There's beaver in them there hills

It seems like it has been forever since the last outdoor adventure took place. Winter sure does have a way of slowing down life as I know it. It's not the cold you see, it's just that there is less daylight hours to work with. But thanks to some pretty good weather this past weekend, I found myself once again heading for the hills. This time it was a local trail that gets way too much traffic any other time of year. I guess the winter does separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to outdoor activities. That is good for me in many ways. Less trail traffic, less road traffic, and you get to see things this time of year that normally would be hidden from view by the foliage. Sure these little short day hikes are not any replacement for the more serious stuff that I like to do, but it does offer a nice substitute when cabin fever sets in. Even though we as humans are held at bay by the grip winter has on us, nature itself, that is all the creatures that live in these places must also endure change and hardship. Remember.....this is there home and we come to visit there world. Proof of this is all around, on every trail I cross. Thee are tacks, left over pieces of nut shells, bark stripped from the bottoms of trees, holes in the creek banks, nests in the trees.
The trail I was on this time has a family of beaver that called the creek home. I was only a small section that they were living in that might range about 200 yards or so. They have been working on a dam for quite awhile. I have talked to people who have walked this trail many times tin the past and they say that each time they are there they see new construction on the dam. These little rascals are hard working engineers who don't need building plans and Home Depot. I am amazed at how well they can build a structure like this from nothing more than sticks and logs. There must be something we can learn from this. I stopped there and snapped a few pics and hoped to see them at work. I guess all work was finished for the week. After all, it was Saturday. Maybe they were out for a hike somewhere. It was a good day for it.

There is peace on the mountain top

Thanksgiving has come and gone and we are now
running full steam ahead into Christmas. Yes……I said Christmas. Not the holiday season like some retailers want it to be. How silly for commercial America to turn it’s back on the very holiday that has made billions for them. It seems that these self proclaimed “friendly neighbors” are starting to show their true colors when it comes to being honest with the people that fill their pockets with money. The very same money that has “In God We Trust” printed on it. OK…..retail America, if you really want to turn your back on Christmas, why don’t you go ahead and refuse to accept the green paper that boldly states that we are (at least we were) a nation that was founded on the belief that God is the basis for all things good. All it would take is for all Christians of the world to get back to what Christmas is really meant to be, and then all the retailers would be more than happy to say “Christmas Sale this weekend!”.
Take a good look at the other nations of the world, all the chaos, turmoil, strife and suffering that is taking place in countries that have built for themselves another God. A God that is not real. A God that is not with them “always”. It should take no time at all to see that we are truly a nation that has been blessed with peace where we are able at any moment to walk out our doors and into a safe environment were we are free to come and go at will without fear of being killed or at the very least shot at or locked away for life because of who we are. Remember this……we did not choose who we are, but we can choose what we are. I am a 38 year old Caucasian American with Scottish, Irish, German and Cherokee blood running very freely through every organ in my body. I did not choose that and I am so happy that I can walk out my door and not be terrified that I will be hunted down because of it. I choose to be who I am. It is natural for me to take off with nothing more than a water bottle (which can be filled with clean drinking water from the faucet in my house and not from a nasty community water pit) and head for the “Great Outdoors”. I can force myself to fit into almost any social category that I want but none of that would be very natural for me to do. I would not feel comfortable in many of these situations. So I don’t do it for that reason. I do feel comfortable being high on a mountain top all alone in a world that was created for me to live in. Soaking up all the glory and splendor that is creation. Keep in mind….this is the only planet in the entire solar system that we can live on. Uniquely created for us to enjoy and care for. I would love to go to Mars.. only to explore, but live there? No trees, no rivers, no animals. No thanks! I am completely happy with what God made me to be.
A Scot-rish-erman-erican-okee. I am completely thankful that I can choose who I am, and if someday I decide to change that? Well….that’s ok also. Is that going to happen? Probably not. I do hope that someday I will be used in a place where I can share my joy and knowledge on the natural world outside my door with others who are like minded and share the same love and joy. In short…..we will probably never be able to change how retailers present there image, and that’s ok, but we can control how we present our own image. I’m not upset that the word Christmas is being taken away from commercials and ads. I am disappointed though. It will not change who I am. There are no commercials or ads displayed where I go looking for adventure. There is peace on the mountain top.