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Therapy for the Soul - Meditating Outside
By Terri MacKinnon

Does it really matter where you meditate? I believe that meditating outdoors can offer a new alternative and change to your life. The therapeutic benefits are hidden and waiting to be explored. I am one of those people that know personally how being outside meditating makes for not just a different type of meditation experience but in some ways even a more profound one.
There are many good reasons for this.
Many of us have experienced meditating in a quiet room that is free from any and all distractions, no sounds, dim lights and the thought that we are one against the world and our environment trying deeply to engage ourselves with deeper inner thoughts.
However, it is sometimes difficult to quiet our minds with all of the constant input from our surroundings. Life is constantly challenging us with environmental noises and disruptions. So if we want to find the peacefulness that comes from meditation maybe we need to allow and find ways to learn how to meditate despite all of the surrounding sounds and distractions that exist.

Meditating in the Great Outdoors

There’s a quiet spot on our cottage property away from the city that I love to go to and sit down and reflect my week’s events. It overlooks the beautiful lake that we are fortunate enough to be able to borrow for the weekends. We had a small gazebo built just at the point of the property that overlooked all of the beauty. I so look forward to getting out of the city and getting back to my place and my peace. As I sit back and enjoy the beautiful view, I am able to reflect and reconcile my life and what has transpired over the week. This gives me the opportunity to rethink, review and rejuvenate myself.
While sitting there I am Aware. All of my senses are somewhat enlightened and responding to all that is around me. Feeling the breezes sweep by me, hearing the birds singing their songs and smelling the incredible scents of nature only strengthens the experience.
This was a new form of spirit, enlightenment and freedom. Meditating outdoors was a whole new experience of finding what I was looking for. There was a great sense of experiencing the world through these new surroundings.
When I first started looking at new ways of meditating, I realized that we are able to find peace even if the environment was not silent. I also realized how the strength of meditating outdoors seemed greater then that spent by myself in a dark room. There was a greater sense of pleasure and peace that was obtained in the new environment. The sounds, smells and feel created a stronger sense of belonging.
I had spent many years meditating with my eyes closed in a dark quiet peaceful room. However, my new form of mediating included sitting quietly with my eyes closed for the first ten minutes and then opening my eyes and looking up at the clouds, carefully watching how the leaves were blowing in the wind, listening to the birds chirping, smelling the experience and realizing what is quietly taking place around us while we live our lives. How much more amazing and larger the world really is, unlike the space that we only occupy. The experience allows us to witness what is passing us by.

It’s wonderful to look around as if you are seeing the outdoors for the first time in your life. No matter how many times I take my place in the outdoors to meditate, I am forever reminded that we are far smaller and less significant then what God has created.
If you haven’t already tried it, why not get outside for your next meditation? It can be found as easily as opening your front door and taking a walk to the local park. Sit and listen to the sounds that you haven’t heard since you were a child. Take a drive down to your local River, Pond or Lake and spend some time reflecting. Close your eyes and meditated in Gods room. Listen, smell and then open your eyes and enjoy. The view will be incredible when you open your eyes. There is nothing quite like meditating outdoors.

Terri Mackinnon has spent the past ten years meditating and enjoying the great outdoors. Her passion for spending time fishing and enjoying the outdoors can be found at http://www.womenfishing.com and http://www.theoutdoorsgirl.com

What’s in your tackle box? By Terri MacKinnon

It’s such an exciting time of year when opening fishing season starts and we finally get the opportunity to trek to the tackle store to get some new and exciting lures as the season begins. Going into the store and seeing my good faithful baits up against some beautiful new designs makes it difficult to not at least try some possible winning lures in some of the great new colors.

Many women get excited about the new spring clothing line collections that are coming out, I however find myself also as eagerly excited about what the new baits and fishing line of the year will be. Opening weekend is finally the time when I get to head to the big box tackle stores and start to shop for the season.

There is only one other time of year outside of Christmas and opening weekend that could be as exciting and that would be in July. The International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) is held every July in Las Vegas and it’s actually like the Academy awards of the fishing industry.

