tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10569822869310621572024-03-18T15:08:02.146-04:00Smoke in the CedarsThe aimless wanderings of a woods dude, his camera, and his spare time....Joel Pearonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118064621983618071noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056982286931062157.post-79198385900437029682017-03-13T22:37:00.000-04:002017-03-13T22:37:16.105-04:00A Hike to the RiverI had been out of the game for a while with back injuries and leg injuries and family nonsense and on and on and on... Finally between Thanksgiving and Christmas last year I hit a spot where everything aligned and I could spend a day or two planning and a day out doing the hiking and exploring I enjoy a lot. One of the side effects of not getting outside much and having time to look at maps is sometimes you find a spot you feel like you just need to visit and you hafta try. It's just required. This map shows what I was thinking and the spot I saw. If you look back over previous posts you may notice this is just down river from the last spot with a river overlook I attempted to reach. This is a shorter hike by almost a mile though and the terrain profile suggested it might be an easier go over the land.<br />
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Caltopo.com's profiling utility is really helpful for me when I am convincing myself that my body and mind can get me in and out without any "rescue required" failures. The 19x exaggeration in vertical slope doesn't help though...<br />
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As the profile suggests the first half mile was a bit rough on the way in. Driving for a couple of hours to reach the starting point always leaves my needed to stretch a bit and it was cold and a bit windy on this day so it was that much harder to loosen up. I had to pause a few times on the opening hills. Fat and not young are not always a helpful thing...<br />
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But once through the initial warming up and finally up on top where things smoothed out a bit, the views were as nice as I expected. Hiking was good and old log road served pretty well.<br />
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The lack of colors other than brown always make the staghorn pop. I love this stuff...<br />
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Stopping about half way along to take a break and rest. That Hill People Gear Pack is just top notch. For light weigh exploration it's really tough to beat.<br />
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Out at the end of the log road things got a bit less clear for direction and the map and compass really came into their own. <br />
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The trail wasn't hard to see once I found it but I had to circle for a second, just to make sure my bearings were right. Cold, windy, and sweaty are the wrong combo to have when getting lost...<br />
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At the end of my travels up and down and up and down again, I got the view I had hoped for...<br />
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The Ohio River Valley is one of my favorite things to look at on a map. The geologic history and the relationship to the ice ages and glacial flows is something special to me. Getting a nice view from above and a great hike to boot... well, that was just the really good stuff. Only one thing to do in a spot like that; Make Coffee...<br />
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My little esbit stove continues to be the most useful and least debated kit thing I have bought for my time out beating the bush. It's a legal fire alternative for state forests like this and it's a fast option when travelling light and making a fire is just more than is needed. I am really pleased with it.<br />
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One more gratuitous shot of the HPG Tarahumara... For the money this little pack is hands down the best day-hiker out there if you can fit all the gear in it you want to. Add the frame sheet. It's worth the extra $. I really did enjoy packing this along on my trip... This from a guy with a bad back.<br />
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Things being cold as they were down in the valley and me sweating my guts out, I couldn't stay long. A valuable lesson was learned there about carrying a small blanket even when not camping overnight. If I had had one with me, I could have been a while and rested. Instead, I had to drink and go or risk some form of danger from hypothermia. <br />
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The hike out, while exactly the same length, took very long. My legs were feeling their lack of use about half way back and I had to pause more often than I liked. This was compounded when I realized I had left my Ibuprofen at home by mistake and I was going to have to just gut it out. I literally ransacked the back looking for it too... Tough moment for me.<br />
