Outdoor Living, Recreation for Some, Necessity for Others

From Mitch Albom’s site on Have A Little Faith… In the book Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor – a reformed drug dealer and convict – who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof.

I teach outdoor education and recreation. I teach parents and teachers to take the children outdoors for enrichment and appreciation of nature and all it offers us. I am also a huge proponent of outdoor education for the skills it can teach us about doing without modern day appliances, which in turn may someday give us an edge if we are forced to cope with a natural or manmade disaster. People forced from their homes have a better chance of survival if they have developed a sense of well being and confidence in the absence of electricity, running water and a warm cozy bed.

Mitch’s book gives a detailed description of what it’s like to live on the street, and the way Pastor Henry had compassion upon these people to make their live not just more comfortable, but bearable. One of the characters loses his toes from frostbite. Can we even imagine? A wise person once told me, “The key to happiness is gratitude”. This principle is demonstrated and affirmed in the book when some of the homeless rejoice in being granted just a few comforts, like some used clothing or shoes without holes.

I challenge us all to consider this as the new year approaches and we think about all we have to do in 2010 and goals we wish to accomplish. Take some time to consider those not just less fortunate, but those who have nothing, and do something to make a difference in your community.

Spotlight: Mitch Albom’s Book, Have a Little Faith

Well Christmas is over, and the New Year is approaching. Santa Claus was good to our family, although it was a little leaner under the tree than some years. One of the gifts I received this year was a book from my Sweetie of one of my favorite authors, Mitch Albom. (I need to list Mitch as one of my Favorites in my profile.) Mitch is a columnist for the Detroit Free Press and authors many fine books such as Tuesdays with Morrie, 5 People You Meet in Heaven, and now his latest book, Have a Little Faith.

I’m not a book worm, so in order to read with good comprehension and most importantly captivation; I need a quiet place with good light and a little white noise. Have a Little Faith, kept me wanting more from the very first page to the very end with only a few short breaks in between. The reasons it hooked me are his style and layout mostly. I love a book that has new chapters every two or three pages. Similar to a blogging style, the book left me finishing one thought, then lead me on to the next which was sometimes completely different, making me think – but not too hard.  Beyond this technical aspect is Mitch's humanness that he portrays.  His thoughts and feelings are those like I might have in similar circumstances, and his people are real - ordinary folks with extraordinary stories.  There is greatness in the ordinary - that point comes across crystal clear.

From Mitch’s site… Albom’s first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie, Have A Little Faith begins with an unusual request: an 82-year-old rabbi from Albom’s old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy. - Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he’d left years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor – a reformed drug dealer and convict – who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof.

So Mr. Gus, you may ask, What does this have to do with the outdoors? Are you rambling? - The answer is no. As I read about the Detroit pastor and his work with the homeless, I reflected upon those who live at the mercy of the outdoor elements by necessity, rather than by choice. The reason for this book review at all is because of the impression it made upon me in this way.

Here is a great follow-up article to the book in USA Today: 'Tuesdays With Morrie' author Mitch Albom keeps the 'Faith', Updated 9/29/2009 10:39 PM.

Please read my upcoming follow up: Outdoor Living, Recreation for Some, Necessity for Others, to post Dec. 30, 2009.

The Gift Of Service

As a government employee, sometimes we feel our hands are tied when it comes to wishing people Merry Christmas or mentioning God. So at the risk of offending the public reader, I'll go out on a limb and instead of giving an original message, I'll offer you a quote from our Commander In Chief, but one I feel whole heartedly in agreement:

This season, we celebrate that sacred moment -- the birth of a child and the message of love He would preach to the world; that we are our brother's keeper, our sister's keeper; that, "pure in heart," we do unto others as we would have them do unto us; that we devote ourselves to "good works;" that we are summoned to be peacemakers.

More than 2,000 years later, that spirit still inspires us... And it's why, as so many of our fellow citizens struggle through tough times, we are called upon to help neighbors in need. And it's why, with our men and women in uniform serving far from home, in harm's way, our fervent wish remains, this season and all seasons -- let there be peace on Earth. - Remarks by the President, Barack Obama, at the 28th "Christmas in Washington" Broadcast, National Building Museum, Washington, D.C., December 14, 2009.

The speech in full.

Take Some Time To Reflect

"Take Some Time To Reflect" is becoming my new mantra for the next week or two at least. This past while has been a crazy one. In the last ten days my house was robbed, the car died, I took a weekend trip to Alabama, an 18 hour car ride to pick up our son from the Marines, an archery tournament, a group campfire and only 2 more days left of archery day camp, and my bathroom sink is leaking. Whew. Is it Christmas yet? What month is it?

Perhaps needless to say, it has been challenging for me to get into that good old holiday spirit.  The TV and radio media just make it worse, hearing about last minute Christmas shopping.  On the radio I heard the Carpenter's song, "There's no place like home for the holidays" which started to bring me back on track. Karen Carpenter's voice sooths my soul. Here's a reminder of how it goes...

Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays
'Cause no matter how far away you roam
If you long for the sunshine and a friendly gaze
For the holidays you can't beat home sweet home

In the 4-H program, we teach life skills and this would be a good one to reiterate - Reflection.  Look at the past day, week, month or year and reflect upon goals you set, or those you didn't but should have.  Reflect up on the important things in life, like your most important relationships, the ability to work, have a job or the opportunity to go outdoors and feel the breeze upon your face.  Reflect upon the things you do good, and the things you need to work on.  Whether your financial situation is tight or flush, you are alone or with family, everyone I know can gain from thoughtfully looking back to evaluate their situation.  I think I'll make a campfire over the holidays, enjoy it with my family and do some more of just that - reflect.

Photo Credit: Ginger Roberge.

Can Roadkill Serve A Worthy Purpose?

As a USU Aggie and former Utahan, I'm still interested in the Rocky Mountain wildlife. This week my daughter went with her Mom to Utah to visit Grandma, Grandpa and the cousins for Christmas. One of the great things they'll probably see are the deer that come down from the snow covered mountains to feed. In Grandma Pope's particular neighborhood, the deer love the fallen apples left over from the fall harvest. I was thinking of this precisely at the moment I ran into this article.

As a subscriber of the Outdoor Press Room, I check in weekly to see what the headlines are, and this week there is a captivating article regarding the number of road kill mule deer in the state of Utah.  The article, by Brett Prettyman, UT road-killed and hunter-killed deer numbers nearly equal, goes on to say that "with an already struggling mule deer population, Utah wildlife officials are concerned that recent estimates indicate the number of road-killed mule deer may actually exceed the number taken by hunters in the Beehive State."  Were not talking a few mulies here, the numbers of road kill deer are in excess of 20,000!  Unbelievable!


Now as a Floridian, its making me start to wonder about our road-killed wildlife.  I'll have to look up the Florida FWC numbers, but when I asked myself, Are more possum killed by small game hunters or by cars?, I laughed out loud!  Florida drivers smashing possum and armadillos, attract more buzzards than Palm Beach attracks New York retirees.  But does this, or can this have any beneficial affect to us and our families, or is it just a sad sad thing?

Like it or not, we're part of the ecosystem, and the urbanization of our once pristine land has come at the detriment of wildlife, possum and mule deer alike.  In Utah, the homes crawl up the mountain side, so they've put up deer fences.  In Florida I do see some roadside game fences, but mostly I see six lanes of concrete from Miami to Jacksonville to Pensacola.  Its a wonder we still have wildlife at all, but I do see one bright spot in all of this gloom and negativity to the future of our game.

Use the main idea of this story to teach your kids.  Even a three year old who sees a dead animal on the roadside with a vulture feeding on it can begin to understand this one small part of the ecosystem.  When one animal dies, it may allow another to live.  I admit, that's a pretty somber story for a toddler to learn, but when is the right time to start teaching about the food chain, decreasing wildlife habitat and natural resource conservation?  If you teach this while they're young, it may have a greater impact on the decisions they make as adults, when they can make choices that will make a difference.  Photo Credits: by joeesabol of Flickr! and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Protect Yourself. Inventory Your Things.

Recently a close friend of mine had his house broken had some valuables stolen, including firearms. Luckily all of the items were stolen were inventoried, so when the police arrived he handed him printed pages of the goods including photos, serial numbers, purchase price and replacement value. He said the police were very pleased at the detail of information, because it will give them a better chance of having the items returned. He was using the same inventory software as I use, for that dreaded break-in, severe weather event or fire. That software is free, and it’s called What You Own Home Inventory, from M-One Studio. The most current version is 4.11 and it is available from or from CNET, who gives it a great review.

When I first started using the software, it was from one of the larger insurance companies, and I spoke to one of their reps. They told me that too many people try to make claims for stolen or ruined valuables, but they offer no proof those things ever existed. After using the software, I found it extremely intuitive and useful. Some tips as you start to inventory your items: Do it in a logical order. I opted to inventory my most valuable items first, which made good sense. After those were done, I went room by room and did other valuables. Lastly (and ongoing) I use it to keep track of account numbers and log-in information. Many of us nowadays have multiple account numbers for our banks or shopping online, it’s hard to keep track of all of them. What You Own Home Inventory does a great job with this. Finally, when your done – save a copy to your hard drive and burn a copy to disc. I keep mine in the safe, with the intention of giving a copy to a family member in case all my things go up in smoke.

CNET had this to say about it, and I agree… CNET Editors' Review: We review a lot of programs, and it's not often that we find one that really blows us away. What You Own Home Inventory is one of those rare programs, the cream of the crop that's available on Download.com. The fact that this powerful home inventory program is free is a very pleasant surprise. The program's interface is fantastic, with a sleek, intuitive design. Users enter the rooms in their home and then the contents of each room, listing the purchase price, replacement price, and other relevant details…

Do it today, before it’s too late.