H is for Husband talking Hunting and Hogs

My husband has a passion.  Every year around the first of September he starts to get this itch he can't scratch for a few weeks.  He is a hunter at heart and a outdoorsman by nature.  I decided to ask him a few questions about his favorite pastime and thus I am killing three H's in one, Husband, Hunting  and hogs.   Before I get to his answers, I want to say a few words. 

I was never fond of guns or hunting before I met the man.  My brother is a hunter and it would drive me crazy, the dead animal photos on Facebook.  Who wants to see that?  Then I started dating Mr. Hunter himself and he took me to his land in East Texas.  I fell in love with the land but not so much hunting.  I thought it was all about killing animals.  

My husband explained something my brother tried to tell me 100 times.   Hunting has very little to do with killing although there is apparently a big rush when you actually do get your buck.   Hunting is about being responsible to yourself, family, friends and the land.  Hunting is about getting back to nature and taking care of the land the way our ancestors have done since we lived in caves.  Hunting is about work.  More importantly he explained that many of the deer would die without the hunters feeding them.   We feed the animals about 9 months of the year even thought hunting is around 2 months.   Feeding a herd for the hope that you get one good shot in the fall.  Sometimes even that doesn't happen but you still take care of the animals.  Finally, hunting is controlled and it controls the population limiting the number of deer that end up bumper decorations.   One place on the east coast disallowed hunting in the area and now the auto accidents with deer have exploded.   The deer can get into neighborhoods and eat whatever you have in your front yard. My husband shared this story.   In Wyoming where he grew up, people would sit baskets of apples out at night to keep the deer from eating their front lawns.

Alright, here is my interview with the man himself.


What is your favorite part of hunting?

-I like observing nature and sitting and watching everything.  Sitting in the stand and watching the animals.  Spending time with my friends and sometimes my wife and daughter, around a campfire with s'mores and laughter.   (The sometimes is because I don't go down with him all the time. I have things that have to be done at home.)  You see cardinals, ducks, squirrels, doves, migrating birds, raccoons, wrens, armadillos, road runners,  fox, bobcats, coyotes, owls, and once even a cougar.


What do you think the biggest misconception of hunting is?

-That it is all about the kill.   It encompasses so much more, discipline, delayed gratification. It teaches a work ethic to children and adults about taking care of your land.  Sometimes you even get the truck stuck working on the land.  (This is a shot at me because I did get the truck stuck).  You find a way to achieve a goal even if it is getting the truck out.   The goal is feeding your family but there are so many steps to get to the goal.  Also, when you do feed your family with animals you hunt, you know exactly where it came from and how it was processed.  There is no mystery meat included.  

What is your off season like outside of fishing?

-There is no off season.  We are still spending time on our land taking care of the animals even if we aren't hunting.  We are feeding them, being a steward of the land.  We are still enjoying nature, watching the birds and bugs.  We still have to cut the grass, taking care of the tractor and 4 wheelers, maintaining the trailers and you still put food out for the deer.  You feed them all year long so that somewhere in the year, you get your one deer to feed your family. hopefully.  (We didn't get any last year.)  When a tree falls across the road, you have to clear the tree but you even get firewood for your home.  Mowing the roads and fields makes the land have higher value but it also promotes growth of tender foliage and benefits the animals in the forest especially the browsers, like deer and rabbits.   Cows are grazers, they sit in one spot and just eat and eat.   Browsers nibble and then move to another spot. 

What do your want people to know about wild hogs?

-They are totally destructive.  They are not native to the land.  They are invasive.    They eat quail eggs and turkey eggs.  Anything that nests on the ground.  Wild hogs take the food from the deer and squirrels and other wild animals who eat acorns and other nuts.  They root up plants (This is a shocking sight.  It looks like a bomb or rototiller went off.)   They are uncontrollable.  Normal hunting practices can't even hope to contain the feral hog population much less control it.  They are invading cities too.  It isn't just the country folks that have to worry about them.   (The city of Dallas actually just hired people to help control the Feral hog populations. That is Dallas, Texas folks!)


