Let Your Intuition Lead You

                                                        Arriving back in the Love Creek valley was like a blast of cold air. I had 3 weeks left as my time with the company wound down and decisions to make about next steps in my plan. It was Deer season in Wisconsin as well so I hunted quite a bit as I expected it would be the last season I'd spend here. I had shot 4 Deer that season with my Nephew Tanner shooting two more. I had sat in my favorite stand over looking the clover food plot. The Deer would come through the property like clock work in this spot every day around 4 p.m. A nice 10 point buck I had taken was named the 4 o'clock buck for that reason. Tanner and I were cutting up Deer one evening in the garage and commented that it looked like an episode from the Sopranos with the carcasses lying about!

My son Jared and nephew Tanner with two Love Creek valley buck's

                                                       Although the Deer and Turkey hunting was excellent right out my front door it wasn't my passion. Bird hunting  and Bird dog's was. A week on the road always takes a lot out of the Setter's running hard everyday and sleeping in the trailer so they were glad to have a break settling into a routine again around the farm. They're job being to watch for any encroachments by squirrels and chipmunks around the yard. And yes they had to watch the pigeons making sure Red and his crew kept their distance! This time of year I'd let them stay in the outdoor kennels if the weather was good otherwise they'ed be inside the garage waiting for me to come down the driveway at the end of the day.

My friend Phil after a successful hunt spring of 09

                                                       December 1st came soon enough and I was free. It was now all my time. There was no celebration. No slaps on the back recalling the good times we had all had together. I had a different view on these endings. Business decisions is what they were. The relationships only existed for the good of the business. It was over and so were they. I was paid for my time and sold it willingly for a price. I had cashed my last check. I walked away. Done deal.
                                                       The Setter's and I enjoyed the day's together settling into a rhythm. I skied at the local hill 10 miles east most days from 10am till noon. The Setter's insisted on riding along and I'd park in the upper lot overlooking my favorite run so I could see the van as I came down each time. Sometimes they'd sit up watching for a while but then would relax and sleep away till I was done. As I thought about next steps It would of course be perfect to relocate within easy distance to both skiing and bird hunting but I didn't know of any place where the two coexisted within the same area. The open plains and ski country were not compatible in that way. Montana was a possibility but any time you get close to a major ski area the cost of living skyrockets so that wasn't an option. In the mean time I enjoyed this winter in the Love Creek valley taking time to ease into the future while considering all the possibilities it held.

One of our afternoon snow shoeing runs during the winter of 09

                                                         I spent some time in Northern Wisconsin skiing in the U.P. of Michigan as well this winter. The Setter's liked staying at Grandma's place as she had a basket of toys for them in the living room. Mick would always go right to it and pick out the squeaky toys parading about. I loved skiing in the North-woods country and considered this as a way to bridge the gap of not having a residence in ski country. As long as I had a place we could visit that'd work a few weeks a year. A few year's ago I had built a kennel on the back side of the barn with indoor insulated kennel boxes accessible from the outdoor runs for the Setter's just for the times we would visit if they couldn't stay in the house at the time. So we were set up well here. The Ten Acre's farm as it was called had been in the family since the 30's and had been where my parent's had retired in 1985. My mother was now there alone. My Dad having passed away 2 year's earlier.

View of the house from the hill out back winter 09

                                                       Winter gave way to spring eventually and we went through the annual mud season as I call it. The Setter's would run through the garden sinking into the mud and come up to the house needing to get their feet washed in a bucket before entering the house. Then Mick usually would find something smelly to roll in so I always gave a lot of bath's during mud season as well. No problem it's just part of the deal. In the tub they'd go! They actually liked this routine and I liked clean dog's so it worked for everybody!

The Love Creek valley winter 09

                                                        There was quite a bit of interest in the property with people traipsing through the house and around the land. I had resigned myself to this of course and knew what the hitches would be. The remoteness of the location and the age of the house although completely renovated were the main issues and of course the price. Always the price. I was selling a dream and it was going to take someone with that specific vision to sell this place. Not unlike other properties it's just that the audience here was much narrower. So I had to keep the house and grounds in perfect order and the Setter's and I would find things to do during the showings. I preferred to not be available unless the buyers requested me to be there. But sometimes I'd just mow grass as I had 4 acres of it and just kenneled the Setter's. I had put in a large garden to help showcase the property and had all the landscaping in perfect order. Aside from the selling process this place did require a lot of weekly maintenance. Not belonging to a health club I just viewed it as a way to stay in shape when I wasn't walking behind bird dog's. It worked but it was a big job what with the orchard and wildlife food plots as well.

An orchard visitor. I had been mowing grass and seen the Setter's all looking at something
and when I got closer they were nose to nose with this fawn just curious about this little creature.
I heeled them into the house and returned with my camera. We had scared the mother off and the
  the fawn was instinctively still waiting for her return. I knew the doe was close by and kept the Setter's
inside until the sun went down and she could feel safe to return. And she did as the fawn was
gone in the morning. 

                                                    I had had a few contacts regarding jobs but nothing I was interested in. I did a couple interviews keeping an open mind even though the possibilities were limited but not knowing how long it would take to sell the property was the issue. I owned the property and had no debt but this wasn't a fire sale. Most buyers during this time being barraged with the media touting a buyers market thought everything was on sale as a result. Not here. I was also quick to realize no one really gave a shit about my career experience at age 55. I was the kind of person organizations were trying to get rid of for budget deficit issues. So given the rules of the playing field I developed the best strategy for reaching my goals making this game work for me.

Wild mushroom hunting spring of 09 at Love Creek Valley Farm

                                                     In a final discussion with the owner of the company I had worked for for 26 year's I had stated my objective to continue to follow my passion and interest's letting them guide me in my future decision making. After all that strategy had led me to the opportunity I had made work for 26 year's. Little did he know just how well I had made it work. But that was my concern not his. In announcing my decision to my peers I had said I was lucky to have led a lifestyle many people wait until retirement to enjoy while working a job like this. I worked in their world but lived in mine. And so I was ready to let my intuition and passion lead me once again.