Thursday, November 13, 2014

PAIN!









SatNov 15

Sunny
31°
14°
Sunny

SunNov 16

Sunny
35°
16°
Sunny

MonNov 17

Mostly Sunny
40°
20°
Mostly Sunny

TueNov 18

Partly Cloudy
42°
27°
Partly Cloudy

WedNov 19

PM Showers
39°
31°
PM Showers

ThuNov 20

Partly Cloudy
39°
32°
Partly Cloudy

FriNov 21

Showers
38°
30°
Showers

SatNov 22

Rain
38°
33°
Rain
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Monday, November 10, 2014

It Won't Be Long Now.....

Since nobody else will make a post I guess it's up to me.
Today, mere days away from 'The Tour Of Champions', Clider and I made a run in the boat out to Killarney Lake.  We had two reasons to make the trip.  The first was to do some investigative boating to see just how well Clider can build a boat motor out of spare parts, gumption and endless streams of money.  I will leave it to him to report on the outcome.  The second and more important reason was to shoot some greenies.

Another boat trailer was in the lot and we figured that he had taken the only spot at Hidden Lake so we motored out to the west side of Killarney.  Clider had earlier seen some guys hunting from a spot on the shore and we set up in the same area. A mass of decoys were set and we waited for the ducks to come piling in.  We waited long enough for the sun to come up and warm us and to warm the ducks that had, as yet, not shown up.  Soon after one of the decoys had made a break for open water. While Clider took a short walk out to wrangle him in, and right as he waded into the water 3 mallards spun in in perfect formation towards the blind.  I watched the henny land in front of the spot Clider had been in a minute before and the 2 greenies fly off, scared off by the big dog and bigger human in the water. This pattern would repeat itself twice more during the day.

Sadly, no ducks were shotten today but we learned something about the boat and we did see ducks.  I'm convinced that having the big spread, with lots of variety, made all the ducks that did come by take a good look and want to land.  Thankfully we will have thousands of decoys, and time to set them out, this coming week.  Tempatures are dropping and the fronts are moving in.  It's all setting up for a perfect week of slaying action.  Stay tuned.....

GBCH

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

If Only It Counted.....


 Today it rained and I shot a Greenie.


I left the house today in the pouring rain and I thought of all my days hunting in the state of Oregon and how being prepared was the best defense against the elements.  I packed at least two of everything that I could find and took my truck, just back from the doctors, out to Anderson and another shot at The Point.  The rain settled into a steady soaking kind of rain for my walk out and I set up just in time for the morning fly, but there was none.  Birds trickled in by ones and twos as the rain slowly trickled into my sleeves and drenched my elbows.  Three shots at the first Greenie of the day went off course and other birds came and went, just like dry gloves and hats.

Just about the time my third pair of gloves was soaking through a lone greenie came in from the right and fell with my second shot.  Reaching down into the chilly waters to retrieve him was no problem because everything from my elbow down was already saturated.  You know what wasn't saturated?  My spirits. First Greenie of the year and Co-Expert title in hand I decided that there was plenty of time for yet another fresh pair of gloves and toasty warm hat.  The next 15 dry minutes were great and even the increasingly sideways rain felt good.  I packed up when the rain backed down to a heavy drizzle and my pack felt great with all the extra moisture and duck meat weighing me down.  Here's some pictures and now I'm off to help Clider paint decoys and remind him that his Doctor recommended him to not shoot for 6 weeks.  Bring on the H7HT "Week Of Death" it's going to be great!
GBCH

Saturday, November 01, 2014

FTP Ready

My people we don't know defeat
We crush the strong and percolate the weak daily
We make our moves to improve our grooves
Because we love to rule where we lay
Work and play we started at the bottom
Now were leading the way
I'm havin a fit kickin it at the the top
Because I'm too LEGIT to Quit!


