Wet Walk

It was an overcast day for most of the day today yet it never really rained.  I should know as I worked in the field most of the day.  Around supper time the sun started to shine through and so I decided it would be a nice evening to walk down to Bill's Corner Store with the kids for a treat.  My wife headed out for groceries and I got the kids ready to go down to the store.  Well, the sunshine was simply the calm before the storm I guess.  As we stepped out the door there was a light sprinkle.  When we stopped to talk to the neighbor it turned into a drizzle.  As we got to the store there was a light rain coming down and we were laughing over the fact we were going to be eating ice cream in the rain.  We got our drumsticks and fudgesticks and headed back towards home.  As we left the store, lightning flashed to our right and a few seconds later the thunder rumbled.  The rain picked up some so we decided to wait a bit under the porch at the old school house.  We sang a little and laughed a little over the ice cream mustaches on the kids faces and decided we could hustle home in the rain.
The thunder and lightning picked up as we stepped out of the cover of the porch.  I picked up my daughter and held my son's hand as we ran down the sidewalk.  We took time to jump in a puddle or two and when we thought it couldn't rain any harder, it did.  The harder it rained, the harder we laughed.  We were enjoying being wet and laughing so hard that the kids didn't even have time to be frightened by the loud claps of thunder.  It was a great moment where God blessed us with the ability to smile, despite the discomfort of being wet and a little cold.
As we got home and into the house, I took a moment to really look at the kids.  Their smiles under sopping, wet hair, were uplifting.  In a word...blessed.

Operation Nighthawk Creates Outdoorzy People

Have you completed a marathon?  Have you successfully climbed a 10,000 foot mountain?  Have you found that tough geocache that had eluded you once or twice before?  If so, then you have felt a portion of the pride and accomplishment that many young Scouts will feel when they complete "Operation Nighthawk."  Coming up on May 24-26^th upwards of 100 Scouting youth will venture into the woods around Walton Lake and take part in the 35^th annual weekend adventure. 

The highlight of "Night Hawk", as the name suggests is the 16km, night time hike, around Walton Lake.  The lake is situated in the wilderness area east of Waterford and it is true wilderness with lots of wildlife.  The Scouts will hike along dirt roads with no street lights and lots of shadows.  There are a series of check points where the kids, in groups of 4-6, will be tested on various skills taught through the Scout program.  Their biggest obstacle will be their fear. When I was a kid it was this event that helped sculpt my comfort level in the woods, especially at night.  It was this event that helped me overcome my fear of being in the woods in the dark and to control my imagination. 

I have been on many sides of this event.  I have been a young boy who struggled to keep his fear under control as I made my way from one check point to another in the dark woods roads around Walton Lake.  I have been a slightly older boy, leading the younger boys from check point to check point while still fighting my fears but trying to look "tough."  I was a young man who hosted a check point and teased the young boys who came to the challenge while also building up their confidence so they could make it around the course.  I was a Scout leader who tutored a Scout Troop on the skills they would need to complete the event. 

At every stage it was a reciprocal relationship where everyone was gaining something positive – respect.  No matter what role I was playing, I always felt a huge sense of accomplishment when the event was completed.  The feeling was more rewarding as a kid when I managed to struggle through the 16km loop around the link and hike through the night and make all the check points.  Even if my group didn't win the challenge, I still was a huge winner.  I won a sense of self respect.  I won new friendships.  I won a ton of new skills and knowledge of outdoor survival.  Whether it was starting a fire with 2 matches, zip lining across a river, first aid skills, or tracking skills, the check points truly provided me with assets I still use today.

"Night Hawk" is a weekend long event that tests the metal of Scout troops from around New Brunswick and beyond.  This year it is celebrating their 35^th anniversary and it should be a great year.  If you're involved in the Scouting movement you should make the effort to register and take part.

The Start of our Garden

The kids were a great help spacing and sowing the seeds.

