They said today was going to be the hottest day in Nashville this year, so we started out early to beat the heat, hitting the Seven Oaks disc golf for a friendly round. It was with my long-time friend Joe Hendricks and a new friend, Steve from South Africa. This was Steve’s first time playing disc golf, so Joe gave him insights along the way; recommending which disc to use, how to throw them, where to throw them, and also… what poison ivy looks like. I guess they don’t have poison ivy in South Africa?
I think we made it through without contacting the itchy leaves (so far, so good, at least), and we had a good time. Joe’s a pro. Steve did great for his first time out, and I was awesome on holes 1 through 2. We stopped keeping track of the score, which I didn’t hate. I was somewhere around 9 over on the 9th or 10th hole. Yowzers.
Good times in Nashville!
-Out of the Wilderness
A bird in the hand…
If a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, how much are baby birds in a nest worth? I came across this nest a couple months ago, and it had little tiny baby robins in it. They all hatched, and I think all but one survived. (click for a slideshow, or scroll down for more)
As you can see, the nest is tucked away in vines growing on the side of my house, so I left it there because, “why not?” Then the other day, I noticed each time I walked by a robin would fly away. I have no idea if nests are ever reused but I thought there was a chance. So today I got my ladder out again and found this…
My new life as a villain
“Water only makes me stronger!” – Salt Water Guy
“Hi ya!” – Recess Rebel
Author and friend Nick Shell (family friendly daddy blog) enlisted the help of Salt Water Guy and Recess Rebel to help defeat the mighty Jack-man. A task not taken lightly by either villain.
Check out the videos below to find out if my characters, along with Green Meanie and Playground Ninja are able to overtake the superhero.
My grandfather’s clock
It chimes and I’m a young boy sleeping on the floor of my grandparents Monticello home. The green shag carpet covered with sleeping bags, sheets, whatever stuffed animal I brought along for vacation, and 2 brothers quarantined to the room farthest from their 2 sisters, as everyone in the house tried for a restful night.
The home is quiet, save for the consistent ringing of the grandfather clock in the family room near the hallway leading through rows of family pictures on the wall.
Every summer we visited that old home built when my dad was just a small child. My grandfather and his father built the house, and he built the clock, too, which now chimes in my Nashville home decades after those summer vacations.
It still has that consistent chime, a charming sound that takes me back to my childhood every time.
Peanut Butter Toast Crunch is back!
I searched and searched but couldn’t find it anywhere. It became a treasure hunt. A pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. A needle in a haystack. A million to one. Extinct.
I knew it was too good to be true. All confirmed when I got a reply email from General Mills that said Peanut Butter Toast Crunch is no longer available… anywhere. Shortness of breath. Beads of sweat. What is happening?
I wouldn’t say it sent me into a spiraling tailspin of devastation, disappointment, denial, and flat-out rejection. It was more like a SPIRALING TAILSPIN OF DEVASTATION, DISAPPOINTMENT, DENAIL AND FLAT-OUT REJECTION!!!
There was no cereal that encompassed all the rich goodness peanut butter has to offer like Peanut Butter Toast Crunch. My world was rocked. Breakfast, as I once knew it, was over. Why? Why, I asked. But one person can’t change the mind of a corporation (although I was thankful they replied to my email inquiry).
Years went by. I went off to war with my buddy. He didn’t make it. I returned home and hugged my dad. I restored a big old house. Grew a beard. Wondered where my horse went. OK, that might be the story from The Notebook, and possibly War Horse, but you get the picture. A lot of time passed.
A few days ago, though, I went to pick up some groceries and there she was. All shiny and new. My Allie! She galloped back into my life and balance was restored. I totally did a double take in the store, and…took a picture. 
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 