Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

To my friends and family. I wish you all the best.

Flat Land

Bryan, Dad, Parker and I all spent Halloween weekend in a little farming community in N. Dakota this year chasing pheasants. It was Parker's first big hunting trip, and I decided I wouldn't miss it if I could help it.
(Not pictured: the best looking one in the group.)
I remember how excited I was at his age to get to go hunting with my dad and the rest of the "F troop". I would be so excited that I'd usually wake up before my Dad, which was no small feat.
I think back to all my favorite memories of hunting as a kid, and mostly they are about the people and the good times we shared. That is the reason that I mostly hunt today.

I almost didn't go on the trip because of work, but when I heard that my nephew, (the book worm), was excited about going; I knew I couldn't miss it. I am very glad I didn't.

This year I did very little hunting for myself. Actually those pheasants were the only thing that I harvested. Thanks to Lena, we have deer and elk to eat...
However, I had a great hunting season despite the tough archery season and the never ending rifle season. I did a lot of guiding this year, even though I took a little time off. I got to guide with my big brother for almost two weeks, and hunted for two days with Dad, Bry, and P.K. That is the most hunting I have got to do with all of them for quite a while.

The pheasant hunting turned out to be quite good. We got lots of birds and had lots of shooting. The dogs did pretty well for the most part. I have to say that I saw my dad loose his temper like I haven't seen for a very long time. Bad Casper. Betsy is not a bird dog, but seemed to enjoy the heck out of eating them. Her and Casper are big pals.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was hanging out at night with my family. We had a few beers, played rummy, and sat in the hot tub. Parker loved the water slide at the hotel. I will look back on this trip for a long time. It was fun to see my dad and Bry swell like toads over Parker when he got his first bird.

Long live traditions.

I've been busy.

Ok, I am going to start trying to blog again. I have tried a few times this summer and fall, only to be hindered by my computer. I don't know why but it wouldn't let me publish my last few posts. I have been very busy lately, but due to the winter things will be slowing down somewhat. I will do my best.

out of Africa

We have been very busy lately, so no blogging. I survived guiding archery season. Not a lot of success but some good times and new friends came about.

My brother Joshua came out to help for a couple weeks, and I really appreciated the help. It was the most time we got to spend together in at least a decade.

Our pup, Betsy, has been growing like a weed and is turning out to be a real good little dog. She is smarter than most children and learns very quickly. Last week she started chasing cows and I am very proud of her. I am spoiling her rotten.

Lena's trip to Tanzania went really well, and I am glad to have her back home in Montana. She said she is very thankful to live where she does, and even the Masai have cell phones.

Lena is taking a new job starting in November and we are very excited about it. She will be working with the doctors in the E.R. and the urgent care. I am really excited about her schedule! She will have three 12hr shifts a week.

My best bud Randy and his lovely wife Carey came to visit us last weekend. We had a good time with them and I wish I could see them more often.

I am taking time for myself this rifle season, and not working every single day. I am going to hunt with my Dad and brother Bryan and Parker in North Dakota at the end of the month. I am pretty excited about it.

I am also going to a wedding in Athens Ga. the 16th of November. It should be a good reunion for my old teammates from college.

Moving

There are a few things in this world that I hate, and moving is one of them. We are up to our necks in boxes of crap, that I'm not really sure if I need anymore. The more you have to move something the less you want it. Just think about that when you go to the store. "Am I going to have to box up this peice of crap and move it multiple times?" Chances are you won't be buying it.

The trick is to simplify your life. I am thinking about disposable dishes right now.

We are moving from our "Honey Moon Sweet" a.k.a. the double wide, to the "Honey moon is over sweet" a.k.a. the bunkhouse. Why the new name, about half the square footage... But it is nice, and more importantly Tax Free Income.

The view out our bedroom window is pretty awesome, stars at night and mountains in the morning. I can see daylight at the end of this junk show.

Summer Daze

With the absence of spring in Montana, summer has arrived almost unbelievably and overwhelmingly. We find ourselves incredibly busy and without rest, like a tough exercise with no warm up.


