John W
Walkabout?
Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 18:28

As I sit and type this quaffing a Downeast hard cider I reflect on my life.

The ups and downs. The adventures and the doldrums. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

I am getting an itch.

It has been ages since I went on "walkabout". The term loosely conveys the image of an Australian aboriginal person on a journey of self-discovery. Some native tribes in America used the term vision quest.

In the past I had a lot of time off due to my teaching schedule. I am sure some of you recall some posts ages ago when I would point the nose of my Ford Ranger (I had many as they were great. Today's new Ford Ranger is somewhat suspect to me.) and live like a modern-day mountain man. A good six-gun and a couple of Contenders kept a man well entertained in the Great Plains of North and South Dakota as well as the Rocky Mountain West as well as the PNW.

Much water has flowed under the bridge. Sadly, both Mom and Dad have passed. There isn't a day I do not think of them, nor do I not miss them. They are often in my mind. Certain parts of my life have had profound changes. I'd have to have sit over a glass of spirits for the full story.

Having taught over the covid nonsense, and that is putting it mildly, I have a yearning for a decent road trip of sorts.

I have gone to Florida and North Carolina for hunting. I have taken some game and last season broke a curse of sorts with deer in North Carolina. (I sent a deposit to a guide in NC for a November hunt with my Encore pistol in 3006.Now that Gary worked the action, and I should be able to hit a southern whitetail deer in the vitals)

So I am seriously thinking of an end of June start of July trip out West. Ideally I'd like to do an elk hunt or something like that but in my current venue the best bet would be a varmint safari of sorts.

I am very tempted to drive out to Wyoming and hunt some varmints as well as experience the culture of the Cowboy State. I love the region and in a strange way felt at home. I do miss the Wyoming backcountry and the down home attitude of the people.

I feel the need for a trip to that region and roam some of the backcountry with TC in hand for some things.