Gettin Ready,

[Jacktheknife]

The weather is getting cooler, and it sure is nice!
I have been getting some new {used} traps,  tuning them up, and organizing the trap shed, the bait and lure making stuff too!
This type of activity, the 'prepping' is fun,  in and of  'itsownself'.                                          I've never started getting ready so early!  Three months till the fur season, and lots of chores are already done.
This will be a good season, with the two Hog traps, I plan on making $1,000.00 from the line.  80% from Hog.  Hog market is always good!                                Each Hog trap will hold 6-  200 Lb Hog!
A phone call will get Jorge over here with his whole roofing crew,                  to hack up Mr. Hog and pay me $50. each.  Jorge and his crew love Hog,   and selling  them by the pound,  we both can make money.
The fur market is good, and with luck a few hundred from the fur too,           I can buy myself more traps!  

                 After my 'wreck'  there's nothing I woud rather do!
Don't care at all about money now.  Driving 100 miles every day in order to sell more roofs, so that I could afford my yellow page ad,  &  bills,              $300. a month worth of gas, $300. worth of resturant  food, and $300. worth of beer,        [because I live in my truck...]                                            I would rather eat beans!  And just stay home.                                        Hey!  Beans are pretty good!  That is what God made onions and Jalepenos for...!!!
                 I woke up in a hospital bed, three years ago, after being in a coma 5 weeks.  All that had ever happened in my life, that mattered to me or God,   was memorys of my Hounds, the trail and the trapline.
We had been murdered, the white trash who killed us died in prison.
Cotton Joedog told me while I was 'out' that   "I was missing my life,
and that they would all be with me if they could but they can't!               "That after 'we'  died":
"You never got another hound, you never set another trap, you never hunted at all!"
"To get me some more Hounds and go hunting!"     And I woke up!
Landscaping, Irrigation systems, and Roofing,  35 years, meant nothing!
                                ...............0..............

                 So being so profoundly focused, on what God sent me back to the earth for, I now know what I am meant to do!                                                        "Get me some more Hounds and go hunting!"
                                  And to party on dude!

                           
                                                                            Knife

[jim-NE]

The prep work is certainly part of the whole experience too, and a necessary part of it as well. But, like the old addage...you have to make hay in the summer, right?!!
Been busy around here myself. Taking last season off, then going through the equipment this summer was an eye-opener for me. Didn't realize how much I had patched & bandaided things to 'get by' instead of repairing equipment correctly...and now it has caught up and set me back a bit in parts and replacement equipment. Can't say enough about cleaning things up after a season, and dying/protecting the investment as soon as possible, too.
Lost my local outlet for a certain make on sturdy 1/2" pipe earth anchors (have a nut welded on top to attach the cable to) that fit the only driver I own. So, am in process of buying, cutting, and wheeling-deeling with a friend to weld me up a lifetime supply. Went through several hundred feet of cable over summer also, replacing earth anchor cable where needed and building new snares and drowners & slides.
Put up a lot of dry dirt this year, too. (got to keep things real low budget after the extras invested over the summer). Can never have enough dry dirt on hand, and from the farmer's almanac sounds like we may have a rather damp season ahead in this area, too.
Trying to bang on a few new doors here and there, too...as well as politely confirming access to the same places I have access to already...just to confirm and share anticipated starting dates, etc.
Well, hopefully the prices will be decent again this year. Best of luck to everyone. Fall conventions are starting up around the area, and the cooler weather sure has a little extra bounce in my step lately. Been watching the corn turn colors, and seeing some geese and ducks flying once and awhile. Fall and early winter are definitely my favorite times of the year.
Take a deep breath of a clean, cool morning air and look around...and say to yourself, "man...don't that feel good!"
Jim