Father's Day 2013 and my Pop-Pop

I run into a lot of dads at my store.  Some very young, some old.  Many of them have had the privilege of taking their son or daughter fishing or hunting for the first time.  Some come in for sports equipment.  Some go shooting with their kids.  While their job is often ridiculed in this day and age (I mean have you watched a Disney sitcom lately?  The dad is basically a buffoon!) it is important.  This is true of grandfathers as well.

I want to tell you a story about my grandfather, who is now in his 100's.  He doesn't always remember our family, or even who he is any more.  I went to visit him a couple months ago and he asked what I did for a living.  I told him I owned a sporting goods store.  He saw my shirt with the logo and shook his head.   He is hard of hearing but has great vision, so I wrote on his dry erase board, "You gave me my first fishing rod"  He looked at me.  I wrote "it was a green Zebco rod and reel."  He said, "I remember that" in a tone of someone remembering something they had long forgotten, but not purposely.  I wrote to him that he had taken me fishing the first time I ever went.  He said, "I remember."  I wrote, "We didn't catch a thing!"  He chuckled.  I have to admit my eyes were watery at this point.  My grandfather was the first father figure I had.  He taught me to garden, to fish, to fix things, to be good to people and to be wise about my friends.  He is part of the reason I am the person I am today.  I followed him around like the paparazzi follows celebrities.  I am thankful for him and, as his time on earth nears an end, it is hard to see that hero so weak and frail.  It reminds me of the brevity of life, though.  If you are a dad, please, don't let work or any other thing be more important than your kids.  Life is so short.  No one ever said, "I wish I would have spent more time working" at the end of their life.  This Father's Day, let your kids know how much you love them and if you haven't up to this point, resolve to spend more time with them.

Do You Know Who Your Kids Are?

Yes, you read that correctly!  Do you know WHO your kids are?  I started thinking about this Saturday.  A young lady came to check in a deer.  It was her first one ever!

As, I began to think about her accomplishment, I kept thinking about how wonderful it was that her family was with her as she checked the deer in.  I also thought, "What a special time that was for her and her father."  My thoughts quickly changed, though.  What about all the kids who do not have that chance?  What about all the parents who don't spend the time with their kids teaching them about hunting, or more importantly, life?  It was a long process to get where this young lady was.  There was scouting.  There was days sitting and waiting.  She had even missed one the week before.  In all that time, she was hanging with her dad and her family.  Learning.

I could throw statistics at you about kids, but let me tell you what I see as a business owner and a youth group leader.  There are a lot of kids who love the outdoors.  I have kids who come in all the time just to shop around.  They are frequent customers.  Kids want to know they are loved.  If they don't find that love from us as parents, they will find it from somewhere else.  This generation is exposed to more garbage and overall distractions from media, than any other generation in history.  They need a break from those distractions.  Put the cell phone or mp3 player down.  Listen to nature.  Watch the sunrise or set.  I find they generally want to spend time with their families, although, some I have do not.  I also know many of their parents have no idea of the pressures at school they're dealing with.

Then I see kids who go hunting/fishing with their parents often.  I have been at my store long enough to thankfully see some of these kids grow to be responsible adults.  They are polite, not just to me but to their parents.  Many of their parents could tell you what these kids are planning to do with their futures.  They know their kids.  Their kids can tell you about the parents when they come on their own.  They know them, because they spend time with them.  I once had a parent tell me that the best thing he ever did was to buy some land with a cabin.  He felt the time he spent with his family up there was priceless.  The memories they had and the relationships built were well worth the money spent on the purchase.  His son now comes in as an adult.  From what I know of his son, he's right.

Elections- Not Your Typical Post

So here in the US, it's presidential election time and while I could do a post about how important it is to vote, I'm not.  This post is about the importance of getting out and away from those ANNOYING POLITICAL ADS!

Yeah, I said it.  You can't get away from them.  Both sides, giving their points of view.  Are there really people who at this point are undecided?  Or, are these just the attention getters in life.  People who will do anything to be the center of attention and we all suffer for it!  You can't watch a stinking thing on tv without seeing at least 100 political ads and I'm not exaggerating!  Monday night football was like a debate of commercials.  Then the people on the shows and sporting events you are watching to get away from reality, start talking about the election.  Sportscasters and movie stars, we watch you for entertainment (well, sportscasters, we really don't watch you for anything).  Shut up, please!  Let us enjoy the getaway time between the 100 commercials we have to watch.

