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Valentine's Day and it seems appropriate to give thanks to our
partners of the opposite sex who contribute so much to the outdoor
experience. Today we show our appreciation with flowers, chocolates,
cards, dinners, gifts, and a lot more attention. Something, which
our partners will probably remind us we should do all the time,
not just today. In fact, I was strongly reminded that this might
be a good choice for this week's column.
Sharing
There is nothing better than sharing the outdoors with your love
partner. That sharing can take many forms. There are couples who
share an equal passion and can't wait for the holiday or weekend
to ski, hike, camp, fish, canoe, bike, walk or whatever. A friend
of mine's wife was a great example. Marge threw a fly better than
most guys, was an incredible skier, hunted the high country and
backpacked everywhere with her husband Bill. In fact, on their honeymoon
they went hunting moose. Now Bill knew Marge was an outdoorswoman,
but when they spotted some fresh sign and Marge offered to call
up a bull, Bill replied, "Yeah sure, call up a dozen or so."
Marge started calling and within minutes an amorous, young, belligerent
bull appeared and kept them up a tree for the next two and half-hours.
Bill never doubts anything Marge says in the field anymore.
Not sharing
On the other side of the spectrum are the partners who don't enjoy
the outdoors as much but recognize their partner's need to be afield.
Those are the patient, selfless ones who prepare lunches, clean
the mess of returning gear, can the food, prepare the meat and fish,
and endure the endless expenditures of new gear, that is of the
absolute 'must have now' variety.
They endure being weekend widows because they also respect your
need to be outside. One of my long-time friends has a wife who is
extremely well organized. She doesn't spend that much time on the
boat or in the bush but makes up for it in spades. Carol is always
canning salmon or berries, preparing gourmet wild game meals, and
allowing my buddy frequent trips away. We should all be so lucky.
In between
Most of our 'significant other' partners fall somewhere in between.
They like the trip as long as there are no bears,the weather is
warm and sunny, there are no bugs, wind or rain, it is safe, and
accommodations are somewhere between the Four Seasons and KOA. Trails
should be smooth and groomed, clean washrooms and showers must be
close at hand, reasonable hours must be kept, sleeping in is mandatory,
and kids must be well behaved.
(All previous issues are stored in the ARCHIVE
for your convenience)
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And there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes it
is nice to be civilized, take the time to enjoy each other and not
make that outing another episode of 'Survivor.' Meals are certainly
better at reasonable times. A relaxing snooze in the middle of the
day is welcome, and a chance to get out of the home environment
hopefully recharges the relationship.
Guerilla fishing
Many a trip with the buddies takes on the form of
guerilla fishing. Dawn to dusk marathons fueled by junk food, luke
warm bad coffee, questionable manners and bad air. Competitive tendencies
ignite and late night unintelligible discourses on world problems
around the campfire are the norm. We wouldn't trade these trips
for anything, as they are a part of the rites of passage. As adults
we can remember the trips with fathers, grandfathers and friends
and the learning experience. It was a part of growing up and most
of us are still growing up.
Thank you
So today we say thank you, to all those loved ones who share our
great love for the outdoors and all it has to offer. We appreciate
it and should repeat often. Happy Valentine's Day.
Getting gear ready
Fishing season is still a couple of months away, but now is the
time to get your gear ready. Avoid the rush and get that motor serviced.
Boat repairs can begin, if you have a garage.
Check all the guides on your fishing rods for nicks or cracks.
If a nylon stocking or pantyhose pulled through the guide catches
you must replace the guide. Check with the wife for an old stocking
or your 'honey do' list may grow. Reels should be serviced now;
not brought in the day you want to go fishing. Every spring there
is a lineup of anglers who need reels fixed now even though they
were not working right at the tail end of last season.
Reels
Reel repairs take time and you can not expect the service guys
to drop what they are working on to fix yours. Every tackle shop
needs a sign saying, 'Poor planning on your part does not constitute
an emergency on my part.' Spools should be filled with fresh line
and to the proper depth. Only when a reel is filled to capacity
will you cast the maximum distance. Replace rusted hooks, check
split rings on the lures and polish if needed. All reels should
be cleaned and oiled. Avoid the rush and the early season panic
by getting that tackle ready now.
Today's Quote:
If people concentrated on the really important things in life there
would be a shortage of fishing rods.
(We are changing to a new publish day - Monday
of each week)
More of Bob's photos on the Photo
page
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