It's May 4th and we have our garden planted.  We have our fingers crossed that we aren't too early and that the frost is done for now.  When I looked at the calendar, I thought this might be the best weekend to get it done, so we did it.  Since this is our first garden we have kept it small and basic.  We've planted carrots, peas, and beans.

The kids were a great help today and hopefully learned a little bit about work ethic and getting your hands dirty.  It was a beautiful day with the temperature on the back deck getting over 30*C.  Mind you that is in direct sunlight.  The dog lazed around and barked occasionally when someone strolled by the house.  There  were no flies so it was a great day.  Now though the hard part, keeping up with the weeds and watering.  We are also hoping to teach our oldest child about keeping a journal.  I will help him keep a garden log through power point...I hope.  We'll keep you posted.

Soccer Talk

This was my latest column which I had published in the Kings County Record.  We have since registered both kids for soccer and now wait patiently for the season to start.  I look forward to sitting back and watching from the sidelines.  Thanks to all those who work hard for Kings County Soccer.
 

"Dude, you're a Dad." once said commercial that appealed to me not long ago.  That has been apparent to me for sometime and I relish in the roll as Dad.  At times I struggle though.  One aspect I have trouble dealing with is that my recreational activities are now more based around my kid's choices.  Honestly, I think just getting the kids to all their appointments, practices, and games could be a sport in itself.  I think if I'm hitting .600 I'm doing well, which means you have to be better at it, than hitting a baseball.  I have a great team mate in my wife who keeps me on track and heading in the right direction other wise my kids would likely relegate me to the "parenting minors."

This summer my average might be better than last.  After playing baseball for two years, my son has decided he wants to try soccer again.  This suits me fine as my daughter also wants to play soccer.  This means that I only need to go to the field one night a week.  That should be easy enough.  Even better, I'm pretty confident they won't ask me to coach, because I know very little about soccer.  This means I'll have time to socialize and enjoy watching my kids develop as they play.  This is a win-win, for me, my kids, not to mention the players who won't have to listen to me holler instructions as a coach.

I'm really looking forward to watching my daughter play this summer.  This will be her first organized team activity.  I'm interested to see if I will encourage her as loudly as I do my son.  Will I instruct her as enthusiastically and push her as hard as I push my son.  I have to admit that is not one of my finer points and I hope I can improve my cheering skills this summer.  I've never been a great spectator so this will be a new role for me and I'm looking forward to it. 

In high school I only played a little soccer.  My best skill was that I could run.  Kicking, which by the way is important in soccer, was my weakness.  When it came to using my head, well I couldn't think soccer that well, but I scored more goals with my head than I did my feet.  That is likely due to the fact that Perry Crawford seemed to get a thrill out of being able to hit me in the head with the ball when making a corner kick.  Despite my lack of soccer skills, I loved the sport.  It tested me and was gruelling on the body.  The running was a great way to get my body ready for hockey season and just keep me in good shape and active.

Blessed Evening

Monday was the first day of fishing season here in this part of NB and my son caught a trout and couldn't wait to eat it.  Last night I was busy with a meeting so I couldn't cook it but tonight I was home for the night.  With it being so nice out, I decided, since my wife also despises the smell of cooked trout, to barbeque.  I prepared my secret flour batter and placed 4 modest size trout (three frozen from the end of last season) on some tinfoil.  I added some butter to brown them up some and placed them on my barbeque.

Once the trout were on the heat I took the time to hoe my garden into some rows for the planting season.  We have some peas and beans already started and we may have been to eager.  The plants are getting root tied in the small space we have them in and its looking like at least another week before I can move them to the garden.  Temperatures on Sunday and Monday are supposed to drop to -6*C.  Despite that this evening the temperature was great for some light yard work and a barbeque.

Typically, Seth is a picky eater, one thing he does love though is trout.  He gobbled three and left me with one, which meant I got warmed up chicken strips.  The chicken was good as Shaylee, my daughter, would attest too.  They paled in comparison to the trout in my opinion but Shaylee would likely disagree there.  When I think of how peaceful and enjoyable my evening has been, and the kids aren't in bed yet, I can't help but feel a bit of guilt as I continue to hear about the bombing in Boston, MA.  I thank God for the way he has blessed me and my family and ask he watches over those struggling elsewhere tonight and maybe feed them some fish.

