Doggy days of winter

For her 10th Birthday, Ariel received a sewing machine and has been taking weekly sewing lessons from Mom Rathbun - A.K.A. Grammy.

Over the past few months she has made herself an outfit, little pillows for everyone and most recently a sweater for Gabriel - our Min Pin.

Most of the people who read this know that Gabriel had an accident as a puppy and as a result does not use his right leg very much. Supporting his weight with and relying on only 1 front leg has caused him to develop the muscle mass of a bull dog rather than that of a little lap dog!

Now I am not a big fan of dressing up animals but you can't help but feel bad for the little guy when the mercury drops and after his morning jaunt he curls up in a little ball and shivers in a feeble attempt to warm up.

We tried a couple of different store bought sweaters that we found on the mark down rack but due to his massive shoulder muscles they just didn't fit comfortably and were a pain in the Hiney to put on and take off.

Rebecca decided to do some research and ended up finding a pattern and after taking some measurements passed the project over to Ariel. Below are some pictures of the finished project. Needless to say - as a man who attaches loose buttons with a fishing knot and has no understanding of how a sewing machine works - I am very impressed and look forward to seeing her talents progress.

Top view

Bottom View

Getting warmer

Our little "hot dog"



Now he might not look too pleased in the pictures above but after feeling the warmth return to his achy little bones he was happy as a "bug in a rug" for lack of a better term!

Tagged - Blog Meme.

Here are the rules:

1. Go to your documents/pictures files.

2. Go to the 6th file folder.

3. Find the 6th picture.

4. Blog about it.

5. Tag 6 friends to do the same.



Now I normally poo-poo these kind of things but have decided not to be such a party pooper (or in this case - meme pooper) in 2009! Due to the fact most of the people I know who would participate have already been tagged I will be ignoring rule # 5.

This picture was taken during the summer of 2007. Alex and I spent the day together while Ariel was away at summer camp. We went fishing on State Line Pond and I taught Alex how to fish with rubber worms. We had a great day on the water and Alex caught several fish and was really excited when he reeled in this nice little bass. I have great memories of summer days spent fishing with my dad and now I have begun to make new memories with my son.

The warm sun on our face - the hum of dragonfly wings

The calming sound of waves lapping against the side of the boat

The excitement of a child catching a fish

The Memories that can never be taken away

That is what this picture reminds me of!

Winter Fun with the Family

As everyone knows I really enjoy the fall and winter months. I enjoy the time spent in the great outdoors in the cool weather and both my kids are following in my foot steps. We have had the chance to go out Ice fishing with my cousins the past 2 weekends. The first weekend was cold, sunny and the ice was like glass - the next weekend was actually -4 degrees out on the ice but there was a nice coating of snow which made walking around much better. As always we kept warm with a steady flow of food - Deer venison, Caribou venison and sausage, goose meat, corned beef hash, chicken eggs - fresh from my little farm, and the menu goes on and on! It is nice to spend time outside in the fresh air doing something I love - Fishing. What makes it even better is my kids are out there with me as well as my extended family from my fathers side.
The Cousins
Ariel with her first catch of the day

Alex and Sonny's trout

Getting Jiggy with it!

Waiting Patiently with a Smile

The Great Procrastinator.

I start by asking - What and/or Who defines Tomorrow?

I realize that my last post said to look out for a post "tomorrow" but for some strange reason it has been over a month since I last sat down and posted here on my blog.

Am I the King of all Excuses?
Well I could be if I tried but I will spare you my feeble attempts to explain why I have been just plain lazy and inattentive to my posting!

This past December went by quickly and to be honest I really don't remember a whole lot about it other than the time spent with family and friends during the holidays.

Well considering that today is a tomorrow to a past date here is a day time and night time picture of the Christmas Tree in all its glory set up in the house.

Oh Christmas tree - 2008

The Christmas season is upon us again! In keeping with our family tradition we went out this week and cut down our Christmas Tree.

We have been getting the same kind of tree the past 3 years - it is a conifer that smells like citrus when the needles are rubbed.

It was a nice cold day and we enjoyed ourselves despite the fact that there is no snow on the ground - something that was corrected the next day!

As in years past the first tree we found was the one that we ended up taking.

I enjoy the time that we spend together looking for a tree each year and even though we almost always find a tree immediately after walking into the tree farm - I always spend at least a half hour walking around before cutting it down just so we can enjoy the experience and develop life long memories.

The kids with the Chosen Tree
Me and the Love of my life - Rebecca


My Awesome Family

Me and my Kids

Ariel and Alex posing with the

2008 Christmas Tree

Be on the look out for the next post tomorrow which will be of the tree in our home with all its glorious decorations and lights!

Friends + Sports = A Night of FUN!

It has been awhile since I have sat down and tended to my Blog and I realized that there have been several events worth blogging about. A couple of weeks ago we had a family night out with one of our good friends family. We went to a UCONN Hockey home game.

