Pre-Season

Pre-Season is here...Spring training as I like to call it...Summer Staff will arrive later in the week, and we will begin training immediately.

This week, Tyrrell Elementary School will be here today and tomorrow. Thursday I'll head to Greenville to do camper interviews for Takeoff 4-Health...It'll be a busy week. The new cooks are doing well, and survived the Wedding Reception Onslaught, with a great deal of ease, albeit. The reception brought nearly 300 guests to our beautiful facility, and nary a drop of rain fell from the sky as predicted by the Weathermen.

This weekend I managed to take the Yellow Dog out to sea. I put in at Swanquarter Bay, rode the 3 mile ditch into the salty water, took a little used cut through beautiful marsh (the creek is about 2 miles long and 20 feet wide...fun if you have a small nimble craft like the Dog), and turned up in Swanquarter Bay. We rode to Oyster Creek Landing to see all the big shrimp/crab/fishing boats. En Route, we had dolphins playing in the propwash. We also spotted several local black ducks. Black ducks, or Black Mallards, are the wariest of all ducks. They are really tough to decoy, and often look like they don't even trust their fellow flyers. Local ducks are the wariest of all. So decoying a local Black Duck, is virtually impossible...virtually. It has been done.

On the way back a Black Bear, roughly 700 pounds, was spotted in the road. He was absolutely tremendous. We also came across a fox, deer and a 6' Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.

Yesterday, the program staff and I enjoyed a cookout at the Staff House...Boston Butt, Corn on the Cob, Green Beans, Big Girl's Macaroni and Cheese, Watermelon, and Creamsicle Cake. I cooked, the ate. But I am their provider, at least that's what I tell 'em.

I also finished painting my decoys. I completed a Sleeping Bluebill, encased in masticized burlap and painted to perfection. I have gotten better and better. I also finished a Canvasback, 2 other Bluebills, and 25 Surf Scoters. I have 7 more to do...6 of which are from scratch. I will be Restle Coating from here on out. Burlapping and Restleing provides years of use from decoys. You can only burlap the foam ones. I like the foam ones, though...here's why: Cork co$t$ tons of money, plastic is cheap that's what everyone uses, wood is to heavy. I like to hunt over classic decoys, and hand painting and finishing adds to the thrill.

Enjoy the day...