My Boy took a Nature Walk

My boy playing in the field during one of our camping and gold panning activities some summer ago.

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First Camping for Summer

I know, summer is almost over and we didn't go up Byron this year like we used to for the past 5 years. I was caught up in something around here doing some work and renovations here and there.

All camped-out.

Anyway, last weekend I finally brought my Sweetie camping but not in Byron. We just camped out at my friend's property in Newfield. My son B went with us but he got bored so I had to bring him to his Grammy's before supper.

Dinner on a hotplate.

It' was not really what we expect of camping but the fact the we can get out of the house and just hanged out with another friend and lazed around just drinking some beer and target shooting was relaxing enough.

My Sweetie practicing some target shooting. She did good for a first-timer.

Today... I'm back to work.

Rain

Weather in Maine is always crazy. When the Meteorologist tells you that it will be a nice sunny day... bring an umbrella with you because it means it might rain. LOL

My Sweetie and her friends went for a hike a couple of weeks ago in New Hampshire. It rained and she took a nice photo of this cascading water on a rocky hills or was it a falls?

Just want to share this for Thursday Challenge.

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Last Weekend

Last weekend my boy finally agreed to go camping with us. I was indeed thrilled because last year he had a huge fit and I wasn't able to make him change his mind no matter how hard I tried.

Last weekend we spent quality time at the camp. We went fishing. We went gold panning. We watched movie inside the tent. It was simply awesome.

Last weekend I was able to do what I love doing during this time of the year - gold panning. And my sweetie and my boy did a great job in making that weekend awesome, despite the fact that I didn't get a huge nugget.

Better luck next weekend.

She Spices up my Life

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am not really too crazy about spicy food. It’s not that I am scared of spices. They just kinda intimidate me. LOL. But when I married Sweetie, a lot of things have changed. Spices are part of my diet now… even with my “over easy” in the morning.

Well, if my Sweetie has changed that part of me. I can say that I also changed her. I got her into football and she is more excited of the Super Bowl than me. And since then, football season was never the same again. Every football season, instead of our usual movie night, we have the football night. And instead of popcorn… we have homemade pizza with TABASCO® Original Red on it. Yes, a Pizza Perfected with Tabasco. And turst me, it is not a football pizza without Tabasco on it – because, Tabasco is part of the game day tradition, so to speak. Wink* Well, why not? TABASCO® Original Red is "So Much More Than Hot”. It’s magical. It unlocks and enhances the flavor of food so every bite is a touchdown.

Let me share with you some ADDITIONAL INFORMATION about Tabasco that I find interesting:

• Original Red was the first sauce introduced by the McIlhenny family back in 1868 and continues to be their most popular sauce of 6 total sauces.

• TABASCO® Original Red is not about heat for heat’s sake. It’s about what heat does to the flavor of food. The simple combination of salt, red pepper, and vinegar are perfected in a 3-year aging process that produces a hot sauce with the uncanny ability to bring the most out of your food. Other hot sauces add their own specific flavor to food. TABASCO® Original Red simply enhances the flavor of food.

Well, I am not a cook. I am an eater so I cannot share any recipe with you right now. But if you want to know how Tabasco can spice up your life… check out the Game-Day Party Menu from their website for some yummy recipes and tasty ideas.

Down the Frozen Lakes

I know my Sweetie isn't very impressed when I spend long hours in the lakes and ponds of Maine. Though she knows that it is that time of the year where we enjoy some winter activities like snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and of course her most favorite... ice-fishing.

She is happy that it is ice-fishing season already. What she is not happy about it.. is that I spend so much time out in the frozen lake while I am having some pains on my back, toes and joint. She is complaining that when I am hurting and in pain, she takes the toll because I bother her to rub my back with her magic ointment.

Well, what can I do? I can't work full time now considering the weather. We have snow storms almost twice a week so we can't work on a regular basis for obvious reasons. And for obvious reasons... it is the best time when fishes bite!

Gold Panning is Over

I's been a while since I last wrote here. Aside from a few "guest posts" every not too often, my blogging really took a back seat because My Sweetie is now working on weekends too. Well, if she is not home on weekends I rather not be home too and blogging [I took a weekend job too and I hang out with some friends when I was not working]. And besides I really spent the whole summer gold panning which reminds me that I should have posted a lot of interesting blogs if I wasn't too lazy to do so. Well, what else is new? [I can hear My Sweetie saying]

Okay, so gold panning is over folks because the river is too cold to dredge now. I will not brave it for hypothermia's sake because I have big plans for next summer.

Summer is long gone and it is now fall... it's time for Deer Hunting season... which starts TODAY!

Miss my Sweetie

I was busy working on a new project for couple of weeks now and it's almost done. I have only a few more hours to finish up on the wall and will move on to the next project, hopefully.

Weekends is here and just like any other weekends of summer, I will be spending it again up Byron at the Swift River, gold panning hoping to find my nuggets.

Last weekend, I brought my boy with me. We did have a good time except on some occasions where he got bored and gave me a hard time.

