Why?

We had such a wonderful experience this past summer. My daughter was chosen to be a Junior rider for the Tour de Rock. The TDR is an annual fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society in which 24 riders from the RCMP, Military Police, Municipal Police, plus two media riders, complete a bicycle ride from one end of Vancouver Island to the other. They visit most every community, big or small, along the way. Schools and community centers welcome them with generosity, adrenaline pumping cheers, and delicious eats. I am so proud of the local riders that completed this amazing journey. They have become our friends, and, although a slight bit jealous of the adventure, so amazed of the hardships and mileage they endured in these two weeks, not to mention the months of training to build up to it. Great job Team!

Natalie decided early on in the Tour involvement that she would shave her head! Her mom set up a fundraising site on the Canadian Cancer Societies web site and the dollars came pouring in. In one month she raised $2500 dollars from her friends and family. What an accomplishment! Kind of shocking the generosity that they all showed in helping her give such a large amount. Natalie bravely sat in the chair on a gorgeous, sunny Thursday morning and had her blonde braid shaved off. The lady doing the work asked if Natalie wanted to donate her hair for wigs, and she said yes right away. She smiled the whole time, and before long was sporting a close trim, like her dad! A great experience for her young life, one that promises to be full of being generous and wishing to help others.

The evening before we attended the "Red Serge" dinner, a fundraising event, when the Tour team rolled into Courtenay. 400 people were in attendance, it was a packed house. Many corporate sponsors, volunteers and guests willing to open their wallets in support of the cause. The event raised some $35,000, a huge success for the riders efforts. Again the generosity and self-less gestures were incredible. People willing to shell out cash with little regard. It was so awesome to see a community come together to support a great cause. I feel lack of community in my life. That could be just my inability to function well in large group settings, but I saw it at this function. I commend everyone at the event, the Riders, the support crew, volunteers and the thousand of folks on Vancouver Island who came out the raise money for the Tour De Rock.

While watching the goings on at the "Red Serge" dinner, I began to ponder something. My mind, like always, goes into preventative thinking , versus Western "fix it after its broken". As amazing as it was for the willingness of the participants to open their wallets, how many of them take into consideration why do we have cancers? The epidemics of the disease are mind blowing. I am sure you know one, two or more people who have it, have fought it or died because of this disease. It seems to strike with little regard of age, sex, race, or health. Cancer seems, in my mind, to be increasing rapidly. Lots of energy is being put into finding cures for it, and we need that to be sure, however I would love more self reflection on the individual level on what is actually causing it. Giving to the Cancer Society and continuing to smoke. Promoting a fundraiser in to community while coating your skin in perfumes, make-up and soaps. A quote in this blog from Natalie, where she stated "Why would they use motorcycles to raise money for cancer, wouldn't the burning of the gas just make more cancer?" Paraphrasing a little bit, and that quote was reminded to me by Katie DeRosa, as she interviewed me for the Victoria Times Colonist. I had forgotten about that one, an eight year old having that logic. Where is ours?

Our systems are broken. As a whole, especially in the west, are eating nutrient deficient food, laced with toxic herbicide, pesticide, and fungicide, grown in dead soil. Our micro-biome has been destroyed with all the antibiotic medications and cleaners. We never eat fermented foods anymore. We are bombarded with vehicle emissions, airplane "chem-trails"(if they are real) and exhaust, tailings from manufacture, mining and other industry. People do not get enough exercise, fresh air, sleep and have far too much low level stress. This is a scary world. Is the only solution to add more chemicals to our bodies to kill the cancer cells that are likely caused by our environment.

 There has to be a better way, and their is. Naturalpathic disease fighting is real, and it works. However it isn't covered by our Social medical system. When dollars are involved the ones with the most zero's win. And that is Big Pharma. Of course they lobby for their products to be covered and used mainstream, they profit billions. There is a place for the western drug treatments. My daughter might not be here if it wasn't for those treatments. I am not trying to be hypocritical, I would like people to be able to choose there method of treatment on equal footing with those that go the pharmaceutical, conventional way. We need to work towards food production systems that are de-centralized, local, and beyond organic. Building our soils back to the vibrant eco-systems that science is just beginning to understand. Communities based on alternative modes of transportation, other than fossil fuel burning ones. We all need interactions with nature, soil and sun. Barefoot walking and grounding to the earth. Primal exercise, plus short bouts of high levels of stress and adrenaline. The solutions are there, but the current system has been designed for us this way. Are you ready to step away?

