A snow trip with new friends

 I am always looking for new friends especially when they want to learn more about being outdoors. 

Raylene and I enjoying the snow.

I am part of the Jeep Gladiators pages and met a lovely family.   Tim had an excellent 2020 black Jeep soft top.  It was lifted 2.5 inches tall and well set up.  We explored areas outside of Sonora California.  

                                                                                    Getting to know each other.

We started up one trail that was a mud slush fest.  After a while, we were in the snow on a canyon with little room to turn around.  After a while we started to break snow, but still on a canyon with one side washing out.  We found a place to turn around.   We made our way back to see an angry cow.  I am not kidding when I say this cow was angry.  After eating lunch and enjoying the stream and avoiding the evil stares from the cow we were off.

  A nice stream for lunch

The next adventure on the trip was to try a road up higher.   The next phase of the trip led to the best experience of the day.  We met with another group and followed a nicely set up CJ7 as he was breaking snow.  

A view from Tim's Jeep

It was my first trip to the Gladiator. I tried out all of the goodies.  We tried out the lockers, the sway bar, my new Garmin Explorer.  The Jeep performed nicely.

     Door Deep Snow

It was getting late and the sun was setting, wondering how we would turn around indoor deep snow in the heck.  All of a sudden, we came to a stop. The leader was stuck, the guys behind them were stuck, and Tim was stuck.    After a half-hour, Tim pulled out his winch and pulled the guy in front of him out, and he pulled the leader out.  We tried to turn around and were stuck too.  

After turning around we went down the hill. Aired up the tires and headed to dinner.   

It was a good day with new friends, new memories, and good times for all. 

Duck Hunting Extravaganza or Dud

I recently started to duck hunt again after 15 years.......Wow has it been that long!!!!  Despite little success and really knowing what we were doing it was fun.    I am not sure why it is so fun.  Could it be just being outside or sitting in a blind with my buddies?   I am damn sure it was not shooting ducks.  I have yet to get a shot off.  Either way it was still fun.


Jeff in a Blind, but it looks more like he is ready to hit a 7-11










The first outing we walked and walked and saw little ducks.  The second outing we set up a blind and chased decoys all day.  Finally the last outing we had a blind but it was muddy and hard to walk out in the chest deep water to get to it.  We abandoned all hope of hunting that day.  Next year will be here and we will be prepared.

 All in all it was fun.  What next you ask?  Pheasant hunting and a good time shooting for all.






Paul

A weekend outing with my son

My son Paul II is getting older and starting to enjoy hunting more.  He recieved his first .22 a very nice Henry’s youth, and recently very nice 410 shot gun.

Paul II and I went out on his first camping shooting trip, we took out our Flintstone trailer.   This trip we accomplished two things.  First we got to do a trial run in Flintstone one (our little trailer), second PP II had a chance blast clays with his .410.   Both were fun activities.   

PP is getting to be such a good shot, he gets that from his mom :).  We shot a 5 station clay station.  At one of the 5 stations he took aim at a clay that was moving across the ground and bam took a large chunk out of it. 

There is no better feeling as a father than to see his son take pride and enjoy something that we enjoy together.  Next spring PP will get his hunting license and I can’t wait until I can take him into the field to hunt. My hope is his grades continue and he gets to attend the 2012 Deer hunt.   This will fulfill a life long dream.