Views While Skin Diving

            Several feet under the silver troughs and the folly of bubbles from each stoke and kick, are the rhythmic ranges of sand on the bottom of the Atlantic.  Each peaked summit of sand is followed by a sharp ravine; valleys that occasionally trap and contain the leftover trinkets of mollusks, crustaceans, and stinging celled coelenterates.

            I take a deep breath, tuck, and submerge with a push.  As I reach out with my hand, that suddenly is magnified through my mask to a seemingly colossal perspective, I carefully collect each specimen; marveling at their shapes and textures.  Some are rough or ribbed on the exterior, yet all are smooth and lustrous on the inside housing of what once held a soft bodied creature.

            In the deeper water I hang suspended upside down with my toes rippling the surface as I nose from ridge to ridge.  The currents seen as waves above pulse and surge against me, sometimes capsizing me in an underwater flip.  As the momentary thought of weightlessness crosses my mind, I manage a smile despite the fact that I am clutching the snorkel in my mouth and teeth.  The water is more tranquil than yesterday’s crashing waves, but you can still feel its collective strength in the ocean’s ebb and flow.

            When I surface, I use the remaining air in my lungs to force the seawater in my tube snorkel up and out through its orange tipped end.  Salt from the water hangs on my tongue and down into my throat; it’s a strong taste and it’s inevitable.  Some water remains within the u-shaped section of the snorkel.  It creates a gurgling sound to my raspy gasps for breath.  I am very much alive, however, as my reverberated sounds of breath and movement meld into the dancing lances of filtered light.  It is through these forested, yellow spears that I again take a deep breath and dive amongst them, allowing the fronds of light and engulfing water to swallow me whole.  Skin diving off the shore of the Atlantic grants me this otherwise unbeknownst opportunity and view.

            See you along The Way…

CLICK FOR A VIDEO OF THE RELEASE:

A CELEBRATION OF OUR 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

CLICK FOR A GREAT SUMMARY VIDEO FROM OUR TRIP:

Just In Time

            Half the fun, or half the issue, is what to title a blog post once it’s written.  Sometimes you want the title to describe and capture the event itself.  Sometimes you want it to capture the feelings and details that lead up to the adventure.  More often than not, I like to label a written post with a catchy little phrase that uses a play on words; either from a double meaning, a twist on a familiar saying, or a descriptive expression that gives the reader a sneak peak of what’s to come within the blog.

            After I prepared supplies and gear both last night and early this morning, the Gulo Adventure Clan headed out for an excursion.  We wanted an early start, but we also wanted to race the decline in weather conditions that was set to hit in the afternoon.  The group of teachers who gathered all have ties to our school district.  Titles to what I would call the blog that would follow this outing began swirling around in my head as we packed up. 

            Titles that probably would have fit our excursion as we headed out in three separate vehicles could have been, On The Road Again, Reunited, Day Trippin’, Racing The Storm, Last Chance Winter Get-A-Way, or Putting The Adventure On Ice.

            After a short drive North, we arrived at our destination where the title could have changed to, Slip Sliding Away, Ice Cake Wars, Walking On Water, Twenty Feet Deep & Sixteen Inches Thick, On The Outskirts Of Shanty Town, or Off The Water And Into The Thicket.

            As we led the newbies into the unknown brambles, the title to this blog could have been, Nobody’s Fool, Circle The Wagons, Land Of The Lost,  Dot Dot Dot-Dash Dash Dash-Dot Dot Dot, Fool Me Twice Shame On Me, or Déjà vu All Over Again.

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            Once on track in a round trip tour towards a back country pond, the blog might have been called, Duck And Dodge-Zig And Zag, Follow Your Inner Compass, Snow Swampin’, True Blue Grit, March Of The Marsh Fellows, or Destination Known.

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            The wind had picked up slightly, but otherwise the weather was holding out as we set up camp and prepared to cook ourselves a brunch.  The titles to the blog at this point could have been labeled, It Begins With A Spark, You Don’t Have To Ask Me Twice To Eat, It’s Still On Fire, That Skillet’s Gonna Have History, Silence Speaks For The Food, or Stories Over Cocoa.

            Repacking the gear, we then lashed it to our sled, and began hiking back out to our vehicles.  The blog titles at this segment might have been A Traditional Pic, Content Dawgs And A Pup, Lake Trekking, What Are Those Guys Up To?, Finger Tip To Elbow, or Until Next Time.

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            Now home, cleaned up, and beside a crackling fire, it’s time to settle on what will officially become the title to this blog.  Ironically I have now created a host of new titles that can be used in the future.  Presently it’s raining down at about a 60 degree angle.  We still have a decent amount of snow on the ground (especially in the woods), but with temperatures hanging around in the mid to upper 30’s, it’s rain right now instead of snow that could come later.  The wind is what shoots the rain out to almost a 45 degree angle when it gusts from the mid 20’s to almost 40 miles an hour.  It’s just plain nasty out as winter storm “Taylor” races eastward in its unique S-shape pattern, fortunately it’s toasty next to the fire this afternoon.  Whew!  We got in today’s adventure Just In Time!