So, maybe the best thing to do is just get out.  Today the weather in Virginia is cooling off.  How about a hike?  Trout season is back in.  Go fishing, and while you're at it, take a kid with you.  Go see a live sporting event.  It doesn't have to be professional, how about pee-wee football, or a local high school game?  Fall soccer is going on now.  Nothing like seeing a bunch of elementary school youngsters chasing a soccer ball back and forth like a pack of wolves on a rabbit!  Go camping, build a fire in the backyard and roast marshmallows, spend some time together as a family or with friends.  Whatever you do, I'm sure it's going to be better than the political commercials.  Don't even get me started on the phone calls!

I'm Staci Woods and I approved this message.

Danny...

Hey, Miss Stace!  That was the greeting I heard each time Danny came into my store.  I will miss it.  Danny went on to be with the Lord this last week after a battle with cancer.  I just returned home a little while ago from his memorial service.  I just wanted to take some time to tell you about him.

He was a kind man.  He was always concerned about how I was.  How my family was doing?  Was everything ok with the business?  We would talk about his family, whom he dearly loved.  He was so proud of them.

We would talk about fishing.  What were the fish biting on?  Had I been out fishing lately.  He would tell me about the tournaments that were upcoming for him.  He would tell me about the guys he was fishing with that week.  He always talked about them as if they were pros and he was just there for the ride.  Humble.  Yeah, those guys were great, but so was he!

He invited me to fish with him once (actually twice- I fished a tournament with him also).  I had never been on a bass boat.  My brother's birthday was coming up.  I asked if he could come along.  "Of course", Danny said.  We got over to the river and it was an amazing day.  If you have never rode in a bass boat, DO IT!  It's spectacular!  When the driver of the boat says hold on to your hat, you better listen!  As we went through the day, I learned so much from Danny.  My son recently said, "Mom, I think I could learn so much just from sitting and talking with Mr Danny."  He was right.  I fished so much that day, my arm hurt.  It was awesome though.

In the last few months I have cherished each visit from Danny.  We have sat in the store and talked about his journey.  We have talked about God's plan for us.  He suggested a book to me that he had recently read.  It's called "Heaven is for Real".  Read it if you get a chance.  Danny spoke about how blessed he was.  He never complained once.  I knew each moment was a gift from God and I am thankful for those talks.

Finally, but this is the most important.  Today, my pastor gave a quote about a painted portrait not being so much a reflection of the person in the portrait, as much as it is a reflection of the painter.  Well, Danny was indeed a reflection of his Creator.  He believed in Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  He had no fear of death.  I know that Danny is in heaven right now.  All through today's service, people spoke of how Danny wanted people to know that God sent Jesus to save us from our sins.  How he didn't want people to wait until the last minute to give their hearts and lives to the Lord.  So, I will finish with this verse in honor of his wishes:

Ephesians 2:4-9
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Spring is Here!

Wow, things are really popping in life right now!  Spring is a wonderful time of the year, but it seems like we hold in everything through winter to get it done in spring!  This year spring has come early and so has the normal business of spring. 

I'm sorry I haven't posted lately.  I have been continuing to work on getting uniforms for the Thailand school.  Also, I have people ordering uniforms for softball.  Soccer has started here and folks are looking for socks and shin guards.  People are just ready to get out in the fresh air and that is great.  For the most part, it's free and it's healthy- unless you have allergies!

Fishing is going crazy.  Usually, the fish are not as active as they are this time of year, but the warm weather has actually made them react like it's almost summer.  Many have spawned, which means little minnows will be out and about in the rivers.  People are telling me they are catching crappies, perch, and bluegill in the lakes.  Virginia has stocked many trout in our area.  They recently stocked a bunch of brown trout in a local river.  Now browns are a little more finicky and people are complaining they are not so easy to catch.  Well, it is fishing we're talking about!  They shouldn't just jump in your lap!