barcode
723674670
 
H 14
IDAHO 2014 NON-RESIDENT
NONRES SMALL GAME HUNTING
License #209-14-001878$ 97.75

MARTH, DAVID A
2527 SE 80TH
PORTLAND, OR 97206
DL# -
M 06 01 240 BLU BLN
DOB 08/10/1967
LIVED IN ID SINCE:
ISSUED: 11/01/2014 12:19 MT @ 009006 INTERLIC
VALID DATES: 11/01/2014 - 12/31/2014
 
 

SIGNATURE OF LICENSEE





Monday, October 27, 2014

Lore


Day One and Two 2006

Fred G Here Yo all welcome back, hope you all had a great summer, I heard Andy B and his girl yo saved a small country in Africa from thirstation by learning how to rain dance from a small tribe in CT, now they are about to embark on adopting a small children from that same country, way to go Andy as if savin the Catrina peoples was not good enough to make us all look bad. I heard The Brother got another DUI, did a stint in rehab and is resting comfortably at his grannies. I heard Ned made another million. (F***ER) Jenny X is a champion at his club. Curious....well I only heard from him when he was faced. God bless Corey Lidel. Steve O dug himself out of a hole and threatens to come back to PDX to kill, and the Bean just threatens. Day One Monday 16. With classic mis information from our team member Andy, who we will call Cliff Clavin from now on, we awoke at a bright and shine 3 am. Thats early people. Bubba picks me up, talk of lack of sleep, anticipation and what a great season it's gonna be ensues. We arrive at the check in gate at a crisp 4:15, second car in line. It seems early, because it is, we don't have to be here until 5:30, another classic H7HT blunder. Remember the mis info from Cliff. We hang with four guys in a Tercel. Finally gates open chips are pulled, Bubba pulls no. 141 ouch, Fred G pulls no. 20 which is good for 4th pick for blinds. Were off to a great start. We get to our blind do a little blind decorating, deeks out, sun up, bottle of So Co down. A little action, a few shots are takin and had, a few too many. My buddy passes out, I cleaned, pull the deeks out, wrap up the rotto, it's bluebird sky now and I get "what the fuck are you doing? did anybody ask me if it is over?" No Shmubba I just thought you would be more comfortable at home sleeping on you couch with Opra, besides half your face is beet red from passing out in the sun I say. "It's not Opra fucker it's Ellen! I got more booze and smokes." So my hunting bud "convinces" me we should throw the deeks back out. Two hours later no shots off no nothing we pack up and go home. Great tacos on the way home though, would have made Jiggity proud. Day Two Wednesday 18. See were the "best ever" cause we learn people. If we go back in time here are some things we have learned; you need a new license at the begging of the year, sometime certian ducks are out of season even though it is hunting season, and the ever popular salt will make your food taste better. Well gosh darn it if we didn't learn something today, you only have to be at the check in station a hour and a half before shoot time. So if shoot time is 7am you have to be there at? ............................ that's right 530am! We don't have to leave at 3:45 but we could leave at 4:45, thats an extra hour for Shmubba to sleep! Picks me up, were on our way, (note: remember when your mom used to or still does drink TAB? Well Bubba greeted me with a TAB energy drink this morning, I think it's for women going throught the change, anyway it SUCKS! If you should visit him and he offers you one, say no thank you you cause it SUCKS!) it's Wednesday so it's the day we talk about POWERBALL people,  let the dreams begin! Get to the check in station, small wait, we get a new blind we never had before, throw our deeks and it's like JFK at Christmas, the ducks are going off. 7 am hits, it sounds like Nam. I'm shooting at everything, I mean everything! But I'm not knocking nothing down until I fold two thats correct two with one shot and in the same volley another for a total of 3. I am now the new and improved expert. I need respect. A glorious morning folks. You will find a recipe for duck in a mole sauce and a picture of the 3 ducks I murdered today, if you notice the middle one I just wasted, damn I'm good. Anyway that's pretty much it for now, until next week. And thanks for coming back.





What Ever Happened To Tradition?



