Out of the Wilderness

Luke Combs “The Kind Of Love We Make” Music Video Recap

Country star Luke Combs recently released a video for a song called, “The Kind of Love We Make,” and it’s already nearing the million-views mark on YouTube. I’ve written about Luke Combs music videos before (“Lovin’ On you” and “When It Rains It Pours”) so I thought this might be a fun one to recap. Here’s the video, then scroll down for my take on it…

Fire. Lots of fire. 🔥 For one thing, if these older folks aren’t aware of their curtain blazing behind them, that’s something that needs to be addressed by family and loved ones. Time for an assisted living situation, perhaps? And by “perhaps” I mean yes, it’s definitely time.

Another thought… if this imagery isn’t the quintessential image that sums up our current situation with Joe Biden, then I don’t know what is. If the United States were going up in smoke, Joe would be talking about the nice aroma.

I watched a YouTube video from popular country critic named Grady Smith. He was listing trends he dislikes in country music, and I was right there with him on most of it! Unfortunately, for Luke, this video/song is on the list for it’s line, “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

Luke’s performance portion of the video takes place in a firehouse (in Dickson, TN). That made a lot of sense, nice background with the firetrucks. Some people will like the twist at the end of the video but the twist, or creativity, I liked the most is Luke in the firehouse. In the storyline, the firemen take off on a call and they run right past Luke, completely interrupting his performance. It’s just a few seconds but the break in the music was a creative way to integrate the storyline with the music. Kudos to whoever decided to make that happen!

Did you enjoy the video? Comment below and thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Snorkeling Surprises in the Florida Keys

I have more to write than what will be in today’s post about a recent experience in my travels. I’m currently rambling around Florida and had the chance to snorkel in the keys while I was camping. This wasn’t one of those paid excursions where they basically bring you to the marine life. So for me, seeing the things I saw feels more special. Like seeing dolphins in the wild, not Sea World. Hearing your favorite song on the radio, not playing it on your phone. So the next few pics are things I was so excited to see. More to come but I just had to post these today…

Isn’t that so awesome!? I hadn’t expected to see a couple of big sea urchins and a huge starfish (I gently placed my hand there to give a perspective on how big it was). Amazing! Made me so happy. I have more to share from down here in the southern tip of Florida. Mostly good things, a few unwelcome surprises, but all part of my camping stories. I hope you’ll come back to check out future posts, which happen daily at 1pm central!

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Joe Biden falls off a bike and has me asking, “Is this real life?”

While Donald Trump and Joe Biden were competing for our votes in the 2020 election, I wrote quite a bit about the pair. Mostly I wrote about Joe Biden, because I generally and genuinely couldn’t understand 1. why he was running (from his perspective) and 2. why anyone would even entertain the notion of voting for him. I wrote satirical things…

Biden Replaces White House Physician With Dr. Suess

Scrabble to Release New “Joe Biden Words” Edition

Biden to Grow Leg Hair Out for “No Shave November”

But there were serious posts, too. One of those keeps coming back to mind as the country and the world are witnessing in real time the decline of an aging, old man. It’s this one where I ask the question, did Joe Biden actually die in 1988? I’ll give him this, though, watching him fall of a bike that has foot/shoe straps doesn’t really concern me regarding his mental health. Sometimes those straps can be tricky. I’m MORE concerned about how Jill is wearing her helmet (see second video below).

Kind of weird how she zips off and Joe goes full steam ahead into the waiting crowd.

But going back to the questions I had earlier… why was he running in 2020? He, and his entire family, had to know he wasn’t in good health. I’ve heard putting together a campaign for president is one of the hardest things to do mentally and physically. The fact that his family (and let’s be clear, I’m talking mostly about Jill his wife) OK’d this is something none of us might ever understand. Given his medical history (2 brain aneurysms in the late 80s), I think we’re seeing those long term effects take hold right before our eyes). Why would anyone vote for him? I think this was basically a vote against Trump and not a vote FOR Biden. I refuse to believe Democrats are that dumb, althouugghhhh…..

*stares off into distance wondering how dumb liberals can be*

I guess there is a block of Democrats that will vote that way no matter what, just like there’s a block of Republicans that will do the same. But we’re two years into Biden’s presidency now. If anyone denies he has some major mental decline going on, then they must also. It’s way past the point of international embarrassment. Now it’s got me questioning if this is real life or are we in some sort of matrix and the console needs to be reset. Everything he does fails for the American people. I’m not denying he is doing things and accomplishing things, but those things are benefiting other countries and FAILING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. Part of me hopes it’s just his health failing, because if that’s not it, then it would be that he’s one of the most evil people in the world.

To wrap up, I’d like for you to think of it this way. Let’s say you work at a hospital or a retail store or you’re a professional athlete, etc… would you feel comfortable with Joe Biden, in his current state of decline, as your boss?

As sure as this summer is hotter than a billy goat in a pepper patch, I wouldn’t.

-Out of the Wilderness

IKEA’s Playful New Commercial – The Music

IKEA has a few commercials that are bending the senses, including this one with the buff bears. The latest is one called “Let Play Unwind Your Mind.” It’s a creative take on letting work take a backseat to quality time with family and friends.

The Music. The song in the ad is “Shook” by Raja Kumari. It was released in 2018. Take a listen to the full track below.

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Wildlife and More from Myakka River State Park

Hello! My name is Ben and I’m camping at Myakka River State Park for a few days. I have a travel trailer that’s literally my mobile home. This state park adventure can be summed up in three words: wildlife, windy, worn-out.

Wildlife. This park, out of all the state parks I’ve been to (which you can read about on my Camping Stories page), has the most diverse wildlife I’ve experienced. In just a couple of days I’ve seen alligators, a roseate spoonbill (pink bird pictured below), wild pigs, hawks, owls, deer, turkeys, and swallow-tailed kites (also pictured below with the big split tail feathers). I also met a photographer who’s great at capturing owls and other wildlife. Check out Dillon Ogle’s Instagram for some sweet photos – @dogleswildlifephoto

Windy. My site is near the edge of a big prairie. I was in the trees but the nice (and strong) breezes make it into the camp and provide a relief from the heat. It also gives the birds something to float in, so that’s a win!

Worn-out. I mentioned overexerting myself in the post a few days ago, writing about the alligators at the park. I hadn’t planned on becoming so exhausted but while I was biking to the alligator bridge, I specifically remember thinking, “I need water, I’m so thirsty!”

It wasn’t just a mild thirst, either. I was dehydrated. I had jogged a couple of miles, walked the dogs a few times, biked many miles back and forth to see wildlife, and didn’t pay attention to what my body was needing… water and rest. So this led to the exhaustion and feeling like I had some kind of sinus infection.

Overall, this park is great for anyone wanting to see Florida’s wildlife! Just know that the park is huge so getting to the different areas (lake, river, bridge, restaurant/cafe, boat ramp, etc), you’ll be using a bike or car a lot. Here are a few pictures of my time here.