Filled to the Brim.

With all the melting snow and precipitation the pond is now 100% full and ready to be stocked (spring). It was a frigid weekend, but we still managed to get out and do some chainsawing and shed hunting. Jason found half of a decent 10-point along the stream bank.

Do Work!

We speant over three hours clearing trees and brush with a chain-saw and some muscle. We plan on seeding this in the spring with a food plot mix for the deer to eat. Lyndsey got to play with a new "ping-ping" gun, a .22 caliber rifle that is modeled after the venerable AK-47!

Winter in Athens

Such a pretty piece of land in winter! Our pond has officially frozen, but the creeks are still flowing. Our newest resident is a Northern Flicker (a type of woodpecker - he's hanging off the side of the feeder). After we filled the feeders, the birds swarmed them! At one point we 12 male Northern Cardinals, 7 female Norther Cardinals, four Blue Jays, a handful of Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, and the Northern Flicker. What a sight!

Hiking Hunter's Hundred

This past weekend, WNHS descended upon Amesville. We had a great time hanging out with everyone and hiking the area. The weather was awesome - almost 60 degrees in December! After a good lunch of Sue's soup, Sue, Rob, Dan, John, Brooke, and Darrin hiked up to the "waterfall." John and Dan tested the potability of the water for us adn then pondered life while looking over the hill. John felt left out because he wasn't wearing a bright color; of course the bobber he found in his car ultimately counted! On Saturday, Kacey and Kyle made the same trek.

Doe, A Deer, A Second Deer

So these pictures aren't really from Athens, but I figured this was the best way to share them. Jason didn't see any trophy bucks this weekend in KY, but I took a doe at 7:45 am on opening day. As usual, I like to get done early and have my weekend to relax! My shot was from about 36 yards away; Dave's tape estimated her weight at 165#.

Doe, A Deer, A Female Deer

Archery season just began in Ohio and Jason took his first doe with his bow. He shot from a ground blind about 25 yards from the deer. She was a nice size. I'm just finishing up the meat from last year to make venison jerky and now the freezer is full again!

New Sights

With the recent heavy rains, we've seen the pond really start to fill up! We are stocking it with minnows, shiners, and tadpoles in the next few weeks. We hiked more of the land during a break in the showers...only to find an awesome sandstone outcrop. It's like a miniature version of the overhangs at Old Man's Cave.

Home Improvements

It's been a while since I've had time to update the blog, but a lot of work has been done in the meantime. My dad did an awesome job power washing and restaining the deck. He and I also dug a trench and laid drain pipe so water wouldn't pool in front of the house. Jason and Dave went to work back in the woods. With Dave manning the chain saw and Jason driving the DR Trimmer, they cleared a lot trails. They also put up tree stands and built a bridge; spanning 16 feet, it makes it a lot easier to get the ATV across the creek.

We got the new toy this past week... A 2006 Honda Rancher AT (AT - Automatic). This is a 400 cc ATV. Also here are pictures of the pond, it is nearly completed.