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Anyhow, I made it out OK. Slow and steady and one step at a time... It's a great hike and I would encourage others to give it a try. Based on what I saw there, others do from time to time but not very much...Joel Pearonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118064621983618071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056982286931062157.post-914157664693844922016-04-17T01:30:00.000-04:002022-07-13T11:42:34.506-04:00The Last of It Until LaterLast Saturday I got to spend the day out with what I am pretty sure is the last of Winter for 6 months or so. The drive was dicey but worth it. I found myself up on a hill listening to big wind bend big pine trees while snow caught me in the face now and then, and it was perfect. Gray skies and cold temps for the whole morning provided that one last glimpse of the winter before it departed for the southern hemisphere. <br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XNtxuoAUFrw/VxHsuJwl70I/AAAAAAAAAuA/zt8KiHIDVigwH-ee8IVgFaLnQyr5rgbnACKgB/s1600/IMG_5146.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XNtxuoAUFrw/VxHsuJwl70I/AAAAAAAAAuA/zt8KiHIDVigwH-ee8IVgFaLnQyr5rgbnACKgB/s640/IMG_5146.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>The Drive Down - SR 62, south of Washington Courthouse</div><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>In places it was very much like driving in February Ohio. The snow was for real. The squalls were just smaller than full fledged storms. I made it without issue but what a ride... Adventure is good and bad weather helps sometimes.<br /><br />Things cleared off just south of Hillsboro and I got back to just regular driving. The roads were treated and plowed and the snow had stopped the heavy stuff. I made it by 10 or so without issue.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FRhbuCImB38/VxHtb1XWp_I/AAAAAAAAAuk/aVVWlPXokzQywYFzHJrRV6nXxpbyTVMZwCKgB/s1600/DSCN0649.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FRhbuCImB38/VxHtb1XWp_I/AAAAAAAAAuk/aVVWlPXokzQywYFzHJrRV6nXxpbyTVMZwCKgB/s640/DSCN0649.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />The hike in was uneventful and cold. Cold air is easier to breath I think and I made good time in the woods. The snow was blowing all over the place but it wasn't too bad. I knew it wasn't going to last out the day so I just decided to be cold a while. I stopped up on top of the hill and dragged out a new bit of gear I picked up to see how it might do...<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nmX19oje8qY/VxHtcZO-2fI/AAAAAAAAAuk/_kL4UUhiSG8kDQQqjzXB0cWic6rafXE_gCKgB/s1600/DSCN0654.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nmX19oje8qY/VxHtcZO-2fI/AAAAAAAAAuk/_kL4UUhiSG8kDQQqjzXB0cWic6rafXE_gCKgB/s640/DSCN0654.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The TAD limited edition RMJ Loggerhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oG3wV9WDVe8/VxHtcU1mHhI/AAAAAAAAAuk/IZ4RV7eDWusyvZJjj8y1-jeeMtaqIjJywCKgB/s1600/DSCN0656.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oG3wV9WDVe8/VxHtcU1mHhI/AAAAAAAAAuk/IZ4RV7eDWusyvZJjj8y1-jeeMtaqIjJywCKgB/s640/DSCN0656.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angry Steve looks right at home in the snow...</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Completely by accident I discovered that RMJ had made a hawk with a blunt head face called a Loggerhead. I went about locating one and wound up with something called a TAD edition. I'm still not sure why it matters so much to the guy who sold it to me and in the end, I don't really care. The thing made me a believer in its first outing. These are the first swings I took with it and it was pleased.<br /><br />The wind kept on a while and I mostly just sat and listened, braced up in a big pine, enjoying the last throws of cold for the season. After a while the wind died down and I decided to seek lower elevation and have some coffee to sort out the rest of my day... I mean, coffee is the reason, right?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F705ZyoCvQs/VxHswGpKrxI/AAAAAAAAAuA/He8hstqeC4cCKA8QT82smmNaos2oeosiwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5153.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F705ZyoCvQs/VxHswGpKrxI/AAAAAAAAAuA/He8hstqeC4cCKA8QT82smmNaos2oeosiwCKgB/s640/IMG_5153.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jGchp0XGTfI/VxHtsi7SEfI/AAAAAAAAAuw/IvzXsyElgwkCFILFlWx1m30Brofoe947wCKgB/s1600/DSCN0676.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jGchp0XGTfI/VxHtsi7SEfI/AAAAAAAAAuw/IvzXsyElgwkCFILFlWx1m30Brofoe947wCKgB/s640/DSCN0676.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Esbit / Heavy Cover Coffee Kit Combo performed, once again, in stellar fashion. The coffee was ready with about 1/3 fuel cube left. I poured some off to the Kuksa and kept the rest all hot in the canteen cup. Starbucks Pike Place is never this good in the office.... <br /><br />One thing I enjoy immensely is cooking in a campfire. There are so many good videos out there on how to cook in a canteen cup, it's just hard to nail down a technique better than another. What I will say though is that <a href="https://youtu.be/uKWb8unQZAU" target="_blank">this video</a> changed the way I look at it quite a bit. The idea of baking bannock on the cup with something new for me and I have used it quite a bit in the last couple of years. This trip was no exception. The thing about it though is to bake with coals, you need to start with a fire... It's always something... Reenter the Loggerhead. :)<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yEVZ55LTYik/VxHs1tqwTQI/AAAAAAAAAuA/WnRn-e7QpAQrtphQCZfI7pT1Yc8N7abkACKgB/s1600/IMG_5157.