The Great Outdoors

Right now the great American outdoors are waiting. They are waiting for us to come experience them...to make memories in them...to walk them...to swim them...to hunt them and to fish them.

I have fished, hunted, hiked, mountain biked, and camped in a number of places across the United States and I'm always blown away by how beautiful this country is, and how relaxed I feel after having been immersed in it even for a short while.

No matter where you live in this country you usually have some wonderful outdoor getaways within a short drives distance. I live in the Mid-South as we call it here in South-West Tennessee. The states of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas come together in a nice corner right about where Memphis sits. While most of my outdoors activity takes place in the southern region of the country, I've had plenty of opportunities to take in the sights of other regions. Some of my favorite memories are of hunting pheasant in South Dakota or mountain biking in Colorado, or deer hunting in Illinois. I'm not aware of a part of this country that doesn't have something great to offer in terms of outdoor activites...we just need to make time to experience them, enjoy the simple pleasures they provide, and make lasting memories in them.

When I die and my life flashes before my eyes I doubt I'll be fondly recalling all the times I mowed the lawn or raked the leaves. What I'm certain I will recall are memories such as watching my son shoot his first whitetail deer, laughing with my brother in law when ants invaded his pack to get his cookies, sharing a hard won dinner of fresh pheasant with a group of friends in a warm cabin that sheltered us from the bitterly cold Dakota winds, or sitting by myself in an ice covered forest watching the most brilliant fire-orange sunrise turn a million branches into into a kalideascope of brilliantly glowing crystals.

These are the reasons to make time for the outdoors...it's what life is all about. Life is more than making sure that the lawn is cut and the garage is clean. I'll trade a messy garage for the sound of my daughter laughing as she jumps into the lake any day of the week.

This blog is about enjoying life through the outdoors...I hope to bring a lot of like-minded people together and perhaps inspire new people to join us out there. Many people are rightfully intimidated by taking the first step toward something they think they might want to do...whether its fishng, or hiking, biking, or hunting. I encourage those folks to adopt the old Nike slogan "jut do it!". Its really that simple. If you are new to the outdoors you will find that a lot of knowledgable people will happily help you out along the way. One place to start is this blog. Keep coming back for ideas for your next adventure and just email me with any questions yoou have. Now get out there and do something!