Beautiful Bogies

This entry was published in the Kings County Record a few weeks ago now.  I've been incredibly busy at work and thus haven't had time to keep up with my blogging.  I was able to get out golfing though a while back and was reminded why I loved the sport so much in my youth.  It is now late in the golf season but fall golfing is very rewarding too.  Lower temps and fewer bugs mean you can be more comfortable while you swing away.

A light rain was falling when I awoke.  The weather forecast was calling for "a risk of rain, sometimes heavy."  I had gone to bed the night before anticipating getting out golfing.  I don't get to golf much so the chance to get out and beat a white ball around a green field had me a bit excited.  My anticipation waned some though with the forecast.

I counted my golf balls to make sure I had enough.  When you golf like I do, you need at least 18.  Then, because I have a tendency to leave clubs behind, I made sure I had them all to start with at least.  Finally I cleaned out my golf bag, throwing out whatever I didn't absolutely need, including a bag of tees, the practice weight and some pennies leftover from a previous round.  If I had to carry my bag, I didn't want any extra weight because regardless of the clubs, I'd be tired after 18 holes and somewhere around 100 swings of the club. 

As we made our way to the Petitcodiac Valley Golf and Country Club the rain held off with only light occasional showers.  We only encountered a short down pour half way through the round.  The course is hilly and offers great views if you can keep your ball in the fairway.  Fortunately for me, I was driving the ball well that day so I was able to avoid the woods for the most part.  Putting however was a poor spot in my round and I can attest that the greens at the Petitcodiac Valley Golf and Country Club are in great shape.  I should know, I saw almost every inch of them, especially the ones on the front nine. 

I may have stated this before in my column but golf is a frustrating, yet rewarding game.  My front nine, mainly thanks to my putting, was horrendous.  Yet on hole 7, after two very poor shots, I stood over my ball, took a deep breath and drove a 5 wood up close enough to make a bogey on the par 4 hole.  I should state that when I see par, I instantly add one stroke and aim for that.  So to make a bogey meant I reached my goal.  It was one shot that made my front nine satisfying despite all the frustration I felt through most of it.  I hadn't made a bogey since the first hole so that bogey was a great feeling and changed my whole outlook.  I managed to follow it with two pars and I finished the front nine with a 54.

There were more bogeys and a couple of more pars on the back nine and I managed to sink a few putts.  The conversation was light and we chided each other lightly when a bad shot, heck even when a good shot was made.  The rain held off nicely and with the overcast sky, it wasn't too warm either.  In all it was almost a perfect round especially if you overlook the scorecard. 

If you're looking for a round of golf the course in Petitcodiac has some great green fee deals and there are courses for all types of golfers in this part of the province.  Check out Golf NB for some of your options.

NS Adventure 2014

Our family recently went on a trip to the Halifax Regional Municipality to visit my brother and sister in-law.  It was an awesome adventure which included some down time, great eats, and awesome scenery.  Peggy's Cove is worth the hype and when you finish it off with a stop at the White Sails Bakery and Deli, the day trip can't be beat.  The kids can no longer go to Halifax without stopping at what our daughter calls the "Bubble Factory" better known as the "Discovery Center."
In Dartmouth we enjoyed Shubie Park which is an awesomely designed green space not far from our hosts home. 
All in all, an awesome adventure.

Kayak Fishing on Kennedy Lake

The lake was incredibly flat.  Dead trees scattered the edge of the lake and were reflecting off the calm surface along with the light clouds.  The air was still with only an odd light breeze rustling the leaves of the nearby alders.  Oddly I was disappointed there were no flies.  Yes I said I was disappointed there were no flies as I was hoping to fly fish for trout on Kennedy Lake.  No flies meant my choice of artificial fly was limited.

Nerves built up as we unloaded the kayaks and gear.  Fly fishing from a kayak was a new endeavor and for a novice paddler this can be slightly intimidating.  We laughed it off and pushed our kayaks out into the narrow, shallow, channel that led to the lake.  I should stress shallow as it was difficult to float the kayak to the main part of the lake, but entertaining if you had of witnessed it.  Using a combination of hip shuffles and poling we managed to make the lake.

With little to no wind and no flies, the first thing that hit me as I paddled into the lake was the quietness.  My Dad and I could easily converse while prepping our rods despite being over 50m apart.  The silence made me feel small and as I looked across the lake I grew infinitely smaller again.  Our voices echoed off the far hills and we could easily talk to ourselves and think we were responding.