And I would love to live on a planet that is healthy, which would created disease resistant beings on it. We are the earths micro-biome, all the living elements on her. It is a pattern, can you see it?

G.M.O. argument

I haven't posted on this blog for over six months. I have found it harder to share lately, possibly burned out from so much writing the past couple of years. The urge to write came the other day. Upon reading a horrible letter to the editor in the Comox Valley Record on June 4th, praising Genetically Modified Organisms. Snap!! So here is the letter that made me freak out(click this link), and then you can read my rebuttal.

"I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. After reading Lorne Hepworth’s letter to the Editor in the June 4th edition of the Record I became angry! I am just a regular guy with no agenda, who happens to have a passion for healthy food and supporting the local economy. After breaking free of the industrial food system, I have lost 50 pounds, regained my health and quality of life. My eyes were opened to the atrocious agricultural model several years ago, and I can’t stand having a bio-tech lobby group stating such blatant lies in our local paper. I wish to encourage people, especially in an area where we are blessed with such diversity in our local food shed, to smarten up and to stop supporting the huge chemical companies who are essentially calling the shots in the food we consume.

I would like to clear up a few things for folks who may not understand what is going on. I am no scientist, but I do understand how the natural world works. G.M.O. foods are not food. They have been altered in a laboratory, at a genetic level, by people in white coats. Now if there were people in lab coats selling tomatoes at the farmers market, good chance they would not have a very successful business. These seeds are sold(marketed) to the farmers by the wonders of the seed being herbicide resistant and the ability be sprayed with Round-Up to kill ALL the weeds(which aren't actually weeds, but pioneer species trying to re-build damaged systems. Weed is such a negative term) so the product will have less competition. The chemical company also says the herbicide is inert once it hit’s the soil. I call a big BS on that claim! Then we eat the residues of the awful chemicals. And plants are so weak unless they are completely grown in mono-culture they will not produce. They need absolute human intervention. Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphate petro-chemical fertilizer(yes made from fossil fuels) are tilled into the soil. The soils are void of life from the tilling and poisoning. The claim by CropLife that not tilling is good for the soil is true, but spraying pesticides and herbicides in definitely NOT! Soil that is treated right is full of amazing life, minerals, and beneficial beings. Our soils are so depleted that the food we get from a mono-culture is essentially dead. Couple this killed earth with top soil loss from erosion and the catastrophic collapse of bee colonies, the food system as we know it is doomed.

Lobby groups and marketing firms work so hard at selling us this garbage food at great cost to our health and environment. CropLife claims that “Canadian save 60% percent on our grocery bill”. What is this compared to? We must take the true price of these savings into account. Depleting of the fossil waters across most of the agricultural areas of North America, leading to drought and massive crop loss. Heath care costs rising every year, due mostly to illnesses that are, in many circumstances, reversible with proper diet, including type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammation and obesity.  These create a whole new set of complications that could be fixed by a change in diet. There are thousands of stories out there of people who have reversed the diseases of agriculture on the internet. Do a little research in to the Weston A. Price Foundation, Robb Wolf and Dr William Davis. Society hasn't yet even began to see the long term heath repercussions associated with G.M.O. foods, as they have only been on the market since 1996. Not even 20 years of these “franken-foods” being on the market. Many older folks remember when doctors advertised cigarettes. Hmmmmm, do we see a pattern? What is going to happen as the reserves of fossil fuels are being used up? What will be used to fertilize the field, harvest it, transport the product to market? Major problem.

I am also very concerned with animals being fed G.M.O. feeds. Cows are un-naturally fed G.M.O. corn and soy in horrible conditions in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (C.A.F.O.), getting sick and fed anti-biotic. What is changing inside their bodies that are detrimental to our heath? The stress hormones course through the animals blood streams, passing on the consumer. Pork, and poultry are not any better of an option in the industrial model. Eating a completely vegetable diet, in my opinion, isn't with our its own set of issues, mostly because of the way vegetable proteins are grown. We MUST get animals back onto the pasture, locking in carbon, building soil and creating the safest, healthiest and sustainable food possible.

