My Starfish Pin

At Webelos Weekend in 2014, I was given this pin as an adult leader. I still wear it on my uniform today. Occasionally, someone will ask "What's up with the starfish?". This is the story I tell (it came on the card with the pin):

A well known author and poet was working and vacationing on the southern coast of Spain. One early morning, he was walking along the beach - the sun was rising, the rain had ended, the rainbows were magnificent, the sea was calm. While enjoying the beauty around him, he glanced down the beach and saw a lone figure dancing about. Fascinated by this person celebrating the new day, he moved closer. As he drew nearer, he realized that the person was not dancing, but in one graceful motion was picking up objects from the beach and tossing them into the sea. He approached the young man and saw the objects were starfish. "Why in the world are you throwing starfish into the water?" "If the starfish stay on the beach, when the tide goes out and the sun rises higher, they will die," replied the young man as he continued tossing them out to sea. "That's ridiculous! There are thousands of miles of beach and millions of starfish. You can't really believe that what you are doing can possibly make a difference!" The young man picked up another starfish, and tossing it into the waves, said, "It makes a difference to this one."

So after recanting the story, I tell them "I wear the pin to remind myself that I make a difference. Not just in scouting, but in liffe". 

Just One Hour a Week.....

There's a mythical saying that being a Scout Leader only takes "One Hour a Week" of your time. 

When my son was old enough to join Cub Scouts, I was eager to get involved. We signed him up & I signed on to be the assistant den leader. In less time than it takes to grow corn, I was now the den leader. My scouting experience and enthusiasm sent a message to the den leader that I was more than willing to do whatever was needed, so we switched roles. I really enjoyed working with the young scouts on learning what Cub Scouts do!

Fast forward 4 or so years. My kids & I were at Home Depot doing one of the kid's crafts and we met a local Cub Scout den leader. I got his name & number thinking Matt wanted to get back into it. We talked about it, and he didn't express much interest. About a year after that: "Dad, I want to join Scouts again". Cool! Now where is that guy's number. I actually still had it and we connected. My son joined the den as a Webelos almost as summer began. Of course, I signed on as an assistant leader. 2 years of Webelos and working with a great group of scouts! Since Webelos are the highest rank in Cub Scouting, there are more outdoor activities and less crafty type activities. There were a couple campouts, hikes, and things to get the boys ready for Boy Scouts. Matt and a few of the other Webelos earned all 20 activity pins (we really had to crank towards the end, but they did it)! 

As Webelos, the scouts visit potential Boy Scout troops to see which would be a good fit at graduation. Matt & 1 other scout from our den decided on Troop 142. Naturally, I mentioned to the Scoutmaster that I was fully engaged and willing to do whatever needs to be done. He tasked me with helping the new patrol work through ranks. No problem. I started working with the Flaming Arrow Patrol to get them up through the ranks. We've done knot tying, camping, cooking, service projects, & "things Scouts do"! It has been an absolute blast! We have such a great troop of Scouts and immediately following and event, I look forward to the next. On one of our campouts, I was told by the Scoutmaster that he was going to be stepping down soon and that i was a logical replacement. "Probably after summer camp" he said. Well, Summer camp is at the end of June and things are starting to move in that direction. 

I welcome the role. I thing helping mold these young men into responsible citizens is not a task to be taken lightly. It takes listening, planning, leading by example, instructing, & guiding. Sure, the meetings are an hour a week; actually 90 minutes, but in order to make a difference, you have to put in the time. I remember reading the passage below when I became a Tiger Den Leader, it rings even more true today:

I'm not a Scout Leader for the easy hours, high pay, parents' gratitude, power or prestige.
I'm a Leader because I want the world for your son or daughter or mine.
A world they can share and help shape: a world of love and laughter where they can show compassion.
I want to help them learn to finish anything they start and do it well and to guide them to know their self-worth with a deeper understanding of themselves.
I want to help shape men and women who have strength of character and are sensitive to the needs of others.
I want them to be the best they can be - whether as career people or tradesmen, young adults who are the hearts of the family.
In giving my time and myself I reap rewards far beyond what I give. I receive a better world for my children and future generations.
I'm a Scout Leader because I care.


To the journey that lies ahead.....

Goat Feeder with Video

Anybody who feeds goats alfalfa hay, knows that if you simply put the bale on the ground, about 25% of the hay goes to waste. OK, maybe not anybody; but nobody told me. I had to learn the hard way!

I decided to make a raised goat feeder out of pallets (what else would I use?). After some quick research, saw what a basic feeder looks like and went to work. 

It is important to work with pallets that are all the same size. I can't stress that enough. If one of your pallets is a different size that all the others, your project won't turn out properly. Also, be sure to use heat treated pallets. For more info on this topic, click here. 

So I gathered all my pallets, screws and screw gun. I used the pallet with a plywood surface as the "bottom" of the feeder so less hay would fall through. I laid this pallet on it's side on top of one of my "side pallets" and started screwing it together. I then flipped it over and repeated the process. The hard part was getting the pallets to balance as i screwed them together. A spare pallet came in handy. Not only did it brace the pieces for me, but since it was the same size, it was the perfect measurement. 

 
 

















Once I had my "H" shape, I laid it on the side to insert the 2 pallets that would hold the hay in a "V" shape. I used a whole bunch of screws and screwed the whole thing together. The screws I used were the exterior drywall screws and deck screws. This would help ensure that the feeder stays here for a while. 

I ran out and got a bale of alfalfa and stuck it in the top. The goats were thrilled. I did have to remove a slat from each side so that they could get to they hay. Once i did that they went to town! I also added a sheet of masonite on the bottom so that less hay would fall through. 

Too Slo to Go Pro

Can you find me in the above pic? (no, not in the cut-off short shorts)

The wide part of the course.