"Time To Kill"
by Bob Da Folder
*
*
You packed up and left the truck over an hour ago.
Sometimes if the moon is still bright you don't even
need a headlamp to make your way out to the area
where you want to set up. It's cold out but the long
walk with the pack on makes you sweat inside your
waders and under all the layers. As you set your
decoys in the still water surrounding your blind, your
body cools and you can feel the chill in the air again.
Finally, with everything complete, it's time to wait
for sunrise.Just before the first light of day you can
hear the whistle of ducks flying near you. Wondering
what they are is almost torture. Are they the fat
greenies you hope to see again at first light, or are
they another brand, something you have never seen
before? Not long now till you start to make out shapes
and can see a little bit better as the sun comes closer
to the horizon. Now, as the other creatures of the woods
wake up and start to move around, you know that the
time is here. Time to kill.
*
*
Circa 2006



Oregon Day One



The sun broke today



Well I could just cut and paste last years first day and the year before that.  I  could just "phone" it in.  But what else do I have to do?  

Forecast called for rain and they were not lying.  Cliffy picks me up at 5:30 and we head out to the Columbia.  Waylon decided to sleep in today.  We arrive at the lot and there are three trucks already vacated.  We unload and another pulls up and a young man jumps out of his truck eager to chat.  He's dropping on us what it was like to hunt there two years ago and how it's changed.  Asking questions as to where we were headed.  We didn't really have time to answer all of the young whipper snappers questions, we wished him luck and were on our way.  We make it to where the water is supped to be.  There is a large river now flowing past the original Old spot, impossible to hunt now due to the swift deep water , not to mention the debris floating by.  The water level was at 5.2 which in the past meant some decent water, but no more.
Old Old spot many years ago
We walk out on all I describe as a beach.  We walk around the point and find some decent water, a peninsula with a little growth on it, "I can build here" I thought.  Cliffy threw out the blocks and I built a pretty good blind if I do say so myself.  We settle in with 10 minutes left before cilling time.  Morning rituals ensue.  Rain picks up.  We see some ducks, actually more than usual which gives us some hope.  Well after a few hours, lunch and some rain breaks we decide to call it, we know the are by now we've hunting there more than two years.  

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Wallowa River to the Grande Ronde Wild and Scenic





Cliffy and I set out at 5 am to head to the north east corner of the great state of Oregon.  We arrive in Minam at about 11 am, by 12 the boat is loaded and we are on the Wallowa river the beginning of our 80 mile journey.  The first leg of the journey we are just trying to get to our first camp site 12 miles on the Grande Ronde, approximately 5 hours.  Once we reach the camp there will be no way in or out, other words no turning back.  We run into some cold rain the first 3 miles which turns into blue skies.  Cliffy put me on the oars for the first time which seemed to be a gentle section of the river, it scared the shit out of me and I proceeded to hit every rock he pointed out for me to miss.  We make camp at 5 just as the sun is staring to set.  After some whiskey, a couple of beers and a warm dinner of vodka sauce we turn in.  The first night is cold, the skies are clear and full of stars.

The next morning we are greeted by clear skies after some warm coffee we load up the raft and hit the river.  Water is very low this time of year, river running at 690, so we are getting stuck on rocks a lot making Cliffys job not so easy and me the push and pull man. After some stops along the way swinging flies in a few holes, with some success, we complete our 8 miles.  Set camp, tonight we bust out a new piece of equipment.  Fire pan - grill.  Tonight yellow fin tuna loins on the grill are on the menu along with a grilled veggie salad.  After dinner we have our first fire and we relax with some Jefferson bourbon and cribbage.  Cliffy wins first game me the second, the last game of trip I'll win, can you see how the rest of this trip is going?

Day three brings a head tickle to some.  Were back in the boat.  A low thick fog envelopes the canyon walls.  After a few hours it burns off and nothing but blue skies.  More fishing today with little success.  We arrive at our next camp which were planning to use as a rest day, so we set the whole camp up.  After chores I gather the wood for a fire Cliffy sets up a BB gun course.  I light the fire with one match.  Cliffy slays the course, the same course he set up.  Then dinner, pork carnitas.  Did I mention we are eating really well?  We then do some prep for the next nights dinner, we prep the coq au vin that we will be cooking in a dutch oven over and open fire. 

