Some
guys and I answered the bell and went for a trip down the Kishwaukee River
three days ago. It was a good change of
pace; necessary in many different ways.
The river itself is the reward for those who answer when the freedom
bell tolls. Moving waters help flush
away the pressure of unwarranted, or unnecessary expectations, if only for a
few hours. I’m all for the wind of
change and marching onward, but it takes time to sift through and glean what works. Luckily the river we paddled was on a give and take relationship; we
gave our homage, respect, and strength while taking away a good workout and refreshing
memories. Anyways, the river called six of us on Saturday
with a gurgling voice.
We
woke early, almost earlier than we do for work.
Four of the guys met at my house, and after loading up gear, my dog
Kora, and driving down to Cherry Valley, we met up with two others who lived
closer to our put in point at Baumann Park.
Using
the limestone fireplace on the north side of the shelter building, I cooked up
a breakfast while we all talked. It was
a time to catch up and get to know each other a little bit as two members of
the group were new to the Gulo Adventure Clan, and some of us hadn’t seen much
of each other in the madness of school starting.
After
eating, we lovingly heckled another member of our group who was skipping out of
our gathering to play softball in a tournament on the ball field next to
us. It was humorous, and he
laughed. Apparently his team won the
game; mark one up for the old guys as they were able to muster up the energy to
school a team of younger players.
We
dropped off a vehicle and trailer at the take out site and then returned to
Baumann Park to venture forth. My dog
Kora was so excited to get started down the river that she crept out onto the
bow of my kayak; toenails gripping onto the hard, slippery plastic. I made a mental note to devise a softer pad
that I could bolt on in the future, and give her stable footing, as it is fun
to have her along on our adventures.
VIDEO:
The
guys talked and laughed and paddled. We
also stopped to jump into a favorite swimming hole I’ve visited in the past
with other friends and family. This trip
is one we’ve wanted to take for the last few months, but due to high water that
we’ve had most of the summer, it got pushed back until now. The water was exhilarating, but doable, so
jumping in was necessary. Kora
absolutely loved swimming in the water with us, but used a lot of her energy
pushing against the current to get back to us each time we dove in. It was at that time that we presented our
unofficial membership cards to our two new guys.
VIDEO:
Only
one of the six of us decided not to jump in.
Only one of the six of us tipped over and went in anyways; it was poetic
justice indeed, and a great way for him to ceremoniously christen his new kayak. The only thing he hurt was his pride, but he
laughed it off good-naturedly. So in the
end all six of us went swimming on what amounted to a beautiful, cool fall day.
Justin, Tyler, Andrew, (Kora), Zach, Doug, and Me
We
finished paddling in two hours; a perfect amount of time that allowed us to
pack up and drive back, while still giving us the rest of the afternoon to do
what we wanted or needed to do. We’re
already looking forward to the next time we get to paddle a river
together. By then the river will ring its
freedom bell and call us to its bank to find peace of mind once again. I for one plan to answer that call when the
river tolls.
A
week ago I got off the highway looking for some public access to a creek in
Southern Wisconsin that I thought had the potential to hold trout. What I found was a nice looking little pond
that from what I could see held a decent amount of pan fish. I had completed this scouting endeavor before
the sun was even cresting the horizon; having dropped my wife and daughter off
at the airport in Milwaukee at some ungodly hour beforehand. I planned a return trip to check it out,
figuring not too many people fish it very often.
That
opportunity came 4 days later when I decided to leave a few hours early to fish
that pond before picking up my two favorite girls; back from their adventure
together.
It
was warm and humid, and while I was there it even rained off and on, but I had
a lot of fun. I tried keeping count of
the number of fish I caught, but lost track of the specific number, knowing it
was somewhere between forty and fifty sunfish and bluegills. My first sunfish was beautifully colored with
blues, yellows, black, and red. I had
decided to fish like the days of old using a #8 hook, two split shot sinkers,
and a little red and white bobber. On my
way up to the pond I had stopped and bought a dozen crawlers and simply pinched
them into sections as needed.
Remarkably, I caught all of those fish, and still have four night
crawlers left in the fridge (appropriately marked so as to not mistake them for
food). I will use these for another
outing; next time with a friend and his boys.