            See you along The Way…

A Tired Pup!

Now A Nasty, Rainy Day

The S-shaped Storm Named "Taylor"

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Crackling Fire

“I have been told some people have fireplaces but never start fires in them because they might leave a residue of soot on the firebricks or otherwise smudge the cleanliness of a room.  Each to his own, but for me, a fireplace without a fire is like a house without people.  Just as it takes warm beating hearts to make a house a home, so it takes flames to make a fireplace.” 

-Mel Ellis in Notes From Little Lakes

      It’s raining to beat the band right now, meaning that it’s raining hard.  In fact, it’s raining so hard that I can easily hear it drumming a rhythm on the metal chimney cap over the crackling of the burning wood in our fireplace.  It’s a brief reprieve from winter’s grip I suppose, which is probably why the sky is flashing with lightning, revealing in snippets the soggy, high banks of snow outside as thunder shakes the house with mighty authority.  It’s a day to be reckoned with.

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            I was suppose to take a group of teaching colleagues outside for a hiking adventure and cookout this morning, but that became postponed because of this incoming storm.  Freezing rain was in the forecast, and although that wouldn’t typically deter me, the driving that others had to do to get to my house, and then the driving we had to do to get to our destination was going to be a bit precarious to say the least.  In the end it didn’t do much freezing, but it would have been absolutely nasty, which is to say that we would have had the lake and woods to ourselves had we gone.

            And so after some errands, I did take a short hike with our dog Kora down at our nearby creek.  Although it was under a light sprinkle, it was in between down pours.  I found a recently killed squirrel; the wing tipped prints of a hawk still visible in the snow.  I just knew I had seen something out along the edge of the field on our drive home, and the remains confirmed what I had suspected.  The creek itself was open from the ice, but what was left of its once icy lid was still cracked and stacked along the water’s edge.

            The hike was just what I needed to come back and start a fire in our fireplace.  To consecrate the lighting of the split wood, I dug out some of my classic books on such things; books that contain divine quotations on the combination of firewood, flames, and warmth that causes one’s eyes to glaze over in mesmerized flashbacks of meaningful fires once upon a time ago.

            See you along The Way…

“When I am going out for an evening I arrange the fire in my stove so that I do not fail to find one when I return, though it would have engaged my frequent attention present.  So that, when I know I am to be at home, I sometimes make believe that I may go out, to save trouble.  And this is the art of living too – to leave our life in a condition to go alone, and not to require a constant supervision.  We will then sit down serenely to live, as by the side of the stove.

Henry David Thoreau – The Heart Of Thoreau’s Journals

Running From Point To Point

Grateful - Thank You God For This Opportunity

“Fear has to be respected. But fear should never be something that holds any of us back.  Once I sort of opened the door to this, and stepped out of the fear and into belief, then it became a ‘when’ question, not an ‘if’.”

Spear, S. (2018). 2018 Team World Vision Marathon.

            When I look back over the last year or so, I’ve run a lot of miles, in a lot of places, with a lot of people.  I wanted to mark some of those experiences through pictures and captions within this blog entry.  From the fall of 2017 until now, I have occasionally run alone, but probably more often than not a group has been formed that enjoys this common interest.  When I run alone I can gauge my effort and speed to what I am feeling, and to whatever level I personally want to push myself towards.  When I run with others, I have been able to be a part of their journey and enjoy seeing their progress.  I documented the early history of my running when I ran a 50 mile ultra marathon for my 50^th birthday in 2016.  Those early years involved running in and around my hometown and state of Gaylord, Michigan.  (If you’re interested, you can check out the first of a three part series I did for that ultra race by clicking on Running - Part#1: The History)

            The pictures in this blog go in chronological order; sometimes following training runs, and sometimes showing actual races.  Not everything is documented because quite frankly I don’t always have something with me to take a picture.  Many do exist, however, and so for that I am grateful as they tell a story.  I look at my running as a physical activity and a chance to burn some energy, but in reality it goes far beyond that; reaching closer to a spiritual journey.  This does not make what I am able to do anything close to perfect, but it does create a purpose for what I do.  It’s a purpose to use the gifts that God has granted to me for “such a time as this” while I am still able.  Running also grants me the opportunity to either gather people together to try things that they wouldn’t otherwise think they could do, or to be a part of the synergy where bonds are woven to create strength in numbers.  Due to the time I have invested in running over the last year or so, it truly has often been my “outdoor adventure” until I had opportunities to fish creeks at safe water levels or hike the snow covered woods and cook over an open fire.

            See you along The Way…

“You can certainly go at it alone, but I really believe that life is best when shared.” Yang, B. (2018). The Why-Running 100 Miles. 