The next day is a rest day so that means no moving of the camp.  You are on your own schedule, do what you want when you want.  Wake up to an amazing morning.  I stoke the fire from the night before coals, my greatest accomplishment keeping the fire going three days straight with just using that first match.  We fish, I gather wood and fish some more, play some crib..…  It's a beautiful day.  We sit and hit the BB course again,  Cliffy kills me again, but I do introduce the new skill challenge, the Crusher.  Shoot the stick out and crush the can.  Yes only Cliffy was able to do it.  We bust out the dutch oven and start dinner.  A whole chicken broken into quarters marinated with red wine and mirepoix.  Then browned and simmered with more red wine, chicken stock and more veggies.  Slow cooked for an hour then liquid reduced and served over pasta.  Right?!  

We decide to stick around another day.  Another rest day.  Same day as last.  The sky is blue and the winds are warm.  Today Cliffy caught a 18 inch bull trout.  The first he's ever caught.  It was the ugliest and meanest looking thing I have ever seen with rows of teeth.  More of everything, dinner of smoked ham hock stew with fresh cranberry beans and root vegetables.  Relaxation ensues by the fire.  We sit by the fire enjoy some libations and stare at the star filled sky.  Cliffy hits the sack I stay up to read by the fire.  After a while I hear what could only be described as a dinosaur walking through the woods snorting and everything.  I shine the light into the woods and see the eyes of a bear.  Gulp.  I pour myself another glass of wine and tuck in close to the fire.

The next two days are beautiful.  Lots of fishing, enjoying cold beers on the river enjoying great food at night.  Cliffy catches his second ever bull trout not as big but just as ugly.  I fall out of the boat and  the boat runs me over, making for a wet day, luckily it was about 75 degrees and sunny.  We camp the final night with 6 miles left.   Dinner of peanuts and chips and salsa.  Kill the last bottle of whiskey and get my ass kicked royally in crib.

Six days on a river.  Next up The Founders Tour.  

GBCH







Sunday, October 19, 2014

All Hail the New "Expert"



It's me, Bob D.  I shotten a duck yesterday morning and now I will decide everything there is to decide, and I'm great at that. 


Clider and I headed out to Anderson Lake bright and early for morning number 2 of the hunting season.  The Oregon chapters season has also started but Fred G and Cliffy are off to float some river for 6 days so they have little chance of matching my "Expertness".  I even gave Clider a chance to retain his expert title by letting him use my .410 over under to shoot.  (It's got the recoil of a BB gun so it won't even hurt his shattered clavicle if he shoots lefty).  I can only assume that by the time I get back from my vacation I will no longer be the "Expert" but for the time being, it's all me!

Overcast skies greeted us and there were all kinds of ducks and geese out on the lake talking their talk as we set up and waited for the first sunlight of the day to greet us.  We were also surprised at the number of ducks flying this early in the season.  I had a couple greenies land outside my spread and finally a lone duck came in for a landing to my right.  My first shot thankfully missed.  My slow reaction time this early in the season caused me to almost shoot the duck after it had landed, a cardinal sin in the H7HT, but it headed off and the second shot was true.  Peat's reaction times are slow too and as he sauntered out to retrieve, bunches of ducks that were scared up by our first shot of the day swarmed around and thought about landing.  He brought me this fine Henny.  As Mitch would say with a disappointed lilt to his voice "Oh, just a hen mallard."

Clider was able to sneak up on some mallards along the lakeshore but missed with 2 shots from the diminutive .410.  I believe his good eye, bad shoulder and incorrect trigger finger had some kind of effect on his shooting.  Perhaps when Cliffy shows up he can be of some help.  As you remember, Cliffy is this years BB gun champ and displayed amazing skills shooting left handed.  We shall see.