My Smith River season has come and gone, short but sweet. I have endured my worst June ever as a fishing guide, but busiest yet in terms of work. We have moved the cows up to the high country, and driven them over the quickly melting snow banks. The fences are intact and up for the time being. Even though the weather was miserable, the "spring" went inconceivably fast.


Summer still seems fresh, even though most people have only been moving their lawns for about a month. It truly is a daze between work, family gatherings, friends, rodeos, dinner, and sleep. Even though the days are longer, it seems there is never enough time.


Soon enough we will hit the point of exhaustion and tire of the heat, all though it seems hard to imagine after our last winter, we will be ready for change yet again. Sometimes, we must tell ourselves to slow down and enjoy the present of each day without any thought of tomorrow.

A very happy birthday yesterday to my little buddy. Lots of memories... More to come...

Changing gears

I bought a new truck today, and traded in my f-150. I really wasn't sad to see it go, even though it was kind of home for a couple years...
I put 130,000 miles on that truck in five years. It was time, even though the last thing I wanted was a payment. Now Lena and I have matching vehicles, white 2010 Toyotas. She has the Rav-4, and I have the tundra. We're like a couple a couple of old farts.

Continued Education

A man I was guiding the other day asked me what I went to college to do?

Which is a pretty common question, and the more and more I think about it, a very loaded question. The answer is... I'm not real sure. I guess because I could and everyone told me I was supposed to.

For a little while I thought I was going to change the world, after that I though I was just there to wrestle. Mix in a few extra curricular activities and you change your focus.

I thought I wanted to be a teacher, but that has been dramatically fading for the last five years almost to the point of oblivion. I have stumbled upon other jobs and a lifestyle that I love.

I look back at how I thought in college, and some of my views have changed, but not all. I still enjoy being around young people, and coaching fulfills that part. However, I have begun to doubt my enjoyment of teaching full time. There is too much to deal with outside of the marrow of the job. Politics and Parents make me cringe, along with all the enabling running rampant. I also could not tolerate a full time job in doors. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking in the first place.

College was a place for me to learn and grow as a person away from my parents home. I don't know that I ever had a plan in the first place, even when it seems like I did for a little while. I think the best answer I could give is the truth. I went to college for myself.

I went to wrestle at the D-1 level. I went to meet friends. I went to meet... um... not friends? Girls, beer, new experiences, and of course... The Education!

I truly had the time of my life, and I owe my parents and coaches and friends for that.

I still am not sure what I want to do when I grow up, but I think I am figuring it out slowly. The same guy asked me if I ever thought about going back to school for another degree?

Yes I have, and even though I enjoyed it so much the first time, I would rather take a good beating than go back. Once was enough. I could never pretend to pay attention and care again.

I will continue my education in life, learning from people and my own mistakes.

getting humbled

Today I guided my first day of the season on the Missouri. I got my butt kicked to say the least. The water is really high and the fishing wasn't that good, on top of that it was windy. Thankfully, I had a client who was kind, patient, and fun to spend the day with. The river is almost 15,000 cubic feet per second, almost twice its normal flows.
I felt like finding a tall drink to crawl into and lick my wounds, but instead I took the high road and am trying to think positive about the next couple of days. We boated a few fish, but all in all it was a subpar performance on my part. I won't make (too many) excuses, but I wasn't able to do my job like I expect myself to do.
Sometimes we need to be humbled to keep us working hard, or at least that is what I tell myself. It was good to get back on the water, and it was nice to see some friends I haven't seen in a while.
Tomorrow is a new day. Hopefully I won't be eating another turd sandwich.

