It Takes More Than a PHD to Shoot a Book Cover Photo
September 20, 2014

It Takes More Than a PHD to Shoot a Book Cover Photo

by guest blogger Bonnie Spencer   September 20, 2014 When my first-ever digital camera died recently, I went shopping for a replacement. I searched for a similar model because I didn’t want to have to learn how to operate a different one. Eventually, I did find another low-end model that caters to the non-pro like me. Give me an Auto setting and one button to push and I’m happy. My PHD (Push Here Dummy) in photography serves me well. So how difficult could it be to shoot the cover photo for a book? I was …
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A Golden Ticket Encore
June 16, 2014

A Golden Ticket Encore

June 16, 2014 In the “Golden Ticket,” I told you about my continuing quest for the perfect sleep while backpacking. (That was two blogs back and needs to be read first to make any sense of this one.) My air mattress has to be light enough to pack for several days or weeks. Maybe even months—who knows? But it also has to be comfortable and, most importantly, wide enough for both my elbows. The fact is, I never did actually use my new birthday Klymit Static V sleeping pad. Shortly after trying it out on …
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June 5, 2014

A Thrillin’ Memorial Day

June 5, 2014 You may have thought your Memorial Day festivities were great. Maybe even exciting. See if you still think so after you read about mine. Now, you’re probably thinking I’m going to wow you with a tale of some exotic and dangerous hike or a family reunion with a long-lost relative. OK—so it wasn’t that exciting, but . . . We spent the holiday with my father-in-law in Xenia. I kicked the day off with The Grillin’. It’s big stuff when a guy gets to do anything with propane. Bonnie and her dad …
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May 17, 2014

The Golden Ticket

May 17, 2014 Sixty-four is not a big birthday. At least I keep telling myself that. We would celebrate it quietly. Bonnie and her dad know just what I like and had it planned out. However, none of us knew it would involve a Golden Ticket. No, I’m not trying out for American Idol any time soon. There will be no coveted plane ticket to Hollywood. I haven’t even kept up with the show this season. But we did head off to the outfitter store. Bonnie had given me a blank check (within reasonable limits) …
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February 21, 2014

High Adventure at East Fork

February 21, 2014 I dropped the remote from my fingers and replaced it with my phone. Wait until Bob hears the seven-day forecast I happened upon: highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s—and this in mid-August! I implored him to arrange an escape from his office for a mid-week hike. This weather was too good to waste. He did, we planned, and three days later we met at the trailhead at East Fork State Park. We set off from there at 1:00 pm, prepared to stay overnight and return to our cars sometime …
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Hiking For Poppie—Part One
January 18, 2014

Hiking For Poppie—Part One

January 18, 2014 It was an unusually mild December day, perfect weather for a walk down those lonely back roads. We weren’t hunters, and we trusted our bright colors to alert the people with rifles that we were not deer, either. I listened as my hiking partner, Andrew Purdy (aka Yogi), detailed our mission to a curious gent in that rural part of southeast Ohio. The man sat on his porch enjoying the Indian summer day. He rarely saw hikers happen by. Yogi explained that he was on leave from the Navy and was hiking …
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