A good way to start the season but now I'm off to spend some time with my family back in the great state of Connecticut.  I hope they remember what I look like when I get off the plane even with my inflated sense of "Expertness" and my huge brain.  Stay tuned to see what Clider has up his sleeve while I'm gone, he may surprise everyone, especially his surgeon who recommended a few more weeks before shooting a shotgun.  GBCH.



Sunday, October 12, 2014

Opening Day 2014










All week long Clider called me and suggested we go out on opening morning, who am I to oppose 'The Expert'?  So off we went, not to Mudhole, not to Hidden lake, not even in the boat.  All those plans went out the window when Clider decided to take a casual bike ride down a trail at Silver Mountain called, I believe, powder puff.  We went to The Point.

Opening day seems to be the same every year.  It's warm and sunny and you don't see any ducks anywhere.  I was happy to see Clider and Peat out in the road waiting for me at 4:30 and we traveled the familiar commute to Anderson lake.  I set a small spread of decoys and cleaned out the grasses on the floor of the blind and waited for shooting time.  This year was different though, we saw ducks. And not one or two, we saw quite a few of all varieties. There were even a couple greenies that landed 50 yards outside the blind and eventually flew off in the wrong direction.  The weather was chilly and some rain fell and I had a good feeling that soon the team would all be together when the hunting got better.

After a while Clider and Peat got sick of me not shooting at small ducks and requested I just take a shot or three at some kind of duck.  The guys behind us were shooting boxes of shells, why not me?  Soon after we packed up and headed back home for chores and to give Clider a chance to ice his shoulder.  Of course on the way home my truck blew a radiator hose and is now waiting in the driveway for a transplant.  Every time Peat rides with me he breaks something.  Bad dog!  More to come.
GBCH




Monday, October 06, 2014

Expert Pre-Season Check Up

Well the season starts in just a week and it looks like you get a head start for the Expert title.  I decided to fall over on my bicycle last weekend and turn my collarbone into collarbones.  These are usually six week recoveries, however in true Expert fashion I broke mine bad enough to require 4 months of healing time.  That's about one month longer than duck season lasts.




Wednesday, October 01, 2014

Because $1.68 Is All I had.





Today was a good day to head out to Anderson and build up 'The Blind' in preparation for the fast approaching season.  Clider was unable to join me due to an unexpected trip to CdA so I was all alone in my bid to spend $1.68 on a new blind.

If you remember, last time at 'The Point' all the blind needed was a nice spruce up and some room for more hunters.  Things were different today.  Only one gnawed down stake was all that was left of the old blind, that and some dead branches forming the old backdrop.  I brought plenty of stakes and banged in 10 new posts which I then wrapped with twine.  The water level is still up and the current set up is a good 8 to 10 inches underwater right now but soon enough it will be high and dry.  I then cut some large shrubbery branches which were sunk into the soft shoreline to form a backdrop to keep us invisible from behind.  After that lots of scrub brush branches were cut and woven into the twine to form the basis for the camo cover.  I tied off more twine and left room for fresh cut grasses to cover the lower layers of the front of the blind.  Those will be cut and inserted on the spot to match the color and texture of whatever is there at the time.

In the pictures you will notice the sheer size of 'The Blind' this year.  It now has enough room to seat 4 hunters and 2 dogs should the need arise.  Both ends are open for easy ingress/egress and dogs to be able to quickly retrieve massive quantities of Green headed monsters.

It won't be long now.
GBCH


Sunday, September 28, 2014

Offical Confidence Cow of the H7HT

What a nice piece of Veal you would be!

Friday, September 19, 2014

Preparation

Today I spent part of my day off with some preparation.  I pulled all my gear out of the shed and sorted and cleaned everything I need.  I was going to go back to Anderson and build up 'The Blind' but Clider says he will make time in his busy schedule to go on Monday and do that very thing.  So today I hung all my waders and jackets, took stock of all my gear, washed and checked my decoys and posted my last years duck stamp on the wall with the others.  Here are some pictures to get you ready to prepare your stuff.
GBCH

Friday, September 12, 2014





Training for duck season is really ramping up.