Update

After more than a year of B.S. our little minor subdivision was approved by the county. I am not too excited yet, because we still haven't bought the land. Hopefully that will be soon because that money is burning a hole in our pockets...
It seems as though spring might actually be here, but today it felt more like summer. I will not complain as long as it doesn't snow anymore. The light is staying longer each day, climbing higher in the sky until the solstice in a little over a month. I have never understood the irony of the summer sky. Even though the days last longer they seem to pass by faster and faster until it becomes winter once again. Never mind, I don't want to think about it.
Branding season is upon us here. We branded our big bunch last weekend and it was a great party. Lena even wrestled a calf, well kind of... she pretty much just held it down. Now we will continue to help the neighbors brand and be social butterflies. The best thing about branding is turning out the cows, no more feeding! Now its just a lot of fencing and harrowing hay fields.
I also came up with a new official job title for myself: Livestock Containment Specialist. Its better than "Fencer".
Fishing season is also here and things are gonna get busy fast. I start guiding a little next week. Hello summer, goodbye spare time. I am excited to get back on the water. It has been too long.
Lena and I are planning on selling our bridal palace and moving out to the bunk house at the Neal ranch. We want to save some money and pay down some of our debt before we build a house. All in all it is gonna be a busy summer.

mothers day

Happy Mothers Day! to my beautiful and wonderful mom. I love you so much and I wish I was home for dinner. I can't wait to give you a big hug.

The Cunningham's

I got a glimpse into the past this week while watching a movie with my buddies. I told them I grew up across the street from the Northern Idaho version of the people in the movie. It blew my mind how much I had forgotten about the Cunningham's.
If you want to learn a little about the people I grew up next to, I suggest you watch The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. Prepare yourself mentally. It is crazy to say the least.

The Beauty of Easter

I have to say that even when I was a little kid, Easter was my most favorite of holidays. I had no real concrete understanding of the Resurrection, but somehow I knew it was important because it was the only day my dad would ever go to church. That is not why it was my favorite Holiday. In the northern Rockies it is usually just about the right time for spring to finally show up. Lets also not forget I have a vicious sweet tooth.

I loved being able to go outside and run around on the Easter egg hunt with my family during what was usually the first nice day of spring. I loved the wonderful Easter baskets my mom would make for us and hide around the house. We would tear into them like Christmas morning and I would go right for the bunny.

After we grew out of the egg hunt, I continued to stay outside. Most years we would be fishing down at the creek, and would have to race home in time for dinner. As I got older it turned into hunting for turkeys or Morel mushrooms with my dad, an Easter egg hunt for grown ups. However, I was never late for Easter dinner. My mom always made ham, one other great reason to be a christian. I love the pig, especially my mother's ham dinner.

Over the years I have come to love other things about Easter, and I have a more solid understanding of Jesus and what he did for us. I still love going outside and enjoying the weather. Seeing the first green grass shoot from the dead brown cover of winter, a Resurrection of its own.

Yesterday I gathered with friends and branded calves in the bright, and finally warm sun. Smiles and laughter flooded the area. Today I will celebrate the Resurrection with my wife, one of my very best friends, and some family. The sun is shining and new life is returning to the Rockies. I no longer crave the candy as much as I used to, but I love Easter all the same.

-47

I started monday for the -47 Neal Ranch. I am so thankful to be busy again, and thankful to be working outside with my hands. I know I wasn't made for indoor jobs, and struggled through the long winter of semi-unemployment. It is nice to be back working, even if it means that I work everyday. Lena says I had enough time off already. The days so far consist of fencing, harrowing, feeding, and occasionally doctoring. The last is the best, and I would do it for free anytime. My boss, Bruce, still doctors off horseback. I am getting very excited for branding, which we will start next week. I can hardly wait.

Piece of mind

Yesterday I was scrubbing a disgusting refrigerator that didn't belong to me, and I found myself wondering why I went to college? To make it even better I turned down a job in Nashville that pays about three times what I make now. It does not make sense to most people, and I understand why. I felt kind of foolish while I strained to scrub off layers of grime with little reward. What makes sense is living where I want to, and doing a lot of things that I want to. I am happy with who I am and where I am in life. I do not need to go off anywhere chasing rainbows. I have what I want right here. I wonder if most people ever find that?

