Here in the Wild, Wild West

I realize that for some folks snow holds no romance.

I on the other hand love the stuff.

I commute 120 miles a day, 5 + days a week just to wake up as I did this morning.

I can't get enough. I am 51 years young and I still feel like a 4 year old toddler on Christmas morning.

About 5 am the sound of rain faded and all became quiet.

Miss Mari got up to feed the livestock and promptly announced,

" It's snowing."

I know.

My best buddy and confidant knows what this means to me . You see , snow is my friend.

The various properties, wet , soft, dry, hard, warm, cold , big , small etc are why I love the white stuff so.

I made the choice , the very weekend I had my first date with Miss Mari that I would live where I could see the blessed stuff fall from the sky like the miracle it is.

Enough said .

I need to finish making breakfast so I can go play.........

Veterans Day

In Mikes own words"Dime store cowboy."
In our lexicon , not an insult. About 30 days before he enlisted.


Gammy and Dad ay the Palace of Fine Arts, S.F. Cali.

Papa and Mike at the Presidio, S. F. Cali.

A huge thank you to all Armed Forces members both past , present and future.



Papa , my Grandfather, was an accountant , he left a young wife and 11 year old boy to join the NAVY and serve in the Pacific. I know that he was stationed in Hawaii for a while, then on board ship although I don't know the name.

Papa was a good man and he and Gammy used to pick my sisters and I up in the summer and drive all over these Great United States. It is thanks to him that I have my love of maps as I was the navigator. We saw about 25 states and I believe 27 National Parks by the time I was 16. When you voluntarily subject yourself to being confined in a VW bus with three kids I think there is a little bit of saint going on there.

My Dad Mike was a MARINE. I know that he served 2 tours in Korea ,the first as a machine gunner on a crew served weapon , most likely a Browning .50 cal. The second tour he was in charge of a forward mess and cooked 3 squares for 250 men a day. He would never talk about his first tour , although as a kid I asked more than once. The only insight I ever got about that first tour was a conversation I overheard between he and John Yeager . When they realized I was listening all conversation was redirected. That kind of talk will change forever how a young boy looks at his Dad.

Dad gave me many things, my intense love of nature and our Great Sierra Nevada. My love of music of all kinds, cooking, fishing, precision shooting, the Big Pond (Pacific), photography, reading, literature, Hemingway , Christmas , lobster, trains and much much more.

One of my proudest moments was on my winter double Trans Sierra when I called SO dispatch from the top of Mt Gabe and Dad replied with a "Well done boys." He knew we were on our way back and that a double by the route we had taken in winter was likely a first. It wasn't until later that one of the dispatchers told me that Dad had followed us by radio every day of the 10 we were out.

I miss you Dad and Papa .

Thank you for your service and may God bless you both.

Hobo Stove

I get a kick out of tweaking old designs.
This is my take on the traditional Hobo coffee can stove.
It draws well , uses little fuel and emits almost no smoke.
I'll bet that if you weigh all factors this tin can stove , of all lightweight stoves , has the smallest negative environmental footprint.

Ski Racer

Note that in the previous post, Old Ski Racer that I am , got the sponsors logo in the publicity photo w/ Miss Mari.
I have used Rossignol stuff for my whole life, I beat my gear and it always keeps going.
I'm just sayin.........

Road Skiing

We had a cold front come thru on Saturday and with that came about 6 inches of snow.
The first day of skiing is always a great event and this was no exception. I love any type of skiing be it at the resort, in the back country or Nordic/cross country on an old logging road. I have traveled thousands of miles on Nordic skiis and love the feeling of gliding along the trail.
It is what I live for.
Miss Mari and .357 Girl came with and we had an enjoyable aerobic workout . We did an easy 4+/- miles combined with some bushwhacking that just took the steam out of all.
I think that the best part about mucking about in the woods is the comradery and the unity that developes as the adventure progresses.
We did nothing out of the ordinary but I went home with a feeling of friendship and vitality that I feel is missing from everyday life.