4qGn50rP_l7_c5JPC0akSfzK1hAn8xzRds51PhV2cIr50P4WPlnTrrqf_5txVespK_QD/s1600/Snalbans+and+Elmore+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRwCV9nv1Dgc0TuY12f_o9Y0XPsJ9MDp4n02A3UG8Fl-2a2Ojl1qSUtluV4uc5gn6T1qSEQ4d4qGn50rP_l7_c5JPC0akSfzK1hAn8xzRds51PhV2cIr50P4WPlnTrrqf_5txVespK_QD/s320/Snalbans+and+Elmore+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I was
quite content with what, for me, turned out to be 114 yellow perch, making up
my half bucket, was all I needed that day so that I could contribute something
to the Friendship Lodge’s Fish Fry on Saturday. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In
conclusion, I still do not support commercial fishing in our lakes and ponds,
with the exception of invasive species like the white perch, but I can share
the exuberance of someone’s good luck on a day like this. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Everybody
deserves at least one of these days when spending a lifetime on the lake.</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-28457894581423143932015-12-30T22:47:00.001-05:002015-12-30T22:47:05.289-05:00Hunting as Religion<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There
are many reasons why people choose to hunt for their own meat versus buying it
at the store. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Common themes are that wild game is as organic as you can get,
the cost of wild game is free (we’ll get into that perspective at another time)
and one of the most quoted is that “I like to take responsibility for what I
take from the earth.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">These are all great reasons.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Mine is
one less quoted but considerably older in theory.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Many of
us have stated that we see hunting as “religion” and received queer looks from
those who do not see the sanctity of killing. I have heard some claim, with a
twisted grin on their face, that they belong to the “church of the straight
powder” as they head off to the club to shoot sporting clays on Sunday. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But for
me it goes much deeper.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I was
raised in an organized religion that did not serve my evolving values. I looked
for a faith that would incorporate my relationship to the outdoors,
specifically animals and wild edibles. I sought a connection to what I put in
my body and how I nourished it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After
investigating several religions I was dismayed and lost faith in the churches.
Which left me with nothing but the reality of nature’s raw power. I recognized
that no man, no matter how rich or powerful he might be in society, was any greater
than any other man facing the same need to survive in the wild. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">One
evening I sat on the shore of our lake, Lake Champlain, in Vermont, as 6 foot
waves from a powerful Northwest wind swept over the rocks and smashed into a
rock tower that had been built eons ago by Native Americans. No one would
survive the crushing waves no matter who they were – not Donald Trump, not the
President of the United States, nor any leader of any faith, if they did not
respect the awesome power of nature. But behind that rock tower, I sat, my
heart aching for connection to this entity that deserved such deep respect. It
was the rocks that kept me from getting crushed by the waves. It was one
component of nature protecting me from another. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It was
nature that would become my Higher Power, my God, my Savior…my Great Spirit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I began
to study Native American belief systems, the Hopi, the Abnaki, the Cree, and
the Inuit. All of them had two things in common. No leader that “interpreted
God’s word” and a deep connection to their animals, land and habitat. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sacred
rituals were handed down through elders to those ready to receive them. Animals
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Time
warp forward; one of the prime rules of physics (that being the highest
expression of mankind’s intellectual rationalizations of how the universe actually
works) is the “Law of Conservation of Energy” which states that “energy cannot
be created or destroyed. It can only be changed from one form to another.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Posit:
if energy can be expressed or “seen” as beauty, grace, balance or innocence,
and a whitetail deer possesses that energy, what happens to it when I “kill”
the animal? Is the energy that is stored in the muscle and tissue still alive? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If I eat
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If I
consume the spirit of my brother deer, goose or turkey, where does their power
of observation go?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After
reading “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seven Arrows” by Hyemeyohosts
Storm</i>, I chose to believe that it entered me. As the mouse that is consumed
by the eagle gains the visual attributes of the eagle, I have chosen to believe
that when I consume the flesh of my brother, the goose, I gain the power of
communication with my peers and learn cooperation with others to form groups
that rely on each other to assist in our flight.</span></div>
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summary, I hunt to provide myself and my loved ones with a spiritual connection
to our food, be it wild asparagus, fiddleheads or venison. I have chosen to make
hunting, fishing and foraging my spiritual practice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I still
find myself buying meat and vegetables in the grocery store or at a farmer’s
market, and I choose to give thanks to the animals and flora that give their
lives that I might continue mine. But, just as the Jewish religion pursues
their faith in food by seeking kosher meats, I pursue my own faith by seeking
the energy of my brothers and sisters in the wild.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">To each
his own.</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-7108064283801241102015-10-20T21:02:00.004-04:002015-10-20T21:02:52.003-04:00Second Season<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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wheels slosh by on the paved road that extends from Burlington to our humble
suburban cape, winding its way south and west to the lake. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oYaKRgvDVuZgbp87FWY9mNm-CtI4yyKD32Aa3RDxIii9P03iantpcO4NAuMjv_eKotyxuum-dle9ZIYQyp3dENVYBUKxdCisCQ7tbZF8au__yynAlOR-f71EoGZLn87MsZG3z1uWVMfa/s1600/2nd+Season+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oYaKRgvDVuZgbp87FWY9mNm-CtI4yyKD32Aa3RDxIii9P03iantpcO4NAuMjv_eKotyxuum-dle9ZIYQyp3dENVYBUKxdCisCQ7tbZF8au__yynAlOR-f71EoGZLn87MsZG3z1uWVMfa/s320/2nd+Season+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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full moon two nights ago ushered in wave after wave of cackling migrators to the
swamps now flushed with decaying aquatic vegetation. The lakes depths have
begun to turn over, and from the surface, now a thick fragrance of sweet gases
are released to drift inland on the northwest winds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
old wooden boat, a Barnegat style sneak craft, sits on the trailer in the
driveway, already hooked up and ready to depart at a moment’s notice. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
weather radio is crackling on top of the old cherry roll top desk and is
looping the NOAA forecast for 10-15 knot winds with temperatures dipping into
the thirties by noon. We know that this means the possibility that snow may bring
in more birds from across the border. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I
doze off on the couch under the painting of “Windswept Canvasbacks” by Jim
Killen, a prize won at a Ducks Unlimited banquet years ago. It seems like minutes
but when I look at the old wooden clock on the wall, it is 3:30am. As I rise
from my fitful slumber, pair of headlights sweep across the driveway. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">He’s
½ hour early again. My hunting partner, John Lesher, of Burlington is the kind
of guy you can trust with your life and is always at least ½ hour early for
anything to do with hunting or fishing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I
greet my old friend at the door, rain dripping off the eaves and bouncing off
of his signature waxed baseball cap. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“Forecast
looks good” he proclaims in his understated manner. “Ayuh” I answer in my best
Vermont accent. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“Ya’
ready?” “You bat you!” I reply stealing a line from one of our favorite outdoor
writers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">As
we roll out of the driveway, I spot the first flicker of white slop as it
smacks the windshield of my pickup. We will drive slowly to the access to avoid
side-slipping the trailer like I did once many years ago. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
arrive unscathed at the access and within minutes motors are choking to life
and the smell of outboard exhaust is blown away in the blustery wind.
Navigation lights give off a comforting yellow glow in the stern and the warm
green/red on the bow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
crouch down inside our blinds to escape the breeze and the spray of foamy waves
as we cross the bay to our hole in the woods at the confluence of two streams. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E3XUdegEP3MTr_Elm5IZGSGnShm8nfpf-wXqumMuvMd3RmFUCui6CZglRiTtfBIUhmuZReM-JySBhNbCeINSIVBMi1-ErT5wQAkbtSVWqFcdUre1ASmGu1caAsSf77eXGPRqNlv1Mhyk/s1600/2nd+Season+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E3XUdegEP3MTr_Elm5IZGSGnShm8nfpf-wXqumMuvMd3RmFUCui6CZglRiTtfBIUhmuZReM-JySBhNbCeINSIVBMi1-ErT5wQAkbtSVWqFcdUre1ASmGu1caAsSf77eXGPRqNlv1Mhyk/s320/2nd+Season+030.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Arriving
at the blind still in the dark, we are greeted by what seem to be hundreds of
roosting birds, which flush up into the murky sky in waves of raucous quacks
and squeals. We dismount from our boats and, breaking the silence which now
surrounds us, I grin and excitedly speak. “That was quite a show! Look at all
the feathers on the water!” “Ayuh” John replies, making me feel kind of silly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
climb into the blind and get his dog, Remi, onto the dog platform, surrounded
by his own little canine blind of cattails. After some french roast coffee with
cardamom, pepper and cinnamon, we stand in the darkness listening to the sound
of whistling wings all around us. We can hear teal ripping through the spread
of decoys and mallards moaning a raspy “Jeeessh” overhead. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">To
our east, the light begins to painstakingly seep through the heavy steel clouds.
“Three minutes to legal” John says. It amazes me how every true waterfowler can
tell you the exact time of ½ hour before sunrise on any given day during the
season. John is no exception. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
three minutes pass slowly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wt8L8R8ZZ3RV7gieuZu6DVnSvdCMpiHSki38vF4TTO_fjRA_t0E3JXHQMn0rL674e0hmOcw5hMBQmzTyupGu_Xa1Ryfrj40-m9xGUeaHKNVC3ptt4eD6ekTKNH-cSFRlQHLzQVEH2q_s/s1600/2nd+Season+-+Part+II+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wt8L8R8ZZ3RV7gieuZu6DVnSvdCMpiHSki38vF4TTO_fjRA_t0E3JXHQMn0rL674e0hmOcw5hMBQmzTyupGu_Xa1Ryfrj40-m9xGUeaHKNVC3ptt4eD6ekTKNH-cSFRlQHLzQVEH2q_s/s320/2nd+Season+-+Part+II+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“Birds
in the decoys” I whisper, as three late migrating teal swing spang in from the
south. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“Ready?
John asks. “Ayuh” I reply with a grin on my face. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
rise in unison and thus begin another day of revelry in the life of a
waterfowler.</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-56027313746490276142015-08-06T22:37:00.000-04:002015-08-06T22:37:06.034-04:00Summer's End<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backyard Bounty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The end
of August and the beginning of September mark the most colorful changes of
seasons. The fairs and Field Days have passed and families are languishing in
the last of summer’s freedom. Thedog days of August exhale the last breath of
summer heat and the evenings begin to soften withcooler breezes from the
northwest. Tomatoes ripen into bright reds and yellows. Peppers display the
heat of the summer sun and turn bright yellow, green and red. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Yet, the
changes in our backyards pale in comparison to the intensity of the woods and
waters. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Squirrels,
with their mouths chocked full of ripening acorns, can be heard chipping off
the husks in the canopy of oaks. In the distance, a thwap-bap-bap-bap-bap
echoes through the undergrowth as a partridge beats his wings against his
chest. I like to call them “partridge” even though they are technically Bonassus
Umbellus, or ruffed grouse. I do it just to irritate the gentry. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Families
of turkeys, with their poults running to keep up with the hens, dart across the
dirt road to the fields to dine on the late afternoon hatch of insects and
grubs. The poults are pint-sized and tawny brown, and are still learning the
ropes from the hens. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtBovquurPvBXE1oUIY-R_1jlTS7yrs_4juuNOMrHzbnUnl0tQczkcKq5jWqKDY6rlBLR1EYfaZH1-8jluE8n3g5ThVvFAEeh6okv7bcj1FikMc-mq9Kjg0ojOlcBQrYhbxKR2lz6LdMw/s1600/Stowe+Brookies+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtBovquurPvBXE1oUIY-R_1jlTS7yrs_4juuNOMrHzbnUnl0tQczkcKq5jWqKDY6rlBLR1EYfaZH1-8jluE8n3g5ThVvFAEeh6okv7bcj1FikMc-mq9Kjg0ojOlcBQrYhbxKR2lz6LdMw/s320/Stowe+Brookies+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colors of Fall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In the
mountain streams, the water temperatures begin to drop from a series of cool
evenings and the brook trout adapt their colors with extraordinarily bright
orange fins tipped in white, their flanks dotted in blue, red and green. They
are imitating nature’s beauty to stimulate their spawning run. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Against
the far edge of a field, sitting like a Buddha on her haunches, a black bear
munches on blackberries while her cubs roll in the second cut hayfield. They
bat at one another, mock fighting and wrestling as if their summer would never
end. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Whitetail
deer tip toe out to shaded openings on the edge of another field, testing the
moist grasses as the sun sets over the Adirondacks. A doe and her now mature
fawns flick their tails from side to side, asking if it is okay to step out
into the field a bit further. They look back over their shoulders at something
still in the trees. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As the
last glimmer of sunlight slips below the tree line, he steps out. His head his
high and his ears are twitching. He lifts his nose into the air and breathes in
deeply. The fragrance of ripe apples tantalizes him and he stretches his neck
further forward. As he does, the last glint of sunlight caches his tines. They
glow a polished russet brown. Eight distinct branches rise off of his main beam.
