The Columbia Basin contains an abundance of activities for outdoor-minded people. Hunting, fishing, birding, camping, hiking, geocaching, biking, wildlife viewing to name a few. My job has been to help you, the reader, learn more about these activities and how to participate.

An annual review of every job should be considered a positive activity. With this in mind, this column is reviewed every year by its creator; me. This is a chance for me to study not only the last year, but also the column from the beginning in 1991. This year we are one week late with this evaluation, because the columns about the pranks continued for a week longer than expected.

Yes, it has evolved over the years, which is good. The word evolved in this case means to grow, progress, develop and advance in a positive way.

My goal, from the beginning, was to inform readers. Reader comments over the years have indicated the column has been a success. Above all, I'm proud to be the person putting words on paper.

Some topics have become repetitive by choice. The first column of each year focuses on giving back to the outdoors. Train yourself and others to improve the landscape by picking up a soda can here and a candy wrapper there.

Teach our youth about one of your activities, be it birding, fishing, camping or hunting. This effort also includes adults who have not yet had the pleasure of learning about fishing or birding.

Another subject addressed each year is survival. What should a person do when they are become lost? The answer is simple; stay put and make a survival camp. There is much more involved in the process and we will explore the various elements involved during the next year. I consider this topic to be one of the most important of the year, as it has the possibility of saving lives.

These past 21 years has been a learning experience for me, too, as no one knows everything about the outdoors. There are new angling techniques to discover and shooting practices to understand and put to use.

An example was the chance to visit with Air Force snipers last year. Hitting the target at 600 meters distance was possible after a little instruction. This distance is equal to 656 yards.

Thus long-distance shooting became the subject of a couple of columns.

However, before shooting at a deer at this distance, hunters should head to the Boyd Mordhorst Shooting Range near Ephrata and take some shots on the 450-meter range, which equals 492 yards.

One of the most useful tools to come onto the market is the rangefinder.

This will provide the distance to a target, such as a deer.

My contention is most hunters guess the yards to a distance target as greater than reality. Therefore, they have a tendency to shoot over the deer.

This has proven true during numerous tests with hunting partners. What they guessed as 600 yards was actually 400 or less.

While the rangefinder will put the shooter within one yard of the correct distance, this is but one factor in hitting a long-distance target. Stay tuned for more columns on this subject.

The GPS is another tool to become important to outdoor recreationalists.

It provides the position of the vehicle during a hunting trip, the spot of a tree stand and the location of a geocaching prize.

In unknown territory, the GPS helps the hunter or hiker from becoming lost, because they are able to retrace their steps to the vehicle.

Geocaching is a new sport. Anyone can put a geocaching prize in place, and then put the coordinates and other hints on the Internet.

Seekers of such prizes use the information provided to find the item. There are several geocaching prizes in the Basin, perhaps hundreds. This is a relatively new sport and suitable for the entire family.

My wife, Garnet, and I plan several camping trips this year. Our 26-foot Hideout travel trailer will be our base of operations during these outings. Columns about our camping excursions have resulted in many reader comments, mostly of recalled experiences.

Short of an overnight or longer trip, suggested day trips have been popular and will be presented at various times during the year.

This is a way for readers to discover a part of the Basin they may never have traveled before, or at least not for a long time.

Information about critters adventurers may encounter while traveling in the Basin fills several columns each year.

Here we are talking about cougars, deer, ticks and rattlesnakes. Plus did you know we have scorpions living close by?

New product and book reviews will consume a few columns.

This is my way of providing information about new products to hit the market and newly published books, both of which readers need to know about and digest.

One of the most important segments of writing a weekly column is reader feedback; both regarding what has appeared in the column and suggestions for future columns; let me hear from you.

With year 21 completed, what say we settle into year 22 with gusto.