A Beautiful Weekend

Ahh. Winter. The cold, the touch of snow - ok wait a sec. I'm getting Cabin Fever!!!

The missus and I and family noticed that we were in for some unseasonably warm weather at the coast this weekend. So, we got into the "family truckster", grabbed our travel trailer, braved the coast range pass and headed to Cannon Beach, OR for the weekend.

It was beautiful. Sunny, VERY warm for this time of year - 60 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit - and worth every second. Our little dog Jake (a rat terrier) got to dig to his heart's content at the beach - at last check he made a 6" trench about six or so feet long. He had FUN. Heather and the kids played in the sand while I dinked around the trailer - checking things out from the zero degree weather we had earlier this winter - and just lazed about a bit.

We went to Astoria and bought one Dungeoness crab, some Alaskan scallops, a couple of steaks, and had a FEAST for dinner, most fresh from the ocean. The crab was wondering what he was going to have for dinner only hours before he became dinner for us. We got a fairish amount of firewood for the campfire, only to learn that it was very damp and unseasoned. I finally got it to burn, but not before smoking out some of the RV park we were staying in.

We got back this evening to high wind warnings and COLD temps, but it was worth it to break the routine a tad. It was something wonderful :)

Survivorman vs. Man vs Wild

Les Stroud is my hero. Every week, for MY entertainment (and some possible chance of pointing out an actual survival tip or two) he goes out for a week at some remote location. Sometimes he is in a jungle, sometimes in a boat, sometimes in the arctic, sometimes in arboreal forests - but EVERY TIME he's alone. No camera crew, no one there, just him, the camera gear - and Nature.

Then there is Bear Grylls. Nice enough guy, entertaining, but travels with a camera crew and sometimes gets "presented" with treacherous circumstances so he can "demonstrate" a survival technique.

Although I appreciate Mr. Grylls technical abilities, Mr. Stroud is REAL. No survival techniques that he isn't NEEDING at that moment. And all alone.

So, as I sit back on my rather soft couch, here's to you Les Stroud. Keepin it real for the masses.

Until next time.........

What can I say?

I have had to take a LONG pause from blogging. It seems that with the pressures of a new job, moving to a new house, moving my 84ish year old mother from SC to here, and just the day to day challenge of being me took it's toll - so here I sit. My loving wife MadMom - who's blog exists here - has taken over the torch for a bit as I try to recuperate. I guess it's time to start typing again, even though there will be many times I say little more than "Hi There!" as I pass through. Trust me. I'm not dead after all - just dead tired :)

Doc