Wednesday, September 10, 2014

$26.50 Well Spent.




It's the beginning of Fall and hunting time is just around the corner.  It's time to start thinking about building new blinds and rebuilding old favorites.  Normally we would spend thousands and thousands of dollars getting our blinds perfect and inviting to that green headed bastard Greenie, but it's Fall, and we're all poor.  I've been spending money on deposits for the H7HT home away from home and Clider has been spending every last cent on improvements to his deadly boat.

Here's what $26.50 gets us:
$0 for wooden stakes I liberated from the golf course pile of unused and slowly rotting wooden stakes.
$6.50 for twine and staples.
$20 in gas to fill the rest of my tank in the truck.  It's now empty.

I planned on stopping at the bike path parking lot down by Killarney and riding my bike south to see if there were any spots to hunt that were within easy access to that parking area but I woke up late.  I drove right by and continued to Harrison.  During my drive I thought to myself how much easier it will be to have a house merely minutes from The Point, The Blind, Mud Hole and The Other Side. Drive time will be significantly reduced, much like when Fred G drove in the old days, saving me 1/2 hour of sleep.  When I got there I powered up with a banana and grabbed 6 stakes from the truck along with my pack of supplies.

Minutes later I found that The Point blind had been so well constructed 2 years back that it needed no reinforcement whatsoever.  In addition the grasses and scrub brush had grown up around the blind so nicely that all it really needs is for the grass to be cut inside the blind and to plop down your chair, it's perfect.  The plan behind bringing the other stakes was to increase the size of the blind to sufficiently hide 4 hunters and 2 dogs.  Instead I decided to make another blind right next to it that can be removed after the H7HT Charter Tour if we see fit.  I cut brush and filled the twine knowing that a month from now it will be totally dead and out of place but I figure that it will make a nice base for whatever other camouflage we choose at the time.

After constructing that blind and cutting some brush to be used later I took a minute to look around at my favorite view from October to February, it was good to be back.

When I showed up at Clider's he was unwrapping his new drive shaft and propeller.  I would love to tell you about the interesting things that happened in Clider's basement getting it installed but that would ruin his fun when he decides to start telling stories again.  I will tell you though that the sheer number of decoys in his basement is appalling.  I can't wait.

GBCH










Friday, August 29, 2014

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Rhymes with........



First time 4 members in 1 place.....coming to a theatre near you Nov 17th-23rd.   Founders tour is on!!!

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Happy Birthday Fred G!

It won't be long now.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Let the battle begin
This past week was summer vacation time for the founding members of the H7HT.  As all of you know summer vacation means one thing and one thing only, the fight for the Blue Jacket.  Along the way we had some other fun with Clider but golf was the main attraction for this trip.  Fred G traveled to the great state of Idaho and I picked him up at the airport then was off to work while he was able to get in a few practice rounds at Galena Ridge.  The practice was important as I was not giving him any strokes this year.  Last year the 17 strokes I gave him cost me the Blue Jacket and a little thing I like to call pride.  Beaten on my home golf course is no way to survive a winter lay off from the sport. 
 
The first day we played a solid round of 18+ at the most spectacular mountain golf course in the region, Galena Ridge. (find us on facebook or at www.silvermt.com) Then it was off to the cabin for some home cookin' on the Sportsman's grill and not one, not two, not three but several delicious beverages.  The next morning sporting clays were on the schedule and we met Clider at his house bright and early.  After a quick stop at McDeath I had a teriffic plan to keep me out of jail.  I let Clider drive.  We made it to the range where I miraculously shot 73 out of 100 clays to win the day.  Clider was right behind me and Fred G had problems with a bent and misfiring gun and was only able to come in 3rd out of 3.  Fortunately the club had a big cooler of water for all to have which kept me from further dehydration and almost certain death.  Did I mention it was hot?  142 degrees in the shade that day and more heat to come.  We droped off Clider after a tour of his deccoy collection.  (There are no pictures of the collection because pictures can not do it justice.  Suffice to say, when Clider brings all his decoys we will need two trucks to get wherever we are going.)  Then it was back to the cabin where I waited to die and took a nap.
 
