Happy and hopeful New Year to you!

I like to set up goals for the year. Even just writing them down and putting them away somehow helps focus my energies for the year. I only achieved a few of my 2008 Goals but I'm happy with that -- it was a rough year and family comes way ahead of goals. Despite the hard stuff there's been a lot of blessings and opportunities. Too many to list, really.

We are expecting a girl, due date May 30! Job's going very well (so thankful to have a job in this economy, let alone one going well). Thankfully the Jeep's been running well (now I jinxed myself). It got through emissions, has been getting good mileage, and I was able to get the stereo and alarm installed. Been driving it around quite a bit and enjoying the heck out of it. Had a great time hunting deer this year. I did get out four wheeling a couple times. I found a great deal on a table saw. I had a chance to do some woodworking, something I've always been interested in and intimidated by. The keepsake box I made for my wife turned out pretty good although I need to learn how to apply finishes better. I put together a real nice stereo system in the office out of used/vintage gear (including turntable and reel to reel deck) and picked up more classical music LPs than I can listen to in a year. Tunes are a real joy. I took an opportunity to volunteer as one of the mentors for a local FIRST robotics team which promises to be very rewarding. There's more but like I said, too many to list everything.

Well, I still have some goals in the back of my mind to get to 'one of these days'. For 2009 there's one goal I want to focus on more than the others by far:

1. Be the best dad I can be.

So, my Garmin eTrex Legend started crapping out while hunting this year. Screen would blank out at random times.

Rather than throwing the unit away, I submitted a query about repairing it with Garmin support. They wrote back to say:

The issue that you are having is directly related to changes that are being made in WAAS satellite signal. Garmin is aware of the issue and has made an update available that will resolve the freezing problem that is being exhibited on your GPS. A quick fix for this issue is to temporarily disable the WAAS reception from your system setup page. This will have a very minimal effect on your GPS accuracy.

Thought I'd let folks know before they give up on their old GPSes. The update was pretty painless for the Garmin, just downloading and installing some update software.

Day 5 - Tuesday
A new day. The last half day before we head home. The morning is cool, but no snow as forecast to drive down the elk. We decide to try a different tactic: hunt some draws up north in the morning for deer. Sunrise is gorgeous, but no animals seen. We walk through the private land area, wondering if that nice 4-point is still in there from last night. I park it on the western edge, Joe on the east. Toby walks through hoping to find something, maybe sending it to Joe or I. Not much time passes and I hear a gunshot. Toby's found that four point... and made an amazing standing shot that puts it down right there. He's been carrying a tactical, target barreled .308 because his regular gun is having issues. To say it is hard to shoot offhand is an understatement. That he was able to take the deer shooting from a standing position is a testament to his marksmanship. We prepare the deer and head home after having some lunch in town.

Epilogue – we just had steaks last night from the buck Toby shot and I must say, wow. I mean wow. Really delicious. Not gamey. Wonderful rich dark flavor to the meat. Surprisingly tender too! I was afraid I'd not like the taste of deer in steak form. Both my wife and I were thrilled. And the critter made some good summer sausage and salami. I want one of those in my freezer next time!

Definitely a lot of work to do before next Fall.

Day 4 - Monday
After an unsuccessful morning the highlight of the day --- and the whole trip --- is deer hunting in the afternoon. We park near the private land during late lunch. I see something move under a bush. A bird hopping around? Through binocs --- I see antlers! I can see the head of the deer but not the whole animal. We formulate a plan whereby I circle around to approach the buck with a better shooting lane. Wind is fierce and perpendicular to my approach. Somehow the buck senses me, and bounds off. I head in the general direction deciding to plant myself. I find a good overlook on a draw along a deer trail up the slope, with several shooting lanes. I wait for a long time.

Toby walks through the property north of my position. Pretty soon he's scared up some does and a buck--- my buck. He rockets past the draw to the south end of the property. I'm sitting there and three does come out and start heading right up the deer trail I'm sititng next to. They're heading at full tilt right at me. I can hear the pounding of their hooves, closing the distance, they're coming right at me! Just as thoughts of being trampled by does flickers across my brain, they stop, maybe 10 yards away. I'm stock still, watching. They're looking, not sure if they see me. They move a little behind the tiny tree between us. Minutes pass, finally they decide to move a different direction and walk away.

After a time I decide to head to a different spot. I find a new area to sit, behind a rock, lots of good shooting lanes, but not much time left in the day. I take a gamble and head back to the field, near where I first spotted my buck. I slowly stalk my way through the pinions, very carefully looking, moving slow, trying to be as quiet as possible. Finally I'm at the edge of the trees and... holy crap, there's the buck, out in the field, grazing. He hears something in my direction as I crush a twig despite my careful footsteps, but he is unconcerned. The adrenaline pumps, heartbeat races. Pounding. Toby radios he is heading back, shooting time is nearly over. I radio back, shaky voice and hands, “hold your position” (Joe and Toby no doubt chuckling at me vibrating with buck fever). I scoot up to a better spot. Hand on a cactus. Butt on a cactus. Forget the pain. Buck's right there, get closer!

Can't shoot prone, too much of a slope in the ground, have to do a sitting shot. Take aim, crosshairs zipping around like a crazed moth near a porch light. Deep breaths, try to be calm. Point of aim is a little better, but the deer keeps moving away, sun keeps dropping, need to hurry this up. Close enough. I squeeze. >boom< >riinngggggggg< in my ear. Miss! Miss?? The milliseconds that follow tick by like minutes a decision teeters in my mind... and falls on the side of stupid. I take another shot while the animal is running. Then another.

Defeat. Humiliation. Three misses, nowhere close. What was I thinking? I feel like an idiot. I'm pissed now. Toby arrives, I have to admit to missing and being a fool. As I'm looking for any sign of a hit, Toby yells “look!” I'm clueless. “LOOK!” Finally I look left... at a half dozen does bounding at full trot right near me, they jump the fence. Trailed by a really big four point buck. We inspect the area to be sure I didn't make any hits, and we head home.

Amy has left a voicemail for me to let me know she went to the doctor --- the baby is ok, heartbeat ok, everything looks great. That puts it all in perspective. I meet some friends in town. By the time I have delicious filet mignon and a margarita in me, I feel a lot less angry about missing and taking impossible shots. The real kicker is the distance wasn't that great, only a hundred yards or so. It looked farther. I'm no less frustrated, just not in a terrible mood and not beating myself up about it quite so much.

When you goof up like this, you get snapped awake and there's a certain clarity and humility. I don't feel good about this outcome. I don't feel proud about rushing the shot, I know I need to learn to calm the adrenaline. Focus on the task, focus on the point of aim, forget the significance of the moment. I have to practice field positions. No shots at running animals. There's just no reason and little chance of success.

I have a LOT of work to do in the off season.