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’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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This has been one exciting week here at SimplyOutdoors, and we just want to say thank you to everyone who has visited the blog, watched a video, left a comment, or all of the above.  The work involved to get the site to where it’s at, and the time spent to get the video project off the ground, is completely worth it when we know all of you are watching, reading, and interacting.  It’s awesome.

And, on another note:  If you haven’t heard yet, Elizabeth, from Deer Passion, welcomed her first little one into the world just recently.  If you haven’t been over to her blog to check out the cute little thing, you’re missing out.

Have a great weekend everyone.  And we should have another new video up early next week.

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After our exciting day yesterday here at SimpyOutdoors, why not keep the ball rolling and talk about another great initiative that I just stumbled across.

Holly, in a post on her blog, is promoting an idea that is the brainchild of Maj. Darwin Harper.  And the idea is a simple one:  Current members of the armed services should be able to pay resident fees to hunt in any state in the Union.

That sounds like a no-brainer to me.  Now I know that many states allow servicemen and women, who are stationed in their state, to purchase a resident license, but I still think that Maj. Harper’s idea is even better.  All of us at SimplyOutdoors are definitely pro-military – we very much appreciate the sacrifices they make – and I think this initiative is just one more thing that we can do to say thank you to all the people who allow us to safely live in the greatest country of all, and, most importantly, allow us to have our freedom.

I realize that many states are facing financial woes, Michigan included, but I believe that allowing our men and women of uniform to purchase a hunting or fishing license at the resident fee is an excellent idea.  Sure, they’re losing a little revenue from the license, but the reduced fee would definitely encourage members of our military to hunt out-of-state…….and wouldn’t they, while they’re there, be shopping at the local outdoor store, and probably paying to eat at a local establishment?

We are definitely going to do our part to help encourage this initiative.  And if you would like to help, Holly has some excellent ways to do so outlined in her post.

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I sit in front of a computer all day, and my office doesn’t have any windows. I honestly spend quite a bit of time on the computer, in some form or another – at work, upgrading websites, writing posts, and reading blogs just to name a few – and they all keep me away from what truly brings stress relief and makes me feel complete: being in nature.

I do love being on the computer, and most days I honestly love my job. I love website maintenance and website design. And I will even admit to playing video games and that I love technology.

But I still never feel complete unless I get my outdoor fix. If I go too many days without experiencing nature – in some form or another – I start to go crazy and feel incomplete. Getting outside brings me back to reality, and allows to me refresh and recharge. It is honestly what gets me through the other things in life.

With that in mind, I wonder how those who are completely engulfed in the concrete jungle survive. I can’t even begin to imagine living in a big city, stuck in a cubicle all day, and then driving home through rush hour traffic in order to make it home to my loft smack dab in the middle of New York City. I think I would go insane.

And maybe that is where a lot of us have gone wrong.

In the modern era in which we live, many people never have to experience any kind of nature. They could be raised in the big city, work in the big city, and have everything provided to them without ever having to experience any type of nature whatsoever.

Is that how many of us have gone so astray? Could that be blamed for many of the mental issues that seem to plague today’s society? Could it be the reason for the increasing cases of obesity in today’s youth? And the increase in violent behavior in today’s world?

Now I’m know Rhodes scholar, and I’m being completely candid here, without looking up cold hard facts, but disconnecting ourselves from nature seems to be a very likely cause for the types of things that I mentioned above.

I know how refreshed and at peace I feel after a good day outside. And it just makes me wonder if maybe many of the issues we see in modern society are directly related to the increasing amount of  individuals who lack any sort of relationship with Mother Nature.

I think it’s a no-brainer. But I’m curious what everyone else thinks. Let me hear your opinion in the comments.

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