The two brow tines in the center are at least eight inches high. The symmetry
of the rack is punctuated only by the width of the spread. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He is
the dominant buck in this area. There are two others that step out behind him
with beautiful but lesser racks. They will hope to overthrow the monarch before
breeding season. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Fade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As the
light begins to fade a distant honking grows louder and in just a few seconds
big Canada geese are flying over at treetop height, wings cupped and heads
craning from side to side, scanning the bay for a landing zone on the leeward
side of the breakwater. Feet down and moaning, they pitch into the bay to roost
for the night. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
light continues to filter into a helio horizon and finally fades into the murky
mountains to the west. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8WVEAl3yw009-XmeXqUR39HdXHYfNEZgDRfuG-ZXm9tXDAsFoZnqyPodbxIeqdIC3d0M6QGgey5zS74xrH7S8umZr_LKnUhmPbHua6a60QllgqLimZ0W6uE3wCYanFN_ENzFk8cNh44K/s1600/Resident+Goose+Season+2013+099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8WVEAl3yw009-XmeXqUR39HdXHYfNEZgDRfuG-ZXm9tXDAsFoZnqyPodbxIeqdIC3d0M6QGgey5zS74xrH7S8umZr_LKnUhmPbHua6a60QllgqLimZ0W6uE3wCYanFN_ENzFk8cNh44K/s320/Resident+Goose+Season+2013+099.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening Morning</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">September
1 is the Opening Day of Resident Canada Goose season. Lest anyone not
understand the proliferation of these majestic fowl, the VT Fish and Wildlife,
in an attempt to manage the overpopulation of these birds, have chosen to open
the season before Labor Day and increase the bag limit from five birds per day
to eight per day for 25 days. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">No
hunter ever expects to be able to hunt all 25 days, and it is a rarity that a
few can actually shoot a limit of birds on any day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Ethical
hunters will appreciate this and honor the animal by taking only what they can
use to sustain and nurture their family and friends. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If
you’re lucky, and you happen to be at Spear’s Store in East Charlotte after a
successful hunt, you may be able to try our tamari marinated smoked goose
breast. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8WVEAl3yw009-XmeXqUR39HdXHYfNEZgDRfuG-ZXm9tXDAsFoZnqyPodbxIeqdIC3d0M6QGgey5zS74xrH7S8umZr_LKnUhmPbHua6a60QllgqLimZ0W6uE3wCYanFN_ENzFk8cNh44K/s1600/Resident+Goose+Season+2013+099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A
hunters’ cheer to all! Autumn’s bounty has arrived!</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-52220185456862100472015-05-26T22:37:00.000-04:002015-05-26T22:37:45.231-04:00Piscatorial Presence<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A well
known outdoor writer whom I idolize, Gordon MacQuarrie, once titled one of his
stories “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Now in June.</u></i>” I think
of this line every year when June rolls around because there is so much to do. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Mr. MacQuarrie gives eloquent discourse on the dilemma of house chores like
screen windows needing washing, gardens needing tilling, lawns needing mowing,
etc. But the story starts when the depths of the lake are calling to his
outdoor soul.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bass are
coming off of their spawning beds and striking viciously and trout and salmon
are at their true fighting weight. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I often
spend my mornings on the lake with my friend, Chris Thayer, and his UVM school
chum, Jimmy Groves from Manchester. We meet in the pre-dawn darkness and
trailer his boat to the Converse Bay access, then launch as the pale green and
blue dawn begins to crest Pease Mountain. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRP2boBmpEuui2fgDq0LrQq4YbW0fOw2XEZuhZVFZ_JXgPAjMdYFX9M7osAPEUwvAsDaMfK8_l576oUtEJXPqvnQm9VOxmSnyw7VjbYw4ezUm-D1OhWQyKUXQGdyTaSMsXlNEIs04ddh52/s1600/Salmon+%2526+Fiddleheads+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRP2boBmpEuui2fgDq0LrQq4YbW0fOw2XEZuhZVFZ_JXgPAjMdYFX9M7osAPEUwvAsDaMfK8_l576oUtEJXPqvnQm9VOxmSnyw7VjbYw4ezUm-D1OhWQyKUXQGdyTaSMsXlNEIs04ddh52/s320/Salmon+%2526+Fiddleheads+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The wake of the boat throws spray
into the sunlight and forms rainbows over the gunwhales. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Heading
toward Split Rock we careen across the glass surface, the wind rushing through
our hair. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Arriving
at Split Rock, Chris rapidly throttles down and the boat’s bow plows into the
surface. We attach lures with funny names that only a lake fishermen could
appreciate. Names like “Sausage and Gravy”, “Michael Jackson”, and “Cop Car.”
We lower the downriggers to 14’, then attach cheaters that will follow the arc
of the line to the center and wiggle back and forth like a crippled smelt six
feet behind the bowed line.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cKi0DyqMkCxnyP-zLv0Cx6z_ve-poBA9IbPxkoLQvVE5oPOnMNWQw9idf3vMLXY9K37OV5cL1jdxSW2MuYWBjLxlXWs2NVi5RKF_kNKVrWloUl6VhEKVOR9w9gXEDcajGollpJqsLdzN/s1600/Derby+Days+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cKi0DyqMkCxnyP-zLv0Cx6z_ve-poBA9IbPxkoLQvVE5oPOnMNWQw9idf3vMLXY9K37OV5cL1jdxSW2MuYWBjLxlXWs2NVi5RKF_kNKVrWloUl6VhEKVOR9w9gXEDcajGollpJqsLdzN/s320/Derby+Days+003.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Jimmy is
at the wheel and adjusts the speed to a palatable 2.6 mph. The motor hums
quietly and we go about pouring the first coffee of the day. The sun is rising
over the mountain now and painting a swath of gold across the lake like a wide
paintbrush on a textured canvas. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We are
lost in reverie when one of the rods springs up toward the blue sky. “Fish On!”
we all yell at the same time. Who’s up? We haven’t settled that yet! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Chris grabs
the rod and sets the hook. The fish rockets out of the water 80’ behind the
boat. Its silvery skin glistens in the sunlight. It is clearly two feet above
the surface and giving us a show. “Did you see that?” I shout. “That’s a nice
salmon!” Jimmy belts out.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Chris
hands the rod off to Jimmy to fight the beautiful salmonid. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He jumps
again and Jimmy bows to the fish, loosening the taught line that connects the
two. The bow is a technical piece of fishermenship that allows the fish to
thrust itself from side to side without ripping the lure out of his mouth. To
me, the bow is an act of respect for this prized piscatorial presence.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He jumps
twice more and makes several runs which cause the reel to whine, like when we used
to put straws inside the spokes of our bicycle wheels. The faster the wheel
spins the louder the whine. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After a
long three minute battle the fish tires and comes to the stern. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Chris
deftly slides the net under him and Jimmy lifts the rod to accommodate.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Soon the
fish is in the boat and we are admiring its massive size.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“He’ll
go eight pounds I bet!” says Jimmy as he holds the fish for a picture. “This
here is a Derby Dog for sure! Let’s run him to the weigh station quick!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Later that
day, we learn that the 7.98 pound salmon brings in enough points to take a
fourth place finish in the Rotary Derby and pays out a nice prize. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Now let
me tell you about the one that got away!</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-32259796399539867192015-04-03T11:37:00.001-04:002015-04-03T11:37:06.487-04:00Sacred Rainbows - The Holy Grail of Spring<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Wanna’
know what a real Vermonter does in April? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Most of
us, with the exception of my 9<sup>th</sup> generation Vermonter wife, Katie
Carleton, come here from somewhere else. When I first arrived in Vermont in
1975 I knew that my heart had found its home. I felt a sense of belonging like
I had never felt before. I was a skier and had done a little hunting back in
Pennsylvania. But once the snow melted, what comes next? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Two
pronounced characteristics of a real Vermonter are that they celebrate sugaring
season and the holy grail of spring, Opening Day of Trout Season. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Granted
this year we are joking about having to use an auger to get through all the
ice, but seriously, there are streams with open water that hold hungry rainbows
and browns that have held over throughout the frigid months of winter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It’s
been a couple of years since my dear friend, Sara Blum, of Shelburne and I have had
the opportunity to fish together. But this year I am making a public pledge to
get her on the water. Sara started fly fishing just a few years ago, and like
many who try this sport, she struggled with the amount of information and technique
needed to actually land a trout. Sara is a tenacious business owner (she owns
Acorn Marketing which stresses the competitive advantage of highly focused
public relations) and as such, she is remarkably adept at learning new means to
an end.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtWTd9wIVUE2GI-MAH2uVZ9XNNRw5hQFvjf3mKxua8jbz_AjIXba3Zr7hKOfgqWMk_Qucu0I7B5HT1b65rrR1V-OdXRsfnBzdVAHmJri8XJ4YSgJuc_kmgROqswegClK2p_vUf8ObPJ4D/s1600/Random+155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtWTd9wIVUE2GI-MAH2uVZ9XNNRw5hQFvjf3mKxua8jbz_AjIXba3Zr7hKOfgqWMk_Qucu0I7B5HT1b65rrR1V-OdXRsfnBzdVAHmJri8XJ4YSgJuc_kmgROqswegClK2p_vUf8ObPJ4D/s1600/Random+155.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">On a
gorgeous spring day we ventured to the Winooski River to wet our lines and
enjoy the dappled sun on the riffles of a feeder stream while throwing colorful
iridescent flies into the tail outs of the rippling water.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Fly
fishing is more Zen than any sport I know. Listening to the fly line swish by
over your head and standing in the current makes one feel as though he or she
is a part of a magnificent world. The water and the sky absorb your spirit and
soon you find that your mind is at peace with the present. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I was
watching Sara as she practiced her back cast and lay down finish. It was a
moment of sheer joy to be watching someone learning. I drifted back 46 years to
my first fly fishing expedition and recognized that the intense concentration for
achieving the perfect four part cast had evolved into a lifelong passion. After
numerous false casts, Sara released her forward cast and laid the 6 weight line
down on the water in a straight line about 20 yards out and just in the end of
the riffles.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
watched her breathe a sigh of relief having accomplished what she had been
longing to do.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As she
relaxed and reveled in her success, it happened.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Smack! A
nice rainbow trout surfaced and hit the elk hair caddis with abandon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The reel
began to scream, ticking off the gears of the internal mechanics, and literally
singing as the fish made a run downstream.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Raise
