Tag Archives: landscape photography

You, Me, Stillman, And Dupree…

Although I love my Kindle, I am cursed with the ability to buy books at will. If I’m reading another book or an article that I found on hiking or the outdoors, I’ll click on the link and head on over to Amazon. And then I can’t resist. If I am even remotely interested in the book, I will add it to my library and it will sit there until I get to it. It could be a few days, a month, a year, or several years. It all depends.

So, as I was reading another book, the name Scott Stillman came up. What interested me even more was the title of the book that was being recommended. Released in January, I Don’t Want To Grow Up: Life, Liberty, and Happiness. Without a Career offers readers an insight as to what it is like to be able to seek out life’s adventures without the hassle of every day life. The ability to just pick up and go almost whenever you want to, just to climb that mountain, hike that trail or surf that wave.

Isn’t that what we all want to do? I am now in that unique position where if I want to hike a certain trail that may not be close to my home, I can do so. Since I am retired, I don’t have to worry about work and as long as my wife has my schedule, it shouldn’t be a problem.

The author says this about his most recent book:

My fellow readers…

At first glance, this book may appear as a departure from my nature writing. Upon reading it however, I’m confident you will find it is not. As you might know by now, I find it impossible to discuss any matter without also discussing nature. We are inseparable.

So here you go–another nature book. Part memoir, part philosophy, part how-to, part prayer for a better future–but a nature book, nonetheless. You will find it different, yet the same.

My sincere hope is that it finds its way into the hands of someone who’s suffering. Struggling to find their place in this crazy world. Struggling to grow up.

If it helps a single person, I’ll consider it a success.

Thanks for allowing me this opportunity. Thanks for your continued support. My gratitude is boundless.

Scott makes it clear to his readers. If you want to adopt this type of lifestyle before you retire, you can. If you haven’t seen the movie You, Me and Dupree, I strongly recommend it. Dupree, one of the lead characters in the movie, has adopted the lifestyle that Stillman celebrates in his book.

At 183 pages, I was able to knock it out in under a day. Looking at pursuing some adventures, I thoroughly enjoyed the book as well as the message it sent. So many people are caught up in the cycle of adulthood that they can’t even think about undertaking even weekend adventures because of life.

But as I am finding out, life might not always be here tomorrow.

Here is the description of the book that Amazon offers:

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

We’ve been asked this question over and over, practically since the day we could walk.

Many of us have absolutely no idea. We never have and we never will. This bothers us terribly, and on a profound level. We feel useless, disconnected, scattered, unfocused. If we could just make up our minds—about something, about anything!

What if you didn’t have to grow up?

Society would like us to believe that to be successful, we need careers. But let’s face it—we’re not all meant to be doctors, lawyers, scientists, and accountants.

Some are meant to be dreamers.

The people on the fringes of society who don’t necessarily subscribe to the modern version of the American Dream. Artists, adrenaline junkies, nomads, life seekers. Those who doubt conventional wisdom, question authority, and continually search for newer, better ways to live.

The world needs freaks—now more than ever before.

Is the career-less path really so bad?

Could it actually be a calling?

Find out for yourself.

Get it Now.

Think about where you are in life and decide how you want to move forward. You may be in your 40’s with the standard accoutrements of a suburban husband or wife. Can you make a decision to downsize and simplify your life so you can complete some of the adventures that you have no doubt been thinking about for years. Don’t kid yourself, we all have things that we have dreamed about doing, some for a pretty long time.

Needless to say, this book is worth the read. If anything, it will get you thinking.

If you could just take off, even if it is only for a few days or weeks, would you?

And to answer that other great question, What do I want to be when I grow up? I want to be FREE!

HAPPY HIKING!!!

Another Early Morning Hike…

“A walk in nature walks the soul back home.”

-Mary Davis

Good morning folks! Up at 4 and on the trail by 5! I wanted to get a quick hike in very early this morning so I can finish getting ready for our backpacking excursion into Harriman and Bear Mt. State park tomorrow, Thursday and Friday.

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The sun making its way up over a hill.

