The Great Outdoors
by Larry Whiteley
A CHANGING WORLD
The past two years the world has changed dramatically. A pandemic had a lot to do with that. So did politics and many other things I don’t want to go into. I am sure we will see even more changes in 2022. Some will be good, some not so good. Even though we may not like some of the changes, we will adapt and life will go on.
To start this year off, I have made a New Year’s resolution not to let all the changes bother me or keep me from doing what I enjoy. I can’t do anything about changing the changes anyway. I can pray and I will. The best way for me to not worry or fret about all the changes is to spend as much time as I can in God’s great outdoors.
Other things might change but my time sitting in a boat trying to catch a limit of crappie will not change. My time out camping under the stars and sitting around a campfire won’t change. My time on hiking trails will not change and magnificent views at the end of a trail won’t either. Sunrises through the trees as I wait for a deer to come by my secret hiding place will not change. The sound of a turkey gobble responding to my calls won’t change. The music of flowing water as I paddle down a winding river will not change.
The outdoors is better than a $200 an hour psychoanalysis for putting the world back into perspective. It has the power to change your life and move it in a healthy direction both mentally and physically. Why don’t you take someone with you and let the outdoors change them too?
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“We live in a changing world, but we need to be reminded that the important things have not changed, and the important things will not change if we keep our priorities in proper order.” – S. Truett Cathy
BEST TIMES FOR ICE FISHING
If you only have a few hours to go ice fishing, go when the fish are feeding most actively. The amount of daylight reaching the water column and the type of fish you are after will help determine that. Walleye and sauger feed most at dawn and dusk. Crappie, perch and pike are more active in the middle of the day.
THE BEAUTY OF JANUARY
In January early morning frosts leave pearls of ice sparkling like diamonds. Lasts year’s leaves lie frosted on the ground, and fields burst forth in the beauty of frost flowers. Icicles add beauty to a forested bluff.
Trees stand starkly in fields and woodlands and have a particular beauty in their bare form. Woods are quiet, except for the twittering of occasional flocks of small birds moving through and the clattering of bare branches in the wind.
January birds are different from the summer ones. Many species have migrated southwards. Waterfowl that stayed around are a special attraction as are other wildlife that can now be seen as they travel.
January lakes and wetlands take on a particular character with mists over the water. Take some time to get out and enjoy the beauty of January.
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know squirrels can climb trees faster than they can run on the ground? Did you also know that the lifespan of a squirrel is 9 years? That lifespan can be much shorter though if they are trying to get into my bird feeders.