your rod!” I yelled. “And if he jumps bow down to him!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And jump
he did. The feisty rainbow threw himself a foot into the air, sparkling in the
bright spring sun. His colors flashed pink and green in the sunlight. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Did you
see that?” I whooped as I walked over to her to coach her on bringing him in. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Wow! That
was fantastic!” Sara replied. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
watched as she played the fish until he was tired enough to bring in to the
gravel bar we were standing on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sara
knelt down, partly in reverence and partly in awe at the glorious being. A
smile came over her face that shone brighter than the sun above her head. Together,
we were experiencing the present as it is meant to be – a gift – a present -
from the Great Spirit. She said goodbye to the piscatorial deity and released
him back into the gurgling water.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If you have
ever wanted to experience this kind of connection, please feel free to contact
me and I will be glad to assist you in finding your own piece of Zen in the
outdoors.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9VTQHSjLCwYPnZJMBqicBnW3y3ohOfUE2CU4COjVGAGHmxtkLLbVnsBxIIBf34Ir2jOQIKYAgnGciZaqCGL_oXA6EBk83SXE7g5cO-ksVW44R9NX6EKVBVOJV2hzHpFFu66f1N1SYxzN/s1600/Random+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9VTQHSjLCwYPnZJMBqicBnW3y3ohOfUE2CU4COjVGAGHmxtkLLbVnsBxIIBf34Ir2jOQIKYAgnGciZaqCGL_oXA6EBk83SXE7g5cO-ksVW44R9NX6EKVBVOJV2hzHpFFu66f1N1SYxzN/s1600/Random+025.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtWTd9wIVUE2GI-MAH2uVZ9XNNRw5hQFvjf3mKxua8jbz_AjIXba3Zr7hKOfgqWMk_Qucu0I7B5HT1b65rrR1V-OdXRsfnBzdVAHmJri8XJ4YSgJuc_kmgROqswegClK2p_vUf8ObPJ4D/s1600/Random+155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<br />
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-22801959731531162382014-09-30T08:15:00.000-04:002014-09-30T08:18:51.581-04:00Connection Alone is Success<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGmtmaah2WsuD2-qHReDkOnvLUd_d4Cpmr8WGBPZfcVeaoKcdXF-uolXSFruUHjy7SnP7jIOazxCx6dOzSLEhCifYGMXyEcfPw-JPnjPwOQ2j6X1BV-vwe0gq7E7qgmfaRmSHs2rT-9Z7/s1600/Missisquoi+Oct+2013+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGmtmaah2WsuD2-qHReDkOnvLUd_d4Cpmr8WGBPZfcVeaoKcdXF-uolXSFruUHjy7SnP7jIOazxCx6dOzSLEhCifYGMXyEcfPw-JPnjPwOQ2j6X1BV-vwe0gq7E7qgmfaRmSHs2rT-9Z7/s1600/Missisquoi+Oct+2013+021.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glory and Wonder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As I sit
in my treestand, 20 feet above the ground in a mature maple, I am in awe of the
beauty around me. The light filters through the gold and red canopy above me
spilling onto the musky forest floor. It feels like I am in a cathedral. I am sitting
here practicing being still and mindful only of my surroundings, but I am
overcome with gratitude and wonder. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I begin to think ancient thoughts. Thoughts
about how mankind has connected to nature and how in the beginning man learned
everything he needed to know from animals. He learned to make calls imitating
birds, and studied the movements and patterns of four leggeds. He learned to
hunt by watching larger carnivorous animals. And ultimately, he learned that he
needed them to survive. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLD7KsIQIIQawNkVAjPbV3Gz_ZFU02TeMVmNMr8xO1O2L1qGbnIhMSK11rbw_dnKFyerT1cjTiEbSYWwozSSsERZ7Krko7trW5NU-NT5Mb6q82NwHMPrljroXuzKihwVqraKaxGsLg7tJg/s1600/Missisquoi+Oct+2013+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLD7KsIQIIQawNkVAjPbV3Gz_ZFU02TeMVmNMr8xO1O2L1qGbnIhMSK11rbw_dnKFyerT1cjTiEbSYWwozSSsERZ7Krko7trW5NU-NT5Mb6q82NwHMPrljroXuzKihwVqraKaxGsLg7tJg/s1600/Missisquoi+Oct+2013+013.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This
need translated to a closer connection. In order to eat, he had to understand
the animals or plants that he could use to nurture himself, and often times
learned from experience which organisms could make him sick or kill him, either
with tooth and fang, or simply through his stomach. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span id="goog_190859142"></span><span id="goog_190859143"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
hypothesize that primitive man was in some way “grateful” for his successful
hunt, although he probably didn’t sit around and pray about it. He just felt
it. Food is good. I need food to survive. Therefore I need animals and plants
so they become important to me. I rely on them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As I am pondering
these possibilities I drift into my own analysis of why I hunt now, when it
would be so much easier to go to the grocery store and purchase the vegetables
and meat I need. But do I feel any connection to this food? Am I grateful for
it? I may be grateful that I have enough money for the purchase, but am I
grateful for the animal or plant? Have I studied its habitat and patterns? Do I
honor and respect its life? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyIXVgvgntaewzPXG5tICntHiaD2uPQeylrQQBz2kKwWf4Z00-h9u713duK6eTSvFZ0Lyl84LCn0jh6oMl4EeXbAJTIOdWGIFn7681wihw14YV3HftXYmjP1SUqQKu2fZeK0kSRSvocax/s1600/Archery+2013+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyIXVgvgntaewzPXG5tICntHiaD2uPQeylrQQBz2kKwWf4Z00-h9u713duK6eTSvFZ0Lyl84LCn0jh6oMl4EeXbAJTIOdWGIFn7681wihw14YV3HftXYmjP1SUqQKu2fZeK0kSRSvocax/s1600/Archery+2013+049.JPG" height="258" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why Do I Hunt?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When I
hunt, I feel love. Love for the woods. Love for the breeze. Love for the sunset
and the trees. Love for the sound of the geese flying high overhead. Love for
the animal I am seeking. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I am
filled with an appreciation of all that surrounds me and for who I am as a part
of it. I am both insignificant and valuable at the same time. My value is no
greater than and no lesser than the animals, the plants and the sun that warms
my face. I am at one with my universe. It is then that the universe rewards me
with what I need. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A doe
steps into the open space beneath my stand. She looks over her shoulder with a
maternal glance. Following her is a smallish fawn, no doubt delivered late in
the spring. The fawn follows its mother directly under my tree. I watch in
utter amazement as they work their way past my ladder. I am invisible. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">They
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">They wander off behind my stand and I say a prayer of thanks
to the Great Spirit for their visit. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">At the
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something I cannot see. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A twig snaps. My heart races. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
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the ditch leading to the field, I catch a glimpse of motion. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Brown
motion. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Then suddenly a stomp and a loud blowing sound. The wind has switched
direction and this animal, this deer, smells something that is unfamiliar in
these woods. Behind an old oak, I see a head lift and the sun glints off of a
set of gorgeous antlers. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Another
stomp and blow. The buck is looking right at my tree. He is out of range for my
bow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He lifts
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locked on one another. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I wait. Measured
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I can
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Suddenly,
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVw8n6mjGo8UHZtYlcd_w_AOQFqgujzBQZRSYCPDCXqyEDS_x43-CJtVoM8nG-nXOPryKEHVnV1jJ1PtH16EJyVx7hHJ0sZgv0XCDptpdP3a6lKQxEntH_QBjZy7x3kH7YPIz5M0APlTY/s1600/Resident+Opener+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVw8n6mjGo8UHZtYlcd_w_AOQFqgujzBQZRSYCPDCXqyEDS_x43-CJtVoM8nG-nXOPryKEHVnV1jJ1PtH16EJyVx7hHJ0sZgv0XCDptpdP3a6lKQxEntH_QBjZy7x3kH7YPIz5M0APlTY/s1600/Resident+Opener+015.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gratitude</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The sun
sets and the birds get quiet. I sit down in my seat and take a deep breath. I
say out loud “Thank you Great Spirit for my brother’s visit.” I have received a
gift of beauty and wonder this evening that will remain as a memory for the
rest of my life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And I am grateful.</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-34114054445063361522014-08-29T10:25:00.001-04:002014-08-29T14:00:25.127-04:00Summer's End - Fall's Beginning<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-gVVb-8EiVTH1kzz0KpTrptwygPOGR10se1QJiimmmD6TqCecV-zgeMQQPzVJcMS1ChfZt6t9tFQC84ZuJV7nbEKQaIYPd89LQcByeP6YHESUf1bcWsH_e73RL5C9EspBxwiSPV6RLf0/s1600/Cnv0004+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-gVVb-8EiVTH1kzz0KpTrptwygPOGR10se1QJiimmmD6TqCecV-zgeMQQPzVJcMS1ChfZt6t9tFQC84ZuJV7nbEKQaIYPd89LQcByeP6YHESUf1bcWsH_e73RL5C9EspBxwiSPV6RLf0/s1600/Cnv0004+-+Copy.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harvest Moon</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For many
waterfowlers that first brisk Northern breeze that sweeps the pungent fragrance
of the lake depths through the valley, means it is time to prepare for resident
Canada goose season. While the public basks in the last few days of summer and
revels in the glory of Labor Day weekend, goose hunters are preparing for
Opening Day. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Field bags are packed; decoys are set out
in out fields, their deceptive motion swaying with the slightest wisp of air. Layout blinds are prepared by
picking wheat and clover off the ground and stuffing it into the stubble straps
of the nylon blinds, which sit on the dewy ground. It takes more than
an hour and a half to properly grass the blinds and crawl into the
coffin-shaped boxes. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_40748635"></span><span id="goog_40748636"></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIGSUCKzow99bCYR3VfK_tQyHW8kLc44FREw3nAX2Wa3EUrd6-f5uAMEzSkLqJRV5rbO-KsQyrF_YbYj8-jOLlUCwIALVun3jBgSCO_EWRv3xs3aAfhQnOGZVYqw4sHEPLYfg3fZ6oiVB/s1600/Resident+Goose+Season+2013+100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIGSUCKzow99bCYR3VfK_tQyHW8kLc44FREw3nAX2Wa3EUrd6-f5uAMEzSkLqJRV5rbO-KsQyrF_YbYj8-jOLlUCwIALVun3jBgSCO_EWRv3xs3aAfhQnOGZVYqw4sHEPLYfg3fZ6oiVB/s1600/Resident+Goose+Season+2013+100.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dawn of Fall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As the
first rays of sunlight melt over the mountains, the sky lights up in salmon and
helio, outlined by soothing sage. There is not a cloud in the sky and the sweet
smelling northwest wind bodes well for our crew of anxious fowlers. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We are
sharing our traditional cup of coffee and donuts when it happens. Far out on
the bay, the echo careens off of the rocky beach. Her-onk! The breakfast flock
is awakening.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfZFPNgFkM2Jx65QUped5_MOhVa0oXGy3RV7pBFMv-v_xFwS6uJMIultlP8_BE20jR9idR4dFOVwFPqAYDFk5e27Yxnw8jPyJmYp0legzheaEsC_QKUd4CCdHlX8FRpQ_GkK7qiqzRi2e/s1600/Cnv0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfZFPNgFkM2Jx65QUped5_MOhVa0oXGy3RV7pBFMv-v_xFwS6uJMIultlP8_BE20jR9idR4dFOVwFPqAYDFk5e27Yxnw8jPyJmYp0legzheaEsC_QKUd4CCdHlX8FRpQ_GkK7qiqzRi2e/s1600/Cnv0005.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First call</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We
return the call with a simple cluck and leave the rest to the imagination.
