It was a good idea to pile four people into a super “stable” canoe with backpacks, hiking boots and camouflage, bows, arrows and things to cross the Mississippi River to hunt? Well, I can tell you one thing, it was NOT a good idea. As the last man entered the canoe and the paddles hit the water so did the four of us. It was a colder Autumn day and the river was frigid. It was a good thing that all of us could swim well. My two boys were less than thrilled that they could maybe miss out in a big night of hunting. We scurried along and were able to quickly disrobe our wet things and found more hunting clothes. Back across the water we went, in a row boat this time. We safely made it across the river, jumped into our tree stands a little chilled, patiently waiting, but ended up not seeing much more than a few squirrels. We did however share some good laughs about it later that evening. Life to me is about experiencing new things all the time and maybe learning a thing from time to time. One thing is for sure, it will be a memory that won’t be easily forgotten and more than likely will become a story that’s elaborated on. Maybe it will become a hunting story my boys will share with their boys someday?  A good story is like a good map, it’s timeless and often time passed down from generation to generation. Our hope is that just by experiencing our maps they will make such a huge impression on you that they too will be shared for generations to come.