Sunday, November 2, 2008

Back from Woodcutting


Whew! The last two weeks have been a nightmare of too much work! We have been having some really outstanding weather and I had to take the opportunity to get ready for winter. Besides, for some strange reason the waterfowl that normally hang around this area until the sloughs and lakes are frozen have all left early. Without ducks and geese to hunt I decided to cut my winter’s supply of firewood. I have a wood burning box stove in my office and it is something that keeps me warm in both body and mind.
I am sure that most people would have been able to cut and split the same amount of firewood in a quarter of the time it took me but I work a lot slower than most people. I enjoy the exercise, the feeling of being closer to our world and in winter’s depths there is a connection that I truly enjoy. Unfortunately my writing (here and elsewhere) suffered while I cut firewood. Each day I came home, put Cookie in her kennel, put away my tools, showered, ate dinner and fell into bed! Now my wood is cut, split, stacked and I’m ready for winter—until something else comes along that must be done before the mercury plummets! Until then I’m back at work, only to be interrupted by fishing or hunting! Which will be every day!

A Friend Is Gone

I don’t know how many of you knew of the outdoor writer and broadcaster Tony Dean. He was very well known in the upper tier states and over his career won dozens of awards in broadcasting and writing. For sportsmen Tony Dean was more than a great source of information about where and when to go fishing and hunting, he was a tireless advocate of the rights of hunters and a proponent of maintaining the Conservation Reserve Program. Last week we lost Tony to complications following an appendectomy. Tony was only 67 and our world is a lot poorer without him.
glg

4 comments:

Blessed said...

I'm not familiar with Tony Dean - but from your description I know that our world needs a lot more like him!

We heat with wood also - my husband won't let me use the chainsaw but he does let me split (a little) and stack the wood - it definitely gives us a sense of accomplishment to look out our backdoor and see enough fuel to keep our house toasty warm all winter long! (Oh, and our checkbook likes it a lot too!)

Holly Heyser said...

Oh, that's a shame your birds have left so soon! I'd be heartbroken.

But I know what you mean about seizing the opportunity to get work done when for some reason you actually can't hunt. I had some earthmoving to do and I realized Saturday - in the middle of a downpour - that it was the only chance I'd have to do it for more than a month. So I got it done, and then took a nap in front of the fireplace. And my back is sore. Such a wimp.

Sorry to hear about Tony Dean. I wasn't familiar with him either, but I'm with Blessed - we need more like him.

Galen Geer said...

Blessed and Norcal,
There will never be enough of the Tony Dean types in the outdoors.

My dogs really like the woodburning stove. Usually Cookie and Buster will sleep in front of the stove and if they've been outside in the snow the steam will rise from their coats. glg

Anonymous said...

A fund has been established to provide a fitting memorial for Tony Dean.

Tony's family and friends have teamed up with the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation to provide a way for people to contribute to a memorial fund which will continue his legacy. The fund will be used to purchase land in South Dakota. The land will become a wildlife management area, provide public outdoor recreation, and carry on Tony Dean's commitment to environmental education.

A Memorial Fundraising Committee has been established and is working closely with major conservation organizations to design a project that will form partnerships to honor Tony's long time dedication to South Dakota's natural resources. The Committee is chaired by Dave Zentner of Duluth, MN and John Cooper of Pierre, SD. Paul Lepisto of Pierre, SD, who worked as Tony's Producer/Videographer for 18 years, is also serving on the Steering Committee for the fundraising campaign.

A Tony Dean's Acres Memorial Fund has been established through the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation, to allow individuals, businesses and organizations to make tax deductible contributions to the fund. Contributions payable to Tony Dean's Acres Memorial may be sent to:

South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation
Tony Dean's Acres Memorial
523 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501

Credit card donations may be made via the Parks and Wildlife website:
parkswildlifefoundation.org.

For more information, email info@TonyDeansAcres.com