Sometimes the best call is the one that leaves curiosity in the mind of the conversationalist.
We wait.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Soon,
another muffled, yet intriguing honk comes from the bay. We answer back with a
curt hail call. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">That gets the ball rolling! Now we are in an aggressive
dialogue about how wonderfully tasty the wheat is this morning. Within minutes
we can hear the entire flock begin to debate about when to leave the roost.
Juvenile voices say “now!” while the more guttural adult tones profess
“patience.” It’s like listening to a family on Christmas morning.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUq7r9fLbg9inuseOFUL216mimgAFa1qm28cQiZXQ2nw06BBzaQEnxVU-hNixm8QlsPuS4m4PgI8FmKzTodaBpmjCZ6RqWyOdeFCw_rVaYvyO1nl8zL1V8QOuk-ir-7qVPMwh7uf_GAyT/s1600/Hunting+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUq7r9fLbg9inuseOFUL216mimgAFa1qm28cQiZXQ2nw06BBzaQEnxVU-hNixm8QlsPuS4m4PgI8FmKzTodaBpmjCZ6RqWyOdeFCw_rVaYvyO1nl8zL1V8QOuk-ir-7qVPMwh7uf_GAyT/s1600/Hunting+039.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All Set</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Twenty
minutes pass. We are all silent in the field, when one of our band of brothers
calls out “Two from behind! Right over the trees! And Silent!” “Get down!” I
counter. Blind doors snap shut and we all disappear in stalks of wheat and sheaths
of clover. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">These
are the scouts.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyiyojXNBHARKp1VqAvA9qQhYPgrd3B_h9PmHzPwAi6lmDIPT89HMq18IHDKcg7rY3n7drOLjnCnZ6Gd7yzlS9DWpkdPsBOWeb5bC3GrXKGx-oPqdO8Difmrl3lZ_kkP4vxYFXoy1bCX4/s1600/Cnv0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyiyojXNBHARKp1VqAvA9qQhYPgrd3B_h9PmHzPwAi6lmDIPT89HMq18IHDKcg7rY3n7drOLjnCnZ6Gd7yzlS9DWpkdPsBOWeb5bC3GrXKGx-oPqdO8Difmrl3lZ_kkP4vxYFXoy1bCX4/s1600/Cnv0006.jpg" height="255" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patience</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We let
them circle the spread and do not call or move. They examine us closely, then
slide gently back out over the water and land in the center of the bay,
clucking to the flock of 300 birds. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
question comes up every year. Should we have shot when they were hanging over
the decoys? My answer has always been “no.” Let them take the news to the flock
that the field is full of geese and there do not appear to be any predators. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Ten long minutes pass. Our hearts are beating wildly, hoping that we made the right
choice. And then it begins.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We hear
the wing beats flapping against the water as the family pods begin to peel off
of the flock. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Within moments, the sky is alive with honking, as powerful wing
pinions flail at the air. They are arriving in flocks of 10 – 20 birds at a
time. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The first flock to lower altitude swings from right to left across the
spread then turns away to the South. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A single bird back pedals and drops his
dark black boots to land in the decoys. “Let ‘em land!” I whisper. When the
second flock sees the single bird on the ground, he calls to them. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKEXXeHtOfI9u8Hbxl0Da-NJCYtTwz2PSIOMUu3xOi1qS639Lloqp7ud7P6TT4Bxi9KINzxXdEUXI0rDoUnArK4oFdwVienVCu_9VXyGr_Mx6_MMwFvzbTTsUGnR7UaNcfnjdtPGrjQC6/s1600/Resident+Goose+Season+2013+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKEXXeHtOfI9u8Hbxl0Da-NJCYtTwz2PSIOMUu3xOi1qS639Lloqp7ud7P6TT4Bxi9KINzxXdEUXI0rDoUnArK4oFdwVienVCu_9VXyGr_Mx6_MMwFvzbTTsUGnR7UaNcfnjdtPGrjQC6/s1600/Resident+Goose+Season+2013+072.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Bird</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">They cup
their mighty wings in an arc, the shape of which is emblazoned in waterfowlers’
memories for generations. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As they glide in to finish their landing, feet
outstretched, necks craning, I wish that I could freeze this moment in time and
somehow convey to all those who do not hunt what a magnificent spectacle we get
to witness. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Some
call the Canada goose a nuisance because it fouls their lawns and golf courses.
I prefer to think of them as majestic brethren seeking a connection to us.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxwtmvcxg5CLz9dkhTBdOckzoKYjUWOjNaEhyphenhyphenDQT2nK5jDOvZj2AQc3_fnOJ86lbc2GMK3jvc_evLNL9iEUgEhnx6AKO6TbwckYTBo-ZsNHk7gimRsNznMus0G3FY1MrQIQzXMGeNfY01/s1600/Cnv0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxwtmvcxg5CLz9dkhTBdOckzoKYjUWOjNaEhyphenhyphenDQT2nK5jDOvZj2AQc3_fnOJ86lbc2GMK3jvc_evLNL9iEUgEhnx6AKO6TbwckYTBo-ZsNHk7gimRsNznMus0G3FY1MrQIQzXMGeNfY01/s1600/Cnv0012.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smile of Success</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<br />BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-40061073583383318172014-06-23T10:53:00.000-04:002014-06-23T10:53:25.666-04:00Summer Camp<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">July.
The days are warm and full of activity. Gardens are beginning to show fruit and
the black caps are growing juicy on the vine. The days are full of flowers and lying
in the hammock between the two old trees. The chickens run happily around the
yard chasing butterflies and scratching for worms in the dry dirt. The
mountains seem to fade into a shimmering purple haze of heat. Streams are
gurgling merrily along. Insects store their energy during the heat of the day
and emerge in the cool evening. Rainbow trout rise lazily to the hatch beneath
the riffles of the dams, breathing in the life-affirming oxygen. For humans,
the heat begins to drive us to the shade of the woods. It’s going to be a long
hot summer and the mountains are calling me. My wife, Katie, my sister, Callie
from CT, and I pack a picnic lunch and load the truck with bottles of water and
snacks. As so many Vermonters do, we are heading for <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxQJTRb7snbw-8_IXzI5X4Lqf9vLIEjfAcLR74YbBsREKhiYpB97vtweTW6V5EovAx3w5sjJG4VhXilXw1rNrvM786OMnV8H1kj1BOnMtY1hGtLWi_Ua2LicVkqy0WmrsRHsFzAKb3p9K/s1600/IMG_0664+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxQJTRb7snbw-8_IXzI5X4Lqf9vLIEjfAcLR74YbBsREKhiYpB97vtweTW6V5EovAx3w5sjJG4VhXilXw1rNrvM786OMnV8H1kj1BOnMtY1hGtLWi_Ua2LicVkqy0WmrsRHsFzAKb3p9K/s1600/IMG_0664+%25282%2529.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing Fancy</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
the respite of camp. The
nice thing about camps is that it really doesn’t matter whether your camp is a
spacious monument on a stone wall overlooking the lake or if it’s something
simple tucked off in the woods away from the maddening crowds. It’s a getaway. It’s
a place where the mundane rules of everyday etiquette relax a bit. It’s okay to
not make your bed. It’s okay to wake up a little later and eat a hearty
breakfast at 10:00. The days are unrushed. Our little camp is humble – heck
some people might think it’s a paragon of poverty – but to us and the people we
invite, it’s a slice of heaven.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As the
truck pitches from side to side going up the old logging road we sing along to
the radio and it feels like we are in a time machine going backwards to a
simpler period in human life. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-q0UuZe2GJLILYFhVZmpwTrrNS6rvucZFQbxiYIqUe7j_PGax2jtkxGO-f_dlXR6rttPLNsAzfThGgardGpAQUzTzDlhQqi7vvge_Bqj1_iYgzmCyKSCTNzp2JM7_RB7BMSoHFWviDet/s1600/Deer+Camp+110313+062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-q0UuZe2GJLILYFhVZmpwTrrNS6rvucZFQbxiYIqUe7j_PGax2jtkxGO-f_dlXR6rttPLNsAzfThGgardGpAQUzTzDlhQqi7vvge_Bqj1_iYgzmCyKSCTNzp2JM7_RB7BMSoHFWviDet/s1600/Deer+Camp+110313+062.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Old Defiant Stove</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We pull up to the deck and check the water
system, which is extracted from the bubbling brook. It fills an old bathtub
with ice cold mountain spring water. Once hooked up, the same wonderful aqueous
substance flows directly into the kitchen sink.Two large recliners and a fold
down couch surround the old Defiant woodstove with a touch of rust on the
surface.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After a
cool drink of water, our friends begin to arrive. One by one, big wheeled
trucks roll up into the parking area. Coolers of food and beverages are
unloaded and bottles are placed in the bathtub where they will remain slightly
above freezing. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After
everyone unpacks, we collectively decide to hike to the top of Crow Hill for a
view of the valley. The ascent is steep and full of loose rocks. Arriving at
the top we are literally clinging to small pines to pull ourselves up to the
next level. The short pines are thick and the ground is covered in spongy moss,
its musky fragrance blending with the aromatic balsam and permeating the air
around us. We are sweat soaked and our knees are shaking. Another 100 yards to
the rock outcropping. </span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDx9AChDF35KW8uy9KrjOekXUX2TKF1iArCwDa9mNPTxUuTL2H6TFmEuX3zDeccMw9PhUi4P8XO_rWOclisCDWTdZkTczieZJrsuswkJIoKyvPP-wUumBGcf5DhrJFy7u7MANQ9wMeOy-b/s1600/Resident+Goose+Season+2013+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDx9AChDF35KW8uy9KrjOekXUX2TKF1iArCwDa9mNPTxUuTL2H6TFmEuX3zDeccMw9PhUi4P8XO_rWOclisCDWTdZkTczieZJrsuswkJIoKyvPP-wUumBGcf5DhrJFy7u7MANQ9wMeOy-b/s1600/Resident+Goose+Season+2013+116.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacred Beauty</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We
follow a deer trail right to the spot. Suddenly, the trees part and we are
standing on a large shelf of rock, looking down on the Champlain Valley that
seems to wave like a mirage in the heat. Beyond, we can see the lake shimmering
in the mid day sun. The Adirondacks seem to reach up into the azure sky,
blending in bluish-purple with the distant horizon. As far as the eye can see,
there is beauty.</span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sacred
beauty that cannot be touched by development.<span>
</span>For this, we </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">can all give thanks. For this is solace for a world gone
mad with busyness. As we stand on the precipice, time seems to stand still and
we are all united in our mindfulness that this ground is sacred.</span><br />
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-84982167298657503002014-04-18T11:45:00.003-04:002014-04-18T11:45:53.296-04:00Long Live The King!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmQu02kCwsnYBucNe6K7AN7H_htDAH3GqYjbpJz3vazGPUknjPGB-s2qjyKoQkF-w5rwuUrtlCsPEmoeamZihbfmBczfQ4-P5KHKct5u29YOoPgKNtJ8iM9NsGU8zhuRLaN1iJGQuN7NZ/s1600/Random+014.JPG" height="200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fiddleheads!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmQu02kCwsnYBucNe6K7AN7H_htDAH3GqYjbpJz3vazGPUknjPGB-s2qjyKoQkF-w5rwuUrtlCsPEmoeamZihbfmBczfQ4-P5KHKct5u29YOoPgKNtJ8iM9NsGU8zhuRLaN1iJGQuN7NZ/s1600/Random+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Now that
the ice has receded to the bowels of the lakes and ponds, the sun warms
us just a little more each day. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span id="goog_1569334462"></span><span id="goog_1569334463"></span>Fiddlehead ferns pop up near small gurgling brooks. </span></span>In the woods, trilliums begin to peek up
between the still brown detritus left on the soles of winter’s shoes. Dandelions poke their courageous heads out from under the newly green carpet in the fields. Robins sing their magical melodies, convincing the cold wrapped buds
of the maples to open. Majestic pillars of light pour through the canopy of trees turning the woods into a tabernacle of deific proportions.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hLF_a9B35fcy4pgnRhI-8jF44_VN0PoFRXFaqe1woLm2rNEauIuqgFDX3luAG7HKSJ5BHxK6CUvpb7vyD4esROJDKbBfbt8hEo2n97B-DooHGFUzQh-UMGVGVZ6w1dCid7xQiuhXvh9K/s1600/Random+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hLF_a9B35fcy4pgnRhI-8jF44_VN0PoFRXFaqe1woLm2rNEauIuqgFDX3luAG7HKSJ5BHxK6CUvpb7vyD4esROJDKbBfbt8hEo2n97B-DooHGFUzQh-UMGVGVZ6w1dCid7xQiuhXvh9K/s1600/Random+016.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sacred Wilds</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">I feel as if I should kneel and pray in this sacred place. A chorus of birdsong blesses me with trills, chirps, peeps and melodic patterns. In the distance one song rings out loudly above the others, one which fires my imagination and instincts of my primordial
self; the dawn thunder of the tom turkey still on his roost.
