WHAT'S HAPPENED?

It's the middle of March, and finally it seems that spring might be on the horizon. Even though we still have some snow, it is going down fast and hunters are able to walk the trails without snowshoes! This was the snowiest winter we've had in many years and kept the fields and shooting ranges closed down in January and February. It looks as though we'll be shooting birds well into April again this year.

As many of you will remember, we also fought the rainiest fall we've ever seen! It must have rained every single day in October, and we shot both birds and sporting clays between (and sometimes during) the downpours. We appreciated the patience and understanding of our customers, and we all managed to have a good time despite the weather. Hopefully this spring season and next fall will be more cooperative.

The sluggish economy continues to plague us all, and the businesses in this area have seen their share of budget crunches. We will continue to do our best to hold the line on club prices, and will only raise those items to the extent our costs go up.

Our oldest dog, Amber, passed away late last fall after a full and happy life of hunting. She had many accidents and traumas as a young dog, and was slow and arthritic the last couple of years. Even so, she went in the fields for "clean up," rode the 4-wheeler with Les to pick up birds from the field, and became the "special dog." We've had many great dogs through the years, and will always remember and miss Amber as we do all of the special hunters and companions we were privileged to live and work with.

Les continues to be heavily involved with the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, and keeps busy attending and speaking at gatherings of sporting groups and agencies all over the state. The Council continues to hold its own with the legislature, and successfully dedicates the funds under its control to projects that directly preserve and protect fish, game and wildlife in Minnesota. Bette, Matt and Carole continue to "hold down the fort" so that Les is able to devote sufficient time to these important projects.

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN

There will be some visible changes at the club again this year, hopefully changes that you will all appreciate and enjoy. Be sure to look through the Sporting Clays information as many of the changes will affect the range and the league.

We'll do some revamping of the range throughout the season. The current plan includes adding at least two more automatic traps on the range, which will allow the addition of some new stations and some additional challenges on the current stations. We plan to change out some traps on the five-stand range and move things around a bit.

Plans are also in the works to make some changes in the Pro Shop. The need for a dedicated office space in the lodge becomes more apparent as time goes by, so the plan is to remodel the pro shop space to include a "real office." This will allow us to have a person at the shop/office for more productive hours and add convenience for our customers in shooting and scheduling. It will also allow Les and Bette some additional time to go out and play, knowing that our customers will be well taken care of in our absence.

Les and Bette did not take a winter vacation this year, but we are planning a three-week trip in June to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. We've reserved another "expedition cruise," this time to see Alaska, and we're taking some extra traveling time to see the sights and relax along the way. We'll take the Amtrak trip to Seattle, fly to Juneau, cruise to Sitka, fly back to Seattle and take Amtrak back home. We've talked about this trip for several years and are looking forward to seeing this part of our country.

We'll also be working closely with another local business this summer, and many of you will have the opportunity to meet and work with our friend Pat Morstad. Pat is an avid sportsman and very active with the Minnesota Deer Management Assn. Pat owns and operates Precision Landscaping which is headquartered in Henning MN, and also has extensive experience with golf course development and management. He will help us finish the new little "one-hole" golf game Les started last fall just south of the lodge, and will also spend time assisting us with the shooting and hunting business. We're looking forward to this new associate, and we know you'll enjoy meeting and working with him.

Let's have a wonderful summer! We look forward to seeing our members and league teams and shooting friends, and hope you'll include us in your plans for fun with family and friends.