Friday coon blogging

If you want to stay alive, get out of the house.

Sorry for the slow posts. I’ve been pounding on future stories about the Rockies, Uintas, Survival and Denali. - Even doing prep work for the 2009 Gear Guide and Editor’s Choice. And just think, dear reader, it’s all for you.

My imagination neurons were burnt. I was scraping oak from the barrel-bottom of creativity. That means I had to scrape harder. Hours turned to weeks of living like a cubicle troll. Then Jen told me I was turning into an asshole and kicked me out of the house.

I went for an evening hike in the middle of Capitol Reef. It was delightful. I always forget how beautiful this place is, and how quickly a dose of nature can turn your life around. Sometimes survival doesn’t have anything to do with spearing fish or following a compass bearing.

I shot some nice scenic photos, and ended up trail running in spite of myself. It had been 11 days since I left the house, much less exercised. The heat slapped me hard. I did not perform well. I am not, apparently, a hottie. Sigh.  But I sure had fun.

I ran across a tame deer and started to take some big-eared portraits. Then I realized something was moving at the base of a nearby tree. Enjoy. Apparently it’s baby animal season. And consider yourself kicked.  –Steve Howe