 
The next morning it was bright and early again as we drove to the world famous Coeur d'Alene Resort Course and their amazing floating green.  Our Golf Pro for the day was none other than Mr. Andy Warburton, a friend from the winter months and the only way we could play this expensive and beautiful course.  Kyle, our caddy, had his hands full tracking down the occasional errant shot and being our #1 cheerleader for 18 holes.  Oh, to be young and dependant on tips.  After crushing the course like none before we stoped on the way back for another quick 9 holes at Galena.  The Flat Iron steak Fred G. made that night was delicious.  Did I mention he had been crushing me at Ducey the whole time?  THE WHOLE TIME!
 
The next morning was another hot one as we walked the 9 holes at the Shoshone Counrty Club and destroyed records at yet another golf course.  That afternoon I had been planning a trip up to Clider's summertime domain, the Silver Mt. bike park,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLrZFHsT8rM but Clider would not be able to join us as he was off to Glacier Ntl Park for some well deserved time out of the valley.  Fred and I were only able to get our hands on size medium XC bikes rather than the XL full downhill bikes I had planned on but even with that disadvantage we made it alive through a warm up run and an unintended 3,400 vertical feet of singletrack back to town.  Fred G absolutely shredded the trail despite not having been on a real mountain bike since I tried to kill him in Breckenridge years ago. That night however, I went 6 to 0 to stage the most amazing ducey comeback in the history of the world.  I was in fuego.
 
Our vacation came to a close the next day after more golf at Galena Ridge and another close round.  In the end I was awarded the Blue Jacket in a ceremony not unlike the pros.  The former champion presented the jacket to me in a luxury cabin while several insiders looked on in awe.  Shortly after I went back to work and Fred G went home to get on with the business of being a former champ.  Giggitty.
 
Thanks to all that made this years golf outing great, and only a few short months before the shooting starts!
 
 GBCH


 

Thursday, July 03, 2014

Who Shall Remain Supreme?





A. Bob DaFolder
3. Fred G.


Sunday, June 15, 2014

Nothing new in hunting.....how about home improvement?

As found
As some of you that know me know, I always need a project.  This spring I decided to improve the storage capacity of our mud/laundry room by adding some cabinets to the bare logs.  The first step was finding just the right style of vintage, slightly beat up, rustic and inexpensive cabinet.  I found it at a complete junk show of a yard sale just down the street.  As I was looking through the dead hoarders junk on display I asked the nice lady holding the sale if she had any cabinets.  She did.  They were in the basement of the house and it was slated to be torn down.  If I was to remove them myself I could have them for a mere $50.  Done deal.  I carefully tore them out of the basement and took all the shelving and 1950's lumber I could.  You just don't find this kind of lumber at the Home Depot, it's solid and strong.  The 2x4's have a heft nothing like the lumber nowadays. 

Above the other door too
My plan was to reconstruct the cabinetry so that it fit my space and I started with making shelves and getting them in place.  After that I built the cabinets around them using most, but not all of the originals from my pile.  (Some of the cabinet doors are left over and will be added to the shed in an upcoming project.)  A litte paint and some ingenious hardware choices inspired by my Sweetie and you have the new laundry room storage you see here.  The cost of the entire project was just about $100 and took a few days.  Bam!  With the shelving left over I plan to make a nice folding table.  That's right, folding.  Like, laundry folding.  Not that other kind.  The real kind of folding that will occur this fall when the H7HT takes to the blind.  Soon.








I am now Retired.

Don't let anyone tell you it's not possible to live your dreams.  Because sometimes dreams come true.

Thursday, June 05, 2014

ThankyouFred

I have been slacking on my blogging duties for awhile now.  First off I wanted to say that I am proud of  Bob for getting in a boat, and surviving.  I hope he was exceedingly polite, please. Thank you.  I assume they restocked the river after you guys pulled all the fish out of it.