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">His
chest inflated and his waddles fire red, his dewlap dangles over his beak like
a ragged flag of glory from fights past. He thrusts forward on his branch and roars at the
top of his lungs, shocking the world around him and demanding that they bow and recognize that the
King is now awake.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">100
yards away I sit at the base of a pine tree, covered in 3-D camouflage. I can
smell the forest floor’s musky scent. Pine sap is stuck on my index finger as I
check the safety of my shotgun. I shoulder my gun resting the fore end on my
knee. I know that soon His Majesty will fly down from his perch and waddle down the path to his strutting
zone to begin his daily mating ritual amongst the ladies of his
court. My heart beats wildly as I hear him gobbling to his flock. He is walking down the path toward me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A large hen appears and veers off to my left behind a row of
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XJAeMIOiYnxYyoiy4blL__ia5rSMlKlHFSezTfKmdRdFIDSRK5HaE9mstGlg1JFH4TUuY9hbRbWfj9enA4WnFq31CNTsgmstSKYZ_LAeV6WzkvPpih6f3dMv3yZFz-oXFJiF9ODgyqEE/s1600/September+2013+086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XJAeMIOiYnxYyoiy4blL__ia5rSMlKlHFSezTfKmdRdFIDSRK5HaE9mstGlg1JFH4TUuY9hbRbWfj9enA4WnFq31CNTsgmstSKYZ_LAeV6WzkvPpih6f3dMv3yZFz-oXFJiF9ODgyqEE/s1600/September+2013+086.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Waiting Place</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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forsythias. My heart sinks. “What if he follows her?” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Another
hen appears and circles the hummock in front of me, then disappears to my
right. She putts curiously, then settles into her contented purring sound, feeding on
grubs. I’ve got one bird on my right and one on my left. “This is good” I
think to myself. I am surrounded by real hens and all I have to do is
convince the King that I am the concubine he has always desired. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I cluck
tentatively, then gently purr a sweet satisfied trill, seducing the monarch toward me. He gobbles back vociferously. He is on his way. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Moments
later he appears 70 yards distant, behind a downed pine tree. He struts back
and forth displaying his imperial fan for all his subjects to see. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I sit
still, the white bead at the end of my barrel on his majestic head, waiting for a
closer shot. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears, drumming as if my tympanic
membrane is going to shatter. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He walks around the pine and strolls powerfully
toward me. His eyes are burning a hole in my camouflage. I breathe through my
nose, slowly, deeply, expanding my diaphragm to center myself.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He is
now 25 yards away. I am feeling his breath in unison
with my own. His chest expands and mine does the same in perfect time with his. I
avert his gaze as he stares at me. He knows I am here and every fiber of my
being is intertwined with his. We are one.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After a
long prayer of thanks and forgiveness, we walk home together.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwi0WhvOmZp5m-t36XUcxBVbaFDnzUEl_qAI4PFs0RkhQxE7X26adjXf-nAKOBcVz5XwZNobrMlA9reBgRChjfslVfyiCt-atCwOyACMS4-fRfRCK2NT2duDT46FqWh2lkamSdeodPXiap/s1600/Spring+Turkey+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwi0WhvOmZp5m-t36XUcxBVbaFDnzUEl_qAI4PFs0RkhQxE7X26adjXf-nAKOBcVz5XwZNobrMlA9reBgRChjfslVfyiCt-atCwOyACMS4-fRfRCK2NT2duDT46FqWh2lkamSdeodPXiap/s1600/Spring+Turkey+002.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Later,
at the bridge, as I fish for bullhead, a cold tear of gratitude rolls down my cheek. Spring has
arrived.</span></span>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-67539563765259000332014-02-04T13:37:00.000-05:002014-02-04T13:37:05.579-05:00A Mindful Winter Walk <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The mind
of a true hunter is one of connection. Connection to all the surroundings, even
to those unseen by the common senses. To some tribes in Africa, hunters have
learned to read the “energy paths” of light similar to auras seen by some
people. They follow these bluish-white streams of light to “see” where the
animal they are pursuing, have traveled. For the rest of us, we learn to read
tracks.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">On a
bright February day, after a snowstorm, I venture up the southwest side of
Pease Mountain, My father-in-law, Brian Hoyt and I start out from his house. We
notice the small trails where field mice have burrowed under the snow. We come
upon a stand of locusts with their deeply indented bark and sage green moss
covering the jagged edges. I ask him if he thinks it is true that moss only grows
on the north side of trees. He shrugs and says “That’s what they say, but I
think it’s an old wives tale.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iq05oqdMOMNK_08HD5RtXvE1fHOOrSYgYD8sYENkzezPWs3vbLhbhtfxve37z01XWurmQFppp9fpSrEqI4MrWBRXL_2eLh6Zi3sXgd4fffgzFOa0Almse7Dxnm6wy3dYGRBITPwatF3e/s1600/ruffed_grouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iq05oqdMOMNK_08HD5RtXvE1fHOOrSYgYD8sYENkzezPWs3vbLhbhtfxve37z01XWurmQFppp9fpSrEqI4MrWBRXL_2eLh6Zi3sXgd4fffgzFOa0Almse7Dxnm6wy3dYGRBITPwatF3e/s1600/ruffed_grouse.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">F<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">urther
up the hill we meander through some pines, when a partridge explodes from under
a pinecone laden tree. The bird takes to the air in a burst of snow, brown
wings thundering together, to fly an escape route that not even a jet fighter
could navigate. “Partridge!” I shout. (Technically they are called a ruffed
grouse, but I like to call them by their colloquial moniker just to tick off
the gentry. If you really want to be snobby about it, call them “<i>Bonasa Umbellus</i>” which means “good to
roast” or “valued as a game bird.”) Partridge medicine (what this bird
represents in Native American ideology) is community, fertility, mobility and
invisibility. There is much to learn from <i>Bonasa
Umbellus</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As we summit
the cliffs we begin to see a story played out in the snow. It takes some time
to reveal itself. First we see the tracks of a large cat-like being with its
belly dragging on the top of the snow. It is crouching and trying to sneak up
to the edge of the cliff. Why? We surmise it’s a fisher cat judging by the
claws and conical shaped footprint. Then the tracks disappear off the edge of
the cliff. We look over the 10’ drop to the next plateau and see where he
enters the snow in a deep hole. Is he under the snow even now? Where did he go? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8OGE2BjzS4prsVJxn7QdSQvtVnRRzTNX8fLht6FJurfxEf3kH6R9_Ov9bXqJPeJTZ2Wm2U8K0jvgUdjMVArtyGkk61PyNYVd0tiW3gEDa-j2OG-Xlb8PeiuIUFh8-baZR6jTpn8FKj-1/s1600/5379581108_27aa108703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8OGE2BjzS4prsVJxn7QdSQvtVnRRzTNX8fLht6FJurfxEf3kH6R9_Ov9bXqJPeJTZ2Wm2U8K0jvgUdjMVArtyGkk61PyNYVd0tiW3gEDa-j2OG-Xlb8PeiuIUFh8-baZR6jTpn8FKj-1/s1600/5379581108_27aa108703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8OGE2BjzS4prsVJxn7QdSQvtVnRRzTNX8fLht6FJurfxEf3kH6R9_Ov9bXqJPeJTZ2Wm2U8K0jvgUdjMVArtyGkk61PyNYVd0tiW3gEDa-j2OG-Xlb8PeiuIUFh8-baZR6jTpn8FKj-1/s1600/5379581108_27aa108703.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We climb
down around the boulders and discover, at the edge of this little flat spot,
another hole with paw prints and the outline of primary feathers form a large
wing. They are scratched in the snow in a perfectly symmetrical pattern as if
beating against the surface in an attempt to take flight. It is then we
discover blood where the feet of a turkey had been. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSsUtkbTzsJfV7MMabsWZXQNa9bFc4BfV4YG44GokldJyTzxYMiC4cUKvq5siQ6Z32s8kkLi3vDPQZ2UVMPoOJtcovnJKVqvqCaIxdh8GCG7uUZyapzcJFvSHshonn1c7uU5C7Uwf1oP6/s1600/winter-wild-turkey-13207758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSsUtkbTzsJfV7MMabsWZXQNa9bFc4BfV4YG44GokldJyTzxYMiC4cUKvq5siQ6Z32s8kkLi3vDPQZ2UVMPoOJtcovnJKVqvqCaIxdh8GCG7uUZyapzcJFvSHshonn1c7uU5C7Uwf1oP6/s1600/winter-wild-turkey-13207758.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“I’ll bet
the rest of the story is below this drop-off” I tell Brian.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We climb
down the slippery rocks to the next flat spot, and sure enough, there are the
remains of a turkey splayed between two sharp rocks, with only its head eaten
off. <span> </span>Fisher cats are notorious for doing
this. The carnage reminds me that nature can be as violent as she is beautiful.