ICAST however offers a different type of lure. Their runway is lined with a variety of tackle makers each eagerly willing to unveil their new wares to the industry. http://www.asafishing.org/asa/. The manufacturers reveal what’s hot, new and exciting for the following year and awards are given to the company’s that offer innovative products to the marketplace. The results are always made available shortly after the show as to who won and what’s new so that I can preplan for my opening season the following year.

I have found that Tackle Trade World Magazine offers one of the most comprehensive coverage of the ICAST show and other shows worldwide. Because of this TTW has become my favorite tackle magazine. http://www.tackletradeworldmagazine.com/.

One of my personal favorites that came out of the show this year was a product that will add to your lures. It’s actually a skirt maker made by http://www.nakedbaitco.com/. This is a very cool skirt maker kit that should be in every ones tackle box. Sometimes we forget about how flexible adding a skirt to your lures can be, check them out.

There is not an angler out there that doesn’t have an inner desire to find that secret lure and keep a good supply in their tackle box. The real secret to any successful lure is really consistency. I have found effective baits that continually make my fishing adventures successful and I consider them my go to bait.

However, I can not stop myself from going into my local tackle shop and picking up that new shiny multi colored bait that promises even more success, hoping that it offers the Holy Grail in fishing. When will I ever find that real secret bait? Or does it even exist?

Until I find the One that works for everything I will have to just keep trying new ones. Someone has to do it the manufacturers are counting on us.

Whats in your tackle box?
By Terri MacKinnon

It’s such an exciting time of year when opening fishing season starts and we finally get the opportunity to trek to the tackle store to get some new and exciting lures as the season begins. Going into the store and seeing my good faithful baits up against some beautiful new designs makes it difficult to not at least try some possible winning lures in some of the great new colors.

Many women get excited about the new spring clothing line collections that are coming out, I however find myself also as eagerly excited about what the new baits and fishing line of the year will be. Opening weekend is finally the time when I get to head to the big box tackle stores and start to shop for the season.

There is only one other time of year outside of Christmas and opening weekend that could be as exciting and that would be in July. The International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) is held every July in Las Vegas and it’s actually like the Academy awards of the fishing industry.

ICAST however offers a different type of lure. Their runway is lined with a variety of tackle makers each eagerly willing to unveil their new wares to the industry. http://www.asafishing.org/asa/. The manufacturers reveal what’s hot, new and exciting for the following year and awards are given to the company’s that offer innovative products to the marketplace. The results are always made available shortly after the show as to who won and what’s new so that I can preplan for my opening season the following year.

I have found that Tackle Trade World Magazine offers one of the most comprehensive coverage of the ICAST show and other shows worldwide. Because of this TTW has become my favorite tackle magazine. http://www.tackletradeworldmagazine.com/.

One of my personal favorites that came out of the show this year was a product that will add to your lures. It’s actually a skirt maker made by http://www.nakedbaitco.com/. This is a very cool skirt maker kit that should be in every ones tackle box. Sometimes we forget about how flexible adding a skirt to your lures can be, check them out.

There is not an angler out there that doesn’t have an inner desire to find that secret lure and keep a good supply in their tackle box. The real secret to any successful lure is really consistency. I have found effective baits that continually make my fishing adventures successful and I consider them my go to bait.

However, I can not stop myself from going into my local tackle shop and picking up that new shiny multi colored bait that promises even more success, hoping that it offers the Holy Grail in fishing. When will I ever find that real secret bait? Or does it even exist?

Until I find the One that works for everything I will have to just keep trying new ones. Someone has to do it the manufacturers are counting on us.

My Secret Fishing Spot

By Terri MacKinnon

Last year I put a video on http://www.youtube.com/ about my opening weekend fishing from the shoreline. We went to one of my favorite fishing holes and we had spent a couple hours catching pike, bass and trout. I thought it would be fun to put the video online for some of our friends to share some of my success for the day. It was my secret location, or should I say I thought it was until today.

