Bright Idea Outdoors Weblog

An Early Spring

What little winter we had this year is behind us and spring has definitely sprung.  Here are a few things we've done so far:

Brett and I did some hiking at Ball's Bluff.

The big boys helped Granddad plant some trees.

And a whole lot of baseball!

It hasn't been all fun and games though.  Kim had a major case of the flu.  The rest of us avoided it, but nobody's been feeling great for about the last three weeks.  We also got news that Kim's grandmother is sick, and we're all praying for her.

But all told, this should be a good spring of working hard, playing hard and counting down to summer!

Here Comes Summer!

After the ridiculously wet spring we've had, I'm not too upset to see the year's first stretch of moderately hot weather on the way. It's supposed to be sunny and in the 80's all next week. Just in time to warm up the pools!

Chronicling my adventures throughout the year here on the BrightIdeaBlog helped me realize several years ago that I much prefer the second half of the year--summer and fall--to winter and spring. So Memorial Day weekend always marks a turning point for me, tells me that my favorite part of the year has arrived.

And speaking of the blog and years, I'm coming up on the five year mark. I'll probably forget to celebrate my Blogiversary like I always do, so I figured I'd just mention it now!

Can You Tell I'm Ready for Some Warm Weather?

If you're wondering who put the picnic table cloth on this hunting and fishing blog, I'll tell you that it was someone who is sick of cold, wet weather and is ready to get out in his back yard and enjoy the spring.  It's also somebody who probably won't like this new look for long.

A Classic Fall Day

A whiff of smoke from the wood-fired barbecue told me that it is indeed finally fall.

"Smells like Aldie," I smiled to myself as I stepped out of my truck into the brilliant October sunshine in front of the Aldie Country store.

It occured to me later, as I pulled onto Rt. 50 with my Carolina-style barbecue sandwich, coleslaw, beans and mac. & cheeese, that today was the quintessential fall day.  Breezy, about 58 degrees; yeah, that's the October I remember.

I also remember when the Aldie Country store was called Partlow's, and the ultimate adventure was walking the two-and-a-half miles to get there and buy a seven-ounce Coke.  Among my other childhood memories of Aldie is the October festival, then known simply as "Aldie Day."  For me then, it was an opportunity to run wild for a day.  Aldie was not an historic rural village; it was just the world as I knew it, and I knew that it was flat and that I would fall off if I got to the edge.  As long as I stayed in town though, I could do or be whatever I wanted.

The name of the event has changed, and so has the area around Aldie.  But the village itself looks a lot like it did thirty years ago when I rode an elephant behind the firehouse.

They call it the Aldie Harvest Festival  now, and it takes place tomorrow, Saturday Oct. 16.  This year marks the Bicentennial of the village, which grew up around the mill beginning in 1810.

Go check it out if you have time.  Aldie's not very big, so you should be able to see everything in half a day or so.  Just be careful and don't get near the edge...

Whitetail Down: Man, I Love October!

I was a little nervous went I dropped my buddy Rob off at the stand this morning.  I'd really talked up the hunting at Camp Cowboy and would have been embarrassed if he didn't see anything on his first hunt at the property.

Luckily, I didn't have to worry.  He had this big doe on the the ground by 7:45.

 
Congratulations Rob!

Taking someone on a successful hunt is always fun, especially when they are as appreciative as Rob was.  As an added bonus, today is Rob's birthday so that really made it a great morning!

For all of you who will be hunting this weekend, good luck and be careful.  For those of you in the mood for different kind of October fun, don't forget to go see my friends out at Layng's Flower Farm on Evergreen Mill Road near Leesburg, Ashburn and South Riding.  They have a great fall festival with a much more casual and affordable atmosphere than some of the other October events in the Loudoun area.

If you're going to Layng's, be sure and take along this coupon.  Click below to download:

Download Layng's coupon 100810

For more on the fun at Layng's click here.

October: The Best Month of the Year

Top 10 Reasons October is My Favorite Month of the Year:

1. Great Weather;
2. Fall foliage/color;
3. The shock of the beginning of the school year has worn off, and the kids are settled in;
4. Mosquitoes and other biting and stinging insects have, for the most part, gone to bed;
5. Football season is in full swing, yet it's still new enough be believe my teams have a chance at greatness (well, it would be if I didn't like the Redskins);
6. Pumpkinfest at Layng's Flower Farm;
7. Halloween is a lot of fun;
8. Bow season has gotten underway;
9. Gun season lies ahead of us;
10. November is right around the corner!