I recommend that anyone with a family who is looking for a great night out as a family without draining the savings account take a look into attending a college game. I spent less for a family of 4 than it would have cost for a large 2 topping pizza!

After picking out our seats behind the penalty boxes Mitch and I made our way over to a table which the kids could sign up for a chance to participate in a friendly competition on the ice between periods. There were several different contests and raffles that we signed up for along with everyone in our family.

The game was exciting and it was nice to spend time with friends and watch my kid's competitive spirit come out. Despite our Team losing in the final period we had a great time.

The highlight of the evening was between periods when Ariel's name was called out over the loudspeaker as one of the chosen contestants for "Dress like a Husky" - It was at this time I realized that we never mentioned to the kids that we had entered their names! Ariel was really excited thinking that she had won something - it wasn't till she realized that she had to go out onto the ice in front of everyone there that she started to get nervous and wanted to back out of the competition.

After a little teasing and lots of encouragement she made her way out onto the ice. She competed against another little girl by moving down the ice putting on a UCONN hockey uniform and shooting a puck into the goal. She moved swiftly through the competition until she took the shot on goal! Thankfully due to her speed in the beginning of the course she had just enough time to recover the puck and send it to its home in the net!

The Omelettes are coming - The omelettes are coming!

No, its not the British its the chickens! It seems like just yesterday the "girls" were nothing more than a bunch of tiny puff balls - they sure do grow up fast!

This past week the Girls turned 20 weeks old and right on schedule they started presenting us with our much awaited little golden eggs. Well OK they might not be "golden" eggs but they sure are golden delicious on the inside.

Last Sunday Ariel found 2 soft shelled eggs under the deck then on Tuesday we found 1 egg in on of the nesting boxes - then Wednesday there were 2 more eggs. Today there were 2 eggs that were broken due to the hens dropping them as they flew off their roosts this morning and 2 more in the nesting boxes this afternoon!

The kids have enjoyed checking for eggs throughout the day and I will soon be enjoying my first omelet!

Autumn Bounty

So today was the opening day of the 2008 Shotgun/Rifle Deer Season here in the Great North Woods which means I am on VACATION! This past week I completed my normal chores before heading out into the woods - ensuring all of my deer guns are still sighted in, a thorough cleaning of the guns, organizing all of my cold weather hunting gear, etc...

Both of my hunting buddies spent the day with me from sunrise to sunset. We were in the woods in time to watch the sun rise and the temperature drop this morning. It was one of the first cold days we have had in the area which meant the deer were moving.

During morning stand Seth and I sat back to back and were lucky to see 2 nice deer - not nice enough to come within the range of our shotguns - but it was still a treat to watch them as they made their way through the woods, and we all got an up close and personal look at one of the local fishers.

After 3 hours of sitting and waiting we were all trying to remember what our fingers and toes felt like so we hiked out of the woods and decided it was time for a nice warm late morning breakfast.

We all got a good laugh as we drove down the road and spotted a nice sized buck standing in the farmers field at the end of the street - it almost seemed as if he was mocking us by standing there in all his majestic beauty on a farm that we can't hunt on! All I can do is pray that he makes his way through the woods to my back yard - then we will see who has the last laugh!

After a filling breakfast we headed out to another piece of property and settled in for the afternoon. It wasn't very long until I saw a doe walking along the edge of the brook and around the same time my buddy Jayson had one walking past him - once again deer in the area but not close enough to take a responsible shot.

Just about the time my hands and feet started to lose feeling I noticed movement about 100 yards in front of me. To my delight there were 2 deer working their way towards me but every time they were about to enter my shooting lane they would veer off into the thickets. The area I have my stand was dry when I picked the spot for my stand but due to all the rain we had last week it is now back to its swamp form and all iced over. To my surprise they kept working the edge and after about 30 minutes one of them stepped out of the underbrush and presented me with a clean shot.

My trusty 35 cal. rang out and my shot was true. As I was thanking God for allowing me to provide my family with another seasons bounty of meat I realized that I never saw the second deer run away! I began to scan the area when I spotted it bedded down just behind the one I shot, as I was moving around in my stand I banged metal against metal and the second deer immediately stood up. As it came out of the thicket I took aim and once again my gun rang out into the silence of the woods. The deer ran towards me and I took a second shot which finished the deed.

I wish that everyone in my hunting party had harvested a deer today but I know that I have always been happy when a friend has a good day in the field so I will take comfort in the fact that today was my turn to fill the freezer first.

I look forward to many more relaxing days spent in the woods hunting but for tonight I am reflecting on the great day I had today and the fact that Rebecca won't have to worry about me being home in time for Thanksgiving Dinner!

Peek - A - Boo we see you...

So here I sit at 6:05 pm with about 20 minutes of light still left in the day...

What relevance does the above statement hold you are asking yourself - Well anyone who knows a deer hunter knows that you stay in the woods as long as physically possible.

