A Little Closer To Heaven

I have a huge weekend coming up. Tomorrow I have to spend a few hours in the garage cleaning it out and removing shelves to make room for the canoe I bought earlier this summer. I am going to hang it from the ceiling and pray that it does not fall on the car in the middle of the night sometime. My canoe is nothing spectacular. It’s a Pelican Navigator. I know I would have been better off getting something nice like an Old Town or something, but hey, I’m newly married and fresh out of college…Pelican’s about all I can afford. It gets the job done on the Buffalo National River because it has nothing bigger than class II rapids and those are few and far between. It’s a little tipsier than I prefer in a canoe however, but all in all…a good value. Sara and I also bought some really nice, padded seats from L. L. Bean to go in them so we can take it on a long trip. I’ll have to let you know how they turn out also.

Then, later in the afternoon I think I’m going to take a hike into the Boxley Valley at the Buffalo National River. The bull elk are really in the rut right now. They supposedly have been surrounded by their harem and are a spectacular sight right about now. So, my wife and I are going to hike into the valley and watch them and take pictures. Also, because they’re in the rut, they’re being pretty noising every night.Boxley is a perfect place to see them in all their glory. The picture above is from a time when Sara and I went to Boxley Valley in the spring and saw more than 70 elk in one field. It was amazing. My wife has never heard the grunt of a bull elk and we’re hoping that she’s not dissappointed. I’ll let you know how it all went on Monday.

One last thing, I may have some really big news on Monday. It has nothing to do with the outdoors but it is something awesome that may be happening in my life. Stay tuned on Monday to find out if it all goes down. Until then…Have a great weekend!

No Comments »

Well, on Monday I got a new rain/ski jacket and a fleece liner for it. It is the Marmot Rubicon Jacket with the Kaba Jacket for a fleece liner. I’ll be testing this soon to tell you what I think. First impressions…it feels really nice. It’s very comfortable. It’s a little heavier than I would like but it was a gift and I can’t complain about that. I really like the features on the jacket and it is really thick for a rain jacket. I’m sure it will be very warm and repel rain well since it is made with a Gore-Tex XCR shell. It’s got a pocket big enough to carry a water bottle and a powder skirt. I think it will work very well as a four season coat around here in the Ozarks. It’ll be warm in winter with the fleece liner and in spring and fall without it. I also like the fact that the fleece is made to zip into the jacket so it appears to be one coat instead of two separate layers. It looks and feels great. I’ll let you know more about what I think about everything when I get a chance to test it all out.

No Comments »

Well, since Global Warming is the popular thing to talk about nowadays…I figure this would be a good time to give my thoughts.

First, let me say that I am all about protecting the environment. I love this Earth and I want to be able to enjoy it and let my kids and grandkids enjoy it also. However, I get so tired of “green” being nothing more than a fad. It’s now become the cool thing to do. Not because people care about the environment (though many do), but because you are not cool if you’re not green. It also really irritates me that Global warming is being pushed the hardest by hypocrites who aren’t willing to truly change their lifestyles. Their buying carbon credits? What? You mean that money can buy back what we’re doing to the environment? Gimme a break. With that being said…on to my thoughts on global warming.

Here ya go…I don’t know what I think. Now, I know that it’s a copout…but let me explain. I’m being really hesitant to jump on the global warming, doomsday bandwagon. First, if you really examine the issue, there are great scientific arguments on both sides of the fence. There’s a lot of evidence that can’t be discredited that we are either in a temperature phase that will eventually change or that the Earth is getting a lot warmer from things that have nothing to do with man. That being said, there’s also evidence that we are playing a major part in the Earth’s warming. So, I am going to have to wait it out until more data comes available. I know some people reading that are probably cringing because I might “wait too long.”

The problem is that so many people are acting like it’s true without the scientific data to prove it and without examining the evidence that people who believe the contrary are providing. It’s like they want it to be true. They want our planet to be in extreme danger just so they’ll be right. It seems like a bunch of environmental extremists are being so loud about it that the opposing views and more middle ground views get no say in the matter. That is just wrong. I think we need balance and to examine both sides of the issue, not just let the loudest ones win.

So, what would I encourage you to do? Step back and examine the evidence. If you still come to the conclusion that global warming is our fault. Great. If you come to the conclusion that it’s too late. Great. If you come to the conclusion that we have nothing to do with it or it’s all just a hype…Great. But make sure you study out both sides of the issue and be willing to change when more info comes available. As for me, I’m not convinced by either side quite yet. I’ll keep living “green” for two reasons. First, I love the environment. Second, it saves me a lot of money in the long run. Those are legitimate reasons to be green. I don’t want to live green because of peer pressure or because I’ll be labeled ignorant if I have an opposing view. That’s not how we should act.

Finally, as far as my faith goes…I’m not greatly concerned about global warming. I’m worried that this may be an uglier place to live with less animals. I’m not worried we’re going to burn up or eliminate mankind. I believe that God is still in control. We have a responsibility to take care of the Earth…but in the end..it’s God’s call and humans aren’t going to stand in the way. Yep…that just about sums it up.

No Comments »

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Yesterday was my birthday and I was very busy. Today, I spent a great deal of time typing out some thoughts on global warming only to erase them when I accidently clicked “Previous Page” on my web browser. That being said…I’m very frustrated and ticked right now…so you’re all gonna have to wait until tomorrow to read my thoughts on global warming.  However, I promise I will post tomorrow. Thanks for the Patience.

1 Comment »

I was watching National Geographic’s Planet Earth yesterday and one particular insect really stuck out to me. By the way, Planet Earth is an awesome series that I highly recommend watching. The 17 year Cicadas. These little insects are amazing. So, for those of you who haven’t seen this show and didn’t already know what I’m about to tell you…this should be a real treat. Maybe some of you will enjoy it anyway because of how fascinating it is.

These Cicadas hatch only every 17 years. And when they hatch…they hatch by the millions. They live in the deciduos forests of North America. All at the same time, these critters emerge and climb the nearest tree where they shed their outer skeleton and become adults. They spend their entire lives mating and laying egss…and then in a matter of weeks they’re all dead and they leave the forest floor covered in their bodies. With these insects never to be seen again for 17 years.

What’s amazing to me is why they exist. They have one goal when they come alive and that is to make babies and die. When they emerge…they are easy prey for almost all of the animals in the woods. There are so many of them that all the animals get their fill and none of them go hungry. Then, when they die, thier corpses fertilize the soil very well and give all of the plants in the forest a major growth spurt. So, they come, they mate, they feed the forest and the plants, and then they die. But before they die, they lay eggs so that in another 17 years the forest will be filled once again.

Think about it. These Cicadas have one purpose and it’s to die and provide health to everything else around them. In an odd way…it’s a self-sacrifice for the better of the world around it. We can learn a lot from these little insects. First…everything has a purpose. Yet another reason I believe in a Creator. There’s too much order for all of this to be chance. Second…they are an awesome example of how we should live. We should live a life where we care about others more than ourselves. A life that is devoted to the betterment of others. This is my purpose. This is why I am a Christ follower.

No Comments »