Looking Back at 2011: Part 3

This is the third and final part of my Goals for 2011. This year has been a great year with a few first, at lot more time in the field and as always a great time with friends and family. Here is to a great 2011 and an even better 2012

Hunting

Considering Spring Gobbler Season is going to be here before we know it, I want to hunt Spring Gobbler Season. As I've wrote before I haven't got to go turkey hunting, I've went and sat in the blind and called them, but I want to be able to have the chance at harvesting my first gobbler.

• I did get to hunt a few times in spring gobbler season and I even had a close call with one, but I wasn't able to harvest one. It'll have to wait until this upcoming season to lay a turkey down.

We've now talked about moving a tree stand to the flat at the top of my property that over looks a valley. I want to re-hang one stand and add another to my property and hunt from both of them this next season.

• I got a little ahead of myself on this one, I wanted to move it but I was unsure of where I wanted to move it to so it didn't get done. This was good because I was able to harvest two deer out of one of the stands I was going to move. 

For the last four years, I've spent time learning about my property, adding food plots with Jay and Luke's help, and generally make it a better hunting area. I want to continue the progression of our hunting grounds and keep expanding the food plots.

• This is something that I try to do ever year and no matter how much I accomplish, it will still be on my list every year. 

I've been bow hunting now for more than a few season and have yet to harvest anything with my bow. My objective for next hunting season is to harvest at least one deer of either sex with my bow.

• I FINALLY got to check this one off my list!! I had been trying for a few years to get one and was finally able to take  a doe this year. This was probably one of my favorite posts this year.

During Rifle Season I'd like to successfully hang, hunt, and harvest a buck from one of the two new tree stand locations I'm going to add this summer.

•   Yet again, a little ahead of myself, but I was still able to take that buck on Opening Day. 

Blog

Well I guess the first thing I need to do is finally submit my blog to the OBN, yes, the same site that I've been checking out for the last few months and finding great blogs to read. What do I have to lose?

• This one got checked off the list early this year, only a few days into 2011 this year.

Right now I'm just using this as an outlet for my outdoor ramblings, so that I don't have to bore everyone around me with my thoughts, complains, and stories. I'd really like to start posting on a more regular schedule (twice during the week and once during the weekends).

• Some months are better than others, but I'm still at it a year and a half in so I can't complain much.

As this is my first blog and I only started it a few months ago, I still have a lot to learn, but I'd like to make my blog more user friendly and entertaining.

•  I hope I have and made it better for everyone, but if anyone has any opinions or tips let me know!!

Looking Back at 2011: Part 2

After tackling the personal section yesterday, I am going to take a look at general outdoors and fishing goals for  2011. This is the second part of three posts looking at how my Goals for 2011 went.

General Outdoors

I've wanted to have my own garden for years, but it always seems to just end up being a potted peppers and tomatoes. This year I want to have a garden that actually makes it into the ground.

• I managed to have my first garden this year. There was a great learning curve, but something tells me there is never going to be a perfect garden. 

I learned to make jam for the first time last year, so this year I need to find more places  with black berry thickets and/or any (edible) berries for that fact.

• I did manage to find a few additional places to pick berries and those places have raspberries also. But the best news is I got permission to pick addition fields within a few miles of my house.

This past year I skimped on my ramp hunting/digging, but now that I am able to can them, I want to be able to have enough ramps canned to last me three-fourths of the year.

Cleaning Ramps

• For what I missed in the previous year, I made up for it this year. I went on quiet a few ramp digging trips. Cassie and I both whipped up a few new and old ramp recipes: Pickled Ramps, Ramp Potatoes, and Ramp Burgers. I didn't manage to keep three-fourths of a year, but I did manage to keep a bout half a year. 

As much time as I spend in the outdoors, I need to continue to learn more about the native flora and fauna of West Virginia.

• This is something that will be on my list every year, I learned a good deal this year but still have a lot left to learn.

Continue learning and using the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving that I got for Christmas to make more Jams and Jellies.

