Mountain Merriam's

We spent last Saturday and Sunday hunting Merriam's Turkeys in Colorado.  The weather was gorgeous!  It is such a blast calling in these thunder chickens, especially when their gobbles seem to echo off the mountain slopes.  We didn't arrow a Tom (yet)... but came close.  We will be back at it in a few days!

Here's a quick video from our hunt last weekend...

*Ps - I'm not sure what's with the extra"0" in the date.  It's late and I don't feel like redoing the video... so, it is what it is.  You may also need to turn up the volume a bit.  Oopsy.

FROM THE DRAW - Release of hunter & artist

ScentFreeLipGloss.com is now "From the Draw" (www.FromtheDraw.com)

Change is a strange animal.  I usually like to change things up and am not one to shy away from a challenge of something new.  When the opportunity of change comes my way, I'm more than happy to shake off the cobwebs of familiarity and plunge forward into uncharted waters.

It is often true that the very word change invokes panic in some individuals.  Why change when you are comfortable where you are at?  The routine is familiar.  The plan is established.  The result is found to be true.  What is the point in change?  Even when things seem to be going well, I think a change in pace or direction is sometimes worth pursuing.  It's usually the challenge that provides the greatest opportunity for growth.

Now please don't get me wrong.  There is nothing that irks me more than changing just for the sake of change.  That would be just silly and seems to encourage randomly running in circles.  But some things are beyond our control when it comes to change.  Sometimes life throws a curve ball, and you either learn to adapt your swing or just keep striking out.  I prefer to adapt my swing.

I had a bit of a curve ball thrown at me last week...   The curve ball?  The automatic renewal on my domain fell through.  In other words, the card I had attached to my account had expired and I didn't realize it.  Within a day someone had bought the domain I so lovingly established several years ago.  Honestly, I sat and stared at the computer for a bit on Friday when I realized I couldn't renew it.  I've thoroughly enjoyed blogging under the title of "Scent Free Lip Gloss." It was just a fun title I picked when originally starting my blog.  I don't sell lip gloss (but probably should have considering the search hits).  I simply thought it was cute and played into the idea of a female hunter trying to get up close and personal with the animals she hunts.

So I stared at my computer Friday evening contemplating my options. Now what?  Retire the blog for good?  Try to find out who bought it and see if they would be willing to sell it back to me? Or move on and try something new.  I opted for the latter.

For several months now I've been toying with the idea of starting another blog under the title of "From the Draw." I recently became reacquainted with my love for painting and am hopeful that a painting or two could eventually be sold to help buy new arrows or hunting boots. So, instead of an entirely separate blog I am simply meshing two. Watch for my paintings here on From the Draw!

ScentFreeLipGloss.com is now "From the Draw" (www.FromtheDraw.com)

The idea behind "From the Draw" is simple... 

What happens when inspiration strikes the artist and hunter instantaneously?  The desire to capture the moment on film, camera or canvas threatens to overtake the release of an arrow... a collision of the artist and hunter occurs.  Instead of suppressing the artist, why not release these "from the draw" moments in artistic expression?  Give them life of their own.

From the draw in the mountains to the draw on canvas, the moments live on.  Recapturing the life of a hunter one brush stroke at a time, is my desire.  My hope is to provide a glimpse into my world...

"From the Draw" - releasing the hunter and artist

To Taste a Legend

If your like me, the endless search for a great topping seems to be never ending for all those wild game steaks in your freezer. I love coming up with my own unique marinade for deer or elk steaks, but am always thrilled to find an easy alternative to have on hand... and when I find one, I want to stock up. Local Legends (www.tastealegend.com) great line of Wild Game Marinades solved my search. I've been sampling their products over the last week and I can honestly say I've found a new favorite way to prepare my wild game! They first won me over by all the natural ingredients and no MSG, but when I tasted what it did to my meat I became a fan.

Included in their line of marinades are unique flavors for various types of wild game:

• Nature Made is perfect for chicken, pork, beef and lamb.
• Large Game is intended for your wild game steaks... and could even be used to spice up burgers.
• Waterfowl sauce & marinade is developed for duck and goose but versatile enough to use on chicken
• Angler's Choice is a perfect topping choice for your fish dinners

The All Purpose Seasoning added the extra zing on my whitetail hamburger patties that had everyone saying YUM! I'm thankful to have this seasoning on hand in my cupboard, as I'm sure it will be sprinkled on many upcoming dishes prepared in my kitchen.

My whitetail cube steaks soaked in the Large Game marinade for a day or two and then had a flour, egg and cracker dip-fest before jumping in the frying pan. (Not the healthiest way to cook my deer... I know. But you have to splurge now and then.) Let me just say... Oh. My. Yum! That was seriously the best chicken fried steak I have EVER had. The flavor from the marinade soaked into the meat and the hint of rosemary was lovely.

I am very pleased with their product and highly recommend it. I'm excited to try out all the other flavors and experiment with different options from Local Legends. Do yourself a favor and check out their great line of products. It would make a great gift for the hunter or angler in your life!

Disclaimer: The reviews on Scent Free Lip Gloss are solely the honest opinions of Emily. The marinades in this review were provided at no cost by Local Legends for the purpose of this review. Scent Free Lip Gloss is not sponsored by Local Legends and no received no monetary compensation in exchange for this review.