Time does fly. To think I have been married for 9 years makes me feel old. Aside from all the little annoyances, we definitely have a lot to show for those 9 years… and that is mainly our 5 kids.. soon to be 6. I have now been a full time Stay at Home dad for almost 5 long years. I remember the last time I worked for someone else. It was the Friday just prior to the 4th of July weekend in 2003.
This weekend, we spent the time with our kids. We drove about 45 minutes to a place called Birdsacre, also known as Stanwod Wildlife Sanctuary. They have birds on display. The owls were a great hit for the kids. But what was the most fun about the place were many trails to hike. All the trails were perfect for the kids and we were able to walk around about 200 acres of preserved land.
To get the mood of the place you can find this quote straight from their website:
“We bring back from the woods what we carry to it – give little and we get little in return…. Nature will have all of your attention or nothing of you. If you think of yourself, or your affronts, you forget to look for the color, you lose the Cecropia’s cocoon, you fail to see the bird or hear the song, and the flowers lose their fragrance…. Intimacy with Nature is acquired slowly.” -CJS
You can learn more about the Sanctuary and the purpose behind it here.
Let’s see what else did we do? Oh, on Sunday we were going to take the kids swimming in the afternoon but first we wanted to do some more walking trails. We are trying to get the kids back into shape for the Summer ahead. Regularly we take the kids up to the Orono Bog Walk, where there is a boardwalk about a mile long you can walk along. There are many things you can see from the boardwalk like wild flowers, animals, etc.
They also have walking/biking trails you can go on aside from the mile long boardwalk. Some people bring horses up onto the trails and some walk their dogs. It is a very popular area as parking is tough to find on the weekends. Lots of trails and plenty of nature to see. Our regular routine is to go to the boardwalk first and then whatever we have time for afterwards we go and do. This time we went straight out onto the trails and walked around the woods for a couple of hours.
It was nice to get out this weekend and into the woods. The smells of the trees and the sounds of birds chirping is always nice, especially when I am normally listening to kids arguing over toys and being fully indulged in the chaotic environment of having 5 kids….
Department of Natural Resources wildlife officials today announced the 2008 bear drawing results will be posted on the DNR Web site, www.michigan.gov/dnrdrawings, Monday, June 30. All hunters who applied online will need to check their drawing results online. Applicants who did not apply online will be mailed a notification postcard.
This year, leftover bear licenses are available in the Bergland and Baraga bear management units in the western Upper Peninsula. Available license quantities for these units will be posted on the DNR Web site at the same time. Unsuccessful resident applicants may purchase one leftover license online or from any license agent on a first-come, first-served basis for a one-week period beginning July 7 at 10 a.m. (EDT). Any licenses that remain as of July 14 at 10 a.m. (EDT) also will be made available for purchase by residents who did not apply for a bear license. These licenses will be sold until the quota is met. Bear preference points will be reset to zero for hunters who purchase a leftover bear license. It is unlawful to purchase more than one bear hunting license.
Wildlife officials said the 2% cap on nonresident licenses per hunt unit was met in the drawing, so the leftover licenses may be purchased by residents only. For more information on availability of leftover licenses including hunt units and periods with leftovers, visit the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr.
BARACK OBAMA:
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE! But we won’t say what the CHANGE is!
JOHN MC CAIN:
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side
of the road.
HILLARY CLINTON:
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the
road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure — right from
Day One! — that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves
to cross the road. But then, this really isn’t about me…….
DR. PHIL:
The problem we have here is that this chicken won’t realize that he must
first deal with the problem on ‘THIS’ side of the road before it goes after
the problem on the ‘OTHER SIDE’ of the road. What we need to do is
help him realize how stupid he’s acting by not taking on his ‘CURRENT’
problems before adding ‘NEW’ problems.
OPRAH:
Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he
wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I’m going to
give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not
live his life like the rest of the chickens.
GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don’t really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
COLIN POWELL:
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of
the chicken crossing the road…
ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been
allowed to have access to the other side of the road.
JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It
was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken’s
intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
NANCY GRACE:
That chicken crossed the road because he’s GUILTY! You can see it in his
eyes and the way he walks.
PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
MARTHA STEWART:
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a
standing order at the Farmer’s Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.
DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the
chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I’ve not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY:
To die in the rain. Alone.
GRANDPA:
In my day we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us he chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
BARBARA WALTERS:
Isn’t that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the
chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it
experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life
long dream of crossing the road.
ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will
lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book.
Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new
platform is much more stable and will never cra…#@&&^(C% ………reboot.
ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the
chicken?
BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of
chicken?
AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!
COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?
DICK CHENEY:
Where’s my gun?
AL SHARPTON:
Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.
For some kids its vacation. For parents such as myself it is time to go back to work full time. There are things that will be easier for me and that is the mornings. No more rushing around and getting kids dressed and fed, and making breakfast. No more finding missing folders and papers that the 16 month old decided to run off with.
“Where is my other shoe, Daddy?”
Of course the little one is always to blame for taking it and putting it in the toy box, behind the couch, or even in the trash.
Those mornings will definitely not be missed.
This Summer we have lots of things planned. Most of all of our weekends are already booked with short day trips, weddings, museums, camping trips, picnics, etc. Hopefully we can get some fishing in with all the craziness going on.
Anyone staying closer to home due to rising gas prices? Most of our trips will be close to home…
I would never expected to be talking about Jeff Gordon and Sonoma and turnaround in the same sentence, but I am. Now Gordon has not had the best of seasons so far, but it seems Sonoma is a track that he does very well at. He could use a pick me up and this could be where he gets it at.
Hendrick Motorsports were suppose to be dominate this year and it has not worked out that way at all. In fact it has been anything but that. One track though could turn those fortunes around for Team Hendrick and For Jeff Gordon and he hopes it is Sonoma.
Dale Earnhardt Jr has been on a very long losing streak, but Junior’s fan can rejoice this morning as he won at Michigan International Speedway yesterday to end the streak. It was up to 76 races without a win and he did it in a way Junior rarely does it and that is with fuel mileage. Junior had to save fuel at every caution he could just to be able to make it all the way. He did it and no matter what anyone writes today a win is a win no matter how you may get it.
Kasey Kahne finished second as he probably is the hottest driver right now. Since the Shootout race at Lowes Motor Speedway Kahne has been hitting on all cylinders week after week. Look out for him in the Chase if he makes it as he is on a roll.
APPLICATION PERIOD FOR 2008-2009 QUOTA HUNTS OPENS JUNE 1
SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA (5/30/2008)
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) reminds hunters that June 1 is opening day of the 2008-2009 quota hunt application period. Successful quota hunt applications are selected solely from the online applicant pool (paper applications are no longer accepted), so interested hunters must apply online through their personal accounts on the WRD Web site, www.gohuntgeorgia.com .
“The quota hunt application period always is an exciting and busy time of year. It is our goal to make the application process as efficient and customer friendly as possible. Customers with a WRD online account can facilitate this effort by keeping their e-mail addresses current,” says WRD Assistant Chief of Game Management John Bowers. “By utilizing applicant e-mail addresses for quota hunt correspondence, including sending application status alerts and answering applicant questions, we have improved customer service and saved sportsmen’s dollars.”
To be eligible for quota hunt drawings applicants must ensure that they have a valid online account and must apply prior to midnight as follows: July 31 for alligator quota hunts; September 1 for deer quota hunts; September 1 for State Park quota hunts; October 15 for waterfowl quota hunts; and February 15, 2009 for turkey quota hunts.
Hunters who have applied in years past or those who have recently completed a hunter education course or purchased a Georgia hunting license via the WRD Web site (www.gohuntgeorgia.com), may have pre-existing accounts with which to apply and must login to their accounts to begin the application process.
Interested persons without pre-existing accounts should visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com and select “Quota Hunts,” from the Home page under the “Permits & Services” menu to create a new account and submit applications online.
Upon completion of the selection process, applicants will receive a status notification e-mail and also will be able to login to their accounts to view their updated status. In addition, complete lists of chosen participants will be available at www.gohuntgeorgia.com .
For more information on hunting seasons or the quota hunt application process, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com, contact Hunter Services at (770) 761-3045 or call a WRD Game Management Office.
###
For more information contact:
Melissa Cummings, Public Affairs Office – (770) 918-6788
Well today was fathers day and my son got me up early to go to the lake. He told me he had a suprise for me for today. So he and my wife had cooked me a great meal then it was off to the lake for a day of relaxation with the family and my son. Needless to say my son showed me up today in the fishing dept. He caught 47 bream, 7catfish, and 5 crappie. He had a great day i spent most of my time baiting his hooks. Which i didn’t complain, it was an awesome fathers day gift for sure. Just my son, my wife, and I relaxin on the lake and spending time together thats what its all about. And to all the fathers out there Happy Fathers Day i hope you all had a great one
This weekend, we spent the time with our kids. We drove about 45 minutes to a place called 
