My grandfather taught me about fishing - did it well - we had many good times.
If anyone had taught me about hunting, shooting, exploring forests and mountains, navigating with a map and compass, etc., etc., as a kid, I would have considered it heavenly. No one did. Left a big vacant hole.
Once married and having our first daughter, got that initial college degree and immediately came to the SW. Got squared away with my work and family and very soon started a heavy effort to learn and do all of the stuff I had missed - had been waiting a long time. Hit it hard by reading, talking with knowledgeable people and DOING. Kept it going and growing for 40 years - great rewards. Had first grand kids by then.
By then we also lived in the right/best place surrounded by Nat Forest past the fence, and the stream of grand kids came for lots of visits. Even number of girls and boys, and they sometimes brought friends.
They were eager - learned shooting skills, weather factors, forest safety and survival skills, use of compass (each were given their own to keep) for creating and following a route (regularly stop to look back) and reversing the trail to home. We kept upping the challenges - good kids love to be challenged.
Eventually they would set out early morning for a day on their own - older ones as leaders. Always took firearms. Toward the end, they LOVED ending the day somewhere "way out there" and having a camp. making the fire, cooking something simple, waking up with the day break. Using a compass and showing me how to get back to our place. I was overjoyed.
The youngest two are almost adults and soon will finish HS - but I still see all of them as the little twerps with dirt under the fingernails, rumpled hair, one shoe untied, squinting to close one eye and g-e-n-t-l-y squeeze, then racing one another to the targets.
Each knows at least a little bit about personal freedom and self-reliance.
Why are we here?