I went to Portland a while back on a quick, surprise trip.  Bob made me promise to avoid chain restaurants for the duration of the trip and it was truly expert advice.  The occasion for the journey was Monica's birthday and we had no agenda except eating three meals a day.  Following more of Bob's advice we stayed at the Kennedy School which was a pretty unique experience, definitely would do that again.  We bumbled around Powell's book store, went to both Voodoo Doughnuts and even hung with the homeless in China Town.

We got reservations at Fred's store for Friday night, Monica's birthday dinner.  My only experiences with Fred have involved strong smells, slurred speech, copious amounts of profanity, too much wiki, blood and feathers.  I heard tales of Fred having a pretty nice little place in Portland but didn't really know what to expect.

I had no idea what a classy guy I was hanging out with.  Everything was amazing, Jackie brought out course after course of incredible food.  We had everything and dessert.  Dinner was the highlight of our trip, and it was shocking to see Fred in a professional setting. Thank you for making it such an awesome night, we both had a really great time.

Cliffy, you should come out with Fred this winter, early season.  Also come play golf with shotguns in a few weeks, Bob needs someone to carry his gun.  His heart can't take too much strain.

goose



A Friend of mine heard we hate geese, so I have these now!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

The Float 2014



                                                                                                                                         



Pretty.  The one word to describe this year.  


This year was like all others, lots and lots of fishing, great food, BB gunnin, beer and booze.  Amazing fishing.

Cliffy picks us up bright and early at 6am.  Rain in the forecast did not scare us off.   After a short jaunt to the put in unload and load up, on the river at 830.  The river was the crowded, the most we have ever seen, this did not sway us.  Bob this year boughtin a license and a spinner rod with the hopes of catching the biggest, the most and the best fish.  He was on mark.  First stop Bob catches the first fish.  Damn!  Next stop Bob lands another monster, truly amazing, Cliffy and I are scratching our heads, spinning reel?  It's on.  After many stops we make it to the camping pull out.

We procure our normal spot.  We unpack and set camp.  I am immediately back in the water throwing flies.  My first cast I hook up a massive white fish.  It fought for nearly 20 minutes until I thoroughly exhausted it, we were undecided if I should even throw it back due to how I punished it.  Would it survive after such a battle royal?  Well I gave the big guy some mouth to mouth and revived it back to life and off it went up river, cause that's the way fish swim, to live to die another day.  Cliffy had some stank on his hook a couple of times, teaching these bastards not to F with the H7HT.  We start some damage on the cooler to make props we could put down with the Daisy.  There was also much wikki flowing too, it was so cold, which we welcomed on the scorching desert day.  Cliffy was on fire!  Knocking cans silly, making Bob and me drink over and over again.

Dinner arrived not a moment too soon.  This year was Mexi.  Pork Rojo tacos.  Delish.  After we all helped do the dishes we were back on the Daisy.  Still Cliffy was master, punishing every can like it was his red headed step brother.  These two guys even felt bad for me, remember that time I did all the shotguns?  Well they just volunteered.  Soon enough all of our bottles of wikki went dry.  Darkness fell upon us like goose poo on a golf course.  We sat up by the fire and told stories of slaying ducks and watching stars shoot by us.  After several hours we call it and hit the hay for the most restful night sleep, bellies full of chili rojo with beans.  A light rain lulled us into slumber.

We awake and have an awesome breakfast.  Farm fresh eggs, homemade sausage, griddle cakes with fresh strawberry jam and hot coffee.  We pack up and hit the river for some more catch and release, and there was much to be had by everyone.  Seems as though if our flies were wet there was a monster on the other end.  We get to the pull out high from our river experience.  As we are pulling out we hear other fishermen cursing the river coming out with no luck.  Of course they came out empty the H7HT caughtin all the fish.  

Yet another great float.  Beauty.



Friday, May 16, 2014

Do the DU, Monica is bonafide!