BlairsvilleGeorgiaNovember 2012 There was a woman some years ago in Arizona. Her name was, and is, Randi. According to a source to be named later, Randi was a thirteenth generation armadillo farmer. Did you get that? That’s a lot of family and that’s a lot of armadillo. For thirteen generations, Randi’s family ran the armadillo… Continue reading What’s the Dilly Yo
Author: asiwentwalking
Kill
Driskill MountainLouisianaJune 2012 Kill. Probably not what you think. The suffix kill, as in Driskill, is a Native American word with a less gruesome translation than the English meaning. Kill means “creek.” It is a name popular in eastern Pennsylvania and New York state, with names such as Schuylkill, Bushkill, Cobleskill, Peekskill, Wallkill and many… Continue reading Kill
Zuverman
DarlingtonPennsylvaniaFebruary 2021 This is one big son of a bitch. Standing 18 feet tall, Zuverman is the fantasy embodiment of Bob Zuver, a Southern California Muscle Beach bodybuilder. There was a six-foot Zuverman statue but it just didn’t cut it. Mr Zuver saw himself as a much larger presence. He started preparations for a 50-foot… Continue reading Zuverman
Owl and Deer
Boyce Mayview ParkUpper Saint ClairJanuary 2016 Minding our own business, taking a comfortable day hike on the snow-covered trails, we are still remarking to each other about the wonder of the owl. Specifically the barred owl that seems to have taken up in the crook of that sycamore tree. I believe that it was dozing… Continue reading Owl and Deer
Mina Sauk
Taum Sauk MountainMissouriJuly 2012 In spring and in wet weather, Mina Sauk Falls is a 132-foot waterfall over rocky volcanic ledges. Highest falls in the state of Missouri. Today, it’s so dry the dogs are marking their territory with chalk lines. The only water we find is in pancake-sized puddles filling depressions in the rock. … Continue reading Mina Sauk
Fear IV — Why I Am Doing This
Simply stated, hiking to the summit of Guadalupe Peak is mentally and emotionally to this point the toughest hike I have ever done. And I’ve done a lot of hikes. Throughout most of our three thousand foot ascent on Guadalupe, I’m feeling just about creeped out, one banana short of a bunch, an ant short… Continue reading Fear IV — Why I Am Doing This
Fear III — Later is Now
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau — we have named one of our furry, stuffed pets “Hank Dave” in honor of Thoreau — were trail buds, kind of like Lisa and me, but not really. Emerson warned Thoreau that Mount Greylock was a “serious mountain.” Thoreau’s response was to up and summit forthwith. Bushwhacking the final… Continue reading Fear III — Later is Now
Fear II — Fear of Falling
When it comes to fear, The Book of Lists (by David Wallechinsky) reveals some surprises. The list of the top ten fears manifested in humans looks like this… 1 speaking before a group2 heights3 insects and bugs4 financial problems5 deep water6 sickness7 death8 flying9 loneliness10 … Continue reading Fear II — Fear of Falling
Fear I — Phobias
In 1977, construction on the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia was completed. It spans a half mile chasm at the bottom of which is the New River. Before the bridge was installed, the drive from one side of the gorge to the other — down into the gorge and up again on the… Continue reading Fear I — Phobias
Mount Whitney VIII of 8 — Coming Off the Mountain
the Sierra NevadaCaliforniaSeptember 2016 Whitney Portal Road. One road connects Whitney Portal to the rest of the world, the town of Lone Pine in particular. This 11.7-mile stretch from trailhead back down to South Main Street in Lone Pine is a relatively straightforward road with a few twists. And who doesn’t like a few twists!… Continue reading Mount Whitney VIII of 8 — Coming Off the Mountain