Today I actually finished my scheduled jobs and made it home in time to get in a few hours of hunting. It is archery season here in the great north woods and now that the mercury has finally dropped as well as the majority of the leaves from the trees I have been itching to get out and spend some time in God's majestic creation.

I decided to hunt the property behind my house. I set my smaller ladder stand up in the woods a few weeks back but due to my recent injury and the amount of work in our area I have not spent any time hunting or scouting until today.

I made my way into the woods and settled into my tree stand. In order to cover up some of the noise I made coming into the woods I blew my doe grunt a couple times. Like most of my hunting trips there were lots of squirrels, chipmunks, a red tailed hawk and a Big ol' owl (unsure what kind - I think it was a great horned owl due to its size).

The squirrels were making LOTS of noise moving the acorns to and fro when I began hearing some crunching of leaves that just sounded different from the squirrels and stood out from all the other nature sounds. I focused in on the noise and sure enough it was behind me, as I turned my head I spotted 2 does coming towards me. They were about 15 yards behind me so I stood up grabbed my bow and waited for them to step out into the logging road. Instead of committing suicide they began to walk away from me and as soon as they were in the only spot I didn't have a shot they jumped the road and into the woods directly behind my stand. I lifted my bow over my head and twisted so that I could face the other side of the tree and immediately realized that due to a large branch there was no way I could draw back while standing. I took and put my left leg up on the seat of the stand and went to kneel down on my right leg when I heard the sound all hunters dread - a loud wheeze and several foot stomps! I never even saw the other 5 deer getting ready to cross the logging road until it was too late, in an instant they were gone.

When I looked back the original 2 deer were still standing in the grove of saplings (at this point I was really wishing it was gun season) and continued to stand there for over 15 minutes trying to figure out what spooked everyone else. They finally felt at ease and started browsing around.

I calmed myself back down and waited for them to work their way into the shooting lane on my left. They teased me for almost 30 minutes and despite being just over 10 feet away they never stepped into the opening. Then all of a sudden they threw their flags into the air and bounded through the opening and over the knoll. As I turned to sit down I found out what spooked them - it was me! Just as I began to sit down I noticed the original 5 deer that I scared - they had worked their way back around and were standing in the logging road, directly below my stand and all 5 of them were staring up at me trying to figure out what exactly I was! Needless to say this all took place in a matter of moments and before I could let out a sigh of frustration they were gone.

Now if this was the last day of the season I might be upset and feeling defeated - but its not - this was my first day in the woods! So despite walking home without a deer dragging behind me I have a smile on my face - not only did I see a deer - I saw a whole bunch of them and they were up close and personal - not 200 yards away like the shots made on most of the hunting shows they have on TV.

I hope the rest of my 2008 hunting season is as eventful as today's trip was but even if it isn't I will still enjoy my time in the woods, whether it is with my kids, my friends, or all by myself.

Here is to hoping for a full freezer and my next hunting post being filled with photos!

Grand Stand 2 - In the woods!

Once upon a time there was a boy.
A boy who loved to play in the woods.
No, he wasn't raised by wolves, although being partially Italian he and his kin were often quite hairy!
The boy grew into a man and in doing so he took on the responsibility of a job and a wonderful family. Despite this, he still took time to reflect upon his upbringing and during the calm days of fall and winter he would retreat to what was familiar to him - the enchanted forest know as the Deep North Woods.

The Boy

In the woods there was a special place that the boy spent reflecting on past memories. Sometimes he was alone in his thoughts and other times his memories were shared with a friend. The spot was marked by a large majestic white pine. This tree was there long before the boy and will probably be there long after he's gone. A tree that's been witness to laughter and tears, the occasional frustration (at not seeing the deer standing behind the boy!) but more often than not it has been witness to sheer relaxation!

The tree (in the back center of the picture)

So once again the air has turned cool and the leaves have begun to change from green to bright hues of orange and red. Yes, autumn has arrived - and the boy has become restless with thoughts of days spent from sunrise to sunset while sitting in the calm of the woods. With daylight hours shrinking he has called upon his fellow woodsmen to assist with the placement of his tree stand. Without hesitation this friend leaps into action and within mere moments the boy and his friend are once again in the calm of the Deep North Wood.

BFF - Uncle Jayson - My fellow woodsman
As the afternoon slowly ticked away the boy and his friend transported the Grand Stand deep into the woods. Past the special tree and into the swamp. The boy was amazed at the ease of raising the stand with the help of his 6'7" friend. The stand was assembled and raised to its resting place for the remainder of 2008 - which resulted in much celebration. The small obstructions were cleared to make way for clean shots - whether they be by bow and arrow, or shotgun, or rifle. The blind was hung around the stand with care, in anticipation that soon a deer would be there.

The Grand Stand - Can you find it?
For now my responsibilities call, but vacation is nearing and with true aim a deer or two will hopefully fall. My freezer is longing for steaks and for stew, not to mention the jerky and venison burger too! So if my blogging is scarce and posts are far in between - fear not I'm still with you but in nature I'd much rather be!