Tag Archives: hunting

I miss Trinity

I started hunting about 10 years ago.

My first trip, and all trips afterwards, were to uncle Stanley’s cabin near Trinity (Clair Engles) Lake.

That property is a special place to me. It’s full of great memories. I have looked forward to going there every year since my first.

But then last year we didn’t make our annual October week-long trip. Nor did we go this year. That left me feeling a little out of balance.

Last year we went camping up by Mt Lassen, my old stomping grounds. We camped near Mineral and hunted the local area. And me, knowing the area very well, spent the good-weather days fly fishing my favorite streams. It was a good trip, although very cold at night, but I missed Trinity.

This year we went to Nevada. Six of us went, and we came back with 3 nice bucks. That kind of success is all too rare in California.

Jimmy’s parents in Rye Patch were extrememly generous. Our accomodations were very comfortable. I am very thankful for the opportunity.

Nevada hunting is much different from California hunting. In California, we hunt in heavily forested areas, and our shots at deer are very rarely more than 100 yards. In Nevada, there are no trees, and we can see deer a mile (literally) away. Our shots at deer were at the limits of our abilities. The high desert was a once in a lifetime hunt.

I enjoyed my trip to Nevada, but I REALLy missed Trinity.

Two years in a row without a trip to Trinity? I never want to do that again.

PRK 4 month update

OK so it’s not quite 4 months, but close enough (only 8 more days).

So here’s my update, and this will probably be my last PRK update unless something crazy happens.

Had a checkup recently and my results are pleasing. 20/20+ in my left eye and 20/20- in my right eye. That means that I can read a couple of characters on the 20/15 line with my left eye, and I missed a couple characters on the 20/20 line with my right eye. I’m satisfied with these results.

I was hoping hoping hoping that I’d get that bionic eagle eye solid 20/15 vision in both eyes but I suppose that’s a little unrealistic. Even with contacts or glasses my vision was never that good. Right now I’d say that my vision is slightly better than it ever was. My doctor says that this is a great result.

I still have the slightest, smallest astigmatism in my right eye that couldn’t be corrected with PRK or LASIK. And that’s what causes a bit of distortion, just enough to mis-read a couple of characters on the 20/20 line.

So I think another procedure is out of the question. Not unless my eyes take a turn for the worse. But, there is no indication that would happen. I’m not worried.

I turn 40 later this month. Every time I go to the eye doctor they tell me that I’ll need reading glasses soon. I feel like the PRK procedure hustled that along. Before my surgery my close-up vision was incredibly good. I could focus with absolute clarity on very small items–I’d have to hold them inches from eyes. Now when I try to do something like that it’s blurry, like tie a fly fishing knot or read very small text on a package.

Went deer hunting last month and I was able to see things clearly far away. I was very happy with that. I’m also a sport shooter, and I’m also able to focus clearly on targets downrange with clarity. I also did a lot of fly fishing last month, and let me tell you, it was soooo nice to be able to see without correction.

My night vision has markedly improved as well. The first month after surgery I had some halos and starbursts and fogginess while night driving. Now all of those things have gone away. No more halos, no more starburst, and I can see things very clearly. I feel very safe driving at night.

So I think that’s about it. My vision has stabilized lately. I’m very happy with the results. I would do it again. And I recommend it to anyone considering laser eye corrective surgery.

Thanks, PRK.

PRK 6 week update

So it’s been six weeks since my PRK surgery. Today I’m seeing pretty clearly. That said, I’m not quite finished healing yet.

Most of the changes in my vision in the last two weeks have been my ability to focus on my computer screen and other things up close. Halos and starburst around lights at night are almost gone. My ability to focus on things far away at night is a bit better.

In daylight, my ability to focus on things far away are unchanged in the last few weeks. I went deer hunting earlier this week and was able to spot deer and other animals a few hundred yards away, but couldn’t see them perfectly clearly as I did before with my contact lenses in.

I don’t have eagle vision yet, but then it’s only been six weeks. Most people take around three months to completely heal. Hopefully around New Year’s Eve I’ll have that 20/15 eagle vision that some people get. But I’ll be happy with 20/20.

I have no regrets. This is the best thing I have ever done for myself.