– Surly Stock Shenanigans – Early December, the company flew me out to the Flying B Ranch. I was a wrangler and winter caretaker for the backcountry facility, and it was time to go to work. There were thirty-five head of horses and mules that needed my attention and I genuinely enjoyed their company. Taint was a horse that thought he was human but he … Continue reading Winter Wrangling
– Soloing the Bighorn Crags in October – The trailhead into the Bighorn Crags was three hours from Salmon, and that little town in Idaho was almost three hours from the nearest large airport… which meant anyone visiting the Crags from outside the state would have to travel six hours once their plane landed just to arrive at the trailhead. That was too remote for … Continue reading Dangerous Playground
– A GREAT COUNTRY OF MANY SYMBOLS – The United States of America, popularly known as the USA or simply the States, is a country that the average inhabitant of the globe associates with “AMERICAN DREAMS”, i.e. the freedom to pursue and fulfill great dreams. Those dreams have been and still are attracting people from all over the world to America. If we ask a … Continue reading Elka Pentelka in the Wild West
– Courage for a True Adventurer – I must admit that Patrick impressed me with the way he found himself in the Polish reality. The decision to start life in a European country like Poland was, in my opinion, very brave. This was no ordinary trip from one state to another, or even a trip to Canada bordering the US. I would rather compare Patrick’s … Continue reading Bungee Jump Over the Ocean
– Life is a Network of Circumstances – Do you like jigsaw puzzles? I do. It’s an extremely exciting activity and entertainment consisting of matching individual small fragments that ultimately make up a bigger picture. Puzzles are both logical and analytical activities that require the use of imagination. LIFE IS NOT ONLY AN ADVENTURE, BUT EXACTLY A PUZZLE. Analysing it, putting together element by element … Continue reading Life Puzzle: Part II
– EVERY HUMAN EXPERIENCES ADVENTURE – There are about 7.8 billion people in the world. Everyone, regardless of where they live, experiences greater or lesser adventures. In fact, our earthly adventure and journey through life begins from the moment we are born. For a child who is beginning to explore the world, learning to walk and talk is an adventure. The immediate surroundings provide the … Continue reading Life is One Big Adventure
– Weather is a Wicked Wildcard – There was ice in the whitewater. Like halos around the rocks, moving water was freezing around stationary objects in the river. At first fascinated, I felt suddenly anxious. Looking further out, I could see the whole body of water slushing up. As my brain tried to wrap around the strange and troublesome observation, my gut tightened and things … Continue reading Winter Whitewater: Part II
– You Can’t Plan for Everything – Last week, I wrote about using the distraction of adventure to cultivate a happy state of mind. In this article, I share a whitewater example of me practicing what I preach. In June 2020, I occupied a 400 square foot cabin in Challis, Idaho. It was good accommodation; the right size in the right place for the right … Continue reading Winter Whitewater: Part I
– The First Time I Fell in Love with Europe – In 1602, the Dutch East India Company became the world’s first multinational corporation. Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world. It grew as a European power by brokering trade between Spain and England with the Baltic countries, then expanded into the international spice trade. For two centuries, the Dutch were … Continue reading Amsterdam Was a Lifestyle
– The Harder the Work, the Higher the Pay – On the banks of the Euphrates River near the border with Iraq, there was ancient bedouin village in Syria named Deir ez-Zor. Royal Dutch Shell invested heavily in the development of nearby oilfields, not in the backward city. Historically, it served as a caravan stop on the famous Silk Road trade route. Expats called it … Continue reading Syria Was Tough Duty
