I would appreciate any words of encouragement for the kids if you would be so kind to leave a comment. They will love it.

Months ago I teamed up with BP and our local Boys and Girls Clubs to help initiate a Wish to Fish Clinic.  The goal for the Wish to Fish Clinics is to introduce our local kids to the sport of fishing and educate them on safe practices.  The kids were taught casting techniques, identify various types of fish and allow them to experience the joys of the sport of fishing.

Last week one of the clinics was held at the Porter County Indiana Boys and Girls Club.  Cory, one of the directors, was happy to be a part of the clinic and has been fishing for many years.

This is what Cory had to say about the clinic:

All of the kids had a blast.  I thought it was really neat that every kid that did the camp learned how to tie the improved clinch knot. This was really cool, especially since we have members as young as 6 who were never fishing before.  The kids also did great with the fish identification.  I expanded what BP gave me, to included other types of local fish.  During the fishing trip, the kids were easily identifying what type of fish they caught.  All the members were really excited, and on the last day, when they were picked up by their parents, they pleaded for their parents to take them fishing.  It was a great time.

And here are a few pictures from their day out fishing:

If this isn’t a proud fishing moment, I don’t know what is.  This cutie’s smile says it all.  And I’m loving the sunglasses.

Another cutie proudly showing her catch.  Do you see her shirt?  Perfect for fishing! Love it.  And look at the cutie next to her.  I need a hat like his.

Would you look at the size of her fish. I think we might see this little cutie fishing for many years to come.  And I’m loving her curls.  Too cute!

Oh my, and this little guy…that is exactly how I hold up my fish.  Right up close and personal.  What a little guy and his fish.  It doesn’t get any better.

And to top it all off, these little well mannered fisher guys and girls sent me a thank you card. It truly made my day. I’m so glad they had such a great time!

Way to go kids!!! You did a great job and I hope you continue getting outdoors and enjoying the sport of fishing.

I’d like to say a special thank you to Cory. What an awesome job he does working with the kids each day. I’m sure you made their day just as you made mine.

Saturday our fishing buddies, Troy and Denise, came up for the weekend to do a little perch fishing on Lake Michigan.  Around our neck of the woods, word spreads fast that the perch are in.

As big as Lake Michigan is, the boats were out in full force in the same area by 7:00 am.

Guys from the bait shop are calling with an update…

• “We caught our limit just off the rocks about 200 yards on marker 22-75.” In just a couple of hours.

Brothers are calling with their update…

• “Caught our limit just off the rocks about 200 yards from the big white cracked tub laying in the rocks.” In just a couple of hours.

Co-workers are calling…

• “We caught our limit at Navy Pier.”  In just a couple of hours.

As for us…

• The limit is 15 per person…
• Any size…
• 4 experienced anglers…
• For 8 hours…
• In very choppy waters…
• And I got sun burnt…
• On my knees…
• Should have rolled my capris back down…
• My sister told me to put Preparation H on it…
• And my bottom lip is burnt…
• Preparation H ???
• Oh hell no…
• It hurts…
• Shouldn’t have tried to have hot sauce on my tacos last night…
• Or those salty chips…
• Ouch…
• Wonder if it will blister…
• Youch…
• It hurts…
• Really bad…
• Ouchy…
• Are you ready…

We caught 13 perch.  Yes you read that right.  I’m so ashamed.  Four experienced anglers, like Mel, all the fishing gear, the boat, the crippy crawler thingies as bait, forgot the sunblock, got burnt, I’m still bouncing from the choppy waters, and we only caught 13 perch.  Four of them were mine.  Ok, two.  Mark threw back 2 that were little.  But I swear they were keepers.  I think he threw them back on purpose so I didn’t catch the most.

Ouch!

Have a good day all.

One of the hardest things about running a humorous outdoor blog is when serious life situations happen, it’s hard to bring out the humor.  Not only do I feel guilty about being funny during such serious times but I also feel guilty for the commitment I have for this blog and my readers.

I can find humor in just about everything but for the most part, most would consider me as a serious person.  When certain serious life situations happen, I become quiet and deal with them within.

Since I’ve started my blog I’ve lost a very good friend to breast cancer.  She was only 38 and left behind 3 little girls and I tell you that was heartbreaking.

A few months ago my Dad was diagnosed with throat cancer.  As of today, he is cancer free and finished with radiation and chemo.  Now if only he would eat a little better he should be back to singing Elvis in no time.

One of my very best friends has gone through surgery after surgery from a very rare cancer.  She is the strongest person I know and hates when anyone says that.  But it’s true and I’m allowed to say it because I’ve known her since grade school and she can yell at me if she wants to.

And last week, Mark and I were devastated when someone very close to us will begin her own very tough battle ahead.

When I’m missing from this blog or from socializing, I’m behind closed doors dealing with it within then I’ll move on and become Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment when she yells at the hospital staff that her daughter needs a pain shot.

Thank you for all the kind e-mails wondering where I’ve been.

