Getting ready for turkey...

In one week, I will be attending my second ever turkey hunt and the first one with one of my truest hunting buddies, The Rabid Outdoorsman aka DuckHammer. This one has been on the radar since the opener of ducks last fall, and I'm as excited as can be to try my hand at a big gobbler once again. And to top it off, my other great hunting partner Matt Diesel will be driving down with me. All I need to do is pick him up on the way.

Okay with that said, I decided to bring out the Beretta Xtrema2 for some target practice (target practice???) just to see how the #5 shot Federal 3.5 inch in 2 oz load would treat my homemade targets. The munchkins took the time to color them in and were quite proud of their good work, and was pleasantly surprised when my oldest suggested that these decoys would definitely bring in those turkeys. I had to tell them that Daddy was going to use them for target practice and they were excited to see how well I would fare.

On the bigger bird, I counted 80 shots from the top of the head down to the base of the neck. For the smaller one, I scored 76 shots and put the wad through it's lower chest. This was attained with a modified choke and about 20 yards away. After some thought about installing a factory full choke, I chose to stick with the modified spread. Rabid also explained that my locale would max out at about 20+/- yards anyways. After some basic research, I'm thinking that the #5 shot has a little over 300 pellets so I'll consider that fairly decent patterning with the modified choke.

Here's the photos from my trials, we'll see how the hunt goes and if the Maine Outdoorsman can put me onto a big tom. No pressure buddy!!!



My oldest daughter's turkey with 80 shots...


Close up


With light in the background


My youngest daughter's turkey with 76 shots


Close up


With light in the background

Easter Day Pictures...

I know I suggested I'd be away for awhile in my last post, but I had to get these springtime ducks on the blog. Today, there was a drake blue winged teal, two drake wood ducks, and a number of residential mallards. For a guy who spends most of his time around eiders, scoters, old squaws, and other sea ducks, I don't get much of a chance to see these beauties. I believe this is the first recognized blue winged teal I've seen in my neck of the woods. But then again, I didn't spend the time or energy into duck identification as all my hunting used to be only in the Gulf of Maine.

I'd like to give a shout out to Bud and Mel who let me spend some time on their property, especially on such a special day.

Enjoy!!!

Visitors...

I know that I had sort of signed off for awhile in my last post, but I had to share some photos scored on this Easter Sunday at my daycare provider's duck haven. Bud had discovered a blue winged teal along with several new drake wood ducks, throw them in with the resident mallards and that makes for what I call a great photo-op...

For some clarification, this is the first blue winged teal I had ever recognized officially in my neck of the woods. So having these type of ducks makes for a little excitement, especially since my world revolves around eiders, scoters, old squaws, and other sea ducks...

Enjoy...

First wood duck of 09...

I've been pretty lousy with the writing and must echo the same sentiments as my good buddy, the Maine Outdoorsman, who seems to have fallen off the planet. Even this A type has discovered that role strain isn't the best way to function. I'll be absent for some time as I won't be participating in anything outdoors until the lakes warm up enough to encourage the bass to become a little more active. Plus bass fishing in April is cold, it isn't like you can tuck in behind the blind, drink coffee, and enjoy the fact that you are super insulated.

I usually don't have a lot of trout luck until May when the hatches occur, so put that together with no hunting and I'm just the Downeast Dad, Dude, Director, and Do All.

Here the picture of the first wood duck of 09 taken by my daycare provider who has the neatest little pond going, too bad it's about 50 feet from her house because that qualifies it as a protected pond.

Till next time...


DEDH out

Letting go...

Nannie with my oldest this past Halloween

We all deal with significant losses in our lifetime. Unfortunately, I fell victim to just that. This Thursday at 9:30 a.m. I lost my last grandparent, my Nannie. She had battled a multitude of complications these past few years in stride and finally she had to give up the good fight. As hard as it is right now, I'm okay. This post tonight will explain why...

Over the past month, Nannie went to the hospital several times and was admitted to the local nursing home to recuperate in hopes that her complications could at least be prolonged for a little more time. I visited whenever I could, it's difficult when you are holding two jobs, a family, and the responsibilities that adjoin both. We'd talk and share the time well, after all I was Nannie's boy and she'd light up when I walked through the door. In addition, I'd try to get my beauties in as often as I could. But this past week, she ended up back at the hospital tackling several complications which when treating two the other one would get worse. It seemed that she'd take one step forward, then two back. We remained optimistic however...

This past Tuesday, my father stopped in to give me the lowdown about her status and the information wasn't favorable. She had been transferred to the intensive care unit at another hospital to see if one more latch ditch effort could buy her kidneys more time. If the CAT scan looked promising, she'd be a candidate for a procedure that would eliminate some of the fluid...

I got the call at my after school program that the doctors were not going to do the procedure therefore cementing the fact that her time was limited. On my way home from work, I called my parents who were there to find out her status so that I could figure out my possibilities in visiting her. The update was bleak, but I decided that I had some things to say. The doctors had started a morphine drip to accommodate her pain and her responsiveness was fading...

I drove the 2 hours to the hospital picking up my mother in transit along the way only to find my grandmother heavily sedated and relatively peaceful. The nurse told me she could hear me but may not be able to communicate with me, but I took that news in stride and held her hand as I started to share my words with her. Every so often, she'd squeeze my hand to let me know she was listening...

By the grace of god during our time together, she began to fight for a greater ability to talk to me. Then her eyes opened slightly and gazed into mine, I knew this moment was critical. I kept telling her that I loved her, that my girls loved her, and how important she was to me. Her responses were so labored, muffled phrases but so clear to me. She kept telling me that she loved me, her eyes fighting to say open to see her boy. Then the pain increased and the nurse had to administer more medication to ease her suffering. I knew that when the drugs took effect, my window would be over...

It was about 9:30 at this point and I told her that I needed to go. I did tell her I'd get up tomorrow to see her, but the response that she gave me was "I can't do it" and with that I told her that it was okay for her to go...

I told her I loved her, she said the same and mustered the energy to raise her arms asking for a hug. I held her tight, kissed her, and for the last time in her life I told her that I loved her. She became more peaceful as the medication took action and I left the room knowing that this would be the last time I would hold my Nannie...

She passed the next morning while I was at school...

So often in life we consider the worst case scenario for our choices, but too often we neglect to do what is just plain right regardless of the consequences. I am so thankful that I didn't stay home that night and that I got there for that last visit. It was like she needed me to be there before she went to be with God. I'm okay now for my decision because she knew that her grandson was able to say goodbye and that I would see her again. But until then, I still have a lot of good work to accomplish and while I'm tearing up awful as I type this, she knows that the world is going to be better for my efforts...

Nannie, I love you and I will see you down the road. I miss you...