I was Checking out Katies Blog and she has a cool idea.
Whats in your wallet, bag, satchel, purse, or whatever you use to carry your stuff as you travel through this Life?
I gathered all my friends and asked them to empty their pockets.
Just to see what an average person carries with them daily.
It was fun to see what they carried and why they carried it. I gained a little knowledge from this exercise and found out that some of my friends may be a little psychologically unstable...lol
Items range from Chap stick and sunscreen to Multi tools and first aid kits.
Some of my friends are really prepared and some are just a little crazy.
It's fun to see what people focus on and what people prepare for. Kind of gives you a little insight into the mindset of those people you share your life with....although, be warned.....not all insight reveals attractive qualities.
A.J. You genuinely scare Me. lol
Seriously, seek help Brother.
Not that I am absolutely stable. I carry a backpack with Me everywhere. It's a Hydration pack that I have converted into a Mobile Command Center. I have everything in there. ipod. GPS. First Aid Kit. Multi tool. Sunscreen. Yeah........there's a lot in there. You might laugh at it, but if you were in a dire situation, you would be Happy to have Me in your life boat. Maybe I am a little Crazy.....but I look at the world as a Wilderness.....whether it be Rivers and Mountains, or Streets and Buildings.....Its never a Bad thing to Be Prepared.
So..........if you need some Sunscreen, a Band-Aid, Gum, or your Precise Geographical Coordinates.......feel free to ask, after all.....we're all in this together.
Have Fun Out There!
-Chase Riley Savant
- Chase Savant
- I am a little unhindged. Slightly out of Orbit. I have the blessing and curse of being born with a rare vision, I see the world a little differently than everyone else. I am inspired to share this with everyone I meet. Its more than likely the facet of my character that you will enjoy the most. I write nonstop about my adventures and I truly hope you enjoy them. I want SO badly to be a writer. a writer of any kind. its my primary passion....I couple the love I have for the outdoors with my tangent thought writing and it usually comes out entertaining. My friends have asked me to post Blogs so they can go with me on my journey through life. I have decided to do just that. So come with me....lets see where this takes us.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
PhotoHunter
Like Chase needs a reason to take pictures.
I have been working with Photo Hunter and have found its scavenger hunt photo missions fun to participate in. Check it out.....its always refreshing to see another artists view of the world. If nothing else............... its good photography practice.
-Chase Riley Savant
I have been working with Photo Hunter and have found its scavenger hunt photo missions fun to participate in. Check it out.....its always refreshing to see another artists view of the world. If nothing else............... its good photography practice.
-Chase Riley Savant
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Flapjacks and Five dollar soda
It started as a conversation over pancakes. Mmmmm pancakes. Then it led to a series of stories, all of them leading to a friend of a friend named Bean O.
Bean O.......
I asked why he was given the name, no one at the table knows.
The council of all things adventurous meets at an undisclosed diner in the middle of nowhere once a month... We share stories and enjoy what is arguably the most delicious pancakes on the planet. This day was just such occasion. I was driving my fork through butter laden, cake like, syrup drenched, slices of heaven and listening to AJ rant about this Bean O fellow. It seems the guy is a legend in some parts and a strange one at that. Then comes the trigger statement....Ben looks over at Me and says...."Sounds like the time at Drop Zone 10."
Now, I was at Drop Zone 10. It was one of those events that stamps a deep impression on your brain. A weekend that turned into a week and a half that I will never forget. And, from its reference, I am all too aware that I have not been paying enough attention to the conversation on the table.
It seems that this Bean O gentleman is a bit of a inventor.......bordering on mad scientist.....and somewhat of a test pilot. Or crash test dummy depending on the situation. Bean O was selected as a Sherpa on a certain expedition that I was almost a part of. One led by the liquidation projekt under the supervision of a certain river legend that we all know all too well. I was wondering who the found to take my place on the roster......it seems Mr. Bean O was chosen. And to point a fact, did a great job. Kudos to You Mr. Bean O
Now, I had been working on a design for river expedition.......a hybrid type of craft that I have seen used on other adventures. Its composed of a Zodiac......a low profile high output motor....and a hang glider. The idea is to fly over any area that might require portage, It has done very well in recon missions. There are a few design flaws, and I have been working out the kinks. It seems Bean O is a little ahead of Me on that detail. From the pictures I saw, he has a fully working rig. Kudos too You again Mr. Bean O.
After a few more minutes of listening to his exploits I realize that I have to meet this mad man. And as it turns out.......Kelly and Ben are meeting up with him in the morning. I am offered the opportunity to tag along.......I accept.
