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Renewed Hope

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Photo by Fotolia/kmm7553
Two men fish from a boat on a calm lake on a nice spring day.

It’s upon us at last. Each year, as February drags on, April can’t come soon enough. Don’t get me wrong, I love fall and winter. Nothing brings peace of mind for me like sitting in a tree stand hunting for whitetail deer in the fall, or traipsing through tall CRP grass in pursuit of upland birds after deer season is over. I also have a love-hate relationship – mostly love – with cutting firewood. I love the chore until about mid-February, when I’m ready to clean the chimney and be done with the wood-moving chores for the winter.

But April, as everyone knows, breathes new life into the day-to-day work and gives a renewed sense to life in the country. Our laying hens are producing again, the grass is starting to turn, we’re thinking about the garden, and most importantly, the days are getting longer – gone are the days of going to work in the dark and returning home in the dark.

This spring, as usual, I’m excited for morel hunting and crappie fishing. At the time of this writing, not yet March, my brother and I have already planned a trip with our bass boat to our favorite little go-to lake for crappie fishing. I just need to check the main battery and trolling battery, but otherwise the boat should be ready to roll.

What I’m looking forward to most of all this year, though, is adding to our family – my wife, Gwen, and I are expecting twins in July or August. I’ve sincerely never been as excited for anything in my life. My faith and feeling of hope are especially strong. My most important job is about to begin, and it’s going to be a wild ride.

What about you? What are your favorite springtime rituals? Are you planning to work on any significant projects around the homestead? We’re always on the lookout for fun sewing, gardening, woodworking, or other projects closely linked to life out in the country. If you have any cool article ideas, or if can think of anything you’d enjoy contributing, please send a note, with photos if you have them, to cregan@CappersFarmer.com. Who knows, you might just wind up writing our next favorite feature for the magazine.

Until next time,

Caleb Regan