It’s obvious that I am a dedicated supporter of the great outdoors; my whole life, including my leisure time and even my employment, has, for years, revolved around spending time in it. When I say the great outdoors, I mean spending time observing wildlife, hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, or even paddling a canoe down a river or stream. When I think about it, those outdoor activities actually became a part of my everyday life since I regularly participated in them; I often read about them; I got involved in outdoor photography; I’ve been writing about those outdoor subjects for years, and in my case, I even paint them.

Obviously, not everybody becomes an outdoor enthusiast, but I was recently thinking back on what got me started in my love of the outdoors.

Often a young kid’s dad gets his son or daughter involved in hunting or fishing, but in my case my dad did not participate in any outdoor activities, but Grandpa did, and I’ll never forget those deer “hunting trips.”

We would start a steady walk first thing in the morning, and five miles later we would take a short break. After another non-stop five-mile trek, we would turn around and head back towards home.

Every now and then he would yell, “There goes one,” and I would look up just in time to see the white-pointed tail of a deer disappearing into the woods. For the first couple of years of hunting, I thought a deer was a white-pointed thing!

Well, obviously those early hunting trips weren’t all that successful, but those outings did generate within me a love of hunting and the outdoors.

As young kids, we would often ride our bicycles for several miles to a stream. A little can of fresh worms and a cheap fishing rod was all that we needed. We would park ourselves on the muddy bank and maybe catch a few small suckers, but we were thrilled that we got to go fishing.

Camping became a big part of our younger days as well; no, no one in the family went camping, but us guys would often head out the door and up into the nearby woods where we would build a small shelter from nearby brush — the only thing it kept out was the sun.

When I think back to those early outdoor adventures, I realize they were pretty crude; there was no real sophistication to those early outings, but what those times did do was create within me that love of the outdoors that has become so much a part of my life over the years.

I strongly encourage people who are involved in the outdoors to pass those experiences on to the younger generation. I am a bit concerned these days that this younger generation is becoming less and less interested in things like hunting, fishing, and just observing wildlife in its natural surroundings.

Granted, the great outdoors may not become a major part of your life, but it can certainly bring a lot of satisfying experiences to your daily routine.

Little did I know in those early years of my life that the outdoor world would become not only my enjoyment, but it would also be how I make my living.

Painting wildlife and the beautiful surroundings where wildlife is found has been my living for many years, along with six years as a TV co-host on “Pennsylvania Outdoor Life” and, of course, writing about the outdoors for the past 30 years.

By the way, that reminds me, over at Hill Country Gallery we are having our yearly open house where my artwork will be featured. The open house will be Saturday, September 26, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, September 27, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are located at 4186 Muncy Exchange Road, Muncy.

Please feel free to stop by and say hello.