Northern Sunfish
Most
of the fish I caught can only be described as bait stealers that would easily
fit inside of the palm of an 8 year old kid.
Still, I loved the simplicity of it all and setting the hook when the
bobber started to dance. From the
multitude of fish I caught I kept four; three because they were halfway decent
size and one because he had hooked himself too bad. I’ll have them for lunch sometime before
school starts a month from now. I also
caught and released four largemouth bass; one small one, two at twelve inches
long, and one at thirteen. One of them
had another fisherman’s leader, line and soft, plastic lure stuck down in its
throat, but I managed to free him of it before I released him back into the
pond.
A Largemouth Bass With Some Extra Hardware I Helped Remove
Fishing
with worms and a bobber brought back some good memories. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve fished
like that, but I decided it was a good idea to periodically reconnect to that
setting which most people who fish started out with. It was about as “All-American” as country
roads and apple pies; just short of having bare feet, cut off jeans, and a can
pole. Maybe I’ll do that next time for
posterity’s sake.
2.
I
was in the water by 7:30 and fished for a half hour or so before I caught my
first trout; a brown trout. The water
was high and running cloudy yesterday after heavy rain fell earlier in the
week. With the overcast sky and cool
air, it provided perfect conditions to fish.
I had sprayed for mosquitoes beforehand, when they had been a nuisance
while I was putting my waders on, but once I stepped into the water with my
sweatshirt and hat, they no longer bothered me.
My First Trout Of 2017 - A 13" Brown - Caught & Released
That
first fish that I caught was 13 inches long, beautifully marked and
feisty. I marveled at it, took a picture
of it, and then took a video while releasing it. I fished for a little over five hours. In that amount of time I caught twenty
browns, and released twenty browns.
Their sizes are as follows (according to the order in which I caught
them): 13, 16, 12, 17, 13, 12, 12, 14 (this one jumped six different times; all
in the same hole where I had caught my first trout outside of Michigan back in
2000), 12, 14, 11, 12, 12, 8, 12, 6, 10, 9, 7, and 8 inches. I had stretches throughout where I didn’t
catch many, but I had others where I simply did everything right. I used a copper colored #2 Mepps for most of
the fish that I caught. Unfortunately I
lost it on a simple snag in shallow water and couldn’t find it in the
murkiness. After switching to a #2 blue and
silver Mepps I still managed to do all right.
A Beautiful & Chunky 16" Brown Caught In Fast Moving Water
This 17" Brown Jumped Twice Before I Could Bring Him In
The Crazy 14" Brown That Jumped High Into The Air Six Different Times
Towards
the end I almost kept a few to bring home because I was getting tired and
hungry, but today was all about the first outing of the year. The recent high waters had blasted out most
of the log jams that had built up in recent years, so the deeper, open holes in
the bends were awesome places to cast for trout.
It
was my official “Opening Day” of trout fishing even though it was the middle of
the summer. Next week I will be up North
with my cousins fishing some “Blue Ribbon” streams, and I needed to make sure I
still had what it takes to get it done before I headed up.
Yesterday’s
outing will forever be earmarked now as a memorable story, on a perfect day,
catching a number of great fish, in one of my favorite creeks.
Ok,
I’ll admit it. I pre-planned a “P.S.”;
a “Post script” with purpose. But “TAKE
HEART” those of you who tremble at the thought of having to read a whole day’s blog
entry. This is it! Just this small paragraph and then it’s a quick
little picture book; a few snapshots and a small caption beside each one. When I was packing for Africa I chose my T-shirts
and sweatshirt according to the places I wanted to represent. They represented places with meaning. Like I’ve said before, I don’t usually do
something without meaning behind it. Choosing
my shirts was no different. The ones I
chose covered the states of MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN, and ILLINOIS in some fashion
or form. I only brought a few, and then
if you remember, I did laundry on one of the days at Kijani Farm so I could wear them all
again. (See Day#9: "Bulleted Points") The shirts that I wore became a small way that I could show support to those who helped me get to the other side of the planet. So if you feel a
bond to any one of these shirts, then you’ll know that I carried you with me; over
to Kenya, Africa on the flip side!
