Night Music

I admit, I should probably toughen-up and learn to sleep more soundly in the woods.  I am not talking about the family campground experience, but the wilderness.  You, the tent and miles of forest.  I listen at night.  I can't help it, the woods are surprisingly loud when the sun goes down.  What do I hear?  Pine needles and twigs hitting the ground.  Great Horned Owl.  Distant rustling, or nearby scratching.  I tell myself, oh it's just a squirrel, can't hurt you.  Then I remember squirrels go to bed at night.  Oh boy.  Chipmunk?  No, fast asleep too.  My ears strain, listen, listen, nothing.  Relax....I can hear my body.  In the wilderness in the dead of the night, you can hear your insides, your heart, your lungs, and just a presence about yourself that you never noticed before, and it makes you realize how loud the regular world is. TWIG SNAP!

 OHMYGOSHWHATISOUTTHERE!!!!!!!!

"Andy, there is something out there, I just heard something."   

"There are a lot of things out there Anne."

"Oh."

Loons.  Have you ever heard a loon call?  One of the animal kingdom's finest sounds.  It's a haunting call,  the closest comparison I can think of is a coyote howl.  But you've probably heard a loon before and just didn't know it.  They use them as sound effects during the spooky scenes in TV and movies.  A distant, eerie moan, just as the hero senses trouble.  That's the classic loon call.

Loons are just birds, which would have been nice to know when I embarked on my first wilderness camping experience.  Andy and I went canoe camping in Nova Scotia, it was our first time in the north county, which is classic loon habitat during the summer months.  Andy and I crawl into our sleeping bags, settle in and realize the forest is alive that night, it's like a wilderness Times Square.  Twigs, leaves and pine cones are dropping, scratching, scuffling, hooting owls, a chorus of frogs, coyotes in the distance.  Dear me.  And then, the loon. 

Wha....?   I'm just not going to fall asleep tonight, I say to myself,  best to stay up, and be at the ready for whatever THAT is.    

All night I laid there listening to that sound.  I now know I was being treated to the finest loon recital I have ever heard, and I am kind of disappointed and a little embarrassed that I didn't know better at the time.  A sleepless night over a bird.  Sheesh, what can I say?

Want to hear the loon?  Take a summer trip to a lake in the northern United States.  Loons call during the day and night, but wait for it at night, you'll be in for a treat, as long as you remember it is just a bird.  Can't wait for your trip to the lake?  Listen to a loon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiXjCifQn0w   

Go, go, go!

Anne

A Veterans Day Commute

Each morning when I hop on my bike and head to work I am never quite sure how my commute will go.  Most of the time it is uneventful, I chug along, thinking about the day ahead or I simply take in the sunlight filtering through the trees.  There is one thing I can count on each day; it is the highlight of my trip, the gigantic American flag standing guard at the Civil War Museum on top of the hill.  Not only does the flag mark the fact that I have made it to the top, it is also my halfway point and my reward, the rest of my commute is downhill.  The flag is situated that when I crest, it stands alone, away from the museum and surrounding trees, just the flag against the sky, always peaceful and illuminated by the morning sun. 

There is something about that section of the bike commute that gives me pause.  Larger than most, the flag inspires me for the day ahead, a little pick-me-up, something that centers me, and I’m grateful; it’s rush hour after all, a time not typically associated with peace. 

Sometimes I say a little prayer; sometimes the flag just makes me smile and helps me to focus on the tasks that await me when I get to work.  But often, I think of the young woman I read about a few years ago, who reminds me a lot of myself.  She likes the outdoors, she likes to exercise and like me, values physical fitness.  Unlike me, she is a veteran, and was injured while serving in Iraq.  I read that her injuries prevent her from doing many of the things she used to love, especially exercise.  That flag reminds me of her, I wonder how she is doing, I often try and send her positive vibes.  We don’t know each other, I can’t even remember her name, just her story. But I hope my thoughts help her a little bit.  As I pass the flag, I think about how I am grateful for her service and in turn, thankful for all of the opportunities I have that allow me to ride my bike to work.

To see the flag for yourself, visit the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA

Go, go, go!

Anne

Join me and go!

I crammed in as much activity as I could prior to the surgery, but now that booth feet are wrapped in bandages and I am relegated to the couch for a few weeks I have got all the time I need to kick-off this blog and introduce you to my passion for the outdoors.  Not just the outdoors, everything that goes with it too.  The physical activity, the social opportunities, the cool gear, and the growth you experience as you strap on a pair of crampons and walk across slanted ice for the first time.

The outdoors are the foundation, but this blog is about the go and the journey along the way.  I'll review gear you need to keep you safe and comfortable, share stories about the fun people I get to know on the trail (Jimmy and his hikin' hundies for example), the interesting things I see on my urban  bike commute to work, laughter and unexpected adventures my husband and I have when we get outside and go together (the bear/camping/Nalgene-as-weapon story is our best one yet - be sure to tune in.)  And not to be forgotten, the natural things you see when you get out of the house, mountains are always cool, so are snowy white egrets and I have a special thing for really big trees, especially hemlocks.  We'll talk about all of that.

Maybe you are an outdoor adventurer yourself, so I hope you will stop by and share the fun with me, or maybe you've never cycled much, or hiked, or camped, that's ok, all are welcome.  I have a passion for the outdoors and I want to share it with everyone.  I hope you will join with me in the adventure as we get outside and go.

So, in honor of the fact that I've just had foot surgery and can't actually get outside for a few weeks, we'll kick things off by going shopping in honor of the outdoors.  A few weeks ago I visited Bald Mountain Rustics which makes handcrafted, traditional Adirondack style twig furniture.  I toured the store, it contained jaw dropping, awesome stuff.  I got to check out the workshop too.  At the shop, Steve had me sit in his version of the Adirondack chair. This chair was still in the works and he wanted my opinion on the comfort of the chair and was truly interested in what I had to say, what fun, I felt like I played a part in his beautiful work.  The furniture is amazing, handcrafted, stunning. Check out Bald Mountain Rustics here.


Go, go, go!

Anne