A Run With My Friend Louie As He Prepares For The 2017 Chicago Marathon
He Ran For The "Team World Vision" Organization That I Had Run For In '08 & '09

Justin And I Ran The Same Morning Louie Was Running The Chicago Marathon

Justin And I Trail Running In Preparation For A Half Marathon

I Sometimes Run With My Dog Kora On Shorter Distances

A Night Run With Justin And The Moon-Last Run Before The Half Marathon

A Road Trip To Waukesha, Wisconsin's "Last Call Half Marathon"
December 2017 - Me, Doug, And Justin

It Was Unseasonably Warm For December - It Was Also Justin's First Half Marathon!
Justin And I Ran Together While Doug Put Together A Fast Solo Race

An After-Race "Wisconsin Cheesehead Burger" From Murf's - It Was A Lot...Whew!

I Met Up With Some Of Louie's DTY Group On Christmas Eve - 2017

My Long Time Running Partner, Scott (A Great Beard BTW : ), Joins Justin And I For
A Cold Last Run Of 2017

I Called Out Times For The "Red Shoe Run" In April & Cheered On Louie
It Was Very Windy And Cold!

Some New Brooks Running Shoes - Ready For The Spring And Summer

I Love Trail Runs And Try To Get On Them As Much As Possible
Sugar River Forest Preserve

The 4th Of July 8K Run In Rockford (2018) - I've Been Running It For Decades Now

My Cousins, My Son Todd, And I Ran Gaylord's 10K Alpenfest Run (July 2018)
Breakfast Afterwards With High School Friend Chris At The Sugar Bowl Restaurant

Together with Cousins Brad And Brian, We Ran Michigan's Northwoods Trails
(July 2018)

Clark Lake, Michigan's Classic 12K Race - With Cousins Shannon, Brad, And The Boys
(August 2018)

When Zach's Half Marathon Was Canceled Due To A Storm, Scott, Justin, And I Met Up With Him To Run A Few Rain Soaked Miles As He Did His Own Half Anyways
(September 2018)

Yup...Zach Did It!  His First Unofficial Half Marathon (In Lightning & Heavy Rain)
I Ran With This Former Student & Colleague To The End & Then Ran Back To My Jeep

With Louie And Zach I Ran The "Tiger Ten Miler" In Byron, Illinois (September 2018)

This Race Was Beautiful And VERY Hilly - I Loved The Open Prairie Trails

This "Tiger Ten Miler" Race Was Easily One Of My Favorite Races Of All Time
It Was Hot, But After Running Lots Of Hills To Train, I placed 9th Over-All

“When it’s your time, is the goal to leave a well preserved body?  Or do you really want to use it...a body with stories that says you’ve pushed it, and at times suffered, and you sought its potential.”

Yang, B. (2018). The Why-Running 100 Miles.

Apparently I'm Still Fast - I Rocked It Out And Got 2nd Place In My Age Group

Time For Some New Brooks (Ghost 11) Running Shoes - Thanks Again Runner's Image!
Broke Them In On The Sinnissippi Bike Path Along The Rock River (Oct 2018)

Doug, Scott, Justin, Amy, Zach And I Running Hilly Trails In A Local Forest Preserve
(October 2018)

The Tough Guy Look : ) Justin, Zach And I Running Hills At Rock Cut In A Downpour
(October 2018)

My Cousin Brad And I Ran Around Clark Lake In Michigan And Then Stood In It
He's Crazy And Swims Until It Ices Over (I Don't : ) - November 2018

Justin, Me, & Scott Running A Long Run - The End Of November On Stone Bridge Trail

My 4th Year In A Row Running Waukesha, Wisconsin's "Last Call" Half Marathon
(December 2018)

In The Rain And Cold I Cranked Out A Good Half Marathon Time Of 1:44:33

The Teaching Crew That Ran That Day - Doug, Scott, Justin, Zach, Me, Kim, & Traci

An After Race Burger With The Crew At "Mainstream Bar & Grill" In Waukesha

With Louie & His DTY Group And Some Of Our Gang On Christmas Eve Morning 2018

Justin, Me, Amy, And Scott On A Final Trail Run For 2018 In Rock Cut State Park
Waving To Zach Who Was In Florida At The Time

From 2017 And 2018

Preparing For The Frozen Gnome 10K Trail Run In Crystal Lake, Illinois
Justin, Me, The Gnome, Scott, And Amy - January 2019

We Stuck Together As A Group For Most Of The Race - It Had Great Trails And Hills

Finishing With Amy

Amy Placed First In Her Age Group And I placed Third

Amy's Mom & Sister Were The Support Crew & Captured Our
Smiling Faces After The Race

An After Race Greek Skillet From The "Cafe Olympic" In Crystal Lake
We Ate As The Snow Started To Fall - It Hasn't Stopped Since!  : )

We Look Forward To Doing That Race Again!

“We’re all linked together and unified by this one thing, this one journey.  That’s a special bond.”

Yang, B. (2018). The Why-Running 100 Miles. 

Whether you are into running short distances, or long distances, or running at all, this video is worth the watch and is pretty motivational.  Enjoy!

One Last Pic For The Road
It Was Gaylord, Michigan's Alpenfest Race T-shirt This Year, But
It Goes Beyond That Race...
When You Follow Your Heart Home, You'll Find That Home Is Where Your Heart Is
It's Deep, But Your Motivation, The People, And Your Purpose Help Make It!