SOON

It will not be long; not as long as it has been. Yes, the famous spring equinox that everyone talks about and anticipates. Everyone but me; I guess. March 20 would be a good starting point if we were in Georgia or another similar environment. It just doesn’t seem to amount to much in these parts. Spring will make it sooner or later but not quite yet. I don’t tend to think much about it until I see a hummingbird or eat some new asparagus. Then, it will be spring. Not quite yet; but soon.

Yes, there are some early signs of life. Wood Frogs quack, coltsfoot and pussy willows bloom and the poor old crocus gets smashed down by snow. It happens every time. Hey, it’s March. No need to get too excited. I never could figure out it out. I’ve never heard anyone say that they couldn’t wait for March to get here. Once it gets over with we still have to endure a few teaser days during the first half of April. We may be blessed with some good days; maybe even a week. But, it will not last. It never does.

Wood Ducks will trickle in giving us a glimpse of color and make us forget about brown, white and grey. Mourning Doves are already incubating in their rickety fragile nests. I never could figure out why they are so numerous. I guess it is because they start nesting early and finish late with numerous attempts. They can’t seem to wait for spring; either. But, it will come; soon.

The fish trucks will begin racking up some major miles and the rivers will once again be full of people and trout. Campgrounds will fill with hardy campers and everyone will be happy once again. Elbow to elbow fishing for fish that weren’t there yesterday. It’s fun for some but not for all. The only good thing I see from this is that the few remaining country stores get busy if they are near one of the stocked areas. The trout stocking program is good for the local economy for a short period of time. Personally, I don’t get any pleasure out of attempting to fish in a crowd. I usually manage to make myself go a few times during the peak stocking period. More often than not I get there; turn around and go home. Life is too good and too short to get irritated at things like that.

Sometime; about mid-month I will plant some radish and lettuce seed in an old bathtub add some onion sets and cover it with glass. The cycle will begin. Digging around in the dirt makes me start thinking of the good things to come. Yes, it will get cold again. I will start worrying and cover the glass over the bathtub with straw and worry about it some more until it warms up. I will carefully uncover it and peer inside. There they are, all of the pretty green sprouts. They are fine. They always are.

Yes, spring will come. It always does. Wood Thrushes will sing Robins will be running around pulling up worms and my Catbird will show up; telling me it is time to plant the potatoes. Not yet; but soon.

This is my March 2017 article for Two-lane Livin (c) 2017 All Rights Reserved

Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable Applauds Confirmation of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke

Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable Applauds Confirmation of
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke
 

Washington, D.C. – March 1, 2017 – The United States Senate today confirmed U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke (R-MT) as the nation’s 52^nd Secretary of the Interior by a 68-31 vote of bipartisan support. His confirmation drew praise from the Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable (ORIR), which strongly backed his nomination.

Rep. Zinke called himself “an unapologetic admirer of Teddy Roosevelt” during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee January 17.  He said that the former president “had it right” when he placed millions of acres of federal lands under federal protection. And he directly linked the availability of those federal lands to the enjoyment of outdoor recreation. “Today, much of those lands provide Americans the opportunity to hike, fish, camp, recreate and enjoy the great outdoors,” he said. The committee approved Rep. Zinke’s nomination January 31 with bipartisan support by a vote of 16-6.

Secretary Zinke, as a lifelong outdoor enthusiast, hunter and angler, understands the importance of access to and funding for America’s public lands and waters, and the outdoor industry’s critical economic impact. He was a co-sponsor of the recently enacted Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact (REC) Act of 2016, which requires measurement of the economic impact of outdoor recreation and its role in the U.S. economy.

Secretary Zinke takes over a department that is responsible for 25 percent of the country’s surface area and exercises great influence on outdoor activities throughout the nation.  The parks, refuges, trails, rivers and more that the Department manages attract hundreds of millions of visits each year.

The Department of the Interior has an annual budget of $13 billion and administers the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Sport Fish and Boating Trust Fund, Pittman-Robertson Program and other key programs providing more than $1 billion annually in grants to assist outdoor recreation experiences. The land and water it manages provide the foundation for much of the $646 billion outdoor recreation industry that directly supports some 6.1 million jobs.

ORIR voiced its support for Secretary-designate Zinke January 13 in letters to Senate leaders Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) explaining the importance of Zinke’s confirmation and urging swift action on his nomination.  Those letters can be read at www.funoutdoors.com/ORIRUrgesAction.

ORIR leaders expressed immediate and enthusiastic support for the Senate’s confirmation vote.

“The sportfishing industry is pleased that Secretary Ryan Zinke will be leading the Department of the Interior,” said Mike Nussman, president and CEO, American Sportfishing Association. “As a Montanan and a sportsman, Zinke understands firsthand the importance of the outdoor recreation economy and the jobs and economic growth is provides for the nation. We applaud this new member of the President’s Cabinet.”

“The RV industry congratulates Secretary Zinke on his confirmation as Secretary of Interior,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). “Secretary Zinke understands the significance of the outdoor recreation economy and RVIA is committed to working in partnership with him to expand recreational access, address infrastructure needs, embrace public private partnerships, modernize federal campgrounds and create more jobs for American workers.”