Cautiously I let the first couple of casts leave my rod tip.  Once I was comfortable, I started doling out more line and before long I was confident in my casting and my boat.  I could use the intermittent breeze to drift my kayak strategically towards the areas I wished to cast to.  In this way I was able to efficiently cover a good portion of the lake.  That was not difficult however as the lake is only about 5ha in size.  It was an ideal setting for this first attempt at fly fishing from a kayak.

Patiently I laid out cast after cast and slowly stripped my "green machine" in.  There were no fish breaking the surface and it was hard to determine if I had a good fly and presentation or if I should change my fly and approach.  After 20 minutes and only raising one trout, I decided I should switch.  I moved to a "wooly bugger" and then to a mosquito pattern.  No matter, I never hooked a trout, but no matter the evening was more about the paddling in any event.

We easily loaded the kayaks and gear as we debated the merits of kayaks over canoes.  The drive to the main road was slow and symbolic of the pace of the evening.  Since there was still daylight left we explored some options for a similar trip in the future.  Crow Lake appeared to be a great candidate.  Both of us didn't want the day to end as we had thrived on the silence and relished in the sense of aloneness.  Being on the lake allowed us to leave worries and responsibilities on the shore and as we got closer to home those issues crept back in.  Regardless it was a great evening and kayak fishing has proven to be a new way to enjoy a favorite past time.

If you want to introduce some children to fishing then check out the upcoming "Youth Angling Day Camps" in Apohaqui and Waterford on August 20^th and 26^th respectively.  You can find more information on these events by looking up the Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee.

Grindstone Island 2014

Grindstone Island was not just about the destination, it was about the whole trip there.  Our boat left from Alma, NB, just outside of Fundy National Park just before 11am.  Nature Trust New Brunswick used the island as a highlight of the work they are doing in New Brunswick.  They are are always seeking volunteer stewards to help maintain and monitor the health of their properties.  If you have some time you should consider helping them. Check out the video of my trip.  It was a great day for a boat trip and the entire trip was incredible.  The coast line was incredibly rugged but so scenic and it offered something different on every wave.  Seriously take a look at the NTNB website.

My travel companion for the day was Don Dow who sits on the Kennebecasis Naturalist Society.  They are one of the oldest Naturalists clubs in Canada and are in need of new members.  If you have any interest in outings similar to this one, check them out too.

Full Moon Walking

Some people have a way of being able to organize events and get people out.  Go Train Fitness in Sussex is organizing a "Go Full Moon Walking" event this Sunday, August 10th.  It sounds like a cool event geared towards families.  Yours truly will be there to share some stories about the local waterway and ecosystems and Outdoor Elements will be there and owner John McNair will host a marshmellow roast after the Moon walk, not to be confused with Michael Jackson's famous dance style.  If you want to join the walk meet at the bandstand at Burton Park in Sussex at 9:00pm and bring a flashlight.

I might have some extra head lamps or lights if you don't have one.  My family is looking forward to this evening hike.  I've always liked hiking at night and this is a great way to help people get over their fear of the night.  Hope to see lots of people out.

See you in the woods or on the water.

Pedaling Backwards

I had this published in a recent edition of the Kings County Record.  Obviously July is now over but this could happen when ever I hop on a bike.  As someone who is learning to enjoy a slower pace, it is a blessing to find that I can find it on a bike.  I hope you enjoy the read and that you have a chance to get out to find a pace that suits you.

July is more than half over and I am already wondering where summer went.  Time just seems to fly by at times.  That is why it is good to simply slow the pace down.  How do you slow down time?  I have a couple of key ways to recharge and slow down time.  Sometimes I can even do a couple of them at the same time. 

You've heard me ramble about fishing and for sure that is one way to slow things down.  I've written about camping, hiking, and kayaking and extolled how relaxing they can be.  One activity that I don't participate in or write about nearly enough is cycling.  For many biking is not something they would perceive as relaxing or has a manner of slowing down.  When you watch the "Tour de France" and local Christian Meier, they sure aren't going slow and they are racing against time. 

I admit, when I go biking I don't always relax or slow things down.  I love to see how fast I can go and I don't just coast down hill, I like to pedal to gain more speed.  Even with the speed involved time, or maybe more appropriately, aging, is slowed down.  My mind races back to when I was a kid and I'd race down the Mill Brook Road at a dangerous pace. I remember the jumps we'd build and the trails we created simply to get somewhere we couldn't previous pedal to.

A short time ago I was out biking with my son.  The evening was hot with very little breeze and as we slowly pedaled along the trail, the light breeze kept us cool.  The pace was slow and I was able to take in a lot of the scenery around me.  I wondered why we didn't do this more often.  The trail in Sussex and Sussex Corner is a great way to enjoy our community, exercise, and slow time down.  The slow pace, the church picnic atmosphere, the urban setting, it all led my mind to an earlier time when things were simpler and slower. 