• I didn't expand beyond my Black Berry Jam this year, but I did manage to make Pickled Hot Dogs and Banana Peppers and even dabbled with some pickles. 

As long as I follow through with my first objective on this list, the last one shouldn't prove to be too difficult, can and give away part of the produce from my garden.

• Check this one off the list, but I've learned, it seems you always seems you get twice as much as you give away.

Fishing

I'm not one for remembering to count every day or every fish I catch, I wish I was, I've tried keeping journals, taking pictures, just about everything, but it doesn't seem to work. I thought this year I keepmy goal simple -  I want to fish at least 9 out of the 12 months this year. Doesn't sound to hard, but I need to start somewhere and if we get the snow like we did last year, the water around here won't be clear or at normal levels till March. 

• I called this one from the get go, the water conditions were terrible for the beginning part of the year and I wasn't able to fish until March, I did well and fishing every month from march to August. As with every year though, that's when bow hunting and whitetails took over and I haven't seen my fishing pole since.

This is one I'm not sure I'm going to be able to attain, but I've love to. I want to catch four different types of trout: Rainbow, Brown, Brook, and Golden Rainbow Trout. I've never caught a Rainbow Golden trout before, so why not make it a goal this year.

• Ehh.. Although I got a out a few times I mainly stayed close to home (or went salty). That means that it was strictly Rainbows this year. 

When I got to Florida this summer I would like to try one of the following three types of fishing: Surf Fishing, Pier Fishing, or fish on a Charter. Another one that isn't that hard, but sometimes on a time crunch things like this take a back seat, unfortunately last year that was the case.

• This one I managed to pull off. This past summer while visiting my parents I was able to go surf fishing. This was a great experience and one that I will soon be repeating as Cassie and I are heading towards the beach this evening. 

This is something I've been trying to do for years, but I haven't got lucky enough to catch a trout that qualifies for "The West Virginia Trophy Fish Citation Program". 

• This one I might had pulled off, but I did a lot of catch and release fishing at the beginning of the year. There were a fish or two that I caught that were close, but they are still swimming as far as I know it so no chance of them getting me my state citation.

Lastly in the fishing section, I bought a fly fishing outfit and fly tying equipment this past year. I would like to become more proficient in tying flies and catch my first fish on a fly fishing.

• I took my fly pole with me almost every time I went fishing, but yet no luck on the fly yet. As for tying flies, well maybe that's why they haven't been biting. Who knows. Haha.

Looking Back at 2011: Part 1

I'm deviating a little from my norm here, but with the hustle and bustle of the holidays finally calming down I'd like to take a look back at the goals I set for myself last year. This is going to be a two possibly three part post due to the fact that this would be extremely to large for one post.

The first section was Personal Goal...

The old one that everyone does, lose weight and get healthier. I did lose some weight last year, it made running up and down the river banks and hiking through the woods a lot easier, but now just to not let the weight creep back over the winter is the goal.

• This one we can skip, this was a weak spot this year. I maintained my unhealthy eating habits and exercise regiment, but with Mark at Sole Adventure and Al at SoCal Bowhunter both leading the charge for a healthier way of life, I think I might just get my butt in gear.

Stop hoarding random junk in my attic and basement, and clothes as well. Clean out my house and donate everything I can to Goodwill / Salvation Army. This also will allow for more room for someone else to move in with me this summer.

• This one is easy because it is no longer my hoarding, it's our hoarding habits. Really though, there has been many, many trips made to Goodwill, Salvation Army, and church clothing banks with excess clothes and goods. No matter how hard we try, this will be something we always try to do. It really benefits all when we donate what we can to who we can.

I want to go back to school, so I need to apply to Graduate School at WVU and get accepted in my program. As well as take a course this summer so I can substitute teach while I go back to school.

• I did get accepted into Grad School and have managed to keep a 4.0 GPA through two semesters now, but as for the subbing classes I didn't choose to proceed with them. I am looking into getting a internship for the spring and summer though. 

