Ebb & F low A New Year Outdoors By Trey Leggett
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n the blink of an eye we’re in a new year. 2019 is here and many of us are wondering where 2018 went, while many others are glad to have 2018 behind them and are ready for a fresh start. The new year is all about new starts, refreshing goals and commitments, and bringing change to our lives. Many people focus on weight loss, getting in shape, eating better, their relationships and being a better companion, or better managing their finances. Why not put some focus on getting outside? Fish more, hunt more, train your dog to retrieve, watch a sunrise and sunset, start a garden, process your own wild game, or go camping? My wife and I started off the new year processing deer that my son and I harvested recently. We spent time together learning to do something that we’ve never done before: we made venison summer sausage. From the silver skin trimming, to fat culling, to slicing the meat up, and adding pork and pork fat to the mixture while grinding and seasoning, then placing the mixture in casings. The sausages had to marinate overnight before the long process of smoking the meat. The result: delicious snack meat for family and friends, valuable time spent together, tons of laughter, and connecting with each other. Now that’s a good start to the year! As we get older it’s extremely important that we keep fun and adventure in our lives. When we stop going outdoors and get fixed on work, or finances, we tend to get stressed out. Being stressed is not good for you. Stress leads to depression, not working out, eating badly, anger, bad relationships, closing yourself off, and overall bad health. I know this all too well through experience. There’s no good reason to stop doing what we like, what rejuvenates us, by partaking in the outdoors. We have a connection with nature, hunting, fishing, growing food, hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities. Being out in the fresh air is relaxing and refreshing. Coming back to the topic of starting a new year, don’t neglect to plan your adventures and outings for the year. I have special fishing, hunting, and camping plans set throughout the year. More times than not my plans work out, but sometimes I may have to alter them for various reasons. I do make sure that I replace the adventure with something else, maybe a little closer to home or less of an expense. The start of a new year is also a great time to clean and inventory your hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear. Our gear isn’t cheap and it’s a pain to replace so why not spend some time to taking care of it? It will save money and heartache in the long run. Do you have what you need? Make a plan to save now so that you can acquire those items later, or get them bit by bit, so it’s not a financial setback. Maybe not everyone in your circle is a hunter or fisherman, so try to accommodate them and go in search of any type of adventure to January 2019
Southern Tides Magazine
Austin Leggett with his his deer, taken just before Christmas. Photo by Trey Leggett
include them. Camping, hiking, gardening, sand bar sitting, or bird watching; these are all great things to do outside and can strengthen your relationships with others without you even realizing. Make 2019 a great year! Step outside and relieve those stressers and bad vibes while taking in God’s great gift of the outdoors. Stay safe and tight lines.
Trey fishes for Hobie Polarized Sunglasses, and ENGEL Coolers.
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