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Spaulding Smails

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Everything posted by Spaulding Smails

  1. 213 orders in 2019. Issues on two of them. Both ordered by my wife. Both bullshit Chinese crap. Otherwise flawless service. We probably over-use it.
  2. That's a great deer. Where are you hunting? I'm guessing San Saba county.
  3. That app is pretty good for sure. I'm in the same boat. I don't necessarily plan around moon phases, but I pay attention to them when I'm headed out or when I'm on the fence about a trip. For example, we have a full moon this Saturday. I was thinking of running to the ranch for a quick trip Saturday, back home early Sunday. When I was reminded of the moon phase, I decided to scrap it. Doesn't help that my dad sat in a blind last night and didn't see much movement. Rut still hasn't kicked off in Kimble Co from what we've seen.
  4. So true. I've been to more than my share of Lutheran funerals in Seguin, TX that prominently featured this delicacy.
  5. Not so sure about that. I've been around hunting dogs for most of my life, and some of the best bird dogs I've seen found the occasional skunk. One of the best pointers I ever hunted with in South Texas got sprayed twice in the same day. And, before you reply... yes, I'm defending my dog. And no, I don't think he's a dumbass. This is my fifth lab to own and first one to ever be hit by a skunk, but still the smartest dog I've ever personally owned. I'm not saying he's a world-class field trial champion, but he's not a shovel-head either.
  6. I can't disagree. He's a heck of a bird dog, and he's been snake trained, but he's just too damn nosy. I was wondering this weekend if anyone offers "skunk proofing". I'd love to de-funk a skunk, put him in a cage, turn my dog loose with his shock collar and "educate" him on not getting close to a skunk.
  7. Could not agree with this more. My oldest is incredibly bright. Consummate over-achiever and off the charts from a GT perspective. My middle son is severely developmentally and physically delayed. He'll always been in our care, and can't assimilate much in mainstream classrooms. My youngest (daughter) is sharp but not "gifted and talented" and will probably be the most successful one in the family, but that's a different topic. We moved a few years ago for a number of reasons, but finding a school district that could meet the needs of all three kids, despite their completely different trajectories, was the biggest driver. As a parent, I think you have to know when to push the schools and when to back off. For my oldest son, we've told him to fend for himself (see post above). For my middle son, we've had to claw and fight to get him the resources he needs, and although our current school district is light years ahead of our previous school district, we've still had to fight to communicate his specific needs, battling typical barriers, and coordinating with doctors and therapists to ensure he has a consistent approach that gives him the best opportunity to succeed however that is eventually defined. Our previous school district kind of scratched their head and said, "we're just not sure what to do with him". The current school district sets goals (however seemingly minor they may be) and ensures a consistent approach towards his care and education. But, even with a defined strategy, you encounter individuals who aren't on the same page, and when you're dealing with a special needs kiddo, you've got to fight for them every step along the way. I think that advocating for your children is the right one in this instance. We advocate for our two "typical" kids by giving them the resources they need to fight their own battles. We advocate for our special needs son by strapping on armor and going to the front lines to fight for him.
  8. @Al_4_ISU public school. 6th grade athletic prep class. I was somewhat shocked (and pleased) to hear about it as well.
  9. Anyone ever use one of these? Installed an old walk-in cooler last year and the condenser (which was 20+ years old) took a shit. Thinking of going this route as a replacement. Primarily because I can install it myself. https://www.storeitcold.com
  10. Bingo. My son had his first dose of middle school punishment a few weeks ago. They had to spend a full period of OFIs (Opportunity for Improvement... which is an awesome term by the way). That mean running lines, push ups, planks, etc. It whooped his ass. It was the result of other kids raising hell in the locker room. Everyone that was in there was punished. He was lamenting the punishment to me that evening. I told him to get used to it. It won't be the last time you have to pay the price for others' actions. The one moral we've always harped on in that respect is "don't put yourself in a bad situation". Sometimes you can control that, other times you can't, but you always have to be prepared to face the consequences, whatever they may be. And, if you don't want to run gassers anymore, but a boot in someone else's ass so your whole team doesn't pay the price for their shit-headedness.
  11. Yessir.
  12. Booked Telluride over spring break for the family. Staying slopeside at a house in Mountain Village. We haven't been to Telluride in almost a decade. Last few trips have been Breckenridge and Vail. This will be the first time that we're going to drive instead of fly. Coming that way from Austin area. Definitely going to break it up into two days of travel both directions. Any thoughts of the best route? I'm spitballing here, but I was planning on trying to make it through Big Spring / Roswell to Albuquerque on the way there. Then, come back through Clovis to Lubbock on the way back. Trying to front-load the drive to make the second day more manageable in both directions. Planning on using Marriott points for those hotel stays along the way which is why I'm using Albuquerque and Lubbock as our overnights. Any other suggestions?