Fishing Journal, April 15, 2013

Prior to fishing season I was  asked a question I wasn't sure the answer too.  Before the fishing season opened I took the time to find out.  The question was, "If my 8 year old son wants to go fishing do I need a license to accompany him?"  Here is what I found in the NB Fish 2013 booklet distributed by the NB Department of Natural Resources.  For anglers under 16 the booklet makes the following statements:  

"Resident anglers 10 to 15 years old must buy an Atlantic salmon license if they want their own bag limit."
"Anglers, who are under 16 and do not have an Atlantic salmon licence, may fish for Atlantic salmon only when accompanied by an angler with a valid salmon licence. The licence holder must include the child’s catch in his/her daily catch limit."
"Anglers under the age of 16 who do not wish to fish for salmon do not require an angling licence. These anglers have theirown daily bag limit."

So my interpretation, and you may wish to get DNR to verify this, is that if your child (under 16) is fishing for trout he can do so without an accompanying license.  However, if you go with your child, you can not be fishing, unless you have a license. All that being said I suggest you purchase a license.

Without a license, I took my son and daughter fishing on April 15th, for the traditional first day fish.  The kids had one pole between them as my daughter is only 3 so likely wouldn't fish.  Her and I stacked rocks while my 7 year old son got the lines wet.  After I carried my daughter through the thickets and over blow downs, between each fishing hole, I was convinced that the fish were going to out smart Seth, or that if they were there that Shaylee or the dog scared them away before Seth had a chance.  Both kids insisted we keep trying so I carried them across the stream one last time so Seth could cast into a small but deep pool.

After my third rock tower was knocked over by Shaylee, Seth let out an excited scream.  He hollered "Dad, I caught one! I caught one!!"  I turned around expecting to see a small trout or chub but was surprised to see a modest 8" trout being tossed around on the end of his line.  I helped him get it off the hook and he couldn't wait to take it home to tell his mom.

All in all it was a great first day experience for all.  I hope you had a good opening day and wish you tight lines through this season.

Crown Water Surprise

This blog was originally published in the April 9th Kings County Record.  I am super excited to take this trip but I have a ton to learn.  I have been reading as much of the chatter on NewBrunswickFishing.com as I can Thankfully I have some friends who have more experience salmon fishing than I do, but no more enthusiasm.

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This is an odd time of year.  Hockey is over, baseball hasn’t started, and fishing season is a week away still.  That doesn’t mean I have nothing to do though.  I’ve pulled out the glove, cleats, soccer balls and all kinds of equipment in anticipation.  First up is fishing so yesterday I pulled out the fly rod and reel and checked it over and for good reason.  A little more than a month ago some friends asked me if I wanted to join them in submitting an application for the Crown waters reserve.  That was a no brainer and I jumped at it. 

To my surprise, our group was lucky enough to get drawn for a Crown pool on the Northwest Miramichi.  I can’t wait!!!  Now I have to learn about fly fishing for salmon.  I only started fly fishing two years ago and while I’m comfortable casting for trout, Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi will be a new challenge.  The trip should provide some good material for my column though.

Already I learned a great deal about how to apply for Crown waters angling and what exactly that means and costs.  For roughly $102 plus my angling license, food, and fuel, I will have 2 days of fishing on 6 pristine kilometres of river and a cabin to lay my head at night.  I’ve paid more than that for a cot at a seedy hotel in a questionable neighbourhood. 

Our date in late June is early in the Atlantic salmon season so our chances of catching a trophy salmon are made even slimmer.  Trout should still be plentiful while we’re there though.  Really, it won’t matter if we catch anything, at least for me, because we’ll be in a location where we have to leave pavement, cell reception, and stress behind.  Further, that section of the Miramichi River is “catch and release” so I won’t be eating what I catch.  I’ll take lots of pictures of what I catch though or what the others catch.

