Vagabonding begins!

I knew something was wrong from the moment my bare feet touched the ground this morning.

I climbed out of bed with a slight groan here, a subtle pop there. A shifting of something inside my spine that probably shouldn’t be shifting. I looked around waiting for my brain to slowly finish its reboot for another day and then realized……

I’m one year older!

So I just turned 25 today….plus or minus 8 years….and would like to say that I don’t feel any different.

Sitting here now, my back is reminding me of the nasty fall I had climbing a few years ago and even my hernia that I received exactly 3 years ago today (courtesy of my first skydive) is tingling. For some reason when I am sleeping on the ground, or trekking up some unnamed hill, all of these ailments disappear…..my conclusion is that staying indoors makes you old.

Birthdays have always been special to me. Anyone that can survive another year on this insane planet deserves to get a cake and eat it too. I thank God for letting me see 33 of them, I’ve been given enough second chances to upset the whole system.

Lyndsey made a big deal out of my birthday by inviting loads of friends, both old and new, over for a surprise cookout. It was fantastic, and despite it being a work/school night, we partied like it was the last birthday for any of us. Ever.

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The ARMY Rangers were famous for something called a “Ranger pause”.

When they entered the woods or jungle on a mission, rather than just blundering forward, they would sit for 15 minutes or as long as it took for everyone to get their “pause”. No talking, moving, or messing with gear was allowed until everyone had aligned themselves with the woods and knew all the ambient sounds. By doing so, they became a part of the environment, rather than just guests in it - giving them an advantage.

It does work, and I try to practice it every time that I go on a hike or hunting.

Last week, while on a hike at a nearby nature preserve, it didn’t take a pause to know that something was up. Something different.

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Its almost like looking under your car as your are filling it with gas, only to see that same gas pouring out and going down a drain. And so, after more than 2 years of maintaining this blog, sometimes in very ... [Continue reading this entry]

Moss growing on a log My favorite month. Maybe I'm a little biased because I was born in June....making me a Gemini (twins), and according to some, gives me an excuse for acting schizophrenic. (I agree) wait...no I don't. (yes ... [Continue reading this entry]