I'm amazed at how my young kids can practically recite stories back to me before they know how to read.  Or how they can recall entire scenes from their favorite movies.  It becomes immediately apparent that their minds work like little video cameras, recording and learning from every sense they possess.  For better or worse.  I have to remind myself to be the model of the person I want them to grow up to be every waking moment. 

It dawned on me a few nights ago, that this presents a wonderful opportunity to instill the life experiences I have had while in the field.  What a memorable way to allow them to gain that knowledge without having to learn it the hard way.  I was blessed with a father who has a passion for upland bird hunting.  Most of the knowledge I learned in that area was from him.  But big game was another world I never pursued until just a few years ago.   So I'll admit I'm at the bottom end of the learning curve, and the lessons for the most part have to be learned the hard way. Last year I came close to getting my first turkey, and although I'm happy to just be in the field, one of these days I'm going to bag one!  Needless to say my kids can tell I'm getting excited for the upcoming turkey season.  My daughter is six this year, and although it will be a few more years before she can carry a shotgun herself, she has accompanied me on several hunts this past fall.  She demands to go hunting with me now. So when bed-time rolled around the other night, I related my unfruitful turkey hunt last year, and lessons learned from it.  It's now a nightly ritual.  I'm running out of stories to tell, so it's a good thing my kids don't mind re-runs!  I imagine some of the great stories passed down from the old days to our ancestors were of great hunts and lessons to be learned.  I intend to continue the tradition with my kids, and someday maybe grand-kids too. So instead of the normal bedtime story tonight, how about spinning a tale of a past hunt for your kids.  You never know, you might ignite a fire in them that will last a lifetime.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHALK CREEK CAMPGROUND Event attendees will camp on their own and many will even stay in local hotels. If you are looking for a campsite with all the ammenities Chalk Creek is the one. POB 39, 11430 CR 197 Nathrop, CO 81236-0039 TOLL FREE: 888-395-8830 FAX: 719-395-8337 • PH: 719-395-8301 www.chalkcreek-campground.com WANT TO RAFT THE RAGING ARKANSAS? GO WITH NOAH’S ARK Noah’s Ark is a Christian company with a heart for ministry. We encouraging you to use their services for a truly exciting whitewater adventure. For more information on rafting and rates, visit Noah’s Ark online, www.noahsark.com. TAKE A HIKE Last year, we had a great time hiking Mt. Huron.  The planning for this year began before we finished the hike!  Typical for us altitude junkies.  Be warned, hike one, and you might become addicted.  Lead by Jim and Jennie Johnson, this year’s 14er promises to be another memorable hike. C4C has chosen Mt. Sherman, a 14,036’ peak in the Tenmile-Mosquito range.   Sherman is 10 miles west of Fairplay and 8 miles south of Mt. Democrat (14,148') and Mt. Bross (14,172').  The hike will begin early on Friday morning. From the trailhead, you will start at 12,000' and hike ~2.6 miles to the summit. The trip is 5.25 miles round trip.  If we can't make it to the 12,000' trailhead due to snow, the hike will obviously be longer. Directions from Fairplay: Drive just over a mile south on U.S. 285 and turn right onto County Road 18. Drive 10 miles to a large parking area at 11,250'. This is the Leavick site. There is a large mine building on the right before the parking area. The road starts to get rough after this point but passenger cars can slowly drive another 1.5 miles before the road gets harsh. There are a couple of small pull-offs between 11,700' and 11,900' and more parking before a gate near 12,000'. The gate is usually closed. In winter, the road is usually plowed only to 11,100' which is one mile below the Leavick site. Source: www.14ers.com. To learn more about fourteeners visit online, www.14ers.com. For more information about the trip contact Lance Cherry, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org. For more information about the hike contact Jim Johnson, jim@crosshairsforchrist.com.