I did give some pretty good clues as to the area that my hidden spot was located even though I did not say exactly where it was. For some people that may know the area and some of the markers that were on the video it would have been helpful but I had not given out the exact location.

It’s been over a year since I was there and on our way back from the cottage today we decided to stop and visit my favorite fishing spot again. We figured we would have an hour or so to try and catch last year’s fish. Unfortunately we didn’t end up catching anything but it was later in the day then we would normally fish this spot.

However, just as we were getting into our van to leave a man by the name of Jay approached us and asked if we had done a video last year and put it on You Tube. As he got closer it was funny to hear him say “You’re the girl on the video, I knew this was the spot”. Busted! Darn!

He told us that when he saw the video he figured that he knew the general area and that he would try and find my spot. Well he sure did! And then he told us how he had been catching some great fish while he was there. He had been back to my secret fishing spot many times since.

What a small world, and amazing coincidence that today at 1.00 pm I met someone that actually not only watched my video, LOL but actually traced down my secret fishing hole to now make it also his.

It was great to know that he had been having the same kind of success. My poor little secret fishing hole is no more a secret. Hopefully, No one else will find it! But if they do maybe we can make it a yearly tournament site.

As we drove home we couldn’t help but laugh. What a coincidence, what was the chance? I now wondered who else has found my secret fishing hole. How many people would have been there opening day? Maybe next year I will make the trip to my secret spot to check. Just remember if you find my secret spot and you catch fish, put them back!

Whats your secret?

The Lure of the Lure

By Terri Mackinnon

I’m sure that there is not one angler out there that will not totally understand what I am going to say about one of my favorite items to go shopping for. Lures! We all know what it’s like to go into our local tackle store and become totally overwhelmed with all of the varieties of fishing tackle that is now being made available to us.

Do you remember when one aisle of lures would be enough and we were still able to catch our fish? However, we were wrong and the manufactures are now out to prove it to us. We now have choices, so many choices. I now call them my Lure de Jour. I have a different lure for each day of the year and more. Sometimes even in three or four colors.

Lures have become hot! They not only have hooks to catch our fish, but they have the hooks to drag us down each aisle. We are all in search of finding that one special, you all know what I mean… this is the one, I can feel it, I know its going to catch fish, Lure!

Since I have spent many hours in a tackle stores investigating, comparing and purchasing what Looks Hot for the season I can guarantee to you that somewhere in my tackle box now sits that secret lure. At least I hope it is and sure hope I got the right color.

If it attracts us, well it must attract the fish, Yes? Well actually No. Just because we found the colors interesting or thought the bait was just to pretty to leave behind, doesn’t mean that it’s actually going to catch anything more then the one fish that is buying it. Yes that’s you, or me.

The end result is and always will be how many fish it’s going to catch and how big. I know that I want to be coming off the lake showing the boys my shopping trips were well worth it.

We all know that we are searching to find that secret bait. We want that special lure that will guarantee that we catch the biggest fish. We want the one that will prove to everyone that we deserve the title of angler of the weekend. Aren’t we all weekend warriors in search of the ultimate prize, the bragging rights, and the right of passage?

The bait company’s have made sure that they challenge us. They have created and recreated baits for each species, water color, depth, season and any condition that they believe we may encounter. They tempt us with more each year, bigger, better, more colorful. We also know how difficult it has become to sort through the rows and rows of plastic and rubber thing a ma jigs to find that special lure that says,

“I am going to catch you a big fish”.

They have made in every color under the rainbow some form of eye catching fish design ready to be tied to the end of your fishing line. The lures are painted, metal and plastic some with holograms shimming and calling our name. “Look, I will fool that fish, I promise” or “If you just try me I know I can catch huge fish.”

I wonder many times if I may have left the Best lure still in the store.

After the weekend of using some of my new baits, I am mostly disappointed. If I had only picked up that other special hologram version in the passion purple, I just might have caught myself that trophy fish. Darn, next time.