The fisher cat will have lived through another harsh winter because he was
courageous enough to dive off of a cliff, burrow under the snow and still hit
his target, coming up to ambush the bird from underneath the wintry forest
floor. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Nature
has all the drama of an Academy award winning movie, but when you have
discovered it for yourself, and borne witness to the mystery, you are not just
a viewer but a participant.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqi6kMpDQKKv0b2qOGSt5agMcnu41Bh8LQZlUEZ90-4TM2kBKEo7Xh43cx483oPxpe0RHjV1IPfSile1Ppr1ctCsF-dkeI5LXwgxFcGwDIiS8zlOcLJ3OEnayeTihxUTotBYtcpgQCTwB/s1600/Inonotus_obliquus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqi6kMpDQKKv0b2qOGSt5agMcnu41Bh8LQZlUEZ90-4TM2kBKEo7Xh43cx483oPxpe0RHjV1IPfSile1Ppr1ctCsF-dkeI5LXwgxFcGwDIiS8zlOcLJ3OEnayeTihxUTotBYtcpgQCTwB/s1600/Inonotus_obliquus.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">On the
walk home, we pass a yellow birch with a chaga mushroom growing out of its
side. I cut off a chunk of it and put it in my jacket pocket. Chaga or <i>Inonotus
obliquus</i><span> is revered by native
healers for its medicinal qualities. </span>Laboratory studies have indicated
possible future potential in cancer therapy, as an antioxidant, in
immunotherapy, and as an anti-inflammatory. Whether you choose to believe this
or not, it makes a wonderful tea.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Back at
the house we have quite a story to share with everyone. We brew the chaga and
sit down in front of the woodstove to replay the story of our winter walk. At
the core of the story-telling I realize that the root of all happiness is
wonder. And there is no place to find such wonder as in the winter woods. </span></span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-69317534709494757312013-11-14T21:49:00.002-05:002013-11-14T21:49:34.963-05:00Redlegs<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I leave a slight
crack open at the top of the bedroom window because I like fresh air when I
sleep. Even when it’s cold, it’s nice to snuggle down under the Hudson Bay
blanket with the down duvet on top. In December, sometimes the Arctic Clippers
cause the curtains to swish wildly against the glass pane. Frequently, this
will awaken me even during a deep sleep. I will often roll over, pull the
covers up higher and seek warmth against the body of my mate. It’s my legs that
feel the cold most. They seem to tingle with the cold, my capillaries expanding
to allow for easier blood flow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I am thinking of
human comforts as I sit under the canvas spray curtain of my duckboat, huddled
next to the propane heater. I can hear the northwest wind pounding wavelets
against my hull as the boat rocks gently to and fro. The sky is just beginning
to show reluctant signs of awakening to another brisk morning. The blue-greens
give way to salmon and purple streaks highlighted against the cirrus clouds.
The sound of whistling wings rises to a crescendo above me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">They’re finally
here! Ducks!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzMbliqdWodFVxVKKE5Ndc1Id_aryDWAUZ7fU4SX4kguVEITkTTbH7MINJyMu10GjwapWzkkdHQwyglqlTsx5r2H0WKopA5NCwqqSwFFI5XaE5TpY-zmmkzW_-wNOnNPz_D_rXezv0gEf/s1600/Random+December+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzMbliqdWodFVxVKKE5Ndc1Id_aryDWAUZ7fU4SX4kguVEITkTTbH7MINJyMu10GjwapWzkkdHQwyglqlTsx5r2H0WKopA5NCwqqSwFFI5XaE5TpY-zmmkzW_-wNOnNPz_D_rXezv0gEf/s320/Random+December+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December Sunrise</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The Arctic blast
has locked up most of the swamps and now the only food and open water is in the
bay, where the wind blows wild celery into the shoreline, where I sit waiting amidst
my bobbing decoys. Silhouetted by the backlight of the sky I can see large
flocks of birds seeking shelter and food. They have come in during the night
riding the wave of the cold front. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I pour a cup of french
roast coffee and munch on a frosted cruller while I wait for the legal shooting
hour to begin. I am surrounded by the wild quacking and raspy “mmmphs” of big
drake mallards as they survey my spread. My heart beat quickens. I keep my head
low, hugging the side of the canvas blind covered in grass. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7GflkymTczLpAJY16Yji4j6PzkWXUlY5degpe26axqtoxvflv94cXSQ4UeOYna5P5fzeEQQsHVW8sBCMzRX38JYh65aEKekp-c7tUXH9pZB9tr_m71RjuGnnGi0m0b6ingZnj9tkUu1m/s1600/NBS+Hunt+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7GflkymTczLpAJY16Yji4j6PzkWXUlY5degpe26axqtoxvflv94cXSQ4UeOYna5P5fzeEQQsHVW8sBCMzRX38JYh65aEKekp-c7tUXH9pZB9tr_m71RjuGnnGi0m0b6ingZnj9tkUu1m/s320/NBS+Hunt+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shore Ice</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I can hear slush
ice rubbing on the starboard hull as it builds. This will likely be one of the
last days I can access this spot. The season is
coming to a close and the big redlegged mallards and black ducks are just
getting here. These are the hardiest specimens of their species. They thrive in
adversity and pride themselves on outlasting the fair weather hunters of early
fall. Their cheeks bulge at the sides, their magnificent iridescent green heads
strike bold poses. Their auburn chests are puffed out proudly and their tail
feathers have the regal triple curl. Affixed to their necks are clean white
bowties. But the most noticeable characteristic of these late migrators is
their beet red legs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Some folks claim
it’s because the capillaries of their powerful feet are expanded to allow
circulation while swimming among the ice floes. Biologists tend to discount this
but offer no good reason for the anomaly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">As the minutes
tick by toward legal shooting time, I am preparing for the moment. I load my
old autoloader shotgun and the “click” from the shell passing into the chamber
sends a dozen birds clawing for altitude from my decoy spread. They’ve heard
that sound before, somewhere way up north when the last hunter tried to take
them.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">At last, my
watch alarm signals it is time. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I spot a flock
of 20 birds to my south, swinging over the bay, fighting the wind. I take a
deep breath and bear down on my diaphragm to blow a powerful hail call. They turn.
The flock is now winging their way toward me with abandon. I utter a feeding
chuckle and a lonely hen “quack” inviting them down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">They turn over
the frozen swamp and set their wings in cupped formation. They wiffle from side
to side, spilling air from their mighty pinions. Red legs drop down from their
flanks and as they hang over the spread ready to light, I rise and do what
humanity has done for generations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">In the moment I
am living, breathing and feeling all my senses heightened by the connection.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">It is the end of
the season and the redlegs are in.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH62G-l4axDqAx-kLricXDEOSNbMGeDrTm33mwG41Ixncw0vaM_SRLHce5FgHzgW5L0R4bekTMTB_1eyjIBP1eMPK8iLEj70MsEzNtmtUglZe9fsqUo-rci0gKpNWDK1G-OsgNUr3zkbGf/s1600/Random+December+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH62G-l4axDqAx-kLricXDEOSNbMGeDrTm33mwG41Ixncw0vaM_SRLHce5FgHzgW5L0R4bekTMTB_1eyjIBP1eMPK8iLEj70MsEzNtmtUglZe9fsqUo-rci0gKpNWDK1G-OsgNUr3zkbGf/s640/Random+December+010.JPG" width="568" /></a></div>
<br />
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-27036152801953690062013-10-30T23:18:00.000-04:002013-10-30T23:18:15.576-04:00"Naturally Rich"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Many of the problems in my
life have been the cause of a poor relationship to money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was young I did not learn the value of
working hard for commensurate remuneration (I never had to “earn” anything.) All
I had to do was beg or be stubborn and I would get what I wanted. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Let me say that this set me
up for a significant struggle. When I got in trouble financially I believed
that someone would come along and “bail me out.” I don’t fault my father for
this. He was the 10<sup>th</sup> child of a very poor coal mining family in
Pennsylvania. All he wanted was to give his children everything he could not
afford. He was very successful in his early business career and the family was
perceived by many to be “rich.” I based my entire self worth on what my family
could afford to lavish on me. This was to become one of my greatest challenges
in life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">In my teens I began to hunt
and the first thing I learned was that it didn’t matter how much money my
family had, nature treated everyone equally under the same conditions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I was 30 years old before
the lesson hunted me down and presented itself in a way that I could no longer
ignore. As they say, “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">My father, through his
magnanimously naïve nature had made several poor business decisions and managed
to lose all the income he had created. He could no longer support the delusions
of grandeur that I had created. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCvoZ-c2snW4zVnq8cAH7eSreaoX6Si7flU-bfbKOQGnT1b-c68Hw_DKxDiZnlIEC1pd36RL92a-DmZqvNFqcq0SJO8WUWezbdwHqm3CyN-dudibtoA5sdF-pY3oVvmbi3rOcbOke8oXP/s1600/Hunting+and+Flora+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCvoZ-c2snW4zVnq8cAH7eSreaoX6Si7flU-bfbKOQGnT1b-c68Hw_DKxDiZnlIEC1pd36RL92a-DmZqvNFqcq0SJO8WUWezbdwHqm3CyN-dudibtoA5sdF-pY3oVvmbi3rOcbOke8oXP/s320/Hunting+and+Flora+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">This was to become the
starting point for my sacred path. Hunting, fishing and foraging were to become
my teachers. To quote Red Cloud, a late 19<sup>th</sup> century Sioux Chief, “…I
am poor and naked, but I am the chief of the nation. We do not want riches but
we do want to train our children right. Riches would do us no good. We could
not take them with us to the other world. We do not want riches. We want peace
and love.” This struck me one day as I stood weeping for my condition. What was
it that I wanted? What did I need to feel like I was worthwhile? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">My answer came to me as I
hunted. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I thought I was hunting for
deer, squirrels, turkey or rabbits, but what I was unconsciously seeking was my
need to feel as though I had value in the world. Since I had equated “value”
with monetary measures, I did not find what I was looking for externally. I
tried guiding for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>waterfowl for a little
more than a decade and it seemed that taking money for providing clients with a
chance to shoot a limit of ducks or geese seemed to diminish the value of what
I was striving to exchange. It almost seemed that the birds became a commodity