I told you the other day that I can't talk baseball with my husband.  There are two things however that he could go on and on about, one is hunting and the other is fishing.   I want to thank my husband for letting me pick his brain.  Okay folks, we are off to the races, literally.  We have tickets to the Duck Commander 500 today where NASCAR meets camo and the beer flows freely. 

7 things My Husband changed about me

I am pushing total meltdown mode so forgive me for not blogging much.  First I have sort of a big decision I want to share, I am looking at finally finishing my degree.  I have contacted the University of Texas system to find out the easiest way to do this.   I obviously am not moving back to Austin to finish there but I would like to finish with one of their schools. 

Okay so that, work is crazy, and I am old, worn out,  and almost married a year.  I can't believe it either.  

Anyway, so a few days ago...a week ago my friend Military Wife and Pug Life sent me a challenge to reveal 7 things you may not know about me.  I thought there is no way there are 7 things left but I'm going to try. I am putting my spin on it, because that's how I roll.  

These are 7 things I never, ever did and probably would never have done without my husband.  (Nothing nasty people...come on now!)  In other words, the 7 ways my husband changed my life.  There are more, but these are the obvious ones. 

1. Guns: 

I would never have shot a gun without the hubs.  I shot once when I was a kid and walked away, totally afraid of the power.   It still scares me but now I shoot and like it. 

2. Fishing:  

I fished when I was a kid and hated it.  Now I find it therapeutic.  Being on the water is amazing and I truly enjoy our time together. 

Fish....

3. Hunting:

No I haven't shot anything and I may never shoot anything but I understand so much more not only the value of responsible hunting but the reasons why hunters respect the land, environment and nature way more than the average Joe. They feed the animals all year, not just during hunting season and without them, there would be a lot of starving animals on earth.  More than that, they respect the animal and give thanks for it.  They are careful in their kill and they are providing renewal.

Our tomatoes are growing!

4. Gardening: 

I never grew my own veggies before my husband.  Now we have onions, tomatoes, beets, cucumbers, squash, zucchini and a lot of herbs to make me smile. There is something about growing your own that just makes it better. 

5. Camping: 

Let me start off by saying I prefer hot and cold running water and a flush toilet any day but sleeping outside, under the stars, the way people use to, is amazing.  Yes, it can be hot or cold.  Yes, it can be full of bugs.  No, it isn't as comfortable as my bed.  Still, there is a peace sitting around a camp fire and eating a hot dog.  

6. Baseball: 

It isn't that my love for the great game has diminished it is simply that my life has become so much more full and being so full, I don't lean on baseball to fill my emptiness the way I use to.  Now, I watch when and I can and cheer always but I don't live and die by the game.  It's balance.  There is nothing wrong with loving your team or the sport but there is something wrong with falling into a depression when November comes and there is no baseball.  Now, I am looking forward to Thanksgiving with my husband and kid and camping and roasting marshmallows. 

7. Faith: 

It isn't that my husband has any special religious affiliation, he does not, but what he has is a faith in God through his love and respect of nature.  It is amazing the joy he has shown me in the simple things like watching a hummingbird or trying to get a mockingbird to copy your call. Every night we spend time outside, even though he spends his days working outside in the Texas heat.  Every night we enjoy the simple things like watching our chickens chest bump each other and run around the backyard eating bugs.  The man has a love of all living creatures, even the spiders and ants that our chickens eat, and a true faith that God gave us domain over all creatures on Earth.  He respects every living thing in a way that is unique and loving. 

Okay, those are the 7 things that have changed about me thanks to the man.  There are more, of course.  

I share baseball with him--Texas Rangers Baseball!

Thank you honey for putting a smile on my face and teaching me so much about our planet! 

Have a Pinteresting Wednesday 3 plus 10 Things I learned from my Husband

Have a Pinteresting Wednesday!

Okay all, because I didn't write a blog on Tuesday, I am giving you 2 blogs for the price of 1.  Try not to get too excited.  I would do the 2nd tomorrow but I have a special reveal planned for my Favorite Things link up tomorrow so let's check out what I find Pinteresting!

