The pollen was prodigious — As the green-yellow dusting of pollen on my feet attests, the pollen was indeed prodigious. No wonder I was coughing and sneezing.
Outdoor Activities
Time spent in the great outdoors hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, paddling, and shooting. Anything well away from the madding crowd.
There was a trickle of water coming from the spring — With camp set up I headed off down into ‘Deep Hollow’ to see if the spring was running. Much to my surprise it was — just a trickle but enough to have saved me from having to lug in three liters of water! Not to worry, I need the exercise!
April 20, 2024 17:04
Day One. Back at ‘Deep Hollow,’ Hercules Glades Wilderness — I decided to get out for a one-night trip to Hercules Glades. Apart from our Eclipse Trip I’ve not been out this month. An overnight stop at my camping spot near Deep Hollow would be just what the doctor ordered. One-minute read.
April 20, 2024 16:47
Journal: 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. Ginger, Lanie and I camped in Mark Twain National Forest to see this, my third and (most likely) last total solar eclipse. 1999 in France and 2017 in Missouri being the first two. Journal: 5 12
April 8, 2024 15:00
All over — That’s it for twenty years. 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. Now for the long drive home.
April 8, 2024 14:10
2024 Total Eclipse — Not too bad for crop of a hand-held picture taken with a seven-year-old mirrorless camera, using the kit lens.
April 8, 2024 14:00
2024 Solar Eclipse — Composite — Eclipse detail merged with an image of the corona.
April 8, 2024 13:59
Doing the ‘Eclipse Dance.’ Just before the totality. 2024 Total Eclipse. Just four minutes to go…
April 8, 2024 13:53
Pre-Eclipse Shenanigans —Gary & Ginger — 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. +3
April 8, 2024 13:39
Pre-Eclipse Shenanigans — Lanie & Ginger — 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. Notice how the light in the background is already fading.
April 8, 2024 13:38
2024 Solar Eclipse Camping — Eclipse Day, and the weather is looking wonderful. Warm with clear skies. We spent the morning chatting before breaking camp around midday. Two-minute read, +1
April 8, 2024 10:23
2024 Solar Eclipse Camping — Sunday. Two-minute read, +1
April 7, 2024 9:44
Journal: Three days hiking the Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness, March 2024. I spent three days hiking the sixteen-mile loop of the Big Piney Trail in Paddy Creek Wilderness, which I managed to extend to twenty-two miles. I also managed to break some more gear and, at the end of the hike, needed to call out a tow truck to get me home. Journal: 10 45
March 29, 2024 19:00
Postscript. It was at this point I discovered that the factory-supplied tire iron did not fit these lug nuts — It took three hours to get someone to come out with the right tool to switch the tire.
March 29, 2024 17:35
End of hike selfie — I Hiked over twenty-two miles in two-and-a-half days. I’m happy with that. Three-minute read, +1
March 29, 2024 15:23
Old signpost — the sign itself is long gone, and I’ve no idea if this was for the trail or something else.
March 29, 2024 11:35
Big Dog! By eleven -twenty I was back on the trail. After the (very) short hike to the Short Cut trail junction, I concluded that I was fit enough for the longer — around seven miles — hike out via the North Loop.
March 29, 2024 11:29
Heating water for breakfast.
March 29, 2024 9:28
Morning Coffee, camped off of the Big Piney Trail.
March 29, 2024 9:23
Finally, the sun reaches inside my hammock.
March 29, 2024 8:19
Enjoying the view from my hammock.
March 29, 2024 7:43
Day three, sunrise from my hammock — Well, I’m still alive! That’s a good thing. My AFIB has abated, and if I’m feeling okay, I’ll take the longer more arduous route back to the trailhead.
March 29, 2024 7:21
Enjoying the view from my hammock.
March 29, 2024 7:21
Hammock set up at ‘Paddy Creek Trolltunga’ — It’s good to be back, I had to put in a long hike (with AFIB) today to get here, but it is such a great place to set up camp.