Quote:
Originally Posted by Dean Romig
Thanks Tony. Retirement is eleven months away and the days are crawling now.
My 'born again' carefree days in the coverts I love can't come soon enough and I plan to enjoy them to the fullest, just as I did in an earlier part of my life that wasn't so very long ago. There's more to it than shooting the birds - it is a mindset one never forgets and I need to get back into it for all the right reasons. A Brittany pup should be a good companion I think. There's time enough to start one right about now....
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Well Dean, you have all of that right, with the possible exception (
just as I did in an earlier part of my life) Between the ears, absolutely, but I have a sneaking suspicion that between the joints might be slightly different than (y)our youth. [
Joints is meant in a purely anatomical sense]. I just completed my ninth upland season since complete retirement and I have to say it is even better. Totally unfettered experience - not a concern for sick kids, unhappy wife because you happened to take a mental health break with a Parker in your hands while the kids were sick, no boss expecting something very bloody important that in retrospect was as important as the dust that instantly gathered on that life or death report or whatever. Yep, these are the years to be cherished beyond any that we have. Killing the bird is not the be all and the end all, but (this is a confession now) a day of being skunked afield isn't the most memorable event for me. The "be all and end all" is the complete experience, including sharing the abundance with friends and family after you (we) have given the bird its due respect by taking all edible protein and preparing it ourselves for the enjoyment of others - and of course ourselves. I will eat from the natural world all I can before I take on the supermarket fare. Not to say that is not also an enjoyable meal, but one that I put together (from the morning coffee on the road, through the tramping in nature, to the few shots that count, to the preparation and enjoyment of the meal and the fellowship involved in all of it) trumps anything else. [For the ranchers/farmers out there I do enjoy the fruits of all your labours - just not as much as my own - what can I say]
So Dean, these next 11 months will drag if you have made your decision and the next 11 years will disappear faster than you can ever believe - so every day to its fullest remains a meaningful mantra - for all of us.
Cheers,
Jack
Still seeing the rails but knowing they must fade
Hybrid Mode