Most of my 'pins' each week go to my DIY section and I have pinned a bunch of China Cabinets that look something like this.   I don't know, but that may just be a project I am planning and Ideas taking shape.  You make what you will of it.

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I have to admit, I have been on a bit of a preaching mission lately with my friends....and in discussion with many people on my painting sites about this same issue...

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You see, there is this mega-furniture store that opened up with mass produced, pre-fabricated, cheap furniture and of course, the mice are flocking to the cheese.   I won't say the name but the place reminds me of Peyton Manning "Omaha, Omaha!".

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I simply have a hard time understanding why you would pay $1000 or more for a mass produced piece of junk when you can find a great low boy dresser and a good furniture artist to turn a quality piece of solid wood into something like this for about half that.   (Dressers in my area unfinished go for about $200-$300 depending on the detail.  If you are a friend of mine, I have even offered to paint it for free to get word of mouth out there for my 'business' in the making.  You simply supply me the paint and sealer, furniture, and the look you want and I will do it for you.  Now, I clearly am not doing this for everyone, just a few select friends but it is a pretty good offer.   However, if you want to go the Omaha route, have at it.  I prefer custom furniture that I can paint or stain the way I want and know that if I change my mind in 10 years, I can redo it because, it is solid wood and quality. (Rant over)

Baseball:  

It's time Rangers fans!  It's baseball time in Texas!  Well almost, Friday is opening day at the ballpark.  I will see you there!

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There is a really good chance that I am going to make both of these signs for my backyard out of pallets.  Stay tuned!

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Food

I am not going to lie to you, I am a pretty good cook but when it comes to making dinner during the week, a lot of times my husband and I turn to 2 things that make us happy and make us full.  One is bacon, eggs and toast.  I could eat it 3 nights a week and never get tired of it.   

The other?  Grilled Cheese.  We do the simple, velveeta on white breat with a little butter in a pan but my husband and kid swear mine is better than anyone else on the earth and my nieces came over for lunch one day and they admitted, I make a pretty darn good grilled cheese.  Of course, these 4 girls are also the same ones that argue over who makes better toast, my husband or my mother.  :)

I have this fantasy about opening a little place on a lake when I retire and selling nothing but different kinds of grilled cheese.  

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Rumor has it there is a grilled cheese burger at the Captian Morgan's Club at the ballpark.  I already told my husband and friend Larry, we have a date for splitting one.

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Who's hungry?

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Okay for the 2nd half of my blog I thought I would share 10 things I have learned from my husband.  I don't want to give him too much credit.  I have probably forgotten 10 times this many things he tried to teach me.  However, since we met 20 months ago  I have had several new experiences and these are a few of the things I have learned.


1. How to drive a boat.   Never needed to do this before hubs.  He isn't the most calmand understanding teacher but he teaches. I may be terrified to make a mistake but I learn. LOL! I can now reverse and go forward and I know how to move the propeller thingy up and down.  He made me watch a video about that but I forget what it is called but the jist is that when you have it one way more of your boat touches water and you go slower but when it is the other way, you go fast and only a few feet of your boat touches water.   It's pretty cool BTW, being in a boat and owning one.  Well, he owns it but it is really nice to have one to go out whenever we want.

2. How to back a trailer.   If you own a boat, you have to back a trailer.  If you want the trailer to go right, you turn it left.  See...I can do this.  I hate it, but I can do it.

3. Basic AC maintence like cleaning the outside unit and changing filters regularly.  Why?  It has nothing to do with your air quality.   It basically saves money.  Just do it.  Your AC runs more efficently, you have less chance of freezing over in the summer when a good AC guy is hard to come by (and my husband is out fishing on the weekend and not making house calls anyway because he does commercial)  and you are sitting in a miserable, hot house.

