Photos A Walk in Nature

Hello RayseM RayseM i am actually from the midcoast area, i work in yarmouth and sometimes end up in boothbay for service work (on boats). If you venture down this way give me a shout.
 
Just Tom. said:
50mph winds here today after 2in of rain (that’s 80 km/h and 5 cm for our SI-units friends). This coming weekend might be a good time to go into the woods and see what interesting stuff the storm brought down…
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Rain, followed by wind today in west-central Illinois. I have a stick in progress, and three dried blanks in the wings right now. I will likely pass on newbies for a spell.
Enjoy. Be safe.

I searched all over for a Nicholson Rasp that was Made in USA. I finally found this one still in the blister pack, and paid two prices for it.
This thing eats wood like a Beaver.
Can you spot the well worn and beaten Matterhorn on the bench? That one goes with me on the trail as well as being useful in the workshop as I clean it up and refresh it.
Not a Safe Queen!
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RayseM said:
I'm astonished that my 35+ year old Nicholson still cuts this many years later. It is my favorite for shaping knife handles.
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Made in U.S.A.? My toolbox file drawer has some dating back 50 years. They still cut well, even after a lifetime in machining, Tool & Die, and manufacturing. Reviews on the imports are just not worthy, that is why I searched this one out. Just like knives, one cannot beat a quality product.
 
A Paddler’s Christmas

T’was the night before Christmas, when all through the land…
Not a snowflake was falling, and we could see sand.

It was a nice evening, and most were asleep…
Except for a few, seeking the deep.

The canoes were all launched, and the kayaks as well…
With all having fun, one could see it was swell.

We were out having joy, in the moonlight you see…
And nobody else was there to be.

Then I heard a rattle, or was that a clank?…
I hope that nobody flipped over and sank.

But around the bend, we came to a sight…
Quite the view to behold, in the moonlight.

And there he was, in a jon boat of course…
Coming from where, we know not the source.

He looked sort of funny dressed in that red suit…
His life vest zipped up, and one very wet boot.

But as you might bet, he had run aground…
The water was shallow, and we heard but one sound.

Was that a sniffle, or was it a cry?
Why he was like this, we know not why.

So loaded he was, and bearing a gift…
And so we asked him, “Do you need a lift?”

He said with a smile, from his big green boat…
“My sleigh has no pontoons, and it cannot float”.

I’m out here alone, and I was to aspire…
To get the job done, but I’m in a quagmire.

So we offered a hand, to help him deliver…
All the presents we could, alongside the river.

The gifts came a tumbling, into our crafts…
The loads were quite great, for our shallow drafts.

We headed on downstream, loaded for bear…
He was like a new man, with nary a care.

With chimneys so high, we were so perplexed…
And no reindeer to fly, we thought we were vexed.

But he had recovered, and in a good humor…
With rosy red cheeks, he’s no longer a gloomer.

He laid up his finger, alongside his nose…
“I have an idea, so I suppose”.

“It’s a ladder we need, to get the job done”…
What an idea, from the big bearded one.

So we all took a paddle, and with tow-line in hand…
As we can’t just leave gifts, out on the sand.

We weaved and we tied the paddles together…
It’s a very good thing, we each had a tether.

As we floated along from dock to dock…
He busied himself, filling a sock.

As all knew he would, he got the job done...
Then he said it to us, “I must be a’ run”.

As he rowed on downstream, and went out of sight
I thought I heard something, off to the right.

Was it an echo, or was it my mind…
Playing those tricks that are so unkind?

What was going on? My mind it did churn…
It was just the river, with a sweeping return.

His voice bellowed out, in the moonlight…
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”

And though we had fun, this wonderful eve…
We must always remember, and not be naïve.

So I added aloud, to my crewmates adrift…
As in our minds, we must make a shift.

“And we lest not forget, the real and true reason…
We all celebrate, this Christmas season!”

Copyrights reserved 2008-2023
Merry Christmas 2023
Verse by Frank Masterman
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From my paddling days - a Christmas gift to myself in 2013. Schrade SCHF14. The Kydex sheath was fastened to my
paddling PFD in a down-pull, cross-draw orientation. Thankfully, I never had to use this knife while on or in the water.​
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I was able to breakaway last Thursday for a solo camp/ hunt at my favorite state forest for a few days. I didn't take many pics but here are a few.

Camp after arriving and set up late afternoon.
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Exploring/scouting one area of this 7500 acre forest that I hadn't ever been in before.
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Found a spot I thought would be a good place for a deer to show up and parked myself on the ground for a couple hours. The deer apparently had other plans as none showed up. I did enjoy the lunch I had in my pack at this spot before moving on.pic 3 set up, lunch - 1.jpegpic 4 set up, lunch - 1.jpegView attachment 2432067

Later that day I eventually hung a portable tree stand in another location waiting for a deer to stroll by. Once again the deer had other plans. :)
I call this pic me in a tree killing nothing but time.
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I was able to have a campfire the first two nights of my stay but on my third day it rained all day and night sending me home early Sunday morning. View attachment 2432083
 
Only walked about 6 miles this morning, but with considerably more elevation change than along the canal. This is a little steeper than average maybe, but fairly representative of the trail conditions generally:
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My car is on the far side of the hill to the left:
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I cut a nice stick off of a fallen tree, and used it along the way, but left it at the trailhead for the next person. The whole park is privately owned, so I didn’t want to remove anything from it. Here it is along the way somewhere:
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It’s a popular spot, but I went early, and it was chilly and cloudy, so I only crossed maybe 5 or 6 groups along the way. It was just starting to get crowded as I was leaving around 11.
 
Ellis Wyatt said:
And the knives that made the journey.
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An awesome journey !
That area of North America is so breathtakingly beautiful !
I wish I could visit it someday.
My sister and her family lived there for a few years. Now they live in the Orcas islands which is just as beautiful.
Great pics !
DirtDawg said:
A Paddler’s Christmas
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Merry Christmas !
I enjoyed the poem Frank !
Great job helping Santa 🎅 😊

redsparrow said:
First Day of Winter Walk About
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No white stuff ❄️ yet James 😊 ?
Looks like we’ll have a green Christmas around here. It’s even raining today.
You were well equipped for the hike 👍😎

sunknife said:
I was able to breakaway last Thursday for a solo camp/ hunt at my favorite state forest for a few days. I didn't take many pics but here are a few.
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Beautiful setting to spend time alone close to nature.
“Killing nothing but time “ in that setting is its own reward in a way.
I wish you a successful hunt on your next outing !
Cool selfie mi amigo 😎

Just Tom. said:
Only walked about 6 miles this morning
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Your faithful Okapi is looking good there Tom 👍😊

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We travelled to the London, Ontario area to visit family for the holidays.

My Mom hand raised a very tame and VERY spoiled canary who was a really good sport as well posing for pics with my Trapper 😊

Still likes to eat the baby formula even though it’s fully weaned now ☺️
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Loves yerba mate 🧉 too 😎
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