An entire year

     As I sit here in a condo in Ludlow, VT staring out at the cold expanse - too cold to actually ski, at -12 degrees - I realize it's been almost an entire year since I've posted a blog entry.  Last year brought no fishing trips, but this year is guaranteed to - Phil bought all of us airfare to Punta Gorda for an early-summer redfish and snook trip.  Last year also brought no backpacking trips, but my New Year's resolution is to spend more time outside.  Christmas brought me some spending money in the form of gift cards to Sierra Trading Post, so I utilized them well and for $4 out-of-pocket got myself a Deuter ACT Lite 65+10.  This pack, considerably larger than my 40 liter North Face pack, allows me to spend more than one night in the woods if we decide to do a more substantial trip, and also allows me to be the family sherpa as Brooke and I take the kids into the wilderness for an overnight adventure.  Hunter turns 8 this summer, so I think him and I will have our first father-and-son overnight (and again with Max once he's older), and I know Bill and Mark are trying to plan a Great Smoky Mountain National Park 3-night excursion that I'll be desperate to join.  I've also resigned myself to using my Redington fly reel until it no longer works, so a new fly reel is out of the question for the foreseeable future.  My current gear collection across the spectrum is pretty much set, unless of course Brooke grants me permission for hobby #6.  
     Golf has made a triumphant return to my life in the past couple of years, as well.  Once a low-single-digit handicap, life got in the way and my amount of time on the course greatly diminished.  But thanks to my good friend, Matt, who has been a member of the renowned Pleasant Valley Country Club (former PGA Tour stop), my game has come back to me and it has once again controlled a large portion of my free time.  This year, for the first time since 2002, I will be custom fit for a new set of clubs in order to take my game to the next level.  My goal is to get back to a sub-5 handicap, and play in some local amateur tournaments.  Once the fitting is complete and my new clubs are ordered, I'll make a golf section of this site to list my current What's In The Bag, and to keep track of tournament results, etc. 
     Well, that's all for now, folks.  Here's to a happy and healthy 2018.