It was a dark and stormy night… one with a biting chill in the air. There was something else there too… a certain foreboding hanging on the breeze. The day started well enough. Plans were in place for a friendly meeting with a Navy brother, Dennis, who would make use of our little respite in … [Read more…]
Breathe… sometimes you just have to get away. A little over a week ago, Katie and I made a last second decision to bolt for the tranquility of Rustic Pines one Saturday evening. The trip offered a needed break from our schedule, as well as the quiet contemplation required for absolutely crazy ideas to be … [Read more…]
Now that we’ve built the “tiny cabin” and outhouse, cleared the driveway and parking area, we’ve reached the point at which others can come and experience a glimpse of Rustic Pines. Two of our first visitors have scheduled to come up and Katie and I couldn’t be more excited. Later this month, and mid-next, mine … [Read more…]
It’s been busy lately… almost too busy. Katie and I just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary, and what a year it’s been. With the birth of Rustic Pines MN, we’ve hopefully not only put down roots for our future, we’ve developed an opportunity to bring us closer together as a couple. The simple comradery … [Read more…]
Up to this point, we have encountered snow on every venture into our property. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve been enjoying ourselves, but it’s a bit like unwrapping a gift. We’ve never seen the land snow free and in full bloom. As the snow recedes, each time we walk the trails, the scenery has changed, … [Read more…]
Yes, the title is overtly sexist… lets just get that admission out of the way. But I have sound reasoning for the title; If you read our first experience, you would have noticed my massive oversight when it came to creature comforts. My Katie was a trooper… she’s no snowflake, but the reality, is both she … [Read more…]
John and I discussed what we wanted to accomplish during our next trip to the property. One of the issues we have experienced thus far is lack of time. It is pretty time consuming to pack up all of the gear we need each trip, make the three hour drive, then spend a few more hours hauling the gear … [Read more…]
I’m learning to manage my expectations. Somehow, at my age and life experience I’d expect to be better at this. However, as life usually does, it teaches me that with less expectation comes less disappointment. I headed up the advance team of one, and embarked Friday morning with the expectation that I would survey the … [Read more…]
SMEAC From Wikipedia: “The five paragraph order or five paragraph field order is a style of organizing information about a military situation for a unit in the field. It is an element of United States Army, United States Marine Corps and United States Navy Seabees of small unit tactics, and similar order styles are used … [Read more…]
(A side note: All the rapid fire posts being made are actually based on content we originally posted to Facebook. Things will slow down once the site is fully updated.) Every so often on an early Sunday morning, Katie and I will sit on the couch with a hot cup of coffee, and turn … [Read more…]