Wow, New Years is here. It’s 2018 and how 2017 snuck by so quickly still has me scratching my noggin. How is it that the brain slows down as time accelerates so quickly? If you can figure that one out let me know.
Santa was good to me and the special extra warm Polar ECWCS hunting long underwear may be used for more than hunting. This zero weather is nasty stuff. I think I burned more wood in the last week than the previous three weeks put together.
But, with a New Year upon us many of the goal setting type are scratching their heads and making big and glorious resolutions for this upcoming year. I’d like to know what percentage of us really ever truly follow through. I gave up making silly promises to myself long ago. If you don’t keep your vow then you feel guilty and bad about yourself.

I say this with certain reserve for if you’re a smoker and determine to stop, why for heaven’s sake do so. Certain health and family goals are certainly in line and not only should, but must be carried out. The secret is really making your mind up without any vacillation, grimly determined to die before failing. If you really make that decision you have already succeeded. The secret is making the vow and truly meaning it.
However, I digress. My New Year’s resolution is to go to hunting in Africa. It is the only thing on my Bucket List. I have “grimly determined” to go and already contacted an outfitter. Namibia is the country I’ve chosen and my 30-06 and I are truly getting excited. Namibia is named after the Namib Desert that stretches for miles across southern Africa. Desert here means lots of sand with scattered vegetation cut by rivers.
Let’s see, I guess the plane reservations are next on the list. Preliminary searches show that the most direct route will be to Frankfurt, Germany, then to Windhoek, the country’s capital. Total flying time is roughly 23 hours I believe. Good grief.
Namibia is located on the lower eastern edge of Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean and gained its independence from South Africa in 1991. Most of Namibia is a semi-desert region covered with thorn-scrub vegetation making it rather open terrain ideal for viewing game. The country is aware of how critical hunting revenues are to protecting the game and providing much needed revenue to otherwise undeveloped areas of the country. Because of this they have a solid and diverse big game population.
However, your goals may be larger or smaller depending on your age and financial circumstances. Maybe you want to take the family our West to see some of our truly remarkable National Parks. Pick your park, figure the most economical way to travel and start putting some money away each payday. Save all your change, all the little things that add up at the end. Just make the goal and begin. A journey of a thousand miles starts by taking the first step.
Maybe your goals are much more modest; nothing wrong with that. A new rifle, new scope, boots, etc. I can remember being so poor it took all year for me to save enough money to go on vacation. Doing odd jobs, painting, cutting down trees, anything to sock away the cash for the upcoming summer.
It’s funny how once you make up your mind to do something, help and opportunities seem to come your way. As previously mentioned, making up your mind to accomplish your goal seems to start some mysterious force that guides and directs you.
New Year’s resolutions don’t have to be painful or self-improving, they can be fun and you can be anxious to accomplish them. One fun thing to do can actually be fun and progressive and that’s becoming a better shot with your archery equipment, bow, pistol or rifle. Setting aside one day a week to practice and keeping careful track of your results is one of them. When you hit a plateau, if your results are still below the goal you set, get someone to coach you. The odds are you are doing something rather simple incorrectly. Good results in any sport are always dependent on the “basics.”
So, don’t dread the upcoming year or fear to set some type of goal that can be looked forward to. New Year resolutions can be fun and give you the stimulation to improve some aspect of your life even if only be for that summer vacation to an area you always wanted to go, a hunting trip or improved skills in a thousand different areas.
2018 is a year I hope to find happiness in and the only way to accomplish that is to plan ahead and become more involved in those things I love to do. My lovely wife won’t be with me physically as I do them, but spiritually she won’t be far away.