4. In that same thought, the lie about needing to change your thermostat to save energy.  Here is the thing coming from my AC guy hubs.  Your house, when you raise the thermostat when you are gone, gets hotter.  Makes sense right?  Well guess what, when you get home and turn it down it is now going to have to run twice as hard or more to get it cool again.  Now that seems logical but what it means in reality is this, your furniture, your counters, your appliances, your computers, your TVs, your floors and wall, all got hotter during the day so now to get them back down to a cooler temp, your AC is going on overload cooling.  If you had just left it at 72 or whatever all day, the house would have stayed 72 and cooled for the normal cycle and shut off but because you increased it to 80 when only Fluffy and Fido were home, your house is now going to be cooling half the night just to get it back to 72.

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5. Hunters get a bad rap by some bad hunters.  Much like bad cops give all cops a bad name and bad priests, well, you get my point.   Hunting is actually not only beneficial to the family it feeds but necessary to keep the animal population under control.  I know, I know, Bambi, but here is the thing, Bambi's mom, had she not gotten shot by a hunter, would have probably run out in front of a car and got hit by a driver during the rutt season and not only would the doe have died but also, possibly the occupants of the car.    The state of Texas strictly regulates how, when, where, and how many deer each year you can shoot You only have so many tags.   As for Ferel hogs, they are destructive, over populated, can't be controled no matter how many hunters eliminate each year, and moving into the city.  Don't believe me?  Take a look at what the Texas Parks and Wild Life Department has to say on them.  I was a tree hugging liberal most of my life and I hated hunting no matter what my brother the hunter said.   Joe showed me his land.  Then he showed me the way the hogs destroy and run rough shot over his land.   I saw how destructive and mean they are and I changed my mind.  Even though I don't like deer hunting because I think the animal is so amazing, I understand it.  People need to learn and stop speaking from ignorance.  I spoke from ignorance until my husband showed me the reality of nature.

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6. Fishing: I fished when I was a kid, but before Joe, there was no jigging for crappie in my life.  Before Joe, I had never caught a bass or heard catfish reels go off.  Before Joe, my fishing consisted of a bobber, a worm, and a lot of waiting.  I still like that kind of fishing, there is no pressure, but IF I have to pick which of the two I would rather spend time doing with my husband, it is fishing, hands down.  

7. How to use a chainsaw.  Never used one before hubs.  Never needed to use one before hubs.  Then we bought a house on an acre and a quarter with dead trees and I had to beg him to let me use his chainsaw.  If you missed it from all my furniture posts, I have a thing for the smell of wood so a sander, a saw, a ax, anything that gives me that amazing aroma of wood is something I am saying "I am in" for!

8. NASCAR:

I never watched a race before my husband.  I have since watched them (kind of) and now I am going to my first race this weekend, the Duck Commander 500.  I am so excited and only partly because I think Willie Roberston and clan will be there and I can't wait to see the Duck Dynasty guys. 

9.  Camo is cool.  No really, I took a look around the Racetrac in Princeton, Tx last weekend and I could not believe the number of guys that wear camo all the time.   Suddenly I realized, I like this kind of man.  He is strong, no nonsense, and when he makes his mind up (even when he is wrong and disagrees with his wife) he stands his ground.   That is what a real man is.  Real men wear camo and spit and make nasty sounds around a camp fire that they chuckle over.  

10.  The most important thing my husband has taught me is forgiveness isn't a one way street, saying "I am sorry" are not the hardest words to say, sometimes it is better to just not say anything so you don't have to apologize later and being right isn't as important as being loved.    

Love, Lust, and what???

You have heard that saying "Opposites attract"? Well, I never thought much about it but in a way it is true. There are certain things about my honey and me that are so opposite but that is part of the fun and why we work where others didn't for both of us. I'm not the hunting and fishing gal he thought he always wanted but I try and he isn't the baseball first guy I always thought I needed but he tries. He even went to a work function at the ballpark with me the other night and was a huge hit! Everyone loved him. He goes mountain biking with me sometimes, even though that's my thing, not his. We just work well together.

Here is the thing about us, I am your typical blogger-over sharer and he is very private so you don't see me talk about us for a reason...he hates it! I will probably get in trouble for just sharing this much but what the heck. We are happy. It's true.

