Yeah, the pain can kinda hurt in different ways. For the first time in 40 years I didn't go moose hunting. Had my neck fused n new eye lenses. After I had my shoulder replaced.
Hey used em too much when they were new. But it sure was fun. When the doctor asks if I remember hurting my neck I tell them how I was showing our daughter the most beautiful place in AK I have ever seen. On the side of a mountain.Where a river that carries 50 pound salmon that stack up in a glass pool. At the bottom of a waterfall that makes continuing upstream
impossible. And where her great grandfather, Whisperin Jack homesteaded in the early 50s.
Hey I had a family to feed n got up n went to work no matter bad it hurt. I knew I was writing checks that were going to come back some day. And they are.
Best advice is the slow game is the fast game.
You all asked for a story. So get my neck fused at end of June. Certainly by Sept I'm ready to go moose hunting right ? So my dear daughter takes ol dad out to our cabin. We unloaded the floatplane n said goodbye to the rest of the world.
Man that felt good.
She insists. I have my diddy bag/backpack I never leave home without n my wife's 06. Stainless barrel n synthetic lightweight stock. I got In another gun trade. Only. She has a 75 pound pack. And we have 3-4 black totes.
My beautiful wife can't walk much n now I'm getting older so we need atvs. I disassembled a Honda 185, 3 wheeler so I could fly it out in the 185. And a new air conditioner to mount on the generator shed so I have a walk in cooler. Hey da plane is always full when you're building a remote cabin.
So we hike north the 2 miles to the cabin. It's great. We stop often , look up at Denali n the AK range. Talkeetnas to the right. Visiting about how we can enjoy our cabin as a family. My next goal is Christmas or New Years at the cabin.
Anyhows I can drift a bit when I start thinking cabin. We get to the cabin. No bear break ins. Have a shot of whiskey on the front porch. Fire up our suzuki king quad n bring it around the front of the cabin. Hook up the coleman canoe freight sled n head out to get the rest of the load sitting beside the lake. Get fiddy feet n it dies. Daughter taught me a new trick n laid out the little tarp in the gear box down on the ground n we rolled it on to that in case we dropped any parts. And a tarp from the upper deck out to work under from the upper deck. I grab the tool box n instantly get reprimanded to sitting on the desk drinking the beverage of choice n doing moose calls from the deck. While she removes the pack boxes n plastics. Removes n rebuilds the carburetor n fuel pump n puts it back together. While I watch n give instruction.
We like the spruce hens around the cabin. They eat a lot of bugs. And the open dirt under the cabin is the only available pebbles for their craw n dusting. And they use it to get out of the rain. They also eat any mouse vole or shrew they see. So they are my pest control. I bring bags of sunflower seeds out n through them in the front yard. Great place to eat peanuts n drink beers too.
And watching them walking on top of the tarp was hilarious.
Wonderful daughter gets things running again.
The next day she gets things back together again n we do a hunt out in front of the cabin where her brother harvested his first moose. And I missed a huge white wolf. Watch the spruce hens playing in the yard.
Next day I need to head home.
We head out to go freight or load home. It pored hard n of corse the local bears have checked out our plastic totes. They didn't get in but cracked the tops open so,there was 3" of water in the totes. We get to the lake and I'm surprised to see our son on the plane. They had planned on this. So they could put up the firewood n clean up the cabin so I didn't have to. Taking the rains.
As we lift off from the lake the pilot circles back. I can look down n see our kids on the wheeler with the coleman filled with freight. Heading to our cabin. I can think back to when they were kids. They've been out in the bush since they were babies in diapers. Now it's dad's turn to chill. I can still look back n see them in freighting that load. And remember the feelings I had, as a dad. A very proud dad indeed.
When they got to unloading the totes full of water that got into the zip lock bags full of little parts. They laid everything out to dry n also made putting a 3 wheeler together in your kitchen much easier.
Hey I hope that helps a bit. And if I may give any advice it's live on your wins man. Lots more fun than thinking of my aches n pains.
I also like thinking about my beautiful wife. But what happens at the cabin stays at the cabin
When they get to the cabin they are treated with a mid forties bull moose standing next to the generator shed when they roll up. Since we already had just spent a day processing a moose the day before. They probably wouldn't have harvested it anyhows. Me , if it was legal I'll find a way. Got families to feed kinda thing.