So, I rode the Old Fashioned Mountain Bike Race in Flagstaff yesterday. This race was tough, but fun. I learned a few things during this race that I thought I'd share. 

First of all, I had only 3 goals for this race:
1. Have fun. 
2. Enjoy the experience. 
3. Not injur myself. I managed to accomplish all three of my goals! Granted, they weren't lofty goals, but this was my first mountain bike race. I didn't expect to place or win, i just wanted to go out & have fun. 

So, I'm pedaling along and I immediately realize that I should have trained for this race. About 90% of this race was climbing. I hadn't really ridden in the whole month prior to this race and it showed :(. My lungs burned, my legs ached, and I just didn't feel in sync with my bike. Lesson learned; next time - train!

I also learned that I need to ride more single track trails, which is to say trails that are just wide enough for a bike or hiker. When I do go out and ride, I typically don't challenge myself enough. Descending a single track is a blast! Imagine winding in and out of trees, maneuvering over and around rocks, at speeds that may tempt you to hit the brakes. Fun stuff! I'm sure I had a silly grin on my face the entire time. Climbing single track trails, however, is a little more challenging. There are typically exposed tree roots, rocks, and other obstacles not to mention squeezing in between places that is just barely wide enough for your tires. There's no shame in hoping off and carrying your bike over obstacles that are too difficult to ride. I wasn't the only person to employ this tactic!

I also need more practice at clipping in and out of my pedals on a single track. There were, more times than I'd like to admit, instances where i found myself on the ground because I either couldn't un-clip fast enough or I'd un-clip the wrong side. No biggie. Nothing more than a scraped elbow and bruise on my arm & ego. I may look into a skills clinic at the local bike shop to get some tips & pointers. 

Overall, I'd say my biggest downfall was conditioning. Next year, I will be ready. Next year, I will train, ride this course more (this was the first time on the course), and just ride more before the event. 

Here are a few observances during the race:
1.  I (used to) fancy myself a climber - I need to climb more. 
2. I LOVE this sport. The camaraderie of everyone out there was incredible. 
3. Flagstaff is awesome for mountain biking!
4. I need to ride more. 
5. The cycling community in Flagstaff rocks!
6. That old lady on the trike with the basket full of croceries was faster than she looked. 
7. I can't wait for my next event, be it road cycling or MTB. 

Below are some pics from the ride:
 

Got a little dirty

Bike was ready to go

My cool beer socks!

Just about to cross the finish line. 

The Bug

I recently sold my MTB, The Purple Pig. That bike, while fun, was a bit of a beater. The equivalent of "rock skis". Aside from the cosmetic issues, it also had mechanical issues. A noisy bottom bracket, untrue wheels, and poor shifters are only the beginning.

I found a new MTB on Craigslist and traded my old dart board for it. This bike is much newer, lighter, and is full suspension (great for an old guy). I've been enjoying riding this bike a LOT! To say that I'm once again obsessed would probably be a fair statement. I've been trying to ride at least twice a week to get back into somewhat decent riding shape. After each ride, I'm already looking forward to my next one. While riding this morning, I found myself wondering "how can I make this my job"? Wouldn't that be sweet? Either testing new equipment or exploring trails. Hmmmm. I will probably have to stick to recreational riding. That's OK, I still love it.

The other day, I rode straight out my front gate into the forestry area and had a blast! If anyone wants to come ride some sweet trails, let me know. I did learn a lesson today...Carry tools! Shortly after I left, my handlebars became loose. Loose enough so that they would twist in my hands. Not good. I had a multi-tool in my CamelBak so I could tighten them some. My bike tool would have fixed them for good. Guess what I'm doing tonight...packing my tool kit for this bike.

When I'm driving from customer to customer, I can't help but look out and wonder what kind of trails might be just off the road, or in the canyons, or mountains, or.... My mindset has gone back into a cyclist's one. I may need counseling...

Am I Getting Soft?

Back in the day, I used to ride a hardtail MTB; that is a MTB sans suspension. No front shocks, no frame shock, just a bike. I rode that bike over all sorts of terrain and thought nothing of it. My buddy and I would hit the trails HARD almost every weekend and sometimes not know where we'd end up.

Now, I ride a full suspension MTB with a GPS in my pocket. Have I gone soft? Not at all. I look at it as riding smarter. This technology didn't exist when we were tearing up the trails in Southern CA. Well, front shocks were just coming onto the scene, but I didn't have 'em. The suspension takes some of the shock from the trail so it doesn't transfer to your body making you able to ride longer (as long as your legs and lungs can hang). 

I went for a pre-work ride this morning and certainly appreciated the technology. I appreciated the suspension as I screamed down a trail at 25mph. I still felt the washboard trail  in my arms but it wasn't quite as bad. I certainly appreciated the GPS when I missed a turn in the trail and ended up in some dude's front yard. I was able to locate the correct turn and get back on track. Since I was riding before work, I didn't have the luxury of "figuring it out" as I went. 

I heard an interview with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top who relayed a story about his guitar strings. Blues players traditionally use pretty heavy (thick) strings for better tone. BB King told Billy that he was working too hard by using such heavy strings. Basically, the newer technology in guitar string development made it possible to have the tone without working so hard. The same goes with mountain biking. There have been a lot of changes in the equipment. Why work so hard?

I still consider myself an old skool mountain biker, but I may have to revise that thought. Old skool in mind, body, and spirit; but taking advantage of modern cycling technology. Definitely NOT soft!

Girls Gone WILD!

    

If you were hoping for a video of drunk twenty-somethings flashing their boobs while sticking their tongues out, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed here. This is a video of how my [chicken] girls act when I give them treats such as worms, grubs, or crickets. Enjoy!