Thanksgiving!

Its a funny thing, Thanks Giving. I am sure hardly anyone knows the history behind it, like most Holidays.....it has become a monster. Never the less...any occasion that provokes us to look at our lives and give thanks for all the blessings we have, is a special occasion.

Truth is. No matter where you are, or what you are going through....you are Blessed. Life is a gift that we should never take for granted. Every single day that you wake is, in fact, a Blessing. So, this year find a quiet spot and sit down and just absorb it all. Sit a while and think about all the things you have been blessed with......the good, and the bad.

I truly Wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. May there be many more in your future!

-Chase Savant

Land KiteBoarding

Kiting on land is a whole different animal. I got soft Kiting in the water all summer and I really learned a lesson today. I went out to the flats yesterday, I was suprised and happy to see that there was at least a dozen Kiters out. No suprise really.......the wind was cranking, and it grew stronger into the evening.

I pulled out my kite and started getting everything set up. I Love that time. Getting all the lines checked and laid out, prepping for launch. The sound of nylon whipping in the wind. Other pilots kites whipping through the air....the sound of laughter....piles of gear here and there. it is Awesome.

I launched the kite and felt the power tug at the lines......it never ceases to put a smile on my face, watching that kite rise high into the air. Tracking it back and forth through the wind window. I dropped my board, clipped in, and I was off. What a great session. It was an amazing day......I must have flown for four hours straight. Thank God for wind.

I met a few new Kiters and saw a few old friends.

Another Epic day.

River Kayaking

It's hard for me to describe, with enough enthusiasm, just how the river makes me feel. I Love it out there. I can get lost in it.....just paddle deep into it and lose myself.

The fall is a great time to be out here. It looks unreal, the colors pop out at you and they are so vivid it is hard to take it all in. It looks as if an artist with a color fetish has painted it.

The weather can be a little tricky, take my advice and check the weather as often as possible before you go. Getting caught out here in bad conditions is Bad....really Bad. I arrived at the river early and I was surrounded by winter clouds, low in the sky, their reflections perfect in the still morning water. By mid day.....all but a few of those clouds had ventured off. Leaving me with a beautiful blue sky. The contrast of the fall leaves against the blue sky was a vision that will stay with me for a while.

As I paddled a mile or so down the river the wind began to pick up, a gentle breeze in the trees that allowed many leaves to fall. All around me......leaves began to fall from the trees.....spiraling down in such large numbers that it almost appeared to be snowning. They fell in the water all around me almost completely covering the surface of the river. Amazing. It was on of those moments when you think..."I should grab my camera!" ....but you're so absorbed in the moment that its impossible to react. In times like that.....I find myself trying so hard to remember every detail of the moment.....and this is one of those times that it is simply too much. It wouldn't matter anyway, no description could ever do justice to a vision like that. It was a genuine "You had to be there." moment.

I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the river. Running water.....The wind in the trees.....a Crow out in the distance......birds of all kinds preparing for the winter to come. I pulled out my thermos of Chicken Soup and took a sip........and all I could think was, How Blessed a man I am, Life is Good.

SingleTrack

There is something special about mountain biking. Maybe its the simplicity of it.....the hum of the treads......the catch of the chain.....the constant wind in your face. Whatever it is, I have been hooked for as long as I can remember. I joined a couple of friends out near the river for a ride down a new trail and it was amazing. A truly Epic ride. I Love this time of year. The cool air is such a blessing......and you can really feel the temperature change as you travel down through the valleys. We met up at the shack and I was glad to see Russel there.

Good to see You Brother.........You're a real Trooper.

My friend A.J. installed a new brake system for me.......the discs my ride came with were not the best. These are great, they have tremendous power and really compliment my rig. If you haven't tried the upgrade....do it....its worth the work.

The trail is fairly old.....there are trees that have fallen on the path and extremely high grass in some areas. I would say it is about seven miles. A loop that has many side trails that I can not wait to explore. It snakes through the trees and blazes across open fields, and there are places where the trail drops down into valleys that have all kinds of hazards. I am proud of myself, I only bonked a few times. It has been a while since I have tried to ride on that level. We cranked out several miles and it felt great, I am still buzzed. Not quite used to the time change we kind of pushed it into a night ride......this time of year always catches me off guard. I don't mind being out in the dark, its a whole new world at night. As we were loading up the bikes we could hear the call of coyotes in the distance. Its a little weird being in the woods in the fall and winter. I get so used to hearing the crickets and cicada that the world seems so quiet in their absence.

Can't wait to get back out there.

Fun Yuns

Thats right, I said Fun yuns, or funions

How is that spelled?

Not the point. The point is we all know of that little onion ring, chip like, substance that only people who have no intention of kissing anyone for the next three hours indulge in.

Why am I bringing it up?

Well, I gave a homeless man a dollar, he asked me for some change and I gave him a dollar. And with it.....he bought Fun Yuns. Obviously couldnt find anything more nutritious at the Gas Station. And it hit me.....Ive never seen a homeless dude drinking gatorade or bottled water. Never seen them with a box of Ramen noodles.....and you would think these things would be on their list. From an economic and nutritional standpoint.

Just thinking about it.

If you had one dollar, just one, what would you do with it?

Camping on The Brazos

For those who know me, its NO surprise that I LOVE to camp. Last weekend I was invited by my good friend Daniel to join his family on one of their trips. Let me just say, if you're not camping in this blessed weather, then what are you doing? the nights were cold and the days were warm.......can we be any more blessed?

We met up at the Brazos just outside of Palo Pinto in an area that they have visited many times. I can see why, it is beautiful. The river is clear and flows gently over river rocks in a series of rapids. This turbulent water fills the air with the sound of running water.....and we camped right beside it. All night long, the hushed whisper of the water was such a peaceful experience. I slept so well and waking up to the sun rising over the trees was amazing.

Daniel has two children and I have not seen them in a while. I have been living down on the coast and blah, blah, blah, life gets in the way. I can not believe how grown up they are. Time truly does fly. They are great kids and are fun to be around. Watching them paddle down the river on their own is such a cool sight.

There is no place quite like an American river. It is different everytime you see it....depending on the season or time of day. We had Canoes, Kayaks, and a Pontoon Rig.....we spent many hours paddling across the clear water. There's no place I would have rather been. I grew up in a small town not too far from the banks of the brazos and I have spent many hours exploring its waters. I just can not get enough of it. Having my friends there made it even more perfect.

The stars at night were insane. There was no moon to rival their brilliance and it was quite a sight. Stars from horizon to horizon.....far from the city lights......impossibly brilliant. I stayed up all night talking to my friend Travis, by the camp fire, looking up at the heavens on a perfectly clear fall night. I havent seen that many shooting stars in a while.

I just want to say "Thank You" to my friend Daniel and his family for inviting me.