As much as some love to hate the winter, I love the winter.
I will always be willing to explain how I could be so "different" from my friends and family.
I started out as a skier and then a snowboarder as a way to keep active during the winter months.
While everyone else was in "hibernation" mode, I was up and out before sunrise to hit the slopes.
Then age reared it's ugly side and my knees started to ache a little more and more each year, so I voluntarily gave up those activities.
I still loved the winter, so I looked for something I could do other than sledding with the nieces and nephews on odd days, and found ice fishing.
Then as I continued to acquire the gear I needed to fish productively, I would be gone most weekends from Christmas to Easter (in good seasons).
I've had more good years than bad, only slipped on the ice a few times (most were comical and not painful), and I've had the opportunity to show others how much fun ice fishing can be.
Now I start to get antsy around this time of year, hoping for an early freeze....
And my friends and family still think I'm crazy!