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yEVZ55LTYik/VxHs1tqwTQI/AAAAAAAAAuA/WnRn-e7QpAQrtphQCZfI7pT1Yc8N7abkACKgB/s640/IMG_5157.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut it down...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J7X19iTBOHM/VxHs3j7Q3AI/AAAAAAAAAuA/FNBcd5B9qvsDxgru9ByzGw4Emy3EWTBWQCKgB/s1600/IMG_5159.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J7X19iTBOHM/VxHs3j7Q3AI/AAAAAAAAAuA/FNBcd5B9qvsDxgru9ByzGw4Emy3EWTBWQCKgB/s640/IMG_5159.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Split it up...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wx4Fwfn8igk/VxHs45xmF0I/AAAAAAAAAuA/KQhdptWsr3IsOhQ-ekKuAxUgv4BzcGs4QCKgB/s1600/IMG_5160.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wx4Fwfn8igk/VxHs45xmF0I/AAAAAAAAAuA/KQhdptWsr3IsOhQ-ekKuAxUgv4BzcGs4QCKgB/s640/IMG_5160.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A decently well prepped fire... (I did do the shavings with the knife there)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pd6C1-50SQ4/VxHs-9ekwGI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/6xcEPOMhTLsfMNTW-F9N7f5i09SLiYlaACKgB/s1600/IMG_5164.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pd6C1-50SQ4/VxHs-9ekwGI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/6xcEPOMhTLsfMNTW-F9N7f5i09SLiYlaACKgB/s640/IMG_5164.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warming cold things by the hot thing, now that it's burning...</td></tr></tbody></table>Anyhow, as you may have guessed by the pics, a fire was made. Notice the slow and progressive decline of the snow in each picture. At first I was bummed because the snow was going. Then I was really bummed about how we it got and how hard it was to get things to really burn. We got there though.<br /><br />The thing is, I am a sucker for sweet baked items with Coffee. I have this recipe that I use to make a cinnamon sugar and nutmeg campfire bread that is just not to be believed when mixed with Maple Syrup and a good, strong cup of liquid Java hotness... It doesn't look like much when it's baking but when it's done?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Yt9TE1dXu8/VxHs-TJt7zI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/zbSrZg3AP4kTS0-QtJwrzK1wtrUHnLqXwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5172.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Yt9TE1dXu8/VxHs-TJt7zI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/zbSrZg3AP4kTS0-QtJwrzK1wtrUHnLqXwCKgB/s640/IMG_5172.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />See? Now that has real promise.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_PEp0NIjGcI/VxHtDNJsOgI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/pJjUXUTDZKsOAuuGPlCGBVol2BCc__VpACKgB/s1600/IMG_5174.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_PEp0NIjGcI/VxHtDNJsOgI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/pJjUXUTDZKsOAuuGPlCGBVol2BCc__VpACKgB/s640/IMG_5174.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />De-foil and add syrup and it is just unbeatable.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2vqGRLMqC7o/VxHtEcES1xI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/9kp2OtGjGSkxsGTnonwPTtRRJ8UcdQUQwCKgB/s1600/IMG_5176.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2vqGRLMqC7o/VxHtEcES1xI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/9kp2OtGjGSkxsGTnonwPTtRRJ8UcdQUQwCKgB/s640/IMG_5176.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Of course, this baked thing requires more of this stuff too. :) (Note the full and complete disappearance of the white stuff by now...)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-prHXD8oAbgg/VxHtvdSWWpI/AAAAAAAAAvA/88vUuy6H-_ERndVkAOz5C5bNKZwDdzgFwCKgB/s1600/DSCN0689.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-prHXD8oAbgg/VxHtvdSWWpI/AAAAAAAAAvA/88vUuy6H-_ERndVkAOz5C5bNKZwDdzgFwCKgB/s640/DSCN0689.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Sometimes it's just good to fill up and sit a while, enjoying the clear entry point of spring into the world in which you live. I hung out a while, used my knife to mess up a carving or two just messing around, and generally gave some thanks for another complete cycle of the seasons in my life.<br /><br /><br />By this time, things were starting to close in on the end of the day and even as much as I enjoy being out in this, I really like to be there when my kiddos head off to bed. They won't be little forever and someday soon I'll have to knock before I go in to check on them. I decided to head out. I did snap a few pics along the way though.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1j_JKp9J5k/VxHuBQVeoVI/AAAAAAAAAvI/XzlK6i43QyAK554lCy5bTukLlUjiBIsygCKgB/s1600/DSCN0690.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1j_JKp9J5k/VxHuBQVeoVI/AAAAAAAAAvI/XzlK6i43QyAK554lCy5bTukLlUjiBIsygCKgB/s640/DSCN0690.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the last bit of snow I could find as I was getting ready to head out. Ah well... only 6 months or so to go...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TT9dHzw-NQg/VxHuEY5HoKI/AAAAAAAAAvI/CBVp59FtcBYqrw3hIU1fG60Sp2NzSIkQACKgB/s1600/DSCN0692.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TT9dHzw-NQg/VxHuEY5HoKI/AAAAAAAAAvI/CBVp59FtcBYqrw3hIU1fG60Sp2NzSIkQACKgB/s640/DSCN0692.