See
you along The Way…
----------
My "Sparr Mall" Sweatshirt From Beautiful Sparr, Michigan
I got this sweatshirt from a little grocery store that is out in the country (East of Gaylord), and just down the road from where my family lived. You'd have to see it to believe it. They have everything from strawberry jam to chainsaws in a tiny little storefront. It's always been a fun place; back when it was my sisters and I, and now with my cousins.
----------
My "Run Clark Lake" Shirt From Last Year's Race (2016)
This shirt came from Clark Lake, in Southern Michigan's Jackson County. It was the first race I ever ran (7 miles back in 1979-now a 12K race). Since then I've run it almost every year. This area is also where my parents grew up (their roots), and where we have our family reunions.
----------
My Shirt That Represents 10 Years Of Camping And Fishing.
This shirt has a picture of a trout on the front, and this pine tree on the back. It's an actual giant white pine overlooking an actual secret spot, on an actual trout stream that my cousins and I visit every summer when we camp and fish in Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula. We love it so much that we had it put on the shirt.
----------
My Rockford, Illinois 4th Of July Race Shirt From Last Year (2016)
Like the Clark Lake race, I've run this 4th of July race almost every year since we've lived in Illinois. It used to be a 10K, but is now a well organized 8K (5 mile) run along the Rock River. Cindy and I lived in Rockford for 23 years. Although we've moved a bit north, we are still connected to it.
----------
My Prairie Hill/Willowbrook School Shirt-A Giraffe In The Back
I've taught 5th grade for 28 years now; all in the same district. For 20 of those years we were a small kindergarten-8th grade school called "Prairie Hill.". I've now taught in the newly built "Willowbrook Middle School" for the last 8 years. I teach with a great team of teachers, and have a ton of good memories from both the kids in the classroom and the players on the Jr. High sport teams.
----------
My Willowbrook Middle School Environmental Camp Shirt-Zebras In The Back
Along with a fellow staff member, we co-lead an environmental club throughout the school year. During the summer we host a four day camp in which we make a craft (a walking staff this year), do out-doorsy stuff, and wade in the local rivers and ponds. It's a great time, and believe it or not we had it just two days after I returned from Africa!
----------
My "It's A Beloit Thing"-Turtle Shirt From Beloit, Wisconsin
My family and I now live a mile from the Wisconsin state line; and Beloit is the closest town north of us. Wisconsin is where I occasionally escape to fish trout streams and explore back water areas that I can "get-a-way" and relax in.
Our
8½ hour flight from Nairobi to Amsterdam went smoothly. I spent some time sleeping, journaling,
watching a movie, and reading. It was a
long flight throughout the night as you are a captive audience to
yourself. Entertaining yourself is a
must within the confines of your seat.
Todd spent most of his time sleeping while his movie played on.
We
arrived in Amsterdam a little after 7:00 a.m.
This time we found some comfortable seats to lounge in during our 5 hour
layover; and so we set up a camp. In
shifts we would wander off both individually or in groups to find something to
eat or stretch our legs and then return.
Due
to the fact that we were going to be following the sun from Amsterdam over to
the United States, this 8½ hour flight was technically only going to be an hour
and a half according to the clock. We
left the Netherlands at 12:25 p.m. and arrived in Chicago at 1:55 p.m. The trip seemed to pass relatively quickly as
I read and watched some more movies.
Todd had a seat next to what should have been a window, but apparently
we were the one row where it was skipped; perhaps due to necessary support
structures in the frame of the plane. I
was in the middle, and beside me next to the aisle was a military man returning
home to Chicago’s suburbs to visit his family for a week or so.
Todd's Window Seat ?! : )
At
one point I was able to peek out the window next to the people sitting in the
row in front of us and saw we were flying over land. I checked our fight on the screen in front of
me and saw we were cruising over the southern tip of Greenland. I thought that was pretty neat. The coolest time, however, was when I later
looked and saw Lake Superior on the screen.
When I checked back a few minutes later to try to get a perspective and
gauge our exact location, I recognized Burt and Mullet Lakes; prior to flying
over the epicenter to “God’s Country.”
Yup, we were flying right over my home town in Northern Lower
Michigan. The words “Gaylord” and
“Otsego Lake” were right there on the map in front of me, as we flew several miles in
the air above. I couldn’t believe what I
was seeing. It made me feel good to have
a connection to my roots right at that point of our trip; if only I could have
shouted it out to everyone else on the plane.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get a picture of the map in time before the
words disappeared from the screen.
