Sweaty apples are best
Rewards reaped by hard work and preparation always taste more sweet. The only way to make the experience better, is to share it with a friend or loved one.
I have been blessed in many ways thus far in my life. I am truly thankful for what I have been given and to those that have helped me along the way. Everything else in life is either worked for or stumbled upon. Rarely in life are you thrown a bone, especially in hunting or business. Imagine combining the two of them. I’ve placed myself there by choice and I think I like it. Most of life is your choice, so choose to do what you like and no matter how hard the job, you will enjoy it.
As for blessings, nothing compares to my family and friends. My family has fully supported and assisted me at achieving my dream to own and run a guide service in Chenango County. Having the love of my life assist and support my endeavor makes it that much more pleasing. On top of that, having generous farmers who allow you to finely groom their property into a hunter’s paradise, and help out with the big machines, is almost more than a guy could ask for. With backing like that, I am pushing forward without fear. Well, not much at least, that bear still has me on edge a bit.
I have never felt as loved and backed as I have since my childhood sweetheart made the move back to New York from Ohio. Rachel and I spent a lot of time outdoors together as kids and it is so nice to enjoy wild places with her again. This past week, I took her on a trip to collect apples, which were to be made into pie filling, spiced and pickled slices, and apple sauce. For some reason, I chose to collect the mass and carry it by hand back to the vehicle. I had the ATV there but chose the hard way instead. We picked for about an hour in the hot sun and carted them back to the car. As we walked back to the vehicle, she asked why I hadn’t just used the ATV. I just muttered, “Sweaty apples,” to which she gave me a puzzled look. I assured her that she would understand what I meant later.
In the next two days, the real work began as we peeled, sliced, seasoned, and canned our bounty. A couple days later, I made an apple crisp and had Rachel taste it. Anyone that has processed wild apples knows how badly and fast they brown up. Before they reach the cans, most are pretty rusty looking, even when soaked in lemon juice. They look like they would not taste too great, but their looks will fool you. She looked a bit surprised as to how good it was, so I asked, “you know why it tastes like that?” She shrugged and I replied, “Sweaty apples.” I then explained that anything you sweat over will be far better and more rewarding in the long run. Things produced by hard work or maintenance always seem better. Veggies from the garden taste better and that deer you work so hard for will too.
Sweaty apples are a good all-around analogy for life. What you work hard for will be greatly respected when achieved. That’s not to say when you stumble upon a nice buck and harvest it, you won’t be happy. I’m just saying, the season you hunt nearly every day to only harvest a doe, you will be much happier when you get it and I promise it will taste better, mostly because it’s a doe instead of a rutted up old buck, but a little because of the dues you have paid.
I received two of my biggest compliments this summer from the farmers whose land I will be leasing on in the future. One brother said after seeing me exit the woods at the end of a 10 hour day in July, “I don’t want to work that hard.” I was nothing but sweat, blood, and dirt after a hard day of hacking through dense underbrush. The other brother said to me one day, “it’s too hot to work,” when he saw me and my father hanging and hacking in a stand set in the middle of a field on a hedgerow. Granted, they were both razzing me a bit, but when a farmer acknowledges your hard work, you have done something. You must remember that’s coming from some of the hardest working people on the planet. My work is done on the farm this week and I can’t wait to see what my efforts produce.
Good wishes and thank a farmer for their hard work, because without them all we would have is sweaty apples!
I have been blessed in many ways thus far in my life. I am truly thankful for what I have been given and to those that have helped me along the way. Everything else in life is either worked for or stumbled upon. Rarely in life are you thrown a bone, especially in hunting or business. Imagine combining the two of them. I’ve placed myself there by choice and I think I like it. Most of life is your choice, so choose to do what you like and no matter how hard the job, you will enjoy it.
As for blessings, nothing compares to my family and friends. My family has fully supported and assisted me at achieving my dream to own and run a guide service in Chenango County. Having the love of my life assist and support my endeavor makes it that much more pleasing. On top of that, having generous farmers who allow you to finely groom their property into a hunter’s paradise, and help out with the big machines, is almost more than a guy could ask for. With backing like that, I am pushing forward without fear. Well, not much at least, that bear still has me on edge a bit.
I have never felt as loved and backed as I have since my childhood sweetheart made the move back to New York from Ohio. Rachel and I spent a lot of time outdoors together as kids and it is so nice to enjoy wild places with her again. This past week, I took her on a trip to collect apples, which were to be made into pie filling, spiced and pickled slices, and apple sauce. For some reason, I chose to collect the mass and carry it by hand back to the vehicle. I had the ATV there but chose the hard way instead. We picked for about an hour in the hot sun and carted them back to the car. As we walked back to the vehicle, she asked why I hadn’t just used the ATV. I just muttered, “Sweaty apples,” to which she gave me a puzzled look. I assured her that she would understand what I meant later.
In the next two days, the real work began as we peeled, sliced, seasoned, and canned our bounty. A couple days later, I made an apple crisp and had Rachel taste it. Anyone that has processed wild apples knows how badly and fast they brown up. Before they reach the cans, most are pretty rusty looking, even when soaked in lemon juice. They look like they would not taste too great, but their looks will fool you. She looked a bit surprised as to how good it was, so I asked, “you know why it tastes like that?” She shrugged and I replied, “Sweaty apples.” I then explained that anything you sweat over will be far better and more rewarding in the long run. Things produced by hard work or maintenance always seem better. Veggies from the garden taste better and that deer you work so hard for will too.
Sweaty apples are a good all-around analogy for life. What you work hard for will be greatly respected when achieved. That’s not to say when you stumble upon a nice buck and harvest it, you won’t be happy. I’m just saying, the season you hunt nearly every day to only harvest a doe, you will be much happier when you get it and I promise it will taste better, mostly because it’s a doe instead of a rutted up old buck, but a little because of the dues you have paid.
I received two of my biggest compliments this summer from the farmers whose land I will be leasing on in the future. One brother said after seeing me exit the woods at the end of a 10 hour day in July, “I don’t want to work that hard.” I was nothing but sweat, blood, and dirt after a hard day of hacking through dense underbrush. The other brother said to me one day, “it’s too hot to work,” when he saw me and my father hanging and hacking in a stand set in the middle of a field on a hedgerow. Granted, they were both razzing me a bit, but when a farmer acknowledges your hard work, you have done something. You must remember that’s coming from some of the hardest working people on the planet. My work is done on the farm this week and I can’t wait to see what my efforts produce.
Good wishes and thank a farmer for their hard work, because without them all we would have is sweaty apples!
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