As I wrote about earlier, I finally have the funds available to purchase a Nikon D90, the camera I've been wanting for a while now. Since this will be my first DSLR, I want to learn the fundamentals of photography and actually put the camera to use for everyone out there.

• Fundamentals, no, but I do love taking pictures and have manged to take some decent pictures and am always learning. With the addition of a waterproof camera (a Christmas present from Cassie), it should lead to be even more interesting pictures. 

Lastly for this section, it's a bit sappy and no one cares about this one but me, but I'd like to be a better boyfriend this year. It might actually help keep her around, Lord knows I'll need all the help I can get. Haha.

• Well this one I think I did well with, but then again what do I know in terms of this. So for this why don't we hear straight from Cassie... "I couldn't ask for more..."

Nikon D3100

Image Credit: Nikon USA

If you remember way back when in December I posted "The Goods", it talked about what I had received over the holidays and what I had planned on doing with the gifted cash. If you don't remember I'll bring you up to speed,  I spoke about wanting a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex Camera). I spoke specifuially about getting the Nikon D90, it is an amazing camera, but when it came time to actually make the purchase, I found something a little different. It was still a Nikon, but it was the Nikon 3100 in a bundle pack that came with another lens, SD card, and a Nikon Camera Bag with Instructional DVD. The differences in the two cameras are things that as for now, I won't even need to touch, so with the ability to get more useful items with it and still stay a little under budget I couldn't resist pick it up. The lens I got with the bundle is a AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 55-200mm, this is a great addition to the kit lens since I will be attempting to shot nature and wildlife, amongst other things.  Now that I've got my camera, now I just need to learn how to use it more proficiently to be able to cross another goal off my list for 2011.

For an added bonus, I'm going to include a few of my first attempts with this camera...

Street Light

Porch

Mile Marker #3

Beaver Skull

Cemetery and Oak

Buster in B&W 

Ok, so the last one was taken by Cassie, but the others are mine. I am in the process of 

opening up a Flickr account and then linking it to a photo tab at the top. 

Any comments, suggestions, or help are always welcomed!

Random Ramblings 2.0

Mid way through January I did a post entitled "Random Ramblings," well it's about that time again. Time to play a little catch up and give a little look into the future.

Just like Momma made 'em, wait she did.. 

• Shouldn't the day after the Super Bowl be a National Holiday, or at least a delayed start to the day? And no, before everyone thinks it, I didn't even have a beer last night, but more of a food induced comma is how I'd describe it. I hope everyone was able to send some quality time with their friends and family while watching the Super Bowl or the commercials and halftime show, which ever one you are really there for. As for my family, we were rooting for the Packers so it turned out to be a great night. We had some great food also, thanks to my Dad, that included everything from homemade shredded beef in enchilada sauce with Spanish rice, Texas Caviar (I'll be having a post on making this one in the near future), and Chicken Wing Dip to the amazing Sausage Dip, Cassie made. And my mom conquered the desserts with some cookies and Puppy Chow ( if you haven't tried this you need to!!).

• If you guys like product reviews, I am planning to have a few coming your way soon! Everything from clothes to tackle and even some odds and ends, so you'll need to stay tuned for further updates.

• This past Friday our Facebook Page was featured on the Outdoor Blogger Network's OBN Notes 2/4 post. I encourage all of you that haven't visited our Facebook Page to take a look over there and go ahead and click the "Like" button if you haven't done so yet. Don't forget you can find me on twitter also at @foggymtnmeander

• I know that because I am going to say this now it's never going to happen, but Jay and I were talking this weekend about trying to fish. The waters were still a little to high to be braved this past weekend, but we are still trying to get out there and fish in the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to catch one in February to be able to start working on another one of my Goals for 2011.

• To end this a special Thank You needs to go out to JM over at Something's Fishy. He has a semi-regular post called the "Sunday Shout Out," and this past Sunday's was about myself and Foggy Mountain Meanderings. If you'd like to read his post you can find it here.

The weekend that wasn't..