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the top of the tripod I use for my hammock chair when I am out overnight or in warmer weather. Some crazy, hillbilly lookin stuff isn't it? :)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iFMbwObuvwM/VxHuHbu_HZI/AAAAAAAAAvI/LUu_2BBhFAARBhRsPJuVndtLYVv_Fwe3wCKgB/s1600/DSCN0693.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iFMbwObuvwM/VxHuHbu_HZI/AAAAAAAAAvI/LUu_2BBhFAARBhRsPJuVndtLYVv_Fwe3wCKgB/s640/DSCN0693.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, checking out a really big tree on the place I like to go. Also, testing the use of the timer shots for this sort of thing...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9kzlCDMpx9I/VxHuU25CI0I/AAAAAAAAAvI/d6fARb8zeUkW8qUOAwkxtCwb175TMv_nQCKgB/s1600/DSCN0697.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9kzlCDMpx9I/VxHuU25CI0I/AAAAAAAAAvI/d6fARb8zeUkW8qUOAwkxtCwb175TMv_nQCKgB/s640/DSCN0697.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found this little fella on the way out. No idea what happened to him...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5xDw4wVFJfI/VxHuUjpvUtI/AAAAAAAAAvI/bp7IbEz20QkDaWxnl2OrQUKDlE_jm7pyACKgB/s1600/DSCN0711.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5xDw4wVFJfI/VxHuUjpvUtI/AAAAAAAAAvI/bp7IbEz20QkDaWxnl2OrQUKDlE_jm7pyACKgB/s640/DSCN0711.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ohio Sunset... Home.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Basically a great day with great tools, great food, and coffee made the way you can only get when it happens outside... Thanks for looking.<br /><br />-JPJoel Pearonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118064621983618071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056982286931062157.post-18051240524031111412016-04-03T15:14:00.000-04:002016-04-20T21:44:23.155-04:00A Good Kuksa is Worth the WaitWhat I find amusing is that this all started because I got lost in the woods... and I was only in the woods because I was hunting squirrel... and I only ever learned to hunt squirrel and to love doing it because I was married to my first wife and her father taught me how to hunt... and I only knew them because of a friend I used to have named Tony who I knew originally as a friend of my best friend. As in all things, everything is your best friend's fault.<br /><br />When I was first learning about more advanced outdoor skills I was originally very excited by the idea of knowing 18 ways to make a fire using only organically collected, free range mouse farts and the heat generated by leaves blowing in the wind. After a while though, I started to realize that the skills were not the stopping point / not the destination for me. They were really the stepping stone to ensure that when next I was lost, I would likely know what to do to get unlost or remain not dead and unharmed until help could find me.<br /><br />Around the world these skills are, more and more, being called Bushcraft. It's a good and fitting name but; In the end though, you have to do something with them or you're just a guy out in the woods with $2000 in gear, making a fire and winding up cordage to save for some later date. It's not that expensive gear is bad at all. I have a few things like my canteen sets that cost ton and seem to be worth every cent. But like most things though, the products of the skills (fires, shelters, cords, carvings) and the culture around them (gear collectors, knife experts, raving survivalists, etc.) can be filled with folks only interested in those elements. I'm not sure I know why and I am pretty sure I no longer care about things like; Who has the best knife? Who makes the best feather sticks? Who posted the coolest pics on the outings forum? You know, spontaneously winding cordage at your neighborhood BBQ is an excellent parlor trick. These things though, they are not for me anymore...<br /><br />I realized that what I really love is the outdoors itself and I had lost that in there. The time spent not being bound to a desk or baseball practice or whatever is essential to me. I like to go from one place to another on foot, through as much natural stuff as possible, and take in the trip along the way. I also know that I love to write about these things. Which brings us to here and now... Coffee in the basement, typing post #1.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NnIAyvHQ-BI/VwFnlKlTqDI/AAAAAAAAArA/5O-MjaKmeL4BUHF2YeA2hySUHp6NlfHTw/s1600/hc_esbit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NnIAyvHQ-BI/VwFnlKlTqDI/AAAAAAAAArA/5O-MjaKmeL4BUHF2YeA2hySUHp6NlfHTw/s640/hc_esbit.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a heavy Cover Ti canteen cup on an Esbit Stove, surrounded by my workbench and all of its junk... :) Starbucks Via - Pike Place, cookin up to steaming goodness.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Like most good ideas I have had, this one started in a bunch of trees and then came to life on a really cluttered work bench, next to my desk. Welcome to the tales of my coffee making along the trail. Why coffee? It's a pretty simple thing really:<br /><ul><li>First - I have been playing out in the trees with the explicit goal of learning things for about 6 years now. One of the things that is constant in my time out is making a decent cup of Java. Among the other things I have learned, this one remains a constant regardless of season, company, or other goals for a trip... and I love the stuff. A good brew at the right time just makes a trip. </li><li>Second - It doesn't take a helluva lot to make a really good coffee wherever you are outside. It packs up small and packs lite. It's a good reward for the other half of the equation I have concocted here.