  13. Same here. They pay "brand ambassadors" to pimp their gear. And, they have purposefully steered towards people that they feel embody more than just being an outdoorsman. If you watch their YouTube videos, they seek out people like JT Van Zandt for reasons far beyond just being a good fisherman. One can argue the value of the product or the success of the marketing strategy, but they have stuck with their philosophy of being more than just a cooler.
  14. I'm admittedly a Yeti snob. Prior to the IPO, I had an "in" to employee pricing, and since then, I still get a pretty decent discount. I have far more Yeti coolers, drinkware an swag than I should. But, I just don't get this V-series cooler. I'm sure it holds ice like a champ, but my two big hang ups are: -How is that exterior going to hold up over time? My rambler is dinted and dinged from drops and bumps. What is a cooler going to look like after I accidentally swing it into my tow hitch or a half cord of firewood in the back of my truck slides and hits it? -Isn't it going to be hot as shit in the Texas sun? I wouldn't want to sit on that thing in shorts when it's been in the August sun all day.
  15. Pulled a few interesting pics from the cameras last weekend. [/url]
  16. Do you own the land? Or lease it? I believe MLDP applications must be filed by the landowner. I took a cursory glance at the overview and didn't see anything regarding a variance from county antler restrictions, so that leads me to believe that those antler restrictions would take precedence. Probably worth a call to TPWD if you own the property. https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/permits/land/wildlife_management/mldp/#mldp-pdf
  17. Rut is in full effect in Dripping Springs. I've seen more bucks coming out of the woodwork in the last week than I have all year. Saw six different mature bucks on my way home Wednesday night. Hadn't seen a single mature buck in that area in weeks. I went for a run yesterday evening with my son in his jogging stroller and my yellow lab. We had two decent bucks chasing a hot doe through one of our neighbor's pasture. They couldn't have cared less that me, my son and my dog were watching. Probably 120 yds from the road. Nose to the ground, right on her tail.
  18. That's the perfect setup right there. Love the enclosed cab Bobcat. Do you have a brush hog for it? Grapple is worth its weight in gold when clearing brush. Nothing better than owning equipment for a ranch. We haven't gotten to the dozer point yet, but will probably pull that trigger in a few years when we try to add a food plot. We rented a brush chipper a few times last winter when we bought the place and said "fuck it" and bought one this spring. We went from busting ass for two days straight every time we rented one to banging out a few hours here and there when needed. Much more satisfying and way easier on the back to work for a few hours at a time.
  19. Also, I've noticed that once November hits, boat traffic down there comes to a screeching halt. Everybody's hunting deer and there's a lot less pressure on the fish. Some of my best trips down there have been November-December.
  20. So jealous. I missed my annual fishing trip to my buddy's place at the mouth of Baffin this year due to boat motor issues. Always a blast to get down there. Fishing under the lights with a styrofoam cup of brown liquor is a heck of a way to spend an evening.
  21. Hot damn. Wife surprised me with G6 tickets as an early 40th birthday present this morning. She's a keeper for sure. Taking my old man. Neither of us have ever been to a WS game.
  22. They must be out and about right now. I was cutting and chipping brush today. Threw a decent sized cedar into the brush chipper. Saw something moving my way and it was a smooth green snake. I almost went Fargo on the little guy. He got out just before the teeth grabbed the branch and sucked it in.
  23. Smooth, double-tapered single wiper.
  24. Last week, I didn't stop to eat lunch until 3 PM. I was late to a meeting and had to stop for fuel, so I snagged a can of Chef Boyardee and some Buffalo Vienna Sausages and washed it down with a Monster Energy. So, this hits close to home.
  25. A few weeks ago we were down in South Padre for a friend's birthday party. Staying at The Pearl. First time I'd been there in probably 15+ years. Hadn't changed a bit. Literally. Nothing had been updated. But, we were mostly drunk most of the time, so it worked. After a day of fishing then an hour or two on the beach, we went back to the pool to drink and swim before heading to dinner. I jumped in the pool to cool off and swam underwater from one end to the other. When I came up, I had a band aid (not mine) stuck to my forehead. I guess it was floating in the water and I intercepted it. I chunked it into the flowerbed, chugged my shitty rum drink and decided that was enough swimming for the day.
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