I have an Etsy shop called MasonDixonMamas. It's pretty girly, honestly. So, the other day (more like yesterday), I got a wild hair and decided I wanted to do stuff for guys, too. I added a new section to the shop, named after the hunting camp that my husband and his buddies frequent, and also where I went out on a hunt for the very first time last fall.

My brother began hunting when he was about 15 (that would be 15 years ago). It's not something that my family was ever really into--they mostly fished--but for some reason, he took to it. Not long after that, my dad started showing an interest, I decided that the meat they brought back from a day in the woods was freakin' awesome, and I wanted in on it for a long time. As luck would have it, I started dating a fella that lives for hunting.

And then I married him.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Sorry.

So anyway, I started dating my now-husband last year. He took me to "deer camp" for what is commonly known by the regulars as "archers' weekend." Please let me interject here--my first (and only) hunting experience up to that point was skinning and butchering my brother's kills. And for what it's worth, I'm pretty good. Back to the rambling now. So, I'd never actually been in the woods to experience them waking up. I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I got myself up off the air mattress and got suited up faster than some of the guys we were with (and suprisingly earlier than I thought I was capable of), and ventured out with Tater to sit in the woods, in the dark, in the freezing cold with very poorly-insulated boots, to wait for turkeys so he could shoot them.

No turkeys.

But...I saw the woods wake up.

We sat like statues and watched our breath puff in the cold morning air. I watched the sun rise over a nearby mountain. I watched a light dusting of snow, almost like powdered sugar on French toast, float down to rest on our surroundings. Sitting there, being quieter than I have ever been in my entire life, I watched a buck step out of the woods and into the meadow. He just stood there, for what seemed like hours but was really probably only a couple of minutes, if that, and it amazed me that he blended in so well with his background. I almost had to squint to see him. He puffed steamy breaths from his nose, looked this way and that, and then slowly walked away.

We sat and waited for turkeys, but as I said above, there were none. There may have been some sneaking past while we fell asleep, but since we didn't see them, I stick by my story. No turkeys. Later that day, we went out again, to a different spot, and fell asleep some more (hunting is hard work!), and still, no turkeys. But it was probably one of the most enjoyable days of my entire year.

As for the aforementioned Etsy shop, and the new section for guys, I decided to do it because of the hardworking, dedicated men that I am blessed to now call my family. They work hard! They set out trail cameras months in advance, and have to check them, change batteries, relocate, etc. all year long, leading up to the season. They brave the cold, the wind, the rain, the snow, and they get cold. And uncomfortable, I'm sure (I know I was uncomfortable...until I could get up and walk and then was able to feel my toes again).

Hunters (real ones, that know what they're talking about, know what they're doing, and do it well--not the guys that buy "the" gun, "the" pants/boots/shirts/etc) deserve more than just a mass-produced, 100% acrylic blaze orange knit cap; more than a thick pair of socks that do nothing other than wear out too fast for the amount of money paid. They deserve the same time and effort put into their apparel that they put into providing food for their families. They deserve apparel that does its job and does it well.

Enter: Benninger Road, the manly-wear line from MasonDixonMamas.

(Don't look yet--I'm still stocking up that section of the shop...I'll let you know when it's safe.)