This is the season

I absolutely love this time of the year. I’m not going to tell you that I do a lot of fishing because I don’t.

I absolutely love this time of the year. I’m not going to tell you that I do a lot of fishing because I don’t. I spend a lot of time hunting with my boy, I spend a lot of time with family and friends and, besides, it’s cold in a bass boat on an open lake.

We covered the hunting a couple of weeks ago so I’ll skip over that, but I do want to say a few words about friends and family. I’m not talking just about friends that I see every day or my immediate family. I’m talking about everybody I know regardless of where or how I interact with them. This past week was an excellent example.

We filmed a commercial for Power-Pole at their new headquarters in Tampa. Did we ever have a ball! Bobby and Arnie were there and so were a bunch of other guys who are involved with the company. We worked, but we had a wonderful time doing it and we got to spend time together that we don’t often get to do.

That’s what’s so wonderful about this time of the year. None of us were worried about our points standings or whether or not we were going to earn a check. There was no brutal travel schedule and we didn’t have to eat at whatever restaurant happened to be open. All we had to do was behave for a few minutes while the camera was rolling. In between doing that we could laugh, eat great food and tell fishing stories. (Some of them were true.)

We also had a chance to catch up with what’s going on with our families. It’s funny when you stop and think about it. The things you tell aren’t always the big things. Sometimes they’re about little stuff that didn’t seem all that important at the time but that make you smile now when you stop and think about them.  But, like I said, that’s what makes this time of the year so great.

Once it’s all over, though, it’ll be time to get serious about the Classic. I’m really looking forward to going out to Oklahoma and competing but I can’t say I’m looking forward to the weather. I’m a Southern boy. I never claimed to have thick blood. Warm sunshine is good. Ice, not so much. In truth, I’m hoping against hope for the warm sunshine.

Hey, one other thing: While we were in Tampa we — Bobby, Arnie, Kellie and me — all worked on a new project we’ve got going. It’s called LB3 Outdoors. I don’t want to say any more about it right now but we will be at the 2013 Expo. Stop by our booth if you get the chance.

I’m going to move along. I have shopping to do and things to get ready for Christmas. Do me a favor. No matter how much you love to fish or how busy you are with your job take some time to spend with the ones you love and the ones who love you.