People are readily embracing the sudden burst of spring-like weather. Praise God! Suddenly, the bitter Arctic weather seems to be behind us. Undeniably, the signs of spring are everywhere… there are buzzards overhead, a few fat Robins have been spotted, and kids and a few older adults are running around in shorts and tee shirts working on their tans.

I hate to throw a wet, wintry blanket on everyone’s great expectations of an early spring and end of winter, but I see we still have the dreaded “snow birds,” the dark-eyed juncos with us. The little precursors to winter only retreat to their northern, snowy climates when the threat of snow and cold weather are truly gone. Until they leave, I’ll not be putting away the snow shovel.

I’ll maintain my lack of optimism on the indisputable arrival of spring until I see the first nice harvest of morel mushrooms.

 

Boyhood need for fire

When I was a youngster, every boy in town carried a Zippo lighter, including yours truly. It seemed to be standard issue for every guy in town because you always wanted to be able to start a campfire. Along with our standard issue Zippos, some of the guys carried a match safe as a backup.

A match safe is a small, water-tight container holding 10-15 strike-anywhere, kitchen matches. Carrying strike-anywhere matches in a match safe was highly recommended. Nothing illustrated the need for a match safe more than having a bunch of loose matches in your pocket unexpectedly ignite. When this happens, you can expect the individual to scream, and undergo writhing dance moves quickly leading to partial nudity. Nothing gets your attention faster than having your pants pocket go up in flames!

As soon as school was out and the weather warmed, camping along the river was part of our routine every weekend the weather was fit. Lacking tents, we avoided any possibility of rainy weather outings. We always waited for the weatherman’s assurance of forecasting clear skies and a dry night.

The importance of a campfire cannot be denied. We wouldn’t think of having an overnight stay along the river without the all-important campfire! We needed light, warmth and possible protection from any beasts of the field!

We always planned to arrive at our campsite several hours before dark. An early start allowed us to gather all the downed tree limbs to be found over several surrounding acres. Our piles of campfire wood were awesome in size putting some homesteader’s wintertime wood piles to shame.

Being campfire aficionados, we learned many things. One thing we learned was dead, dry sycamore limbs would burn brightly and with little or no smoke. They were our premium, go-to fuel.

Sitting at night at a distance around our huge glowing campfire, we exchanged stories, repeated lies, and retold local myths and legends; while puffing away on five cent Homemade brand cigars from the General Store. The one thing I remember most is the bonding and camaraderie we developed talking and poking the campfire with the rest of the gang. Lasting campfire friends forever.

           

DNR recreation and fishing regulations guides

The latest guides to exploring Indiana’s great outdoors are now available at your fingertips online and will soon be available at a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) property near you.

The 2025 DNR Indiana Recreation Guide is available now at on.IN.gov/recguide. And the 2025-2026 guide to Indiana fishing, the DNR Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide, is available at on.IN.gov/fishingguide.

The Recreation Guide is the source for information on state parks, state forests, lakes, fish & wildlife areas, nature preserves, state park inns, and other DNR properties. The guide includes a detailed facilities chart and information about accessibility and fees.

Annual entrance passes for state park properties can be purchased in person at the gatehouse or offices of state park properties during business hours or at shopINstateparks.com any time.

Indiana resident state park annual entrance passes cost $50. For individuals 65 years old or older, the price is $25. Annual entrance passes for vehicles with out-of-state license plates are $70. The daily gate fee at most state park properties is $7 per in-state vehicle. More information is at on.IN.gov/stateparks.

The Fishing Regulations Guide contains all rules and regulations for anglers looking to fish in Indiana, along with helpful information on individual species and public waters available to all Hoosiers. This year’s guide highlights the exceptional catches in the Record Fish and Fish of the Year programs, as well as a great new recipe for fish tacos.

Fishing and hunting licenses can be purchased at INHuntFish.com. They can also be purchased at retailers, county clerk offices, and most DNR properties throughout the state.

 

‘till next time, 

Jack

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com

Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.