Renegades

“Go forth and have no fear.” - X Ambassadors (Song lyrics from “Renegades”)

            The wind was blowing today; strong wind.  Perhaps I read more into the wind than what it is, but I love it and feel close to it.  Here at home I like it because it helps drown out the constant hum of the nearby highway; all I can hear is the wind through the spruce boughs and feel the shake of the house when an extra strong gust hits.  It’s strangely comforting.  I say strange because it’s a sign of moving and changing air masses; air moving on currents from high to low pressure seeking some unknown destination.  At the same time I like to picture and sense God’s movement in the wind; movement as the Holy Spirit.  I know He’s always present; always a part of me because I’ve asked Him to be a part of me.  Wind is the confirmation of that presence for me; as if I need that confirmation, or as if He needs to show more proof.  I don’t need that proof of course, and He doesn’t either.  Hence, the wind is strangely comforting.  The group Kansas sings a song entitled, “Dust in the Wind.”  I love it.  It’s a classic song played on an acoustic guitar.  While it is a good song, it is admittedly a pessimistic view of life as if nothing matters.  I do not believe that.  Life matters, people matter, and what we do matters.  We are part of a bigger story, and yet we play a role and live out our purpose or niche as an integral part of that story.  “Every story, great and small, shares the same essential structure because every story we tell borrows its power from a Larger Story, a Story woven into the fabric of our being…”.” (Epic by John Eldredge-Nelson Books, Nashville-2004)

*On a side note, Kerry Livgren of Kansas (song writer, lead guitarist and keyboard player) was on his own journey while with that musical group.  I saw him in concert a few years later, and heard his testimony when I was in college.  He was performing at the time in the band called “AD”. - http://www.numavox.com/us.htm)

            In other words, this is it!  We can live a life with meaning, a life with purpose, and learn from the highs and lows along the way because indeed that is part of our story.  That’s a much different view of life than the person living in such a way as to get past the things they either don’t like in their life, or the person trying to get everything perfect before they can start living.  I can live life with a sense of freedom and abandonment like the wind itself.  I can live like a renegade.  It’s strangely comforting that with this structure in my life I can have freedom.

            Speaking of renegades, the unofficial/official Gulo Adventure Clan gathered this morning after an evening of parent/teacher conferences.  It was a repeat performance of last year (See Past Entry "Un - Common Core") but at fifty something degrees it was almost sixty-five degrees warmer this year.  We gathered early and drove out to one of my favorite areas.  It’s open and vast and wild in some areas, and yet thick and close and embracing in others.  It is flat and it is hilly.  It has prairies and it has woods; with both highlands with hardwoods and bottomlands with softwoods.  Today we walked through all of those environs, including a wide marsh.  We had to; there was so much ice on the trails and areas we were trying to walk across, that we had to choose a course where we could walk with some sort of footing.  It was the result of the remnant snow and warm weather.

            It was a long walk in, but it was perfect in that it allowed us to talk and dialogue and enjoy both the work and beauty of it all.  Along the way we crossed several creeks and made our way to the bank of a large river.  I quickly made a fire while the others put up a tarp to block the wind or looked for firewood. 

            The wind was blowing from the West by Southwest at 30 to 40 miles per hour, with gusts up to 60, although the woods helped to block some of that. 

Conversations covered school, sports (heroes and underdogs, both legitimate and fallen), and a host of other side topics on the heels of the wind.  Our prayer was on thanking God for being the constant in the midst of the winds of change that happen throughout our lives.  We ate, and then ate some more.  We needed to with all of the food we had.  With eight guys and two dogs we had 18 potatoes, 20 eggs, a dozen stadium brats and 20 ounces of Colby jack cheese.  I forgot to add the salt and pepper, and a few of the potatoes got a little dark, but ask any of them whether they cared or not.  The cocoa was only slightly warmer than luke-warm (wrong side of the flames), and the orange juice was sitting comfortably back in our refrigerator at home, but ask any of them whether they cared or not.

      Trust has come to this bunch of renegades by spending time together over the last few years; time hiking and paddling a river in addition to working and teaching at school.  Because of that trust, you feel as though you can pretty much be yourself, and that alone feels pretty good.  After packing up we began our hike back, stopped for a group picture, emerged from the woods where we suddenly realized how much windier it actually was, and then came again to a little creek. 

Scott, Joe, Justin - Merel, Ted, Wes - Pups, Louie & Mike

It really wasn’t much of an obstacle, and luckily the temperatures were moderate in case someone slipped in.  It did provide, however, the opportunity to act as pioneers.  Through the use of ingenuity and perseverance we were able to forge ahead.  It also provided us the chance to act as boys; both running and jumping and running free, if only for a moment.  

