The Gun Itch

It's been about a year since I purchased my 9mm.  Now I'm getting the itch to purchase a new gun.  Right now I'm not sure what I want.  I will be looking for something in the 350.00 or less range. 

A shotgun would be very useful.  I would want a side by side or an over under if I do that.  It would also have to be a slightly older gun.  I like the detailing in the wood and the look of older guns.

I am also interested in a rifle.  There's not any size or style in particular.  I already have a .22 but if I found the right one I would even buy another of those.  If I get a .22 it would be a cool looking lever action or a pump action.  I do want a wood stock and not a synthetic stock.  It may or may not be used for hunting. 

My third option would be a bow for deer hunting.  I haven't looked into this too much.  There are a lot of options out there now and all of the bows I have looked at look like toys compared to the bows I used to use up to '97.  I'm sure any of them would be better than what I used then.

The purchase will not be this year unless I find an individual close that is selling. 

Right now I'm in saving mode to pay of the last of my debt.  Once I have my truck paid off then I will think about purchasing something after I have saved for it.  At that time I may start looking at spending a little more and purchasing something special. 

Last weekend I went pheasant hunting with Dad in Northwest Kansas.  I didn't even get to fire a shot through his new 12 guage as we didn't see a pheasant after walking through about 6 miles of fields.  I did see a lot of big bucks, coyotes and a bobcat.

Having a gun in my hands felt good.  I was hoping that Dad would let me carry the Ithaca side by side I bought him, but he apparently likes that one too.  It got me to thinking that I need to get more of my own guns.

A few years ago I was content to not have a gun in the house.  I left all my guns at Dad's.  Now, I would like to have a few more guns of the bigger variety to play around with.

A Year Off

There is still time left, but I think that I am not going to fish tournaments next year.

There are a few reasons, but one really important reason.  The baby.  It is also expensive for me to travel as far as I do to fish as a co-angler.  A lot of the time I book hotels, eat out, drive around, etc. 

I also want to spend more time outdoors with my family.  I only took my boys out fishing a few times this year.  That's unacceptable.  I should be taking them out as much as they want to go when I have the time to go.  With the purchase of the camper we should have more opportunities to go out.  We won't have to worry as much about the wind, the heat and the rain.  If we ever get any of that rain stuff. 

I won't have to take time off work for tournaments, I can use my time off for a family vacation.

I will miss tournament fishing and the chance to to win something for doing something I love.  Maybe next year I'll jump back into it. 

I have been considering doing 1 big tournament next year.  Maybe a Stren Series tournament. 

This is just the beginning of winter and I can always change my mind.  Right now I'm leaning towards a year off. 

TORN

No fishing for me. It seems that if I am not in a tournament I don't get to go fishing anymore. It doesn't help that the closest lake is over an hour away and the water is too low to put a boat in. Even if I could there are islands that are right beneath the surface all over the lake. The islands make the lake a wonderful place to fish when the water is up but when it's down it seems to be really dangerous. I still want to get my boat out 1 more time this year to try to burn as much gas off as I can. Even with gas treatment I hate to have gas sitting in the boat over the winter. It will be getting really cold really soon so I need to act quickly. This weekend I need to go shopping for Thanksgiving. I will be out of town next weekend for Thanksgiving. The following weekend the water may be frozen! Is it time to go ahead and winterize the boat, or should I heat the garage? We have had a great fall and I have not gotten to take advantage of it. In February I will be having a baby. It may be time to sell the boat. Na! How will I get out of the house if I do that? I am thinking of taking a break from tournaments next year. That is a hard decision as that is when I get most of my fishing in. On the other hand it will be hard for my wife to watch 3 kids. Maybe we can camp with our new popup a little next year if I don't have tournaments every month. It comes down to me being the father I want to be or the fisherman I want to be and right now my kids are winning. If I don't fish the BFL next year maybe I could fish 1 bigger 3 day tournament. I will have to do some thinking the next couple months. I really love fishing tournaments.