Preparing For The Annual Turkey Hunt 3/26/2026

 Good Morning.

I am on my way to deliver my nephew to the airport with a hot cup of Door County Toffee Pretzel Coffee in the console of my truck. I was moving by 3AM and I have a lot planned for today.

Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. 

My first item on the list to complete is to renew my state hunting license so my trek into the woods in a couple weeks is legal. The next item on the list is to dig out the turkey blind, decoys and blind char. Once that is done I will go through my turkey bag of tricks such as three faithful calls and a small telescope.  I will set up my blind and make sure it is is in good shape. Rain gear is a must as well as a small cooler and a camouflage Thermos brand bottle. For sure, I will verify that I have ammunition packed. An extra battery pack for my electronics and then all I have to do is pack a lunch before I hunt in April.  The hard part is letting the dogs know that they are not going anywhere just because a blind is in the driveway. 

My point for the day is this. "If something is worth doing, do it right and do not procrastinate" until it is almost too late. The fun is taken out of any adventure when you discover your turkey calls were stepped on and ruined because they were not stored away properly and kept safe, and you are hunting the next morning. You are now already a morning or a whole day behind. 

So be ready at all times. Lose the words "I will do it tomorrow" especially if you can do it today. A few minutes of work today, can make for a less stressful day tomorrow. 

God bless,

Marty

Celebrating Gibbs 3/25/2026

 Good Morning,

My cup is full of Door County Toffee Pretzel Coffee and I am enjoying it immensely. It is time to write.

Proverbs 12:10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast. But the mercy of the wicked is cruel. 

This morning. ^

In our home we look at each day as important. We try to celebrate life in different ways each day. I often write about our dogs and for the last few years the youngest one "Leo" has been the center of most all I have written. But today our oldest dog "Gibbs" is celebrating his 14th year as a member of the family. 

Gibbs is deaf now and still enjoys having things thrown for him to retrieve and bring them back to you. Although 6-7 throws wears him out he still looks forward to being outside. He sleeps a lot now but is always there right on time when the clock strikes 4:30 PM for feeding time. 

There was a time when this dog filled with heart could flush and retrieve, upland birds, and fowl with the best of them. He has his share of geese on the ledger as well. 

My point for today is this. A good dog is a prize to be cherished. He stole my heart the day we brought him home. As I write he is on the floor next to me snoring. I pray that he has some happy dreams today and there will be a small cheese burger in his future tonight. Gibbs never competed in dog trials or hunt tests. His only trophies are a few taxidermied ducks on the wall. No ribbons for this boy. His only trophy is my heart. I dread the day when He moves on over the rainbow bridge. But until then, Happy Birthday Gibbs Boss Schutte. Dream a few sweet dreams today.

Marty

Take The Signs Seriously 3/24/2026

 Good Morning,

My chair is way too comfortable this morning. The old chair goes really well with a hot cup of Door County Country Morning Blend Coffee. I believe it is time to write. 

1 Peter 2:13 NKJV Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. 

I am a little sore this morning. I used a lot of lazy muscles yesterday while cutting down a tree that had fallen down over a service road at the Kennel Club I belong to. The club is used by it's members to train their hunting dogs and as being a member we all put in some work hours at the club as needed. I find that spending time outdoors even if it is for a chore or two is a nice way to spend an afternoon. 

On the home front, I had to add a sign to the entrance of our back yard. Our back yard is fenced in and our two dogs are free to be outside in a safe environment. Just the other day, one of the utility companies sent out a the technician who marks where all the underground utilities are located on our property. They are going to replace and bury a new communications cable at our home. So to be safe the property needed to be marked as to the locations of any wires buried in our yard.  Great idea. 

But they neglected to let us know that a technician would be coming out and when that would be. The tech came to the correct address, saw the gated entrance and let himself in. He never announced to us that he was here and what he was doing. Much to his surprise ,once he entered the property he encountered Leo and Gibbs the dynamic English Springer Spaniels Duo. The two dogs let him know they were their by some barking. I went outside to see what the ruckus was about and within a minute or two the tech was being greeted by wagging tails and two dogs who were willing to share their space. 

The technician apologized for his company who failed to notify us as to his coming on to our property. He also reminded me that a huge help would be to have a sign at the gate letting folks know that there are dogs on the property. 

Long story short. I complied with his request and the gate is clearly marked to warn folks that there could be a dog or two behind the fence.  

My point for today is two fold. I wasn't compliant with my signage and I corrected it quickly. Number two, the sign is located in a totally visible spot and should clearly end any confusion to anyone entering the area. 

With all things there are warning signs that should not be ignored. Our lives are filled with signs and postings. Speed limits on the highway are clearly marked. A snow cover road is a sign that the road is probably slippery and we should drive in a safe manner for snow covered roads. A sign is meant to instruct, enforce, modify, or stop a behavior. Our problem is that we don't pay attention to or obey the signs in our lives. 

Think about it. It is early in the morning and how many signs will you ignore today by noon? Food for thought! Obey the signs God has placed in your way. 

God bless, 

Marty

Dried Fruit 3/23/2026

 Good Morning,

I have a hot cup of Door County Salted Caramel Whiskey Coffee in front of me and I am ready to write. This is a new coffee flavor for me and it has a way of growing on you. 

Proverbs 22:2 ESV The rich and the poor meet together, The Lord is maker of them all. 

