Can't believe it took me this long! Trying it for the first time. Put whitetail deer shank and front shoulder in to simmer 12 hrs ago. Added broth ingredients and now 12 more hours while we go fishing. The AROMA!!!!! Will update when we get home and dish it up!
Following Matty's recipe!

I asked my woman to marry me. She said Yes!
It was over Thanksgiving in Mt, sorry I am just now getting around to telling y'all. Life has been crazy lately, but I am doing what I said I would never do again.
Going to be an interesting journey.
Details TBD

Took my girlfriend's nephew fishing yesterday for a few hours. Best day in years, nothing like taking a boy fishing for the first time. A little back story:
Dillon is 4, his parents are homeless and he lives with my girlfriend's sister. He is a great kid with an exceptional spirit and great smile that is contagious. I met him two weeks ago and he had a toy pole with a magnet and fish with a metal piece in the mouth. He loved that toy and was showing me how he plays fishing.
On our way home that night, I told my gf we HAD to take this boy fishing, as soon as possible, no question about it!
Yesterday after church, I took him to Walmart and let him pick out his gear. He picked a nice little Zebco and a spiderman tackle box. He was beyond stoked!! Swung by Fisherman's warehouse and picked up some worms and went to William B Pond.
We got set up on the shore and were swarmed by geese and ducks. He played with them while I rigged up his pole. He wanted to cast, but I told him to be patient and I would teach him as the day went on. He had the reeling in part down, no problem there.
You know kids that age, they need constant action and cannot stand to let a bait soak lol. So, I wanted to see if he was ok with worms. I let him dig one out. He named him wiggly the worm, let him wiggle in his hand for a bit then wanted another. Squirmy the worm. Then Ed the worm. Then Billy the worm. He kissed Billy the worm.
I told him that the dirt on his hand was worm poo. His face was hilarious! He wiped it off on the ground, then took his new worm friends to go to the bathroom one by one in the sand.
Once the worms lost his attention and it was abundantly clear there were no bluegill around our spot, I let him reel in. I took the bait hook off, and let him cast. He nailed it first try!! A nice 20 foot cast straight out! So for the next half hour he cast and retrieved the bobber. As he got wore out, the casts got sloppy.
I started to hurt pretty bad and told him we gotta go. This is when I realised he is a born fisherman. "One more cast!" I said ok. He reeled in, "one more cast!?" Ok Dillon, one more then we gotta go.
He fumbled the next cast and said "that one didn't count, one more."
How can you say no?
Twenty or so more casts and we were on our way. We didnt catch anything, but it didn't matter to either one of us. He was so happy he went fishing, got his own new fishing pole and tackle box with bobbers lol.
I was happy he was happy. Now that he has the basics, we can go to a spot next that I know will produce, and it will be just that much better for him.
Take a kid fishing, even if it isnt your own. The fun and excitement for the kid is something that cannot be experienced in a video game or bought. It will make lasting memories for them and yourself. I am so glad I was able to take this little guy out for his first fishing trip. Been thinking about it all day, thought I would share a piece of that memory with all of you. My girlfriend took lots of pics, sorry that I dont have any to attach and share.

Well, thanks for reading, if I put "help me move" none of you would have clicked shit!
I am selling my house, moving to a 1 br apt in sac. I have to be moved by Sunday. Everything is packed. Most was given away. Still have several wetsuits and crabbing stuff etc I am giving away. Brand new mower, bbq gas/charcoal, couch + love seat, pool table, and another love sea, oak entertainment center. Antique Singer sewing machine w/cast iron stand. Free. Or help taking to charity. I have a truck. It would be nice to get one more and a couple guys saturday and knock this out in a couple hours  
I also dont forget my friends when I open my freezers
I have one guy that has been helping me all along, and several came and helped on a work project day. David has been awesome. Pratt and Silva, you guys are ok too


P.S. my address is 1608 Coventry Way, Lodi 95240

Looks solid, if you are in the market I would jump on this one! Would be a great lake yak!
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/boa/5987061533.html

My gf's boy has been with me this whole weekend. Never had a father figure, so, it is up to me to get him in gear. Weed eating....worthless. Dishes....worthless.  Cleaning gutters... worthless. Anything requiring a six second attention span or more....worthless.
But I aint giving up. 

Cochino and Jackson came up for the weekend to fish with us! I grilled up some shrimp and top sirloin, and had to pry them away from organizing tackle boxes to eat. Then they dove right back in!
So, give a kid a chatter bait or pack of senkos for every book read, A on tests, and perfect attendance! Honor roll gets new rod/reel, and you will have the best grades of any generation!

Part of kayaking, is getting wet. Sometimes, really wet. It is ok, it has happened to all of us, and it will happen to you if you kayak enough.

I recall the first time I went in the drink, unintentionally. It was Shelter Cove, GS4. I was not prepared at all. I thought I was, but I was not. I did not have a wetsuit on. I had hydroskin pants, and layers of shirts, topped with a hoodie under my pfd. By the time I got back in the yak, and started for the launch, I was cold and heading towards hypothermia.

This weekend, in the drink I went again. We were floating the American, and the San Juan Rapids got the best of me and I was bucked out of the seat and into the drink. My initial reaction was to panic, and I did for about five seconds. Then I realized, I am in a river, pfd on, got a hold of the kayak, I aint goin anywhere except downstream, and I will be ok. I didn't try self rescue on account of the eddie and moving water. I just held on and side stroked to get to shore. That was not working, the eddie was pushing me back into the middle, so I swapped sides and side stroked to the shore on the other side. Got out, stretched, and caught a bunch of shad.

The point is, unless you stay on a pond, there is a high probability that you will eventually, go in the drink. This is the time of year to practice, weather is nice and water is warm.

After seeing me go in, and as we were finishing our day floating down to the take out, my son started diving off of his kayak and swimming around. He is now proficient in self rescue. He is also familiar with  going in the drink with his pfd on.

Why is it important? Because knowing what to expect is beneficial in a crisis. Knowing what it feels like to flip and go under water with your pfd on is key. You float differently with the pfd than you do in swim trunks in a pool. Being comfortable floating/treading water with a pfd is what I think everyone should experience and be familiar with. It is not the same.

Once you are comfortable with being in the water, you will be more comfortable when the time comes to self rescue. When you are in a panicked state, you tense up and breathe faster, heart is racing. You expel a lot of energy, really fast. The more comfortable and relaxed you are, the easier it will be to climb back in your kayak. Erratic kicks and scrambling to drag yourself back in, only wears you out, and can make a bad situation, a lot worse.

For instance, if you flip in the ocean or river for that matter, and you are being swept towards rocks or breakers, you have a short window. If you spend it in panic, you are in trouble. If you are comfortable and prepared, you stand a better chance of quickly re-entering your kayak.

Just some food for thought, get out and have some fun, get wet, and go in the drink! Please though, save the drinks for later