My Sweetie has no time to go gold panning with me anymore since she also works on weekends now. Oh how I miss her in the camp. Now I need to set up the tent, cook meals, sort the rocks out, and all other stuff - all by myself. It was indeed great to have an extra pair of hands. And I was so sorry for giving her a hard time each time we went gold panning because I was being such a jerk sometimes.

Now I will go up Byron alone again.

Between Ice-Fishing and Glasses

My Sweetie can’t believe that I have not gone fishing as often as I used to. Blame it to work. Blame it to weather. Blame it to timing. Blame it to anything you want but "me". Because as for me, I really wanted to go fishing as often as I want to but I just couldn’t.

The weather has gone crazy this winter. The higher than normal winter temperature this year helped the lakes and ponds warmed up and thawed the ice. Thank you very much.

My Sweetie can’t believe that we didn’t join the Sabago Lake Ice-Fishing Derby this year. This is the only year that we didn’t join it since she came here in Maine. She so loves it. It is the only outdoor activity that I don’t hear her whines… a lot. Wink*

It would have been nicer if I had a project going on so I would have a valid alibi for not using my fishing license which cost more than what my Sweetie paid for her Zenni Optical glasses that she bought online. It would have been nicer if I was too busy working on even just a little room renovation at least I know that I have something to look forward to... to pay my bills. And it would have been nicer if I do have a project and be able to go ice-fishing on weekends like I used to.

Carpenter's Knee or Angler's Knee

If there is such a thing as Tennis' Elbow... there should also be a Carpenter's Knee or Back or Shoulder, shouldn't it?

Geez... I am doomed! It's Valentine's Eve [and I still haven't figure out what to give Wifey or have the resources to get her one, shhhhhh]. It's also Chinese New Year's Eve [Gong Hei Fard Choy but I am not Chinese so does my Sweetie]. And it's February the 13th [good thing it didn't fall on a Friday]. It's 40 degrees. It's balmy. It's sunny. And it's just not right! My knees are sore and I can barely make my trip to the bathroom a breeze.

Wifey's Diagnosis: A symptom of Carpenter's knee disease. LOL No! It's not a new medical terminology. It's my Sweetie's personal Medical Terminology for my "chronic" pain. Well, since she enrolled on Medical Terminology class, she came up with lots of terminologies to identify different things to amuse herself.

The pain on my knees... that I can endure. I have no problem with that because I'm used to it, anyway. What I cannot endure is the fact that today is Open Ice-Fishing Derby here in Maine. A winter sport activity sponsored by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife! It's all over the News.

It means you don't need a license to join. It means it's a madness all over the frozen lakes and ponds and what-have-you in all of Maine. I can almost smell the competitive breath of true-blooded anglers vying for prizes big and small. I can almost feel the chaotic fun and adventures in-stored for all anglers and expectators alike. And food and drink are overflowing, I can already feel my calories rising and cholesterol storing up in my cartilage. Geez!

Note:
For more information on Ice-Fishing Derby Schedule here in Maine... CLICK HERE.

Dreaming of Palms and Beaches

Winter in Maine is one of the reasons why Wifey and I are looking into the prospect of retiring in sunshine state. The thoughts of the warm climate and wonderful beaches are the closest place to being in paradise. And if you are thinking of getting a perfect home in Florida… it is easy with West Palm Beach Real Estate.

Winter in Maine can be bitter, long and depressing. During this time, work is indeed scarce aside from the fact that the economy is still not doing pretty well in construction business. Anywhere you look, you can find foreclosure properties. And even remodeling and renovation projects are not too popular nowadays because everybody is doing their own remodeling and renovation job. Thanks to DIY… it makes our craft even more invaluable.

Winter in Maine can be brutally cold and it would be nice if we could move down south where we can enjoy the sun and walk in the beach. Instead of ice fishing, it would be nice if I could explore the everglade and take photos of the alligators. And I’m sure Wifey will be very happy shopping downtown in flip-flops.

Winter in Maine will have no effect at all if you have a home in West Palm Beach. If you are not from Maine, West Palm Beach is still the best place closest to paradise and this is the best time to acquire properties and take advantage of the economic situation. And the West Palm Beach Real Estate Buyer’s Agents are the best people who can help you find your dream home in paradise.

Between Carpentry and Hunting

Hunting season here in Maine is almost over. And since our project is already finished and we are still waiting for the next one, I guess this is my chance to do what I love doing aside from building houses... hunting.





The start of the hunting season was pretty good to me. And I am proud to say that I got a "monster" last week. Yup, it was a 203 pound, 10-pointer buck that I shot around Sabago lake area. The funny thing is, me and my friend had to travel 4 hours north on the first day of the hunting season and didn't see anything but tracks. And this buck that I shot was just about 3 miles from my place.





Oh well, it may not be as big as the one I got in 2007 [250-pounder/14-pointer] where I got the 6th place in the entire state of Maine for the biggest buck and which earned me The Bigest Buck Club patch and certificate from the Maine Sportsman, but still I am happy that I got one this season.