Drying my shoes by the fire 
Going fishing the second day 
My 'barely one person' tent 
Beautiful Waterfall 
My pack complete with crickets for fishing 
A Black Bear track right outside my tent! 
Necissity is the Mother of invention 
Smoking Trout...Its what's for dinner! 
I caught the big one & 2 of the smaller ones! Panther martin spinner knocks em dead!I recently had the opportunity to take a hiking trip with some fellow Pastors. We went to the Ellicott Wilderness for a 3 day 20 mile hiking/fishing/camping trip. I've shed, by God's grace-the moringa tree & Zija, 60 pounds since July of last year. I figured the 40 pound pack would be no problem! I may have lost weight but I have yet to gain cardio shape! The 3,000 foot elevations really challenged me to the max. My partners gave me the 'trail name' of 'Grunt' because I made noise with every step.
We hiked 7 or 8 miles the first day. By the end of that hike I figured out how to & how not to wear the backpack. It is supposed to rest on your 'saddle' aka top of your butt. Let me tell you, my 'saddle' was sagging by the time we made camp that afternoon!
The second half of that first day found us in some very steep mountainous country. Nearly vertical ravines on a foot & a half wide dirt trail made for some hairy hiking. At one 'hairpin' turn there was a tree growing up over the path & a 300 to 400 foot drop off on the outer edge. I watched my partners grasp the trunk & 'swing' under the tree. No problem. I didn't factor in my 40 pound pack. In the middle of my swing my left hand slipped off the tree trunk & my swing started swinging down & not over! That was a wake up call to be sure!
The hiking wasn't so fun at first...or in the middle...or on the last day really. What was fun was looking back & realizing you did something hard & you persevered!
We camped along the Chatooga river where deliverance was filmed. I kept a sharp ear out for banjo music!
We caught 6 trout the first afternoon & I caught 3 more the next day. Nothing like fresh trout smoked over a fire. The big trout bumped my spinner on 3 successive casts. On the 4th cast I reeled that spinner as fast as I could & instead of 'tasting' it - he inhaled it!
After our trip I figured out why my Pastor buddies so enjoyed this kind of get away. It is the polar opposite of what we do every day. No cell phones, people, or problems other than physical ones to be overcome. No dressing up, meetings, or fires to put out - only ones to start.
It was so quiet except for the sound of the river which lulled us to sleep each night. We carried everything we needed to sustain us right on our backs. We were miles from civilization & we not only survived but we thrived.
I can't wait to go back & take Paul Jr. with me. He would love this kind of adventure!
Our Vacation started with a BANG...literally! About 2 hours down I75 going 70 mph - we blew a rear passenger side tire. I heard it going down before it blew and was able to change lanes & slow down before the back half of the tire exploded! God was sooooooo gracious in keeping that overloaded 3 seat wagon from flipping. 
Ben loves the jacuzzi. He calles it "His Water". By the way - those armies that also have a float across the chest with one clasp in the back are WONDERFUL! They keep the little fellas a float & upright. Ben loves it!
The kids have really enjoyed the pool as have I. It is especially nice at night with the underwater lights on.
The Arsenal
Drew moves up to the big boy firearms!
Sam being Sam