Its been two hours of driving down what can only be considered a road in the most fevered imagination. We have a downloaded My Topo that was mailed to Kelly and some GPS coordinates. Upon receiving it, I hear Ben ask, "Is that crayon?" Oh. Wow.... that's always a good sign. Other than that we have the advice from the old timer at the last "town" we went through. A "One Stop" that is rightfully named. A gas station/post office/fruit stand/residence of a man that as far as I can tell has never seen civilization. He looks at Me like I am from another planet and asks why we have canoes on our vehicles......I tell him they are Kayaks and he says "Uh huh" in that tone that suggests he is in no mood for correction. He is an absolutely fascinating old fellow right down to the over alls equipped with suspenders.......old pipe....and a beard that would make grizzly adams jealous. I marvel at his madness and ask him if he knew of the place we were going. He just stares at me like I am speaking in tongues and says "Son, there ain't nothin out there, Nothin."
I decide that this guy goes into my book of random weirdo awesome people. He is right up there with the Spanish fellow I met outside of Orro Valley, in the middle of the desert on a tricycle. He was tooling along on a big wheel....no shirt.....not a worry in the world. Just cruising down the highway about fifty miles between any town that I know of. Now, I don't know how long it takes to go 100 miles on a big wheel, but it can not be an enjoyable trek. I stopped and asked him if he needed anything......like a ride. And he said..."Nope, I am just fine." I asked if he needed any water, and he said........."Oh, yeah. That would be Gnarly."
Gnarly. Suddenly NOT dying of dehydration on a Arizona highway is..............."Gnarly"
I have assembled a book of Strange Strangers and this guy has a page devoted to him. The Old Timer at the One Stop will also be famous.
After about five more minutes of listening to him talk about the rain. He mentions how the Hogs almost got his dog. I haven't seen a dog, and if she is big enough to take on hogs....she must be something. He tells me that where we are going we should keep a sharp eye out for the Wild Pigs which he says are everywhere. I've had a run in with a Hog and let me just say they are not friendly animals. I find a cooler that has Mt Dew in it......I kid You not, Its in a bottle......an old glass bottle....it must have been in that cooler for a half a century. I ask him how much he wants for it and he says three bucks. I hand him a five and he says that he doesn't have change, I smile and say that it will be fine. I look over in the corner and see a paddle leaning up against the wall, further inspection reveals it is a carbon fiber paddle......a really nice one. I ask him where he got it and he tells me he found it on the road. I ask him if he wants to sell it and he says to make him an offer. I look it over and offer him a twenty........again he says, "I got no change." And I smile and say its cool. So, if you lost a paddle out near po dunk middle of no where.......finders keepers! As I walk out the door a small dog passes me and I look down at it. Its some breed of Terrier and not at all the hog hunter I envisioned.
I come out of the One Stop and Kelly asks me if theres a paddle shop in there.......I turn back and look at the building and ask him if it looks like a paddle shop. He asks me how much I gave for it and I say....."Well, the soda cost me five bucks." He asks me if the man had any advice or directions and I say......... "Son, there ain't nothin out there. Nothin."
The "road" goes from bad to worse and we find ourselves in four wheel drive negotiating all kinds of insane terrain. At one point, we had to wench a tree out of the way that had fallen in the path. And a few more miles down we found an even tougher obstacle.......a Bull. Now I have seen bulls.......been around them enough to know that you give them some room. Ben, it seems, has not. He drives right up to it and honks. Now there are ways you deal with hostile animals and ways that you don't. Generally, driving up to them and scaring the hell out of them is Not a good idea. The Bull just stands there and makes the most awful noise you've ever heard....while bobbing its head up and down. He is not happy. Ben revs his engine and honks once more, clearly a genius idea. To which the bull head butts the side of his truck......denting the fender. Ben looks back at me and I am laughing.....Kelly is laughing..... I think the bull was even laughing. And then after a twenty minute stand off..........he just walks into the trees. Content with the damage done. Ben gets out and surveys the damage. I get out and walk up to him and Kelly is still laughing and just when you think he is going to stop, he starts again. Ben looks at me and says....."Do you believe that?" I figure this is not the time to mention that it might have been his brilliant negotiation tactics that drove an animal to assault his bronco. I just say....."Hey, maybe he doesn't like fords."
Just then, we hear a popping noise followed by laughter. The kind of laugh that is half enjoyment and half fear. I figure we have found our mad man. And a short drive later, we find him. There's a river here.....and it is beautiful.....I cant believe the change in scenery.
We leave a forested area and step out onto a riverbank as beautiful as any I have ever seen. River rocks as far as the eye can see....polished smooth by the tenacity of the water. Each one looking as if it were hand picked and placed perfectly to compliment the one next to it. The trees line the river on the opposite bank and they seem to embrace the water, leaning affectionately out over its clear surface. The water itself is clear.....impossibly clear, like out of a dream. Even in the deep areas, you can see all the way to the bottom. Amazing.