Big decisions

About a month ago I decided to take a job working for a ranch outside of Helena. It's not totally full time, because I can continue to guide, but it will keep me busy through the slow months. It is going to keep me really busy through the busy months. It doesn't pay a lot, but it is a good job, and free housing if we chose to move out there. We are considering it, only for a little while though. Today, I got a whole other kind of job offer that really took me by surprise. A hunting client that I have gotten to know over the past two seasons called me and asked if I wanted to move to Nashville, TN and work for him. It is a national sales manager position for an outdoor/sporting goods company. It requires me to travel, and move to Nashville. It also pays very well. Money is not everything, nor does it have that much pull over me, but it is a little enticing. I am wondering if I could ever leave the Rockies? Lena and I are both open to new opportunities, and new experiences. I know I wouldn't want to leave Montana for more than a couple of years, if ever. This is not an easy thing to decide.

Bird Watching

I used to sit at the kitchen table with my grandparents and watch birds. I never fully appreciated the simple looking Robbins, or the finches, even the flickers. My favorite were always the blue birds that showed up with the really warm weather. Along with western tanningers, they still may be my favorite. However, I have a new found appreciation for the other more simple looking song birds that leave the north for the winter.
Now days I find my spirit lifted to see so many birds returning to the once barren north. For the last few long months, the only birds that have known the cold are the magpies and the ravens, and a few small chickadees that tough it out.
Every day I see more and more Robbins along with all sorts of waterfowl returning to the northern regions. I actually smiled when I saw sandhill cranes awkwardly cruising the hay fields for a bite to eat.
These birds tell me to rejoice that the winter is over, finally. There will be storms, but they will pass and soon enough the tanningers and the bluebirds of the summer will be here too.

Sunrise

Here I go again. Rubber side down on my way out of this big sprawling urban mess, moving on yet again.
I look in the rear view at the stranger with red eyes and stubbled jaw. I barely recognize myself after the weekend events. I smile back at the reflection and wink.
The yellow stripes fly by with the beat of the music. I tap my fingers on the top of my steering wheel and drink my coffee.
Glimpses of the last night with her flash through my mind. I push my hat brim back on my forehead as I look again to see my broad face in the mirror. I have to laugh a little and smile a demon smile. I can't remember the last time I felt that high.
The calm darkness is interrupted with threads of sunlight that stab from the east with a steady forcefulness that never needs to ask for permission. A dim creeping light approaches the sprawling valley and all those who still sleep.
I think back to her again, laughing and smiling at me. I can hardly wait for the next time around.
A few long days on the fence line will see me back to her with some more money to burn. More memories to pull from the flames.
The tip of the sun greets me without words, the pink mountains meet me with a cool morning breeze. Five days and I'll be headed back, wild as the weather.

When it's easy.

Sometimes I miss the days when I was in College, working at Shadow Valley Golf Course. Listening to my headphones as I concentrated on mowing perfect straight lines on the greens. Not thinking too much about the job at hand, but about anything and everything that came into my mind. It was simple work, mow, dig, rake, repeat.
I had jobs that were fairly easy, all it took was work to get them done. A little sweat, a little hustle, and very little mentally. That is easy work, work you can do by yourself. Sometimes there is nothing better.
Work that requires physical strenght beyond your means is hard. Work that requires mental ability beyond your means is harder. Anything that requires more than you have is hard, it's hard because you can't do it alone. Not just because you have to use a tool to help you, but mostly because you have to depend on someone else.
Things we can do on our own are easy, even if they aren't simple. When the situation brings in someone else it becomes hard.
It seems the more we need someone else's help, the more fragile we are. We become dependent on others, and so we become handicapped. That's when things get hard. Especially when you have a business and employees that depend on you.
They depend on you to provide for them and you can't do it alone, you are handicapped by other people.
I pray for the people in this postion. They are the ones who feel the brunt of true labor.
Not the people who run the shovels, or drive the trucks, stock the shelves, or clean up the mess. The people who do the work deserve a lot of credit, but the people who find the work for others to do deserve more credit. They take the real risks, and feel the real pressure.
I think too many people forget these things. It is part of the American entitlement mentality.

Spring????

