Bright Idea Outdoors Weblog

Happy Independence Day

Regular readers of this blog have seen this post before.  It's the one where I tell you to remember what the upcoming holiday really celebrates; and to pray for and support the brave people fighting for our country.  I write this post at least twice a year, but, in light of the times we live in--and the great country we are blessed to call home--I think, if anything, twice a year is not enough.

So enjoy the fireworks, the cookouts and the day off if you got one.  But remember it's not just "The Fourth of July;" it's Independence Day.  It's the day the founding fathers signed a declaration aimed at throwing off the chains of tyrrany.  The nation that originated that day was a great one, founded on the principle of liberty, and it's only gotten better ever since.  This is due largely in part to the efforts of those who sacrifice some measure of their own independence and dedicate their lives to defending this country.  Because of them, the American liberty experiment will endure and continue to evolve, as long as the rest of us do not lose sight of what it is all about.

God Bless America.  Let freedom ring!

Hogback Mountain Bear Sighting

Every now and then I see something at work that makes all the stuff I don't like about my job worthwhile.  That happened today, when a black bear wandered into a clearing behind a client's pond in the Hogback Mountain area of Loudoun County.

I had gone to the guy's house to pick up a check for some work we did last week.  The house is an old stone farmhouse that my client has restored over the last few years.  It is located on a large farm, which is surrounded on all sides by an even bigger farm (I don't know how many acres, but we're talking thousands.)

At the bottom of the hill behind my client's house is a small pond with thick woods behind it.  As the homeowner headed upstairs to get my check, I absent-mindedly gazed out his open back door toward the pond.  Something moved on the edge of a small clearing and suddenly the bear emerged.  From about 200 yards away, I judged it to be a full-grown or nearly full-grown black bear. 

I couldn't believe it and got really excited. That's when I messed up.

I really wanted the client, who is a super cool guy and a hunter, to see this bear.  So I shouted his name three times.  The bear heard the noise, looked up at me and disappeared as quickly as it had come.  By the time the homeowner got back down the stairs, the only thing in the clearing was tall grass.

He said that his wife and son had seen bears on the property several times but that he had never seen one.  I told him that this was the first bear I'd ever seen in the wild.

What an exciting way to spend part of my work day!  The most exciting thing is that the place I saw the bear is only about a mile from my office, six miles from my home and real close to a couple of my hunting spots.  I still haven't decided whether I'd take a shot at a bear if I got a chance during the archery or muzzleloader seasons we have in this part of Virginia, but it's thrilling to know I may have to make that decision someday.

Now, about that camera...

Three Years of Blogging

Good thing I'm not married to this blog...  I missed our anniversary; two weeks ago!

It was way back on June 15 of 2006 that I wrote my first post.  Today's post is # 614.

I've had a hard time sticking to many things in my life, and I often wonder how things would have been if I hadn't given up on this or that.  I'm glad though that I've stuck to this and look forward to my next three years of blogging.

Author's Note: I was reminded of my blogging "anniversary" today when Arthur mentioned in this interesting post that he's been blogging for almost two years.  Arthur is just one of the many interesting people I've "met" through blogging.

I Need A Camera

I realized yesterday that one of the things really holding this blog back is that I don't carry a camera around with me anymore.  Without photos, a short post is just a short post.  And when I open my main page, I'm just looking at a bunch of words.

If I still carried a camera, I could show you before and after pictures of the clearing/tree cutting work the Cowboy and I did yesterday along the road leading to the Lodge.  Or I could post some photos of the campfire we had Friday night at the Evergreen Church property.  I'd probably even put up some images of the deer that were feeding outside my office door every afternoon this past week.

Why I no longer have a camera is a long story that I don't have time to get into.  I will say, however, that one way or another pictures will become a regular feature on this blog again starting this week.

Heavey Email Mystery Solved

I've figured out why I keep getting emails addressed to Field & Stream columnist Bill Heavey.  The Google search linked here tells the tale.

Take a look at the second link listed.  If you search "contact Bill Heavey" on Google a post that I wrote about Heavey a couple years ago pops up.  For some reason the Google listing contains my email address.  Looking at it, I can see how the person who did the search might think the email address belonged to Heavey.

