Recieved the following email today, figured I would share it with all...

Catch a combo for wildlife
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DNR leader explains how citizens can earn federal conservation funds

Dear Fellow Indiana Wildlife Conservationists:
Indiana can earn millions more federal dollars for wildlife conservation.
Here's how. Federal wildlife management funding is based on state sport license sales. So if more Hoosier wildlife conservationists, even those who do not consider themselves hunters or anglers, purchase Indiana hunting and fishing licenses, then the state earns more federal wildlife conservation funds.
For example, your $25 Resident Combination Fishing and Hunting License contribution to wildlife earns the state another $20 from Uncle Sam.
If just 30 caring people from each Indiana county bought a combo license every year for the next ten years, they would earn wildlife more than an extra million dollars.
Hoosiers who spend their time afield with binoculars, cameras and hiking boots instead of shotgun shells and fly rods should recognize how many of our wildlife habitat purchases are funded.
Annual sport license funds help buy critical wildlife habitat, like the new 8,000-acre Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area in Greene County.
Also, with each gun, bow or fishing pole bought, a portion of the purchase price goes to the federal government as an excise tax. Indiana then gets a share of those taxes back, based on the number of fishing and hunting licenses sold. This federal money is committed to wildland acquisition and habitat management.
Your purchase of an Indiana Resident Combination Hunting and Fishing License provides instant leverage of your original dollars, even if you choose not to hunt or fish. A $25 contribution becomes a $45 contribution.
The DNR can then take that pool of funds and leverage it even further with private dollars to buy and manage land. That is exactly how Goose Pond became a reality.
Leveraging your dollars and spending money that comes from outside Indiana on Hoosier projects seems like a pretty good idea to me.
Another great way for conservationists around the state to support the environment is by purchasing the Environmental License Plate for their vehicles.
The money this generates ($1.5 million in 2005) goes directly into the Indiana Heritage Trust. Last year that fund allowed for the purchase or protection of 38 properties in 25 counties around the state.
The Heritage Trust also leverages funds with matches from private individuals, not-for-profit organizations, and other governmental entities. This leverage lets every Indiana Heritage Trust dollar buy $5 worth of habitat.
You will continue to hear and see more about our effort to get Hoosiers to Catch a Combo and to put blue ELP plates on their vehicles.
Urge all of your wildlife-watching friends to Catch a Combo to support wildlife conservation. It's as easy as visiting www.dnr.IN.gov . Click on 'hunting and fishing licenses' to purchase a license and start protecting Indiana's wildlife today.
See you on the trail,
Kyle J. Hupfer,
Director, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Snow!!!!!! My cousin came down today, and we originally planned on going fishing down at Merom, but with all the snow we got last night we decided to go play and fish another time. We took his four-wheeler up to my mom and dads, got my brother and did some "redneck sledding." We started off in the yard and that was fun but we needed more speed. So we decided to head out into the neighbors cow pasture. At first we were a little afraid the bull would stampede us due to his normal aggressive behavior, but he just stood and watched with amusement. The field, just about 20 acres in size enabled us to get a lot of speed, but only one problem. With the fresh layer of snow, you are unable to see the cow wallows and the tractor ruts. So that made for some interesting flying. I am surprised my back isn't broken right now, as hard as I hit some of those. When we decided to head off to another field with no ruts in it, my brother decided we would drive out there. While trying to stay in the vicinity of the trail, he managed to go a little wide and bury the four wheeler up to the fenders in......You guessed it COW DUNG. I quickly jumped off of the back when I felt the ground giving away but he stayed on for the ride. I had to grab the sled rope and while my cousin pushed in knee deep dung I was pulling. We got out of that and continued with the sledding. All in all it was a great day. I don't get to spend a whole lot of time with my cousins, so every second I get to see em I cherish. My cousin, is either one of the most skilled or the most lucky outdoorsman in Indiana. He has been catching trophy fish out of our home waters since he was able to walk, and he has some of Indianas biggest whitetails on tape while he was hunting. Now if he could only manage to stick an arrow in the boiler room of one of those bucks he would be in great shape.
Have a Good Day

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We just got back from the doctors. After sitting in the room waiting for him for an hour, the visit goes like normal. Everything is fine and she hasn't started dilating yet. Figured I would post a pic of the sonogram for those who haven't seen it.

Fishing season is among us once again.....This year I have gotten a head start on the Largemouth, and headed down to Merom, Indiana to Turtle Creek Resorvoir and had a good day. Now I can't wait for the creeks to lower abit after all that rain so I can get in on some smallmouth action on my favorite creek in Indiana. I have coyote hunted alot more this past season than I have in the past, why, I don't know, I just enjoy it. I have been getting a lot of help from my friends at www.midwestpreadtorhunters.com . If you enjoy any kind of hunting here in Indiana you need to join. They are a group of the midwests finest hunters and callers. Look me up on there, I am Posiedon. I really don't know how that name has stuck with me over the years. It was really the only nick I've had other than Clutz and I really didn't want to keep that one anyways. When I first started the Posiedon name on the Internet, yes I know it is spelled wrong, I was the only one. Now it seems that every internet game you play on there is a least one Posiedon. I just want to make sure everyone know....I AM THE ONLY POSIEDON!!!!!!LOL....How did I come across using the greek gods name? When I was in college, there was a game called Counter-Strike that my friends and I played. Of course on the Internet everyone has nicks to help hide there true Identities, like Superman and Clark Kent we are all our own super heros on the net. Anyways alot of people were using characters from there favorite movie or novel, but nobody was using Greek Gods. Not wanting to be a copy cat and be the 1 millionth "John Wayne", I decided to use a Greek God. Having always been a good swimmer and having a love for the water, I decided with Poseidon, but to make the nick mine I had to change it in some way. So I decided to go with Posiedon, I was actually surprised how many people noticed the spelling and called me a dumbass. Then I had to explain to them about it being original in that way. I occassionally get back on Counter-Strike every now and again. And you know what, there is probably one Posiedon on every single server and there are over 5000 servers. I guess you can say I coined the word Posiedon. Guess I should of got a copyright. Today we have a doctors appointment for K and the baby. We are really excited and want this kid to get out of there and come see us. I believe today she has 31 days till her due date but I would be surprised to see her make it to April 10th. She has her money on the 1st, but I don't see it happening. So far she is still having it the old fashion way, but the doc said there is a chance the baby is going to be too big and he may have to cut it out. She wasn't to thrilled about that idea. The muscles of the stomach were not made to be cut through and I bet it hurts like hell healing up. We will post later today how the appointment went and if there is any big news. For those of you who don't know, the doc says it is a boy.

Today we have decided to start our journey into the blog world. So far in our lives we have had little news that needed spread, but now with the little one due next month we will have a plefora of news for everyone. This blog will most likely have posts mainly by me (Joe) and hopefully Kristin will join in on the fun. Sit back, and enjoy.