Walking the rest of the way back in wet boots was at a minimum.  The “who, what and where” stays with the wind in the woods.  Like most good stories, it’s where they happen and where they remain.

            That same wind that carries our stories in fact is our story; or at least a part of it.  I like that this group of men all come from different places, with different backgrounds, and different up-bringing.  When I consider those things, our difference in ages, our different world views, and yet the way we band together and appreciate each other’s company, I can’t help but smile.

            We drove back, said our goodbyes, I unpacked a little, picked up my daughter from a friend’s house, and then fell asleep for a solid hour or more.  I only awoke when a blast of wind slammed against the front of the house.  The wind, like my morning with the Gulo Adventure Clan, was strangely comforting.

            See you along The Way…

“Life, you’ll notice, is a story.  Life doesn’t come to us like a math problem.  It comes to us the way that a story does, scene by scene.  You wake up.  What will happen next?  You don’t get to know – you have to enter in, take the journey as it comes.” (Epic by John Eldredge-Nelson Books, Nashville-2004)

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I like the song "Renegades" by X Ambassadors (and not just because I drive an old Jeep...nope, still haven't washed off the dust from my trip to the Pigeon River Country of Northern Michigan...for the last two years)...
The "Official" video rocks in the way that it not only has the song, but it also shows how different people with various "Challenges" are able to succeed because of their team of support personnel that serve and help them to achieve their dreams and goals...Blind people lifting weights, skate boarding and riding bikes...a one armed boxer...the wrestler and rock climber with no limbs...not to mention the very end of the video where it shows the band members getting out of their Jeep (not covered in Michigan Dirt) and walking through an alley to where they are playing in a concert...the lead singer/guitar player (Sam Harris) is leading his older brother Casey who is the keyboard player for the band and who is also blind...

CLICK ON THE VIDEO & CRANK IT UP!

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And if you like the song, here is the hour long version…I often times put it on at school when I’m working, and listen to it over and over…

X Ambassadors - Renegades {hour version}

Scout

“But turn my mind altogether to the forest; that will not deceive you, being ordered and ruled by a hand that never wavers.”

The Scout-Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper – 1841

            When I was a kid, the Clark Family used to visit us up north.  Mr. Clark and my Dad were dorm-mates at Central Michigan University back in the day.  The Clark’s had two children; about the same age as my sisters and me, and together with our parents we would partake in some sort of adventure.  In addition to gathering at our house, we sometimes met in Grand Marais in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to camp and hang out.  They often drove what I considered at the time, a rugged vehicle; one that would be categorized as an SUV these days.  Two of their vehicles that stand out in my mind were the Jeep Cherokee Chief and the International Scout II.  I always enjoyed the opportunity of riding along in one of those; usually when we were out driving the backwoods trails and dirt roads of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

            The Jeep and the Scout were both unique and had the cool factor.  I like that word “Scout.”  It’s a word that’s both dear and true to my heart.  When I hear the word scout I think of Nathaniel Bumppo (also known as Scout, Deerslayer, Hawkeye, and La Longue Carabine).  He was the adopted son and brother of Chingachgook and Uncas.  These were the main characters in James Fenimore Cooper’s saga now known as the “Leatherstocking Tales” set in the mid to late 1700’s of early America.  The best known of those five stories is entitled, “The Last of the Mohicans.”  The books were written in the early 1800’s but the latest movie, starring Daniel Day Lewis, came out in 1992.  I had read several books from the series beforehand, but have often stated since the movie came out, that if I could set my life’s story to a sound track it would be to that movie’s music.  I’ve listened to it many times while in route to many an adventure.

            Perhaps in my mind’s eye I envision myself as a scout.  I don’t have the same wilderness areas to walk upon, and I certainly don’t encounter the same dangers as Hawkeye did in tales of the old frontier.  I do enjoy that balance between forging and exploring on my own, and yet interacting with others while enabling them to experience things outside of their normal path through life.  My Dad has often said to me that I do a good job of taking him to creeks I’ve scouted ahead of time, and pointing out areas for him to pitch his spinner where he can catch a trout.  That’s coming from an experienced fisherman.  Perhaps he’s right.  I do enjoy scouting, preparing, guiding and then watching those who are involved, immerse themselves into the surrounding adventure and atmosphere.

            It was with such flair, and after being asked several times by a couple of our school's female staff, that we went out last weekend.  It wasn’t that the ladies weren’t capable of doing it on their own (because many of them are).  It was more that they’ve heard or seen pictures of the outings I’ve had with some of the guys on our staff.  They knew I had places I could take them, and that I would enjoy both the leg-work involved in organizing it, as well as preparing and setting up the food and equipment we would need.  Unfortunately we didn’t have a lot of available time left in our schedules this winter when we could go out.  So, on short notice we sent out an email a week ahead of time.