We met simply as friends last August because neither of us were looking for anything but God knows better. Over time it became clear he was nothing I ever thought I wanted and everything I needed. I share this only because I know a lot of single women who have a list of things they 'need'. Throw it out and trust God to send you what you need.








If I had gone with my "list" I would have stuck with the same guys who broke my heart over and over instead of the one that finally treated me like I was worth cherishing. Just a note, don't discount someone because he seems wrong and don't make excuses for someone who treats you bad because he seems right.








The guys who seemed the most right to me were the ones who treated me with the least concern. My honey teases me that I just needed a redneck to know how a man really treats a lady. Maybe so. I do know this much, once you go redneck you never go back. Lol








As far as these e-cards are concerned they mostly just made me laugh.








A big RIP to Former Rangers and Cubs manager Don Zimmer. I remember him mostly from the Cubbies from the 80's but he was with a lot of teams over the years and was a baseball guy through and through. Baseball lost a great one and heaven got another class act.

Enjoy the Ride!

Simply,
Laura

Enjoy the Ride!

Simply,
Laura

At Home in the City

I have been gone so much the last 6 months that I am so looking forward to the end of this weekend and not being gone from my bed again for the next 6 months!

That's right I am hereby making a commitment that I am not going to sleep in a bed that isn't mine for the next 6 months, after this weekend. The truth is, camping is fine a few times a year but I just don't want to do it more than that. I don't like air mattresses and I am not a hunter. My level of concentration with fishing is about 2 hours before I get bored out of my head. I would rather sit on the boat and read than watch the water for nothing to happen! I like the outdoors but when my time outside is done, I want to come home, shower, and sleep in my bed at home.

Someone once told me I am just like they use to be before they got ill. I'm not. I am nothing like they use to be. I want to spend my weekends at the ballpark, walking at the park or mall, or on the back of a bicycle. I want to camp out in my bedroom on a rainy night and read a book. I want to spend an entire Saturday shopping! I want to sip a glass of wine and watch a movie. I want to get pedi's with my girls and have a Rita at Chuy's! I love a good hike in the woods but I don't want to live without plumbing, heat and air conditioning.


It's true. I admit it. I may have been born in the country but I am 100% city girl and proud of it. My idea of hunting is a good sale at the outlet malls! I don't have to kill anything to shop and most of the time there is no blood involved. I don't like killing things. I won't even clean a fish because their little poor selfs make me sad.

I won't apologize for who I am and I won't change. I like who I am. I have a big heart and I am good to those I love but I am who I am and that's not going to change. I like spending my summer nights chanting "Let's Go Rangers!" It is my happy place. I like country music at Gexa. I like shopping. Love me or don't but that's me.

My idea of the perfect vacation is Boston, Chicago, or Seattle. American League cities where I can see a new ballpark, shop and walk, a lot! My dream has always been to spend my honeymoon in Cooperstown, New York or Italy. I think I blogged this before. I mean the freaking Baseball Hall of Fame or shopping in Italy. Heaven! Those are trips I will probably make solo or with friends just like Spring Training which I plan on doing next year.



That's me. That's who I am. I gotta be me. Sorry, not sorry.

Simply,
Laura
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Guns and American's right to arms: the blog I wouldn't write a year ago

If you knew me in real life, you would know that while I am opinionated and stubborn, I am not violent. A year ago I was very anti-gun even though my father owned them and my brother owns them today. That changed when I met and became friends with and later started dating a hunter. No, he didn't brainwash me, he educated me.



What I learned from this hunter was that there are three types of people in this country, those who procure legal guns and are responsible, honest, hard working Americans who like to hunt, fish, and be a part of nature and have a love of nature that is second to none and who are incredibly respectful of fire arms, those that are irresponsible and don't respect the gun (these are the ones who let their teens have access to the weapons that kill other kids in school, for example) and the final group, those who are truly criminal and procure their guns illegally.



Recently, I became a gun owner. This is something I never in my life thought would happen and yet, I have a gun. It's a nice gun. It's a home protection gun. It's not readily available to anyone who enters my home because it is out of harms way. It will not accidentally discharge and it won't be stolen. The kids who come and go in my home have zero chance of accessing this or any weapon. It was a major purchase and the questions they ask before they are legally able to sell you a weapon are both odd and comprehensive.



