| Getting Away From it all | |
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Everyone needs to get away sometime... if only to relax & regroup. This is Page Two of my verbal and photographic recounting of my fine time in Georgia. See Page One for an intro and other impressive pics.
We did catch some fish worth eating, too. We'd have had more in the icebox... but I won't get into details of The Fish Wrangler's faux pas. At midday, after a rainy night, we had our best catch... about 100 yards from where we'd been docking the boat. See the pic below of us Three Happy Fishermen (Dad stayed at camp while we caught these fish).
Here's
our biggest haul for a single outing -- OK, the biggest haul that made it back
to the dock. We caught this mixed bag of catfish and bluegills in a couple hours'
time, at midday, on crickets and worms.
(photo by
Homer Chastain. World rights reserved)
While we're at it, I couldn't resist sharing a pic of the SS Little Rascal, which was moored across the slough from our place. I have never seen a boat of any size with as many rod holders, and the four seats on a boat less than ten feet long makes me wonder what kind (or at least what size) of fisherpersons this boat accomodates!
The
SS Little Rascal... What sort of fishermen use thee, O strange little
boat?
(photo by Russ Chastain.
World rights reserved)
And, lest we forget what this website's all about, I did get to do some shooting at the private range on the property. I tried some slugs in a rifled Remington 11-87 barrel, and tested about nineteen different loads in .222 Remington and .338 Winchester Magnum, as well as seven loads for .300 Winchester Magnum. This was the second time I got to use my new chronograph, which I really enjoy -- it's good to be able to see just how fast (and how consistent) my ammo is.
This
is the view from behind my .222, looking downrange at the 96-yard target (don't
ask). I found the Shooting Chrony Beta Master to be mighty handy (and durable...
but that's another story).
(photo by Russ
Chastain. World rights reserved)
Last but not least, here's a shot of something I thought I'd never see again -- my father on an ATV! After riding my three-wheeler one time about fourteen years ago, he swore them off... but I caught him in the act of test-riding Richard's Polaris. I publish this photo mostly for the sake of proving to probable unbelievers (like most everyone who knows him -- howdy, Uncle Walt and others) that it did, in fact, happen.
Homer
strikes a pose on Richard's Polaris ATV. He's just returned from his first solo
jaunt, and is looking mighty pleased with himself... a few minutes after this
photograph was taken, he was off again.
(photo by Russ Chastain.
World rights reserved)
All in all, the week was gone far too quickly. On the two-mile drive to the gate as we pulled out of camp to head home, Richard and I agreed that it seemed like it only lasted for about two days. I feel for Ken, who had to leave mid-week... it must have seemed like just one day to him!
I didn't get to try half of the products I took along for field-testing, and I didn't get to do any turkey hunting to speak of, in spite of the fact that I had plans to try to bag one. The only gobbler I heard was sounding off all Thursday morning on someone else's land, across the slough. I don't lament that too loudly, though... my only regret from the trip is that we only had one week to spend! Well, I can take solace in the fact that I'm back where I can get online, answer your questions, and entertain & inform you, as is my role... ah, home sweet home! It's good to be back.
-Russ Chastain