Love, Aurora

I’ve been hearing little rumors about something big coming to The Sportsman Channel on 06.29.09. I know what you’re thinking, what is she doing watching The Sportsman Channel. Well I wasn’t. I heard it on Twitter.

So I did what I always do when someone shares a link, I clicked on it.  What caught my interest is that they are playing 7-10 second commercials teasing their viewers as to what change is coming on 06.29.09.  So I watched the two videos listed below:

• One of The Sportsman Channel videos on Facebook
• And another of The Sportsman Channel videos on Facebook.

I wasn’t about to ask my husband if we could watch The Sportsman Channel so I could see the tease commercials as they aired. That would ruin my reputation. I’m The Hunter’s Wife not the Hunter. Thankfully he was already watching. So I laid on the couch pretending to take a nap peeking to see if I would see one of their commercials.

You know when you’re really comfy on the couch watching a really good movie and you accidentally fall asleep? Well, I didn’t mean to but it only took me 10 minutes and I was out for 3 hours. I’m sorry The Sportsman Channel. It wasn’t your channel at all. It’s me.  I have sleep issues. Believe me, it’s me, really, honest.  My husband only knows channel 642 and that is you in our hometown.

Sleep issues or not, I am determined to find out what it’s all about prior to their big announcement on 06.29.09. I heard a new commercial was released this week so I’m hoping to see it on Facebook soon.

Have any of you seen the commercials? Did you watch the ones I’ve linked? What do you think it is?

I have no inside information on the show. The Sportsman Channel doesn’t know who I am or that I slept through their shows. *sorry again*. Just in case they read. Or might one day read.  Or want me on their new show.

After watching those two videos, I’m going to take a really wild guess. I’m guessing it’s an outdoor reality show. I may change my mind by the end of the week. I’m a female for goodness sake. But for now, that’s what I’m guessing.

What’s your guess?

Location: Hawaii

“Mark (my husband), you’re ganna’ get burnt.” Hiding in my bikini in the blue cabana sipping on my fruity hawaiian drink.

“Can’t go home from Hawaii without a nice golden tan.” As he continues splashing on the oil. Banana boat oil. Little more oil. Lemon in the hair and more oil.

“Stop oiling up yourself, you’re burnt.”

“I’ve got a nice golden tan going on.”

“Hon, you passed golden hours ago. You’re burnt.”

We go through this every summer. Yesterday was no different.

The end result - aloe vera treatments and a glow in the dark t-shirt. I’ll admit, he looks good with a tan. But we’ve passed that stage. We’re at the stage of “Ouch. Don’t touch me.”

Have a good day all and do your spouse a favor, put your sunscreen on.

Why I wouldn’t fit in at Team Huntress:

Last weekend Team Huntress held their Outdoor Adventure Clinic with target practices, demonstrations and spa treatments in South Dakota at Pheasant Phun. Because of prior commitments I was unable to attend but even if my schedule would’ve allowed a trip with these powerful outdoor ladies, I’m afraid I just might not fit in.

After reading a few of their stories and seeing some of their pictures, I realized just how much I wouldn’t fit in at Team Huntress:

1. Holly at NorCal Cazadora would have taken me under her wing in hopes of me being her star student until I’d drop her gun and break it.
2. When the ladies lined up for shooting practice, I’d be behind them singing “Janie’s got a gun” then “Camp Wild Girls got a gun”. Don’t think they’d appreciate me dancing, singing and snapping my fingers during target practice.
   
3. All the ladies took a team picture in camouflage and I don’t have any camouflage.
4. I don’t have hiking boots, walking boots, snake boots, rubber boots, camouflage boot, muck boots - boots boots boots of any kind. It’s summer which means flip flops.
5. I’d fail at the animal identification.  Instead of hearing; this is a red fox and this is a fennec fox, I would only remember that is the mean old dirty critter that ate my duck eggs.
   
6. When it came time for the next lesson, Hawk at High Country Archer would demonstrate knapping.  Me, the indoor girl, would think “napping”,  Woohoo nap time.  But it wasn’t a nap it was knap or knapping.  Anywho, it has something to do with carving old glass to make a knife blade.  We all know what would happen, I’d cut my finger off.  Then I’d be the girl in borrowed camouflage missing a finger.
7. They also did eagle watching.  And it never fails, every time I go fishing a bird $hits on me. The only kind of target practice action I’d see would be from an eagle using me as the target.
8. The wonderful outdoor ladies would insist on me being a part of the “team”.  But I’d insist on just being the mascot. And I want her outfit. Except my shirt would have to be extra large.  And I’d need a holster and that hat.  Love it.



9. Girls would giggle and chatter at bedtime in their bunk rooms about their fun outdoorsy day and I wouldn’t have anything to chit chat about.  I’d have to go bunk with the men. Wonder if they’d have whiskey hidden under their mattress in their man cave?
10. Finally, I would want nothing to do with the outdoorsy stuff.   After my manicure, pedicure, massage and facial - I’d only want to do one thing and one thing only -  Drive the Pheasant Phun camouflage truck.
    

Thank you Stacey at A Focus in The Wild for allowing me to share your wonderful photos.