that had an assigned value that could be purchased with currency. It felt
demeaning after a while. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPUgEURzJe8dh7LCRx-oUNDem1BDZIceM5iLvgN1vwfk1ORktBPb8VrGVU98z8Zj0XCZhGG_1PwxNVIk-OUAe90WdCc2H85K1d2wAqg1n7fmNynoBk0H5TXXCetNDsqYnzBHwPMxB3jy3/s1600/Hunting+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPUgEURzJe8dh7LCRx-oUNDem1BDZIceM5iLvgN1vwfk1ORktBPb8VrGVU98z8Zj0XCZhGG_1PwxNVIk-OUAe90WdCc2H85K1d2wAqg1n7fmNynoBk0H5TXXCetNDsqYnzBHwPMxB3jy3/s320/Hunting+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">But during that time I also
discovered that what I was searching for all along was the “meaning” behind
what I enjoyed so much. It was the beauty of a wood drakes’ herringbone patterned
flank feathers, the iridescence of a redlegged drake’s crown, the inimitable
cupping of wings of a lone Canada goose dropping in from the heavens after a
long migratory journey. I wanted to share the love of his lonely her-onk in the
moonlight. I felt drawn to communicate the exquisite aromas of wood smoke,
decaying nuts, and the majestic display of a tom turkey strutting for attention
in the early morning light of the spring woods. I found myself speaking of the
impending arrival of fiddleheads, ramps and wild asparagus as the earth warmed
up to 63 degrees in the spring. I languished over the taste of fresh brook
trout with nothing but some lemon and butter in a pan over an open fire. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhjfjZdpbpJKGSKBfb1uNqgVr1Sc0bB1htGq9TLslZwOVv-OvSc-ERRMC1Vfl_GBCY2t6sL3QoZlJ2mnnugNGa5t2clWwgv2VCQPhyphenhyphen74Vz4L9YAQ4baPaeq9K64k98kyvT_Ed0eJu1I4e/s1600/Random+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhjfjZdpbpJKGSKBfb1uNqgVr1Sc0bB1htGq9TLslZwOVv-OvSc-ERRMC1Vfl_GBCY2t6sL3QoZlJ2mnnugNGa5t2clWwgv2VCQPhyphenhyphen74Vz4L9YAQ4baPaeq9K64k98kyvT_Ed0eJu1I4e/s320/Random+025.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">More than anything I had
known before, I wanted to share my love and my experiences with others. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">As I became aware of what I
wanted, I began to realize that my values were shifting. Away from material
possessions and a consumptive lifestyle. I wanted to, at least, partially
support myself and my wife with food that I had grown, foraged or harvested. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">As my values shifted, so
did my self-image. Over time I began to feel wealthy. Rich, even.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I was filling my freezer
with nutritious food. I was growing my own vegetables and finding my own
mushrooms. I was eating pure, natural, local food. My household grew to include
chickens to provide us with eggs. I didn’t even eat eggs before I had chickens,
now an omelet starts off my day three mornings a week. When we have guests over
for dinner, it is a production. I cook venison backstraps in a plum pepper
sauce and we celebrate our feast with a good bottle of merlot. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">All of this has lead me to
the conclusion that despite my lack of monetary income, I have learned that
true riches, which I believe is better described as “wealth”, comes not from
how new my truck is, nor what cell phone I use, but the abundance of natural
elements in my life and how conscious I am of all that is available to me. With
this, my definition of wealth has changed and my self-image is now based on how
much love and gratitude I have in my life.<span id="goog_1970471933"></span><span id="goog_1970471934"></span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85Xz8xioPUDO2TeX2S3qWRuOqMRVZQI18gMHjYQHiybz0Rdt0gcCbn75115eENPIVT71iieY2XKoNY_V75KgmZbALBs5DyazY42_uVybF0ZMnTERKmrorvzlxXe9ylEviRfzT9mVEX0I_/s1600/IMG_0513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85Xz8xioPUDO2TeX2S3qWRuOqMRVZQI18gMHjYQHiybz0Rdt0gcCbn75115eENPIVT71iieY2XKoNY_V75KgmZbALBs5DyazY42_uVybF0ZMnTERKmrorvzlxXe9ylEviRfzT9mVEX0I_/s320/IMG_0513.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">So the next time you are
feeling poor or are not sure how you define value in your life, I would propose
that you pick up your gun, your fishing rod or a basket and walk into the
woods. Nature provides us with all the riches we need.</span></div>
BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-39241072586146733122013-10-07T12:00:00.000-04:002013-10-30T22:57:41.441-04:00"Old Songs"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Like many young men I
started hunting by pursuing squirrel and rabbits in my back yard. I lived in
Pennsylvania where the Opening Day of Deer Season was on the first Monday after
Thanksgiving. The schools were closed. Most businesses were closed. Everything
except essential organizations was closed to celebrate Opening Day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I was 13 years old when my
father, who rarely had time to do so, took me to his hometown of Grampian to
meet his childhood cronies. These characters had names like “Crappy Hepburn” and
“Uncle Pick” that seemed to define a simpler time in our history. One where young boys would gain status by how well they fought. My father was a scrapper,
the 10<sup>th</sup> child in a dirt poor coal mining family. He swore that he
would not allow his children to grow up poor, so he spent virtually every
waking moment pursuing business deals and focusing on making money. There was
little time for leisure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">So when he asked if I
wanted to go deer hunting, even though I wasn’t sure about actually killing one
of these beautiful creatures, I enthusiastically replied “Yes!” It was going to
be time with my father, the most cherished of moments. Since this didn’t come
very often, it carried tremendous emotional weight for me. My senses were awakened
in his presence. For the first time in my childhood I was connected to
something. I had always been a miserable ball player. My baseball coach put me
in right field for 2 innings because it was a regulation to play all the team.
Although my hometown was football-obsessed, I was too small and too sensitive
to take the teasing and hazing that went along with it. I was kind of a loner.
But when my father took me out into the hills of Central Pennsylvania, I came alive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I wondered at the mountain
laurel that grew on the hillsides. I would stare for hours into the trees,
examining the bark and watching leaves flutter to the ground to land in a
swirling stream of color. The chattering of squirrels and the screaming of blue
jays made me feel like I was welcome here. I was safe from towel-snapping
linebackers and bullies. I was in a place where I belonged. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Just as the pines swaying
in the cold northern breeze, just as the first snowflakes touching the musky
earth, just as the snap of a twig in the distance. Just as a dark brown object
climbed over a hummock down the steep hillside from me. I belonged, as did the
doe now pawing the ground just 40 yards away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">She batted her eyes and
looked at me. Our eyes connected and I felt my first wave of compassion and adrenalin
course through my adolescent frame. She was in no danger from me. It was rifle
season and bucks only. I smiled and said “hello” quietly. She twitched her ears
as if to try to understand what I had just said, then she stomped her right
foot and began walking away. I felt blessed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9xGUwm74QS_fq9_3ARRKVu9XTrMggSROHYK772IwRqfVgn7y_hvOD6x5z5J36UvpIt5qLaBpUe9AaH6S2it4yxCJbr_FeEt1o3p7bZdpcH6Tq3ng8XbQcns6tANvVkAlC-gZKkd7rQSA/s1600/Hunting+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9xGUwm74QS_fq9_3ARRKVu9XTrMggSROHYK772IwRqfVgn7y_hvOD6x5z5J36UvpIt5qLaBpUe9AaH6S2it4yxCJbr_FeEt1o3p7bZdpcH6Tq3ng8XbQcns6tANvVkAlC-gZKkd7rQSA/s320/Hunting+056.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">When we got back to camp I
said nothing of my encounter.I listened to all the guys tell their stories of
what big bucks they had chased that day. They sat smoking cigars and drinking
whiskey around a stone fireplace adorned with drying woolens draped over every overhanging
obstacle. The smell of wood smoke and fresh liver and onions on the stove mixed
with the laughter and camaraderie of these rough cut pillars of manhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the ride to town that night, my father and
I listened to a radio station that still played Hank Williams, Gene Autry and
Earl Scruggs. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Later, when we moved to
Stowe, Vermont my father would introduce me to a new country singer, John Denver. I
would watch my grown father with a curious eye as he would actually cry when he
sang along with “Take Me Home Country Roads”. It was in Stowe that my father
and I got our first buck in 1977, the year I graduated high school. Since those
first few episodes in Pennsylvania, I had become addicted to the serenity and connection
that I found from being in the woods. It had been five years since we started
hunting deer when it happened.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">We had built a giant tree
stand 30 feet up in a triangle of big-trunked pines. It was a huge space, about five feet in each direction. I had fallen asleep when my father woke me to say “Get
ready! Here he comes!” He had heard a distant shot and then brush crashing around
us. The buck appeared in the slash to our right. He whispered “Get him!” and I
aimed my Winchester 30.30, leveling the front bead on his mighty chest. I do
not remember hearing the shot, only seeing the deer drop to his knees. We had
done it! My father and I had accomplished something – together!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Over the next 35 years my
passion for hunting grew into a full time lifestyle. I fell in love with
waterfowling and followed that path into guiding, but every year, out of
respect for the memories that molded my spirit, I returned to the woods in
search of my connection to the earth and the magnificent whitetail.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">It was this same deep
abiding love that drove me to the woods this past Saturday. My team of hunters
had finished a wildly successful goose calling and hunting strategy seminar at
Dead Creek Refuge in Addison for Dead Creek Day. The geese had cooperated as if
they were trained. We started calling and about 300 birds lifted off of a farm
to the East and flew directly over a crowd of about 30 absolutely stunned
seminar attendees. But now it was time to spend some “alone time” in the woods
behind my house. </span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">As I sat in my treestand,
20 feet above the earth, I listened to the blue jays screaming to one another.
A squirrel climbed the tree beside me and peeked around the trunk to stare at
me just four feet away. I smiled at him and I could swear I heard his thoughts “Oh.
Who are you? Is this your tree? OK…I’ll just go find another one.” He climbed
down calmly and skittered across the crunchy forest floor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I was lost in revelry once
again. The gentle north wind scattered gold and red maple leaves to the ground.