Walking a little further out on the riverbank, we can see the man we've been searching for. He is relentlessly tugging on a pull cord...trying to bring the small engine to life. I'm guessing he will be happy to see the new motor in the back of Bens bronco. As I get closer to him, I realize that we have already met. I met him on the Texas water Safari and his name is appropriately "Austin." I later paddled with him in Arizona. In fact we've been friends for a while..........I just didn't know where he lived. I walk up to him and he says..." Hey man." And I reply "Bean O?" He laughs and says......."don't ask." and I decide that it is probably good advice. We spend the evening talking about a variety of subjects and looking over his Zodiac/glider and even give it a test run. I have to say.....Bean O is quite an engineer and I am impressed with his design. We have a few coronas and watch the sun set the trees on the far mountains ablaze in a sunset that will forever be branded in my memory. He tells Me that there is a waterfall not far from his house and we decide to pull dawn patrol....wake up early and paddle out to see the falls. We camp out on the river rocks and the camp fire sends embers into the night sky. Its as if the embers are stars themselves rising upward to join the others in a star field that bends the imagination. I look around at the men......everyone sitting quietly looking up into space and I am thankful to be surrounded by men who can appreciate such things. I fall asleep to the sound of the fire crackling, owls hooting off in the night, and dreams of discovering waterfalls. No place on earth I would rather be.
Bean O.......
I asked why he was given the name, no one at the table knows.
The council of all things adventurous meets at an undisclosed diner in the middle of nowhere once a month... We share stories and enjoy what is arguably the most delicious pancakes on the planet. This day was just such occasion. I was driving my fork through butter laden, cake like, syrup drenched, slices of heaven and listening to AJ rant about this Bean O fellow. It seems the guy is a legend in some parts and a strange one at that. Then comes the trigger statement....Ben looks over at Me and says...."Sounds like the time at Drop Zone 10."
Now, I was at Drop Zone 10. It was one of those events that stamps a deep impression on your brain. A weekend that turned into a week and a half that I will never forget. And, from its reference, I am all too aware that I have not been paying enough attention to the conversation on the table.
It seems that this Bean O gentleman is a bit of a inventor.......bordering on mad scientist.....and somewhat of a test pilot. Or crash test dummy depending on the situation. Bean O was selected as a Sherpa on a certain expedition that I was almost a part of. One led by the liquidation projekt under the supervision of a certain river legend that we all know all too well. I was wondering who the found to take my place on the roster......it seems Mr. Bean O was chosen. And to point a fact, did a great job. Kudos to You Mr. Bean O
Now, I had been working on a design for river expedition.......a hybrid type of craft that I have seen used on other adventures. Its composed of a Zodiac......a low profile high output motor....and a hang glider. The idea is to fly over any area that might require portage, It has done very well in recon missions. There are a few design flaws, and I have been working out the kinks. It seems Bean O is a little ahead of Me on that detail. From the pictures I saw, he has a fully working rig. Kudos too You again Mr. Bean O.
After a few more minutes of listening to his exploits I realize that I have to meet this mad man. And as it turns out.......Kelly and Ben are meeting up with him in the morning. I am offered the opportunity to tag along.......I accept.
Its been two hours of driving down what can only be considered a road in the most fevered imagination. We have a downloaded My Topo that was mailed to Kelly and some GPS coordinates. Upon receiving it, I hear Ben ask, "Is that crayon?" Oh. Wow.... that's always a good sign. Other than that we have the advice from the old timer at the last "town" we went through. A "One Stop" that is rightfully named. A gas station/post office/fruit stand/residence of a man that as far as I can tell has never seen civilization. He looks at Me like I am from another planet and asks why we have canoes on our vehicles......I tell him they are Kayaks and he says "Uh huh" in that tone that suggests he is in no mood for correction. He is an absolutely fascinating old fellow right down to the over alls equipped with suspenders.......old pipe....and a beard that would make grizzly adams jealous. I marvel at his madness and ask him if he knew of the place we were going. He just stares at me like I am speaking in tongues and says "Son, there ain't nothin out there, Nothin."
I decide that this guy goes into my book of random weirdo awesome people. He is right up there with the Spanish fellow I met outside of Orro Valley, in the middle of the desert on a tricycle. He was tooling along on a big wheel....no shirt.....not a worry in the world. Just cruising down the highway about fifty miles between any town that I know of. Now, I don't know how long it takes to go 100 miles on a big wheel, but it can not be an enjoyable trek. I stopped and asked him if he needed anything......like a ride. And he said..."Nope, I am just fine." I asked if he needed any water, and he said........."Oh, yeah. That would be Gnarly."
