Thinking about the fall

My husband likes to go hunting in the fall. Mostly we go for ducks and also go grouse hunting, and I like to go with him some of the time.

One of the things that has happened is since I have lost so much weight, my old hunting jackets and waders don't fit me any more. My all-weather Columbia camo coat was a men's 3x. My heavy wool vest is going to swallow me up. Yesterday, we went trying on new coats and lo and behold, I can wear a man's L. It's a little snug across the tummy, especially if I were putting it over waders, but wow. That is quite a reduction.

See the pic of a heftier me looking over the marsh from a viewing station.

If you wear things like waders or bib overalls, and the inseam is too long, it can make it really difficult to walk, especially through marshy land. I had that problem last year and went out and got bigger, but shorter waders. Won't even be able to wear them this year.
Picture of Salt Creek Marsh in early winter after the ice has started...a stark and beautiful place.

Maybe I'll just pass on the duck hunting, and concetrate on the grouse. We have quite a hike up a mountain trail (1000 feet up and about 2.5 miles in) to get to where we find them. I have loved hiking up this trail, but its physically been very demanding when I was weighing over 240. I'm looking forward to how it feels to be hiking up that path come this fall, when I will be weighing so much less.

I don't really care if we get any - for me it's an excuse to get up in the mountains as the leaves are turning, the aspenis golden and the weather is fine. And there's this wonderful view of the mountains you can't see from down in the valley... spectacular payoff for a long, sometimes hot pull.



But now the pressing question (unusual for hunting season) will be - whatever shall I wear?