That evening I almost felt like I was pedaling backwards.  As I watched my son I saw myself on my old black and yellow BMX.  Our band of buddies used to bike to "Mac's Grocery" and buy a bag of chips, a chocolate bar, and a pop for under a dollar.  We'd then bike to a nearby hayfield and find a place to sit and watch the road below as we indulged on our treat.  It was a slower time and the memory slowed my mind and suddenly the faster pace of my hectic adult lifestyle slowed as well.

As we age we gain perspective on various things.  In the past I have always been very competitive and that drove me to do things at a fast pace.  I didn't just compete against others but against time and against myself as well.  The lesson learned over this biking exercise has been that I don't always need to compete against the clock or against myself.  Through my youth I may have missed out on some important lessons simply because I thought I had something to prove or had to compete.  Now I realize that biking isn't always a race and that it can be a joy ride.

Bluff Memories

One of my favorite hikes is the Bluff near Sussex Corner, NB.  It is a leisurely stroll where almost everyone can take the road less travelled.  Hope you enjoy my little video.

Surprise Settings

I often take inspiration from various political activities or events.  My column in the local weekly paper is not the right place to publish political ideas nor am I always comfortable printing my thoughts.  I often soften the message, as is the case below, and insinuate things and let the reader figure it out.  For this one, I'm going to help you read between the lines.  In recent years there have been attempts to regulate natural features by man made maps.  I find this a bit humorous as nature truly knows no bounds.  Rivers flow down hill but not always within their banks.  Wetlands always change and to try to protect them by putting them on a map is fool hardy.  What do you think?

 

There are places that aren't on a map.  They exist.  The maps just don't represent them for what they truly are.  I can show you steep ravines that hardly show up on a map.  Caves very seldom show up on maps.  Just because they aren't on a map doesn't mean they have nothing to offer however.  I was reminded of this recently during a walk along a stream near Pleasant Ridge where a waterfall greeted me.  I knew the waterfall was there but those with me knew nothing about it, despite having been through the area before.

Further up the valley there is a ravine which, according to the map, has no water.  If you ask my feet however, there is plenty of water and it is very cold.  I'm sure if you take that water away there would be plenty of animals that would be slightly put out.  All you need to do to confirm this is take your time and notice the number of animal signs along the ravine.  There were a number of birds calling, deer and raccoon tracks, lots of squirrel calls and of course lots of insects and bugs in the moist valley.  By the way, you won't find any photos of those animals on the map either.

The only way to truly know what is out there is to get out there.  Similar to when you are fishing, "The only way to catch a fish is to have your line in the water."  If you want to see a deer in its natural habitat, you have to go find it.  If you want to see a waterfall you need to follow a river.  The examples are endless and the more you get out there the more examples of your own you'll have.

If something isn't on a map, or regulated, it is no less valuable than something that is mapped or something that is considered protected.  Nature isn't bound by conventional laws or controlled by man made walls and barriers.  Nature is always free and has a way of surprising us; sometimes in a positive way, sometimes in not so positive ways.  When you get caught off guard and ill prepared by nature, the consequences can be drastic.  The best we can do is be prepared to meet nature on its terms.  When ever we think we have things under control, nature will surprise us.

On another note the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) wants to encourage families to get out camping.  On July 19^th you should practice being prepared and go out and meet nature on its terms.  You don't need to go far, you simply need to get out there and practice your skills in nature.  If you decide to go camping the CWF would love to have your commitment as they want to get 1 million Canadian families camping that night.  Check out their website and make the commitment to get prepared for nature.  You can find the "Great Canadian Campout" online at http://cwf-fcf.org/en/do-something/events/great-canadian-camp-out/.  There are groups making efforts to coordinate a large local event for this area so keep an eye on local bulletin boards in case.

Paddling for Pickerel

I love to fish but very seldom do I compete when fishing.  I wanted to stress this before you read this entry.  My success at the derby described below, or maybe I should say lack of success demonstrates my lack of competitive fishing skills.  I don't use a fish finder, I don't have a trolling motor, and I only have one bait casting rod.  However,  I think as an avid outdoors man I need to support my local Fish and Game Association.  This derby provided me an opportunity to expose my son to lake fishing and support the Fish and Game Association. 

As the sun was coming up I was behind the shed with a shovel.  Don't worry I wasn't burying any secrets, I was digging worms.  I had already loaded the canoe on the truck and a lunch was chilling in the cooler.  It took some prodding but my son got up and was excited to head out for the first time to do some lake fishing.  A fishing trip is one way to get him going.

