A final 2019 reflection

My, how time flies; the year has passed so quickly, seems as if January was yesterday and now January is tomorrow. There are many ways to state the passage of time and how time seems to fly by, truth is, time does not stand still.

The past year was fun for me and full of outdoor activities. This is expected to continue into and through 2020.

However, this column also carries a degree of responsibility, which could mean the difference between life and death. We covered several areas in this arena during 2019, survival is an example. Look for several columns on this subject in 2020, because, yes, doing so may save a life.

We discussed bird watching, also called birding, during the year. This will also continue, along with general wildlife watching. Both activities will be explained and bird and wildlife species identified for readers to enjoy.

In 2019 we discussed attending the various wildlife banquets, such as the Ducks Unlimited, the National Rifle Association, the Pheasant Forever and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Each of these organizations use the monies raised to benefit the organization’s signature species. The banquets are fun and Garnet and I enjoy them.

We discussed the prospects for both the opening day of fishing and the opening day of the 2019 hunting seasons. These columns will not tell the angler or hunter the exact spot of a fish or big game animal, but they provide the reader with the general predictions from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The art of reloading rifle cartridges has been discussed. Some basic tools are required in order to complete this process, but these tools are able to last a lifetime.

My reloading mentor, Bill Witt of Ephrata, has been using the same RCBS reloading press he purchased while in high school, some 40 or more years ago. The same goes for much of the other equipment required in the reloading process.

The two of us were at the Boyd Mordhorst Shooting Range earlier this year when another group of three shooters walked over to our location. We had been using a chronograph, which is an instrument for measuring the velocity of a bullet.

This group wanted to see how the device worked. It was demonstrated and suggested the group invest in one, as it would last through the lifetime of the youngest of the group, which was estimated to be in his 20s.

We explored 52 weeks of outdoors adventures in 2019. We will explore even more in 2020.

Happy New Year: Wishing you and yours the best year ever in 2020.