I'm not sure if spring is finally coming or not... It feels familiar, but I don't trust Montana weather. I have been fooled many times before.
The sun is shining and the snow is melting, thanks to the high winds. Those are all familiar signs.
Perhaps the most telling one is the mud. Spring in our part of the country means mud. Mud everywhere. On your shoes to your shirt sleeves. On the inside and outside of your vehicle, and your house. It shows up on your floors, and sometimes even your furniture.
The thawing ground goes from hard as concrete, to slimy, sticky, sloppy mud.
I have decided I like mud in spite of the mess. Not because of the mud, of course, but because of what follows after the mud...
Warm weather, green grass, bright sun, and life on all fronts.
Bring on the mud.

The walking contradiction.

Imagine a person wearing designer clothing, from their shoes to their false fur lined coat, fake fur hat and sunglasses. It most likely is a woman, but today could also easily include a man.

Imagine them telling all their friends that the fur isn't real, because they oppose the cruel treatment of animals.

In one hand they have an expensive cup of coffee, with a plastic lid and paper cup made of "mostly recycled" material.

They also tell their friends how awesome and rewarding it is to live green, and how their energy bill has gone down with the new fluorescent light bulbs. A friend complements their beautiful diamond earings (still could be a man.)

In the other hand they have a giant paper sign written with paint that opposes drilling for oil. It could also say something about "protecting" animals, domestic or wild. It could also say something about stopping logging, using pesticides and fertilizers, or mining around the world.

After the rally their friends ask them if they want to grab a bite to eat across town at the new restaraunt, which apparently serves an awesome soy burger.

While they eat they tell all their friends about their new hybred car that is lighter and gets amazing gas mileage. When they finish the meal they pull out their desinger purse or wallet, and pay with their visa...


Most people probably wouldn't see the irony of this situation, especailly those involved. I have actually seen, and spoken to these kinds of people so I know they are real.
Most of the products of these people's everyday lives are extreemly reliant on the oil industry. It takes oil to make plastics, from the lid of their coffee cup to their designer sunglasses, or their visa card, car parts and paint on their signs. It takes oil to create energy to run machinery in the factories that make their products. It takes oil to clear timber, not only for their coffee cup and the sign they use, but to make room for the soy beans being grown in Brazil. Without pesticides and fertilizers, farmers would not be able to feed a tenth of the world's population. It takes oil for factory workers to get to their jobs. It takes oil to create synthetic fur. The alloys of their car, and diamonds in their ears are mined. The sewing machines used to make thier designer clothes are made of metals, and plastics. Their new "green" light bulbs are made of the same materials, which also contain mercury. The new restaraunt was built with steel, drywall, and lumber, and wired and plumbed with plastics and metals.
The "mistreatment of animals" that they oppose makes it possible and affordable, to feed and clothe most of our population. It also provides leather, and down for their clothes. I don't agree with all of the practices in place, but I care more about human life than I do about a chicken. That is reality.
Then, there are those whom would rather have synthetic clothes made from petroleum, than see an animal harvested for its skin.
Not only is this lifestyle philosophically rediculus, it is rediculusly espensive.
In truth these are the kinds of people who may depend the most on the Oil, Mining, Farming, and Logging industrys. They have become so full of their own sh#t that it clouds their minds and spews out of their mouths.

After their meal, they make plans for next weeks rally for higher taxes so they can fund more social programs and ease the burdens on the lower class. They pull out their smart phones to save the date in their calander.

tipping over the point

I am a fraid of where we are headed.
People learn politics from cartoons and mtv.
People care more about celebrities than they care about our soldiers over seas.
Nothing is sacred anymore on television, programs can swear and talk about sex with no reservations.
People give more money to organizations to feed animals than they do to feed hungry people.
People have forgotten where our food comes from and how we get it.
There are laws written every year to protect us from ourselves.
There are three kinds of murder instead of just murder.
The government can tell a building owner that no one is allowed to smoke in their building.
Lawyers can sue with no fear of losing, because in the U.S. the loser doesn't have to pay like they would in most other countries.
Most people think they deserve a job.
Most people think they also deserve a car and a house.
You can be sued for defending yourself.
Kids are taught to not fight back, because they must have done something to provoke an attack in the first place.
We are a society of victims.

