and a strong cup of coffee

I started writing here in 2009 and have steadily watched the number of folks, like yourself, who read my blog, grow. It has been fantastic to hear from you in emails, read your comments and see you liking the Facebook page . It is my responsibility to you that I have a blog that you want to come and read.  Writing is based on relationships and shared experiences and connecting with one another and I take that seriously when I post.  Writing is not my full-time job. It's not even my second full-time job (mom) or third on my list of priorities (I sit on a few boards and committees) but I love it and that is why I do it. I have had the privilege of writing for Downeast Magazine and I have my monthly column in the Northwoods Sporting Journal . I am excited to share my stories and thoughts with other people.   That is why when a larger media outlet contacted me and asked me to be a freelance writer for them, I got excited.  It was a chance for more people to...

** The following is an article that I wrote for The Liberty Project.  It was  originally  published on November 16, 2015 here .  I was never paid by The Liberty Project so they don't own the copyright. Why trusting yourself is key for success in the outdoors It is critical to know and feel comfortable with any situation you put yourself in.  This is especially true if your goal is to bring home meat for the freezer.  You need to have a level of knowledge and understanding about why you are there and what you want to accomplish.  Everything about being successful in the outdoors comes from a sense of trust: in yourself, your tool and your training.  My training came from my Dad. I started to learn and trust his experiences about where the deer were more likely to come out into an opening, where we should build a tree stand and that I could and would shoot a deer.  When it came time to take that first deer, I remember asking D...

There was running water on almost every trail but sometimes, you just have to get on the snowmobile and ride. Last weekend Dad, Hubby and I decided to ride around and see if we could find our deer.  I secretly wished to find a shed but that didn't happen. An eagle flew from a tall spruce tree as we crossed a field and headed into the woods.  There were wet spots, muddy spots and running streams but we pushed on.  The amount of deer tracks were incredible.  Crossing the snowmobile trails, gathered around ground hemlock... our herd was having an easy winter with lots of food available with no real effort needed to find it. We headed down a side snowmobile trail that runs parallel to the trail that we take to get to T3. I almost ran into Dad's sled when he came to a stop at the bottom of the hill.  He got off of the snowmobile and walked over to the cluster of trees.  What I wouldnt give to have seen this deer during hunting season! Swamp deer rub...

With the Maine legislature beginning and as always there will be hunting and fishing issues that come up, I wrote this article for The Liberty Project about a bill in Wisconsin that would prevent anti-hunters from documenting hunters when they are in the woods.  The article was originally posted on October 28, 2015 here . Why Wisconsin's right to hunt bill is necessary I can count on one hand the number of photos of my son on social media. You will never read the full name of the friends that I hunt with and I am more likely to take a photo of the trees than photos of an outing with my Dad. I am overly cautious for my safety and theirs. Last year, I volunteered with Maine’s fight against an out-of-state anti-hunting group as we fought to protect our bear hunting management practices. It was messy. It was personal. It included death threats against some of Maine’s best biologist and wildlife management leaders. Death threats from people who would rather have a fellow huma...

Dad, Hubby and I headed into the woods to see where all of our deer are.  We found them but we also found some cool tracks in the snow.  Can you tell what they are? Look at all of those drag marks! Straight line of tracks Two by two tracks Can you see those nail marks?

My neighbor feeds the deer in the winter so when I was cleaning out my fridge and found that I had a dozen apples that needed to get tossed, I decided to throw them on the back lawn to see if the deer would find them. Within a few hours, I noticed these two munching happily. The third doe that appeared was not nearly as oblivious to me standing in the kitchen watching them.  She stomped her foot a few times and kept watch while they all ate. I watched them and took pictures until they walked into the softwoods and it was too dark to see them.  I had turned off the kitchen light and taken off my white sweater so that I could blend in and not look like a white flag in front of the glass doors. Hunter or not, how can you not love watching deer!?

When it is sunny out and there is snow on the ground, it is hard not to want to be outside.  Last weekend, we brought in the trail cameras and tried to figure out where we should be hunting for the 2016 season.  It is never too early to start prepping for the next season! I pulled up to where we normally park and as we got out of the car, there was nothing but deer tracks all around us. Big, little, going in both directions... all kinds of tracks. Only a couple of feet from the roadway with this bed.  I stood in the bed and snapped another photo of the beds around it.  I posted that picture on our FB page and asked people how many deer beds they could find. The deer bed closest to the road Four more deer beds  If you look through the brush and above the snow mound, you can see my car.  I am always amazed when we find out just how close the deer are to us.  We know that we have a group of 3-5 does around so this grouping could be them a...