Cold Cold Hands

Posted byGary FultzPosted inabundant life, accomplishment, adventure, cold, dad, deception, discipline, Fishing, fishing adventure, fishn, Gary Fultz, GaryFultz Blog, gone fishing, ice fishing, Nature, outdoor adventure, perspective, Planning, quality of life, relationship building, spiritual concepts, wilderness adventure, Winter preparedTags:, , , , , , , , ,

“Grandpa, my hands are cold and I can’t find my gloves” said a small whimpering six year old voice behind me. I laid down my ice fishing auger and turned to see two little bare red hands extended out to me in the freezing temperatures. No gloves, 100 yards away from the semi-warm fish house, freezing temperatures with below zero wind chill and my grandson had wandered across the ice to find me with no gloves on. I had asked him to stay in the fish house while I drilled more holes to look for better fishing. He didn’t.

I took off my gloves and cradled his in my warm hands and gently cradled them while warming them. While he tried unsuccessfully to hide sniffles I was feeling my own father cradling my hands 59 years ago while adventuring in the woods to look for the perfect Christmas tree. I had managed to get very cold, was near death and I was only five. My father told how his much older brother had warmed his hands at -30 temperatures as they gathered firewood. His brother also told him how to keep his hands warm when they start getting cold as he told me and as I had told my son (another story) and now my grandson.

It’s not good to be cold.

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My wife and I  stayed warm that day, caught fish

All other rules are associated with this rule. Another rule: don’t get wet (because you will get cold). Another: wear layers of warm enough clothes to keep you warm (or you will get cold). Yet another: keep active (or you will get cold).

My grandson violated about 10 rules for staying warm. After drilling holes through 18″ of ice and setting up our fold up fishing shelter, little man stepped into one of the 10″ augured holes up to his thigh in the icy water. I took his boot and sock off, wrung out the sock and boot lining, dumped the water out of his boot, took one of my boots off and a wool sock and put it on him. The sock was so big I folded it back over the foot for a double layer. I found a plastic bag to keep the sock and foot dry and put it up to his thigh under the pant-leg to keep him dry, then I put his boot back on, and I mine. Note to self: bring extra little clothing and gear next time. My grandson then left his gloves outside on the lake (lost them temporarily) because the fish house was warm enough.

Winter Pike on a spoon email
Catching fish through the ice with a stick, line and hook…it works well

My Perspective: it was a half mile hike across the lake against a chilly breeze pulling a sled loaded with all the ice fishing gear. I was hot and sweaty in the 15 minutes it took to get to the pickup at a brisk walk. My grandson sobbed all the way while I encouraged him to keep his hands (with his found gloves) under the armpits and keep moving to stay warm.

Grandsons perspective: We were miles from the pickup and grandpa made me run all the way back to warm me up, but it made my hands colder, my feet froze and my legs froze. Grandpa wouldn’t let me ride in the sled (which would have made me warm) and I thought we would die.

  Some day little man, you will cradle your sons hands and remember grandpa (fondly).

A life perspective: My little guy thinks he got cold suddenly. He didn’t. It took time and a few wrong moves on his part. I knew he would feel warm within 5 minutes of getting to the pickup (he did). He got cold by not doing things to stay warm (as I suggested with warnings continuously).  He didn’t even know he was getting cold and there-in lies the danger. We easily drift toward cold family relationships, marriages, become obsolete in the work place, we don’t pay attention to the possibility of a meaningful relationship with God or just don’t pay attention to life itself around us.

Remember the number one rule, don’t get cold. Our natural default is to drift into having Cold Cold hands.

Gary

Published by Gary Fultz

Outdoors Man, Hunter, Fisherman, Guide, Writer / Author, Photographer, Public Speaker, Musician, Song Writer, Story Teller, Follower Of Jesus. Love God and family and total strangers

36 thoughts on “Cold Cold Hands”

      1. I used Fahrenheit till I was about 11, then they switched to Metric and it’s been confusion ever since, especially in weights. Our stores advertise meat with a per pound price in the flyers, but then in the coolers they are labeled in price per kilo. And produce is listed in the store by per-pound, but on our receipts it shows up in kilos. And I still think in miles per hour when driving as it’s easier for figuring out how long it’ll take to get somewhere when going 60 mph.

        Definitely catching some photos of the scenery, despite freezing my hand off when I remove a mitt to click the camera button. 🙂

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    2. Steeny, I did the edit for you.
      I should have a conversion chart by my computer for posting temperatures. I notice the differences from country to country and some countries have no clue that it gets colder then what we still consider to be short sleeve shirt weather (which in January is 32f or 0c)
      I also wear wool fingerless gloves in leather mitts so I can slide my hands in and out quickly and use the buttons on the camera. I use a battery pack grip attachment for extra life in the cold or the cameras do not last long below freezing.

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    1. Thanks Tmart. I think you have more confidence in me than I do on the book idea, although , quite a number of people I respect have encouraged me that way. My next objection: I would get less fishing in while writing that book.

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  13. Very nice lessons in this story of your freezing grandson. Children express all of their discomforts very well. Ha Never grow cold and drift away from God. Enjoyed reading this post.

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  14. Thanks Lizzy
    And children have been known to exaggerate their discomfort as well. In this case, he was cold but not in danger. Of course we would never do that with God

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      1. She is doing well but there is quite a gap in memory. We are hoping she gets back some more of her tenacity to keep tackling her physical disabilities. It’s not there yet.
        thanks for asking.

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  20. Great story, Gary! Love the examples of life, and your father would be proud how you treat your grandson like your dad did you! Love the mental picture!

    Also, never been ice fishing, but went white bass fishing in a boat with my oldest son today. It was sunny and got up to 51….thought we were going to freeze in the wind boating up the river! I feel pretty wimpy now after reading your story! 😉

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  21. Thanks Jeff, Our little fisherman will listen a bit more next time (maybe), and I will be more prepared for him.(like bringing the fish house heater)
    Don’t feel wimpy, wind in any cooler temp will take the body heat right out of you. I have rain gear with me at all times to cut the wind when boating,
    White bass fishing is on my someday bucket list, sounds like a great father son excursion.

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  23. Thanks Pene, I hope you are doing well in this tough time for your profession.
    Ice fishing is very fun. I take the kids fishing in shallow water inside a fish house so they can see the fish in the clear water swimming through (most do not bite but they can see them). One must stay safe ice fishing though.

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