I think we may be over the tipping point. This is not what America is supposed to be. We are ruled by the media and materialism.
Complaining has never solved any problems. I am trying to do something about it. If you want to do something about it, get involved in the lives of young men and women. Set a good example and be a mentor. Teach values and real life skills. Teach a kid to catch a fish and eat it. Teach a kid to work hard for something that they want. Teach a kid the importance of helping others and conecting in a personal way. Otherwise go back to watching Charlie Sheen.

King

Sometimes I like to go back in my mind. Back to late summer nights with my brothers, playing wiffle ball in the backyard or fishing down at the creek. We were legends in the making, great stars on the rise. Kings for the moment.
Sometimes I think about a girl from my past. Some I knew, and others I never got to know. I remember brief passing smiles, or a look from bright vibrant eyes that made my pulse quicken and my palms sweat. Half terrified. King for that moment.
Sometimes I am on the back patio with my best friends in college. Exploring the finer points of youth and freedom next to the fire. Living life without consequences, rouges on the verge of greatness. Kings for the moment.
Sometimes I am back on some lost highway by myself, watching the sunset paint the landscape as I pass on through like a tumbleweed. All I needed was some fuel money and good music. King for the moment.
Sometimes I am with Lena, high on the contenental divide engulfed in a moment forever shared only between the two of us. King for the moment.
My mind drifts through good times like a fallen leaf. Our lives cut through stone like the wind and the rain, shaping them with our memories. The wind moves along out of sight and out of mind, but memories remain. We can always go back for a moment, when we were highest. King of the moment.

Dad's Antelope

I got my Dad's antelope back from the taxidermist yesterday. It turned out really well. I am trading him the antelope mount and a badger rug, for a rifle of his.

When Lena sees the badger rug, she won't want to let it go.

Two years ago...

Two years ago, all of my best friends and my brothers stood by me as I gave my vows to Lena. It doesn't seem like we have been married that long at all.

This fall Dianne, our cook at Bear Paw Hunts, commented that we are still in the "Newly Wed" stage. I asked when that ends, because I had the impression it was a year or so? She replied, "All I know is that for Rusty and I, it happened a long time ago."

I hope it doesn't happen to Lena and I for a long time.

Why I live.

I think that if I am alive for one reason at all, besides to humor God, it is because of my wife, Lena. She is my favorite person in the world, even when she is pissed off at me.
I used to think that I was here for something special, like some kind of major event that would change the world. Now I don't know about that. I think I am more like Lt. Dan than Forest Gump. I am just another soul in the cosmos that may come into the life of someone great.
I think I already have.
I love young people, and I love being a part of their journey. Part of growing up is realizing that we probably won't become millionaires or rock stars, but just ordinary people. Settling into that reality is the hardest part of growing up, but also the most fulfilling.
I think all that life is about is finding that "one thing", like Jack Palance tells Billy Crystal in "City Slickers".
I think I have found mine.

Staying true

I know some people who have let their heads outgrow their hatbands over the last couple of years. They fall in love with themselves and become legends in their own minds. I can't stand self promotion and false bravado. I respect and relate only to real people.
The worst kind of these people are the ones who feel threatened by others, and so verbally beat them down behind their backs. I prefer calling a spade a spade.
If I have a problem with you, you will know about it.
I am not out to hurt anyone's feelings, but I am going to tell the truth, even if it isn't what they want to hear. I have been honest to a fault before.
My patience is growing shorter with age, and my ability to hold back my comments. I wish sometimes people learned that it is good to be humble, without me wanting to punch them in the mouth first.

Finding bottom.