We are sick, scared and un-happy in life. This is the way the mega-corps want us. Sick and scared people are trainable, and un-happy people spend money. A return to a more natural and sustainable system for all would be the way to go. It is has to happen, or man-kind will fail. It is just common sense. Think about it!  We are running out of resources. Mother Nature didn't need all these false inputs for the past few million years, why do we? Take charge of you own life, don’t listen to the advertisements. Only YOU can fix this,  and if enough of us fix ourselves then the awful situation will change. Please don’t wait for the government to change anything. That is an exercise in futility. Buy organic, buy local, and get to know your farmer. And say NO to G.M.O.!"

Any comments. Did I make a point and this organization can take a hike. I would like to see some comments on my letter. Thanks for reading.

Adventure 52- Home Butchery

This isn't how I envisioned the finale of this journey for Natalie and I. I am sitting home, listening to Jack Spirko, sipping a coffee, alone. Natalie has been invited on some cool adventures with her mom, and who am I to step in the way of that. I really wanted to finish this writing project in 2012, and she will not be back with me until the new year. In this regard we are out of time to participate in one last grand adventure for this year. I know over the years we will be undertaking many great trips, and see any number of wonderful things around Vancouver Island and beyond.

Going back through my mind as I recalled other adventures that were not recorded in this blog, and the one that has stood out since it took place, happened right here in my kitchen. Or as I call it Scruggs Chop Shop and Smoke House. My kitchen has become the focus of my life, finding great comfort in fresh meal ideas and learning processes for interesting sauces and preserves. As I wrote about in 730, my diet and passion for local food has increased incredibly, with canning and preserving high on the list for keeping these products out of season. Natalie has begun her interest in cooking as well. She has been making her own oatmeal for breakfast for months now. She is no longer scared of the stove, and is learning to us a knife. For Christmas I gifted to her a cutting board and two knives, one a Santuko and the other a pairing knife. I hope her to help me with prepping meals and canning, teaching her the importance of being prepared and the skills involved in with storing food.

I had a fantastic deer hunting season, luckily harvesting three deer. I take pride in looking after all my own processing, the only thing that I am not able to do at home is the hanging, and that is fine to leave somewhere it can be hung in a proper environment. My last deer I took on a rainy, windy early December morning, on a farm property that I was very fortunate to be allowed access to hunt the 100 acre property. The deer was not a wall hanger, but a fantastic eating animal that I was very grateful to be able to take for the deep freeze. I field dressed the animal, loaded it in the truck, and brought it to my uncles home to hang in his shop. I usually hang an animal for at least a week, but because of the circumstances, I just left it over night. Being a young deer, the worry of gamey venison was not a concern, so I broke it down and readied it for transport home in a couple of coolers. Next season I hope to do a more detailed blog post about how to take a deer apart, into primary cuts. I can do so in about 45 minutes and is really quite easy, just don't wreck the backstrap!

I prepared the kitchen table by washing and wiping with vinegar to sanitize it, and sharpened my boning knife. Natalie showed up just as I was getting ready, so I invited her to help me. Her eyes lit and she grinned "Sure Dad!" I reached a cutting board from the shelf, popped a pairing knife from the magnet and slid it along the steel. I was about to trim out the backstrap, so I gave her the tenderloins, and explained how to cut off the fat and trim off the little bits for the burger bowl. She went to task and had the "sweet meat" done in record time. I was de-boning a shoulder, so I pulled the rib cage from the cooler and tossed it on her board. Giant eyes again. I explained how to strip the meat from the bones, cutting out from between the ribs, and neck. I don't think that I have seen her have that much fun in a long time. She worked on that the whole time it took me to finish up the shoulders and hams, as well as wrap it all up. She would poke around, finding blood vessels, coagulated blood, investigate how the bones were attached to the others. This is a biology lesson, your text book in front of you, in 3D.

Natalie did so good at stripping that carcass. I ended up helping her to get the last bits from between the ribs. There was no complaining, not gross outs, no boredom. It was interesting for her the whole time. I am thrilled to pass on skills that I did not have the opportunity to gain at her age. I saw a very few deer cut up as a youth, so for her to learn this stuff at 9 will carry through her life. I hope to bring her hunting with me more next season, so I can show her how to field dress and skin. She did help me make sausages during my first attempt doing so in October, and I can't wait to get her plucking ducks. I did learn this at a young age, with my uncle, who would take me along with him on lots of duck hunting trips.

