Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Emerging from the Funk


OK, I admit it, I’ve been in a funk for the past two weeks. By now you'd think that I would begin to expect it, but just like clockwork, the end of the hunting season sneaks up on me and POW, I immediately fall into a deep funk.

The obvious symptom is that my blog posts came to a screeching halt after my hunting season review post two weeks ago. My gosh, TWO WEEKS! Not good for retaining readership.

Even my Google Reader has been seriously neglected. I checked in today and had 87 posts from friends and fellow bloggers that I had not yet read - let alone left comments. I apologize to all my blogging colleagues for being such a slacker. I promise to do better.

I think the level of my post-season depression is directly correlated with the level of effort I have put into the hunting season. The harder and more frequent I have entered into the outdoors and enjoyed the bounty of my effort; the greater the funk-o-meter gets jacked up after the season. It is a perverse, inverse relationship.

I can’t help it, I just love to hunt. One of my non-hunting friends and I were discussing this curious state and he asked me what it's like to wake up on Monday morning after the season closes. The closest parallel I could think of, as cheesy as it sounds, is the day after Christmas. You would think that after so many years of hunting that I would be have greater mental stability to accept the inevitable situation. But no, it still sucks.

The last few weeks were also very busy with work and a community benefit concert that I was preparing for as the master of ceremonies. The concert was last Saturday and then I immediately got on a plane for 5 days in Washington DC, so this is really the first time that I’ve had to even think about blogging.

So, enough of the funk, it’s time to move on. I have emerged!

Coming up in the next few weeks I am going to turn up the heat in the kitchen and start turning many of those wily game birds into some fantastic new dishes. Although my typed words have been seldom, I have actually been noodling through a couple new dishes in the old noggin.

I’ll also be writing about some interesting observations about hunting and the media as well as a couple stories about The Boy and the upcoming turkey season.

Until then, thanks for tuning in again. Sorry it has been so long. I’d enjoy knowing how you all are up to.

6 comments:

Holly Heyser said...

I know what you mean. I'd go through the same thing, except 12 hours after the sun goes down on the season, I'm getting up for the chaotic beginning of a new semester, so I never have time to get depressed.

But I did let the feathers from the final plucking stay in the garage for days because I was a little sad to see them go.

SimplyOutdoors said...

I hate this time of year. Deer hunting has been done for over a month now, and while small game is still in season, we got so much snow this year that you plain and simply couldn't hunt.

Fortunately, though, the snow melted yesterday. And while I know deep down that Spring is still a ways a a way, the melt off is still a motivation to get me back outside.

I'm looking forward to your upcoming posts. Don't be such a stranger to the blogosphere; we're a bunch of cool people:)

Terry Scoville said...

Phew, I was starting to get worried about your disappearance. I understand completely about your funk and no, it doesn't seem to get easier. It is hard to dis-engage from an activity that we immerse our whole beings into. Nor do I think it should be an easy adjustment. You get out what you put in and this is a fine example.
Glad to see you're back, I missed you!

Anonymous said...

I was just thinking I should send an e-mail and see where you were. Glad to see you back.

In case you missed it, and you might have with your Google Reader being so full, there's a challenge up on the OBS site. I hope you take part.

The Hunter's Wife said...

I think a lot of hunters are feeling the same way that you are right now. My husband has the same funk.

spotted face said...

Maybe try to get out and observe the spring migration - settles me down some. Do you have a spring snow goose season in your area?