</li><li>Third - It compliments almost everything else I get out to do. It's silent. It's healthy-ish. It's a touch rebellious if you know my background. It's something I like to take pictures of.</li><li>Fourth - Thinking about it metaphorically, the trail isn't just in the woods and I think writing it down more and more will be good for me, inside this head.</li></ul><div>Speaking of gear, over Christmas I was part of a Secret Santa thing on BCUSA.com. It got all mixed up and one of the guys not assigned to me, filled in with some last minute stuff to so I wasn't left hanging. It wasn't really required but I was so grateful. One of the things that showed up from Amazon with this Kuksa...</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EMSyWlXexU4/VwFnlJO-X2I/AAAAAAAAArI/FrGtI5cWw9EVNrfB9VAwyjt1N020i1fvQ/s1600/kuksa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EMSyWlXexU4/VwFnlJO-X2I/AAAAAAAAArI/FrGtI5cWw9EVNrfB9VAwyjt1N020i1fvQ/s640/kuksa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kuksa on my desk, hot Java on board, typing out my thing... :)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Now, I have owned a few of these wooden cups over the years and nearly all have fallen short in my expectations. They look great but leak or crack or they don't look so great when you get them in person or they just can't take being packed around. This one was manufactured and not hand made and I suspect cost a good deal less than the ones I had previously. It completely proved my ideas about these cups false. If you can find 'er over on Amazon, I think this one is worth a look. I surely like mine and will be taking it along as much as I can. The randomness of the good things happening when I have stopped trying to make them happen makes me happy. Coffee and random cup goodness... worth a smile, every time.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's about time to wrap this one up. The wife and kids are barking for outside time and I am honestly with them on this. More trips in the future me more time away from them so when I am here, I should make the most of it. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Feel free to stop back by. I'll be posting a bit now and then with my thoughts on coffee and other nonsense that doesn't matter in the material sense but will, with any luck at all, be good for a soul or two. God Bless and take care...</div><br /><br />Joel Pearonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118064621983618071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056982286931062157.post-86601692398958434712010-10-09T22:03:00.009-04:002010-10-09T22:27:09.971-04:00Walk by faith, not by sight“Cursed be the ground for our sake. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for us. For out of the ground we were taken, for the dust we are… and to the dust we shall return”<br />Genesis 3:17-19, King James Bible<br /><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cjvVueAJByc/TLEftnkg4DI/AAAAAAAAAGY/ZpwMPDYRWhs/s1600/4146974183_1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526233086337015858" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cjvVueAJByc/TLEftnkg4DI/AAAAAAAAAGY/ZpwMPDYRWhs/s400/4146974183_1.JPG" /></a><br />I'm not a real movie reviewer sort of guy. I don't mind writing about books and trying to be objective but movies... they are just this whole other level of thing that I prefer to simply enjoy. I had the good fortune the other night to see The Book of Eli and was moved. So here, int he paragraphs that follow are my thoughts and why I say see it if you haven't.</p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cjvVueAJByc/TLEfqOdGF0I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/lea1bXnVcbg/s1600/4146974183_2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526233028055406402" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cjvVueAJByc/TLEfqOdGF0I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/lea1bXnVcbg/s400/4146974183_2.JPG" /></a> Imagine a world where mankind unwittingly turns down its own volume and produces, in the process, a barley livable wasteland from the world of remarkable luxury we enjoy today. What would happen?<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cjvVueAJByc/TLEflxBlOfI/AAAAAAAAAGI/yH56gW6QtLI/s1600/4146974183_4.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526232951435901426" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cjvVueAJByc/TLEflxBlOfI/AAAAAAAAAGI/yH56gW6QtLI/s400/4146974183_4.JPG" /></a> While things spin out of control and the world balances the population with the sustainable resources that are left, men who are evil and strong will rise and men who can may very well hear the voice of God and do its bidding. The Book of Eli explores this idea and the results are remarkable.<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cjvVueAJByc/TLEffnQeaJI/AAAAAAAAAGA/1PyZh1wqO6g/s1600/4146974183_6.