Most of all, it is about learning traditional skills, self sufficiency, and common sense. To be able to provide for yourself, even if she never hunts, she will know what good food looks like, and what food looks like before it is wrapped in plastic and styrofoam at the grocery store(I hope she has better choices than that) We learn a greater appreciation for what is offered to us as food when we have a hand in taking care of it, not wasting and honouring our food. I am so proud that she has shown interest in butchery, and hope she follows in my footsteps with this great skill!

I guess that wraps it up. 52 weeks, 52 adventures. There were peaks and valleys this year, much frustration, much laughter, many firsts and changes for both of us. I am excited for the base this year has laid down for our relationship, our working together, planning, trying to cope with adversity, and giving us something to focus on each week. I am also looking forward to not having the task of writing every week, and hope to writing more about building self sufficiency, gardening, playing in Scruggs Chop Shop and Smokehouse, prepping and building 13 skills. 2013 will be another great year in my house, and I hope to share more of that with you all. Find Adventure!

A New Direction

After five plus years of immersion in a certain website called Facebook I have decided that it is time to pull the plug. Recently the news that Instagram had changed their policy on photos, so that any photos posted to the site would be property of Instagram and they would be free to sell them, without telling the photographer or compensating them in any way. This made me furious. But it was also eye opening. I realized that being a part of social media and getting more and more plugged in all the time slowly made us hooked on these sites and creating false realities, friendships and social circles.

The Instagram headline(Facebook owns Instagram) made me upset for the most part because the powers that be in Facebook are already worth billions. Is it that tough to make it work that you need to pull the wool over the public eye and basically steal their content. To me, it is the same as me using someone else's blog content and not crediting them for it. Plagiarism is very illegal and in bad taste, maybe Facebook doesn't see it that way? I loved using Instagram for a while now, sharing food porn with like minded people, the filters gave my shots an interesting effect. I cannot stomach the idea of supporting a business that would rule like this.

I am also getting tired of knowing what is happening in so many peoples lives. Not that it is bad, for the most part people are doing good things. I have gotten a little bit frustrated with constantly hearing "I saw on your Facebook" or "Did you see that thing on my wall?" I am no saint obviously, and I am not trying to be hypocritical. I would kind of like to meet friends and have something to talk about. I am one who is very observant and can remember things that people tell me very easily. So if you post it on your status, good chance I will remember it. Then when we have a conversation, I feel like I can fill in the blank when people are talking about their lives. This is a good time to bow out and I will be leaving on January 1st.

This maybe a bad move, since I have been involved with creating a social media based projects with this blog and with the Edible Valley podcast. I appreciate everyone who has found my content because of Facebook. My stats will suffer as a result, I know this. I encourage you to sign up for email notifications for new posts to the blog. It is easy and you will be informed each and every time that a new post is published. If you are on Twitter, please follow me @cynicalcyclist. Also consider subscribing to Edible Valley on itunes. Every episode will be uploaded to your device as it is published. We have so many ways to stay in touch. I don't wish to post my cell number or email address on here, but if you email me through the blog, I will get it.

Thanks for the years of fun Facebook, but I cannot support your endeavors anymore and I wish to build community face to face, the old school way.

Adventure 51- Ice Skating

Waiting to go on the ice

This adventure was a few weeks in the making. Natalie had asked me for sometime to take her ice skating at the Comox Valley Sports Center. It was planned a couple times but because of the pace of the holidays we didn't make it before today.

Such big smiles!

I am no expert skater, that is an understatement. Ask anyone who has watched me play hockey. I have never had so many bruises as I did one time playing ice hockey without any gear. Falling down more than skating back and forth. It was a good gag, but I sure paid for it the next day. Natalie had only skated once or twice over the years, and used roller skates a few times. I was unsure how this would play out, for both of us.

A little hesitant

Due to circumstances Natalie and I arrived late to the Everyone Welcome skate at Arena 2. It was over at 3 and we arrived at 2:20. We quickly paid and got our rental skates. Ice skates are tough to get on the foot. They are a tight fit to say the least. Once my foot was slipped in, they felt much better. I helped Natalie tie hers, making sure the laces were cinched up to give her the best stability. On the ice we went. Natalie was scared to leave the boards, and we did a lap with her holding my hand. She only fell down once and then decided that she wanted something to help her out, so she grabbed a tall traffic cone and tried to use that. The cone didn't want to slide easily, that got left behind after one lap. Natalie took a break and I did a lap by myself. I was impressed with the ease I had of gliding around. For not being on skates in five or six years, that was pretty comfortable.

