SCUBA Adventure Partner!

I've recruited a fellow adventurer to learn how to dive! Ashely Hollis will be joining me in PC for the SCUBA class. If anyone else wants to wrangle up some free time to come explore the floor of the Gulf let me know! You can hang out at my campsite and I'll rustle up a tent for ya or you can get a hotel room like a pansy. Your choice.

Bill Bryson

A favored book of mine recounts the journey of Bill Bryson and his unusual friend Katz as they undertake a portion of the Appalachian Trail with little experience and middle age angst. A Walk in the Woods is only one of several travel books Bryson has written, but it's the only one I've read so far. From the very beginning Bryson keeps us entertained with a whimsical style of storytelling that makes you really want to discover his little adventure with him. He draws you in with his descriptions of the trail. Bryson is terribly afraid of bears, a little bit of humor is spread throughout the book about his imaginary bear encounters. What Bryson does not do is romanticize the trail, he calls everything the way it is. He adds a lot of history of the regions and trail being built in the book, and somewhere along the way it really made me start to question the way we treat the Appalachians, along with all our nations monumental forests and mountains. He tells us about government institutions real purpose, such as the US Forestry service's main function- to build roads. Even when he tells us a harrowing story he does so in a way that makes us laugh a little and yet makes you think.

One of the most interesting things he does is paint a picture of the different personality types you encounter on the trail. There's people of all types, some arrogant, some friendly, sometimes annoying. Reading this book makes one crave the same type of experience, a journey that changes your perspective on life and people, on everything.

That really is what it's all about. Adventure is for discovery. The things that you discover aren't always the lands, creeks, and waterfalls you encounter. Sometimes you learn about you, your self image changes and your friendship with others can be strengthened. Katz and Bryson are a rather odd coupling for a buddy adventure, but Bryson comes to understand quite a bit about his friend by the end of the adventure. This is why you sometimes see business' sponsoring "team building" trips outdoors. Send a group of people river rafting and they will not only learn to work on a team to keep their butts dry but they will form bonds that will last far longer than anything you get standing around a water cooler.

Something to keep in mind when you wonder, "why go into the wilderness?" I say why not?

Alabama Hiking Trail Resource

Descriptions, pictures, even GPS waypoints one Alabama's hiking trails and more can be found on Alatrails.com. I've been reading this site all day and can't get enough of the knowledge and dedication that's been poured into it. A great tool for anyone interested in finding the out of the way features Alabama has to offer.

Scuba Class

The weekend of July 18th I'll be taking some time off for a scuba diving class. I'm pretty psyched about it, it's something I've always wanted to do and just never got around to. The basic dive course gets you everything you need to get started in one weekend, gear rental is included in the price ($285). The course is in Panama City.

I'll be using the tent instead of a hotel room for this go round. Saving cash. I'm planning on carrying the bike on down to get some riding in after class hours.

If anyone would like to come along let me know, you're welcome to share a tent or you could wuss out and grab a cozy hotel room, your choice.

Gone on a Walkabout.

The film "Australia" featuring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman gives us a look at Aboriginal culture and the clashing of Aboriginal people with European settlers in Australia. The film focuses on the internal conflict of a man who is half Aboriginal and half "whitefella." After Nicole Kidman's husband is murdered and his estate left in her hands she puts together a team of misfit individuals under the lead of the cattle drover, played by Jackman, to drive her cows to auction across the desert. Throughout the trip they are fighting disaster as a competitor cattle baron attempts to stampede the herd. This group includes a young boy who's mother died keeping him hidden from the authorities to avoid his being taken to a Christian mission. Half white children are taken so the "savage" could be eventually bred out of them and their culture replaced. Sadly this practice did not end until the 1970's, though the Australian government has issued a formal apology for irreparable damage that was done.

It was a good movie, but it got me interested in Australian tribal culture. There's a warning at the begining of the film saying that the movie may contain images and voices of dead Aborigine. I searched the internet a little and discovered that while Aborigine don't say the name of the dead, they also must not show pictures of them. Proper respect for the dead says that you must wait a certain period of time before displaying a photo as the soul may be kept bound to it otherwise. The warning is an attempt for the whitefella to comply with this culture's tradition as there have been problems in past films not warning Aborigine that a deceased member was in it.