“I’m going to catch You a Big Fish!” Ha, do you sometimes wonder if that Lure is actually saying … “I just caught myself a big fish! As you head to the cashier.

Maybe those Lure manufacturers are sitting back laughing at how many fish they caught.

All I know is I can’t wait to go back shopping again. I am sure now that I would have done so much better with the purple passion. Darn. Next week.

Catch and Release – March 2008

by Terri Mackinnon

 Before you decide to go out fishing there are a couple things that you should be discussing. Many fish are left on shorelines, by garbage cans or just simply thrown away after a day on the water fishing.

 I’m sure that their intentions prior to bringing them back to shore was good however, it is far too common and we all need to make a conscious effort to not allow it to happen.

I believe we can ask a couple questions that may prevent some of the waste.

1.  Are you or your family going to eat your catch? Are you able to clean your fish?

2.  Have you purchased your licenses?

3.  Do you know your regulations on the water? What the daily limits and sizes of fish and species that you are allowed to remove legally?

4.  Are you able to identify your fish?  I’ve seen many fish brought to shore because they had know idea what kind of fish they had.

There really is no other reason not to practice Catch and Release outside of consumption.

There taxidermists that can reproduce that trophy fish that you caught.  Take a photo, quickly take some measurements and let it go.  The taxidermist can now make you a perfect replica for your wall. Any you can now go back next year to try and catch it again.

Some things you should remember.

·        Keep the fish out of water for minimal time

·        Try and avoid touching the fish too much to remove its protective slime coating

·        Try to keep the fish calm.  The least amount of jumping around in the boat or hitting up against the shoreline will allow for it to be released with greater success.

·        Never tear out hooks from your fish, if they are embedded and not easily removed cut your line.  Hooks will rust out or dissolve without the fish being harmed.

·        Use the “Don’t keep a fish out of water longer than you can hold your breath theory.”  It allows you time to actually hold up a fish, take a picture and then release it back into the water.  Try it!

·        Some fish have sharp teeth like walleye or pike.  These fish are best being held across the back of the head, with fingers and thumb holding the gill plates closed.  Watch for the gills they have sharp edges.  Some fish like bass really have small teeth that don’t hurt so you can actually hold its lower lip between your thumb and index finger. This is my favorite technique and it took me the longest to want to try.  It feels like sand paper on its tongue, once you do it you will know the power it give you to hold up your fish like the professionals.  Lip Your Fish!

Then Give him a little kiss and let him go!

I learned a long time ago to not take myself seriously.  Too many times I locked my keys in the car, dropped my ice cream out of its cone onto my foot and had a problem with tripping over my own two feet.I use to think that I was somewhat of a klutz, however, mom use to say we all have those awkward times and I would out grow it. Being now later in my life, I wonder when it actually happens. I think that I always just looked at the experiences of silly slip ups as an opportunity to laugh at myself.  There have been many funny times that I have had in my lifetime. I am sure that one day in a senior citizen home I will be sitting in the corner laughing my ass off. When out fishing one day, I had one such experience.  My husband is a wonderful man, kind generous and patient.  He has had to repair or take many embedded hooks out of items around the boat or in the back of his head, and yet he still wants me back in the boat with him.It never really seemed to scare him as he said “he was up for it” or so I would joke.  I replaced his fishing buddy shortly after we met and he use to tell me stories about how clumsy his bud was and how he was glad that he didn’t have to worry about hooks in the head.  I remember thinking, oh I pray I don’t do something stupid and change his mind.We bring a camera out with us when were fishing since I believe strongly in “Catch and Release” of your fish.  I take a lot of photo’s since I catch a lot but its better then knowing they would all die.  We also started video taping some of the techniques and this was one of the time that we were able to catch some of our fun.

I believe that fishing helps reduce daily stresses, and if it doesn’t hopefully this video will at least make you laugh today. 

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Together we hope to introduce families to the joys and benefits of getting outdoors and fish.