Traveling Over Greenland
Ironically A Picture Taken In My Classroom Before School Let Out
After
arriving in Chicago, we waited a little bit and then grabbed our luggage. Noah and Gabe’s Grandpa met us outside with a
mini bus. It was hot back here in
Illinois! On the drive back to the
Rockford area, it was difficult to keep our eyes open…for all of us. Bottled water and a tub of chocolate chip
cookies helped, and together with the windows down, we made it back to the
Dellamater’s home in Rockton. Family
members met us, and the reunion felt good.
We unloaded our gear, said our goodbyes to the Kijani (Tumaini) Team,
and headed home.
At O'hare Our Team Awaits The Approaching Mini Bus
The Family Is United-Todd, Jodi, Cindy, And I
Cindy
and Jodi had worked hard and were busy while we were gone; enjoying their time together but also attacking the lawn several times
and various projects within the house.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I could probably live in a tent and cook
over an open fire for the rest of my life, but it felt right to be home. Cindy often teases me that if it wasn’t for
her I’d probably live in a place that was only helicopter accessible. It’s funny, and slightly true, but I do
indeed love my family and what’s been granted to me by God’s grace.
And
so it’s come to this; whether it’s the beginning of the end or the end of the
beginning I’m not sure. To that end it’s
probably a little bit of both. From here
on out I’ll definitely look at life with a different perspective, at the same
time it was a once in a lifetime experience.
Even if I’m fortunate enough to go back, it won’t be exactly the same,
nor should it be.
When
I started this journey, Heather Dellamater suggested that we journal our
experiences. I thought long and hard
about that, and although I didn’t have any preconceived ideas on what that
might look like, it quickly took on its own dynamics with a life of its
own. While much of what I wrote is
arguably from my perspective, it also is an accurate documentation of what many
of us experienced on this adventure, this mission, and this journey. As the days progressed I continued to write;
trying to “mix it up” in the way I delivered the facts and feelings with
various styles. From the writing and
experience I learned a lot. I was
reminded that life goes beyond stuff and possessions. For me as a teacher, it also goes beyond
assessments and standards. Life for me
has always been about relationships, and in Africa that was made apparent.
I
wrote for two reasons. One was obviously
for me. I would like to learn how to put
my blog entries from this Africa trip into a book that I can look at and
reflect on. The second was to share with
those who had gone out of their way to invest in me on this trip. By writing I was hoping I could connect both
my friends and family to what was happening around Kijani Farm in Southern
Kenya; in East Central Africa. My son
Todd and I would not have been able to pull this off on our own without the
prayers, love, and financial assistance that so many people offered and
sacrificed to help make it happen. For
that we say, “Thank You.” For that we
say, “Ah-santi.” I have humble gratitude
for those who have supported us and given us this opportunity to learn and gain
insight.
Some
may worry about where my interests may now lie.
Chin up! My heart will always be
linked to the pine, rock, and water of the North Country. What about Africa you might ask. Africa?
While the North holds my heart, Africa definitely crept into my soul. Africa found a place in my soul to camp out
and call home, even while I myself am here on the flip side.
Team Tumaini (Hope) At Kijani Farm - Kenya, Africa
Friday, June 16th, 2017
Last
night, after dinner and time around the campfire, our Team talked about our
highs and lows and what we thought we’d take home from this trip (We found out
later that the Maasai men were apparently getting a cow out of a ditch or hole
somewhere). I enjoyed hearing the
response from each person on our team and their insightfulness. When it was my turn I went with my low first
so I could end with the positives.
My
low was the flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi simply because before we left the
terminal I had been so tired I couldn’t even keep my eyes open and then the
flight itself was cramped and seemed long.
My high was threefold.
I’ve
enjoyed the morning runs. They were my
personal time to commune with God, and nature, and the people I saw along my route. It was a time where I breathed Kenyan air
into my lungs. At the same time, it was
during my runs that I tried to make sense of it all. I loved my runs, but they were emotional too.