What I have learned about guns is this, it is not the hunters you need to fear. Every hunter I know is incredibly responsible to the point where, should you see them checking each other's weapons to confirm they are not loaded after a hunt, you would probably think they are anal. They have to be. There are lives at stake. Nobody wants a accident to happen.



No the people you should fear are the people who do not actually respect the gun. I respect it. I respect it to the point I would avoid shooting most of my life, because the 1st time I shot a weapon, at about 8, I got such an kick that I was afraid of the rush. I prefer shooting handguns to rifles and shotguns and I shoot at targets. I do not hunt. I probably won't ever discharge the weapon at a living creature because I am a baby. I don't want to take life. If cornered in the country by a wild hog, however, you bet I will shoot it to protect myself or my loved ones. Because of that, I am going to take a class. Because of that, I will practice shooting. Responsibility comes with gun ownership.



Where the 'system' fails is in controlling the illegal guns and teaching safety and responsibility to legal gun owners. You have to have a license to drive a car but you only need a license for a gun if you plan to carry a concealed weapon. I am not suggesting the federal government require ownership licenses. All legal guns are registered with the ATF. What I am suggesting is gun owners to take an education class. I have to have continuing education every two years to practice insurance but I am not required to learn about my gun. If I didn't have people who shoot, I wouldn't know how to load the gun much less unload it without shooting. I wouldn't have known I wanted a gun with a safety or how to use the safety.





This isn't a political issue, no matter how much Republicans and Democrats try to make it one. There are plenty of gun owning Democrats. I think technically, I am one although I consider myself Independent. There was a statistic I saw recently that the gun owners of the recent school shootings were registered Democrats. This just proves it is a bi-partisan issue.



When you ask yourself where you stand on this issue you should do two things, find a responsible gun owner and go shoot with them. Talk to them about hunting and learn the reasons why the American hunter are needed. As much as I hate this fact, it is a fact. This country is already overrun with wild hogs. If you live in the city you aren't immune you just haven't seen the evidence. I went to the park behind my house with my hunter and he showed me wild pig rubs. In a suburb of Dallas. My neighbor has seen coyotes walking down the street on a weekday morning. About a year ago there was a Bobcat that was found about a mile from my house. My point is, everywhere has wild life and that wildlife is starving slowly and they see your pets as prey. I don't know about you but if something comes at me or my dogs, I want to be able to protect them.



Guns are a part of our history and our future. Everyone has heard "guns don't kill people." That is the truth. What kills people is ignorance. It is time for all gun owners to become educated and all Americans to understand the need for legally controlled fire arms. Unless you want to walk out to your local park, golf course or school and see wild boars taking aim at kids and pets. I have seen these beasts up close and I will pass.



Oh, and the deer. I love them too. They are cute and sweet and beautiful. Hunters don't hate them. They love them. They feed them. I bet you don't feed them if you don't hunt. I didn't until recently. Here is the sad truth, without hunters feeding them they will starve. Deer hunting is strictly controlled (unlike wild hogs because you just can't kill enough to make a dent in the reproduction) and there is a limit everywhere of how many, when, and even how you can kill them. The states regulate tags so that the deer population is maintained however, there must be some hunting allowed. Why? Because deer are wild animals that tend to run out onto highways and cause serious accidents. I have seen at least 2 deer laying on HWY 121 between Lewisville and The Colony in the last 3 months. Sad as it is to think of 'Bambi' life isn't a Disney movie. Reality is, your hunter friend is serving a useful and needed purpose and as much as I hate it too, it is necessary.



Yes, my opinions have changed. My life and my eyes have been opened. I have researched over population and become educated and I have been taught that respecting nature and respecting guns are an important American responsibility. God bless America and our traditions. Now we all should become educated and stop listening to politicians and Hollywood and start listening to our neighbors, friends, and even our brothers and boyfriends. (That hurt to type!)



Simply,

Laura

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Enjoy the Ride!

Simply,
Laura