The sun had set and the light started to surrender to the canopy shadows. In
the distance I could hear a train whistle. The smell of someone’s distant
woodstove wafted through the evening air. As I was breathing in the fragrant
autumn scents, I noticed something moving to my left down the hill. It was
large and brown. I stood up very slowly and prepared my arrow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">It was a doe. My thoughts
flew back to my first deer that I had seen as a teenager in Pennsylvania and I wondered
if this time the scene might play out differently. I decided to wait and see
what she would do. She continued to walk toward my stand, then crossed to the
right and stood broadside to me just 28 yards away. As she put her head down
behind a tree, I drew my bow. Something told me that if she presented herself to
me as a gift, that this time I should take her. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Crossing from behind the
oak tree, she stood still, her flanks in perfect position for a shot. At that
moment, the voice inside said “It’s OK” and I released the arrow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">It was pitch dark by the
time I shimmied down the tree and found the arrow. It had passed through her
and there was no blood trail. I would have to wait until morning and enlist my
friends to help find her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I did not sleep all night
and when the alarm clock went off at 5:00am I had finally fallen asleep. There
was a knock on my door and I rolled over to see that it was now 7:00 and my
friend John Lesher was waiting for me on the front porch. My other pal, Chris Thayer,
arrived next and with some very valuable coaching from Chris Peacock of
Burlington, Vermont we were able to locate the doe in about 15 minutes.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsugFYKSUo6hBnF8C9dGYg4RYNJdHmMqJZYXgpbkzOv7NG9ToOH4CDPIdcckJ7ZXwiv9e1-ddM2ZK2hkS4Mut4EoCSshKrRfvv9XGPFSWgijrbpjoNREJJbMG5zlP1G-El2-tGmYmdFlm/s1600/Archery+2013+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsugFYKSUo6hBnF8C9dGYg4RYNJdHmMqJZYXgpbkzOv7NG9ToOH4CDPIdcckJ7ZXwiv9e1-ddM2ZK2hkS4Mut4EoCSshKrRfvv9XGPFSWgijrbpjoNREJJbMG5zlP1G-El2-tGmYmdFlm/s1600/Archery+2013+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsugFYKSUo6hBnF8C9dGYg4RYNJdHmMqJZYXgpbkzOv7NG9ToOH4CDPIdcckJ7ZXwiv9e1-ddM2ZK2hkS4Mut4EoCSshKrRfvv9XGPFSWgijrbpjoNREJJbMG5zlP1G-El2-tGmYmdFlm/s320/Archery+2013+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">After an awkward picture
where I felt both pride and remorse, we dressed her out and took <span id="goog_942766380"></span><span id="goog_942766381"></span>her to
Dattilios Guns & Tackle to check her in. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon returning we hoisted her into the tree
and skinned and quartered her. It began to drizzle as we were boxing up the
venison and I needed a break.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I asked my wife if she
wanted to go for a foliage drive. We took the truck up into the mountains,
through Lincoln and down through Bristol Notch. The trees seemed to be
particularly beautiful this year. We sipped coffee and enjoyed one another’s
company like we were on a honeymoon, grateful for all we had in our lives.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">On the way home my wife
popped in a CD and as the first song began to play, I started to cry. Then I
burst out singing with the chorus “Take Me Home Country Roads.”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dgAC-TU_KcdsOyWbUtYSashm2S_8UU8vhnstQWu0De41tk-QqAB51NB3GBtMku8o5yvwQQBcKyzZ1xHTzatqLw49oZg1DyimaZDFyeUwHA5Mf4-4gwRuJHYzffYSARtZXcmjI2pDflta/s1600/Archery+2013+085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dgAC-TU_KcdsOyWbUtYSashm2S_8UU8vhnstQWu0De41tk-QqAB51NB3GBtMku8o5yvwQQBcKyzZ1xHTzatqLw49oZg1DyimaZDFyeUwHA5Mf4-4gwRuJHYzffYSARtZXcmjI2pDflta/s640/Archery+2013+085.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902848257171922429.post-91348448140718763242013-08-23T10:23:00.001-04:002013-08-30T09:52:04.718-04:00September Dreams<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">We’d been
working on the farm last month when we noticed the large flock of resident
Canada geese using the wheat field to the north. The farmer was visibly
perturbed that the birds had imprinted on his field and he knew that later this
year he would have a problem when he tilled it under and the winter wheat
sprouts began to pop up out of the fertile soil. Two hundred geese can do a lot
of damage to a seeded field. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Some local folks,
who walked the road every day for exercise, looked upon the birds as harmless
and beautiful. To the farmer they were a nuisance, destroying his livelihood
and making it more difficult to bring his grains to market, where they would be
turned into bread and beer that the walking people enjoyed when they returned
home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">To my merry band
of Sacred Hunters, the geese were a majestic resource.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Personally, of
all the animals on earth, I feel the strongest kinship with the goose. Maybe
it’s that some people perceive both of us a nuisance, while others see us as wondrous
and communicative beings. I enjoy talking to the geese and have learned more
than twenty distinctly different vocalizations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Some folks may
think that hunters are only focused on one thing, killing. This is an
oversimplification of a profoundly deep experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Typqj0eVhbsR6uwMTTpFYq_8TFJZ227UJ4V1n1nWhtUqdcRE6jcok36VZ2AN3GrK4eeWGooJAIIePm4Wm5FO9xLFABevNUInGvBuSIqbQtFc0aRd9lQ-n1JDsANRxTNwQtYPWpWAjbey/s1600/Cnv0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Typqj0eVhbsR6uwMTTpFYq_8TFJZ227UJ4V1n1nWhtUqdcRE6jcok36VZ2AN3GrK4eeWGooJAIIePm4Wm5FO9xLFABevNUInGvBuSIqbQtFc0aRd9lQ-n1JDsANRxTNwQtYPWpWAjbey/s320/Cnv0005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">As dawn begins
to fade from its dark blues and purples into the pastel hues of salmon, sage and
helio, we listen intently for the waking honks of the flock roosting on the bay.
The occasional “Her-Onk” echoes over the brightening gold landscape. We tuck
our heads down into the layout blinds, camouflaged in wheat stalks. We are
surrounded by full-body decoys with velvet-flocked heads in multiple positions,
each displaying a specific posture to an incoming flock. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We wait.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">When we finally
decide that they may not show up for a while, we decide to pour a cup of french
roast coffee with maple syrup out of the shiny thermos with the Ducks Unlimited
logo on it. One of my closest hunting partners, J0hn, offers up the ubiquitous
cruellers. It’s an annual ritual to watch the sun come up and share laughter,
donuts and coffee with my crew. As another hunting partner, Larry, passes the
chrome-plated cup to me, we both hear the sound. “Herrrrrp.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">It is too close.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">There is a bird
in the air and he sees us sitting upright and sharing our breakfast. “Busted!”
I proclaim, as he glides over us from behind and pumps his powerful wings,
carrying him to the distant horizon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Let’s hope he
doesn’t go to the bay flock and tell them what he saw!” says another hunting
buddy, Chris. We must be more careful. Coffee and donuts are stored beneath the
fabric doors of the blind and we slink back down into our camo caves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Fifteen minutes
pass and we start thinking that maybe he did tattle on us. We begin to relax
again when our mentee, Zack, spots a flock of a dozen against the trees to the
north. They are not calling. “Flag ‘Em!” I whisper. My friend, Chris, begins to
wave the goose shaped black, brown and white flag with zestful enthusiasm,
flapping the wings as if to imitate a bird landing in the spread. “No calling,” I whisper again. “When they get in close enough, let’s hit ‘em with a feeding
murmur and a gentle spit cluck or two, OK?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The birds turn,
a good ½ mile away and begin a beeline for our field. In less than a minute they
are a mere 300 yards out, cupping their mighty wings and waffling air through
their primaries, dropping altitude. “One more flag sequence, then set it down,” I instruct Chris. He does a quick 3 flaps and sets the flag on the ground. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">They are now 150
yards out and my heart is pounding through my chest. I can feel it in my ears,
thumping with excitement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Feeding murmur
and gentle clucks” I command the troops. As if we were sitting at the Old Brick
Store, conversing with the locals, the birds begin to talk back to us.
“Her-her-onk Er-er-er-er” they reply.
Black patent leather feet drop from their bodies, like aircraft dropping their
landing gear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Get ready
gentlemen!” I call out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">As the giant
geese begin to back pedal at the foot of the decoy spread, I say to myself
“Great Spirit, please help us to shoot straight.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I call out loud
“Take ‘Em!” and the valley erupts in the percussive rhythm of hunting history.
We are here to participate in the cycle of life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">6 birds are
down. We rush out of our blinds to pick them up as the remainder of the flock
lights out for the lake, sounding the alarm. We watch them fly over the horizon
and drop down toward the bay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Before they
disappear over the hill Larry calls out “More geese! 3 o’clock!” We scurry back
to the blinds and jump in. The birds are to the East this time, in the rising
sun, and hard to distinguish just above the tree line. “Don’t bother flagging”
I say. “They’ve already caught our motion. They’re talking a lot. Let’s give it
back to them.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">We all begin a
symphony of clucks, moans, hail calls and murmurs. It sounds like Grand Central
at rush hour. They are pumping their massive wings and aiming right at us. When they are 200 yards out they begin to
break off to the south. We pick up the tempo and volume of the calling to a
callback cadence. I feel like my cheeks are going to pop as I blow my call from
deep within using my diaphragm as I was taught by my opera training mentor (that’s
a whole ‘nother story).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Before they
reach the foot of the small mountain to the south, they turn decisively. Are
they going away or toward us? It’s hard to tell. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">After a few
seconds it is apparent that they are getting larger not smaller. “Stand up and
flag the heck outta ‘em, Chris!” I say. He crawls out of his blind as my
friend, Larry, leans hard on his call and hammers out a screaming callback
series. “OK. Now get down and let ‘em come in!” The flock of 20 birds circles
us twice, checking out every detail of our spread. They are talking the whole
time, questioning our sincerity. We call back at them in a cacophony of clucks,
moans and murmurs. After the second pass, the lead bird circles north and drops
his feet. He is committed. The rest of the flock follow suit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Suddenly they
swing right and look like they’re going to leave, but wait, no….they are simply
approaching from the starboard. They will swing in front of us from right to
left. Larry says “That’s my favorite shot.” They begin to cup and glide right
into the sweet spot. Larry says “Whenever you’re ready to call it Bradley” as
if to chide me that I may be waiting too long. But I am waiting for the flock
to pass far enough in front of us that the far left shooter will still have a
shot. Then, in a split second, I realize that I must call the shot NOW! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Take ‘Em” I
shout. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Bodies spring
into action from beneath the wheat sheathed blinds. Guns pop up into the sky</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
and ring out their deep resonant booms. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBBcyxxs8EwXX9U_akZZZ0-USny5W06t9LyvubeYBqHvCxi1Ps3J_Orxn-jG09DZ_S-Evym-e3-4589bL_7XUGqgyXjsv_z709EWFqCrDl_1_kINaM3G7ahOvTv54mI4yP_Ucs_G5LUyo/s1600/NBS+&+Goose+Hunt+092309+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBBcyxxs8EwXX9U_akZZZ0-USny5W06t9LyvubeYBqHvCxi1Ps3J_Orxn-jG09DZ_S-Evym-e3-4589bL_7XUGqgyXjsv_z709EWFqCrDl_1_kINaM3G7ahOvTv54mI4yP_Ucs_G5LUyo/s320/NBS+&+Goose+Hunt+092309+057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I pick out a bird at the tail end of
the flock and drop him soundly to the ground then turn to pick up a bird that
has already landed and is jumping up off the ground, in an attempt to secure
his escape. I do not even hear the gun fire. But he drops.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">This time 7
birds are down. We gather them among cheers and whoops and we hear Chris say
“Did you see that? Larry shot a triple!” Zack says “Carleton shot a double. I
shot one and John shot one. That means that you, Chris, missed!” I chime in. “I
think that Chris and I were shooting at the same bird.” Zack insists “No, I
think he missed!” Everyone looks at Chris and the silence is deafening. Chris
states proudly “I think I shot all those birds with just 3 shots!” We all
laugh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Our rule is no
matter who shoots, we all share, as long as no one shoots another man’s limit. And
none of it will go to waste.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Within an hour
we have harvested 18 birds among the 5 of us and we all agree that “that is
enough.” This will take us a long time to clean the birds. We use all the
parts. I make a goose liver pate’ out of the livers – sort of a poor man’s
foie’ gras – and a chunky country pate with the hearts and gizzards. We smoke
the breasts and make smoked andouille-style sausage out of the leg meat. The coyotes think that what we leave them is
skimpy and unfair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">As we are
picking up, one lone goose comes gliding in, as if he is choosing to join his
peers in the transformation. I rush back to my blind and grab my gun. As he
passes over the blinds, I take him cleanly with one shot and he drops to the
ground with a thud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I walk up to him
with respect and admiration.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMYlAqyp1Ec3j7SIFi6IyKw4CjXQI5MNzdyrq8RkGyaunnbbefZcYaV9F_Om9LLgHQsuNPcOZ6_0yY9L2dwq0hqPIXW7pWmPCqEtpL5vQStRdSqW6Hh__2Jdo9XO4lP3mTXznDIram3rN/s1600/MCT+Wheat+091108+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMYlAqyp1Ec3j7SIFi6IyKw4CjXQI5MNzdyrq8RkGyaunnbbefZcYaV9F_Om9LLgHQsuNPcOZ6_0yY9L2dwq0hqPIXW7pWmPCqEtpL5vQStRdSqW6Hh__2Jdo9XO4lP3mTXznDIram3rN/s320/MCT+Wheat+091108+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">For a brief
moment I am deeply connected to the spirit of this magnificent creature, our
lives </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">inextricably linked to one another. To live we must take the life of
other beings, sentient or otherwise. “Even the trees and leaves have spirits.
For when one Indian takes of the Earth, he does so with remorse and the
knowledge that he must do so to sustain his people.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">As I approach
him I see he has an aluminum band on his leg, designating that he has met
mankind at least once before. I kneel down and put my hand on his chest. He is
expiring. As I look into his eyes I say “Thank you brother.” As his spirit
passes into mine, I pray.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"></span></div>
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BCarletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17233295477049010759noreply@blogger.com1