..anything but relaxing, well for the most part that's true. After a week away from my house due to snow and deciding to stay the week with my girlfriend, it was time to head back there and relax. So that's exactly what I did; I'm kind of ashamed to admit I didn't even make it into the woods or river this weekend, but with the amount of snow and the warmth of my house, I didn't think it was the best idea to brave it. Haha. Even without having any great outdoors news for you there are still a few updates, well if you want to call them that.

This weekend did allow me to get started on the project of reclaiming my house from the last  few months (Deer Season) of dirty clothes and dust, well I should rephrase this, it allowed Cassie to start on this and me to help her. But I guess if she going to start moving her stuff in soon it means I need to start getting rid of the 329084352394 t-shirts I have along with those pants that I haven't fit into since high school. Either way this was a good project for this weekend, for one I got a start on another part of my 2011 Goals List, and two it really just needed it. Of course we are no where near the end of this, but the hardest part is always just starting. Plus, I am finding hunting and fishing stuff that I had forgot I bought or couldn't remember where I put it strategically placed to find at a later date, so it was like Christmas morning all over again. On a  serious side, tomorrow after work I will have three to four bags of t-shirts and clothes to drop-off at Goodwill. This is at least a good start for now.

Another great thing about a lazy weekend is getting to lay around and watch football and basketball, WVU played a great game and beat a #8 ranked Purdue team today, but really that wasn't were I was going with this. It was suppose to talk about how I spent half my weekend trying to find all my fly tying stuff after entering the newest Gear Review Opportunity at OBN, if you haven't checked that place out you should. After scouring my newly cleaned house I realized I knew where the equipment was (still on my desk), it was the materials I was lacking, so this means a trip to Cabelas here in the new future. Really, this just gives me more time to review some new flies I'd like to try and make on Troutrageous! and OMG It's Fly Tying!, just to mention a few.

The weekend wouldn't have been complete without some of the amazing brownies Cassie made (Thanks!!) or the Deer Jerky I made, yes that's right folks, I can cook (when I really, really need to that is). But you guessed it, I'll be posting the recipe and the step my step process of how I make my Sweet'n'Spicy Deer Jerky, so there's one post to look forward to this week. And with Jay making a quick trip back home from work in FL, I'm hoping we're going to be able to start hitting up the streams soon as well. But here's to everyone having a great week ahead!!

Well, it's only 4 days into the new year..

.. and I'm already checking an item off of my Goal List for 2011. No, I haven't managed to already catch four types of trout, with all of them being WV Citation size as well. I finally got up the nerve to submit my blog to the Outdoor Blogger Network. Now it's just a waiting game till I see if it gets accepted, if you guys from the OBN are reading this sorry about the mess up in URLs, but from what I've read about you two from your site, you're a pretty smart duo, so I'm sure you were able to figure everything out, Thanks again. Haha. But anyways it now looks like I've take my blog public and will start introducing my friends and family to this site, god help them. Haha, but I am hoping by doing this it will also hold me more accountable for posting on a regular schedule. For anyone reading this that has a love for the outdoors as well, and hasn't poked around the OBN website, you need to, NOW! It's a great site, with a lot of wonderful blogs and active bloggers.

Looking Forward to 2011

There's been a website I have been frequenting for a while now, Outdoor Blogger Network, you can see their logo on my side bar on the right side of my blog They offer writing prompts, a suggestion to help get the writing juices flowing. This last one was about our 2011 Outdoor Goals, I was thinking about doing a goals list or at least just jotting down some things and ideas I was looking forward to in the New Year, but now this gave me more incentive to make this list. Here goes nothing.

Personal (I know, this doesn't deal with hunting, fishing, or the outdoors in general, but if I put 'em in writing here, I can't forget 'em or say I didn't say that but I'd never do that. Haha.)

