Adventure week part 1

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Ben Wilder

Greetings! Today is Friday and it’s technically the last day of a week I’ve titled “Adventure Week!” I did so because for the last month or two, I was in a routine. Not a rut, per se, but just doing each day without many bells and whistles. That’s all fine and good, but I knew things needed to be shaken up!

Monday
The first day of this week-long adventure kicked off with an early afternoon movie at a local theater. I actually love going to watch movies but haven’t been in many, many months. So I treated myself to a movie I’d been wanting to see since I first knew about it; Yesterday. Great movie! I almost cried multiple times (in a good way), and laughed often. The plot of the movie really intrigued me and although they never really address the why and how of what happened in the movie– everyone in the world except for a handful of people never knowing of the Beatles (or Coke, or Harry Potter, also)– it was fantastic. And I’m not even a die-hard Beatles fan.

Tuesday
On this, the second day of Adventure week, I went kayaking. I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t been all year, in spite of having kayaks at my disposal all day every day. So I hit up a nearby lake and it was extremely satisfying. I mostly stayed close to the shoreline because I like to see turtles and birds and whatever other creatures pop up.

Wednesday
I decided to do a repeat of Tuesday, so I went out to the same lake but launched from a different park. Just like Tuesday, kayaking was a big success. On both days, I ventured out in the late afternoon so by the time I was paddling, the sun wasn’t scorching and I was able to be on the water as it neared dusk. Very fun!

Thursday
I kinda cheated on the Adventure week because I didn’t really plan something special for this day… I did what I’ve been doing the last few weeks on Thursdays… play volleyball. I absolutely love playing and at a particular sand volleyball court area, a bunch of folks show up on Thursday to play pick-up volleyball. So it’s a great chance to see friends I’ve made out there, and make new friends. Now I’ll admit something, it wasn’t as fun as it’s been in the past and I don’t know exactly why, but evenso, it was still a great time on the court.

Friday… today.
Today is still a mystery but I have a few ideas for Adventure Week. Check back soon and I’ll have an update!!

Thanks for reading, have an adventurous day!

-Out of the Wilderness

Feels like rain

Posted on October 22, 2017 by Ben Wilder

It was one of those unexpected moments that turned out to be the highlight of my day. I was skipping rocks at Percy Priest Lake here in Nashville, waiting for my GoPro to record enough pictures to make a time-lapse of the sunset. Across the lake the marina slips were full of houseboats docked for the night.

I could hear distant voices of boat owners chatting back and forth. Music played as the soundtrack of their late afternoon. I assume they were cleaning their boats, as many boat owners like to do. Maybe they were scrubbing and washing the week away, or prepping for an upcoming voyage.

The lake was quiet enough that the sound from a boat stereo carried over the calm water to where I was sitting on lake pebbles, admiring the clouds and the active ducks. Another song began to play, one I’d never heard before. Somehow it captured, and represented, summer. I sat back and just let myself enjoy it, as I knew the moment wouldn’t last forever.

-Out of the Wilderness

I’ve loved you all over the world…

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Ben Wilder

I first laid eyes on her in 2007. Great curves, light, and sporty. My Nissan Versa is nearing it’s 10th anniversary as my main squeeze when it comes to getting me from A to B, and I gotta say, what a ride it’s been! With her CVT and her auxiliary input and all 4 of her cylinders, she’s made zipping around the southeast something to write home about.

And although I’ve never literally written home about her, I did jot down some landmarks in the first year of our relationship. They honeymoon phase, if you will. Here ya go…

mile 10 got the keys.

mile 110 drove to Percy Priest Lake for wakeboarding and cliff jumping.

mile 340 bought the first tank of gas.

mile 655 returned home from a Nashville Sounds baseball game.

mile 684 sneezed in the car for the first time.

mile 747 returned home from a couple garage sales.

mile 1,623 trip to Cincinnati, OH to visit family.

mile 2,300 drove to corn maze in Whitehouse, TN.

mile 3,717 rock hits windshield, crack begins to spread.

mile 4,265 fighting to stay awake on 231 returning to Nashville from Tallahassee, FL.

mile 5,263 first oil change, location: Action Nissan in Nashville, TN.

That’s just a glimpse, but I’ve had a lot of good memories thanks to my car. She’s nearing 180,000 miles today. That’s probably 93 in car years! I know I won’t have her around for a whole lot longer so for now, this post is for you Black Pearl!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Three Star-Spangled Banner: Nashville

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Ben Wilder

As our nation celebrates it’s independence on July 4th, I’m celebrating the city I love. Those that live here understand there’s something special about Nashville that makes us proud to live here.

With verse one and four of our National Anthem, here’s a tribute in pictures to the great city of Nashville, Tennessee.