I
also liked learning names and words for things (even though I sometimes felt
like I was a slow learner), and talking to the men who came to Kijani. As an example, when I was out butchering the
last of the roosters two days ago, I had a good discussion with Andrew. He was curious about other countries and the
United States. He was the prodigal son
who had literally just returned to his family, while we have been here, after a
couple of years’ absence. I’m guessing
he probably has experienced some things.
One question he asked, that kind of caught me off guard, but one that he
asked honestly, was if America had black people. That led to a good and interesting
conversation in our broken English; from slavery, to the Civil War, to Abraham
Lincoln, to civil rights, and then finishing with Barack Obama our first black president. Any way you look or feel about it, the
discussion was raw and exposed. Later I
showed him maps of where the countries were located in the world. Part of what has made this trip memorable has
been building the trust and being honest; and so I did and I was.
Showing Andrew The Maps That I Had Brought
The
last thing that has been on my list of highs has been the camping. I can’t imagine doing this trip traveling
back and forth each morning and afternoon to a separate hotel. It was the early mornings and evenings that
helped make the trip what it was, and connected us to Kijani Farm. I loved hearing the new sights and sounds so
directly. Thin nylon doesn’t hold a
whole lot back!
My Last Picture Of The Black Hill-Next Time I'm Climbing It!
What
I shared, that I felt like that I would take back with me, was the
connections. I connect with connections
because it makes sense. If I do
something, I want to know and feel its worth.
I don’t care to waste my time with the things that have no purpose. I want to bring the characteristics that make
me who I am, that have been brought to the forefront through this trip, and be
open to sharing that with those who are around me when I return to the
States. Perspectives can change when you
stand in the boma of people you call friends; the house and family these friends
are proud of. This same home made of mud
and sticks and roofed in scraps of tin and cowhide that are teaming with clouds
of flies; the result of their main possession, the herds of goats and
cows. They are proud though, as I’ve
mentioned; like John and Moses, when they brought out their father’s spear (The
Old Mzee). Moses showed us how he could
hold the end of it and beginning with it stretched out in front of him, and
without bending his elbow, he raised its tip into the air directly above him. It was a show of strength, but why not? It was an active tool and you had to be
strong and comfortable with it if you were going to use it. He offered it to some of us that day while we
were waiting for Mama Nora to fix us the tea.
I was able to lock my elbow and lift it.
It was indeed heavy, and I was glad I’d been doing those pushups! He laughed when I was able to do it.
Mama Nora With Our Tea Cups
The Heavy Spear We Lifted With One Hand
Another
“take home” has been the way you can see God working at Kijani Farm. From what could have been frustrations with
the supplies not showing up on time to the wrong supplies trying to be
delivered, it ended up being a lesson in patience and fortitude. It allowed us time to work on other projects
that needed to be knocked out at some point anyways, while building the camaraderie
of our Team. In addition, when the
building materials did show up, the lumber was all directly rough cut in nearby
saw mills from logs that are imported in.
A 2x4 board was really a 2 inch by 4 inch board. In America a 2x4 is really a 1½x3½; they can
get more boards per log that way. And
although the question lingers as to the ethics of that, and why we still call
it a 2x4, at least every board is the same; it makes it easier when
building. Every board was different that
we received at Kijani. Sometimes it was
truly 2 inches thick, but it may also range anywhere up to 2¾ inches
thick. Or else the 4 inches was closer
to 5 inches. The wood was also so fresh
that when you put a screw or nail into the boards, water would squirt out. Warping was a real issue we had to think
about. It made for “creative
construction.” The cool thing is that
with no real building codes per se’, when people are living in make shift homes
in the nearby bomas, you do what you need to do to get things as straight and
secure as possible, and then move on.
Many was the time we took sections apart by backing out screws or using
the “cat’s claw” (small crowbar) to dig nail spikes out to redo a board and
make it fit just a bit better.
Todd And I After A Night's Sleep
Gabe Down In "His Room"
Last
night after our Team shared their highs and lows, and after a splash bath to
rinse away the day’s sweat, I again joined Todd and Gabe back in the STEM House
to sleep in our hammocks. We were
prepared this time, and had the hammocks a bit higher up off the floor joists;
starting out with our sleeping bags. We
each slept great and were glad we did it.
I was thankful that my cousin Brad had made my hammock for me last
summer. Who knew it’d end up in Africa?