Catch and release is a great fisheries management tool, especially if the angler is conscientious about how he handles the fish he hooks.  Barbless hooks add a level of sport and make releasing a fish much easier.  Limiting the time you play the fish is also crucial as is limiting the time you keep it out of the water, so I’ll be taking pictures of the fish while they’re still in the water.

There is a catch and release section on the Kennebecasis River to help improve trout populations.  If you plan on fishing the main stem of the Kennebecasis River this summer make sure you know where the catch and release sections are.  The Fish NB guide book is a great resource for all the angling restrictions in the province.  To help out even more you can complete a creel census through the Department of Natural Resources website, through the guide, or if you’re fishing the Kennebecasis you can anonymously fill out a creel survey on the Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee’s website.  Survey’s like this are required on the Crown pools and help managers make decisions on strategies for the next angling season.

Obviously, since I’m already writing about it, I’m excited about this trip.  If you’re reading this column you’re likely excited for fishing season to get started.  I encourage you to fish with conservation in mind so that there are trout and salmon for years to come.  See you on the water.

Wandering through a Workshop

Lately I have been helping out at the Sussex Corner Elementary School's breakfast program.  This is a great program that provides kids whose parents can't currently provide them with breakfast.  I feel blessed to help out with this program.  While there, I was approached by a staff person from the District and she asked if I'd be interested in providing a writing workshop to two middle school groups.  I jumped at the chance to expand my skill set and writing portfolio.

Last summer I provided a workshop to a small group of adults and felt pretty good about what I had presented.  I edited this past material to suit the younger crowd and to meet the time requirements I had.  The night before the workshops I got really nervous and began to question my own ability.  When I awoke in the morning I had a good breakfast and once I stepped into the Sussex Middle School library I was ready or I was hoping I was ready.

The day went off without a hitch and I was able to take 15 boys from Sussex Middle School out around the trail and along Trout Creek.  This followed the brief 1/2hour presentation I gave and in which I was surprised at how well behaved the boys were.  They enjoyed the opportunity to get outside and listened intently as I gave them my perspective on how I observe and write about nature.  I encouraged them to use all five of their senses and take in the smells, the sounds, the colors, textures, and tastes and to mentally note how they feel.

When we returned to the classroom we gave the boys some time to write a piece that I would review.  It was amazing to me to watch the majority of these boys sit and focus on writing.  It was more amazing to read some of what they wrote.  One young man wrote from the perspective of the black capped chickadee that we observed and he was incredibly detailed in the descriptions he provided from that view point.  When I did the same exercise for the kids in Belleisle, I was again impressed with the material the boys created.  I dare say that one student there was more intellectual than I was and wrote poetically about our short trip up a hill and through a spruce stand.  Another boy wrote a spine tingling piece about a "stalking crow" that had me feeling a mix of emotions that was both awe of the setting and fear of what was to come.

It was rewarding for me to put on these workshops.  It was encouraging to see the material these young men wrote and while I don't think I had a big role in that, I am hopeful that through my influence they will continue to write and embrace that skill.

Way to Go Sonics

This entry was published in the March 26, 2013 edition of the Kings County Record.  Since press time the Sonics lost in the cross-over game against Fredericton but despite that, the kids have created their legacy that they will talk about for years to come.  Way to go guys.  I really wish I had a good picture from my high school hockey days I could share, maybe on a later post.

High school was an exciting time for me.  It was an easy time too.  I had very little responsibility, I attended lots of social functions (a mature way to say parties), and I played a ton of sports.  I was a multi-sport athlete but my heart and soul went into playing hockey.  As luck would have it recently I was taken down memory lane and I wanted to acknowledge the contribution my high school hockey team had on me and now more recently, the current Sonic Boy's hockey team.