The term walkabout is used alot in the film and is described as a certain rite of passage into manhood. I wanted to know more about it but there's conflicting literature as to it's true purpose. All are agreed that a walkabout is a period of time in which you leave normal life and explore the wild, living only with the bare necessities for survival. Some say it's a time for you to get back to the root of life by getting away from everyday activity and work. Later on in the past century there started to rise an idea that there was a spiritual quest to it, a search almost where a man who is in conflict with himself will wander until he "meets" his other self. He will converse with his other self and eventually reach a resolution where the two are joined and become whole. He is then able to return from walkabout.

It's a neat culture and worth looking into, and they definitely had the right idea about getting away from everybody every now and then for a little walkabout in the wild.

Waking Every Day

It's hard, I know, but sleeping in rarely pays off. I've made it a habit to never sleep in past 9. Usually I'm up by 7:30 on my days off and ready to go.

You may remember a post I did in Blog 1.0 about sleeping in and how to get back on track. Follow it and you will discover that you can be twice as productive that day. I promise you this, you will be more successful in whatever you're doing. Ben Franklin wasn't kidding when he quipped, "Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

Still need help? I found a useful page. Jump to it now.

I Love Lists

And this is a good one from the Chicago Tribune. Original can be found here.

50 things I've learned in 50 years, a partial list in no particular order

1. It’s better to sing off key than not to sing at all.

2. Promptness shows respect.

3. You can’t avoid offending people from time to time. When you don’t mean it, apologize. When you do mean it, accept the consequences.

4. The first person to use the expression “Get a life!” in any dispute is the loser.

5. The medium is not the message. Those who issue blanket condemnations of any form of communication—be it TV, tabloids, text messages or blogs—simply aren’t paying attention.

6. The most valuable thing to have is a good reputation, and it’s neither hard nor expensive to acquire one: Be fair. Be honest. Be trustworthy. Be generous. Respect others.

7. Prejudice and bigotry is hard-wired into us. You can’t overcome it until you acknowledge it.

8. Don’t be bothered when people don’t share your tastes in music, sports, literature, food and fashion. Be glad. You’d never get tickets to anything otherwise.

9. Cough syrup doesn’t work.

10. Empathy is the greatest virtue. From it, all virtues flow. Without it, all virtues are an act.

11. The Golden Rule is the greatest moral truth. If you don’t believe in it, at least try to fake it.

12. Keeping perspective is the greatest key to happiness. From a distance, even a bumpy road looks smooth.

13. You can’t win arguing with police officers or referees, but every so often you can fight City Hall.

14. It’s not “political correctness” that dictates that we try not to insult others’ beliefs and identities. It’s common decency.

15. It may not feel like it, but it’s good luck when you have people at home and at work who aren’t afraid to tell you when you’re wrong.

16. It’s 10 times easier to fall in love than to stay in love. And no matter what the sad songs say about romance, broken hearts do mend.

17. Don’t waste your breath proclaiming what’s really important to you. How you spend your time says it all.

18. Keeping an open mind is as big a challenge as you get older as keeping a consistent waistline.

19. It’s never a shame when you admit you don’t know something, and often a shame when you assume that you do.

20. Wounds heal faster under bandages than they do in the open air.

21. Fear of failure is a ticket to mediocrity. If you’re not failing from time to time, you’re not pushing yourself. And if you’re not pushing yourself, you’re coasting.

22. Anyone who judges you by the kind of car you drive or shoes you wear isn’t someone worth impressing.

23. Grudges are poison. The only antidote is to let them go.

24. If you’re in a conversation and you’re not asking questions, then it’s not a conversation, it’s a monologue.

25. In everyday life, most “talent” is simply hard work in disguise.

26. Great parents can have rotten kids and rotten parents can have great kids. But even though biology plays a huge role in destiny, that’s no excuse to give up or stop trying.

27. Four things that most people think are lame but really are a lot of fun: barn dancing, charades, volleyball and sing-alongs.

28. Two cheap, easy self-improvement projects: Develop a strong handshake and start smiling when you answer the phone.

29. When something that costs less than $200 breaks and it’s not under warranty and you can’t fix it yourself in half an hour, it’s almost certainly more cost-effective to throw it out.

30. Most folk remedies are nonsense, but zinc really does zap colds.

31. Physical attraction is nice, but shared values and a shared sense of humor are the real keys to lasting love.

32. To keep dental visits regular, schedule your next appointment on your way out from your last appointment.

33. The 10-minute jump start is the best way to get going on a big task you’ve been avoiding. Set a timer and begin, promising yourself that you’ll quit after 10 minutes and do something else. The momentum will carry you forward.