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526232845734799506" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cjvVueAJByc/TLEffnQeaJI/AAAAAAAAAGA/1PyZh1wqO6g/s400/4146974183_6.JPG" /></a> Most everyone knows the words to the 23rd Psalm. For the first time, those words rang off the screen in stark contrast to the world and surroundings in which they were presented. The beauty of the idea and verse became obvious and offset starkly the burned out and decaying world in which they were spoken.<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cjvVueAJByc/TLEfa6HMztI/AAAAAAAAAF4/NOjg5u8i6i8/s1600/4146974183_7.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526232764896825042" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cjvVueAJByc/TLEfa6HMztI/AAAAAAAAAF4/NOjg5u8i6i8/s400/4146974183_7.JPG" /></a>It's in that moment that you may begin to realize, as I did, that the Bible is not written to be relevant to modern living. Seeking the truth of the non-fat late lifestyle in its pages may be a perversion of a powerful thing. When life becomes as bad as you can imagine it, when you are holding on to nothing with everything you have and the reward is your beating heart, the words of the bible are there. It is a staggering moment when you realize we are all prosperous, not because God has made it so, but because we revel in the distance is places between us and our creator. </div><div> </div><div>The Book of Eli is an excellent movie and I would recommend it to all. There is more than enough blood and violence to keep it interesting and, as I think I have expressed here, the spiritual points it raises, possibly unintentionally, are pretty solid as well. You should see it.</div><div> </div><div>-JP</div></div></div>Joel Pearonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118064621983618071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056982286931062157.post-29941242302221437132009-02-08T16:53:00.000-05:002010-09-18T08:37:35.782-04:00If You Didn't Bring Jerky, What Did I Just Eat : Misadventures in Hunting, Fishing, and the Wilds of Suburbia by Bill Heavey<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cdaUb3-TzDQ/SY9bfah481I/AAAAAAAABJs/8cHPpkqewLk/s1600-h/heaveybook.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300555881693901650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 264px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cdaUb3-TzDQ/SY9bfah481I/AAAAAAAABJs/8cHPpkqewLk/s400/heaveybook.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>To be fair about this, the reason I renewed with Field and Stream for the five year plan was Bill Heavey. I really like to read his stuff and I knew it when I bought this book. This a really easy read and was just about all I expected it to be. You know, you can find a good bit of this stuff online if you want to try it before you buy it. Check out <a href="http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/kentucky/2006/06/sportsmans-life-collected-columns-bill-heavey">this link</a>. Good stuff.</div><br /><div>If you find that you need more humor or just a new perspective on things this may be your book. Bill comes across as an ordinary guy who knows how to hunt and fish and wants to be a good dad all the time and works hard and hates it and... You know the drill. The American condition documented without judgement with a wink and a shared commiseration of the facts of modern life: You would hunt more if you could, you know enough to know you could always do it better, and we are all human underneath the trappings of the world.</div><br /><div>It's a good read and, like the last few, is broken up into short essays making it a good one for bedtimes or broken periods of reading. From 'Stalking Walt Disney' to 'The Promised Land' the book is filled with stories that share experience and read like a note from a friend. It's worth the time to read it if you like this sort of thing. So to it then:</div><ul><li>Readability - 5 of 5 - Two things to know here. Column guys know how to get in and get out so this makes it move fast and convey on the mark. Also, the nice thing about writing about life as a fellow traveler is that you never have to use works like flossynossynillpillification, synco, or ibid. No heavy language around the heavy concepts of life. Not dumb, just readable at all levels.</li><br /><li>Editing - 5 of 5 - Not much to say here. It's as well done as the monthly columns and those are always solid.</li><br /><li>Subject Matter - 4 of 5 - Only 4 of 5 because sometimes he talks about fishing. Fishing is like golf in my mind and is simply an excuse to be outside by water and drink....</li><br /><li>Did I like the story - 5 of 5 - By discussing the hobby I love and wrapping a life around it in prose, I find that I able to smile and shake my head and grin when I think of this later in the day. I don't get that a lot, not even with Ruark. This is special.</li></ul><p>I have to say that having a collection of works for an author I like at hand to read it just about my favorite things for the cold and dark months after Christmas and before Easter. Bill Heavey is one of those guys I would love to take deer hunting through the day and spend the evening discussing the day with. The natural quality of the everyman comes through loud and clear and the talent behind it glows.