            After four of our staff expressed interest in joining my wife Cindy and I, I set about planning a course and destination. 

Todd & I Scouting out an Area-The Week Prior

While my son was home the week before, we went out and scouted out a possible area.  Although several bald eagles were using some nearby trees as roosts, I decided against the area after some rain and rather warm weather threatened to flood the section we had to walk through.  Over the next few days I scoured some maps, chose two possible sites, and ran out last Friday (the night before the outing) to scout them out. 

Scouting Along The River-Friday Night

I arrived at sunset, and after taking a shortcut through the woods, came out after dark.  I did, however, find a perfect area to bring the ladies the following day, by way of a different starting point.  All told I covered about two miles that night and saw an eagle, heard a barred owl, saw the work of a pileated woodpecker and then came upon a huge herd of deer on my drive back.  I stopped at the store to buy supplies and then came home to cook, clean, pack, and prepare (not necessarily in that order…the words just flow better lined up like that).  It took several hours, but I

The Necessary Groceries

had the radio on and the kitchen was mine.  I sent the ladies several texts and pictures of the preparations to entice them of what was to come.

            They arrived at 8:00 the following day on Saturday morning, and together with the dogs, we loaded into two vehicles and headed out.  The weather was perfect for a winter outing, and with several cold days in a row, the ice and snow were solid.  In fact, it was so solid after the brief melt earlier in the week, that the walking was slightly treacherous in areas.  To keep our footing we sought out snowy areas so that we could have traction with our boots.  The conversation throughout was light and relaxing.  I stayed just enough ahead to add to it occasionally, but allow them to feel free to talk as they liked.  Plus, it allowed me to keep track of the dogs in their excitement to be out.  We hiked the ridge along the river, and then made our way down along some trails; towards a lowland area where we could hike back into the river.  The women helped me gather some sticks for fuel and watched as I got a fire going. 

Starting the Fire

It took me two tries with the flint and steel, and it required some gentle coaxing to get the flames to jump from the grass I used as tinder to the sticks.  It took the bark from some nearby wild grapevine to finally get it going.  I then began cooking the food while the dogs ran and sniffed around the river’s edge, and the ladies told stories from both the past and present.  While eating, we saw two different eagles; which is always exciting.  They were immature, and lacked the stark white head, but they certainly were something to behold with their great size and wingspan.

The ladies about to settle into a meal.

            We then packed up and began hiking out, but not before we stopped for a group picture.  It was a great morning and the perfect inaugural outing for some of the adventuresome women from Willowbrook Middle School.  After returning to the vehicles after almost three total miles of hiking, we packed our supplies, the dogs, and ourselves and were back to our house by noon.

Lisa, Mary, Laurie, Andrea, Cindy & the Dogs

            That afternoon I turned right back around, as part of my ultra marathon race training, and went back out to the area we were in that morning and ran the trails for two and a half hours.  The ice and snow were a bit softer as the sun had come out and the temperatures were in the 40’s.  By my last lap I “bonked” a bit.  Apparently the morning meal of potatoes, eggs, cheese and sausage were not the perfect recipe to keep me going for that long!

Recovering after the Run - Ice Cleats on the Shoes

            The following day, on Sunday afternoon, my daughter Jodi and I took the dogs down to the nearby creek.  She wanted me to take her down so she could practice taking pictures with her new camera.  

Hiking with Jodi as She Takes Pictures

The rest of the evening we settled in to watch the Denver Broncos win Super Bowl 50.  The Bronco’s Peyton Manning was once the quarterback of my favorite NFL Team (The Colts), so it was fun to see him win his second Super Bowl.  The win was nowhere near the result of his efforts, but rather those of the Bronco’s awesome defense.  Still, I’m hoping it’s the last game of his career and that he can now retire on a win as one of the greatest QB’s of all time.  He’s had quite a run for the last 18 years.

Super Bowl 50

            Speaking of runs, last weekend was full of them.  I’d been throughout the countryside running out, hiking in, hiking out, hiking around, running around, hiking down, hiking back and then running down...to the point where I didn’t have a whole lot of energy left and all I wanted to do was sit, relax and vegetate for a while.  Running in this way is part of who I am, my gift, and what I resonate with.  I love the scouting, preparing, and guiding that is involved, and then watching those who are part of the experience immerse themselves in those same environs that I too enjoy.

            See you along The Way…

“One moccasin like another!  You may as well say that one foot is like another; though we all know that some are long, and others short; some broad, and others narrow; some with high, and some with low insteps; some in-toed, and some out.  One moccasin is no more like another than one book is like another; though they who can read in one are seldom able to tell the marks of the other.  Which is all ordered for the best, giving to every man his natural advantages…”

Hawkeye-The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper – 1826