The Sussex Fish and Game Association (SFG) were hosting their annual "Cassidy Lake Fishing Derby" and we were heading there in hopes of catching the longest fish.  We'd be happy just to catch a fish to be honest.  Cassidy Lake is a big lake and we'd be paddling a canoe and luckily I had my father to help with some of the paddling.  At least with the canoe I wouldn't have to spend a great deal of time unloading it.

Maybe one of the best things about this derby is the breakfast the SFG put on.  As we ate we looked out over the lake, the water glistened and a number of boats were already trying their luck.  It was a full breakfast with pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and hash browns.  We gobbled it down like we hadn't eaten in days but it was just that good and we were just that anxious to get on the water. 

As we pushed the canoe out into the lake my son got a slight look of fear on his face but it was quickly erased by his sense of adventure.  I love how a canoe quietly glides through water and how you can quickly put distance between you and the shoreline.  I steered us to a nearby point as the others prepped their poles for the first casts.  As I set us up to glide across an area where I thought there might be some pickerel the others already had their lines in the water.

On my first cast I literally hooked a fish.  It was a small pickerel which I failed to land.  Shortly after that my father managed to land another 15" pickerel which we decided likely wasn't going to win the tournament so we let him go.  I thought foolishly that with such a start we might be in for a great day.  We landed one other small pickerel and paddled a great deal of the lake for about 3 hours and caught nothing close to what the eventual winner, Joe Miller, caught.  I think he landed a 24" fish.

We fished right up until registration time and when we pulled the boat to shore, my son took off to see the fish that were registered.  Before I got to the crowd he came running to me holding a fishing pole he had just won in a ticket draw.  He was super excited and the smile on his face made all the paddling aches I was feeling disappear.  I think every kid that took part won a prize and how do you top such an event.

My name was drawn too for a prize and I walked away with a nice kayak.  I didn't even have to catch a fish to win it.  I want to thank the SFG and the organizers of this event.  Often times those who put events on like this are under appreciated so I want to give a big thanks for the time and effort those folks put in to that event.

Proud Moments

This entry was a great one to write.  It was close to my heart on some many levels.  Just before I wrote it we had received some great news about a family member who is battling cancer.  Being proud of an older family member is a different pride.  It is a greater level of new found respect and a joy of having them in your life.  You realize how much of an impact they have had on your life and your family.  My memories of my Aunt are mostly all filled with smiles, laughs, and some mischief.  As I look back on how she impacted me...I am proud to call her my Aunt.  

This was published in the Kings County Record but I really wanted to share it here as well.  I hope you enjoy it. 
 

I think one of the best things in nature is growth and when you can watch it happening in front of you, that is amazing.  Being able to watch a garden grow is a cool thing; knowing that you planted that garden and tended to it, is even cooler.  When you sit down to eat the vegetables planted from that garden, you feel proud.  Nurturing your family and seeing it grow is similar.

I had a great evening recently.  The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect for being outside.  Usually that is enough to make me happy but on this night I was fishing with my son, so happy was only half of it.   As we walked along the river the sun shimmered off the water and as I watched him walk, I noticed an ease in his stride.  He talked with a maturity and confidence that I hadn't really noticed before.  When he saw a woodpecker he took time to watch it and I could now see a shimmer of excitement in his eyes.  When he got his line caught he didn't turn to me and ask me to get it, instead he unhooked it himself.  My happiness was overcome by pride.

On another outing I watched as my daughter entertained herself on a gravel bar.  She had already hiked a long ways along a river with me, and as the overly independent one in our household she never once wanted help climbing over limbs and rocks, even when offered.  She kept right up with the older boys and never once complained and when they all joined her she showed them all how to make rock paint and then proceeded to paint her face.  As I watched her growing right in front of me I was proud.

My kids and nephews were sitting on a truck bed removing wet sneakers and socks after an outing.  They were laughing at each other, making faces of disgust over whose socks were worse, and nudging one another the way kids do.  They were all bonding and creating memories and as I watched I felt blessed.  As I watched I was proud of the family we have all become.

Being outdoors and sharing moments like these with my kids is an amazing experience.  Lately I have really noticed them growing and maturing and I've also seen things in myself that I never thought I would.  I hover and worry a bit more about them than I thought I would.  When they are growing, I find myself wanting to slow them down, or even stop them.  I am finding myself wanting to hold them back and keep them from getting hurt.  Every now and then it is good to let them push their boundaries but I'm having a hard time letting them do that.  I tell myself, "Its ok.  They can look after themselves there.  They might get hurt a little but they'll learn their own boundaries and heal.  Through that healing, they will grow."  It hasn't been easy and there are weeds to pick from their lives every now and then, but unlike the vegetables, your kids reward you through every stage of growth.