Gary posing with bobcat bait & lure during a couple’s snow shoe excursion
About this time of year, it seems winter begins to wear out its welcome. Though I’ve enjoyed the beauty of the snow, especially during a recent snowshoeing adventure, the activity of wildlife slows. The birds who’ve been left behind, namely Chickadees, Nuthatches, Pileated Woodpeckers and Sap Suckers, provide the majority of wildlife sightings. We see the Bald Eagle near the creek looking for a defenseless victim, likely an unsuspecting Mallard Duck. Deer come and go as their dietary needs arise. After that, any other wildlife viewing is likely by way of trail cam.
With this seasonal slow down, it takes a little more motivation to get out there and don our “warmies,” which is our family’s way of describing protective winter clothing. We’re spending more time indoors, especially when it’s bitter cold. So what’s someone with a tendency towards hyperactivity who’s prone to cabin fever to do? It all came to me when my husband and I started planning our 2025 fishing trip to Canada. We started reminiscing about previous vacations and dates that might not have been considered the wife’s choice by most women’s standards, nor mine, if I’m to be honest. It seems there was always an angle where my husband was concerned. So I was inspired to share a few of these experiences with the readers either for your entertainment, or as therapy for fellow women who’ve been the victim of such antics when their husbands stopped at nothing to make “time together” work for themselves. As they prepare for various types of hunting, way ahead of the season, I might add, either for themselves, or in our case, to benefit the outfitting business, wives often sacrifice their own dream vacation or what we’d consider the perfect date to keep our husbands happy or tolerable.
A beaver caught in a 330 trap during a long-weekend outing
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, perhaps it’s the ideal time to delve into the topic of spousal dates. My husband and I spend a lot of time apart as his outfitting business has expanded to almost a year round gig in pursuit of turkey, bear, deer, and most recently bobcat. He also fits a little trapping into the mix. So spending time together requires some creativity and much compromise, at least on my part. I happen to love the great outdoors and I enjoy staying active, especially going for nature walks or hikes. So in the tradition of “Happy Anniversary Baby, Got You On My Mind,” (Remember this number by Little River Band?) our special May date has included scouting for turkey together. I remember a particular hike on uneven ground with deep grooves, and through tall tick infested grasses. (Did I mention that I have short legs?) I finally let my feelings be known in a less than appreciative way, as my mood overtly soured. In previous years, we’ve had dates to Home Depot, followed by dining out, which was okay, I guess. I’m not complaining, just so you know. And believe it or not, we have been married for 41 years!
An early air boat excursion before scouting for Osceola Turkeys
Other nature walk dates have involved hauling humongous hollowed out logs to various sites as “cookie baits” for future bear baits, to distant sites over hill and dale. As such, we have fought off multitudes of bugs, wrestled with scratchy branches, exuded B.O. from excessive sweating, (Oh, how romantic!) and attempted to mitigate serious injury to our aging bodies when in the midst of an unexpected trip and fall. One time, I was accidently and abruptly pushed down by my husband’s stump loaded wheelbarrow as he was going full tilt to push his oversized load over a berm. (At least that’s what he claimed.) And who doesn’t enjoy a good squat in the woods, for as you know, when you gotta go, you gotta go!
You might wonder how my husband talks me into such adventures. Well, usually he promises to look for and pick up a few awesome rocks for my rock garden, or find a berry patch or two. And sometimes, this actually happens, though most often, we run out of time or energy. If only I had a nickel for every trip across the Mighty Mac! The reward? We learned that if you cross the Mackinac Bridge twice in one day, you only pay one fare. And we feel kind of like hot shots passing through with our Mac Pass!
So a day here and there following him on his scouting or baiting detail, or to check trail cams, replace batteries, traps, etc., is not so bad, provided the weather is nice. But what about an entire vacation?
Bass fishing for the gals a day before we attend a destination wedding
This goes back quite a few years when our children were still living at home, so if you ask them, I’m sure they’d vouch for me on this. But yes, on more than one occasion, even though we would rotate who got to choose our summer vacation destination, there was a time when my husband took it upon himself to push his agenda for vacation choice for several consecutive years, despite it not actually being his turn. He could be very persuasive, and I guess we were easily hoodwinked. We had a cabin on East Lake for a time. It was an ongoing project of which he couldn’t seem to get enough of. There really wasn’t much to do for a family in that particular area, other than bat away feisty mosquitoes. We had two very young adults and a teenager at the time, which might explain things a bit more clearly. You see, it wasn’t our idea of “fun” or “ vacation” to be constantly “working on the cabin.” This got old fast. Now they look back and laugh about this, along with all the dad jokes, of course. Maybe one day our children will live up to the progressive commercial about “becoming your parents.” But for now, these “dad qualities” provide much material for humorous reflection among our trio.
Let it be said that we have had some fabulous vacations over the years, some near home and some much further away. The most important thing is spending time together. Some of our best memories weren’t so great at the time, like when we got turned around and added an extra few miles to an already exhausting hike. How about when in the interest of saving his life, our 4 year old wore a kid keeper, which his older sisters called a leash, as they mercilessly taunted him throughout this vacation, which featured steep drops… For perspective, one of our days was spent at the Grand Canyon! And then there was our attempt to save money for this family of 5 by making PBJ’s and bologna sandwiches daily, staying at hotels that included continental breakfast, and declaring the following mandate for restaurant meals… “No ordering a beverage other than water!” Of course, our daughter would embarrass us by asking this question when asked if she’d like lemon with her water… “Does that cost extra?”
But it’s a funny thing how when you recall and share memories of the less than optimal vacation moments, they become more of what you remember and laugh about than some of what would have been deemed vacation highlights at the time.
You might surmise that I’m really picking on my husband here, and this may be true. However, it is in fact a part of our story and may be an example of this… “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” Consider this a “toast” or if we’re being completely honest, more of a “roast” of hunters, outfitters, and guides extraordinaire! Maybe the toast should be to the women who’ve endured these hardships in the interests of their husbands. I’d like to think it’s more about finding humor in absurd circumstances. And I have to admit, since living in northern Michigan, I have toughened up a bit. I really like this quote by Pastor Charles Swindoll: “Life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it.”
Looking forward to more spontaneous adventures, but am also quite open to those that are well planned out! (Hint – hint, Gary.) 😉
May you find warmth in these winter months and time to reflect on all your memories and blessings.
- Spousal Date Redefined - January 29, 2025
- Shortcuts – Friend or Folly - January 10, 2025
- Diehard – A Battle of Wills - January 3, 2025