by Gyce Butler
Typically, during these next few months, I take time to reflect on the past year, be thankful for the blessings, and plan for the upcoming year. I absolutely love the change of seasons, and what each one of them brings for me and my family. As the busyness of summer tasks has passed, the winter months allow me to slow down a little. Of course, we will have the busyness of Christmas activities, but it’s a different kind of busy. It will be full of time with our family and friends. By now, there is no need checking fish feeders since they are turned off until April. The water temperature has cooled and moved our fish out deep for the winter. All of the hay is put up, and our pastures are mowed. We will have a set of cows start calving in January, and we will monitor them until the end of March. So, we are pretty much just feeding cattle each day, planning some fencing projects, and burning a bunch of brush piles. The only thing that is a juggle, for me, is choosing whether I am going to chase bass, bucks, ducks, or crappie. Such a tough decision, isn’t it?
My daughter, Haley, came up with a clever idea at the first of this year. She suggested that I pick out a cap to wear fishing through the year, and at the end of the year write the year on the bill and hang it up in my workshop. Above that cap, frame a collage of pictures from that year. I wish I had that kind of creativity, and I am glad she got her creativity and her smarts from her mama. As I think about 2023, it actually starts with the cap. While I was visiting one of my good friends in Arkansas, I bought it while Luke and I were tackle-shop hopping and hanging out for the day. On the side of the black with white mesh Columbia PFG cap is a razorback, which is special to me. My parents are from Arkansas, and even though I have lived in Texas all 44 years of my life, I still call those hogs. That cap represents a lot of memories from our lake at home, and also fishing on the lakes of East Texas. It reminds me of all the sounds from our first “Kid’s Fishing Day” at the farm. I can still hear those young excited voices hollering “I got one!!!” as many of them reeled in their first fish. It reminds me of the conversations I had with guys who were going through tough seasons of life and needed a place to get outside, breathe a little, and wet a hook.
There were many special times I had on the farm with my wife, Ashley, and our daughter, Haley, who I refer to as “My girls.” We slowed down just for a moment to see a sunset, watch the cows come down the hill for a drink, or catch a few evening fish. This cap also represents the year we FINALLY moved from the old farmhouse into our newly remodeled brick home. Even with the busyness at the farm and at the tractor dealership, I still made time to hook up to the Skeeter and fish the big lakes. This cap reminds me of the many trips with my fishing buddy, Jess, and how they were more like catching trips than fishing trips. The conversations we had to and from the boat ramps are as memorable as the times on the water. This cap was worn in two epic beatdowns on some crappie. My brother, Drew, and I found them schooled up one morning during the summer, and my dad and I pulled them out of the timber in the early fall. It also reminds me of a special late winter day on Martin Lake with another buddy of mine. As we visited that day about his career in law enforcement, I couldn’t imagine some of the things Cory experienced in the DFW area. He opened my eyes not only to how dark society can be but also to the vast opportunity there is to help people going through tough chapters in their lives. Through the course of a cool afternoon, we talked a lot about life, church, and family. He also saw firsthand how a certain soft plastic, from a certain brand, in a certain color, rigged up a certain way can do damage on some largemouths.
I am really looking forward to 2024 and what the year holds. We will be doing our third survey on the lake in April, with our lake biologist, Ethan, to see how our management efforts are paying off. Our fifth feeder will be added to the lake to reach our goal of one feeder per 5 acres of water. I will also be back on the chainsaw cutting cedars and establishing some more structure in the lake to add a few more spots for our baitfish to hide, and we already have the date set for our 2nd annual Kid’s Fishing Day. Those are just a few things to note in the coming year that I know are on the list.
2023 has been a great year. Even with all the great memories from the year, we also experienced some challenging seasons due to damaging storms that brought record breaking amounts of hail and straight-line winds to the farm. We also had some setbacks on our home remodel timeline due to circumstances out of our control. Each trying circumstance grew our faith, affirmed friendships we have with some special people that jump in at the drop of a hat, and strengthened us as a family. When those challenging seasons come along, I have to remain faithful to God’s plan, work hard, and stay thankful. I can be pretty accurate in saying that you are either currently going through a challenging season in your life, just came out of one, or are about to go through one. Whatever your season may be, look for the things to be thankful for. While the days are shorter and the nights are cooler, pump the breaks when you can. Take time to light the fire pit, drag out stuff for smores, and spend some valuable time with your family and friends. I hope you have a lot to look forward to in 2024 and plenty to be thankful for from 2023.