The 2013 Sonic boy's hockey team recently won the NB Southern Conference hockey championship and I want to congratulate them for that big victory.  I know how hard these boys worked to make that happen.  My Mom used to shake her head in frustration I'm sure as I would put twice the effort into hockey practice than my school work or chores.  The early morning practices twice a week, an afternoon practice, and then one or two games a week were physically demanding but I loved every minute of it.  The bus rides to St. Stephen with pranks and jokes and lots of heavily exaggerated stories, the excessively loud voices and laughter in the dressing rooms, and the warm up music all still sit fresh in my memory banks.  When I think about those days a smile creeps over my face and then I turn a little sullen as I think about what might have been.

In my senior year we came close.  We won the regular season championship only to be denied in the playoffs.  We were played out and struggled with injuries but made no excuses.  We won as a team and we lost as a team, thanks to all that time on the bus.  That group of guys, even today, likely feel a connection that will always be there because when one was disappointed we all were.

As I write this the Sonics are prepping to play a winner take all regional crossover game against the four time defending Provincial champions, Fredericton Black Cats.  Tonight I bet the boys struggle to get to sleep.  They'll be distant from those around them as they put their focus on the game ahead of them.  Right before the puck drops their stomachs will do a quick flip as their heart starts to race.  Once the puck hits the ice its game on and muscle memory, competitive drive, and adrenaline takes over.  The aches and pains from the regular season disappear for 60 minutes as they put the team before themselves.  There is little difference at this point between sweat and tears as their emotions are bared and raw.  Late in the game when their muscles can no longer push them, their emotions power them on, and allow them to find that last needed effort.

For the seniors it is so much more than just a hockey game.  It is a chance to create a legacy that will live in the halls of the school and the dressing rooms of the rink for years to come.  Win or lose the Sonic hockey team should be proud as they have already won a number of games but they have built up each other and made each other stronger.  Way to go guys.

Cherishing Many Moments

I love weekends where I have nothing planned.  I'm not much of a planner anyways and prefer to "wing things" or "go with the flow."  The only thing I had planned for this weekend was to coach a hockey game for the "Wolfpack."  I should state they won the game handily.  Outside the hockey game I had nothing going on.  My wife was taking my son to a chess tournament Saturday morning so I thought...or my daughter thought..."Yay!  A daddy/daughter day." 

I couldn't let her down and I know she loves a picnic so we got up and had a good breakfast and then packed our picnic.  She helped me make a couple of sandwiches, PB&J for her and ham and cheese for me.  We packed some drinks, fruit and granola bars.  We packed up and away we went.  I had no idea where we were going but just walked out the door and headed off.

It was colder than previous days but she was still eager to go and her short legs followed me across the street and into the wooded area behind the Sussex Corner Elementary School.  The dog was happy to be off her leash and sprinted back and forth in front of us.  We watched birds flit amongst the poplar and birch trees in front of us.  The thin ice layers on the mud puddles cracked and creaked under the heat of the morning sun.  It was a morning that filled the senses and my daughter brought youth and humor to the whole scene.

We worked our way up along the farm fields of the Dutch Valley and then crossed the road and headed up parallel to the Mill Brook Road.  We through a frisbee for the dog and she chased it and would set it down.  Shaylee and I would then race to get it.  I couldn't believe how much energy her three year old body had.  In a cedar grove along Mill Brook we sat and enjoyed a morning snack.  She found a snow covered hill and decided to slide down on her bum.  She climbed the short hill, I bet, 15 times, and giggled every time.

We continued hiking and I pointed out trees and told her the names and she eagerly soaked up everything I passed on to her.  It was an awesome bonding time for us but it had to come to an end and it was too cold to have Shaylee out for a picnic so I surprised her by ending the hike at her grandparents.  We enjoyed hot chocolate and our sandwiches.

Shaylee shared her stories with her grandparents and it was now my turn to soak it in.  It is important to cherish moments like these and I was doing my best to do so.  Hopefully this blog will help do that.  That afternoon I went to the rink to coach the hockey game and share moments with my son, who also did admirably well in his first chess tournament.