Another NFL-less Sunday

This week I spent my Sunday out in the woods -- and then packing up from a weekend in the woods.

 

It started Friday by setting up camp for our black powder muzzle loading club's "Fall Rendezvous."

A Rendezvous is a weekend of camping, cooking over open fires and in dutch ovens, shooting competitions at various targets, throwing a knife and hawk, etc. 

 

I got set up just in time for . . . 

 

We spent the rest of Friday night hunkered down under our primitive canvas. And, as the temperatures dropped, under wool blankets.

I would like to share one other photo.  This is J.B. starting a fire with flint and steel.  What makes this photo special is that in the far background is his grandson and the wide-eyed youngster looking on is J.B.'s great-grandson.  Just a beautiful example of a family sharing a hobby. 

This shot got me thinking a lot about passion (in this case for a hobby) and action.  Starting a fire with flint and steel requires planning (you need a flint, hard steel, usually some charred cloth to hold a spark, and some sort of nest that will catch fire). Then you need to strike the steel just right to create sparks.  Add a little oxygen and, hopefully, you've got fire.  

What action and sparks will I take the rest of this week?  Well, it will start with cleaning a truck-load of dirty, smelly camping equipment out of my truck.  But, it was all worth it.

 

Planning -- Action -- Sparks -- Fire! 

Carpe diem Life,

David Kuhn

This Goes Along With Yesterday's Post

I Thought this was pretty good.  Stolen off Facebook (I know, I know.  What the hell was I doing on Facebook!?). 

Carpe diem Life,

David Kuhn

Week 6: xobparc

 And, I might add:  aidem laicos !

According to Robert Ringer (see last week's post), there is an organized conspiracy that revolves around a device whose purpose is to dull our senses and steer us away from thoughts that might inspire us to take action to BETTER our existence.  The code word for this device is xobparc.  I'm adding aidem laicos  (which, by coincidence, is crapbox and social media spelled backward).

I can't even begin to tell you how much of my precious life I've given away to these desensitizing "eraf parc."  And the LFN has been big part of it.  No more!

I do have a CHOICE!

So, on today's agenda:

• Create targets for my black powder muzzle loading club shoot next weekend.  Some of those targets involve created in the woodworking shop.  It's also our Primitive Camp, so I need to start preparing for that.
• Pack to go up north to see older daughter and the grandkids (okay, and son-in-law, too).
  
• Finally, after running some errands, a pizza dinner with younger daughter.  

 

Thank you Robert Ringer for reminding me that I do have a choice.  It's up to me to start taking constructive action -- instead of watching over-paid athletes.  

 

Carpe diem Life,

David Kuhn 

Week 5:  No NFL, NBA, MLB, College Football . . . 

Projects.  A conscious decision to work on accomplishing a project instead of donating three hours of my time watching a game.

 

This week's project involved moving out a good portion of a utility closet, adding a shelving unit,  and cleaning out a pantry.  It's our first step to having space to hoard food and paper goods for when the upcoming apocalypse begins to devour us (in reality, we've just always thought it would be a good idea to have shelves in there and 35-years later is as good a time as ever).  

Action.

All this process has reminded me of the American business philosopher Robert Ringer.  His philosophy, in part, states that the most important success habit when it comes to determining how an individual's life plays out is ACTION!  Ideas can be precious commodities that can change the world.  Sound preparation is invaluable.  Knowledge and wisdom are essential when it comes to giving one an edge in the pursuit of great achievements.  But . . . 

 

IT'S ALL USELESS WITHOUT ACTION.  Because ACTION is the starting point of all progress.  It is action that cuts the umbilical cord and brings an idea out of the womb. 

So, what's the critical ingredient?  Getting off my butt and doing something. 

Carpe diem Life,

David Kuhn

 

Today is week four of my "not-going-to-call-it-a-boycott" boycott of the NFL.  As of now, I've yet to watch a second of college football, NFL, MLB, NBA.  In place of donating my time to these gazillion dollar organizations, I've been working on projects.

 

Today (besides a shift at work), I'm working on finishing up a couple of boxes I built for my primitive camping.  The one on the right holds my cast iron cookware.  The "crate" on the left will hold a few other cooking items.  

 

Nothing special to look at, but functional.

 

I'm also working on a song with the working title, "Buzzards on a Roadkill" (just a whimsical tale). 

Next, I'm going to go out and enjoy the evening out under the stars.

 

Finally, a couple parting quotes I read today:

• Experience is a hard teacher:  It gives the test first, the lesson afterward. -- Zig Ziglar
  
• Problems produce patience; patience produces persistence; persistence produces character; character produces hope; hope produces power. -- Zig Ziglar
• If you don't find peace in yourself, you will never find it anywhere else. -- Paula A. Bendry
  

 

Carpe diem Life,

David Kuhn 

  

Solar Lights, Hot Dog Roasting Sticks, and TP

I belong to a black powder shooting club that owns forty acres in Pike County, Indiana.
Recently, we discovered that a homeless man from around the area has discovered our camp and has made it his home from time to time while no one is around.

A while back, one of our members discovered him and politely asked him to leave and never come back. We then put up a trail camera to monitor the club house and road.  This weekend, we discovered that a solar light from the outhouse, all the toilet paper, a handful of hot dog roasting sticks, AND the trail cam have gone missing.  

There really is no moral to this story.  No Carpe diem lesson.  Just a story.

Which brings me around to camping this weekend.  

I usually camp in a primitive canvas tent to reenact pre-1840 history.  This weekend I broke out a new “modern” tent that purchased to someday use on an overnight with grandson.

Camping.  There are a lot of invaluable life lesson to learn from camping.  

• First, it’s great to unplug.  If social media is a cancer, nature is the remedy. 

• Camping builds and strengthens bonds — especially around a campfire.

• Nature wakens your senses (it’s a little scary, which is good for you).

• You tend to bring too much stuff, but never exactly what you need.
• So, Camping challenges you to adapt, improvise and overcome.
• Cooking with fire is primal and just damn awesome.   
• Sleeping out under the stars awakens a spiritual bond.
  

Today I’m back to civilization (or un-civil civilization) and I’m continuing my not-calling-it-a-boycott boycott of the NFL.  Instead of watching a game, I’m going to spend three hours cleaning up my camp gear and getting ready for the next adventure. 

Carpe diem Life,
David Kuhn

What a Difference a Game Makes

 Or, to be more precise, NOT watching a NFL game.

And, to be even more precise, NOT watching three or four games.  

109 blocks later.  Some leveling here and there.  Some fixing one problem and creating two others . . . 

Carpe diem Life,

David Kuhn