</p>Joel Pearonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118064621983618071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056982286931062157.post-17284974533526268812009-01-10T08:32:00.000-05:002010-09-18T08:37:35.789-04:00The Lost Classics by Robert Ruark, edited by Jim Casada<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cdaUb3-TzDQ/SWijyO9FzcI/AAAAAAAABE4/PwUKIg-toRA/s1600-h/tlc_rr.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289657845749763522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 216px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 324px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cdaUb3-TzDQ/SWijyO9FzcI/AAAAAAAABE4/PwUKIg-toRA/s400/tlc_rr.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left">So, big thanks to my Grandmother for buying this for me for Christmas. As I expected it to be, this one is a keeper. The Lost Classics is a collection of Robert Ruark's writings from various publications, a large portion of which we printed as monthly serials. Dating from the 50's and 60's, these writings provide a glimpse of a time and place this is surely gone forever. Ruark's style and knack for telling a story is reflected in each of these works. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Jim Casada has done an excellent job of assembling these. Having no frame of reference or firsthand knowledge of the columns Ruark published, I am at the mercy of those who can decide which were the best. That said, these were all excellent stories and worthy of finding their way into a book so they can be remembered a while longer. In short, this is a book to read if you like reading such things. The short story format makes it a good book for short bursts of reading and taken as whole the book is an easy, easy read.</div><div align="left"> </div><ul><li><div align="left">Readability - 5 of 5 - While Horn of the Hunter provided a fairly in depth look at the man and the way he saw things, The Lost Classics is structured by virtue of the original context of the work (IE: Magazine articles) to get you in, get it done, and get you out again. Short and sweet... It's a really easy read. </div></li><li><div align="left">Subject Matter - 5 of 5 - While Ruark's stories spend a lot of time talking about hunting and the outdoors, the stories here also talk about the life lessons learned as a boy in North Carolina. It's good stuff.</div></li><li><div align="left">Editing - 5 of 5 - I like all of the stories in this book. I am certain it took a good deal of work to pick them over the others available. And the flow all seems to make sense. </div></li><li><div align="left">Did I Like the Story - 5 of 5 - See above. Nuff said....</div></li></ul><p align="left">If you enjoy Robert Ruark's work or if you are looking for a way to see if you will, pick this up and read it. It's worth the time and will sit between chapters without any demands on you to know what is next... unless you like it and then, it's a good thing anyway. Enjoy.</p><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div>Joel Pearonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118064621983618071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056982286931062157.post-3253338242571723572008-11-01T07:38:00.000-04:002010-09-18T08:37:35.793-04:00Horn of the Hunter: The Story of an African Safari by Robert C. Ruark<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cdaUb3-TzDQ/SQw_6qmswkI/AAAAAAAAA0A/oa2y7_mCyGg/s1600-h/hoth.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263652341590835778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cdaUb3-TzDQ/SQw_6qmswkI/AAAAAAAAA0A/oa2y7_mCyGg/s400/hoth.gif" border="0" /></a> I've had this book on my holiday, get-me-something-of-worth-instead-of-crap list for a while and nobody would get it for me. What a shame. I finally just broke down and bought it myself. I am glad I did.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Robert Ruark is an excellent writer. While the book is colored with phrases and language structure reminiscent of the beat poet culture after it was mainstreamed, the book is a still a fantastic account of a safari in an Africa that, I am told anyway, no longer exists. What's better, the account of the hunt and the living during the safari appear to be totally honest and allow the reader inside the experience. I hardily recommend this book to anyone interested the subjects covered. Ruark's account of his professional hunter, Harry Selby, is a well thought out portrayal of a man with many facets and personality traits that run well beyond his ability to bust brush and track game. Like I said, well written and developed.</div><br /><ul><br /><li>Readability - 4 of 5 - So, this is a tricky one. Ruark's accounts of tracking, shooting, etc. are fantastically well done. Where I struggled a bit was in the dialog and the innuendo of the things unsaid. As I said above, I think this a period specific thing and does not detract from the book if you can lend it a couple of minutes of thought..</li><br /><li>Subject Matter - 5 of 5 - I'd expound on this but if you just look at my profile / other blogs this will get really clear. I am all about this.</li><br /><li>Editing - 5 of 5 - Fantastic. I knocked this book down in 4 days and found not a single error, split thought, or awkward transition. Really well done.</li><br /><li>Did I like the Story - 5 of 5 - A non-fiction tale with well developed characters in an open-topped land rover, trekking around Africa for Buff and Elephant and Eland and Kudu and.... Well, you just get the idea. Yes. Fantastic story. Must read if you like this sort of thing.