Gnarly. Suddenly NOT dying of dehydration on a Arizona highway is..............."Gnarly"
I have assembled a book of Strange Strangers and this guy has a page devoted to him. The Old Timer at the One Stop will also be famous.
After about five more minutes of listening to him talk about the rain. He mentions how the Hogs almost got his dog. I haven't seen a dog, and if she is big enough to take on hogs....she must be something. He tells me that where we are going we should keep a sharp eye out for the Wild Pigs which he says are everywhere. I've had a run in with a Hog and let me just say they are not friendly animals. I find a cooler that has Mt Dew in it......I kid You not, Its in a bottle......an old glass bottle....it must have been in that cooler for a half a century. I ask him how much he wants for it and he says three bucks. I hand him a five and he says that he doesn't have change, I smile and say that it will be fine. I look over in the corner and see a paddle leaning up against the wall, further inspection reveals it is a carbon fiber paddle......a really nice one. I ask him where he got it and he tells me he found it on the road. I ask him if he wants to sell it and he says to make him an offer. I look it over and offer him a twenty........again he says, "I got no change." And I smile and say its cool. So, if you lost a paddle out near po dunk middle of no where.......finders keepers! As I walk out the door a small dog passes me and I look down at it. Its some breed of Terrier and not at all the hog hunter I envisioned.
I come out of the One Stop and Kelly asks me if theres a paddle shop in there.......I turn back and look at the building and ask him if it looks like a paddle shop. He asks me how much I gave for it and I say....."Well, the soda cost me five bucks." He asks me if the man had any advice or directions and I say......... "Son, there ain't nothin out there. Nothin."
The "road" goes from bad to worse and we find ourselves in four wheel drive negotiating all kinds of insane terrain. At one point, we had to wench a tree out of the way that had fallen in the path. And a few more miles down we found an even tougher obstacle.......a Bull. Now I have seen bulls.......been around them enough to know that you give them some room. Ben, it seems, has not. He drives right up to it and honks. Now there are ways you deal with hostile animals and ways that you don't. Generally, driving up to them and scaring the hell out of them is Not a good idea. The Bull just stands there and makes the most awful noise you've ever heard....while bobbing its head up and down. He is not happy. Ben revs his engine and honks once more, clearly a genius idea. To which the bull head butts the side of his truck......denting the fender. Ben looks back at me and I am laughing.....Kelly is laughing..... I think the bull was even laughing. And then after a twenty minute stand off..........he just walks into the trees. Content with the damage done. Ben gets out and surveys the damage. I get out and walk up to him and Kelly is still laughing and just when you think he is going to stop, he starts again. Ben looks at me and says....."Do you believe that?" I figure this is not the time to mention that it might have been his brilliant negotiation tactics that drove an animal to assault his bronco. I just say....."Hey, maybe he doesn't like fords."
Just then, we hear a popping noise followed by laughter. The kind of laugh that is half enjoyment and half fear. I figure we have found our mad man. And a short drive later, we find him. There's a river here.....and it is beautiful.....I cant believe the change in scenery.
We leave a forested area and step out onto a riverbank as beautiful as any I have ever seen. River rocks as far as the eye can see....polished smooth by the tenacity of the water. Each one looking as if it were hand picked and placed perfectly to compliment the one next to it. The trees line the river on the opposite bank and they seem to embrace the water, leaning affectionately out over its clear surface. The water itself is clear.....impossibly clear, like out of a dream. Even in the deep areas, you can see all the way to the bottom. Amazing.
Walking a little further out on the riverbank, we can see the man we've been searching for. He is relentlessly tugging on a pull cord...trying to bring the small engine to life. I'm guessing he will be happy to see the new motor in the back of Bens bronco. As I get closer to him, I realize that we have already met. I met him on the Texas water Safari and his name is appropriately "Austin." I later paddled with him in Arizona. In fact we've been friends for a while..........I just didn't know where he lived. I walk up to him and he says..." Hey man." And I reply "Bean O?" He laughs and says......."don't ask." and I decide that it is probably good advice. We spend the evening talking about a variety of subjects and looking over his Zodiac/glider and even give it a test run. I have to say.....Bean O is quite an engineer and I am impressed with his design. We have a few coronas and watch the sun set the trees on the far mountains ablaze in a sunset that will forever be branded in my memory. He tells Me that there is a waterfall not far from his house and we decide to pull dawn patrol....wake up early and paddle out to see the falls. We camp out on the river rocks and the camp fire sends embers into the night sky. Its as if the embers are stars themselves rising upward to join the others in a star field that bends the imagination. I look around at the men......everyone sitting quietly looking up into space and I am thankful to be surrounded by men who can appreciate such things. I fall asleep to the sound of the fire crackling, owls hooting off in the night, and dreams of discovering waterfalls. No place on earth I would rather be.
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