Thoughts on 24 years of Clay Feats

Anniversaries are interesting. By definition an anniversary is the annual or yearly return of the date of an event. A couple is married and on the same day in the following year, they celebrate their first anniversary and so on, year after year.

We all observe many anniversaries every year. Birthdays are anniversaries, as is each holiday, such as Christmas, Veterans' Day and Independence Day.

The anniversary of this column is special for me. Feb. 13 marked the end of 24 years of writing Clay Feats and the beginning of year 25. At the end of the first year, Feb. 13, 1992, my thoughts centered on the fact 52 columns had been written, submitted and published.

"Wow, I made it one year," I thought. "What am I going to write about next year?"

After 24 years the number of weekly columns equals 1,248 and my thoughts sill center on "what am I going to write about next?" At first looking for column ideas was a chore, but it became clear, rather quickly, outdoor ideas of interest to readers were abundant.

There are outdoor writers who concentrate on bass fishing or elk hunting only, but focusing on one or two subjects didn't appeal to me. My interest includes everything and everywhere outside the front and backdoor. Sometimes the topics include indoor activities as well, such as preparing the backpack for the hunting season.

Another example is reloading rifle ammunition. Years ago a friend and I spent many hours reloading .30-06, .243, .308, .303 British and other rifle cartridges. It was a great time and productive with the results providing shooting practice at the range and deer and elk downed.

Eventually our time at the reloading bench decreased as we both became busy with our day jobs. Now we are retired and have the time to concentrate on reloading. The process, from gathering the bullets, powder, primers and other necessary equipment to assembling the cartridge, will be covered in this column. We are also inviting a few others to participate.

Not only will experienced reloaders benefit, but so will those who considered participating in reloading, but needed a nudge to learn the procedure. Besides being able to spend more time at the shooting range and, hopefully, improving our shooting skills, a big plus is the camaraderie experienced when spending time with friends.

People grow over time and my time as a columnist is no different. Fly fishing was my favorite way to wet a line in 1991. After writing about this sport in several columns, a friend called and mentioned there were other methods of fishing besides fly fishing. This encounter provided the avenue for me to return to my roots of bait and spin fishing.

Survival is explored every year. Saving lives is the object here, with basic and advanced survival skills investigated. Imagine a young couple with two children on a camping trip to Swan Lake.

The family decides to take a hike around the lake. During the walk, the 6-year-old girl becomes separated from the rest. Will she know what to do and survive? Spending time discussing what to do in this situation should be a priority for each family before leaving home and then reinforced around the campfire.

Outdoor cooking will again be discussed several times during this next year. Methods of preparing food using time-tested equipment, such as a Dutch oven, as well as new equipment, such as a portable oven having two range burners on top will be explained, along with suitable recipes.

The Columbia Basin is ripe for day trips. Newcomers and old timers have commented about the suggested areas to visit appearing in this space. One friend called and told me about a drive he and his wife made after reading about the route along Lower Crab Creek was mentioned in a column.

"We haven't been down there in 30 years," he told me. "It was a refreshing drive."

Bill Witt suggested exploring parts of the Basin on a hike every week. Our first was in the hills behind Ephrata on private land. The second will be in Northrup Canyon and another will be to the Odessa Craters.

Hiking is common during my hunting excursions, but just going on a hike is unusual for me. Expect to read about these adventures.

Garnet and I already have reservations for camping at our favorite spot, Site 23 at Potholes State Park. Be sure to stop by for a visit if you see our 26-foot Hideout travel trailer at the park.

A few new travel trailer items and techniques will be discussed this year, along with taking the vehicle out of hibernation in the spring and preparing it for winter in the fall.

Other subjects readers can expect this year include: bird watching, bass fishing, deer hunting, walleye fishing, elk hunting, salmon fishing, goose hunting, geocaching and many other topics.

Reader suggestions about column topics are always welcome. Onward as we begin year 25.