By the way, speaking of minnows, I am in the process of getting my license to sell them at the store.  There is a lot more to it than I thought.  Don't even get me started in the government being involved in every little detail of life.  Anyway, hopefully this summer we will start selling minnows as live bait for all those fishermen/women who have asked.  I'm excited to try this, so we'll see how it works!

Oh, one last thing!  Baseball is here.  In our area we have many opportunities to watch baseball.  JMU has a fine team.  We also have the local high schools.  In June we have a couple opportunities as well.  We have the RCBL, in which Broadway fields a team.  Check out their website here: Rockingham County Baseball League   Each year, we advertise with the Bruins.  We have even co-sponsored a game. We also have what is called The Valley League.  This is all wooden bats and college age kids playing.  Just an aside, I can't believe I am old enough where I call college age men and women, kids!  Anyway, we will be selling tickets for one of their teams this year- The New Market Rebels.  I am excited about this opportunity and I hope it gets folks out with their families to see a game or two.  If you want to know more about the Valley League and the Rebels check this out: Valley League Baseball

Grubs are Your Friend?

Let me start out by saying I HATE GRUBS!  I am on an all out war against them in my yard and garden!  I want to eradicate grubs from the face of the earth.  But... when it comes to fishing, I love them!  Of course, they are artificial with a cute little curly tail! 

Mr Twister Teenie Grub

Ok, before I go any further.  I want to make it clear that I am by no means a fishing expert.  There are people with a whole lot more fishing knowledge than me.  Actually, most people probably have more fishing knowledge than me.  I do love to fish and I promised I would highlight products on the blog.  I'm not sure if I have ever actually done it, though!

Now that we have established my lack of fishing expertness (I'm pretty sure that is not a word, but it's my blog and today it shall be a word) I will let you know what I like about the grub.  The grub is quite versatile.  It ranges from 1" and up.  You can use the 5" grub in larger rivers and lakes.  In our local area we have many smaller streams where you can't beat the 2" or 3" grub.  White and black are very popular colors.  The grub pictured above is the Mr Twister Teenie.  It is a 2" grub that smallmouth bass, sunfish, perch, crappie... just about anything worth catching, with go for.  With the warm temps this year, we have almost passed our peak season for using them, but the fish will bite on them year round in my experience.  Many companies make them in different forms.  Yum makes one called the Wooly Curltail.  Slider makes a 1 1/2" one called the Crappie Grub.  By the way, it works on more than just crappie.

To fish with these grubs in the local streams here, you don't want to use anything heavier than a 1/16 jig.  Anything heavier and you will be stuck on the bottom all afternoon.  You can use 1/32 if the water is low, but a 1/16 usually works.  Jigs come in many colors, I prefer unpainted.  I also like black, but I don't like taking the time to get the paint out of the jig eye, so I usually use unpainted. 

Mister Twister unpainted jighead

You fish this jig with your rod tip up.  If the water is a bit deeper, put your rod tip closer to the water for the lure to go deeper.  Be aware of the rocks.  You can also use a spinner with these, but that is a topic for another day.

We sell all these products in the store and use them ourselves.  By the way, if you are a lady or know a lady who would like to have some hands on fishing lessons, come to our upcoming class on June 2nd.  The info is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/311263968904241/  While your checking out the event, why not become a fan of our store on facebook as well: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Woods-Sporting-Goods/170594235269

Now That's Just Trashy!

I live in a beautiful area of the US.  I mean, it's so beautiful that people come here for vacation.  Let me be clear, that this is not just a problem here.  I think it stands out more though here.  I mean, sunrises and sunsets are picturesque.  The sounds of the river flowing is therapeutic.  But the trash... it's downright disgusting.

I have been out fishing and filled a grocery bag with the trash that was left out there.  Old bottles of Powerbait, packages of live bait discarded, drink bottles, etc... you name it, it's there.  Why on earth would anyone feel they have the right to litter?  I can't figure this out.  These places that are trashed are beautiful.  Lakes surrounded by mountains, small streams so clear you can see to the bottom...  even if they weren't beautiful, the world isn't our personal trash can!

Why would you want to leave litter here?