In January my wife Rene said she was tired of seeing me dehydrate fruit with the small dryer I had. I enjoy dehydrating fruit and some vegetables. I also enjoy munching on the dried delights while hunting or  just for a snack. My latest venture has been to explore making jerky from some of my wild game or from a lean piece of beef. Anyway, for an early birthday gift we purchased a larger dryer that has proved to be a lot of fun. Yesterday found me drying some mango slices and they turned out pretty good. 

I did some research and found a couple recipes for dip that can served with the dried apples I like the best. 

Where am I going with this? When I have the chance to share some of these chips and dips a lot of people look at the dried up and shriveled pieces and they are reluctant to try some. They don't look appetizing to them. So they pass on eating any without even trying some. They trust their eyes instead of their taste buds. 

I believe that it is the same with attending church or having a relationship with God and others. We have stereotyped church goers as Bible thumping lunatics. We look at other races and what Hollywood depicts them to be, is what  we assume they are. So we go though life not experiencing God, and a Southern Baptist pot luck dinner. We avoid other races and folks that are different to us but do things differently. Imagine going through this life and not experiencing people, who are different from us? I have some buddies who like to eat pork shanks and sauerkraut. They turned me on to that dish many years ago. I am glad that they did. 

In life I believe we all have the mindset that certain things because they are different should be avoided. We have clouded our minds with the inability to see the world through the eyes of others. 

Food for thought. 

Marty

A Sunday Kind Of Day 3/22/2026

 Good Morning,

I am deinking a hoy cup of Door County Mistletoe Mocha Coffee. I am using up some of the last of my supply of Christmas flavors. It is time to write.

Philippians 4:11 ESV Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned , in whatever situation I am, to be content. 

I woke up to a feeling of not being too ambitious today. I am working at reading a couple of books to see if they would be good ones for our Men's Bible Study at our church. So later today I plan on sitting at my desk and reading for a couple of hours. Rene and I discussed what we would eat today and that has already been supplied to us by a dear friend as a gift.

I believe I will take advantage of a light day. I have built in some time for extra prayer and I think as far as it goes, I was made for this day or this day was made for me. I plan on working, resting, and  growing spiritually all in one day. 

My point for the day is this. God made this day, and I am doing my best to fit into it and be content.

How about you? Does the word content describe you?

God bless,

Marty

Stopped For Prayer 3/21/2026

 Good Morning,

I woke up and realized that I had not set the timer on the coffee maker. It did not slow me down too much,but it is something I don't want to become a habit. I like my coffee very hot and on time. Soon I will be drinking a hot cup of Door County Blueberry Cobbler Coffee as I begin to write. 

Romans 12:12ESV 

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 

Yesterday while picking up some supplies at a farm store, I was stopped by a young couple in the parking lot. At first I thought they were selling something. They assured me that their only goal for the day was to pray with people. I can't say that this approach is new to me. I have seen this ministry in public areas before. Politely they asked for my name and if there was anything they could pray about for me. I chuckled and said that I could hand them a laundry list of things, but I confided that I wanted prayer for our country, the war and the politics. We bowed our heads and we prayed. Once they finished praying I asked if there was anything I could pray about for them. They were happy to announce that they were just married a few months ago and they are now headed on a medical mission trip to Africa. Both of them are nurses and they will be assisting a surgical team for 6 months. They desired prayer for safety and for God to eliminate the worries their families have about them going so far away.

After praying we hugged and I went on my way, they went to pray with others. Before we prayed I asked them how the praying was going. The response was this. "Many people don't want prayer or are too busy to stop and pray."

This answer did not surprise me much. I often see our monthly church prayer gathering barely being attended. It seems that even times of turmoil aren't bringing people to their knees as much as I thought would happen now. 

So my point is this. When you pray, stay a few minutes longer on your knees and include prayer for those folks "who don't need any." Pray as the Holy Spirit leads you. 

God is waiting to hear from you.

Marty. 

Sitting At The Window 3/20/2026

 Good Morning,

I am waiting for the Door County Peanut Butter Crunch Coffee to finish brewing. It is time to write.

It is still dark outside as I ponder things as they wake up and have me observing some of the antics at the bird feeder. Right now there is a squirrel cleaning up some of the bird seed that was spilled out by some small birds yesterday. Two rabbits are chewing some of the wet grass in the yard. All this action and more yet to come just because we spent a little money on wild bird seed and now enjoy a morning cartoon provided by nature. Our bird feeder and pole are nothing fancy, yet they feed one and all who come to the it. I especially think it is odd how the bigger birds who can't perch on the feeder have to wait for the tiny birds to spray the seed to those below with their little wings. The larger birds rely on being fed by the little ones.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on the appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

My point for the day is this. You might be in a position to recruit people for a project or hire them for work at your place of employment. Yet the candidates might be a little short on experience. Their resume seems weak. Pray about it and see if they have "Heart, Desire, Determination, Drive and Dedication." Ask questions that would have them answer things regarding the terminology above. 

Don't let a lack of a piece of paper or them looking too young to be any good impact your decision. You might have a great worker wrapped in a weak resume and young stature. Don't let that keep you from not trying them out. Of course there are minimum requirements and education needed for most positions. Those must be met, But a lack of experience gives you the opportunity to give them some. You can be part of the process that helps them to build their experience resume.

Be a big bird that watches the younger ones soar. You might learn a trick or two from someone half your age and with half of your experience.

Food for thought,

Marty