Whistling Badger Blog

Stop counting the miles. Stop longing for the finish. Just enjoy the ride. Feeling pretty fast til I surprise some  pronghorn : humbled, but inspired. Running unknown trails my memory is stirred: I wish I could find the truck. Easy, light, smooth, fast just like Caballo Blanco the first mile or so. I have seen elk run five miles through these same mountains And not break a sweat. Altitude training In triumph, I top the ridge Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! No past, no future, Just now:  each step a journey Every breath a prayer. Living God, thank you for aspens, flowers, good health, for strength that humbles.

The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting. You will not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138   Note:   I carried this lesson around with me for almost two years before I was ready to put it into words.   Thanks to Mara for letting us enjoy and learn from her art. I would like to share with you a parable of sorts. I have a friend in Sheridan named Mara Schasteen .   Among other things, Mara is a painter who creates still-lifes, landscapes, and portraits.   Her most magnificent work, in my opinion, involves aspen trees and chickens.   Yes, I said chickens.   Now, anyone who can make a chicken look magnificent (Really.   I mean it.   Stop that snickering . ) has some phenomenal talent and dedication.   Mara is becoming "kind of a big deal" in the art world.   She is also a wife and the mother of four children; her youngest, Emme, loves to play in the studi...

My long time readers (come on, you know you're out there--all three of you) might or might not remember my attempt at winter fly fishing a couple years ago.  That day, I got skunked.  And very, very cold. Last weekend, I had another go at it, with guide service provided by my friend Mike, a fishing guru if ever there was one.  That know-how, and a loaner set of waders, did the trick. Here is the smallest one I caught: And here is one of the bigger ones: I landed about five or six roughly this size; I was too busy laughing and hooting to keep count.  They were all browns, though I hooked one monster rainbow that got off after a fairly epic, ten-minute battle.  The fishing was so great, we almost forgot how miserable the weather was.  Good thing I was wearing more wool than the average sheep. We let them all go, so they're still out there.  And no, I won't tell you where "there" is...unless the price is right.  But you probably can'...

A nice picture of Thailand. I made up this recipe for my wife.  She can't eat meat and wasn't in the mood for stir fry, but all we had in the fridge was stir fry-type veggies, so I decided to try something different.  I used this as a starting point, but heavily modified it from there.  It ranks 4/5 on the coveted Wilson Recipe Scale, losing one point only because it doesn't include chocolate, bacon, aged cheddar, or onion rings. As-is, it is vegan and gluten-free (the latter being accidental).  It would be nice with the addition of some thin-sliced beef, shrimp, or chicken.  And like most recipes, it would be INCREDIBLE with bacon added:  just a slice, fried crisp, finely crumbled, and added to the sauce. What you need For the sauce: *1/4c peanut butter, preferably a smooth, all-natural type *2 T Hot water *The juice and zest of 2 limes.  If you don't know (I didn't until today), zesting limes is really easy:  Just scrape them over a...

Sarah and Katie have been reading Care Bears books lately.  They decided I was "Braveheart Bear."  I guess I can live with that.  But the original Care Bear in question wasn't really my style.  So, a bit of fun with Gimp... Aye.  Much better.  ARE YE READY FOR A MAULIN'?!

Try again, Kevin. I love my bow.  It is one of the few physical possessions that actually sort of matter to me.  I'm no expert, but I love shooting, and I love watching others make great shots.  Over the years, I have had a good time watching the many movies which prominently feature archery.  Among my favorite archery-intensive movies have been various incarnations of the Robin Hood story, Braveheart, The Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, Avatar, and assorted dystopic/post-apocalyptic action flicks, most recently The Hunger Games. Let's face it:  Archery is one of those pursuits, like combat driving or sky-diving, that is inherently, universally cool.  Movie goers can't seem to get enough of bow-and-arrow wielding heroes and heroins. As an archer myself, however, reality matters, too.  There are many more wrong ways than right ways to shoot a bow.  Most archery movies bug me, at some point.  With that in mind, I offer the following li...

Being a meditation on a Scottish Clan, a Wyoming Distance Race, and the Deeper Meanings Thereof In the extreme northeast corner of Scotland, there is an area of quiet farms and ranches, towering sea cliffs, and tiny fishing towns, where the sea is a constant presence and the wind is more a part of the landscape than a mere meteorological phenomenon.  These hills and coast-lands were once the home of a rather fierce group of Norse-Celtic people who called themselves clan Gunn.  And descended from that clan is a family called the Wilsons. My connection the Gunn clan is sketchy at best, more a matter of choice than historical certainty.  Even my brother, the history teacher, has been thwarted in his efforts to trace our ancestry:  "Wilson" is an absurdly common name, and there are simply too many on the books to sort them all out.  For all this, the Gunn lands felt like home when I visited years ago.  The story of the clan --from its Viking o...