34. Laundry day is much easier when all your socks are the same and you don’t have to sort them.

35. Candor is overrated. It’s hard to unsay what you’ve said in anger and almost impossible to take back what you’ve written.

36. Goals that you keep to yourself are just castles on the beach. If you’re determined to achieve something, tell people about it and ask them to help you stick with it.

37. Mental illness is as real as diabetes, arthritis or any other disease, and no more disgraceful. It’s the stigma that’s disgraceful.

38. In crisis or conflict, always think and act strategically. Take time to figure out what the “winning” outcome is for you, then work toward it.

39. All the stuff you have lying around that you’ll never want, need, wear or look at again? It just makes it harder to find what you do want, need or intend to wear. File it, donate it or throw it out.

40. Exercise does not take time. Exercise creates time.

41. Almost no one stretches, flosses or gives compliments often enough.

42. It pays to keep handy a list that includes a trusted plumber, electrician, locksmith, appliance repair specialist and heating contractor. When you really need one is no time to start looking.

43. The store-brand jelly, cereal, paper goods, baking supplies and pharmacy products are good enough.

44. When you mess up, ’fess up. It’s the fastest way, if there is one, to forgiveness.

45. When you’re not the worst-dressed person at a social event, you have nothing to worry about.

46. Be truthful or be quiet. Lies are hard to keep track of.

47. Your education isn’t complete until you’ve learned to take a hint.

48. There’s a good reason to be secretive about your age. People tend to assume things when they know how old you are. “Oh, he’s turning 50,” they might say, for example, “probably full of cranky self-lacerating aphorisms that he thinks qualify as wisdom.” (See "Bored, Tubby, Mild," an animated editorial cartoon along these lines)

49. Whatever your passion, pursue it as though your days were numbered. Because they are.

50. Readers love lists. You got to the bottom of this one, didn’t you?

Another Day Another Dollar

Don Don and I rode back out to the Jungle thingy. The water bowls were filled today and the cage floors were clean of droppings. I reckon they are taking decent care of the animals save for the small quarters. These guys are based out of Florida where they have a petting zoo, I hope they give these big cats alot of room to roam in when they aren't on the road.

Stuck here at Station 1 today. Not a whole lot of action going on. I'm thinking we may have a quiet weekend with Bama Jam going on one county south. I figure that's where all the action will be. Maybe a crack house will burn up later and we can pack out for a change. Here's hoping.

It's time to start planning the next big wilderness excursion. Talladega national forest is next on my list. Cheaha state park specifically. There's plenty of hiking and scenic views out there. I'm looking for volunteers to join my party! If you want to get out there with me let me know. I can hook you up with most of the necessary gear. I'm planning this visit for around September. This ain't the backyard camping your mom and dad used to set you up with, we go out into the deep woods. Don't worry though; Bear Deano is on your side, leading you the whole way. Drop me a line in the comment box and let me know!

Cheaha State Park, the view from Pulpit Rock. You can be there too!

Caged Animal

There's a little traveling petting zoo that stopped off in Troy at the Village. Upon entering you will notice two things-

1. These folks are carnies. Carnies are scary.

2. These cages are extremely small. And bare. And without water. Animals like water right? Even Tigers?

They have goats, a llama, monkeys, lemurs, a kangaroo, a tiger cub, a white tiger, a regular tiger, a lion cub, a camel, a burmese python, a leopard and some sort of little cow thing that was kinda funny. What they didn't have were decent accommodations for these animals. The tigers were in metal cages with less than 6x4 feet of room to move. The big cats just lay sleeping (I hope, they seemed to be breathing.) It's always exhilirating to see big cats, but it's kind of a drag to seem them imprisoned like that. I can't imagine these animals being anything more than miserable.

Usually animals love attention. Not these though, unless you had some food they shied away from being petted. It's kind of sad. In fact it kind of depressed me. When you go a zoos these days they usually have huge environments for the animals to roam around in. I'd say don't go give these carnies your money, but I'm afraid what would happen to these animals if the cash flow dried up. The tigers could be sold, but I think they'd be hard pressed to find a home for the goats, and being a herp enthusiast I know snakes are extremely hard to get rid of. Zoos won't accept them, they already have so many.

Poor little fella. I wish I could steal him and raise him on the farm in Zion Chapel. It's hard to hide a tiger I bet.



Joe camel here had about six feet of room to walk around in.

Pensacola Air Museum

I was dieing to go back to the Pensacola Air Museum on the naval base ever since I went a few years ago. This time I took pictures. My father and brother drove down and met me there after the Border Bash. I highly recommend it!