Progressing

We did a few more laps in the short allotment of time that we had left. Natalie tried using a "skate tutor" to help out, and it worked really good for her. She built confidence and for the last lap left the support on the side and was doing some short glides and letting go of the boards. She had a huge grin and was so proud of herself. As we left the ice Natalie kept telling me she wanted to skate more and she was so sad that it was over. We will be going back to the rink for sure. It cost $11 and change for admission and rental. Fantastic price for potentially two hours entertainment and exercise for a mid-afternoon winter activity. The patrons were a mix of children, teens and grown-ups, and most were pretty casual. Only a few that were skating really fast, showing hockey skills. They only were doing this in short bursts and were not getting in anyones way. Go skating, Find Adventure!

Ya! What What!!

Adventure 50- Union Bay Coal Hills

Nice and calm

As much as the snow has been quite nice this holiday season so far, there is something about getting out and visiting somewhere that had little snow, see some greens and browns again, and get close to the ocean. It is amazing how quickly ones eyes get accustomed to all the whiteness and the relief that comes with seeing the colors that are more normal for our climate. As the day matured today the brisk of morning revealed a warmth as bright sun glistening off the snow, bringing a heat that can only be appreciated after two weeks of coastal December.

Barely hanging on

The original plan for the day was to participate in an "everyone welcome" skate in Courtenay at the Comox Valley Sports Center, the same place that we watched the Glacier Kings game. With the need for Vitamin D high on the priority list for these shortest days, itinerary changes rapidly with the weather. I wanted to see the ocean and the sun, to get a little exercise for Natalie and Marshall, also to just get out of the house. I can easily occupy myself in the kitchen all day, and leave Natalie for her own devices, which often includes her ipod, and you tube. Now that she has received her own knives and cutting board as a Christmas gift from me, maybe she will encourage her inclusion with more regularity and pass on some hard won knowledge.

Happy beast!

After bouncing around a few ideas, the Union Bay Coal Hills were the destination of choice. It was sure to be sunny and quiet, and located on Baynes Sound, with its mix of sea birds, driftwood and related treasures. I invited my dad along with us, as Poppa used to walk these shores daily, even after moving to Cumberland. We drove down to the Bay, observing the gradual lessening of snow as we descended the hill. How beautiful  for the eyes to see the greens, yellows, and browns of winter, mixed with small protected patches of white snow.

Waiting to Superman jump

The parking area had several vehicles in it already as folks were out enjoying the day. Unfortunately the skies were not as clear as anticipated, low cloud cover blocking out some of those so crucial rays. Cumberland must be above the clouds, and now we were underneath. It was still wonderful out, slightly cool, calm and still. Cormorants, surf scooters, various sea gulls and ducks rafted or soared over head looking for security and a meal. We walked the shore close to the quickly receding bank, that is being rapidly being eroded by winter storms. Every time I visit the road that we used to drive in my youth is getting narrower, and soon will probably not be passable without some major bush whacking. Marshall bounded about like he does,  looking with madness for a stick and someone to toss it for him. Without hesitation he was in the salt-chuck, swimming, not care one for the temperature of the water, and ready to have it launched away again. Natalie investigated some tree roots exposed by the erosion, a small cave appearing in the bank.

"So thirsty"

We crossed onto the inland area and over the top of the mound that gave this place its recognized name. I explained to Natalie how different the place is from how I remember it as a child. More and more trees are popping up constantly, Mother Nature trying to re-claim this place that was a waste dumping ground for decades during the coal mining hey days of the Comox Valley. This horrible pollution is being swept away at a steady, uncontrolled rate, coating the floor of Baynes Sound and potentially destroying natural sea floor habitat. This is the results of a mining operation not looking after its due diligence and cleaning up after it is finished operation. Lets not see this happen again in our area.

This one didn't make it

We brought Marshall over to Hart (Washer) Creek to play a little bit and wash off the salt water. He leapt in once, struggling hard in the current, and was successful in getting himself out. I thought that I was going to have to lend a hand to pull him out. Natalie decided at one point she was absolutly thirsty and needed a drink. So I encouraged her to grab a sip from the creek. She managed without a problem and didn't get wet. Nice job! It would be a cold slip if that happened.