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A section of the Red/Green trail.

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A nice level part of the Green trail.

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Creepy…

Happy Hiking!!!

Hike #19-4.1-110.7

Keeping It Light Until The Time Is Right

“Hike more, worry less,”

-Anonymous

Today was the first hike of the summer break!!! I am going to keep the distance short today and tomorrow since I will be out backpacking Wednesday, Thursday and Friday on the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail. Twenty three miles of fun on the trail!

With that said, this morning it was pretty humid and you could tell that the thunderstorms that rolled through last night had dumped a ton of rain on the trails.

Even with the humidity it was still nice to get out and get a hike in. I’m looking forward to our trip to Harriman!

Here are some photos from this mornings hike:

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A stretch of the Leatherman’s Loop that was especially beautiful today.

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A stream that runs underneath the trail.

 

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Same stream as above.

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A connector trail just before the Red Trail.

Happy Hiking!!!

Hike #18-4.7-106.6

Quick Saturday Morning Hike

“Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.”

– Henry David Thoreau

My original plan for this beautiful Saturday morning was to head out early and get in about 8-9 miles. However, as plans always do, this changed after I was 1.5 miles into the hike. As I walked, my left Achilles started to hurt. I decided pretty quickly that 8 miles was not going to happen and after a short water break I cut the loop short and headed back towards the start of the hike. All in all, I still ended hiking just over 4 miles.

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The reservoir across the street from the entrance of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.

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The same reservoir…

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The field at the start of the hike.

Happy Hiking!!!

Hike #17-4.2-101.9

A Nice Sunday Hike

 

“Rest but never quit. Even the sun has a sinking spell each evening. But it always rises the next morning. At sunrise, every soul is born again.”

– Muhammad Ali

When I set out today, I had originally thought that I was only going to hike for around 3-4 miles. As I made my way around Ward Pound Ridge, I felt really good so I decided that I would keep going!! The sunrise was fantastic and these trees with the small white flowers were all over the reservation.  It was very early in the morning so I didn’t have any contact with other hikers or trail runners until the last half mile of my journey.

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Happy Hiking!!!

Hike #16-7.4-97.7

They Grow Up So Fast

It wasn’t that many years ago that I would be mowing the lawn and watching my two kids swing back and forth as our first dog Murphy sat and kept them company. Fast forward to today and I have to admit that it made me a little sad to see the swing set in the condition it is now in. Now that both of my kids are way to old for swing sets, I guess it’s past time to get rid of it. It really is true that our kids grow up way too fast.

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Humidity=Bugs & Sweat

“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
-Henry David Thoreau

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
-Henry David Thoreau

WOW!!!! Today was the most humid day for hiking that I have encountered so far this year. At 5:20 am the temperature was already 66 degrees and the humidity was sky high. The forecast tonight is for thunderstorms so I guess the high humidity just comes with the territory! As a matter of fact, it was so bad that as I stretched before I even started hiking I was sweating profusely. Needless to say, the sweating never stopped!

All in all it was still a great hike.

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Another fine trail at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.

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The trail was partially obscured by the brush on both sides.

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Early in the morning the peace and stillness of the woods is mesmerizing.

Happy Hiking!!!

Hike # 14-7.6-82.3

Blue Skies And Spring

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.”

-John Muir

With summer rapidly approaching and daylight extending way past what we were seeing just a couple of months ago, the best way to end a day to head to Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. With clear blue skies and empty trails, this hike was as close to perfect as you can get.

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The start of today’s hike.

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A stream that runs next to the trail.

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Upstream just a little bit from the picture above.

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A register located on the DH Trail.

Happy Hiking!!!

Hike #12-5.5-68.7

Dandelion

“I was a dandelion puff…Some saw the beauty in me and stooped quietly to admire my innocence. Others saw the potential of what I could do for them, so they uprooted me, seeking to shape me around their needs. They blew at my head, scattering my hair from the roots, changing me to suit them. Yet still others saw me as something that was unworthy and needed to be erased.”
-Nicole Bailey-Williams

I took these pictures while I was cooking some chicken on the grill.

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