I'm not talking about a euphemism for your butt, nor am I talking about waking up with your head in a urinal. I am talking about guts, and heart.
There are a lot of people who don't have any bottom.
Too many people don't have the guts to deal with things when they become really tough. They don't have enough heart to keep pushing when they run into a wall. They quit. They curl up and cry. They hide and make excuses for why they fail.
I see it more and more every year. It is a product of enabling and babying.
No one will get very far with out the guts to fight. It is impossible to live freely and happily with out grit. Sometimes you need to bear your teeth and clench your fists.
Bottom is the fight in us that comes from the deepest part of our guts and heart. It is the last bit of strength to pull us through the toughest of times.

I wish I could teach kids what this is. I believe it is one of the most important parts to a happy and healthy life.
Right now I am not convinced that I can teach it.

State of the Union.

I didn't even watch it. I couldn't. I would rather watch stupid immoral crap like jersey shore, which to me is like water-boarding. I don't have much faith in my government. I don't have much respect for the man who holds the office,(that I do respect). I am tired of politicians, and tired of their giant egos. I am tired of the greed that seems to fuel everything, even when it is hard to see. I truly believe that the only person who ever walked the planet with the soul purpose of others was Jesus Christ. Mother Teresa may have too. No politician has gotten into politics to help others. I believe it is all about self promotion. If they were really in this to help others and make things better for all people they would become missionaries.
This is the first state of the union address I can remember not watching at all. It makes me sad. I didn't watch it because I don't care, quite the contrary. I didn't watch it because I'm tired of the horse shit. I think too many people my age are watching Jersey shore. They don't care about the state of the union. Sometimes I feel like I am surrounded by morons.
"Rome fell because the citizens became apathetic." -Terry Gordon

Lena on a mission

Lena has decided to go on a medical mission in Tanzania this fall. She is very excited about the trip, and took almost no time at all to make up her mind to go. She only had to clear it with her boss, and she was all in. I think it will be a great experience for her, and I am very excited for her to go.
I am not going, because I am not medical personel therefore... I didn't get invited. Maybe when they ask for some hill-billys to go over an build things I will get to go. I think they need people like Lena a lot more. We will keep everyone updated on the details of the trip.

This man is paralyzed from the waist down. This is one of the moments that Lena and I got to take part in shortly before she got her first bull elk.

It made Lena emotional. I would be a liar if I said it didn't move me as well.

This is one reason that I love hunting.

Best day of 2010

I haven't been together with my brothers and their families for almost two years. I never realized how long that can really be, I know people who have been to prison and back sooner. Kids grow up so fast, everything seems to change on the surface, but not everything changes.
I got to ring in the new year with my family for the first time in a long time, I can't even remember the last time. I really enjoyed seeing my Mom and Dad, Brothers and Sisters(outlaws), and their kids. My aunt Laurie was with us too. It was hectic, and sometimes dramatic, but a lot of fun.
We went out to my grandmother's old house and enjoyed the frigid air and snow. We built a bon-fire and made a sledding course with the 4-wheeler. I got it stuck once.
Everyone had a good time, but not everyone made it to the fireworks. Some of us were partied out. I made it, but paid the price.
I tried to remember my best day in 2010, and it was very difficult. It really reminded me of how much I have to be thankful for.
Lots of moments flash through my mind, from my first anniversary with my wife, to Mexico with my best buddy. I remember great days on the river, or watching my parents dog learn to hunt. Reuniting with my pals, and watching my wife shoot her first bull elk. There is too much to even list. I know that the good times definitely out weigh the bad.
I will say that seeing all the kids was very special, even though being stuck with all those people in the house was not easy for me. I have a difficult time being indoors, especially around a lot of people. I feel like a caged animal, but I managed to survive.
The Kids:
Hudson. "uh-huhhh" How you answer everything that doesn't require a no.
Hannah. "I just... I just don't know." She wasn't sure if Bry and the kids could borrow her movie, even though her dad said yes.
Lilah. "Thats the second "F" word." I missed the education of the younger kids in the basement. They were learning how to spell all the bad words. Sadly I missed most of it, I think I could have learned something new.
Collin. Has a new evil laugh. Don't know how to write it out.
Parker. Making Yellow snow.