It’s been one heck of a month here at SimplyOutdoors, and it just keeps getting better.  I’m very proud and pleased to announce that we have our first sponsor – Cottage Craft Works.

Cottage Craft Works make all kinds of unique things – hand-made furniture, fishing lures, custom gun stocks, toys and, of course, my personal favorite, hunting calls.  They make box calls, slate calls, owl hoots, grunt calls, and duck calls.  And many of their craftsmen work in small home-based shops across the United States, and some of their products come from deep within the Amish community and are made without the help of modern machinery or electricity.  How is that for a unique product?

We received our first calls this week, and to say that we were pleased would be an understatement.  The calls are gorgeous, they’re very unique, and they sound awesome.  I’m sure they will definitely help us to persuade a wary tom to head for our setup this spring.

And, in the true SimplyOutdoors’ spirit, we got the kids involved with the calls as well.  My little Abby gave the slate call a try with Uncle Jeff’s direction, and then later on, she gave the box call a try with some help from daddy.  I’m happy to report that she approved of both calls, and had a blast giving them a try (as you can see in the picture to the right).

We are very happy with the calls, and we can’t wait to take them into the field and put them to the test.  I know that they are going to help immensely in our turkey hunting pursuits.

And we’re proud to have Cottage Craft Works supporting us.

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Sure, a lot of the sidewalks are a muddy mess, and a few of them are quite treacherous – ice-covered and very slick from the snow that has melted during the day and then re-froze at night.  But that hasn’t kept the wife, Abby, or myself from enjoying a walk the last couple evenings.

It’s interesting this time of the year as well.  On one end it’s great to see the snow disappearing and the start of spring begin to arrive.  But, on the other end, it sure makes for one heck of a mess because sidewalks and streets are wet……and dirty…… and nasty in a lot of areas – not that those things were going to keep us from enjoying being outside, though.

The last few nights we’ve huffed it through different neighborhoods throughout the city we call home, and we’ve had a blast doing it.  And it felt great to be outside while only wearing a light jacket or a hooded sweatshirt for warmth.  I loved ice fishing, and I love getting outside any time of the year, but being outside in the slightly milder temps is way more bearable…….especially for Abby.

I know these mild temps might not stay around for long, but the family and I sure have been taking full advantage of them.  They have allowed us to emerge from winter’s grasp and take in all of the things that come with spring.  And they’ve allowed us to slow down and look at our little community from a different perspective; to look at everything at 3mph rather than at 30mph.

Walks in the city definitely don’t compare to chasing after whitetails or fishing for steelhead, but they still have their purpose.  Plus, they show that getting outside, no matter what method you prefer, definitely has its benefits.  It allows you to slow down and take in your surroundings – to appreciate every animal seen and every tree passed.  It allows you to appreciate every step.

And, whether you’re in the woods or in the park, isn’t that what being outside is all about?

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I walked out the back door yesterday afternoon – to take out the trash – and I was promptly met by spring.  This weekend the weather has been unbelievable, especially considering that we were ice fishing just last weekend; we hit the 50 degree mark yesterday, and we’re supposed to be in the high 40’s, low 50’s all week this week.  So much for ice fishing, I guess.

What I experienced this weekend, though, is one of the big things I love about Michigan – the definite change of the seasons.  And while it was a little depressing to know that the melt off would signal the end of our ice fishing for the season, it’s great to know that the melt off also signals to the steelhead that it’s time to head upstream.  You have to love the variety that Michigan’s woods and water provide!

And, I can’t forget, that this warm spell will also start to stir something inside Michigan’s turkey flock as well; they will starting thinking about those good-looking hens, and start gobbling from their roost very soon.  Of course, come the second of May, I will be in those woods and appreciating the newly regenerated woodlot and hoping that a lovesick tom heads my way.

Watching the changing of the seasons in Michigan is a very unique and one-of-a-kind experience.  And not a season goes by that doesn’t provide something exciting and stirring to do outdoors – and this year it has been even better. Usually this time of year I would be experiencing some serious cabin fever, but with my new ice fishing discovery, those feelings were definitely kept at bay.

As March arrives, there are no thoughts of cabin fever or seclusion.  The thoughts I have are those of anticipation and reflection; reflection on the first fish I ever hauled through the ice, and my wife’s first pike through the ice; reflection on quads heading across the frozen tundra that was Houghton Lake, and sitting on the ice eating hot pizza; and anticipation for the steelhead that will be running soon and the turkeys who will be answering our new Cottage Craft Works calls.

Every one of Michigan’s seasons brings with it a chance for a great outdoor experience.  And I look forward to every one of them.

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Head on over to SimpyOutdoors TV and check out the new video we posted. During Michigan’s Early Anterless Season last year, Jeff and Tyler G. did their best to fill Tyler’s first tag.

This early season allowed Tyler to experience all the emotions that come with hunting – the feeling that comes with missing, and then the elation that comes with………well you’ll just have to watch to find out.

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I’m angry!  And that could be the main reason for this post.  I was going to write it last night, but I wanted to think on it for a night first and see if I still felt the same way in the morning……..and I do.

The long and short of this post is this:  It would be nice if some of our lawmakers, local authority figures, judges, and special interest groups didn’t worry so much about “endangered” wolves, lead in condors, Global Warming, and when and where we can carry a weapon, and maybe focused more on keeping those who break the law in confinement.

If they worried about this real issue, there is a certain possibility that tragedies such as this one wouldn’t happen.  It just makes me sick……and angry.  While all of these particular individuals and organizations are trying to find a way to make law-abiding citizen’s lives difficult by imposing unneeded and unwanted laws against them, monsters like the one connected to this story are still free to do as they please.

I pray for the family of this young girl; and as for her attacker, if he is proven guilty, I hope God has no mercy on his soul.

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