Also if you’d like to read more about Team Huntress:

Holly at NorCal Cazadora has a great recap of the events - “Team Huntress - The Sisterhood is born”

And Babbs in the Woods - “Team Huntress Way To Much Of Not Enough”

Have a beautiful fun filled day.

We have a winner. Congratulations #23 CDGardens

You now have a cute Eureka lightening bug sleeping bag to keep at Grandma’s house for your granddaughters.

Thank you all and thank you Eureka Camping Tents for sponsoring my giveaway.

To claim your prize please email me at jody @ thehunterswife . net.

Have a wonderful day all.

I’d liked to say thank you to the person that nominated The Hunter’s Wife as one of the Funniest Blogs from BlogLuxe Awards. It was first brought to my attention on Twitter from Blessed at A Blessed Crazy Life.  Thank you Blessed.

As I write this I have a total of 18 votes.  I will never come close to the 17,069 votes some of the other bloggers will receive. My blog isn’t as popular as theirs. Some are very good writers and their style of humor is a little different than mine.

I don’t write about what happens behind bedroom doors unless it consist of hanging animal mounts or for the love of hot flashes - hot @$$ flannel sheets with deer on them.

Or how I don’t hunt but if I did I would need a MT050809067989 water-proof, breathable, dry plus laminate, mesh linear, blaze extreme, quiet pack, gore-tec, scent-lok, fleece dry plus, silent pro, buck skin deluxe, insulated zip-up parka.

The closest you’ll come to hearing anything about my hiney is when I mooned the folks on the bike trail. And finally, I don’t speak about boobs here because, well, ummm, I’m not gifted.

If you’d like to vote for me you can do so by clicking the link below. You’re able to vote once a day and all they ask for is a name and email address.

Thank you all.

Also, today is the last day to enter the Eureka Sleeping Bag Giveaway.

Have a great happy day.

The sun is shining here and it’s the perfect weather to be out fishing.  Except I can’t.  I have work to do.  So instead I share with you my first crappie.  You’ve seen it in pictures before but I was a grumpy, wet, mean looking fisher girl.

So I’m sharing my happy moment just after I caught my crappie. It didn’t last very long because well, I was touching a fish and I don’t do those kinds of things.

In case some of the real anglers were wondering,  I caught this huge slimy crappie with my pink bobber and a wiggly worm. Not a jiggly fake worm but a real juicy wiggly worm.  That I put on all by myself.

I was fishing for bluegill, when the weight of this huge crappie almost pulled me out of the boat.  I yelled, “Get the &*&ing net”.  Yes, I cursed because … well … I’m the one that rigged up my line and we all know what happens next - I never tighten the hook very well cause I have delicate tiny fingers.  So when I catch huge fish, my hook breaks off the line.  I wasn’t about to let that happen again so I cursed and meant it.

When I curse and mean it,  my husband jumps. Well not really, only when we’re fishing and I have a big fish.  So he grabbed the net, took my crappie off the line and made me hold it for a whole 15 second video.

If you noticed, both my hands are all white knuckled.  I was nervous!  Eww! And if you also noticed, there is some shadow or black spot on my face just under my nose. Eww.  What is that? Not that my husband would say, “Hey, hon…before I take video of you, you might want to wipe your face off.  Looks like crusted worm guts.”

But when you’re fishing with a guy on his boat, there is one thing and one thing only he concerns himself with.  Fishing.  Whether I have crusted worm guts on my face or I’m wearing a bikini with my girls hanging out, doesn’t matter.  It’s all about fishing and I know exactly what he was thinking, “Damn her.  That’s a nice crappie.”

Have a good day all. 

This post is sponsored by Eureka Camping Tents

To celebrate the National Great Outdoors Month and The Great American Backyard Campout, the wonderful team at Eureka Tents was more than happy to provide one of my lucky readers a chance to win one of these adorable kids sleeping bags.

One lucky winner will have their choice of one of the following sleeping bags:

The Lady Bug Sleeping Bag

The Lightening Bug Sleeping Bag

The Minnow Sleeping Bag

Aren’t these the cutest sleeping bags?  Here are a couple of features:

• Polyester taffeta shell
• #5, 2-way, self-repairing zipper
• Stuff sack included
• Stash pocket (Toy not included)

(You can visit each product listed from the link to get more detailed information for the actual product.)

Rules to enter the contest:
Subscribe:

• Subscribe to my blog by way of a reader. You can do so from the link in the right hand corner of my blog.
• Subscribe by way of e-mail. Also in the right hand corner of my blog. Just enter in your e-mail address.

Leave a comment:

• Tell me which sleeping bag you like and let me know who it’s for.

It’s that easy!

The contest will run from today, June 10, 2009 - Tuesday, June 16, 2009.  The winner will be selected randomly and announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2009.  An e-mail notification will be sent and the winner must claim their prize within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected.  US residents only.

If you’re looking for some great Father’s Day gift ideas or camping equipment, take a look at the Eureka camping tents.

Thank you all and good luck!