Day 2,825

Growth:

My current book is The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard. I’m not quite halfway through and am completely enthralled by the story of exploration. Unfortunately, it is also the tale of ego getting in the way of both proper preparation and appropriate decision making. This story is quickly turning into a dark reminder of the power of overconfidence based on past successes.

One of the reasons I enjoy reading books like this are the numerous life lessons one can extract from the story. This is panning out to be a gold mine of cautionary lessons, stories of adventure, and an interesting history I was completely unfamiliar with. I’d highly recommend this one, so much to take away from this one!

Appreciation:

In contrast to The River of Doubt I am working on being very much prepared for my upcoming backpacking trip. After starting with a ridiculously heavy pack (one of the mistakes made by Roosevelt’s team) I knocked it down to a very manageable load while still containing the necessities for my trip. This evening I practiced taking it all apart and re-packing it to ensure I had everything AND I was able to put it back together afterwards. I’ve got my backpack pretty tightly packed and it was nice knowing that I’ll be able to get it taken care of on the trail. Carrying it on my hike this morning and for a 4+ mile walk yesterday helped me confirm that there would be no rubbing or shifting. I’ve been obsessing about it a bit, but am thankful for doing so as I know I’ve got what I need to for a successful (ie “safe”) trip.

Presence:

Not gonna lie, my morning hike including some of the most ridiculous wildlife watching I’ve had in a long time! As I started up the trail I heard an interesting bird call I didn’t recognize. My Merlin app said it was a Barred Owl so I froze in place and slowly scanned the woods as I listened for what was almost a high pitched wheezing sound – not the distinctive hoots I’m used to. I located one and just chilled on the trail while taking in the sight of it. It kept calling and I could hear another but I couldn’t find the second one. After a few moments of enjoying the moment I headed off again.

On my way back I heard the owls calling again from almost the same location. They’d decided to move a bit closer to the trail and I was able to quickly find one of them. As I started recording I realized just how close the second one was. Next thing I knew one flew next to the other and I got to walk on the trail while the owls watched me from above – it was AWESOME!!!

What a fantastic way to start the day, two owls on one hike!

Thanks!!!