People are always complaining that they can't fish for trout in many areas because landowners have said, "Enough is enough!"  I don't blame the landowners.  My parents live along the river.  Yesterday, my sister and my kids walked along the road that is adjacent to the river and their property to pick up trash.  They picked up 4- five gallon buckets of trash.  They couldn't even get to the end of the property because the buckets were full.  In this trash, there were: beer bottles, fast food bags, water bottles, and candy wrappers to name a few.  I have even found a fishing license along the road before.  Since their property is marked no trespassing, I find that interesting.

Listen, I'm no tree hugger, but this is ridiculous.  Let's be a little more vigilant by doing the following things:

#1- Do not, by any means, leave fishing line on the shore of any body of water.  It's dangerous to animals who get entangled in it.  Put it in your tackle box or the pocket of whatever you are wearing.  Throw it out when you get home.
#2- If you brought it with you, take it back.  There should be no packaging left.  If it had product in it, you surely wouldn't leave it!
#3- If you see some litter, pick it up.  It will take you all of a couple minutes and it will not end up in the water later.  Clean water is what we all want, right?
#4- Teach your kids to do the same.  Leaders lead by example.  I know my kids hate to see litter when we are out enjoying nature, because they see the various forms of garbage that have been dumped on my parents property, which have included- toilets, refrigerators, numerous deer carcasses (yes, that's littering you didn't choose to leave the carcass on your property did you), electrical wiring, and tires of various sizes just to name a few.

Hey, if we just live like a Cub Scout, I think it will solve the problem!  My son learned these rules when he was a scout:
http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/resources/LeavenoTrace.aspx

It's a New Year...

Blah, blah, blah... seems like everywhere all we are hearing is it's a new year.  Time to change your weight!  Time to organize!  Time to BUY A NEW CAR!  I think it gets so pervasive that it's actually tuned out.  Well I hope you don't tune me out.

I was thinking about what I have done in this past year. It was strange because I wasn't really thinking about what I have done, I was thinking of what I should have done.  How I should have spent more time with family, or friends.  How I should have went fishing more often.  How, dare I say, I should have been more organized so I could do more things!  Isn't that how it goes though?  People look back through life at the things they didn't do.

My best friend's dad died of cancer several years ago.  He said something that has always stuck with me as he was going through the process cancer puts you through.  This a paraphrase, but basically he said he wished he would have taken the time to do the things he was waiting to do when he retired.  He had worked hard.  A full-time job with his own business on the side.  His dream was to go to Australia and he never had the chance.  He said he should have just done it.  I believe I have learned from him, but maybe not enough.  This summer was the first time I had seen his daughter, my best friend, in at least 3 years.

So I guess what I'm saying is, I can look back at what I haven't done this last year, or just try to do better this year.  Maybe it's best to build on the good I did in this last year.  Go fishing with my family more.  Take some time off.  Spend more time with friends.  Get out and get some fresh air once in a while.  Come to think of it now, I did do more of that this year than last!  Improvement is always good.  Happy New Year everyone!

TGIC- Thank God It's Christmas?

I was sitting here throwing around ideas for my next post.  I was listening to Christmas music while I was "thinking".  "How can I think and listen to Christmas music at the same time?", you ask.  It's simple friends.  I am a multi-tasker.  I can do many things at once and none of them well!  It's how we've all learned to live in the 21st century.  What was I talking about again?  Ha, Ha, Ha! I remember.  Just testing you. 

Really, I should say Ho, Ho, Ho because that is the time of year we now find ourselves in.  Can you believe it?  I was listening to a Christmas song by Relient K called "Merry Christmas, Here's To Many More".  The first 2 lines of the song really describe how I, as well as, many people I know and come into contact with feel.  They say:

I made it through the year and I did not even collapse
Gotta say "Thank God for that."

Wow, Isn't that true?  This year has sped by.  It has also been tough.  As a small business owner, the economy is really hurting my business.  Many of my customers have had hours cut back, or even been laid off.  The other day a customer said, "It sure takes a long time to make the money, but a few seconds to spend it."  I couldn't have said it better.