</li></ul><p>Worth the money, worth the time. Really good read.</p><p><em>(Note: Next month I will cover those books that I have not been able to finish this year and did not like. I know I said this month but I figure why wait on something as good as this. Those others will still be unread in 30'ish days... )</em></p>Joel Pearonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118064621983618071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056982286931062157.post-7645942605406438102007-09-23T15:22:00.000-04:002010-09-18T08:25:33.249-04:00The Best Part of Being Me<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_cdaUb3-TzDQ/RvbIinih_cI/AAAAAAAAABg/t1t_pfQpr34/s1600-h/PIC-0023.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113494923980701122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_cdaUb3-TzDQ/RvbIinih_cI/AAAAAAAAABg/t1t_pfQpr34/s200/PIC-0023.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_cdaUb3-TzDQ/Rva9g3ih_bI/AAAAAAAAABY/NyDPDZEU9s0/s1600-h/PIC-0023.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">So, I just can't lie about it. The best parts of my existence are my wife and my youngster. Here they are, glorious and beautiful as they can be. Having said that, I recount this tale of manipulation and treachery for all to see.... :-)</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">After I returned home and told the hunting tale in the previous post (with a good deal more theatrics and cursing...) and after the wife stopped laughing at me for being clumsy and getting older not as gracefully as she, the serious ridicule began.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Let me see if I have this right," she said "A rifle that worked perfectly well from the factory wasn't good enough and you had to buy parts made of plastic" I try to interject 'ultralight carbon-fiber' in there but she says again, "Made of plastic. Right? Couldn't function without them. Right? Need the edge of light weight to maintain energy or some nonsense. Right?"</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">All I can do is say, head down, "Yes."</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Now it's broken? One fall and it's broken?" she asks more like a parent than I remember her and all I can say again is "Yes".</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">"So OK, superbrain-computer-nerd husband, let's skip over the whole why-the-hell-would-you-buy-plastic-parts-thing and go straight to the you-want-to-fix-it part. How much?" </span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">She clearly far more worried about the cash than my emotional well being or the technical inaccuracy in her 'plastic parts' statement. The trauma of a blown hunt and my new favorite rifle being reduced to so much recyclable junk is just a non-issue for her. So, I play it cool and say..."$900.00". Of course it doesn't occur to me to be ready to dodge flying flatware and I have shirt with a fork shaped tear in it now. Dang it! Abort! Dive! Dive! Plan B! Tee it up and Go!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Alright" I say, " I am not exactly sure. I think I can do it for $300 and I can sell one of the unused multitude of rifles in the cabinet to pay for it." This is what she wants to here. I have missed, again, the ploy to reduce the number of arms in our house and she has played me on a two-fer on this one. One squirrel rifle in the can (I am honestly unsure if the receiver is damaged as well. I need to check it more when I have $ and time) and one of my other must-haves sacrificed on the alter of financing the hunt of the mighty squirrel. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ah well, the 270 I decided to cut loose is rifle I have owned for two years and never fired. Given the cost of keeping the youngster in our house, the out-of-state rifle hunt for anything appears many moons away. Besides, I sold it to a good friend. If I need it, I can borrow it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Then I get to work. I get to build squirrel-slayer part deuce and the wife is happy about it. For the first time in a while I see that she gets it. Probably better than I do, she gets it and I love her for it. She could say things like "Get them all out of the house." or "No more hunting if I will be home alone with the kids." or "No more vacation time for hunting." but she doesn't. Instead all she says is, "If you have to fix it right now, you better not take it out of the checking account because the massage I would cancel is all that is keeping you from being impaled by that fork once a day." I like that. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">So, I pinged up my buddies at Midway for a new Tactical Solutions matte green barrel and a new extractor. Then I set to work converting the action of one my two target 10/22's to be loaded for hunting. I found a good Nikon rimfire scope and mounted it. The other new parts are due to arrive tomorrow. I will be hunting by the weekend, new rifle in hand and a a pile of support for me at home. (Maybe not a pile but enough) Oh yeah, and no plastic parts....</span></div></div>Joel Pearonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118064621983618071noreply@blogger.com0