So I haven't been around in a few weeks or so, and for good reason.  Brooke gave birth to our son on Monday, June 14th.  Aptly named Hunter, a family name going back more than five generations, he is our first child and such an amazing start to parenthood for Brooke and I.  Despite hearing the cliche numerous times in my life, especially the past nine months, it really did ring true; the moment Brooke and I heard his first cries we were reduced to blubbering messes and our lives changed, for the better, forever.  He's cute as hell, of course I'm considerably biased, and fun.  With bright blue eyes and strawberry blond hair, he's a great mix of Brooke and I facially.  Additions to this site will be a bit fewer and farther between with so much of our time preoccupied with the little one, but we'll be sure to indoctrinate him into the outdoors as soon as properly possible.  With three different Kelty Kid Carriers, we're properly equipped to bring little Hunter into the woods and on the trail with us.

Had a few friends over for a craft beer tasting last week.  You can find the write-up (along with quite a few more craft beer reviews) over at Wild Bill's site.

My father-in-law is a wise, wise man.  He could see the void in my quiver of fishing skills, and pounced.  As a 30th birthday present, my in-laws got me a brand-spankin'-new Temple Fork Outfitters 9'0" 4-piece 9-Wt. "Lefty Kreh Professional Series" fly rod.  Score! With my sweet spinning set-up my only method for landing redfish, snook, and stripers, I now have a new weapon of choice - and new hobby.  I've spent countless hours already researching reels (think Sage, Redington, Orvis...), and can't wait to be looked at strangely by neighbors as I practice casting in my backyard.  I look forward to fly fishing off the Cape and back down in Charlotte Harbor for more redfish and snook.  This is surely a new chapter for me as I expand my outdoor arsenal.  Thanks, Phil!

So, I turned 30 on Saturday. Feels no different 29, so we'll see how this plays out in the long run.  My wife, despite being 8 months pregnant with our first child, still had the energy to take me on a surprise road trip through western New England for the day on Saturday.  We borrowed her dad's '02 Corvette convertible and took off for places unknown.  Our first stop was at Curtis's Roadside BBQ in Putney, VT.  I highly advise anyone within a two hour radius of Putney, VT to try this place.  Let the link above speak for itself - it's awesome.  Next stop? The town of Shelburne Falls, MA in the Berkshires.  We walked around this quintessential New England town and popped in and out of the storefronts, checked out the glacial potholes and bridge of flowers, grabbed an ice cream and then hopped in the 'Vette, top down of course, to head to our final destination: the Northampton Brewery Bar & Grille.  Northampton, a bustling college town in the Berkshires, is home to this awesome microbrewery.  We didn't order anything to eat (see above: Curtis's), but I got a sampler of four of their beers: Maggie's Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Summer Fling, Kung-Fu Grip, and Old Brown Dog.  
    It was an awesome day, and I mean that in the true definition of the word awesome, not in the liberally-used colloquialism we know of it today.  I got the greatest birthday gift I could have asked for that day, a day alone with my wife.  With our first child to be here any day now, I really cherish the time the two of us have together.  We used to do a lot of day trips around New England when we were two young'ns dating, so this brought back a lot of great memories. I have thanked her profusely since we first pulled into Curtis's, but no matter how many times I kiss, hug and thank her, it never seems like enough.