• The old one that everyone does, lose weight and get healthier. I did lose some weight last year, it made running up and down the river banks and hiking through the woods a lot easier, but now just to not let the weight creep back over the winter is the goal.
• Stop hoarding random junk in my attic and basement, and clothes as well. Clean out my house and donate everything I can to Goodwill / Salvation Army. This also will allow for more room for someone else to move in with me this summer.
• I want to go back to school, so I need to apply to Graduate School at WVU and get accepted in my program. As well as take a course this summer so I can substitute teach while I go back to school.
• As I wrote about earlier, I finally have the funds available to purchase a Nikon D90, the camera I've been wanting for a while now. Since this will be my first DSLR, I want to learn the fundamentals of photography and actually put the camera to use for everyone out there.
• Lastly for this section, it's a bit sappy and no one cares about this one but me, but I'd like to be a better boyfriend this year. It might actually help keep her around, lord knows I'll need all the help I can get. Haha.

General Outdoors

• I've wanted to have my own garden for years, but it always seems to just end up being a potted peppers and tomatoes. This year I want to have a garden that actually makes it into the ground.
• I learned to make jam for the first time last year, so this year I need to find more places to with black berry thickets and/or any (edible) berries for that fact.
• This past year I skimped on my ramp hunting/digging, but now that I am able to can them, I want to be able to have enough ramps canned to last me three-fourths of the year.
• As much time as I spend in the outdoors, I need to continue to learn more about the native flora and fauna of West Virginia.
• Continue learning and using the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving that I got for Christmas to make more Jams and Jellies.
• As long as I follow through with my first objective on this list, the last one shouldn't prove to be too difficult, can and give away part of the produce from my garden.

Fishing

• I'm not one for remembering to count every day or every fish I catch, I wish I was, I've tried keeping journals, taking pictures, just about everything, but it doesn't seem to work. I thought this year, I'm going to keep it general on this one, I want to fish at least 9 out of the 12 months this year. Doesn't sound to hard to happen, but I need to start somewhere and if we get the snow like we did last year, the water around here won't be clear or at normal levels till March. 
• This is one I'm not sure I'm going to be able to attain, but I've love to. I want to catch four different types of trout: Rainbow, Brown, Brook, and Golden Rainbow Trout. I've never caught a Rainbow Golden trout before, so why not make it a goal this year.
• When I got to Florida this summer I would like to try one of the following three types of fishing: Surf Fishing, Pier Fishing, or fish on a Charter. Another one that isn't that hard, but sometimes on a time crunch things like this take a back seat, unfortunately last year that was the case.
• This is something I've been trying to do for years, but I haven't got lucky enough to catch a trout that qualifies for "The West Virginia Trophy Fish Citation Program". 
• Lastly in the fishing section, I bought a fly fishing outfit and fly tying equipment this past year. I would like to become more proficient in tying flies and catch my first fish on a fly fishing.

Hunting

• Considering Spring Gobbler Season is going to be here before we know it, I want to hunt Spring Gobbler Season. As I've wrote before I haven't got to go turkey hunting, I've went and sat in the blind and called them, but I want to be able to have the chance at harvesting my first gobbler.
• We've now talked about moving a tree stand to the flat at the top of my property that over looks a valley. I want to re-hang one stand and add another to my property and hunt from both of them this next season.
• For the last four years, I've spent time learning about my property, adding food plots with Jay and Luke's help, and generally make it a better hunting area. I want to continue the progression of our hunting grounds and keep expanding the food plots.
• I've been bow hunting now for more than a few season and have yet to harvest anything with my bow. My objective for next hunting season is to harvest at least one deer of either sex with my bow.
• During Rifle Season I'd like to successfully hang, hunt, and harvest a buck from one of the two new tree stand locations I'm going to add this summer.

Blog

• Well I guess the first thing I need to do is finally submit my blog to the OBN, yes, the same site that I've been checking out for the last few months and finding great blogs to read. What do I have to lose?
• Right now I'm just using this as an outlet for my outdoor ramblings, so that I don't have to bore everyone around me with my thoughts, complains, and stories. I'd really like to start posting on a more regular schedule (twice during the week and once during the weekends).
• As this is my first blog and I only started it a few months ago, I still have a lot to learn, but I'd like to make my blog more user friendly and entertaining.