Every January I write my outdoor goals for the year. At the end of the year I look back on how I did. I just copied and pasted the original post. Below in bold is how I did
I have two goals that I really want to accomplish. These are the most important to me. I'm not going to try to my break my record for number of birds species I can see. If that becomes a goal every year then it is no longer about the experience. Maybe I will see more, maybe less. I suspect the number of birds I see will coincide with the number of stripers around ( good fishing will mean less birding). Also I'm not going to try to accomplish things I can't control. I can't say I want to catch a bunch of fifteen pound blues. I can only catch them if they show up again.
1. Finish the mountains in New Hampshire over 4000 feet. I have six left that can be done in four hikes. They are Adams, Madison, Wildcats, Cabot, Carrigain. I had planned on saving Carrigain for last, but since Adams/Madison is harder, I'll use Carrigain, which isn't an easy one anyway, to get in better shape for Adams.
I did not finish them. Hurt my foot. Managed to do two out of four of the hikes which was two more than I would have thought in August
2. I don't want to break or loose anything this year. I also don't want to loose any money. This goal is going to take diligence the entire 365 to accomplish. As I brought up a couple of times I had money stolen out of my car. It was money DJ paid me back for paying his car insurance. Since then, I lock my doors every time I get out. I don't want to misplace any paychecks or loose a twenty falling out of my pocket.
As for things breaking, sometime it happens. Sometimes a camera will just stop working. If it is no fault of my own, I can deal with that. I don't want to have to replace something because of my own stupidity. An example of my own stupidity would be, when the money was stolen so was a small point and shoot. I had no choice but to replace it. I need a small camera for hiking and long walks fishing. I don't want to take my SLR near saltwater. After I replaced it, I brought it with me fishing. I took a picture of a small blue. Instead of putting the camera back in my pocket I put it on my surf bag ( I was sitting next to it)... then forgot about it. When I picked up my bag to fish another spot, the camera fell, and I watched it bounce into the drink. So I replaced that camera.
I need to buy a new surf rod this spring. I asked for BPS gift certificates for Christmas to help cut the cost. Other than that rod, I am trying not to make any big expenses this year. I don't need any big camping supplies. I have all I need for birding and picture taking. I need to replace some fishing gear I lost during the season, but other than the rod, nothing expensive. I'd have quite a bit more money in the bank if I didn't loose or break money, cameras, and my rod. This year, I'd like to leave it in the bank.
I did extremely good on this. Other than the camera lens there isn't anything I had to replace due to loss or negligence. I was mindful of this goal all year. Hopefully I can have another year where I don't do anything stupid that costs me money
3. Continue to learn to ski. Hopefully next winter I will be taking the lift and feel comfortable on intermediate slopes. That said, I just want to enjoy skiing. I don't want to get injured and I'm not going to rush the learning curve. If I need to keep practicing my turns for two more times, then I will. This sport is too dangerous to get overconfident.
Quit skiing when I hurt my neck. I gave it four tries. I got good enough where Dave thought I should go down the big intermediate hill but it just wasn't for me.
4. Try fishing for Northern Pike
I succeeded in trying for northerns but did not catch one
5. I'd still like to see a sea turtle and photograph a bull moose (two failed goals from 2016)
No and No
6. This one is actually going to happen because I bought tickets. I want to see Dropkick Murphys play "I'm shipping up to Boston". I'm not the biggest fan of theirs but listening to that song with a bunch of Bostonians around St. Patrick's Day must be incredible. It's on my life bucket list
I saw them. The Murphy's put on a hell of a show. I really became a fan after the show when I bought a couple of their cd's
7. If Don Henley comes to town I want to go to his concert. I can't see the Eagles without Glen, ( I did see them once in Foxboro). I want to see Don Henley one more time.
Don Henley played the Bank of America Pavillion in June. I could have went. Unfortunately, I looked up his setlist from other shows this spring. He didn't play some of the songs I would have wanted to hear, so I couldn't justify the $70 seats. It was a much thought out decision
8. Go to New Hampshire as many times as I can (reoccurring goal)
Only went three times, but that was as many times as I could this year
9. Catch a Channel Catfish
Check
10. Catch more carp than last year
Yes
11. Fish more for trout
Believe it or not, despite only going a few times it was more than last year
12. Go to Sachuest in June to see if the fawns are easily photographed. I go to Sachuest a lot mostly in the winter. I've never taken the trip when the fawns should be out
I did not go in June
13. Go to Southwick Zoo
I went to the Southwick Zoo with Amber, Kirsten, and Laurie
15. See the AC/DC tribute band Dirty Deeds
Nope
16. Daytrips that I do every year or try to (that I want to do again this year) include:
a. Fish for Golden trout -yes
b. Plum Island Overnight (birding and Shad Fishing)--- my trip got rained out
c. Charlestown Mudflats Birding- three or four times though I spent a lot of time looking for quahogs
d. ALBIE FISHING (of course)- pretty unsuccessful but I went
e. Mt Wachusetts Hawk Watch- I went in late September not many hawks but saw a couple bald eagles and a Perigrine
f. Race Point looking for whales and seabirds- I went, probably my highlight for the first half of the year. We watched Right Whales feeding on the surface
g. Newport Stripers in June- I went during the new moon. I caught a bunch of stripers but they were all micros
Looking back I was only successful on 8 of the first fifteen goals. Some were choices I decided to make (such as not going to Don Henley) Some were unavoidable like getting hurt skiing and my foot holding me back from hiking.
I was one for two on the ones that meant the most. I really wanted to be more careful with my gear. Wasting money on things you already own sucks. I really wanted to finish the 4000 footers but just couldn't. Still I cut my magic number of hikes from four to 2. So it really doesn't feel too bad. With any luck I'll will be a member of the 4000 footers club in July 2018.
As for number 16 where I had 8 daytrips I wanted to do; I did all but one. I look forward to my Plum Island birding trip every year. I plan it for the same weekend in May. This year, it was a washout. Instead, I went carp fishing on the Connecticut River both days and caught some decent carp. The other seven trips went as planned. I did get a few albies just not as many as I would have liked.
I find it interesting to look back. What seemed important last year while thinking in the middle of winter may not have been nearly as important when the weather warmed up. I have certainly paid $70 to go to a concert before but after seeing Don Henley's setlist plus the hassle of just getting to Boston, it did not seem worth the time or money. As Bill Belichick says "it is what it is".
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