Rewards reaped by hard work and preparation always taste more sweet. The only way to make the experience better, is to share it with a friend or loved one.

I have been blessed in many ways thus far in my life. I am truly thankful for what I have been given and to those that have helped me along the way. Everything else in life is either worked for or stumbled upon. Rarely in life are you thrown a bone, especially in hunting or business. Imagine combining the two of them. I’ve placed myself there by choice and I think I like it. Most of life is your choice, so choose to do what you like and no matter how hard the job, you will enjoy it.

As for blessings, nothing compares to my family and friends. My family has fully supported and assisted me at achieving my dream to own and run a guide service in Chenango County. Having the love of my life assist and support my endeavor makes it that much more pleasing. On top of that, having generous farmers who allow you to finely groom their property into a hunter’s paradise, and help out with the big machines, is almost more than a guy could ask for. With backing like that, I am pushing forward without fear. Well, not much at least, that bear still has me on edge a bit.

I have never felt as loved and backed as I have since my childhood sweetheart made the move back to New York from Ohio. Rachel and I spent a lot of time outdoors together as kids and it is so nice to enjoy wild places with her again. This past week, I took her on a trip to collect apples, which were to be made into pie filling, spiced and pickled slices, and apple sauce. For some reason, I chose to collect the mass and carry it by hand back to the vehicle. I had the ATV there but chose the hard way instead. We picked for about an hour in the hot sun and carted them back to the car. As we walked back to the vehicle, she asked why I hadn’t just used the ATV. I just muttered, “Sweaty apples,” to which she gave me a puzzled look. I assured her that she would understand what I meant later.