When
we woke this morning, the Team all had oatmeal and then finished packing up as
we took down our tents. Patty and
Kristin found another black mamba snake. This one was curled up under their
tent’s ground cloth. Moses killed it
instantly with a smack to the head with his herding stick that all Maasai men
carry (called a “fimbo”). The first
snake we had seen 2 or 3 nights previous, when it came crawling through the
dirt right in front of the shed, well after nightfall. John Fay had spotted it in front of him with
his headlamp as we were putting dishes away, and it was Brian who had beheaded
it with his machete. Although beautiful,
they are not the kind of thing you want around where you live, as they are
deadly poisonous (the venom from one bite is said to be able to kill 15 men).
Me, Moses, Todd, Raphael, And Andrew In Front Of The STEM House
Jeff
Ingersoll led the morning devotion, once we were packed, reading from I
Corinthians and talking about being the same person back home as we have been
here in Africa. Afterwards we signed a
board on the shed next to the names of people who had come over as part of the
February and March Teams. We also left a
signature on some boards in the STEM House and took pictures with our Maasai
friends, before loading up into Brian’s rented truck and the two vans that were
hired again to come “baja-ing” in on the two track road to pick us up.
Names Of The Teams At Kijani
A Signature In The STEM House
Andrew, Me, Todd, John, And Moses - Saying Our Goodbyes
Finally! Even though I couldn't get a picture of the tiny dik-dik antelopes, I was able to get a picture of their little tracks next to a print of my shoe just before we left.
Prints Of The Dik-Dik Antelope Next To My Shoe
The
drive to Nairobi took close to 4 hours.
To describe the traffic the closer we got to the city is difficult. No traffic signals exist anywhere. Occasionally there are round-a-bouts. A four lane road is really an eight lane if
you count the outside and inside edge of rutted dirt on both sides of the
tarmac that is regularly used. Cows,
goats, and sheep may cross at any given time, even within Nairobi, and people
are walking and crossing everywhere.
Somehow it all works, and so you count it as part of the adventure. Our driver, Sylvester who had taken us on safari,
actually patted a cow from his window as we passed on by.
VIDEO OF THE TRAFFIC:
By
mid afternoon we made it to a mall where we had lunch. Many of us got burgers. We visited a nearby market afterwards. Anything you bought was done strictly by bartering
as nothing had a price. It was part of
the game the vendors liked to play. It
reminded me of when you bought and sold sport cards back in the day at trade
shows, only then you at least had a starting point price. From there we traveled to the First Love International
Ministries Orphanage within Nairobi. It
has ties back to the Rockford, Illinois area.
It was here that the Dellamaters first began working within Africa;
giving two years of their sweat equity 7 or 8 years ago when all of it was just
a rough plot of land and a small house within the city. Since that time, it has grown to include a
separate boy’s and girl’s dorm, and dining hall among other buildings. The landscaping and play areas for the kids
were awesome. It provides a place of
hope for children who need it and a safe work environment (teaching them how to
sew) for widows or single mothers from the world’s largest slum called Kibera
in Nairobi.
The Outdoor Restaurant At The Mall
The Grounds At First Love
Our Team Meeting Some Of The Children
We
were at First Love as guests, to take advantage of a place where we could
repack and freshen up. After a tour we
ate an awesome pasta meal prepared by some of their directors before heading
out (Larry and Rhonda Voss, who were the cousin and wife of our Team member
Jeff Ingersoll).
Team Tumaini Dinner At The Voss' - On The Grounds Of First Love Ministries
I
messaged my wife Cindy that we were coming home. We left around 8:30 from First Love and
arrived at the airport shortly afterwards.
We quickly unloaded, said goodbye to Brian Dellamater and Jeff, who
would be staying for another week, and then entered the terminal. We navigated the Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta Airport
much quicker this time, although we did have to go through multiple checkpoints
and security. We boarded the plane by
11:30 for our 8 hour trip to Amsterdam.
Again, Todd and I were in the middle section, but I had an aisle seat
and Todd who was next to me had an open seat next to him. We had a little breathing room. Todd was asleep before takeoff and I was soon
after. Goodbye Kenya, Africa; to our
hearts we hold you. “Ahsanti sana”
(thank you very much) as we head back home to the flip side…of the planet.