The thing is, yeah the economy is bad, but maybe it's made us think about the important things.  Instead of spending money on things we don't need, we save for items we do need.  That's one of the great things about our store.  If you come here, you can buy products that will help you eat- like a fishing rod and reel.  Of course, you'll need some tackle with that to catch a fish, but you get the idea!  How about if you know someone who is an avid hunter?  Why not get them some gun cleaning supplies?  Knife sharpeners are always good gifts whether or not you hunt or fish.  How about some hot hands for folks you know who work in the outdoors?  Or, better yet, a set of gloves!  If you want to get back to when kids played outside instead of vegged out on a screen, we have kickballs, footballs, basketballs.  If you have a friend that camps, we even have items like compasses or fire starters.  Many of these gifts are less than $10.

You see, we understand how it is to use coupons and save your pennies.  We aren't a big box store offering layaway.  I don't even think we have anything that you would need to put on layaway here!  We are a business in YOUR neighborhood.  We live here too.  We shop here.  Pay taxes here.  Some of you may even know me as your child's coach!  When you shop with us, you keep that money in your community.  So this Christmas, come by and shop local.  I'm not the only small business in Broadway.  There's a lot of us.  In my building alone, there are three.  If you come here, we'll greet you with a hello and help you the best we can.  Most of all, we'll always be grateful for your business.

By the way, if you'd like to hear the song by Relient K.  Here's a link to it on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE0s2cGVF10

The Beauty of Fall Trout Season

Fall trout season is interesting.  It's like the stepchild of fishing seasons.  See, everyone and their brother (sometimes literally) are hunting.  All they can think about is deer hunting, hence, fall trout season ends up being the hard core fishermen/women. 

So what helps fall trout season to stand out as a good opportunity?  Lots of reasons.  It's not as crowded.  It's generally a bit colder than spring.  Who wants to go out in the cold?  As a customer told me once, "In the spring you are ready to go out.  In the fall, you don't really want to be in the cold."  Hey, amen to that!  I hate cold weather.  It's one of the reasons I don't hunt.  We will discuss the other reasons in an upcoming post to the blog.  I've been known to have the wood stove so high in the winter that folks wear shorts and t-shirts in our house like it's an August afternoon!  Trout like the cold water and will continue to feed in the cold water.  The water is generally higher in the fall because the trees have dropped their leaves and are not using as much of it.  Maybe it's just me, but the water always seems more crisp and clear in the fall!  You are generally not going to have to worry about a snake in the colder weather.  Even if you do walk up on one, it's gonna be a little slow moving from the cold.  

Perhaps the best part about fall trout fishing is the surroundings.   The leaves and fall foliage.  It's like a beautiful painting that can not be reproduced.  I will leave you with a couple of photos from West Virginia fall trout fishing a couple years ago with my family.  If you get a chance, get out there this fall and catch a stringer of trout!

I'mmmmm Baaaaccckkkk

 Ok, so that's a lame title, but what do you expect?  I just came back from vacation!  It has rained everyday since I came back.  I want to be back at the beach.  Enough complaining.  Thanks to the Mik Chiks for the guest post while I was gone.  They had me cracking up as I read the post!  There was a point to this post today.  What was it? 

Oh yeah! I went to several tackle stores while I was down at the beach.  I love to visit other sporting goods stores.  I get a lot of ideas of what to do and what not to do.  One thing that amazed me was the differences in each one:

One was cramped.  Two dogs, and a bird inside the store!  They were constantly busy though.  Location was great, right off a river and marina.  They sold fishing, marine supplies, bait (live and frozen), as well as, rod and reel repairs.  They even lined reels!  Also, they had a gas station.  Not sure how I can add that to my current store.  This store was the messiest of the three I visited, but yet the most busy.

The second store was a smaller shop almost across the river from the first one.  They had general fishing supplies, bait, but also a restaurant!  The guy was closing when I arrived and still sold me the bait I was looking for since the first shop didn't have it.  I like when the owner of a business accommodates a customer that way.  Honestly, I didn't know he was closing, or I wouldn't have went in the store.  Sometimes, we business owners have to get somewhere quick.  Like maybe getting your kids soccer game that you are coaching...  Wow!  I told you I am a little out of it today.  I can't keep on track.  Anyway, I appreciated his help!