Weird reaction to a Doug fir cone

Visiting places that meant so much to me as a youth with Natalie has been so special over this year of us doing adventures. The Coal Hills were very much an everyday part of my life. We could see them from my house, we swam and fished there in the summer, hiked with various dogs and rode our bikes. Multi generations of my family spent time on the Coal Hills and it is seated deep in my being. Find Adventure.

Pretty mushroom

Adventure 49: Cumberland Snowshoeing

Trail Head

The Comox Valley and in particular, Cumberland, was inundated with an intense winter weather front that came on Sunday night and dropped eight inches of snow. We were given a break on Tuesday, but that night it began again, with strong, gusting winds and more snow, that closed schools in Cumberland and cut our power. Another six inches of snow fell before it stopped, the skies cleared and made lots of ice. The roads were suspect and a little treacherous. Saturday morning welcomed yet again more snow, and it was falling all day. Dinner plate sized flakes dropping adding yet more depth to the already impressive Cumberland snow pack. I was actually not that upset with the snow this year, having a truck with four wheel drive and brand new, snow-rated tires, gave me confidence to travel around. Natalie was loving it of course, as any kid would.

Goofy face. Hope it doesn't stay like that!

For years it has been my wish to snowshoe from my front door and walk in the woods behind Cumberland. Even before I had shoes, this was a dream. After spending so many hours hiking around the deep snow over the holiday season on the trails, using shoes was my fantasy. Natalie and I were fortunate to both receive them as Christmas gifts last year, so now this dream could become reality.

Took this one behind my back

We had a busy weekend of socializing and eating at three different holiday parties. Santa came to our annual Christmas party at the Logan's. This event has been going on for eight years, and it is neat to see how the kids are growing, and new ones are arriving all the time. After that gathering, Natalie and I ventured out in the snow to drive south to Qualicum for a dinner party at our friends place. There was potential to have a large gathering, but with the weather being what it was, many were not prepared to make the trip. It was a very good time, great food and company, and I got to bring home an absolute windfall of food. As we drove home an idea for an adventure came to mind. Lets do this snowshoe trip! We got a late start since Natalie spent all day cleaning her room, and I was busy canning turkey meat and doing other kitchen stuff(weird huh!) I was stoked.

Happy beast!

The road was plowed so we did not put on our shoes, electing to walk in our boots instead. Approaching the swamp crossing, I forgot how much of a mess the beavers have made at the crossing. The dam that was built recently has flooded the trail on either side of the bridge. Natalie and I both got soaked feet as we tried to negotiate the flowing water and trees. We almost called it quits, but she decided to give it a whirl and see if her feet wouldn't be too cold. We strapped up and carried on. Marshall was with us, and he was being insane. He was deer bounding around the snow, chasing anything and everything we threw in the woods, hound baying at me to toss more objects. He was just a little obnoxiously loud if someone was hiking for peace and quiet. However, Natalie and I had lots of fun watching him recklessly leaping about.

Concentrate Daddy

We found ourselves on a trail called Tied Knot. This trail is full of mountain biking stunts, including skinny logs, ramps, bridges and gap jumps. Tied Knot twists through the Cumberland Community Forest, a beautiful, community owned chunk of woods. Over the years, Natalie and I have spent many, many hours wandering these woods looking for mushrooms, geo-caching and biking. Tied Knot was really awesome. Walking with snowshoes on the stunts was very challenging, balancing and trying to maintain traction on slippery logs invigorating. Not as adrenalin filled as two wheels, just slower and more methodical. One has to be careful not to step accidentally on the rear shoe and trip. Falling would hurt regardless of transportation method. Natalie did really good trying the traverses. She attempted everything I did, needing just a few helping hands. I was impressed how she walked so far with soaking wet feet. It really began to bother her the last little bit, but goes to show how merino wool can help out. With cotton socks she would have been ruined.

You can do it!

I plan on doing another snowshoe tomorrow for my annual Christmas Day hike. It was wonderful for Natalie, Marshall and I to enjoy this excursion so much. We have a week to finish up and undertake three more of these adventures. Wish us luck!

Always a mushroom shot. Turkey Tails