Things I am Thankful For

Middle Sugarloaf October 2015

    Every year at Thanksgiving I do a post of things I am thankful for that are outdoors related. Honestly, I love doing this post. It is a way to look back relive fun memories. I get to think about the past ten months and be thankful of things I might have taken for granted. This year I worked a lot of six day weeks leaving me only one full day to play. I did not waste those days at all. I went birding a lot this year and did some hikes. Because of which, I fished quite a bit, but not as much as normal. I made some great memories. So without further ado...

1. I am thankful that on September 18 I was in Narragansett and so where many false albacore that I made an acquaintance with. Besides the two dozen or so albies I hooked, I also caught a huge bluefish and a keeper striper.  I consider this to be the  best day I ever had fishing.

2. The closest thing I had to a real vacation this year was a mini getaway with Laurie to the Outer Cape. We did so many fun things in our couple of days. We did a whale watch, swam, went to P-town, a bike trail, did two bird walks, and caught a sunset. The Provincelands bike trail is by far the best trail I have ever done.  It was a really fun few days, probably the most fun I had all year.

3. I am thankful for New Hampshire.  I only got there four times (including once in March to go snowshoeing). I love the mountains, trout, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. Every time I go to New Hampshire I explore a different lake, trail or mountain. Even though I say I love "New Hampshire"  as an all-inclusive term, each time I go is a new experience. When I get home I write what I did in my journal, each trip feels like a different chapter in my book of memories

4. I am thankful to call DP one of my best friends.  He will always be my mentor, but our friendship moved past that several years ago to really good friends (that I am still learning from).

5. I am thankful to have found snowshoeing. I like it more than ice fishing because you stay warmer. It makes cold miserable winters go by much quicker.

6. I am thankful for wild animals. I love seeing deer, moose, bear, eagles, etc... 

7. I have realized that although I do a lot of fishing for different species, the one fish that has a special place in my heart are stripers. I am thankful for them and hope they can bounce back.

8. I am certainly thankful to have fished with Eric Meyer on his boat in June. We caught so many big black sea bass. It was amazing. It is tough for me to get out with him more often during the summer because every time he called I had plans for many days off a week in advance (see #3 and #10). None the less, thanks for taking me Eric. 

9.  I am thankful that Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is so close to home. It is one of the premier birding destinations in the entire country. I went there many times this year during different seasons. It is an amazing place.

10. I am thankful for Prudence Island and the mudflats behind Charlestown Breachway. Going to these two places are my favorite non New Hampshire things to do during the summer. At Prudence I snorkel and the mudflats are covered in shorebirds. I really look forward to these daytrips.

11.  I am thankful I still appreciate the little things and great things I've seen many times. I have driven past Canon Cliff over a hundred times at this point and I am still in awe. Little things like small mirror carp from the Blackstone River system, seeing a snake or frog are things that never get old. I probably owe this trait to my mom.

12. I say it every year, but I am thankful to have been born in the greatest country in the world. Although, I think politicians, Fox News and MSNBC try to divide us, we are all so lucky to live in this great nation.