The third store was a newer store in a more established business closer to the beach.  It was actually the second store being opened by an established business.  I actually was able to speak to the owner of that store.  We commiserated over distributors and their lack of customer service.  I even gave him the name of a distributor I love.  This place was immaculate, but only one customer came in while I was there.  It also was a different time of day when I visited this store.  One thing I loved was that the owner admitted he didn't do much saltwater fishing and was always looking for recommendations from people.


So what did I learn?  People are not necessarily looking for the most immaculate place, or the one with the  most stuff.  They are looking for a place to get what they need.  They want to be able to get their license, supplies, and maybe some advice about what is biting while they are there.
I guess all of this gave me a lot of hope.  I do hope that I can compete with the big box stores and the countless online businesses.  Sometimes it's discouraging to be a small business owner, but I came away encouraged that my store was just as good as the ones I visited.  Plus we have the best logo!

I had to throw in this pic.  I really do fish!

Youngsters

This week a young man's grandmother brought in a fishing rod.  It was in awful shape.  Line was wrapped around the pole, bird's nest in the reel... pitiful.  The grandmother wanted to see if I could fix it.  My friend, Gina laughed as she looked at it.  It was that bad.  Let me add that I will often do some small repairs to reels and rods.  I also do maintenance to reels.  I started working on the reel after getting it untangled.  It was clear that the reel was broken.  It wouldn't stop feeding line.  This is a frequent occurrence with the brand of reel I was working on.  Plastic gears are not a good idea on a fishing reel.  It was a cheap combo purchased at the big box store.

Many people buy rod and reel combos.  I sometimes sell them at the store, but I don't like to.  They generally do not have good reels on them.  The rod is fantastic, but the reel is the cheapest they can put on the combo.  Usually, it breaks within a few times of using it.  I can generally put an entry level rod and reel together for the same price and give the customer a better product.  Daiwa makes some great entry level rods and reels called Sweepfire.  They have a one year warranty and Daiwa is great about taking care of their customers if a problem arises.

Back to the customer and the grandson...
When they came back in and I explained that it could not be fixed, the young man started to cry because he couldn't go out fishing that afternoon.  Plus, he thought his dad was going to be angry.  I ended up calming him down by explaining to him there is no crying in fishing!  It's pretty much a rule.  Well, maybe if you lose a fish of a lifetime.  No, come to think of it, I don't think that is even an excuse.  We put an inexpensive reel on the rod, put on a hook on the line, and he was off.  I can guarantee you, you won't get that service at MegaMart!  Ultimately, the kid was happy and went fishing that afternoon.  Happy customers make me happy as well! 

Limestone sinkers and good company...

Today I received a banner for my window in the mail from a company called RockyBrook Sinkers. Let me tell you about this company.  They make a sinker out of limestone!

 I saw a commercial for them on one of the fishing shows.  You know, the kind that they never miss a fish and catch lunkers all day?  Yeah, that's reality for everyone who fishes!  I wish.  Any way I scrambled around for paper and copied down their number.  A couple days later I was talking with Brook of RockyBrook Sinkers.  He is a fisherman and came up with this idea after getting traditional lead weights snagged all the time.  American ingenuity!

Brook is a down to earth guy.  I imagine he's like a lot of my customers.  He loves to fish and works hard so he can do so.  He's always been kind to me and even made sure my first order was sent express so I could have the product for a kids fishing day I was attending!  He threw in some stickers and freebies to hand out to the kids as well.  Brook didn't have to send me a banner.  I didn't ask for it, but he sent it to help me sell his product.  He has also given a shout out to our store on his Facebook Page!

The problem with the sporting goods industry is that small businesses don't seem to exist.  A lot of the larger companies buy out smaller companies if they are any kind of competition, or even worse, they copy their product.  You never talk to the same person when you deal with a distributor.  Many of them are going to computer ordering only.  It's impersonal.  They have no idea about my business, my life, etc...  Everyone is looking for the bigger stores and the large amounts they order.  A little store like mine just doesn't matter.  That's where a business like RockyBrook is so refreshing.  I am thankful for ma and pop businesses like Brook's.  When I can, I will give them my business before I give it to a huge corporation.