As I said in my previous post, I don't mind catching an email to Bill Heavey once in awhile.  More than anything, I'm flattered that the Bright Idea Blog comes up so high in Google searches containing the great columnist's name. 

Blog Notes

It seems like about half the posts I'm writing these days are short "notes" posts like this one.  No hunting to write about yet, and I haven't been fishing in a couple weeks; no more camping trips either.  Work remains busy, but I think the summer slowdown is finally in sight.  As you can imagine, that's both good and bad...

I got an email addressed to Bill Heavey today.  That's the second time that's happened.  Strange that Heavey is my favorite writer and a fellow Northern Virginia resident.  I've never had a chance to speak or correspond with him, and I guess there are others who can't figure out how to get in touch with him either.  It's interesting to read what people might have said to me if I were the great Field & Stream writer Heavey is...

I got some interesting feedback from a reader who found fault with my last post.  Please check out the comments left by the Rambler.  It seems that the tick removal method I linked to is a bad idea.  Sorry if I was passing on bad advice...

Summer's finally here; the kids are out of school and in the pool.  I hope that you're having a good summer, and that I can come up with something good to write about soon...

Lyme Disease Update: A Tick Removal Tip

The best way to keep yourself and your family from getting Lyme disease is to avoid being bitten by deer ticks, also known as black-legged ticks.  Insect repellants containing Deet, long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into your socks or boots all help with this.

The second best way to prevent Lyme disease is to find and remove deer ticks before they've been attached for 36 hours.  These ticks are tiny, so finding them is tough, and removing them is not much easier. 

I found this interesting tick removal tip on Kevin Paulson's HuntingLife.com.  Looks like it might be worth a try; but remember, before you can remove the tick you've got to find it.  That's the hardest part!

Lyme Disease Update: Be Particularly Careful This Month

Right now, probably more than any other time of year, it is important to be careful about deer ticks and the Lyme disease they carry.  This is especially true if you live here in Loudoun County or the surrounding region, where Lyme disease has become a near-epidemic.

I heard today that two people I know (both residents of neighboring Clarke County) are currently being treated for Lyme, and it was around this time last year that I last came down with the infection.  Apparently the deer or black-legged tick that carries Lyme disease is particularly active in the late spring and early summer.

The people I know who recently contracted Lyme are lucky in a way: they both had the "bullseye" rash that is a dead give away for Lyme infection.  I had the rash the first time I got Lyme disease about seven years ago but last year didn't realize I'd been bitten by an infected tick until I came down with flu-like symptoms a couple weeks after the bite.

Left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to serious long-term health problems.  But caught in time, it is effectively treated with antibiotics.

Be careful.  Check for ticks and see a doctor if you think you might be infected.

Blog Notes

Hard to believe I've gone the last week with no blog posts.  For a week or so before that I thought I was getting back in the game.  Then came a post-Memorial Day rush at work, and I've once again just been too busy to keep up with this blog and the reading of other outdoor blogs.

I have, however, stuck to book-reading as this is the way I get to sleep at night.  Somehow lying in bed with a laptop doesn't have the same effect. 

In the last week I've finished reading George Pelecanos' new book The Way Home and have started Jeff's God by Hershel Howell.  I also finally got a copy of Bill Heavey's If You Didn't Bring Jerky What Did I Just Eat?  I've been wanting to read this book since it came out in 2007 but never got around to getting it until yesterday when my mom dropped off a used (and autographed) copy she'd bought.

I'll definitely review Jeff's God when I finish it (it's great so far) and Heavey's book after that.  I may review The Way Home as well; it doesn't have anything to do with hunting or fishing, but Pelecanos is my favorite writer, and the book really kept me on the edge of my seat (my strategy of reading as a sleep aid backfired with this one!)

I like doing the book reviews, and some of the ones I've done in the past have driven a fair amount of traffic to my site.  The traffic and comments generated by my recent review of Chris Hansen's To Catch a Predator were a little disappointing to tell the truth, but I still think book reviews may be a good niche for me.

We'll see if I have time to get to one or two of them this week...

Summer Hunting Prep Piece Published

Here's a link to my most recent column on the hunting "expert" page on bizymoms.com.  I hadn't been sticking to my two articles per month schedule with BizyMoms, but they sent me a reminder last week that I needed to submit something.  Enjoy!