Earthquakes and other excuses we can use

Today's earthquake in our area and the whoppers (oops, I mean testimonies) surrounding it, got me thinking.  I could just hear the earthquake being used as an excuse if it happened in hunting season!

Imagine this conversation in my store?
Me: Hey, Mr Smith. How did your hunting season go? 
Mr Smith: I had the buck of a lifetime.  He was the biggest I've ever seen.
Me: Really?
Mr Smith: Oh easily.  Thick tines, nontypical, but I missed him!
Me: What happened? Your ammo failed? Something wrong with your scope? Did he pick up your scent? 
Mr Smith: No, no.  We had that darn earthquake and it threw my shot off.
Me (incredulous): Really?

Oh, I can think of all kinds of excuses the earthquake could bring about...
I had a monster fish on and lost it when the earthquake knocked me off my feet.
I was going to catch the winning touchdown, but the earthquake tripped me.
The earthquake struck me out in baseball.

It goes on and on.  Any you can think of?

Sometimes your wrong. Sometimes your right.

I had a customer come in yesterday to pick up 2 lures he had ordered.  When I showed him the products, Rapala Original Floating Minnows in the Hot Steel color

 
(I know your saying, "Really?  Did we need that info?")  He swore I ordered the wrong product for him.  I knew that this guy has undergone a lot of surgery and some radiation and just chalked it up to illness.  The thing is, I knew that I had ordered the right product.  Believe me, I have ordered the wrong thing before.  Not a good feeling because you do not want to send it back to be restocked.  Fees, shipping, etc.  I usually just keep it in the store to sell later.  Anyway, I showed him where I wrote the request down.  I tried to remind him that he had already purchased the product he thought he wanted, but ultimately I left it with, "I'm so sure I ordered the right one, I bet you a free lure that I did.  Go home and check.  If I'm wrong, I'll give you a free lure."  We both laughed and he left amicably.  He called today.  He had went home and the very lure was on his fishing rod!  His friend even told him he had ordered it.  He apologized to me for giving me a hard time yesterday.  Which takes me back to the first post I made.  Yeah, I do have occasional customers who give me a hard time, but in general, my customers are like this guy.  I'm very thankful for each and every one of them!

Uh oh, religion.

If you've ever come to our store you've seen this painting done by my friend, Kathy.  She is an awesome artist and has blessed me with this painting and our logo.  She has more talent in her pinky finger than I have in my entire body!

You might be wondering, why do we have this in the store anyway?  Well, it's simple.  For me, God comes first.  I would not be here on the earth without Him.  This store is a blessing from Him.  I want people to know that, but I also want them to know that while they are out enjoying all of creation, that even the earth and all that's in it knows "the Lord has done this".  Some people may call that religion.  Religion to me is a big formal church like Prince William and Kate married in.  I don't think anyone thinks of me like that, at least I hope not!

Here's a picture I took a couple of years ago in the fall while I was trout fishing in West Virginia:

When I am out fishing in a beautiful place like this, I can't help but think "God, you're awesome".  So I'll warn you, if you come in my store, you may hear about God.  I may pray for you or keep you in my prayers if you tell me about something you're going through.  I promise though, I will never be, dare I say... RELIGIOUS!

Why in the world did I pick THAT name!

I own a small sporting goods store in what most would call rural small town America.  Every day I give advice in a male dominated world.  Often times I'm ignored.  You know, I'm just the little lady that runs the store...  I've actually heard, "She doesn't know what she's talking about.  She's a woman."  I've had people buy the wrong product, against my advice, because they assumed they knew more than I did about the product.  Hint: you may want to know the right ammo for your own rifle before you argue with me, just sayin'!

Over time, though, my customers have come to know me.  They know I fish and I don't hunt- unless cow hunting is opening up.  They know I try to be informed about the products I sell and if I'm not, I'll tell them.  Mostly of all, I hope they've come to know me as a person who is not just interested in their business, but in them.

With this blog, I hope to give you a little glimpse into my world.  Those of you who know me, know it will be intertwined with humor and sarcasm.  I also want to introduce you to different products that I have come across and hopefully help you be better informed when you buy.  Either way, I'm looking forward to the journey.